Chapter Text
“Mami! Lueg emol! Die Farb vo dem See esch so mega schön!”
Nick opened his eyes, not because he’d understood what the girl had said to her mum sitting with him in a compartment on the train up to Mount Brünig but because of the excitement in her voice. She was bouncing on her feet, her pony-tail dancing with every movement, her arm outstretched to point at something outside their window. He couldn’t help but follow the direction and turned his head to the world passing them by. He was met with the most stunning view of a small lake surrounded by a picture-perfect village and steep hills. The sun coloured it in a deep turquoise and made it sparkle so much it was almost blinding. He blinked several times to adjust his eyes to the sudden brightness after the soft orange glow that had soothed him so much he almost fell asleep.
After the last stop, the train had morphed into some kind of rack railway and the constant rocking from climbing up the hill had almost lulled him into a slumber. The happy chatter in Swiss German of the people around him hadn’t helped either; he didn’t understand a single word so the singsang of their mingled voices merely served him as a lullaby.
He was on his way to one of the last stops on his vacation in Switzerland, a beautiful little hostel moulded onto a rock which had looked stunning in the pictures that he’d found on airbnb. A few hikes up the mountains surrounding it had been planned until he was due to be back in London to start his first job as a primary teacher.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket to take a picture, wanting to send it to his mum as soon as he had wi-fi again. After all, she was the one who had convinced him to travel to Switzerland with all her gushing about the beautiful cities with their lakes and mountains.
He smiled as he turned his head back to the girl who had made him aware of his beautiful surroundings but she was already focused back on her book.
A sudden sense of eyes watching him let his gaze snap up in search of the cause. His breath caught in his throat immediately as his amber eyes locked with stormy blue ones and he couldn’t tear them away even after the other person quickly diverted their gaze to the window next to them, obviously aiming for an air of nonchalance. Nick watched as a faint blush coloured their cheeks adorably pink and a small smile tugged on their lips, revealing the smallest hint of dimples. It was only then that Nick realised that this beautiful face belonged to a man around his age because of a light stubble covering his jaw. He had dark curls that looked unbelievably soft and were framing an angular face with beautiful sharp cheekbones. Nick felt the sudden urge to map this stranger’s face with his fingertips and to brush away the stray lock falling into the other man’s forehead.
Huh.
The man looked up again and now it was Nick’s turn to blush furiously at being caught but still, he was unable to break eye contact. They both smiled tentatively at each other and Nick felt his hand move on its own volition to perform a little wave at the other man. The smile on the dark haired man’s face grew wider at this and to Nick’s big relief, he reciprocated the silly movement a second later, thankfully leaving Nick no time to spiral into embarrassment.
The motion forced his gaze to focus on the stranger’s hand with its slender digits, down to a delicate wrist and a toned arm and up again to a well defined biceps. He couldn’t help but let his eyes wander over the other man’s whole body, taking in his obviously tall and lean figure, his dark red t-shirt with a band name on it Nick didn’t recognise and black shorts that hugged his thighs so tightly, it made Nick’s mouth go dry immediately.
He knew he was checking out the other man in the most blatant way but everything about him caught Nick’s attention in such an intense way, he was unable to really get a grip on himself. As his gaze snapped up to the other man’s gorgeous face again, he was relieved to see his eyes being on their own journey, roaming over Nick’s body, currently pausing on his thighs, the tips of his ears suspiciously red as he bit his lip. Nick’s whole body grew warm at the sight and the thought of a possible mutual attraction. Then his eyes dropped to the man’s rucksack resting between his legs, a huge pride flag adorning its lid, and all Nick could think was
Oh.
And then: Get your bearings, Nelson, he could just be a raging ally.
He quietly sighed to himself, shaking his head briefly to pull him out of his haze. He let his eyes slowly drag along the man’s body up to his face where he found his eyes already resting on his own. There was now something new happening between them as their intense gazes locked once more; something Nick couldn’t quite grasp nor understand just yet.
Their moment was broken as the train came to a halt and the woman and the girl sharing his compartment started to gather their things and queue in the corridor with all the other people, obscuring his view of the other man. Mourning the sight and only barely keeping himself from pouting, Nick averted his eyes back to the outside to see where he was on his journey. With a jolt, he realised that it was his own stop, too and he hurriedly grabbed his phone, water bottle and rucksack in order to leave the train. In the last possible moment, he glanced back to catch one last glimpse of the beautiful stranger and was pleasantly surprised when he realised his seat was empty; his heartbeat speeding up in giddy anticipation. He sprinted out of the train the moment before the doors closed, frantically looking around the open platform in search of a dark mop of curls.
