#tao and charlie's friendship is beautiful

[afinestoutlove]

things i love about heartstopper 41/?

Charlie and Tao's friendship is so great (I mean all of these friendships are, I'll get to the others, don't worry!). It can be so hard to have friendships with straight guys when you're queer, because (heteronormative) masculinity is a prison. But Tao Xu says "fuck your heteronormativity I do what I want".

"People might think you gave me the hickey if you keep this up." "So? Might help to deflect the rumours." ('Heat')

And yeah, Tao's a disaster and Charlie's a mess, and they both fail to communicate, and self-sabotage, and fuck things up, but they love each other through all of it. And, another thing that's so hard for men to do (especially straight men), they tell each other how much they love each other. They always show each other. There's never any (real) doubt.

No matter what happens, these two beautiful disasters are here for each other and I just love their friendship so much you guys.

And a quick bonus thought prompted by a (joking) reply to yesterday's post...

Someone commented "Charlie's cheating on Nick nooo" and yeah I get that it was a funny. BUT it prompted an important addition to this post. It's really common for people to view the kind of friendship Charlie and Tao have as a kind of threat to their romantic partnership, but Charlie dgaf (and neither does Nick because he's a good person and trusts both Charlie and Tao). Not only that, but Nick values Charlie's friendship with Tao, and likes Tao because of it. This is so wonderful to see, so much healthier than what we usually get.

Our culture is so fucking weird about romantic relationships, placing them on a pedestal above others, but a really important part of Charlie and Tao's story is learning to balance their romantic relationships and their friendships - and to make space for each other's needs as well (Tao's jealousy in S1 isn't expressed in the most constructive way...). They both learn not to neglect their friends - including each other - and also to communicate around those issues more. I love seeing this and, like so much in the Osemanverse, I wish we had more of it in the world.

[princesimonsblog]

One thing I really appreciate about Heartstopper is how it puts friendships on the same level as romantic relationships. Like, how Charlie wrote Tao's name on the lock and not Nick's? That was so beautiful. It shows that friendships matters as much, that we should cherish them too.

[fxlling-slxwly]

There’s so much about Heartstopper Season 3 that I LOVE. Obviously Nick and Charlie’s relationship growth is beautiful, and Charlie’s mental health stuff is SO IMPORTANT, and I was SOBBING at Episode 4. HOWEVER. Breakdown of my favourite parts / storylines:

1. Darcy’s exploration of pronouns and gender identity. Seeing them start leaning more masc, cutting their hair, using they/them pronouns, and then coming out to Tara as non-binary?? WONDERFUL. As someone who recently came out as genderqueer (with a fairly similar path as Darcy actually) this made me so emotional and so happy for them and the representation.

2. Isaac. My baby. Everything about him is so wonderful and I just want to wrap him in the biggest hug ever. His coming out scenes (both his one to Charlie and to the Paris Gang) were beautiful. His boundaries in refusing to fill in the gaps for his friends is so admirable, as when you’re outside the ‘mainstream’ queer labels it can become such a tiresome ordeal having to explain your identity to others when they aren’t putting in the work to look it up. I’m SO GLAD he got these moments and he’s such a ray of sunshine. Him being the only one to see that something was wrong with Charlie hurt me deeply but it made me love him even more. Also seeing his cheeky side when it comes to Charlie’s sex life is peak aro/ace romance obsessed behavior.

3. Michael Holden my beloved. Darragh’s portrayal of him is everything - he’s so funny, awkward, and optimistic in every single scene and I just adore him. All of his interactions with Charlie made me fall in love with him even more, and they all just felt so RIGHT. His and Tori’s relationship is wonderful.

4. Tori being the best most beautiful big sister. She has so much love in her but she’s so afraid of letting people in and see her being vulnerable. Her love and anxiety for Charlie is so immense, but she does what she can even when her heart is breaking. I adore her and I’m so looking forward to seeing even more of her in the next season.

