Chapter Text
Charlie arrived at the school gates half an hour early just to be sure. He wanted to make a good impression as this was his first teaching job since graduating. He still couldn't believe his luck landing a full time teaching gig so soon after graduating from uni. He was nervous but excited to get started. It was the day before term started and he had to come in to set up his classroom and get acquainted with the school and his colleagues. He waited patiently by the gate for the assistant principal. Charlie knew he was there way too early but thought waiting in the cold was better than being late and rushed. He pulled up his scarf to cover his nose, red from the cold, early morning autumn air and put his hands in his pockets. Looking around he spotted someone running on the sports ground "they're keen" he muttered to himself. Charlie thought back to his school days of being a keen runner but never actually committing to doing any training or taking up a sport.
"Ah, Charlie is it?" He hears a voice of a middle aged woman coming towards him.
Charlie turned to greet the woman. "Uh hi, yes I'm Charlie" he said holding out his frozen hand to shake the woman's.
"Pleasure Charlie, I'm Allison Morgan, AP" the woman shook Charlie's hand firmly, "Right we better get you settled in. Not much time to run over things before the start of term tomorrow. Thank you so much for being available at such short notice by the way. Quite a sudden departure for the previous music teacher after... well yes, this way," she gestures for Charlie to follow her through the gate.
After filling out forms and being introduced to the school's office staff and a few other teachers who happened by, Allison announced that she better quickly get him to his classroom before she needed to attend to some other matters. "Sorry it's a bit of a hike out there," she boomed as they stepped out the side door into the wind, "music block is this way. Hopefully the heating is still working". She called back to Charlie who was striding behind her across the school grounds. Once they had arrived at the music block, which was next to the sports field, a tall man in grey shorts and a maroon t-shirt appeared from across the field. "Nicholas Nelson, you are a made man!" Scoffed Allison as he approached them. "Aren't you freezing your limbs off?" She jested pointing towards his pale white, though very muscular as Charlie couldn't help notice, arms and legs. "Oh ha, um yes I guess I am starting to cool off now you mention it haha," the tall man replied coyly running his hands through his dark blonde hair. Charlie realized this was the man he could see running out on the field early that morning. "Well this is Charlie Spring anyway, he's Dean's replace... He's the new music teacher. Charlie this is Nick he's our PE teacher, and rugby coach."
"Uh hi, nice to meet you Charlie." Nick wiped his hand on the side of his shorts and held it out towards Charlie. Charlie wasn't sure if Nick was blushing or still flushed from running. He shook Nick's hand which felt warm and clammy and was suddenly reminded of how cold his own hands were. Charlie blushed slightly as the handsome man in front of him flinched slightly at the temperature difference of their skin touching. "Hi" replied Charlie as their hands separated. Allison looked from Charlie to Nick giving Nick what Charlie thought was a sly smile. "Anyway Charlie, better show you round the music block," she gestured up the steps to the building entrance.
Charlie settled into his classroom and set up what he needed for his lessons the following day. He was very nervous to have his own classes, without having a colleague teacher watching over him, but was also excited to do things his own way. Charlie had decided he wasn't going to hide his sexuality from the students and his colleagues, but had also not planned on coming out with an announcement or anything. A small pride flag strategically placed on his desk should be enough to address the issue. Once he had finished setting up and prepping for the coming days Charlie decided to wander back over towards the main school building to let Allison know he was done and see if he needed to do anything else before heading off. As he was locking the door to the music block he heard a voice behind him.
"You done for the day?"
Charlie spun around, slightly startled. It was the fit PE teacher, he was wearing track pants and a bomber jacket now. Charlie turned a bright shade of red realizing he hadn't hidden the shock from his face at hearing an unexpected voice. Nick's eye widened "Err sorry," he muttered "I'm a bit loud, used to yelling at kids on the rugby field, haha," he ran his large hands through his slightly thinning blonde hair again before grabbing the back of his neck, smiling a coy crooked smile that did things to Charlie's insides that he could not cope with.
