Heart Attack (a HeartStopper story)

Charlie. Them

Song recomendation for the chapter: Grow up. - Quarter life crisis. - Baby queen.
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"Don't forget your your keys love." Nick smiled at him, as he blew him a kiss, and Tara and Isaac giggled behind his back. Charlie pretended to be embarrassed, but he actually loved those little goofs gestures of Nick's, like nothing else in this world.

"I've got them right here." Charlie replied automatically before heading out the door.

Charlie met Elle and Tao outside his house, parked with Tao's mom's car which luckily they had been able to take. The late night walk had given him time to reflect on his heated emotions about moving in with Nick. He had no doubt that it was what he'd wanted since they'd been back....

But he didn't know how he was going to handle that with his parents, who would no doubt have a lot of opinions about it.

"I'll get the keys, a few things, and then i will hurry downstairs." He said to Tao and Elle who were waiting in his car.

"Thanks so so much Char." Elle added. "Forgive us for stealing you from Nick."

"Don't worry, he's still with Tara and Isaac."

"Will you tell your parents about your plans now?" Tao watched him worriedly from the driver's seat.

"In the middle of the night? So they can go crazy now? Never."

Charlie left them to go into his house, and while trying not to wake his parents he stuffed what he could into a suitcase and a backpack, grabbed Tao's keys and stood for a few seconds looking around his room. Though familiar, he suddenly felt like an alien there. Dark and empty. Childish and suffocating. It was true that his home had become a person, and it seemed that many years of neglect and doubt invaded his childhood room like a disease.

That made him think about his parents sleeping in the next room.

Back in Tao's car, Charlie found himself pensively looking out into the night as they drove through town.

"And why so sad?"

"I'm not sad."

"I thought Nick's proposal would put you in a good mood."

"More than that." Charlie smiled and looked down. "It's more than I expected and wanted. It makes me immensely happy."

"So?" Elle asked.

"Your parents..." Tao guessed.

"They still have their weird ideas?" Elle was surprised.

"I know that telling them I'm moving in with Nick will mean a big fight and... I don't want Nick to mean trouble for them. They saw me suffer when he left and immediately fall into his arms when he came back. They trust me... but I don't know if they trust him that much."

"You're an adult now Char. I don't think it's their turn to decide for you anymore."

"And you think they care about that? They are obsessed with control. They see me as a fragile mess who doesn't know how to make good decisions."

"They know Nick. You're not going far. It's not like you're running away with a stranger."

"Especially because it's Nick... they want proof that he won't leave me again."

"I thought they got along great with him."

"They do... they did... and he left and we got our hearts broken... and well, I got the way I got."

"Char but that..."

"It's neither one's fault, I know... or rather both of our faults. I'm not sure. The point is they're looking for proof that this time he's going to stay, and they think marriage would be that proof."