When he couldn’t spot him, he sighed deeply in disappointment and put his stuff on a nearby bench to stash his belongings into his backpack. Shouldering his heavy rucksack, he pulled up the directions to the hostel on his phone which had been sent to him by Lili, the friendly host of his place to stay for the next 4 nights. With his gaze fixated down on his phone and the narrow road, he almost walked into something soft standing at the junction.
Startled, Nick took a step back to take a look at the obstacle, realising with a jolt that it was a man standing in front of him, blue eyes staring at him. He’s almost as tall as you! And even more gorgeous up close, his mind helpfully supplied.
A soft gasped “Hi!” escaped them both at the same time, disbelief lilting their voices.
“It’s you,” Nick heard the other man say, so quietly he wasn’t completely sure if he hadn't just imagined it. But before Nick could even think of a reply that didn’t just consist of ohmigoditsyou, the other man spoke again, this time loud enough for Nick to hear clearly.
“Sprecken du English?” he asked, his accent butchering the German verb.
Guessing the other man was asking him if he spoke English, Nick nodded. Immediately second-guessing himself, he felt the need to clarify, “I mean, if you were asking me if I speak English then my answer is, yes, I do.”
The other man giggled softly, a sound so cute it had an immediate effect on Nick's heart, causing it to miss several beats.
“I didn't see you leave the train, I was looking for you,” Nick added without thinking, blushing furiously as soon as his mind caught up with what he’d just said.
“I saw you still sitting when we arrived and I assumed you were travelling to Interlaken or something,” the stranger from the train replied without missing a beat, his smile growing, saving Nick from feeling too embarrassed by his own very obvious lack of filter.
“Would you have waited for me on the platform otherwise?” Nick heard himself asking, seemingly having lost control over his mouth, only barely keeping himself from covering his mouth with his hand. Instead, his hand came up to push his strawberry-blonde hair out of his face, carding through it until it reached his neck to scratch it, something he always did when he was nervous. Good thing the other man didn’t know that; his eyes fixated on Nick’s flexing muscles on his upper arm. They both cleared their throats.
“Possibly,” the other man smirked, winking, before he visibly sobered, his eyes wide and cheeks pink.
Maybe you’re not alone in this.
“Um,” he said, clearing his throat, “Do you maybe happen to know where the hostel is? It’s called Naturfreundehaus and I don’t know if I've taken a wrong turn somewhere,” he said, shrugging and smiling sheepishly.
As soon as the stranger had mentioned the name of the hostel, Nick felt his eyes widen once more as he gasped in surprise. This beautiful stranger and him were heading the same way? What were the fucking odds? He nodded, most certainly way too eagerly in his giddy joy, but the stranger’s focus was currently back on the phone in his hand anyway. Without looking up, he continued talking.
“I should’ve accepted the host’s offer to send me directions but I thought it can’t be that hard and now I’m not sure where to go from here,” he chuckled self-deprecatingly, “I know it has to be somewhere near but google maps suggests I walk back down to Lungern and then up the hill again in a slightly different direction and I mean that can’t be right and now I’m…” he trailed off in obvious embarrassment and averting his gaze to the ground, “Sorry, I’m rambling and I guess you don’t even know what I’m talking about? I’m sorry…”
Nick couldn’t help but smile at the other man, “Hey,” he interrupted him, “No sorries, please! Believe it or not, I actually happen to know what you’re talking about.”
At that, the stranger's eyes snapped back up to him, widened in disbelief. “You do?” He asked incredulously. Nick nodded, his smile growing wider.
“And I happen to know the way to the hostel because I let Lili help me,” Nick said, carefully teasingly, hoping he wouldn’t overstep.
The stranger snorted lightly and rolled his eyes, the obvious twitch of his lips showing it was only in mock-offence. After a beat, Nick saw how realisation dawned on the other’s face.
“How do you know Lili? Are you heading there, too?” he asked, his voice going high at the end in disbelief.
“Yeah, I’m staying there for four nights.”
“No way! Me too!” The other man exclaimed, shaking his head, his eyes wide, “Yay,” he added so low Nick was pretty sure it wasn’t meant for his ears and he had to bite his lips to stop them from pulling into a way too wide smile.
The stranger cleared his throat, “So, you lead the way?”
Nick nodded, already turning to the steep road parting from the street. Looking back over his shoulder with a smile, he motioned the stranger to follow him. The other man started walking too, falling into step with him without hesitation.
“I’m Charlie, by the way. And thank you for helping me,” he said quietly after walking in silence for a few moments.
Charlie. What a perfect name for this gorgeous man! Nick glanced over to him, watching a faint blush colouring his cheeks, his eyes firmly fixed on the way ahead. Charlie. It took Charlie to flicker his gaze over at Nick questioningly for his mind to step into gear and remember basic courtesies.
“I’m Nick,” he rushed to say, “And you’re welcome. Obviously.”
