Archive of Our Own ^beta

I do not own any of these characters- they were created by the incredible Alice Oseman who is our Queen! I apologize for any grammar errors- I do have a learning disability that makes it hard for me to remember more than the most basic grammar rules. I really hope you love the story I am creating for you! This is based ONLY on the TV series.

“Charlie Spring!”

Charlie looked up, shocked to see Imogen come walking up to him, a determined look in her every step. Despite her tiny frame, she looked… intimidating right then. Why was she coming up to him outside of the school gate? It made no sense. “Um… Yeah?”

“You and I need to talk. Now.”

“Uh, no you don’t,” Tao said walking over. He clearly could see that Charlie was not feeling very comfortable with this interaction.

Imogen laughed as she looked at Tao. “You stay out of this,” she told him bluntly. “You and I need to talk, Charlie. Now.”

Charlie could see the determined look on her face and it dawned on him that she might want to talk to him about Nick. He knew that she had Nick had that argument the day before, having found that out when he’d snuck out to see him… which of course led to his grounding. “I can’t miss the bus, Imogen.”

“Fine, then I’ll go home with you.”

“What?” Both Tao and Charlie said this at the same time, both clearly horrified at the thought of Jane Spring meeting Imogen, especially when Imogen was clearly in an agitated mood.

“We either talk here or we talk at your house Charlie, but we’re having a talk.”

“A talk?” Charlie asked, clearly confused.

“Oh…” Tao said, realization dawning on him. He patted Charlie on the back and shook his head. “Yeah, this is that talk. Good luck,” he said before walking away. He and Nick had already had their talk and it looked like Imogen was ready to have hers with Charlie.

“Fine. Just, let me call my mum.” He tapped his mother’s number on his phone, knowing that it would be easier to talk to her than text. His mum took everything wrong through text. “Hey Mum, uh, I was going to stay after school—”

“Charlie, I thought I told you—”

“Mum, I’m going to work in the library on my essay okay. Nick’s not here, it’s just me,” Charlie said quickly. “I’m only going to miss the first bus,” he added when he was met with stony silence. “I promise I’ll get home on the second bus. I’m not going to Nick’s and Nick isn’t even here.”

“He’d better not. I meant what I said about the Paris trip, Charlie.”

“I know mum, and I’m not going to mess that up,” Charlie said honestly. He definitely did not want to miss the Paris Trip with Nick. “I just need to get a couple books from the library for my essay, it just means I’ll miss the first bus. That’s all. I promise.”

Once again there was a silence, then he heard a sigh, almost as if his mum was tired. “Okay,” she said softly. “Just… just be on the second bus home. I trust you.”

After hanging up, he looked at Imogen. “Okay, come on,” he said walking back into Truham, clearly expecting her to follow him.

“Where are you going?”

“To the library. I’m not risking the Paris Trip so I’m bringing home some books so my mum knows I wasn’t lying.” he told her honestly. “Besides… no ones in the library right now. It’s… easier to talk there.”

Imogen nodded and followed him inside. Once they were alone in the library, and she looked around to be sure, she looked at Charlie. “What did you do to Nick?” she demanded.

He blinked at her, completely confused now. “What?”

“Yesterday Nick and I got into a fight. We never fight. All I could think of is that you must’ve upset him.”

Charlie almost laughed. She thought Nick was upset because of him? “Uh… no. We haven’t had a fight or anything. In fact, I got grounded last night for sneaking over to his house.”

“Then why is he upset? Because… he won’t talk to me.”

“He won’t talk to you? Or you won’t talk to him?”

Imogen looked stunned at Charlie’s question. She was quiet as he pulled out two books and then put them in his backpack. “Why is he upset? Because it can’t just be exams,” she finally said.

“Well... what did he say to you yesterday?” Charlie already knew, but he wasn’t going to betray Nick’s trust, plus he didn’t want to accidentally out Ben. Despite how horrible he was, Charlie could never out someone. He couldn’t put anyone through what he went through. It was why he wanted Nick to have the perfect coming out. No one should ever feel the way he did.

“He wanted to know why I was dating Ben. That doesn’t make sense though, I’ve dated guys before.”

Yeah, she had. Imogen was well known for almost constantly having a boyfriend, though now that Charlie thought about it, he wasn’t sure she seemed really happy with most of them. But then, he didn’t know Imogen well enough to mention something like that. He just knew she was sweet to Nick and that Nick said she was one of the kindest people he knew. That was good enough for Charlie. “Maybe his problem is with Ben then.”

“But I don’t understand why. They were friends until the Spring term started, then… they got weird around each other.” She frowned after a moment. “You don’t think that Nick thinks Ben is homophobic, do you? Because he’s not. He’s really nice.”

“Is he?” Charlie asked softly. He leaned against the wall. “Imogen… do you really like him?”

