Heart Attack (a HeartStopper story)

Nick. A leap of faith.

Song recomendation for the chapter: Planeando El tiempo. - Elsa y el mar.

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After practically fleeing from his room and his memories, Nick hurried to tidy up his things and help his mother with dinner. It was a routine and somewhat melancholic activity that brought him a sense of calm. Together, as they had done millions of times in the past, they cooked, set the table, and ate peacefully. They talked about Nick and David's father's new whereabouts and how, surprisingly, David had visited Nick in London much more than he had expected. He seemed to have changed a bit, still the same old idiot, but much more open and understanding with Nick.

Although Nick knew why, he didn't want to say it in front of his mother to avoid making her angry. The reality was that Charlie was no longer in his life, and Imogen was, which seemed more comfortable and normal to David.

"Something just occurred to me, Nicky. The girls are always looking for things to exhibit at the center. Yesterday, while rearranging the basement, I found boxes of your great-grandfather's photographs. They're framed and everything, and he was very talented at what he did, besides... in the photos, it's quite noticeable how his family pales in comparison to those he called 'friends' and 'companions.'"

"Wait... Are you saying my grandfather was... gay?"

"It wasn't something we talked about much in the family, but I got very close to him toward the end of his life, and he confessed it to me. Finding those photos brought me a lot of joy; I hadn't thought about them in a long time. I don't know, maybe you could exhibit them at the center."

"That's a beautiful idea, Mom." Nick stopped washing the dishes for a moment. "I'll message Tao immediately; he'll surely like the idea of the exhibition and might help me. The girls will love the idea too. I'll bring the boxes. Thank you very much, Mom."

He had the best mother in the world, that's for sure.

He drove to the center to make it more convenient to transport the boxes. He had thought about looking at them himself, but he supposed it could be a good activity to share with Tao or the girls. He had to think about how to propose it.

He parked nearby and couldn't even unload the boxes from the car before...

"NO WAY, is that Nick Nelson?" Tara jumped into his arms, accompanied by Darcy, who was only shouting compliments and laughing.

"Dude, you look great. London suits you wonderfully. You have no idea how much we've missed you." He hugged them tightly for a few seconds before speaking. "I'm so happy to see you, girls... I have so much to tell and share with you. You look magnificent, and the center looks amazing. Congratulations."

"PLEASE COME IN, let's explore, and we'll tell you all about it."

He asked for their help with the boxes, and together they toured the center. They had told Nick and his friends about the idea of studying online together at home and creating a safe space for both of them. Since Darcy had cut off contact with her family, Tara couldn't stop thinking about ways to build another home for her. Eventually, the idea of the center emerged. They had so many friends dedicated to art and culture; Darcy was incredible at attracting people, managing them, and organizing. Plus, with her great cafe, she kept everything afloat. Tara was fantastic at designing spaces, so everything fell into place.

Nick had to hold back tears as he looked at everything. They talked about everything, well, almost everything, as they walked through the center. It was still growing, of course, and they lacked an audience, but the cafe, the library, a reading area, the exhibition area, Elle's work shop. Everything was beautiful, safe, full of life, and new ideas so that queer creatives from all over could find a safe place.