“Nick,” Charlie stated and his name coming from those beautiful lips did funny things to Nick’s heart.
“Charlie,” Nick blurted out, probably too softly, finally caving to the urge to test out the other man’s name on his tongue.
They smiled briefly at each other but the road was too uneven to lock gazes for longer than a second.
Walking down the stony path, they soon saw the small hostel standing proud of what once was a part of the mountains around them, a huge limestone with its karsts forming a weathered pattern and flowers peeking through. It was a typical old wooden house like they were always pictures in movies about Switzerland, its wood dark from sustaining rough weather conditions throughout the years. It was flanked by fir trees with hammocks in all colours hanging in between them, gently dancing as the wind ruffled through them.
“It looks even cosier than in the pictures I saw,” Charlie murmured next to Nick, both coming to a halt to take in the place that would be their home for the next few days.
Nick just nodded in silent agreement, his gaze shifting to the man standing next to him, taking in his gorgeous features and his shining eyes before he quickly averted his gaze to not get caught in his mesmerised staring again.
From a distant, they heard children yell in a happy greeting and when they got closer to the huge terrace surrounding half of the house, Nick recognised the woman and the girl from his train ride, hugging another woman close, smiling so happily it caused an involuntary smile to tug on Nick’s lips and he heard Charlie quietly mumble a fond awww. They exchanged a quick smile before looking back at the two women now separating because the taller one had noticed them arriving.
“Mami gäll, das esch de Maa usem Zog?” the young girl with the pony-tail said in a curious voice, looking from Nick to who Nick supposed was her mum and back again. Her nod and small smile made Nick assume that they both recognised him too from their shared ride earlier. The woman looked over at the tall, brown-haired woman standing next to her who smiled at him and Charlie.
“Hend ehr en Reservation?” the woman asked, a question that was met with confused expressions and sheepish smiles.
“Do you have a reservation?” she tried again and this time they both nodded, chuckling. It really should have been clear what she’d asked them in the first place.
“I’m so sorry, I don’t think I remember a couple’s reservation? Only two single rooms, did I make a mistake?” The woman continued after a beat.
Nick and Charlie both blushed at the implication and shook their heads simultaneously
“No, we don’t-, we’re not-, you didn’t-,” they both said at the same time, causing her to huff out a laugh as a blush crept up her cheeks. The woman from the train snickered, silently hissing “Lili!”
Lili cleared her throat. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to assume. I was just confused for a minute. Let me show you your rooms then,” she said, tilting her head to the open door leading into the house.
“Chasch du gschnell uf d’Chend luege?” Lili said to the other woman, gesturing to two toddlers currently succeeding in opening a sideboard and happily pulling out cushions. She hummed in agreement, already crouching down and starting to tenderly talk to them in Swiss German.
“Sorry,” Lili said, chuckling lowly, as she was guiding them through the entrance and to the staircase leading to the guest rooms, “My sister has just arrived and that’s always a bit chaotic. In the best of ways! But nevertheless.”
“No please, don’t be sorry!” Nick rushed to say, “You have such a lovely place, it’s so cosy and welcoming.”
“Yeah, you have nothing to be sorry about! You have a very sweet family,” Charlie reassured, “How old are the toddlers?”
“They’ll soon be one and a half years old,” Lili said, smiling fondly, before she stopped in front of a room, “Well, this is your room,” she said, looking at Nick and tilting her head towards number 5. “ Yours is upstairs, I’ll show you next,” she added, turning to look at Charlie and gesticulating somewhere up her head, “As I told you in the booking confirmation, you both can have a room for yourself because we’re not fully booked. Whenever possible, we allocate rooms so that people who travel alone have their peace and quiet. It should work like that for your entire stay.”
“Thank you,” Nick and Charlie both said in unison, smiling appreciatively; happy to have the price advantage of a hostel without having to share rooms with strangers.
“You’re very welcome,” Lili answered, smiling back, “So, you both booked your stay with dinner and breakfast, right?”
Again, they nodded in unison, causing her smile to widen into a smirk.
“We serve dinner at around 7pm outside on the terrace if the weather is nice enough and breakfast is from 8am until 9am downstairs in the main room. You can’t miss it, it’s opposite the staircase.”
Nick nodded and smiled again, already taking in a breath to thank her when he heard Charlie quietly speak up.
“Do you mind me asking how dinner is going to be served?”
Nick turned his head to look at him, unsure why Charlie would ask that. He found him looking at Lili with a faint blush on his cheeks, his posture tense for a reason Nick didn’t understand.
Lili looked at him puzzled for a moment before she schooled her face back into a neutral expression.
“It’s not really served, we have a buffet and everyone can help themselves and take as much as they want. It’s always three courses; a soup, a main course and a dessert. Does that work for you?” she asked, her voice kind.