"Haha all good," replied Charlie, going red again "yeah just going to head back over and see if they need me for anything else."
"I'm headed that way I'll walk with you," Nick replied putting his hands into his jacket pockets as he walked beside Charlie. "So, you been teaching long? I've been here for the last four years, Krelford is my first school, you?"
"Uh, yeah this is my first teaching job. I just finished uni."
"Oh," replied Nick looking closely at Charlie's face with a puzzled expression.
"Yeah I did a few other bits and pieces before studying to be a teacher."
"Oh, cool" Nick replied, nodding his head. "Um so yeah, well if you need anything, you know where to find me, haha" he said gesturing towards the school gym, next to the field adjacent from the music block.
"Yeah running around like a crazy person in the cold apparently haha." Charlie quipped smirking at Nick who blushed an even darker shade of red than before.
"Ha, well yeah probably. Got to keep busy somehow." Nick looked away from Charlie who couldn't help notice a strange look on Nick's face. Charlie suspected there was more to this former high school jock (clearly in Charlie's mind) than meets the eye.
The next few days went as well as Charlie could have hoped for. Most of his classes were well enough behaved and actually seemed pretty excited to be there. That was one of the benefits of being a music teacher rather than a maths teacher like he had once considered. There were a few kids who gave him some cheek but nothing he couldn't handle with his own dry wit. "What's that flag on your desk sir?" Asked one boy at the top of his voice when Charlie was in the middle of explaining what the first assignment for the year 9s would be. "Are you gay or sumin'?" Followed by a droning chuckle and little sniggers from the boys sitting next to him. Charlie felt his face flush and his heart begin to race, but he was prepared for this. "Oh yes, well spotted, that is a pride flag, and not that it's anyone's business but yes I am. So the assignment will have two parts to it..." Without skipping a beat Charlie continued. Despite a few gasps and whispers the class soon settled and listened to the rest of the assignment explanation. Similar things happened in some of his other classes in the next few weeks and Charlie could definitely feel his ears burning as he walked around the school, particularly while on yard duty at recess.
He had seen Nick around the school from time to time but apart from exchanging a friendly "hi" and smile as they passed by, the two men had not had another conversation since Charlie's first day.
It was the weekend after Charlie started at Krelford and he was going out for drinks with his friends. He was looking forward to catching up with the gang and letting them know how well he was going. They had all been so busy in recent years and it was nice to get a chance to catch up. He knew his friends would be pleased to see him doing so well and generally coping with life. Charlie couldn't remember the last time he felt this good about himself, but he knew deep down that part of the reason he was doing this well was that he hadn't heard from Ben in almost two months. He suspected it was only a matter of time before Ben would be back begging Charlie to go home with him, once his latest fling fizzled out, but for now he wasn't thinking about Ben at all. He was finally in a good place, in a place where he could actually be open to meeting someone new, someone nice, someone who might actually want to get to know him and like being with him, not just want to fuck him. Possibly a fellow teacher, possibly a certain hunky PE teacher, Charlie caught himself thinking, Oh fuck! He thought, what's the chances of that actually happening? Charlie finished lacing his shoes and checked his hair in the mirror again before heading out the door.
When Charlie arrived at the pub he looked around for his friends. Tao was by the bar ordering drinks, he looked up and waved to Charlie. Charlie walked over, "alright?"
"Hey Charlie, how are you going?"
"Yeah really good actually. Elle here too?"
"Yeah she's over there at a table with the girls," Tao gestured with his head holding two drinks in his hands, "I'll see you over there."
Charlie ordered a drink and joined his friends.
"Charlie my guy! It's been too long!" Exclaimed Darcy as he approached the table.
"It really has," he replied, placing his drink down on the table and giving Darcy, Elle and Tara each a hug. "Isaac joining us?"
"Yeah he said he'd join us a bit later," replied Elle.
"So how are we all? How are the boys?" Charlie asked, looking at Tara and Darcy, noticing that they looked older than last time he saw them.
