Who: Nick & Charlie (Cameo by Martha) What: Valentines Shmoop Where: Nick's Place AKA The TARDIS When: Valentines Day Status: Closed, Completed in Gdoc on 4/3, posted 4/22 Rating: Medium
Nick hadn't had a girlfriend, or a boyfriend for Valentines Day before so he hadn't really known what you were expected to do. Like did you buy a boyfriend flowers? Would Charlie even want flowers? Did boys like flowers? Nick didn't particularly want them, but maybe Charlie might? Did girls? Like did they really?
See, complicated.
Talking to Charlie about it and agreeing that they wouldn't DO anything had helped take that pressure off, all Charlie said he wanted was a hug, and he'd gotten that at school that morning, and a kiss. So Nick had officially met all Valentine's Day expectations and could relax. Mostly. Sort of. Okay not really but he was going to do his maths homework and steadfastly not worry about it, glancing at where Charlie was doing his own homework and then back at the equations on the page.
He really, honestly did not like maths. Please, please tell him where he was ever going to use Algebra.
"Did Henry say when you had to be home?" maybe if he ever got this done they could watch a movie or something before Charlie had to go.
Charlie really didn’t have valentines day expectations, he was easy. Beyond that hug, the only thing he’d decided to do for Nick was pick up a chocolate bar. Which he’d actually forgotten about giving until just then. He was really not even looking at his actual work, but doodling on the page instead. “No. Don’t really have curfew which is new and weird.” He looked up from his doodles over at his boyfriend with a little distracted sort of smile. There were annoying things spiraling in his mind that day.
There had been most of the morning, but he was trying to just ignore them.They’d agreed not to do much. “I forgot,” He sat up from where he’d been laying, and reached for his bag. Pulling out a cadbury cookies and cream bar he’d managed to find. “You like these ones right?” He held it out for him.
“How do you always know my favorites?” He lit up, really lit up because it really was his favorite chocolate bar but also because Charlie had gotten him something. He took it, fingers tangling with Charlie’s briefly as he leaned in to kiss him. “Thank you.”
This was much better than Algebra. It was actually a bitch to find. Cadbury wasn’t super popular there. He got lucky and snapped it up for him. He grinned into that kiss. His hand reaching automatically to rest on his shoulder. “Be a pretty lousy boyfriend if I didn’t.” And another kiss added after the words. This was way more of what he had in mind than a study session. Not to mention it caused the annoying brain gremlins in his head to shut up. He kissed Nick a little deeper, a little longer. Fingers curling against back of his neck.
“What’s yours?” Because he realized he had no idea. And apparently that made him a lousy boyfriend. Maths forgotten for the moment, he pushed the book aside and sat back against his pillows pulling Charlie along with him, halfway across his chest so he could wrap his arms around him.
Charlie didn’t fight the action in the least. In fact he just laid on him. “Is it weird to not really love chocolate? I dunno. I’d rather have crisps.” He admitted with a tiny shrug as he rested his cheek on Nick’s chest. “Do you even care about homework right now? I can’t seem to find a single fuck about it.” A soft smirk as he just adjusted to get more comfortable in his arms.
“I mean, I care a little bit.” He’d basically promised his new boss he could fire him if he didn’t keep his grades up, and Martha the same thing. But he didn’t move to go back to finishing his Algebra, just settled more fully back against the pillows as Charlie adjusted himself into a more comfortable position. Certainly he didn’t care more about that than he did about this. Was that normal?
“Crisps are good, what are your favorite crisps? A boyfriend should probably know that too.” “Why?” Charlie couldn’t seem to find a why there. Not that he wanted Nick to feel his feelings, but he was a bit less motivated with school in this place. What would it all amount to anyway? Half the time he felt like this was just some sort of interesting dream reality. He really couldn’t find a drive to push at school like he did back home. Maybe it was also a little burn out. He’d always been good at school. Hyper focused until recently. Now he was exploring a world where he hadn’t been experiencing the same amount of bullying like he had back home.
“Hm…anything salty and vinegar-y. Which is, I'm pretty sure, ninety percent of crisps.” He gave a slight chuckle as he let his eyes close, resting his head just under Nick's chin.
“Why not?” He tilted his head a bit so he had his cheek against Charlie’s hair and let his own eyes close, inhaling the familiar scent of his shampoo or his soap or whatever it was. “Mr. Constantine won’t let me work if I don't keep up my grades, and if I want to play any sort of sport they’ll have to stay up for that.” So it just made sense to care.