Nick saw the tension in Charlie’s shoulders disappear and relief flash over his face.
“That’s perfect. Thank you,” he answered, smiling.
Before Nick had time to ponder the reasons for Charlie’s question, Lili started talking again.
“I’ll leave you to get sorted,” she looked at Nick before her gaze darted to Charlie, “And show you your room.”
And with that, she turned on her heels to climb up the stairs to the next floor, leaving both men in a slightly awkward silence.
“So-,” Nick started to say, looking at Lili’s retreating figure and back to Charlie, “See you later?” He cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed at how hopeful he sounded.
Charlie nodded, a small smile on his lips. He lifted his hand to wave at Nick, a gesture that Nick shouldn’t have found as endearing as he did, before Charlie turned around to follow their host.
Nick put his rucksack on one of the spare beds and started to prepare his bedding for the night. He looked around the small but cosy room, fully covered in wood that seemed to have seen many guests before. Not sure what to do with himself, he dropped his tired body on his bed, wincing at the crunching sound it made. Oops.
He thought back to the past hour and how he’d seen Charlie on the train, how immediately mesmerised by his beauty he’d been; how intensely attracted. How he had thought he’d lost him but then they had found each other again on their way to their hostel, planning to stay at the same place for the same duration, as if it were fate.
And then his mind wandered to how the other man was now right above him, maybe also lying in his bed. I wish we weren’t separated by a floor, he thought to himself, blushing at his own silly innuendo. Get it together, Nelson. You don’t even know for sure if he’s interested in men. Or you, for fuck’s sake!
He groaned lowly to himself, shaking his head to get his mind out of the gutter as he got up and grabbed his phone to leave his room and go outside. Secretly hoping he’d see Charlie, of course.
As if granting his wish, Nick did find the other man, sitting at one of the tables in the sun, his eyes closed, his head leaned back on the dark wook of the house, a soft smile on his lips. He looked so peaceful, Nick didn’t dare to disturb him. He just stood there for a moment, feeling slightly awkward as he was trying to come up with what to do next.
In the end, one of the hosts' children beat him to it as a loud thump was followed by a grumpy toddler's indignant shout, pulling Charlie out of his daydreaming with a jolt.
Nick couldn’t help but smile as he watched the other man’s shocked face morph into a bright smile upon seeing him. It did weird things to his heart and caused the butterflies in his stomach to start dancing in full force. He shook his head as inconspicuous as possible to get him back on track.
“Hi,” Charlie greeted him, “Coming to enjoy the sun?”
“Yeah,” Nick replied, smiling, “And I saw a few signs for hiking trails leading away from here and wanted to check them out,” Nick added, hesitating briefly before he decided to throw caution to the wind, hoping he sounded completely casual and not as nervous as he felt, “Do you want to join me?”
Nick held in a breath which he only released when he saw Charlie’s features soften into a knowing little smile.
Busted, but Nick didn’t find it in him to care.
“Yeah, let’s do that,” Charlie said after a moment, already getting up, “We could also ask Lili or her partner for any tips?”
Turning their heads to their host, they found her crouching on the floor, drawing patterns and flowers on the concrete of their terrace with coloured chalk, the rest of her family joining her in different states of skills.
“No, let’s not disturb them,” Nick said as he turned to look at Charlie again, “We only have an hour until dinner anyway, we can’t go too far nor get lost.”
“Well, hopefully,” Charlie snorted.
As they made their way to the various signposts around the house, comparing different routes and durations, they shared stories about their lives and Nick soaked up every detail about Charlie, feeling the inexplicable urge to want to know everything about the other man. He discovered that Charlie had two siblings: an older sister named Tori, quite close in age and a significantly younger brother named Olly. Charlie had been travelling with Tori through Italy and Switzerland before he would be starting his first job in publishing but because she wasn’t as fond of mountains and hiking as he was, she had already left for home.
They both let out rather undignified gasps and a high pitched, “No way!” when they found out that they both were living not far from each other in East London, yet another coincidence that stunned them both and Nick tried desperately to not let on just how happy this had made him. Maybe we could see each other even back home?
“So, when we’re both staying for the next four nights and going home afterwards…,” Nick started, only for Charlie to interrupt and continue, “...which train route are you planning to take to go back to London?”
“The one via Lucerne and Lausanne?” Nick almost whispered those words, holding his breath with a level of excitement that definitely couldn’t be normal after knowing someone for what, a couple of hours?
“No fucking way,” he heard Charlie murmur after a few beats of intense staring.
“Guess you’re stuck with me then,” Nick chuckled without much thinking about the implications. But as soon as his mind had caught up with what had just left his lips, he tried to backtrack. Jeez, don’t be too eager.