5. Nick interacting with Elle, Tara and Imogen on the road trip!!! I love seeing Nick integrate more with that friend group, but allowing him to have those moments of gossip and banter with the girls is beautiful, especially as he’d said previously how he didn’t talk about the deeper stuff with his other friends. Having the girls encourage him to talk - especially Elle causing chaos - was *chefs kiss*.

6. Tao and Nick hugging!!!

7. Charlie, Tao and Isaac’s friendship! I adore seeing them be super huggy and telling each other how much they love each other. Healthy friendships for the win!! No toxic masculinity here!!

8. Tao and Elle’s relationship & his utter adoration of her. The scene where he showed her the video he made of her was so emotionally raw and beautiful and UGH IM OBSESSED

9. Mr Farouk and Mr Ajayi’s soft moments UGH I LOVE THEM. Mr F is one of my fave TV teachers - the way he tells Charlie that he could help so many younger students and you can just tell how much he needed queer rep when was younger!! Ugh I adore these two so much.

[gay-rad-desert]

Charlie putting the padlock on the bridge for him and Tao was actually one of my favourite scenes of the season. The way this scene shows the importance of friendship and puts platonic relationships on the same level as romantic ones is so fucking refreshing to me. Taking such an inherently romantic action and just making it not romantic in the slightest but about Charlie's love for his best friend that is equally important to the love he has for his boyfriend is so beautiful and important to me.

Heartstopper obviously does put a huge focus on different queer romantic relationships but I absolutely adore the way the second season portrays queer friendships and doesn't make them seem less worth than the romantic ones.

[bairdthereader]

Everyone talks about Nick and Charlie, but can we digress for just a bit to talk about Tao and Charlie? The friendship that these boys have is beautiful. No one quite understands them the way they understand each other, their hidden pain, their insecurities, the things that make them who they are. Most other characters in the show/book are still learning those things about Tao and Charlie, but the two of them are already at that deep level of connection. That bedrock of longstanding loyalty is what allows them to be vulnerable with each other, to support each other, to ask for forgiveness when needed, to protect each other. It's why, when Nick is worried about Charlie, he asks Tao for advice. It's why, when Tao is at his lowest point of fear about losing Elle and guilt about accidentally outing Charlie, he can go to Charlie for comfort and support. It's why, despite everything that happens to change them, they're still Tao and Charlie.

May we all have a fierce protector like Tao and a loving supporter like Charlie in our lives.

Also, Charlie and Tao hugs are literally life-giving.

And to think, this is how it all started 🥰

[sofiaisanalien]

To all the people who might read this, I hope you will find beautiful friendships and sweet love stories with people who truly deserve you, I hope it will be just like the kind of relationships that Alice Oseman always tends to write about in all of her books, I hope that every Tori out there finds her Michael, every Charlie finds his Nick , every Tara finds her Darcy, every Tao finds his Elle, every Frances finds her Aled and I hope all Ben hopeS on earth would disappear.

Take care <3

[aroandawkward]

I can't stop thinking about Isaac Henderson in Heartstopper, and the inherent isolation of being an aroace person in a romance story. Because, at the end of the day, that's what Heartstopper is - it's about the romance between Nick and Charlie. Even when the narrative has expanded outwards to focus on other characters, their plotlines are primarily about romance: Elle and Tao, Darcy and Tara… It's true that Isaac has a loving friend group and the show doesn't devalue platonic love in the way that many romance stories do. But nevertheless, as an aroace person, Isaac is at odds with the genre of the story in which he lives. The tropes that shows like this are built around don't work for him.

Something that really hammers this home is how the scene when Isaac and James kiss mirrors Charlie and Nick's first kiss. In both scenes, two boys are sitting on the floor away from the main action of a party, one admits to having a crush, the other nervously wants to know whether it's them, and then they kiss. In his version of that scene with James, Isaac is experiencing a moment that - for another character - could be a beautiful moment in a romantic storyline.