Plus, that was what you did, you finished secondary school and then you went to uni and you got a job, not that he knew what he wanted to do at all but… that was what you did. He got decent grades, even in maths despite not being very good at it or liking it much.
His mum and his dad expected it. And okay they weren’t here but, well… okay they weren’t here.
“I guess I just do.” Charlie hadn’t figured out any of what he wanted aside from wanting Nick. “Least you have an idea of what you want to do. I’m sort of at a loss.” He was only barely beginning to think about his own exams when Nick was taking his. His hand rested on Nick’s chest. “Only thing I know I want is you.” He’d only run into one asshole at the school. Other than that, sky was the limit and it was a bit overwhelming. So much so that it made him want to do nothing. His fingertips idly toyed with the skin exposed on Nick’s neck. Gently tracing the outline of it, barely ghosting there.
“You’ve got me,” he covered Charlie’s hand with his own, tangled their fingers, he didn’t really know what he wanted he was just really good at faking it. Or doing things he thought he was supposed to do until he found something better to do. He was quiet for a long minute, playing their fingers together.
“There’s nothing else you want? What about your music?” He liked band hadn’t he? Or at least the drums. And he’d been doing things with nail polish and make up and things, he liked that Nick thought. Breaking out a bit of the box that home built around him.
“Good. Wouldn’t really want to be in this place without you.” He curled his fingers around Nick’s with a quiet ease. Just listening to the sound of his breathing for a moment. “I don’t know yet I guess.” Maybe that was why school would help, figuring some of that stuff out along the way. He enjoyed those things, but he wasn’t sure what to make of them just yet. “There was a bloke that mentioned a band or something. Maybe I should try one that’s not just a school one?”
“Me either.” He liked these quiet moments, where it felt like they were about as close as Nick had ever been with anyone except maybe his mum. Except there there was nothing remotely mum like in how he felt about Charlie.
“That could be cool, you in a band.” Nick was completely unmusical as Charlie well knew, but he liked to listen and he liked watching Charlie play so whatever Charlie wanted to try was fine by him. Plus, the mental image he had of Charlie in eyeliner with black nail polish, messy curls and a tight t-shirt was entirely too hot for his own good. Seriously.
Charlie closed his eyes as he just breathed in Nick’s scent. He was a bit surprised. His mind had been filled up with all this anxiety surrounding the holiday, but really it was only scary if one made it so. This was nice. “Maybe we should order something in tonight? I just want to stay here with you.” He didn’t want to go anywhere fancy, everywhere was bound to be filled up anyways. Charlie wasn’t super comfortable eating around a lot of people. If he was going to do so it was just around Nick, or just around Henry. He picked a safe person and stuck with it.
“Never thought about it outside of school. But I think there’s clubs here.” Maybe one or two would even let fifteen year old him in if he was just playing at it. “Thought about a few things I guess, just most of em don’t require straight A’s like mum wanted.” His parents were fairly strict, but it didn’t matter. Charlie was always good at school anyway. Maths in particular. “Think bands get paid. And can carry a tune.” School one sounded like a tone def sloth to him.
“Ordering in works. What did you want?” He was easy, and he’d noticed that Charlie was a lot pickier about food than he was. Somethings he just didn’t seem to like, and since Nick was a stereotypical teenage garbage disposal who could eat literally anything he’d let Charlie pick. Pizza. Curry. Pasta. Burgers. Fish and chips.
“Bands get paid,” he agreed, fingers stroking up and down Charlie’s arm, a pleased smile on his face because the younger boy was in fact thinking beyond tomorrow. “You could start a band. There’s probably lots of people here who don’t want to play pep music.”
“Dunno. Go to answer is probably pizza? Is that lame though?” Safe food, safe foods were good foods. He could do pizza. He felt bad ordering the same thing all the time, but at least he could eat it without worrying so much about if he could eat it or not. “Think they left us money for it.” Henry was usually good about that. Making sure Charlie could eat if he wanted to, he just wasn’t good at wanting to.
Especially lately with all the thoughts of a future that was uncertain in his head. He worried a lot. Got stuck in a worry spiral, and his brain hated everything as a result. He tried not to, but then trying not to almost made it all worse.
“Hm. The idea of being on stage though is mildly terrifying.” He looked up at Nick who seemed pleased with the conversation, and then away with a bit of a red hue on his face because in a way this was more intimate than just a night of sex most people seemed to equate valentines day with. Though there was something on his mind in that strain of conversation. But he wasn’t brave enough to bring it up yet. “Why would it be lame?” He might be able to literally always eat pizza if given the choice. Though he did like chips. Please forgive him Charlie, the only thing he has ever spent as much time worried about as Charlie worries about food is his sexuality.
