Work Text:
🎄 Christmas 🎄
Nick huffs in frustration as he pulls his collar up around his neck against the cold of the rain spitting down. He dodges between drops like they’re flankers on the pitch back in school, grateful to still feel nimble after ten years away from competition-level training. Some of the shops on this high street have awnings and he pauses under one to pull out his mobile and reread the string of messages which had driven him out under these desperate conditions.
David (bro /neg):
BTW Mandy from my office will be there tomorrow too. Her cruise got cancelled so it’s your lucky day. Don’t screw this one up.
Nicky:
jfc D I told you I’m not interested in anyone you wanna set me up with. we have very different ideas about who would make me happy. and before you drop any fresh casual biphobia on me, that has nothing to do with gender and everything to do with us being our own individuals so knock it off. I will be civil to your guest, of course, but that’s it
David (bro /neg):
When are you gonna grow up?
Nicky:
right after you show me how. oh… wait…
David (bro /neg):
Buggar off!
Nicky:
you’re lucky your kids are cute
David (bro /neg):
UGH. Fine. Truce.
Nicky:
only because you know you’ll never hear the end of it if I’m not there but fine whatever truce yeah
Nick sighs heavily and tries to wrack his brain for any tidbits about Mandy he can remember from his brother’s previous attempts at matchmaking. Nope, nothing. One generic gift for a thirty-something professional woman coming right up!
The next shop down is a bookstore Nick likes and it still has its lights on so he ducks within, thinking he remembers some kind of stand near the counter with little items for sale. But instead he’s instantly met with a square folding table just inside the door covered in a selection of gorgeous gift baskets.
Yes, this is perfect! As long as they aren’t too expensive. He steps over and starts examining them. There are a variety of sizes and prices so he knows he can find something that should work for Mandy. Now, which to choose?
Each one has a book prominently featured, which makes sense in the context of the store. Nick immediately mentally discards the three with children’s literature, although the Very Hungry Caterpillar one is especially beautiful. He loves that book more every time he reads it to his Year Ones. But Mandy doesn’t have kids, he’s nearly certain.
There is a basket which hits all the right Christmas notes. The book is a beautiful edition of The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories by O Henry with a green and black cover, the title in fancy gold letters. Nestled around it in deep red paper shreds are a metallic Santa ornament, fuzzy socks with a reindeer print and classy gold and green candy canes.
There is a larger one featuring A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey, the pink and teal cover set off elegantly by silvery tissue paper. Tucked behind it is a vivid calendar of tropical locations and centered in front is a white ceramic mug with stylized flowers around the quote, “Be Your Own Reason to Smile.” On either side of it are boxes of tea, one black and one green.
The others are beautiful too, often clever or funny. They represent diverse genres of literature as well, truly something for everyone. Nick notices a sleek business card holder near the front of the table and picks one up. Charming Custom Crafts by Charlie. A website, a phone number and a stated preference for online or texted orders. Nick pulls out his wallet and tucks it inside for future reference. Then he tilts his head as he contemplates his options again.
“They’re made by my friend.”
Startled, Nick looks up to find the shopkeep smiling at him from near the register. Seeing a man who appears to be close to his own age with an unruly mop of brown hair and a cozy jumper over his sturdy frame, Nick remembers his face and friendly attitude but not his name. He smiles back.
“They’re great!”
“I know!” The teeth lock into place around the tip of the other man’s tongue for a moment, lips pulled wide. It is a rather cheeky effect and Nick has to hold in a snort, his mood already improving by the minute. “I’m so glad he agreed to do a holiday batch; it’s a new line of business for him and I’ve been selling out almost every day. But you’re in luck because I already restocked for tomorrow and, of course, this is the last of them.”
“You’re open tomorrow?!” Nick doesn’t really know this man but he somehow feels bad anyway thinking about anyone working on Christmas morning.
“Believe it or not, you are not the only last minute shopper out there these days,” the bookseller says with a wink.