For viewers who weren't aware of Alice Oseman's promise of an aroace storyline for Isaac, his interactions with James in the early episodes of Season 2 could easily have been interpreted as the beginning of a romantic love story. The rest of the main Heartstopper group have certainly been viewing his friendship with James through that lens, as shown by the way they tease him about it. But those plot beats of a romantic story don't work for Isaac. Trying to fit into the romance genre pushes Isaac in a direction that feels wrong for him. He is the one person in his primary friend group who can't make himself at home in a romance story.

I don't mean this as a criticism of the show. There is a lot of value to love stories like Heartstopper and there is a lot of value to having aspec representation in a show like Heartstopper. But I think this is the reason why Isaac's plotline felt particularly heartwrenching for me. Sometimes being aroace does feel like being out of step with the genre of story everyone else around you is living. Sometimes it feels like trying to find a place for yourself in a narrative that wasn't built for you. Sometimes it feels like trying to prove to yourself (and the world) that you can still have moments that feel like swirling leaves.

[charliewinter60]

Why the rugby lads where not at Nick's birthday party - Heartstopper Season 3

I''ve seen people question why Charlie invited "his" friend group to Nick's birthday party and not the rugby lads, despite them being Nick's friends and Charlie being cool with them.

Firstly, the Paris Squad is both of their friend group.

In season 1, it's Nick the one that gets closer to Tara and Darcy. Charlie befriends them when they go cheer him at his first rugby match, but Nick is the one that opens up to them and gets to know both as the three get vulnerable and talk about their past. (That's not to say Charlie isn't close with Tara and Darcy, because Charlie has had his moments with both later down the road.)

Imogen started out as Nick's friend. She joined the group because of the sleepover in season 2 and the friend group saw the real Imogen, compared to the facade she puts on to fit in with the "cool" kids. (Hence why Tara, Darcy and Elle weren't really cool with her in season 1.)

Tara in particular is Nick's safe space second to Charlie. He confides in her, is the one that talks stuff about Charlie before taking action with him, and is the one that helps pick back up Nick when he feels down. (Something he doesn't do with Charlie, since he wants to be the one that picks Charlie back up and he can't afford to be down in front of him to be ready for Charlie whenever he needs it.)

And while Tao, Isaac and Elle come directly from Charlie's friend group, he grew a bond with each one of them and isn't just friends with them because "they are his boyfriend's friends.". Tao and Nick particularly, have a beautiful friendship, very similar to Nick and Tori's.

(All of this applies to Charlie as well. He befriended Imogen and developed their own bond and is not just friends with her just because it's his boyfriend's friend, but that's not the main thing here.)

And secondly, the reason the rugby lads aren't there is because Nick still cannot be his authentic self with them. Not because they wouldn't accept the real version of Nick, but it's because of Nick's anxietys. Similar to Imogen, he still feels the need to put on the mask of this tough guy. They don't know half of Nick's personal issues, whether it be his sexuality, identity or even the non-queer issues like his complicated relationship with his dad. He may appear confident on the outside, (And while he still is.), he is still full of insecurities but cannot let his guard down due to the fear of what could happen.

In the end, Charlie wanted Nick to feel safe and at ease on his birthday. He wanted "the perfect day for him" so he invited the Paris Squad, the only people where he can let his guard down and feel supported whenever his anxiety gets the best of him, which unfortunately is something the rugby lads, despite knowing Nick for longer, don't let him do.

I'm sure that in an alternate timeline, where Nick is fully open with them, Charlie invites the rugby lads to the birthday party. Because while the friend groups could clash and it be somewhat awkward, Charlie would be the bridge between them, since they are pretty friendly towards him. Also, except for Isaac RIP, they were all coupled up so they were in their own worlds. 🍂

[everythingsbetterunderthestars]

HEARTSTOPPER S2 SPOILERS BELOW

None of my friends were able to watch season 2 yet and I need to externalise my feelings somewhere so hello osemanverse tumblr

(There will be no specific order to these thoughts and I will probably forget a thousand things I wanted to say but oh well)

THE PARENTS THIS SEASON I AM LOVING THAT WE GET TO SEE MORE OF THEM ESPECIALLY OLIVIA COLMAN AAAAHH and tao’s mom omg their scenes were everything this season

Also Taoelle <333333 finally

TORI TORI TORI TORI TORI TORI TORI

Naomi and felixxxx I love them so much

JAMES !!!!!!! AND ISAAC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Also did anyone else notice loveless in the background when they talk things through in the library??)

