Work Text:
Tao and Elle are playing Space Invaders when they run out of coins.
"Stay here so no one takes the game. I'll go over to the coin machine and exchange this," Tao says to Elle, holding up a 5-pound note.
Elle nodded and smiled as Tao walked away.
He passed a few games he made a mental note to ask Elle to play with him and passed those stupid claw machines that only had plush donuts inside. So dumb.
Only, instead of seeing just three machines full of stupid stuffed rings with fake sprinkles, he saw Nick trying, and failing, to pick up a white donut, and Charlie leaning against the front of the machine laughing at him. Tao hid behind a machine, watching through the glass. Charlie may have told Tao not to worry and that Nick was really his friend, but Tao needed to see it for himself.
He laughs to himself as Charlie teases Nick for losing and spending all his money, but he frowns soon after.
"So, I kind of overheard you and Tao in the bathroom earlier," Nick says and Charlie looks down at his feet.
"Oh."
Tao sighs, he didn't want Nick to hear him. What if Nick's only bringing it up to try and make Charlie think Tao's the bad guy?
No, Tao, just keep listening. Believe Charlie before you assume.
"I wanted to say sorry about the date with Imogen thing."
Tao blinks. Nick does sound pretty sincere.
Wait.
Why is Nick apologizing for going on a date? It's not like him and Charlie are together. He can date whoever he wants.
"You actually went on a date with her?" Charlie turns to face Nick, and Tao sees his face. He looks upset.
Tao hates that look on Charlie.
"No, no!" Nick goes on to explain that he just didn't want to embarrass Imogen in front of their friends. And how her dog died?
This is either exactly what happened or a lie just weird enough that it's believable. Tao choosing to give Nick the benefit of the doubt, to listen to Charlie and give Nick a chance.
"I'm so sorry."
"Isn't that what you always tell me not to say?"
That was so sweet, it's sickening, Tao thinks, but he smiles, too. Nick really does seem like an okay guy so far.
"Yeah, but I've actually done something bad." Nick sounds almost sad.
"Well, it's not like we're... you know," Charlie pauses, and Tao's eyebrows furrow, "officially dating, or anything."
Tao watches as Nick's face does a weird thing and then he looks down at his feet.
Oh my god, Tao thinks, there's actually something going on with them.
"I'm going to make it right with Imogen. I'm going to tell her I don't like her like that.
Tao smiles. Nick leans his head against the front of the claw game. Charlie does the same.
"I wish I'd met you when I was younger. I wish I'd known then what I know now."
Tao really needs to apologize to Charlie. Charlie told him so many times that Nick was a good guy. And Tao kept brushing him off, saying how all Rugby guys are the same and how Charlie needs to get over it because Nick is straight. He's such an asshole. He's a terrible friend. And now here he is, eavesdropping on what is clearly a personal moment.
Tao still doesn't leave. He wants to know how this plays out.
He watches as Charlie leans in close to Nick's face.
Surely, he wouldn't kiss him here. Nick's obviously not out yet, so they wouldn't kiss in the open like that.
"No being sad on my birthday," Charlie says. Nick laughs as Charlie pulls away.
"So, are you gonna open my present then?" Nick asks, and he puts his cup on the floor.
Charlie reaches down and pulls up a gift bag. He pulls out a wrapped present while Nick rambles (quite adorably, honestly, but Tao would never say that out loud) awkwardly about wanting to see Charlie's reaction and not having time to buy a proper gift.
"Sorry it's a bit handmade."
He made something for Charlie?
Charlie's face lights up when he sees it, like this handmade Nick Nelson present is the best thing he's ever seen. Tao really wants to see it.
"That was just one of my favorite days ever."
If anyone saw Tao smiling this much over Nick Nelson, they'd think something was wrong with him.
Charlie looks up at Nick with the biggest smile on his face.
"I really like you."
Tao assumed so after this whole interaction, but hearing it out loud still makes his eyes go wide.
"You like me?"
Tao almost laughs, but he doesn't want to giveaway his position.
"Wasn't that obvious?" Nick laughs, and Charlie looks so happy that wants to laugh too. He hasn't seen his best friend this happy in a long time.
"Do you like me?" Nick asks, and Tao is sure that he means it mostly rhetorically, because Charlie's crush was so obvious that there's no way Nick didn't see it.
"Yes! Obviously!"
Charlie's smile is one of Tao's favorite sights.
"Why are we like this?" Tao muffles his laugh behind his hand. He was wondering the same thing.
Tao watches as Charlie goes from beaming and laughing to blushy and bashful.
"I wanna kiss you so bad right now."
Oh. Well then.
Tao notes that Nick doesn't look surprised.
He just looks around the front of the claw machines and turns back to Charlie, "okay."
"You don't have to."
"I want to," Nick says, and Tao is so happy for Charlie.
"Are you sure?"
If Tao wasn't sure before that Nick wasn't out, or ready to be out, he is now. He only hopes that, for Charlie's sake, Nick is comfortable to do so soon enough.
"Yeah."
And then they're kissing.
Tao is smiling so wide he definitely looks insane to anyone who can see him right now.
Nick moves his hand up to the back of Charlie's head, and they kiss for about ten more seconds.
They both awkwardly look around and Charlie's lovesick grin is back.
It takes everything in him for Tao not to walk over and laugh about how cringy and in love Charlie is because doing that would be admitting he's been watching them for the past ten minutes.
Charlie laughs and drags Nick away to the basketball machine.
Tao lets out a breath and smiles.
"What are you doing, Tao?"
Tao looks up and sees Elle staring at him.
"Oh, um, nothing."
Elle frowns and looks towards the claw machines.
"Are you alright? You hate those machines, why are you smiling at them?"
Tao laughs. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."
It's then that he remembers the money crinkled in his fist and he grimaces at Elle.
"I'm sorry! I got distracted!"
Elle looks confused, but she laughs anyway. "It's fine. I sat there for like eight minutes, but these two little kids came up and wanted to play so I gave it up. We'll have to find a new machine to play."
Tao honestly couldn't care less about Space Invaders anymore.
His best friend is happy. That's all he cares about.
Maybe Nick Nelson isn't so bad.