“Oi! It’s not my fault! I’ve had everything else wrapped for a week but my twat of a brother threw a spanner in the works today!” The other man pulls his lips in and nods very seriously but there’s a glint in his eye that makes Nick wrinkle his nose at him good-naturedly. “Anyway maybe you can help me…” He lifts an eyebrow and gets a shift in demeanor by way of answer.
“Isaac,” comes with a few steps forward and a studious expression as he reviews the table. “What’s the heart of your challenge?” The phrasing and the look he gets just after it makes Nick rock back on his heels a bit.
“Oh, ummm.” He notices his right arm really wants to rise so he can scratch the back of his neck but he suppresses the movement. He has no reason to be nervous here, this is a simple transaction. “Well, the spanner is a co-worker of the twat’s and he wants to set us up. I’m sure she’s perfectly lovely but I am not interested in anyone he thinks would suit me so now I have to buy her a present when I know next to nothing about her and it should communicate that, y’know, we could be friends but that’s it.”
“Wow.” Isaac folds his arms around his chest and contemplates this dilemma with an avid yet gentle air to him. “That is… a lot for one basket to say.”
“Yeah.” Nick slumps a bit where he stands.
“If you had more time, I’d tell you to work directly with Charlie to build something specific; man’s a genius when it comes to thoughtful and meaningful gifts.” Nick nods along, waving one hand at the table in general agreement. Then Isaac shrugs and picks up the O Henry basket, holding it out towards Nick. “But here, this is the safest. I saw you eyeing the romance one but this will be your modern day equivalent to the ol’ yellow roses of platonic affection.”
Nick hums thoughtfully as he checks the price again and then snaps his feet together as he makes his decision. “Yep, let’s do this.” They walk over to the counter and complete the sale. As Nick picks it up to finally head home and eat his overdue dinner, he finds the black cloud of his previous mood hovering over his shoulder. “Worst case scenario, she can easily regift it next year,” he grumbles.
“That’s the spirit!” chortles the shopkeep as he follows Nick to the door so he can lock up. “Happy Christmas!”
🥳 Birthday 🥳
Christmas actually goes really well. The children love playing with their uncle. Sarah presides over the meal with a beatific smile. David keeps his yap shut for the most part. And Mandy turns out to be quite nice, appreciative of her gift and clearly picking up the nonverbal messages Nick is sending out about his brother.
He contemplates asking her out after all and connects with her on Instagram where they exchange a total of seven messages scattered over three days before it seems to fizzle out. Just no spark between them.
It’s his last day of winter break and he’s getting organized in his office slash guest room slash home gym with its tiny desk and day bed and single stand of weights. He has his calendar laid out next to the laptop for lesson planning when he notes the pink ink on a certain day less than three weeks away: Mum’s Birthday.
Crap. Somehow he hadn’t managed to find both sets of presents for her at the same time this round. So he has nothing stowed away this year. He better get it sorted before the school days start eating his brain again; being a teacher is gratifying but exhausting for someone like him who takes the responsibility of shaping young minds so seriously.
Tapping his pen on the open month of January, he gazes upward for a minute, not seeing the ceiling nor the top of the thick curtains keeping out the cold beyond the one window. Suddenly he’s on his feet, retrieving his wallet from its place by the front door of his two bedroom flat. He draws out the business card from Isaac’s bookshop and enters the number into his mobile.
Unknown Number:
Hello! I would like to place an order please. Is the 23rd too soon for a gift basket for my mother’s birthday? I’m not sure how much lead time you need.
Gift Guy (Charlie):
Hello! That should be fine. I have some questions, of course. Hope it’s okay to just launch them all at once. What’s your budget? What’s your name? What’s her name? General age range and any special interests please.
Nick’s thumbs are flying; the parameters are quickly established. When they say their goodbyes, he has a huge smile on his face. He walks back to his desk with a lighter heart and renewed energy for the tasks ahead.
—-
Nick Nelson, CCC62:
Hey there! Just wanted to confirm the Sarah basket pickup time and place for next week. You said you don’t trade addresses with clients; what are my options?