“Of course, I do,” she said, her eyes avoiding Charlie’s for a moment. “He’s really nice. I’ve known him since I was 10. He was my first friend after… after I moved here. A-and… he’d been lovely to me…”

“Look… I know someone who dated him,” Charlie said softly. “Let me guess, he’s really sweet to you at times? Acts like… you’re all he wants?” He saw her face get a little pale. “Has he started putting you down yet? Make you feel like your worthless?”

“N-no. He would never do that.”

Charlie nodded. “Okay.”

There was another silence before Imogen spoke. “Who did he date before?”

“What do you mean?” Shit, he hadn't meant to slip up.

“Well, the only girls you know are Elle, Tara, and Darcy, and I don’t think any of them dated Ben.”

“I know other people, Imogen. You don’t know all my friends.” It was a small lie, but it was needed.

“So… Nick heard from you that Ben is a terrible boyfriend or something and that’s why he’s upset?”

Charlie sighed. “Imogen, why don’t you just ask Nick?”

“Because he won’t talk to me! God… Charlie you barely know him. I’ve known him since I was 11 and he barely opens up to people. Like… I never even got to go to his house because of how closed off he is. He gets…” She shook her head. “I’m literally his only real friend from before he met you and even I barely know him. He bottles everything up!”

Hearing this perspective of Nick was strange. Nick had always been open with him, had always been willing to talk to him. Then Charlie remembered the night before, with David, and the way Nick seemed to shut down at the door. It had been different and definitely not something that Nick had ever done before. “Imogen… he’s just worried about you.”

“I can take of myself,” Imogen said softly, not looking at Charlie. “Just… look, he really likes you, Charlie.”

Deflection. Charlie understood this tactic well. Imogen was becoming uncomfortable and was trying to change the conversation in a way that would be easier for her to deal with. For the first time, Charlie started to really see that there was something different about Imogen. That she might be hiding things that others didn’t see. There was possibly a depth to her that he hadn’t considered before. “I really like him too, Imogen. I promise I’m not gonna hurt him.”

Of course… he actually had hurt him. Back before sports day… he had hurt Nick without meaning to. He’d just wanted to protect him, just like Nick wanted to protect Imogen.

“Good.”

“And… Nick’s just also stressed about his exams. I think once it’s over he’ll feel better,” he offered. He couldn’t tell her that Nick was going crazy because David was a dick and Ben was a huge ass who was trying to get under Nick’s skin. “Just… look, I get Ben is your boyfriend, but I want to ask you one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“If you break up with him—”

“Really?”

He could hear disbelief in her voice, but he waved his hand. “No, just… if you break up with him, just don’t do it alone, okay.”

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. Don’t be alone… just…rumors.”

She shook her head. Why was Charlie telling her this? Rumors? She hadn’t heard of any rumors about Ben. “What rumors?”

“That… he didn’t take his last break up well,” Charlie said softly. “The last thing I want is for you to get hurt.”

The silence seemed to stretch as Imogen processed what Charlie was telling her. “Okay,” she agreed softly. “Well, we better get going.”

“Yeah,” Charlie agreed.

Imogen paused at the library room door and gave Charlie a very serious look. “By the way, Charlie. If you hurt him, I’m gonna kill you.”

Charlie chuckled a little at that. “I wouldn’t expect anything else, Immy.”

Her mouth dropped open and she gasped. “How dare you! Don’t ever call me Immy,” she said firmly. Still… she actually didn’t mind it coming from Charlie. It sounded… sweet.

~

“What was that about?” Ben asked as he watched Charlie walk away from Imogen outside the school gate. He’d seen her walking in with him and it had stressed him out. He would have followed if Harry hadn’t wanted to talk to him about the Paris Trip. If Charlie said anything… he clenched a fist and but hid it behind his back. No reason for Imogen to see his anger.

Imogen blinked at Ben. Why did he care? “What?”

“Since when do you know Charlie?” he asked, a smile on his face.

He seemed pleasant enough, but Imogen remembered what Charlie said. What Nick had said. There were doubts worming into her mind. “He tutors me in Maths, I didn’t want anyone to know,” she lied. “I was just telling him how my exam went yesterday.” She wasn’t going to tell him the truth. That would out Nick and, boyfriend or not, she was not going to betray her best friends secret, even if they were upset with each other.

Ben chuckled. “Oh… okay, that’s fine then.” He shook his head. “I didn’t know you were that stupid to need a tutor.”

‘Does he put you down yet? Make you feel like your worthless?’

Charlie’s words came to the front of her mind, but she tried to ignore them and laughed it off. Ben was probably just joking. He had to be joking.

“Come on,” Ben said, kissing her. “Let's get out of here.”

Imogen suppressed a shudder when he kissed her and just smiled. “That sounds good,” she said following him. She glanced towards the bus stop and saw Charlie sitting there, waiting. She wanted to go with him instead. He felt safer. He felt… like a friend.

Instead, she just steeled herself, put on a bright smile, and followed Ben. Like she was supposed to. Like she was expected to.