"Wonderful," replied Tara.
"Exhausting," replied Darcy.
"That too, haha," Tara said, giving her wife a side eye, "wonderfully exhausting. Nice to finally get a night away thanks to my mum."
Charlie had a great time catching up with his friends and filling them in on how his new job was going. He told them about how low drama the kids finding out he was gay had been.
"So, made any new teacher friends then?" Asked Elle.
"Well everyone has been super nice, but it's early days. Not sure I want to be besties with some of the stuffy old bats either haha," Charlie laughed then his mind wandered to a certain PE teacher.
"What?" Tao exclaimed, Charlie looked at him startled, "You spaced out with a funny look on your face!"
"Haha, I know that look!" Elle exclaimed, clapping her hands together "Is there someone in particular you have met at the new job Charlie?"
"What?! No! I mean, well he's probably straight anyway, but maybe, maybe, he's really nice, but we haven't talked much yet and um yeah, haha" Charlie grabbed the back of his head, feeling his face turning scarlet.
"Ha I knew it!" laughed Elle.
"Well straight or not, at least gives you a happy distraction from you know who!" Tao said followed by "Oi what's that for?!" as Elle elbowed him in the ribs.
After a few hours of catching up with his friends, the night was getting on and they all slowly started heading home. Charlie reached for his key as he approached the door to his flat when he heard a voice behind him. "Where have you been?"
Fuck, Ben.
"What are you doing here? What are you doing here at 11pm Ben? For fuck sake! Why are you here? What happened to, what's her name?"
"She's gone back to France. Aren't you happy to see me? Surely you've missed me?"
"Actually Ben, no I haven't. Can you just go home please, I can't do this now."
"Come on, it's late. You're coming home alone. Aren't you at least horney? We don't have to talk if you don't want. We can just fuck and talk about it tomorrow." Ben moved closer to Charlie reaching his hand out towards his face.
"Actually no Ben!" Charlie ducked away from Ben's hand, "Actually I don't want to, don't want to talk, don't want to fuck, don't want anything from you. Not anymore Ben. I've moved on, I don't need this, whatever this is supposed to be."
"Moved on? Ha yeah right. Who is he then? Does he know you exist? Haha."
"Well, I didn't mean... Look it's not your business. Can you just leave please?!"
Charlie flinched as he saw the familiar spark of rage in Ben's eyes. Ben raised his hand suddenly and punched the door behind Charlie, narrowly missing the side of Charlie's head. Charlie closed his eyes for a brief moment, summoning his courage. He leaned up and looked Ben straight in the eye "Go home Ben!" Charlie said through gritted teeth. Ben's face softened from rage into a smirk as he leaned in and forcefully kissed Charlie firmly on the mouth before stepping back from him and turning away.
"See you soon Charlie, real soon. Hope you are enjoying the new job by the way." Ben called back as he walked away, smiling a sadistic smile, and disappearing into the night.
Charlie, whilst rattled by Ben's appearance, wasn't going to let this set him back. He was doing the best he had for a long time. It had been a real challenge getting through his teaching degree and his turbulent relationship with Ben had not helped. Finally now with a job doing what he loved, being challenged and keeping busy with work he could move on and get on with his life, without letting Ben creep back in.
The following Tuesday while Charlie was explaining time signatures to a grade 8 class one of the girls in his class randomly called out "Mr. S, do you know what happened to Mr C?"
"Sorry what?"
"Mr. C err that is, Mr. Carmichael the music teacher before you. Why did he leave in the middle of the year?"
"I heard he went crazy and stormed out of the school and never came back," said a boy sitting next to the girl.
"I heard he punched a kid," said another.
"I heard he had an affair with another teacher and his wife left him!"
"I heard he had it off with a sixth former!"
"OK, OK, OK that's enough! Firstly it's none of our business, secondly I have no idea anyway, thirdly this has nothing to do with time signatures!" Charlie went on with his lesson.
Fuck I never thought to ask, I was just so happy to have got the job.