Gift Guy (Charlie):
Hello again! That is correct. I sell these types of items out of a few retail locations so we can arrange it at any of them or we can meet at a café if you prefer a real-time exchange just in case. I know this is your first order but I believe you will be satisfied with your purchase; however I understand some customers feel better if they can inspect the result before formally accepting delivery.
Nick Nelson, CCC62:
Actually I bought one of your Christmas baskets at Hush Hush so yeah already impressed with your talents! Can you maybe leave it there by 15:00 on Tuesday so I can get it on my way home from work?
Gift Guy (Charlie):
Oh great sure!
Nick Nelson, CCC62:
lifesaver! 👍🏻👍🏻💐💐
Gift Guy (Charlie):
Happy to do it ☺️🥹
Nick Nelson, CCC62:
🥹??
Gift Guy (Charlie):
Oh. The flowers were a nice touch, that’s all ☺️
Nick Nelson, CCC62:
you like flowers? 🌼🌸🌺
Gift Guy (Charlie):
who doesn’t like getting flowers?!
Nick Nelson, CCC62:
at least three of my exes! 😭
Gift Guy (Charlie):
what?! that’s ridiculous
Nick Nelson, CCC62:
right?! their loss 💅🏻
Gift Guy (Charlie):
amen 💅🏻 if we fall down, we get up and make them eat it!
Nick Nelson, CCC62:
you forgot “look sickening” which, yes, (most days, I think) I do 👔
Gift Guy (Charlie):
Latrice Realness! 👑
Nick Nelson, CCC62:
I live for it! her speech to RuPaul in S4 😭 in my brain for all time
Gift Guy (Charlie):
good to know 😉🌈❤️
Nick Nelson, CCC62:
🥹🩷💜💙
Gift Guy (Charlie):
🙌🌈🤝🌈
Nick 🌈 Nelson, CCC62:
🥳🎁💐
—-
The texting keeps going, much to Nick’s surprise. The second day starts with a work in progress image from Charlie and lots of praise in reply. There’s a small decision the crafter wants the client to make about which chocolates to include. And there are all these… flirty or funny little exchanges for no apparent reason.
The third day doesn’t have any present-related content at all! He just sees a TikTok of a cat playing with ribbons and somehow intuits Charlie will like it so sends it off without really examining his reasons. Next thing he knows, they’re trading favourite memes into the wee hours.
The week passes by quickly and he starts to regret agreeing to a contactless pick-up at Isaac’s shop instead of that café option. He catches himself daydreaming about what Charlie might look like; he checks both the website from the business card and the Instagram followers of the bookstore before giving up in a flood of disgust. For all he knows, Charlie’s unavailable on some level.
He needs to stop whatever this is threatening to become. Or just reconcile himself to the high likelihood they’ll grow into friends at best. But the banter and the silliness flow so easily between them that he feels hope kindling into a steady glow in his chest.
On Tuesday, he pulls out of the school carpark five minutes after the final bell. If there’s any chance of overlap, he wants to seize it. When he gets to the store, he steps inside and pauses to look around. The afternoon had been dry and bright for the first time all week and the space is full of sunbeams slanting in at winter’s angle.
Two customers are in the stacks. A tall slender woman with long blonde box braids is perusing the art history area to his left, apparently lost in thought. And a gorgeous man with luscious black curls is holding a slim volume of what is probably poetry off to his right, glancing up curiously as Nick hesitates on the mat by the door.
They exchange friendly smiles before Nick lets himself look at the counter in the centre of this main room. There’s the proprietor standing proudly behind its wooden surface, already grinning in that mischievous way Nick’s beginning to suspect is rather characteristic of him.
And on the corner of the area at his elbow is Sarah’s basket, looking amazing. Nobody else is here. No magical gift-maker bouncing next to it, eager to meet him. Nick sags slightly before stepping over to exchange greetings with Isaac and exclaim over his purchase. They trade observations about its various perfections and Nick readily confirms how happy he is with the outcome.
As he prepares to pick it up and carry it out, he considers and rejects the possibility of asking the shopkeep more about his creative friend. Just then, he notices the dark-haired stranger approaching and is struck by the rich colour of his eyes and then by the excitement in his expression.
