Work Text:
Nick has always loved heartbeats. He’s loved them since he was a little kid curled up against his mum’s chest, her heart thumping steadily under his ear in soothing rhythm.
As he had gotten older, his interest had only grown stronger. He has found himself googling, seeking out recordings of heartbeats to listen to when he was stressed or needed comfort. He had found that there were entire communities of people like him: people whose interest in heartbeats went beyond what was considered “normal”. They called themselves cardiophiles and referred to their interest as a kink. Nick had always thought kinks were about sex, and he had never really felt that way about a heartbeat.
Even when he and Charlie had started dating, and later having sex, it had never felt like listening to Charlie’s heartbeat turned him on exactly. It was exciting in its own way, hearing so clearly how alive Charlie was. More than anything, though, it felt intimate - so painfully intimate that sometimes Nick wanted to cry when Charlie pulled Nick’s head onto his chest, letting Nick nuzzle against the warmth of him and just listen.
Nick had cried when he had unwrapped his Christmas gift from Charlie one year to find a stethoscope inside. Charlie had patiently stayed still on the bed, doing a series of breathing exercises so Nick could hear his heartbeat speed up and then slow down
And then Nick heard the way Charlie’s heart raced when Nick got overwhelmed with how in love he was with him and leaned in to kiss Charlie deeply, without even moving the stethoscope.