#and when charlie looks at nick he just looks so happy and overjoyed

[ticklepinions]

Call Me By Your (Nick)name

A/N: yet another break in the continuation. Someone stop me the chaos is consuming me. Reblog this for the awesome title alone. I was very ecstatic to have made it. Tagging the squaddies who are always inspiring me @writingwitharlo @nhasablogg and @happyandticklish. Go read their recents and get inspired and fall in love with the people as well.

Word count: ~1040

He remembered it like it was yesterday. Charlie and his friends were celebrating his birthday at the bowling alley. He and Nick went to go get some snacks and that's when it happened. 

"Char you want popcorn or..?"

"W-what did you just call me?" a small smile appearing on his face.

"Char?"

"Oh my God I love it, say it again!"

Charlie couldn't help but reminisce on the moment. Nicknames meant a lot to him. It was like someone was claiming him as theirs. It was a reminder that he was wanted and liked. He found it silly how much he loved them though… 

"Earth to Charlie?? Are you even listening to me?" Tao said with furrowed brows. 

"Y-yeah sorry…" 

Tao scoffed and continued telling his story about who knows what. Isaac was there reading a book as always yet Charlie was the one to get in trouble for not listening. Can't a boy dream of being called a name by a boy he loved??

School was finally over and Charlie met with Nick to go to the park.

"Hi"

"Hi"

The two hugged. 

"You smell nice"

"T-thanks"

Charlie was thankful that his vanilla scented soap got Nick's approval. Nick had laid out a plaid sheet and tackled Charlie onto it.

"You really got to work on evading tackles, how will we ever win a game when you're on the ground for most of it" 

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't think you were going to tackle me out of nowhere"

"Exactly. Got to be prepared for anything~"

The boys giggled. Having Nick on top of him made Charlie's heart do a somersault. His eyes trailed up the rugby lad's arm, appreciating the veins popping out of them. He really was in love with Nick's arms. 

"Well are you going to get off of me now?"

Nick shot him a smirk and immediately retorted.

"What if I like it here?"

Hearing that made poor Charlie choke, his heart lodged in his throat. 

"Hope you like strawberries, my mom got us lots of them" Nick said, gently pushing off of Charlie.

"Feed me?" 

Charlie looked at Nick with his best puppy dog eyes, something he knew Nick couldn't resist.

"Anything for your majesty"

Nick gently let Charlie take a bite of the strawberry, quickly smearing the half eaten berry across Charlie's lips.

"H-hey!" Charlie protested, before Nick scooped his face and kissed the boy.

"Mmm these strawberries are good"

Charlie welcomed these kisses, as silly as Nick was. The boys made out, Charlie now sitting in his lap as Nick's hands gripped his waist. When Charlie pulled away, Nick gave a small pout.

"Nick..?"

"Mhm?"

"Hehehey stahap it tihihickles" Charlie scrunched up his neck which was currently being peppered with kisses. 

"Can't talk now, busy kissing my boyfriend" 

Charlie couldn't help but let out a lot of snickers as Nick's gentle hands held his head in place, ensuring that there was maximum neck to be kissed. Charlie gripped tightly onto Nick's hoodie, the tickling filling his tummy with a multitude of butterflies. 

"Nick- stop I have something to sayyy" Charlie whined through his giggles. 

Nick stopped, well... after a couple smooches on the cheeks, then he stopped. 

"D-do you remember when you called me that name? At the bowling alley…"

Nick cocked his eyebrow and tilted his head to the side. 

He really is a golden retriever Charlie thought, smiling to himself. 

"You gave me a nickname… And you swore never to call me it again but I think you should change your mind"

It was funny seeing the bewildered look on Nick's face change to a playful defiance. 

"No, absolutely not"

"But why?"

"It was very cringey"

"Was not"

"Was too"

Charlie pouted, kissing Nick deeply. 

"Pretty please?" He even batted his eyelashes for extra emotional manipulation.

Nick blushed, leaning in for another kiss only to get denied. 

"No kisses until you say it"

Nick sighed. 

"Why do you want me to say it so badly?"

"Because… I like it…" Charlie said so softly Nick barely heard it. 

"As cute as that is~, you can't make me"

Nick choked on the words he just uttered as Charlie plunged his fingers under his arms. Nick fell back and guffawed. His entire body jerked from the scribbling fingers tickling one of his worst spots. 

"Say it~"

"NEHEHEVER- CHAHARLIE NO-" he squealed, the tickling migrating to where the armpits and ribs met. 

"Charlie, yes"

What Charlie did was very evil. One hand took a more firmer approach, using his thumb to dig small concentrated circles under Nick's left pit, while his other hand was lightly spidering the other one. Both methods sending Nick up and way over the wall. 

"Did you really just snort? How adorable"

Nick's face couldn't be a brighter shade of red. He wildly flailed, eventually bucking Charlie off of him. He tried his best to scramble away but Charlie got his fingers scratching the insides of his thighs. Nick screamed. Charlie's deft fingers squeezed his thighs which was almost pure muscle. The tickles sent shocks up his spine as he twisted and turned. His laughter was bright and airy, that little shit was enjoying this. Charlie would never want to torture his boyfriend but he'd be damned if he let Nick win this war. 

