"Nelson."
"Spring."
They meet each other at the school gates, both looking about as displeased as they felt. It was far too early to be dealing with anything, let alone looking at each other as children squealed and parents milled around them.
"I see you got chaperoning duty as well." Nick offers out and Charlie grits his teeth. "Unfortunately. Given what happened last time a teacher was alone with the third grade students-" He pointedly looked Nick up and down with what seemed to be disdain. "-the headmaster said that there has to be two teachers on the field trip today."
"Great." Nick sighs, eyes flickering back and forth as the silence between them stretches out before he meekly turns and hums. "You know that rumour isn't true, right?"
"The one that stipulates that leaving you alone with a class full of children could lead to theft and property damage?" It's said so dry it's almost as if Charlie could make it sound just that more humiliating, but instead, it just insenses him instead. "We didn't steal anything!"
"You did, however, cause damage to a premier league soccer stadium as a PE teacher." Charlie just coolly stares him down. Bloody senior music teacher patience and all. "I'm sure Elland Road is still in talks with the school about how much is needed to fix their grandstands."
Nick's face is red and angry, but he knows that he can't have a yelling match in front of all these parents, so he just settles on a "fuck you" under his breath where only he can hear him before he storms off to find his clipboard to start counting everyone up.
2 hours later, the aquarium somehow is still standing as cliques of sugar brained 8 year olds run through the tunnels and halls, the only two adults with them hanging back with a careful eye as they press their faces and hands to the glass, most thankfully on their best behaviour.
It's only when they find themselves in the shark exhibit does Nick turn to the latter. "I did tell you I was sorry about our anniversary. You didn't have to make me feel even worse about it."
Charlie doesn't say anything at first and there's a vein in Nick's neck that he's sure is on the verge of exploding, but then he's turning to him, lips pursed. "Well, I didn't expect to get a call at the fancy restaurant that we paid in full with our blood telling me that my boyfriend was being talked to by stadium staff because one of the children's his care got a hold of a soccer ball and decided to play one on one with the seats."
"Look, I'm really sorry." Nicks's pretty sure he looks desperate and he's also sure Charlie's enjoying milking this for all it's worth. "If I had known that Kieran had brought it his backpack, I would have given it to his parents or made him take it to his locker. I'll make it up to you. Please, Charlie, it's been three fucking weeks."
Charlie's lips are pursed, but he can tell that some of the cold shoulder he's been fighting off like a madman is starting to ease. Or so he hopes.
"I hate you." It's not said with malice thankfully and Nick feels like he might melt through the floor before their heads meet in the middle, just touching.
They don't kiss, because there are obviously children around, but Charlie and him hold hands until they leave the darkness of the tunnel and come back to reality.
Nick hopes it's the last bit of it he sees for a while.