“Mildly terrifying isn’t so bad, you thought rugby was mildly terrifying.” He teased a bit, though it was true and he’d done that. He wasn’t bad at it either, faster than almost anyone on the team and once he’d gotten over the fear of taking a hit (mostly) not bad in a scrum either.
“Pretty much eat it all the time. Not really a …special? Thing. I don’t know.” He shrugged as he closed his eyes. Charlie would have happily had sex if Nick wanted that, but Nick said he wasn’t ready. Charlie wasn’t going to pressure him. Especially not for the sake of just one night.
“I only said mildly to that to save face. It was entirely terrifying.” He laughed a little as he shook his head. This seemed to pale in comparison though he was right about that. He was quiet for a moment. Wondering if he should ask about the sex or not. But he was pretty damn comfortable just being there with Nick, so he reached to hold his hand instead for the time being. “I’m with you, seems pretty special. Doesn’t matter what we eat.” He half shrugged, and sort of rolled onto his side a little to curl a little closer to Charlie and pull him against his chest so he could tuck his face against his hair.
He was absolutely not sure he was ready for sex, if Charlie even brought up the subject. He wasn’t sure he was even ready to talk about sex.
Nick sort of lifted Charlie's chin when he admitted it was entirely terrifying to think about being on stage so he could look at him directly, a half smile on his face. “Well you’ll be amazing even if it’s terrifying.”
Then he kissed him. Thankfully, Charlie was easily distracted by the kiss so sex talk did not actually manage to leave his mouth. He was preoccupied by Nick’s lips instead. His brain went to mush as it always did when Nick did that. “You always know the right things to say.” Then another kiss, this time initiated by him. He wanted to touch Nick all the time. It was almost impossible to keep his hands off him even then.
He wouldn’t mind Charlie’s hands on him so much, certainly it would help him set his boundaries more than talking about them since he wasn’t quite sure where they were. His own hands didn’t stray too far, one stroking over the other boy’s back as they kissed and the other curving loosely around his nape and tangling in his curls.
Eventually he pulled back for breath, nuzzling Charlie’s jaw before finding his pulse with his lips, teeth scraping experimentally. He was very content to have the hands on his back. He arched a little when they touched a sensitive spot. He tilted his head, lips parting to a soft and pleased sound at the touch of his teeth. His hand slid just under his shirt to rest on his stomach for a moment. It was a bit of a challenge, figuring out where Nick’s challenge line was when it came to touch, but he supposed he’d only figure it out by trying a couple things. Charlie was definitely more advanced in things as far as where they came from. Sometimes it left him needing long and cold showers. But there was no one else he’d rather be with. He tilted his head to let Nick have a bit more access to the skin there. The thing was, Nick wasn’t entirely sure where the line was himself. He wasn’t ready to have sex, okay he knew that much. Frankly his father hadn’t addressed same sex coupling as a possibility when they had the talk so his education there was rather lacking. His skin tingled where Charlie’s hand touched it, the muscles of his abdomen flexing under the other boy’s fingers but he didn’t shy away.
That was okay, he might have gasped softly against Charlie’s throat, dragging an open mouthed kiss over the place where his pulse beat. He wouldn’t mind, he thought a trifle hazily, having those hands on more of his skin. The movement of his lips caused a soft shiver. That shiver traveled through his body, and a sound he couldn’t stop to escape his lips. He’d had a crush on Nick since the day he laid eyes on him. He never imagined they’d be sat together and in this position so soon after.
Nick had so much muscle. He wanted to see more of it. If he had a mark on his neck in the morning, so be it. He liked Nick’s lips where they were. “Can we take this off?” A quiet question as he tugged at Nick’s shirt a bit. So far Nick wasn’t resisting his touch, and he liked that part. He didn’t want Nick’s lips to move away, but he wanted to see more of him.
He hesitated, lifting his head to blink a little hazily at Charlie, not because he didn’t want to but because he sort of did. He was sure his momentary indecision was clear on his face as he took a deep unsteady breath before he nodded, reached for the hem of his shift.
“Yeah, okay.” He shouldn’t be nervous, Charlie’d seen him without a shirt before in the changing rooms at rugby. But butterflies still took flight in his stomach as he pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it to the side of his bed before leaning in to kiss Charlie again. “Okay?”