Not thinking much of what he was doing, his fingers scratched against Nick's calves. Nick roared with laughter, kicking his feet as fast as he could to shake the fingers off. Charlie couldn't help but smirk at the new discovery. 

"Oh Niiiick~ My love~ The boyfriend I adore verrrrry much~ Care to call me by your nickname?"

"Ch… Ch… Nev-ooOOOHHOHohohoHoOOO CHAR STOP IHIHIT" 

Nick thought he could tease his boyfriend even further, paying for it dearly as the lad spidered his fingers on Nick's sensitive calves. His brain being scrambled by the tickling made him say the stupid nickname.

"Say it again!" A very giddy Charlie pounced on Nick, his face inches away from the very blushy boy. 

"Char-" seeing his boyfriend's eyes light up from a seemingly simple name made his heart feel warm. How could he have denied this from him? Charlie was absolutely overjoyed, his lips pecking against Nick's cheeks. 

"Ohohokay ohokay" 

"Don't tell me your cheeks are ticklish too"

"Shut up and kiss me… Char"

[leedee013]

Heartstopper (Netflix)

Oh boy oh BOY am I overjoyed to finally see this show!!!!

I’ve been following the comic fairly religiously since 2020, and the fact that the Netflix adaptation was so true to the original content was fantastic.

Because let me tell you, when I say that I watched the entire show while smiling like an IDIOT, I’m not lying. I was worried my face would be sore. It’s like, me watching Heartstopper was literally Nick when he’s watching Charlie play the drums UGH it was so good

I simply am so happy that something like this series exists. That it CAN exist. I’ve watched shows progressively open up to portraying LGBTQIA+ people as ACTUAL PEOPLE and I can’t even begin to tell you all how different my life would be and would have been if this had come out eight years ago. I never got these experiences in high school. I could have, but I was too afraid. I'm just happy that shows like these might make it possible for more people going through the same/similar stage in life to be able to accept themselves more readily. Back when I was in high school, That Steven Universe Episode and idk, Night Vale? were about the epitome of representation that I saw in media. But I think that Heartstopper is my favorite, for a lot of reasons.

For starters, the story of Nick and Charlie warms my whole heart. There’s a lot of love packed into it, and I have to be honest, I’ve read it so many times but I still feel like crying from how beautiful this is every time. To see 1. Trans 2. Bisexual 3. Questioning representation that’s so explicit and well done is rare. And that’s not even brushing on the topic of the diversity we see in these characters as well, considering that these characters are not only part of the alphabet mafia, but several are black, asian, mixed race, etc. as well.

As a fan of the webcomics and books, I’m really looking forward to how the rest of the series will be! If there’s another season, I know we’re in for some really heavy topics, and I’m curious to see how Netflix will handle it.

Also, can I just say that I ADORE the little animations of leaves or sparks or hearts that appear every now and then???! It’s such a great homage to the source material and makes the whole show radiate with that softer, more lively feeling. Also, WE SEE NELLIE?!!!!!

I also have to admit that I love how the show digs into other characters outside of Charlie and Nick. We get to see more of Tara and Darcy and more of Elle and Tao!!!! I love these sidelines, and I appreciate how they all mesh together so well. I really don’t appreciate the erasure of Charlie’s little brother so far, especially since it’s such a cool detail about him (middle child represent!) and I’m still confused about why Imogen is in there? Maybe I’m just forgetting her from the comics? She's a sweet human and I think her little crush on Nick is adorable (would it be possible for anyone in her shoes to NOT have a crush on him?????), and I really like how she's understanding and doesn't push Nick after he asks to stay friends.

I cannot stress enough how much I love this series and this show. It would have changed my life DRAMATICALLY if I had read this when I was 15, and I’m still finding myself changing because of it now. And that’s because I can see myself in every single one of the focal characters. For me, seeing Nick be an openly questioning kid who doesn’t want to announce that he’s questioning until he understands himself better? And then the recognition and acceptance of his bisexuality? That’s mind blowing and also so wild to see represented. I went through that. To see Tao’s fear of being left behind and out of the loop? I feel that. I had a friend of mine actually abandon me for “romance”. I put that in quotation marks because, to make a very long story short, it was an incredibly unhealthy foundation for a relationship. But both her and her boyfriend used my fear of being abandoned against me and gaslit me for a year. She stopped talking to any other person and eventually became so disconnected from everyone else at our school that she transferred. I lived Tao’s nightmare, and I can understand why he was so afraid for and protective of Charlie. I understand Charlie’s feelings of being a waste of space, or an unnecessary burden for others. There was a long stretch of time where it was my dream to just run away and be alone forever so that I couldn’t hurt anyone else. And part of me still wishes for that. I’ve been diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety, and I understand all too well that desire to remove myself from the equation or being too sick with myself to eat. Tara and her discomfort in how the way people treat her changes after she comes out. Hell, I can relate to Charlie's dad because there have been plenty of times when I've picked up friends from bad situations.

^my actual face while watching this show (minus the times when I'm casually sobbing)

So please, for the LOVE OF ALL THINGS GOOD, watch this show, read the comics, and take care of yourself. 🍂🍂🍂