Ive recently become obsessed with Radiohead because of one of my friends so I really loved the moment with little Charlie and Tao

Just so much queer joy it was beautiful

TARA AND DARCY AND STRUGGLING BUT MANAGING TO COMMUNICATE IN THE END ALSO THE BALANCE BETWEEN CRAZY FUNNY WHIMZY AND DARCY’S FAMILY PROBLEMS I AM UNWELL ANDDDD THE I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU SCENE

Prom was so adorable aaaaaahhh

The outfits ??????!! 🤌🤌🤌🤌

Also I am absolutely gonna listen to this season’s songs on repeat they were AMAZING and it was so satisfying to hear some that I already knew (plus seven is the only Taylor song I like so it felt extra special and I remember Alice saying in an Instagram story that that song was very Tara/Darcy bf’zodjdkksjf) AND BABY QUEEN I ALMOST FAINTED WHEN I SAW HER AT THE PROM

Also I need you all to know how much like Isaac I am about books. (Also I’m so proud of him aaaaahhh my baby)

The teachers. You agree.

The diner scene was so iconic

Obsessed with the Ben apology scene and Charlie’s reaction

Also is that an Imogen/Sahar thing i sense coming?? Or maybe cool female friendship development im not picky that would be awesome too (ngl though im kinda starting to ship them now)

Oh yes Imogen this season aaahh that was a rollercoaster but I’m so proud of her slay queen

Well that’s all I can think of for now :) all in all I loved this season even more than the first one even though I have no idea how that’s possible but yes I will definitely rewatch it and soon

[not-an-average-fangirl]

Heartstopper Headcanons

Nick Nelson

Is a really big swiftie but mostly hides it from everyone

His favorite Taylor Swift album is 1989 (Taylor's Version)

He forced Charlie to go to the Eras Tour with him and he made hundreds of friendship bracelets

Scrolls TikTok watching edits of Marvel characters

Reads Marvel fan fiction (specifically Spider Man, Captain America, and Bucky)

Loves watching romantic comedies

Owns quite a few hair products (he's very serious about making sure his hair looks good)

Listens to music when he takes a shower

Has an Instagram account for his dogs Nellie and Henry

His entire Instagram feed is filled with dog videos

Charlie Spring

Listens to music when he's sad (specifically Tom Odell, Conan Gray, Gracie Abrams, Harry Styles and Phoebe Bridgers)

Owns a lot of cardigans

Has multiple pairs of converse but only wears one pair (the most worn out pair)

Hates the cold because he's always cold (always dresses in layers)

Has a childhood stuffed animal that he still sleeps with

Really wants to get a cat

Scrolls through TikTok watching edits of Jonathan Bailey

Follows a lot of dog and cat Instagram accounts

Tori Spring

Has a Tumblr page that she posts on constantly

Does not have a TikTok account

Only has an Instagram account so she can look other people up

Owns multiple pairs of Doc Martens

Is very much a night owl (hates getting up in the morning)

Has spent an entire day alone in her room

Imogen Heaney

Her entire camera roll is full of selfies

Posts GRWMs on TikTok and gets all of her beauty advice from there

Thinks of herself as a beauty influencer

Owns a lot of expensive makeup and skincare

Has way too many pairs of shoes (they don't fit in her closet)

Also owns an extra clothes rack because not all of her clothes fit in her closet

Obsessed with Christmas

Loves Taylor Swift and her favorite album is Lover

Also listens to Chappell Roan and Rene Rapp

Obsessed with Wicked and plans to dress up as Glinda for Halloween

Elle Argent

Shops at thrift stores and upcycles clothes

Has a journal that she writes in frequently

Draws on her hands when she's bored in class and has an entire notebook dedicated to doodles

