Nick And Charlie «2025»

You taught me that being strong isn’t about how much you can bench press. It’s about being honest. It’s about showing up. And I failed. I showed you the worst version of myself.

“The lying. The sneaking around. My mum asked if you were my boyfriend and I said no, Charlie. I said no . Like you were nothing. I hate myself. I hate who I become when I’m scared. You deserve someone who doesn’t have to think about holding your hand.” Nick and Charlie

And Charlie, in turn, showed up for Nick. When Nick’s own father dismissed his bisexuality with a wave of a hand (“It’s just a phase, Nicholas”), Charlie was the one who drove two hours to Nick’s dad’s house, sat in the car, and held Nick’s hand while he cried. He didn’t try to fix it. He just stayed. You taught me that being strong isn’t about

But secrets are hungry things. They consume from the inside. And I failed

I told my mum. I told my brother. I told Imogen. I’m going to walk into school tomorrow, and I’m going to find you, and I’m going to kiss you in the middle of the courtyard. Not because I want to prove something to them. But because I need you to know that you are not a secret. You are not a phase. You are the only thing that makes sense.

It was about Nick learning the contours of Charlie’s anxiety—the way he’d tap his fingers when a crowd got too loud, the way his breathing would shallow before a spiral. And Nick learning to be a harbour: a warm, steady presence that said, I see you. You’re safe.