“Not that you have to-, I mean, we’re just staying at the same place and going home at the same time, but I didn’t mean to…” Nick only stopped when he felt a warm hand tenderly squeeze his shoulder.
“Nick. Stop it, please!” Charlie giggled, effectively interrupting his rambling, “I know I don’t have to. But I kinda like the idea. Of being stuck with you, I mean,” Charlie smiled, his beautiful blue eyes highlighted by the beams of the setting sun peeking through the trees high above them.
Nick was so mesmerised he almost missed Charlie’s next words, “We both seem to like hiking, so I was thinking that maybe we could go on a few together? It’s safer anyway I guess, since we’re British and not used to climbing up mountains higher than a few hundred metres.”
Feigning dramatic offence, Nick briefly closed his eyes and gripped the fabric of his t-shirt that stretched over his chest as if he'd been deeply wounded by Charlie's words. He heard Charlie huff out a laugh at his antics.
"Rude," Nick muttered for good measure as he shook his head, unable to stop a grin from spreading on his face.
It turned giddy as his mind caught up with the rest of what Charlie had said.
Fuck, yes! Charlie wanted to spend time with him.
“Yeah, that sounds perfect actually!” Nick agreed, clearing his throat to not sound like a child on Christmas Eve, “We could ask Lili for tips and easy routes later? I think the ones we just saw are a bit long for a start.”
Charlie was just about to answer, when they heard a female voice shouting, “Chende, ässe!”
“Oh, this word I recognise,” Charlie said, sounding endearingly proud, “Ässe means food. I guess dinner’s ready.”
“Oh, wow! Do you understand Swiss German?” Nick asked, amazed. He still had no clue.
"Only a little bit, but our last few stops were all in the German parts of Switzerland so we tried to catch onto it a little," Charlie chuckled, his thumb and outstretched pointerfinger almost touching to show the amount of his knowledge. He squinted his eyes and wrinkled his nose; looking far too adorable for Nick's poor bisexual heart to bear. Nick blinked several times to put a stop to his staring.
Thankfully, Charlie didn't seem to notice as he alread turned around to walk back to the hostel. Nick hurried to catch up with him again.
“Oh wow, I really am impressed, I understand null, nada, niente. Where did you like it most?” Nick asked as soon as he fell into step with Charlie.
Charlie pondered his answer for a moment before he shrugged; his smile bright as he started to talk about his favourite parts of his holiday.
“I can’t decide between Lucerne or Basel. I loved the lake in Lucerne, the newer part of the town and the stunning view of Mount Pilatus but the people were so nice in Basel and the river was beautiful and they had so many lovely parks. So, it’s a close tie. You?”
“Well, I chose the easy way out, I’ve been mostly to the French parts of Switzerland because I can speak French. I was in different cities around Lake Geneva, it’s such a beautiful region!” Nick, who was walking up the stairs to the terrace where dinner would be served, looked back at Charlie while he talked only to find Charlie’s gaze directed at Nick’s backside. Or, more precisely, at his arse, his blue eyes wide. Nick blushed in delight. Interesting. He was tempted to use the ancient line of “My eyes are up here,” but decided against it and just said, “Charlie?” barely holding back a grin.
“Fuck, I’m so gay,” Nick heard him mutter as an answer, Charlie’s gaze still fixed on Nick’s butt, his look almost dreamy before he stopped dead in his tracks. He snapped back with a jolt, blushing crimson impressively fast, his eyes almost bulging out of his head. Nick’s heart almost beat out of his chest. So, Charlie was gay. And maybe a tiny little bit into him? Nick couldn’t stop a happy giggle from escaping his lips. Now, he only needed a way to casually slip into the conversation that he was bi and very interested. He could do that.
“Did I-,” Charlie groaned lowly, covering his eyes with the hand that wasn’t holding onto the handrail, “Please tell me I didn’t say that out loud,” he pledged, his voice close to a whine.
“Umm. Well, you did say it out loud,” Nick said but before he could continue, he was cut off by a low exhale of “Fuck nooooo.”
Nick wanted to comfort Charlie immediately but again, the other man was faster.
“Nick, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable!” Charlie bit his lips as he lowered his hand again, his gaze now everywhere but Nick’s butt, “I heard you say you speak French and I guess that made my brain short-circuit for a moment. But of course that doesn’t excuse it. I mean, I am gay, but I didn’t mean to make it sound like I’d hit on you so blatan-,”
“Charlie, stop!” Nick interrupted the other man, “Please, relax, you didn’t make me feel uncomfortable at all!” Nick hurried to add. Now or never, Nelson, he encouraged himself, hoping for a steady voice for his next words, “To balance it out again, I could tell you I’m bi and you also have a nice arse. Would that help?”