Loves Chappell Roan

Posts silly dance videos with Tao on TikTok

Has a crystal collection and owns tarot cards

Tao Xu

Takes funny pictures of people when they aren't looking

Has a Youtube channel dedicated to all his films

Only listens to small indie artists

Sends the Paris squad group chat movie recommendations that they will never watch

Has a notebook full of movie ideas

Keeps a running list of his favorite movies in his notes app

Darcy Olsson

Sends the Paris squad group chat random memes and TikToks

Has a spam Instagram account where they post memes

They are never wearing matching socks

Doesn't know how to cook very well (they can only make cereal and toast)

Listens to Chappell Roan, Billie Eilish and Baby Queen

Cuts the sleeves off t-shirts and flannel shirts

Sahar Zahid

Has an insane amount of listening time on Spotify

Listens to almost all genres of music

Has an Instagram account for her band

Is a really big advocate for women's rights and LGTBQ+ rights

Does not listen to Taylor Swift but has a lot of respect for her

Has song lyrics in her Instagram bio

Tara Jones

Loves Taylor Swift and her favorite album is Speak Now

Went to the Eras Tour with Nick and had a blast

She made so many friendship bracelets with Nick

Bakes as a form of therapy

Reads a lot of self care books and shares what she learns with her friends

Meditates to relieve stress

Posts self care quotes and reminders on her Instagram story

[afinestoutlove]

things i love about heartstopper 40/?

[lestcat-de-lioncourt]

That moment with the padlock with Charlie and Tao, that’s just, so sweet. Friendship is awesome. Love is beautiful in all of its. Its.

[ao3feed-narlie]

Bad memories

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/mACnib9 by Maya_spring On a beautiful day at the beach, Charlie saw two former bullies. He bravely confronts them but then has to confront his own emotions about it. Nick is there for him. There are two characters I've invented, they're the old bullies. TW: bullying, description of bullying on a dialogue, panic attack, use of the f word (homophobic slur) several times, mention of mental health, ed and an old wish of death but nothing graphic. Words: 2883, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Heartstopper (TV) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: M/M Characters: Charles "Charlie" Spring (Heartstopper), Nicholas "Nick" Nelson, Tao Xu, Isaac Henderson (Heartstopper), Elle Argent, The Paris Squad (Heartstopper) Relationships: Nicholas "Nick" Nelson/Charles "Charlie" Spring, Charles "Charlie" Spring & Tao Xu Additional Tags: Original Character(s), 2 Original Characters - Freeform, Bullying, past bullying, Charles "Charlie" Spring (Heartstopper) Needs a Hug, Charles "Charlie" Spring (Heartstopper) has Anxiety, Descriptions of bullying, Friendship, Protective Nicholas "Nick" Nelson, Protective Tao Xu, Hurt/Comfort, Sad Charles "Charlie" Spring (Heartstopper), Trauma, Nicholas "Nick" Nelson Loves Charles "Charlie" Spring, Charles "Charlie" Spring Loves Nicholas "Nick" Nelson read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/mACnib9

[welpitty]

types of love in heartstopper season two ♥︎

nick and charlie are cute and beautiful because they show how you can never really know yourself even if you are you, you are everchainging and no matter what there are people who will always love you,their love is about discovery and finally being yourself and being comfortable and it's so amazing.

Tara and Darcy icons for the queer community because they show the unwavering acceptance that comes from people thattruly love you, their love is about acceptance and it's amazing

Tao and Elle are cuties because their love surpasses and transphobic bad opinions because through years of friendship they love each other and their friendship will never fray, their love is about finding someone who can adore you just as much

the teachers are just so cute because they show that being yourself is there at any age whether at 5, 15, 25, 102920 it doesn't matter because you are you and it will never change, their love is just that cute love that you always think about, filled with little coffee dates, a new house and kisses.

