Dedicated to heartstopperxo, AmyDerycke, JayMari-lyn, Narlieship, and Robin_Writes_12 for all of their amazingly kind support of this story so far! You are all such wonderful people :)

" Coming up for oxygen."

" The world's the same, but something's changing."

" You see it on the street again."

" Lighting up the strangest faces."

" And it feels like that."

" Sweeter than the best you've ever had."

" And, oh, it takes me back,"

" To being sixteen, dancing like you're under attack."

" I don't really care if it nearly kills me,"

" I'd give you the world if you asked me to."

" I could break a glass just to watch it shatter,"

" I'd do anything just to feel with you."

"Okay, I know I said this wasn't a good idea-which I still fully believe is true! But that doesn't mean it's not kinda sorta nice, also..." Charlie thouoht as he slowly felt his mouth slip gently away from Nick's, the taste of the latter's morning tea now lingering passionately on both the boys' lips.

Something that simultaneously managed to send Charlie's heart skipping several beats in an instant and give him a rather distinct calling for Ms. Nelson's speciel concoction of apple cinnamon and sunflower seed tea, also.

Wonder if that excuse would be passable enough with my parents to let me go over to Nick's on study breaks?

A thought that the fifteen year-old already knew was nothing short of wishful thinking due to both his mum's general strictness towards him dating mostly anybody, especially boys, and the sort of large term paper Charlie had "forgotten" to do over the last few weeks.

Nick wasn't distracting me, though! I've just been really busy with other...things...

Important things, of course! Only, he couldn't exactly think of what the aforementioned things were while he was with Nick, per say.

"Still regretting being a little late to class?" Nick asked, a light grin of happiness covering his dimpled face as he pulled the thick gray strap of his backpack over his muscular right shoulder.

Though, Charlie took much more notice of the way his dirty blonde hair brushed against the slightly creased lines of his forehead rather than his knowing remark or muscles.

At least, in this moment he was, anyway.

I mean, he's Nick Nelson! How could I not notice how handsome he is?! Not that I've ever thought about that type of thing in the first place.

Thoughts that brought a brighter light momentarily to Charlie's face for they were no longer just things he had to think around his crush. But rather, things he could compliment Nick with over and over again anytime of the day he wanted.

Because he's my boyfriend. Yep, Nick Nelson is my boyfriend! And, and most importantly, he wants to be with me. To see me happy. To spend time with me. To like me.

Yeah, I'm just going to say that last one again for good luck; He likes me. God, I love saying that so much!

"Eh, maybe not as much as before..." Replied Charlie, his upper front teeth instinctively biting down blushingly on his lower lip as he performed similar movements with his own bag as Nick.

Only with much less grace, the soles of his yellow Converses skidding clumsily across the colorfully stained tile flooring of his favorite teacher's art room before he barely caught his balance leaning against one of the worn wooden desks surrounding them.

However, Charlie's feelings of appreciation towards Mr. Ajayi were amplified almost tenfold on this very day after the wise-cracking mentor figure had allowed him and Nick a safe place to kiss without a million sets of eyes staring at them.

"Are you sure about this, Sir? 'Cause' I totally understand if it's not really something you can do," Nick had nervously reassured Mr. Ajayi when they'd first asked for his permission, his fingers fidgeting insecurely against the soft palm of Charlie's hand.

At least, he had been nervous until he, too, got to see the real magic hidden behind Truham's best teacher's simple black-rimmed glasses.

"As long as you're both done in time to actually make it to class then, it's alright with me. And you don't have to worry about those things around me, Nick. All boys deserve a kiss from their boyfriends every once and awhile," Mr. Ajayi had stated with earnest care, patting each of his students on the shoulders once more before he'd ''accidentally'' left the art room's door open behind him.

Yeah, best just isn't a good enough word to describe him. Because no matter what point of my life we're talking about, Mr. Ajayi has always been there for me. Honestly, more than mum or dad even were. More than anyone, except, Tori. But she's Tori, so that's a challenge to beat in itself.

"But I still don't think it's a good idea doing this at school," added Charlie, sighing slightly underneath the weight of his torn feelings towards how best to help his boyfriend, his smile faltering with it.