Charlie, who was about to say something else, closed his mouth again, stunned into silence for a moment. His gaze searched Nick’s face for what Nick suspected were any traces of viciousness but Nick held his gaze and just kept smiling openly at him.
After a few beats, Charlie’s expression softened, “Yeah, that helps,” he said, a smile on his lips that soon turned into a smirk. He started walking to the buffet, but after a few steps he looked over his shoulders at Nick, a wink so small Nick’s wasn’t sure if he’d imagined it, a teasing glint in his eyes, “A lot,” he added, before turning back to load his plate with the delicious food awaiting them.
Was this flirting? Had Charlie been flirting with him? Nick blushed anyway as he followed Charlie.
While Nick was still busy with scooping food onto his plate, he felt Charlie tense next to him, a low “Oh,” escaping his lips that Nick was only able to hear because of their close proximity. He followed the sound to the man next to him to find him looking around, slightly deflating, his breath coming out shallow and faster than before. Nick turned to see what the change in his demeanour could be about. At first, he didn’t know what could have caused it and it left him slightly helpless, but then he realised that there wasn’t really any place left for them to sit and eat, the only two spaces being in the middle of one large table. While Nick wouldn’t have minded it, he guessed Charlie didn’t feel the same.
“Are you okay?” Nick asked quietly, not wanting to attract attention from anyone else around them.
“Hm?” Charlie answered distractedly before he looked back at him, “Yeah, it’s fine, it’s just- I’m not very-, you know, crowded places to eat are just-,” Charlie trailed off again, his gaze dropping to his shoes.
Nick tried to make sense of those words, wanting to help him. Maybe Charlie didn’t feel comfortable eating with many strangers around him? Fully aware that they were basically still strangers to each other, he hoped his suggestion wouldn’t be overstepping.
“Earlier today, I saw a handmade chair-table-combo just around the corner on the terrace, maybe we could sit there?” Nick asked carefully, relief flashing through him as he saw Charlie relax again. He turned to look at Nick, a soft smile on his lips.
“Thank you,” he said, obviously pondering if he should add more but deciding against it with a small shake of his head. “Lead the way?” Charlie asked instead.
They sat down and for a while, they were eating in silence. Or so Nick thought, because as he lifted his focus from his meal, he saw Charlie poking at his food, moving it around his own plate, separating it in different piles. Charlie must’ve felt Nick’s eyes on him because he looked up and blushed immediately, picking up a potato and shoving it into his mouth, his gaze fixating on his plate.
“I should probably explain…,” Charlie said quietly after he had swallowed it, his eyes still downcast.
“No, not at all,” Nick interjected, “You don’t owe me anything. We can sit in silence or talk about something, I don’t care. I like sitting here with you, it’s nice.”
His words were meant to be comforting but sudden doubts were creeping through his mind. What if Charlie didn’t want that? You’re too forward, don’t make him feel even more uncomfortable. His racing thoughts were interrupted by a gentle smile directed at him, showing the faintest hint of dimples.
“Yeah?” Charlie asked, his voice still small but his eyes sparkling again.
Nick nodded, smiling back, unable to tear his eyes away from those blue ones as they locked gazes.
“I have issues-,” Charlie started again after a few beats, closing his eyes for a second, sighing deeply as if to steel himself for his next words, “I have a history with anorexia. And eating in front of so many strangers is still difficult for me. I feel watched and judged and then I spiral and can’t eat properly and feel even more judged and yeah. It’s a fun little never-ending circle,” Charlie laughed self-deprecatingly, “So, thank you. For rescuing me or whatever.” Charlie closed his eyes again, inhaling deeply, shaking his head, “Sorry.”
Having none of that, Nick reached out, his hand having a mind of its own as he placed it on Charlie’s shoulder, squeezing lightly in what he hoped was comforting for the other man. Charlie’s gaze snapped to his shoulder and then to Nick’s face, his expression one of surprise.
“Hey. You have nothing to be sorry about,” Nick said, his voice low, “Thank you for telling me. And I did not rescue you, I simply suggested another place to sit for us.” Nick shrugged, a soft smile on his lips.
“You sensed me having an issue and suggested a solution. That’s really-,” Charlie said quietly, an adorable blush now colouring his cheeks, “It was really nice of you. I appreciate it a lot.”
Nick blushed now too, waving his hand that was still holding his fork in a dismissive manner. Then, a sudden thought crossed his mind.
“Would you like to eat on your own?” he rushed out to say, “I could join the others and give you some space. I’m sorry I haven’t realised it before! I just-,”
“Nick,” Charlie chuckled softly, “Please, stop it! There’s no need, because for some reason, I feel comfortable with you. Not judged or anything,” Charlie stopped as if he’d just realised what he’d said, “Even though that’s strange I guess, we’ve known each other only for what, 3 hours?”