(not mentioning imogen and sahar because I need to think a bit)

wow I love this show ♡♡♡♡

[marvelouspenny]

heartstopper s2 gave us everything. a beautiful evolution of nick and charlie's relationship. isaac's asexual journey. taoelle and their awkward cinema date. taradarcy being there for each other. elle in art school. imogen and charlie standing up to ben. nick standing up to his dad and brother. tao and his mom. mr farouk and mr ajayi. bisexual sahar. isaac and his books. nick's coming out journey. the paris squad. nick and tao's friendship. olivia colman. taoelle in the louvre. isaac and james. tori spring being the most iconic person on earth. elle's friends. i'm bi, actually. charlie ♡ tao. taradarcy i love yous. nick and charlie talking about their feelings and generally being a healthy couple. just. literally everything about nick and charlie. the entire prom episode. possible imogen x sahar? i'm here for it. moments that came straight from the comic. that ending? i'm actually dead. flawless acting. incredible writing. and of course, kit connor speaking french.

[bairdthereader]

Charlie Spring, An Appreciation: Part 2, Friendship

Charlie is often described as nerdy, shy, and awkward, the dork who is lucky enough to catch the eye of the popular boy. But that characterization does Charlie a huge disservice; it overlooks the richness of his personal life and the complexity of his inner landscape.

It also ignores the fact that he has cultivated a solid and loving friend group that he cares for in so many ways, whose devotion he earns through his own dedication and fierce loyalty. He is by no means alone or isolated when he meets Nick, he is not "desperate" in the way some people (and the horrible Ben) characterize him.

Charlie's relationship with Tao is a longstanding one, but not without its challenges. Tao isn't the easiest person to be friends with, but Charlie sees through Tao's prickly defensiveness to appreciate and love the part of Tao that feels so intensely, the part that is vulnerable and lost. And he fights for that friendship again and again.

The most beautiful example of this is on the Pont de l'Archevêché when Tao confesses that he accidentally outed Charlie the year before. This could easily and justifiably end even a strong friendship. But you can see the moment that Charlie decides his relationship with Tao is more important, that it is worth all of the pain that accidental outing caused him. He forgives instantly and completely, with no lingering resentment at all. And if that wasn't heroic enough, he follows up with the most thorough reassurance speech ever given, tailored specifically to eradicate all of Tao's most deeply held insecurities. Charlie's empathy is astounding.

Elle explains to Darcy that Charlie was her friend first, followed by Tao, which tells us that Charlie's care for her began a long time ago, and that it's lasted through all the challenges she's faced during her transition. I wish there were more moments on screen where Elle and Charlie have one-on-one conversations; there are shockingly few. But the way they speak about each other when the other isn't there is just as revealing. Elle clearly loves and understands Charlie in a unique way, and she does all she can to smooth the ragged edges between him and Tao, and lovingly supports his relationship with Nick. She does this because Charlie does the same for her, and because she knows his friendship is deep and abiding and unconditional.

Though less outwardly demonstrative than his friendships with the others, Charlie is no less caring and protective of Isaac, the friend who, I think, is the mostly gently supportive of Charlie as he navigates the early stages of his relationship with Nick. Charlie is open with Isaac when he asks for advice, but doesn't pry into why Isaac is asking a question that's so out of character; he knows Isaac processes most things internally before speaking them aloud. At prom, Charlie reminds Isaac--in a moment where he clearly feels isolated and singled out--that he is important, both to Charlie personally and to their group as a whole. A quiet person like Isaac could easily end up on the fringes of a friend group, but Charlie pulls him back in.

Charlie is also more caring with Tori than I think he's given credit for (especially at this point in the timeline and without some of the supporting backstory from the later comics and other books). Even with the limited interactions we see on screen, he's always trying to include her, trying to make sure she's not alone, while still giving her the space she feels she needs. Their bond is deep and protective, and it goes both ways. Charlie may be the younger of the two, but he's taking care of her, in his own way, as much as she is of him.

Again, I could go on and on:

This idea that Charlie is the quiet, awkward wallflower just doesn't hold up when it's so clear that he's the lynchpin of his friend group. Charlie's endless capacity for loyalty, forgiveness, empathy, and inclusion make him a champion in the lives of everyone he loves.