“So you like it?”
“Um… yeah!” Nick glances between this customer and Isaac and realizes the latter is looking at the former with a shrewd familiarity. An idea begins to form in his mind.
“I’m so glad!”
Nick clears his throat, the glow of hope in his chest transforming into a volcanic eruption within a single nanosecond. “Is it- Are you- Charlie?”
The blue eyes widen impossibly big. “Shoot shoot shoot! Yeah! Sorry, I didn’t mean to jump-scare you!”
Nick realizes he is standing there silently with the sappiest smile on his face when the other customer wanders over and introduces herself as Elle; apparently all three of them are friends. Nick can hear himself stammering his name out to her as they shake hands and then his palm is tingling where Charlie’s skin is touching it and there are long, knobby fingers curling near his wrist and the magma is flowing from his heart down his arm and back and around.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you,” Charlie says with warmth in his voice as he leans forward slightly and awkwardly tucks both hands into his own back pockets. Nick tries not to stare but his brain is swiftly cataloguing rainbow Converse, black skinny jeans and a smart button-up that’s gray with a subtle print of tiny pale pink hearts. Every neuron seems to have rerouted to doing calculations on the odds of success of asking him out on the spot and nothing is left over for small talk.
Elle rescues him again and he looks at her in relief as she sings Charlie’s praises, teasing that she should get credit for inspiring his latest venture since they met in “the art room”, whatever that means. Nick watches the three of them trade playful barbs and feels the heat of the magma flowing through him. Charlie really is that witty and funny all the time; he makes it look effortless.
Then Nick’s chest tightens twice in quick succession. The thought crosses his mind that he’s mistaken Charlie’s tone in their exchanges and what he thought was flirting was just banter, the way Charlie is with everyone. And then he recalls he’s on a tight schedule tonight since he’s cooking a fancy dinner for his mother.
He makes his excuses and grabs the basket off the counter, freezing momentarily when he catches a glimpse of Charlie’s handsome face in freefall but it’s gone in a flash, replaced by a wistful smile. All three friends offer him plenty of encouragement and well wishes for a pleasant evening.
Nick gulps and dips his head. “Yes, thank you.” He makes deliberate eye contact with Charlie. “Beautiful work. Seriously. I, uhhh…” He blinks, gears grinding as he casts about looking for a reason, any reason, for them to stay in touch. “I’m sure my mum will love it and then, y’know, I’ll tell her all about you…” Appalled, he hears his voice peter out as he basically admits his desperation right there.
“You will?” Charlie’s amazing eyes are twinkling and everything else falls away.
“Yeah.” Nick just relaxes into his disaster nature with a helpless, warm chuckle. “All about the brilliant basketmaker I’ve found and… befriended.” Charlie’s lips twitch on one side and he’s nodding thoughtfully at Nick as the blonde starts to actually move towards the door.
“Cool,” Charlie chirps as Elle slots into his side and waves goodbye. “Tell her I said happy birthday!”
❤️ Valentines ❤️
It’s taking all of Nick’s willpower to not confess everything to Charlie at this point. He’d managed to contain his gushing, somewhat, the morning after his mum’s special night. She had indeed loved the thoughtful components of her present and been impressed by its presentation as well. She’d also given her son that knowing look when he’d mentioned something more personal about the crafter for the third or fourth time before dessert.
Nick strategically shared bits of that in a new string of messages and now here they are almost a week later and he hasn’t made any progress on the romantic front at all despite the continuation of daily exchanges, now without any pretense of business to conduct. Charlie remains friendly, professional and flirty. Nick remains a disaster.
After downloading and dishing with his best friends who are a married lesbian couple, he’s determined to try something new. After the two men compare notes all Thursday evening about the latest Bake Off episode, he steels himself and plays his opening gambit.
Nick 🌈:
hey so I want to place a new order but I have a special request
Charlie 💐:
ok what’s that?