Nick huffed out a laugh at that. “I feel the same. And yeah, I guess it is strange. But…” he said, smiling, holding his hands up in a ‘what can you do’ manner before he turned serious again.
“I just wanted to be sure. I wouldn’t mind sitting somewhere else for dinner if it would help you. I realise that you haven’t really touched your food.” Nick’s last words had been said quietly, not wanting to invade Charlie’s privacy even more.
“Oh,” Charlie said, looking back on his plate, “Yeah, but that wasn’t because of you. Or, it was, because I wanted to explain it but didn’t know how. I didn’t want you to think less of me.”
Charlie shrugged, causing Nick’s hand still resting on his shoulder to slide down his arm almost caressingly. Charlie’s eyes followed the movement until Nick pulled his hand back.
“Again, I don’t really know why,” Charlie added, so quietly Nick almost didn’t catch it.
In a moment of boldness, Nick’s hand darted back. But this time he placed it gently on top of Charlie’s resting on his thigh, Nick’s thumb brushing over Charlie’s pinky before he intertwined their fingers to squeeze his hand lightly. His skin tingled from the touch, little sparks wandering up his arms, somehow making his whole body buzz. He felt his eyes widen and he let go in shock, his eyes snapping up from their hands to Charlie’s face where he found a similar stunned expression.
“Did you feel that too?” Charlie almost whispered.
Nick could only nod, his eyes darting from Charlie’s face to his hand and back to Nick’s own as if they could explain what had just happened.
“That was...,” Nick heard himself saying, without knowing what he actually wanted to say. He had never felt a spark touching someone else, always thought it being one of those urban myths people told each other to make the other feel slightly bad for never experiencing it, causing them to lie and keep the legend going.
Maybe the place they were staying at was magical? Or perhaps it was the person. Only one way to find out, Nick thought to himself, his hand already tentatively stretching out to touch Charlie again. He pulled back at the last inconspicuous second, focussing on the plate in front of him, not wanting to come across as mental.
It led him to miss Charlie’s own attempt of reaching his hand out.
Nick picked up a few pieces of his food and put them into his mouth, grimacing at the cold texture hitting his tongue.
“Oh. Our food is cold,” Nick chuckled, looking up at Charlie again as he chewed, “But it’s surprisingly still tasty,” he added, “Do you happen to know what this is we’re eating?”
Charlie swallowed his own bite, nodding.
“Yeah, if I’m not mistaken, this is one of the traditional dishes, called Älplermagrone. I’m not sure if I’m pronouncing it correctly.”
Nick smiled at that, “You know, I couldn’t tell if my life depended on it.”
“True,” Charlie giggled, a smirk playing on his lips, “I could just randomly say funny sounding words to impress you and you’d be none the wiser.”
Was that flirting? It was, wasn’t it? Charlie’s quick change from being flirty to witty to vulnerable and back again almost gave Nick whiplash, in the best of ways. Nick raised a teasing eyebrow at Charlie even though he felt his cheeks heat up traitorously.
“So, you want to impress me?” Nick asked, his voice almost as steady as intended - albeit not knowing where his confidence was coming from.
Nick watched an adorable tint of red take over Charlie’s face, but his eyes sparkled with mirth.
“Maybe?” Charlie said, his lips wrapping around another piece of potato he pulled from the fork with a quiet plop.
Nick’s eyes followed the movement, transfixed. Charlie’s pursed lips, so plump and soft looking almost too sinful for Nick to take and he had to physically force himself to tear his gaze away, back on his plate, willing his blush to not go a deeper shade of red.
“I see, you’re easy to impress,” Charlie said, a smirk evident in his voice. Nick didn’t dare look up.
“Shut up,” he mumbled, but couldn’t stop his lips from pulling into a grin, his voice void of any heat.
The rest of their meal was spent on safer grounds, both talking about the foods they’d each tried whilst travelling through Switzerland, the division of the country from French to German evident in their experiences. Well, except for their shared love for cheese, of course, some things really did live up to the stereotypes.
After they had brought their empty plates to the kitchen, they both helped themselves to a beer and sat back outside again. The air was much chiller than in the cities they had been visiting but it was a welcome change; the air crisp with a flavourful mixture of wood, forest soil, flowers and mown grass and Nick found himself inhaling deeply more than once. It was a calm atmosphere with people quietly chatting somewhere nearby and the children playing a game only they knew the rules of, running between trees and over the lawn, enjoying the last rays of sunshine brightening the sky.
Nick felt so at peace and comfortable - a feeling he rarely had - and for some reason, he knew a huge part of it was the man sitting next to him, currently in the middle of animatedly telling a story about his and his sister’s travels. Nick could happily listen to him for hours on end but he also relished in the fact that they could just sit in the silence and quietly take in their surroundings, giggling about the children's antics, pointing at a deer crossing the meadow in the distance or simply closing their eyes and letting the calm overtake them.
