Season 1 of Heartstopper gave us so many adorable romances. The focus, of course, was on Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor), whose mutual crush developed into a relationship that was beyond cute. We also saw a lovely relationship established between Tara and Darcy. All the while, Elle and Tao tried to figure out if they were friends or might like each other as something more than that. This show has so many wonderful pairings, it is almost hard to keep track.
Luckily, season 2 of Netflix’s hit show has kept up the good work. We still have all the previous relationships (with some ups and downs), but of course we needed to have some new romances thrown in there, too. My new favorite romance in Heartstopper blossoms between two of the teachers while the school is on a trip to Paris (it is the city of love, after all). Mr. Ajayi and Mr. Farouk are great separately, but together they embody my favorite romantic pairing: the grump and the ray of sunshine.
Heartstopper hits the best romance tropes
We first saw Mr. Ajayi (Fisayo Akinade) in season 1. When Charlie needed a safe space at school, Mr. Ajayi let Charlie eat lunch in his art classroom and helped Charlie feel less isolated during the worst of the bullying he experienced. Charlie trusts Ajayi, in part because he can relate to his teacher, who is also gay. Ajayi is caring and sweet, while still being a directive force with the kids. Mr. Farouk (Nima Taleghani) didn’t appear until season 2. In his first scene, Farouk yells at the kids to keep quiet while studying for their exams. He comes across as grumpy and harsh, yet he seems to be coming from a place of wanting the best for the kids. With his take-no-shit attitude, Farouk is my new favorite character.
On the school trip to Paris, Ajayi and Farouk are the only chaperones, so they are “forced” to interact. Every scene with the two of them together gives me heart eyes. When Ajayi tries to get the kids under control, his calm voice is lost amongst their chatter. Obviously, this is Farouk’s time to shine by shouting at the kids to quiet down. Being around Ajayi also reveals the heart of gold buried beneath Farouk’s angry exterior. In one adorable scene, the pair stumble across Charlie and Nick canoodling in an alcove. After the kids scurry away, Ajayi admits he can’t be too hard on them because he recalls being a teen and having those beautiful moments of discovery. Farouk replies that he doesn’t have those memories because he didn’t realize he was gay until his late twenties. Ajayi assures him that he can still have moments like that.
One of the best parts of Heartstopper season 2 is when they work in the “there’s only one bed” trope with Farouk and Ajayi. They were already sharing a room, but the writers must make it more obvious to the characters that they are falling in love. So Farouk and Ajayi spend their last night in Paris kissing and sharing a bed. This is the stuff fanfiction is made of. Back at home, Ajayi goes out on a limb and invites Farouk to help chaperone the prom. When Farouk doesn’t respond, Ajayi feels disappointed. Then Farouk shows up in a fancy outfit! It is so good! I’m sorry, but the grump and ray of sunshine complement each other like no other pairing.
Farouk and Ajayi just feel so right together. I hope to see much more of them in season 3.
(featured image: Netflix)