Nick 🌈:
can I work directly with you to pick out the pieces and watch you put it together? have I earned enough trust yet to come see your process and your creative space?
Charlie 💐:
oh! um you mean my flat but yeah you have. that could be fun sure ☺️
Nick 🌈:
yay! day after tomorrow work for you? after lunch, say 1:30; I can bring you coffee…
Charlie 💐:
yeah, i think so. ok here [map link]
Nick 🌈:
awesome! thank you!
Charlie 💐:
what’s the present?
Nick 🌈:
oh right. it’s actually a Valentine for my crush
Charlie 💐:
oh ok cool
—-
On Friday, Nick sends his usual pre-work flurry of jokes and links but Charlie doesn’t reply until after the school day is over. It’s brief and dull. Nick bites his bottom lip and debriefs with Darcy who is convinced, of course, that Charlie is just as enamored with Nick as Nick is with him and that this is a good sign.
She thinks Charlie is jealous and maybe even spiraling. Nick worries some more. This phase of the plan is his least favourite. He sticks to it anyway, keeping up his now-usual routine of messaging Charlie whenever something reminds him of the other man. Which is about once an hour, at least. The replies today are infrequent and lackluster but Charlie does say he’s busy, having a movie night with his friends.
The next morning, Nick takes really good care of himself. A run, a shower, a hearty breakfast. Lots of panic about his outfit. Lots of time futzing with his hair. A light lunch at the café where he’s getting Charlie’s perfect concoction. A spontaneous stop at the flower stand next to it. He arrives at the block of flats with precisely five minutes to spare.
Charlie looks good if slightly rumpled, inviting Nick in while wearing fuzzy brown slippers and smiling at Nick’s doggy-print socks after he removes his loafers. When Nick offers him five sunflowers wrapped in newspaper with his right hand, Charlie just blinks until Nick explains his mother trained him to always show up with something the first time visiting someone’s home. Charlie gently notes coffee is a something and Nick doesn’t know what to say to that so he just silently holds that out with his left hand after Charlie sets the first gift in his kitchen sink.
He accepts his drink gratefully and takes a long sip, looking solemnly at his guest over its rim, before waving at Nick to follow him down the short hallway. Charlie also lives alone in a two bedroom flat and the spare is devoted to his crafting supplies and a long table with a simple computer workstation at one end.
There’s a floor-to-ceiling stack of baskets in one corner and there are wall-to-wall steel frame shelves along one entire side of the room. Upon these are stacks and stacks of plastic boxes, all lidded and well marked with signs that detail their contents by theme and type. Nick is enraptured and effusive about the level of organization on display; the teacher part of him is quite envious actually.
Charlie smiles tightly, sets the paper cup down near his laptop and gestures at the stack of baskets. “Shall we begin?” Nick takes a moment to absorb that Charlie is wearing slim-style joggers which are dark brown and cling to his hipbones a little closely with a loose long-sleeved henley top in blue and green. He takes a deep breath and licks his lips.
“Yeah? So um what about this or maybe that one, which do you recommend?”
“Let’s set both on the table for now and see what objects you end up picking and how they fit.”
“Yeah! Great idea!”
Charlie brings a box labeled for the holiday down to the work surface and they comb through its contents together, Nick paying attention to every nuance of Charlie’s features. They chat, Nick slowly drawing out the stories of certain items and which charity shop Charlie found each in on a foray with Isaac or Elle.
He notices the crafter isn’t asking many questions in return, a significant departure from their process for Sarah’s birthday. Nonetheless they end up with an array of objects to consider after working their way through five different boxes.
There’s a mug with a drawing of a cat on it that had made Charlie smile with a sad fondness and admit he was between cats at the moment, not quite ready to adopt the next one to own his heart. There’s a scarf Nick had pointed out contained all the same shades of blue as Charlie’s eyes, eliciting a confused blush in the younger man.
There’s a gift card to Apple Music which had sparked a bunch of talk about bands and songs and Charlie’s confession that he still plays monthly on his old drums in his sister’s garage with a group of friends. Nick thinks it must be obvious by now who his crush is, given the way he’d literally squealed at that.