They talked about everything and nothing, learning more and more about each other’s lives and Nick found himself falling for the other man with every little detail he learned about him; with every story he told about his beloved siblings and friends; with his kindness showing in the way he listened to whatever Nick would tell him; with his gorgeous smile that lit up his whole face and his distractingly sweet giggle, sparkling eyes and soft curls, bouncing with every movement he made; with every touch that seemed to increase in its intensity the longer their hands lingered.
Nick didn’t want the night to end.
Charlie was just about to explain to Nick what his new job would entail when he was interrupting himself by his third yawn within a minute. He giggled and once more, Nick’s heart did this weird thing of an aching somersault in his chest.
“You’re tired,” Nick stated, tired himself and not caring anymore about how fond his voice sounded, “Let’s go to bed then.”
Charlie’s eyes widened in surprise before a teasing smirk appeared on his lips, “My room or yours?”
Nick replayed in his head what he’d just said. Oh shit, hello Freud.
“Umm, oh God, no! I-, I didn’t mean it like that! I just meant we should maybe go to sleep. Separately,” Nick spluttered, tumbling over his words in his haste, burning heat covering his skin as he hid his head in his hands in embarrassment.
“Nick, I know! Relax, I just couldn’t resist,” Charlie laughed softly, gently pulling Nick’s hands off his face.
Nick dared to open his eyes again only for his breath to get caught in his throat at how close Charlie suddenly was. He was still smiling, his dimples just so on display, his eyes illuminated by the soft glow from the lights inside the house, brightening the otherwise dark surroundings. Their gazes locked and for a long and intense moment it felt like they were the only people on earth; no sounds around them, just the eerie quiet night. Charlie’s smile faded, making room for something else Nick wasn’t sure he was reading right and for the briefest of seconds he saw Charlie's eyes flicker to his mouth. Involuntarily, Nick’s tongue darted out, wetting his lips and this time, Charlie’s gaze followed the movement openly, his eyes darkening despite the already dim lighting.
“Nick,” Charlie breathed, swaying even closer as if pulled by an invisible string, his eyes slowly falling shut, clearly waiting for Nick to close the last remaining distance. Nick leaned in and -
“Jo esch guet, ech mache d’Fenschter grad zue,” a female voice yelled way too close, shutting the window above them with a loud bang.
They both pulled back with a jolt, eyes wide, hearts pounding, gasping. And suddenly, they were plunged into blackness as someone in the house turned off the light.
Charlie giggled and muttered, “Cockblocked,” under his breath, surprising Nick so much he couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“Charlie!” Nick reprimanded with mock indignation, unable to keep his laughter from bubbling out of his chest. Out of the darkness, he heard Charlie join in, his giggle so bright it made Nick’s heart ache for him all over again.
“I guess it’s our curfew then,” Charlie said when he’d calmed enough to talk again, his voice still shaky from poorly suppressed laughter.
“Yup, maybe we should take the hint,” Nick chuckled, his eyes slowly getting used to the darkness and the dim light from the almost full moon shimmering through the trees of the forest towering the steep hill in front of them. He could only make out the sharp outline of Charlie’s face and his moonlight-paled skin, the rest of his body still hidden in the dark by his clothes. The sight was so beautiful, almost ethereal. It was enough to sober him.
“Would you like to go on a hike and spend the day with me tomorrow?” Nick asked, the words out too fast for his mind to catch up in time. He felt himself blush hard, thankful for the opportunity to hide it in plain sight within the night’s darkness.
He watched Charlie’s curls bounce with the nod, a faint glow to them, “I’d love to, Nick,” Charlie added after a moment, “We could meet at 8 for breakfast and then ask Lili for tips?”
“Yeah, that sounds perfect,” Nick said quietly, almost sighing out his words. He smiled to himself, so happy at the prospect of spending a whole day with the other man that he had no strength left in him to hide his joy.
They got up and tried to feel their way back into the house, the wood still warm under their searching fingertips. Nick held the door open for Charlie which he acknowledged with a small curtsy, causing Nick to utter a fond “Idiot” in reply. Walking up the stairs in silence, shoulders brushing more often than not, Nick accompanied Charlie to his floor even though it was above his own, muttering something along “My mum raised a gentleman”, causing Charlie to give back the “Idiot” in equal fondness. As they reached Charlie’s door, Nick took his hand, intertwining their fingers and squeezing tightly. Leaning closer, he pressed a soft kiss on Charlie’s cheek and whispered, “See you tomorrow,” into his ear before he turned to make his way down the stairs back to his own room.
Tomorrow. They had time.