Unvoiced feelings which Nick was quick to dismiss by wrapping his arms tightly around him, letting the tiniest spark of what felt like lightning jump between their compressed chests.

"You're right. But that doesn't me it's not exhausting not being able to shout out to the world how much I like you," admitted Nick, his voice dropping down several octaves in excited anxiety at just the mention of coming out.

Of allowing the world to see, observe, criticize, and possibly, appreciate the wonderful relationship which he shared with the one and only Charlie Spring.

"I know," Charlie soothed, stroking one of his hands through his partner's unkempt blonde hair as he spoke.

An action that while only could last a few seconds, allowed Nick to momentarily shut his tired eyes in favor of letting his boyfriend be the only shelter he needed.

"But it's not about them. It's about you," he reasoned, softly as he felt Nick's head press against his lean-framed shoulder.

It's what it always should be for everyone, honestly. But Nick isn't just everyone. He's Nick.
And I'm going to give him all the time in the world that he deserves to have during this.

Nick didn't respond for a few seconds, letting his tensed forehead relieve some of its pain before his chin slowly lifted off of his boyfriend.

"No, I think you mean us," corrected Nick, a small half-smile shining on his dimpled face as his lips once again found Charlie's, the only place they felt completely at ease.

Whether it was his words or his kind gesture, Charlie couldn't help but smile at that very same sensation, too.

But I guess one could usually just sum that up to Nick making me feel happy as a whole, I think.

"Yeah, uh, that would probably also work," Charlie stuttered, his eyes unintentionally fluttering as the two boys pulled out of their kiss, Nick's arms still wrapped lightly around his thin hips.

"Although I was meaning to ask, how'd you already have dirt on your cheek before rugby practice has even started?" Questioned Charlie, raising an eyebrow, quizzically at his boyfriend's untidiness.

A subject matter which the two teenagers firmly believed they'd never agree upon.

Okay, in my defense, anytime I go over to his place, I always trip over some random sneaker or book he forgot to put away! So I think it's safe to assume that he does the same thing in there, right?

"Oh, uh, it's nothing," Nick dismissed, his words falling out of his mouth a little too quickly for his partner's liking, though his eyes weren't exactly assisting in his attempt at playing things cool by finding particular interest in an uneven yellow paint splotch on the tile flooring beneath their feet, either.

"Nick, whatever it is, you can tell me," Charlie encouraged, delicately, much in contrast to the nervous acrobatics Nick's words were tapping endlessly at the front of his mind with.

If something happened to him, I want-no, I need to know what it is.

"No, it's really nothing I just...I just was up pretty late last night studying. So I sorta fell asleep on the bus," replied Nick, sheepishly, his hands slowly pulling away from his boyfriend's hips as he scratched the back of his head.

An action that momentarily deterred by his hand's accidental predicament of getting stuck in his hair's messy blonde locks.

How did Charlie make fixing his hair look so effortless?

"Well, then I can safely assure you that there's nothing to worry about because I already know you're going to ace those exams," Charlie stated, unbreakable confidence carrying the entirely of his tone for if there was one thing he knew about Nick Nelson, it was that he had an impeccable knack for surprising and most of the time, surpassing everyone's expectations.

Most especially, his own.

Well, behind thinking he's a great boyfriend, that is. But I feel like that was already kinda pre-assumed. At least it should be.

"Although, I do have one quick note to add," commented Charlie, a playful smile creeping its way onto his face as he gently used his thumb to wipe the smeared grime off his partner's cheek, allowing his cute dimples to breathe freely once more.

"Thanks," Nick laughed lightly, a small smile returning to his face, too, as he placed one final kiss of gratitude on his boyfriend's lips before his hand begrudgingly found the art classroom door handle.

Both because he didn't want to be anywhere that didn't have Charlie in it and because, well, he just plainly wasn't very excited to head into his next session of GCSE testing in the first place.

"Anytime," Charlie smiled, softly across at him, his own hand now feeling a familiar instinct to grab onto Nick's as he watched his boyfriend leave.

I wish I could do more for him than this. Than daily texts and secret kisses. But making sure he's completely safe during all of this is all that needs to matter to me right now.

A thought which lingered within Charlie's mind for only about point two seconds before his hazel brown eyes lit up with a solution.

I may not be able to give him extra encouragement here, but I might know a way I can after school...