“Very.” He pressed his hand against Nick’s bare chest. Returning that kiss. No matter how often he saw Nick without his shirt on, he wanted to see more and more. It was a nice view. Fingertips brushed over the curves of his muscles gently. This was all he needed for a valentines. Just alone time with Nick. He pulled him gently up a little. “Dunno what I’d do without you.” He didn’t want to imagine being there alone.
“You’d figure it out,” Nick had faith in Charlie, believed in him the way some people believed in sunsets. He bent to kiss him again, enjoying the gentle touches and the way the other boys hands felt on his skin even though he mostly didn’t want to think about enjoying it too much. “You’re only the smartest, strongest person I know.” If a cold shower was going to be required for him later, Nick might as well too. Fair game and all. He sighed contently into that kiss. There was something else he wanted to say, but wasn’t sure if it was too early to say it..so instead, he just melted into his boyfriend’s touches and thoroughly soaked in his undivided attention.
Undivided attention was what he had, absolutely and completely. Nick kissed Charlie with a single minded focus he reserved for rugby and, well, this. His hands in his hair and his eyes close completely ignoring the rest of the world. Or anyone who might be knocking on his bedroom door.
Martha was getting back after a shift from the clinic and she was only knocking and opening the door because she wanted to know if Nick wanted something to eat. Her mistake. She opened the door and starting asking the question - “Nick did you want some- Oh boy!” Martha reared up a little and turned, a hand to her eyes though she didn’t sound terrified or anything. More like she knew she’d messed up and this was embarrassing. “Sorry!”
That was the last thing he expected. A voice and a fully grown person suddenly in that room with them. Thankfully no teeth were involved or there would have probably been accidental biting. “Bloody hell.” He couldn’t really move much being under Nick, but he could turn several deep shades of red.
Really, considering he was the least clothed person in the group Nick felt like he should probably be allowed to be the most horrified but between Charlie’s deep blush and Martha’s obviously embarrassed hand covering her eyes somehow he thought he might not be.
Sure he blushed too, and sort of wanted to cover his own face, but he managed not to as he sat up and put some distance between him and Charlie with a remarkable bit of haste.
“Oh! Um… Martha.” Okay so he did sort of cover his chest by crossing his arms awkwardly. “Hi.” He glanced at Charlie to see if he was okay and then over at his guardian.
Martha held onto the door, but faced the other way so not to stare. “Well, I’ve officially become my mother.” She joked. This was definitely something her mom would have done except her mother would have done it on purpose to check up on her. She couldn’t help but laugh just a little at the ridiculousness of it all.
“Just make sure you’re, you know, using protection I guess.” This was one of those things Martha didn’t have a lot of experience in. Sex? Yes. Even teenage sex. But she wasn’t a man and didn’t have a penis so gay sex wasn’t something she knew a lot of beyond the basics. Maybe it was time to have a chat with Jack.
Martha couldn’t help thinking the TARDIS could have made it harder to find Nick’s room, but she hadn’t.
She started to close the door slowly because she wasn’t sure what else to do, really.
Charlie didn’t know Martha as well as Nick did. The very last thing he’d been expecting was someone to come in in the middle of well…that. The last time that had happened was with their parents. “Um..yeah.” Brilliant words those, he tried his best to shrink down as small as he could get in a feeble attempt to hide. He gave an awkward sort of smile. Not really sure what else to do either if he was entirely honest. Words were lost on him.
“We’re not…” he flushed red and made a face as she left the room, then flopped back on the bed. You know what he could have lived really forever without having experienced that. Particularly as they weren’t, you know, having sex. Yet.
They hadn’t really talked about it, though they probably should. Talk about it. He wasn’t sure he was capable of it though, which probably meant they shouldn’t be doing it, however much he might sort of want to talk about it. Or do it. Maybe. He groaned and flopped an arm over his face.
Seriously he was going to get better at this eventually right?
“Awkward.” What else could they say in that particular moment? Charlie was content to hide behind Nick for the rest of time. “Not yet.” He edited him slightly, maybe some day? But this wasn’t quite that. Did he owe that to Martha to say so? He wasn’t sure, he really didn’t know her well. He was likely to start getting to though after this. She was Nick’s guardian after all, he probably should make an effort. Just..maybe not in this direct moment when his entire reaction was to hide and never resurface again. “Uh…happy valentines?” He gave an awkward laugh to both of them before sitting up slightly to try to look somewhat less uncomfortable. If at all possible. What an introduction to them as a couple.