But Charlie just keeps the work flowing as they pore over the various treats and trinkets he buys in bulk when things go on sale. Nick learns about his other sources of income as Charlie pulls out the packing options and they select the colours of tissue and shredded paper. He’s astounded by the sheer number and variety of things Charlie turns his hand to in order to patch together his livelihood.
“But do you like doing it this way? It must get exhausting sometimes.”
“Oh but I’ve had to practise pacing myself, you see. It’s really good for my mental health when I work on letting go of the results and focus on enjoying the journey.”
“Wow, you’re incredible, Charlie. Do you ever take time off?”
“Yeah, of course! So all these options fit together like this: First I get my upcoming schedule for the one or two barista shifts per week. Then I contact the students I tutor and lock in the next session with each one. Then I calendar any dog-sitting duties around those.”
“Finally this stuff, my research for Youssef and my editing for Aled get slotted in. But I always make sure to leave plenty of blocks for down time and I’ll take a quick holiday once or twice a year when I save up enough. Most weeks might not include a regular weekend and I know it’s not a regular life but it’s mine and I love it.”
Nick just stares at him, utterly besotted by the competence and intelligence and beauty of this man. As Charlie fluffs the wrapping around Nick’s final objects, he starts to glance over self-consciously at the blonde who’s fallen into a smitten stupor.
“What?” he whines after several minutes of awkward silence. Nick shakes himself and smiles ruefully.
“No! Nothing. Just… constantly in awe of you, Charlie.”
“Shut up!”
“Oh, I don’t think I will.” Nick can feel the goofy grin spreading over his face but he can’t help it. He’s probably got those heart eyes Tara teases him about too. Charlie is clearly flustered, sitting on his office chair and spinning with his fingertips tucked under his knees while Nick leans against the doorframe, admiring the final assembled product.
“So do you think they’ll appreciate it?” the drummer finally asks shyly.
Nick swallows and nods. “Yeah,” he replies softly, “I’m pretty confident. It’s all their favourite stuff, I just made sure.” Charlie looks up at him through his eyelashes, a pensive cast to his mouth. The moment stretches. Charlie has to know by now, right?! He doesn’t say anything though.
Nick straightens up. “How much do I owe you?” Charlie quotes a price and Nick whips out his mobile to round up a generous amount and send over the payment in an app.
Charlie frowns at his own screen. “Nick, why does it say ‘two hours of labour’ for your purchase?”
“Because that’s how long it took.”
“But… um ok nevermind. Here you go.” Charlie stands and hands the basket to Nick who smiles at him fondly as he lays his palms lightly against the curves of it and then gently pushes it back more solidly into the crafter’s hands.
“Here you go.” His heart might just thump right out of his chest. He still can’t quite believe he’s doing this. It feels cheesy and ridiculous and hare-brained. Which makes it, he understands on some deep level, absolutely perfect as his declaration of interest. Why is he like this? Internally he just shrugs as the universe hangs in the balance.
“What are you doing? What do you mean?” The handsome face is open, vulnerable. Nick tips the scale towards his one desire.
“You’re my crush, Charlie.”
“Am I?”
“Yes, you idiot. Happy Valentine’s Day.”
🌞 Summer 🌞
Nick reviews the calendar laid out on his desk and pulls out his mobile on his way back to the living room where he plans to flop on the couch like a total potato to celebrate his first Monday off of the summer. This is when being a teacher feels like the best career path ever.
BF 🌻:
you free on Sunday?
Char 🎁:
no, we’re literally going to Brighton together…?
BF 🌻:
so would you call it a date? (omg a beach date; how cute is that?!)
Char 🎁:
i guess. (super cute!) why?
BF 🌻:
because that makes it our 50th date and I want to warn you how sappy it’ll be so here’s a taste: your presence in my life is a gift and I feel incredibly lucky to know you. I can’t wait to show off my amazing man to everyone there. I love you 😘
Char 🎁:
🤢💀 /JK i love you too 😘 Happy Pride, boyfriend ❤️