Surprisingly enough, the next morning was just as calm as the night before.

Clay woke early and worked on making breakfast, careful not to wake the girls on the couch as he passed. Ophelia was the next to join him in the waking world but stayed put, apologising for not assisting and gesturing vaguely at the sleeping Keres on her by way of explanation and excuse. Clay, feeling generous, accepted the excuse.

George appeared next, sleep-addled and rumpled. He greeted Ophelia with a wave and Clay with a lazy kiss to his jaw, shuffling past him to scrounge for the apple juice.

It was rather nice, to experience what it'd be like to be normal. A normal morning as normal people.

Though, it didn't last long.

"Guess who's fucked!" Clark announced, bursting his way into the room and jolting Keres awake. To be fair to him, he had waited until a reasonable hour of the morning, everyone else was just attempting to sleep in.

"G'morning," Keres murmured in answer, rubbing her eyes as she slowly gained consciousness. It didn't take long for her to notice that she'd stretched herself entirely down the length of Ophelia's body and had been clinging tightly to her as though her life depended on it. She apologised quickly and shifted away, face a bright pink, but Ophelia just smiled and pulled her back in.

"We don't want to know about who you fucked, Clark." George stated, grinning when Clay walked over with a stacked plate of food for him.

"One, rude, I thought you'd be happy for me when I announce who I fucked," Clark began "and two, it's us. We are fucked. As a collective whole." He finished, eagerly trotting to Clay's side in attempts to beg some food from him. Ever generous, Clay began fixing him a plate.

"Why are we fucked?" Ophelia asked, stretching her arms above her head before settling them back around Keres' waist.

"Big D conveniently got the post and account taken down and knows it's us. It was up long enough for people to be talking about it and searching into it further so I'm not worried about that, just about what he's going to do to us. Meg's messaged to say the dude has already figured out that none of us are home or where we said we were, bet he's already assumed we're all here." Clark explained, bashfully thanking Clay for the food.

"Please never call him big D." George shuddered and Clark laughed around his mouthful.

"How is Meg?" Keres piped up and Clark glanced around confused for a moment before realising where the voice had come from.

"Good! Still snarky as ever but it's charming." Clark answered easily, quickly distracted.

"Are we all ignoring the fact that Damien knows we are planning something against him?" Ophelia asked before Keres had the chance to continue conversation. "Because I think that's kind of important, to be completely honest with y'all."

"I feel like this is a conversation for when everyone's together and awake." Clay supplied after a few moments of Clark pretending his mouth was too full to speak, Keres suddenly being incredibly interested in the carpet and George simply ignoring the question. "We can call the others to come over later, Nick won't be awake for ages." He added, knowing damn well that Nick had not fixed his sleeping schedule like he said he would on George's recent streams.

"I have no idea how you all aren't freaking out right now but aight. I won't pass up on a lie-in." Ophelia stated before shuffling to get comfy again, pulling the thick blanket up over Keres' shoulders.

After wolfing down his food and cleaning up behind him, Clark was quick to nervously slip back to the guest room. Usually, he'd ensure he was out of Jethro's arms by the time Jethro woke up but, now, Clark was feeling a little selfish.

He'd like to wake up in a conscious Jethro's arms at least once, even if it leaves some awkward tension. Now seemed as good a time as any.

////:\\\\

Dickcheese
I told you to stay out of my way.
9:30am

Ashton
No can do, daddy-o
9:43am

Dickcheese
You've gotten cocky.
9:43am
You've forgotten your place.
9:43am
It seems I'll have to remind you and your little friends who's in control here.
9:44am

Ashton
I'm QuAkInG iN mY cUsToM bAbY sEaL lEaThEr BoOtS
9:57am
What are you gonna do, big man?
9:57am
Pay me to shut up?
9:58am

Dickcheese
No.
9:58am
You've proved that that is ineffective now that you have fallen into your new, cool friend group that you're so eager to impress and protect.
9:59am
I'll have to try other means.
9:59am

Ashton
Can't wait!
10:12am
I'm getting my hair re-dyed today though so can we reschedule?
10:12am

Dickcheese
Insolent child.
10:12am
You will learn to respect me again.
10:13am

Ashton
Sounds great, little busy walking my fish right now but I look forward to it 👍🏼
10:27pm
Best of luck! Xx
10:27pm
Seen

////:\\\\

Clark knew he wasn't making things any easier for himself, both with his father and his best friend, but he didn't really have it in himself to care right now. Not after having settled into the inevitable certainty of his own injury, or possibly worse.

Contrary to how he'd usually respond to waking up in Jethro's arms, he was now back at the side of the bed and twiddling his thumbs. Despite all that they'd been through, Clark was still that nervous little boy Jethro had once saved beneath the ash tree all those years ago.

Eventually, he picked up the covers and carefully crawled in, laying at the end of Jethro's arms. Jethro's warm, muscular, safe arms. Really, it was infuriating how hard Clark was finding it to worm his way back into his place.

It took much too long but eventually, Clark had worked himself into Jethro's chest, tangling their legs together, keeping Jethro's arms around his shoulders and wrapping his own warmly around Jethro's waist. His heart was hammering, loudly so, but Clark was simply proud of himself for coming so far.

It took a lot shorter, thankfully, for Clark to lull himself to sleep with the rhythmic tune of Jethro's calm breathing.

Waking up with Clark fast asleep in his arms was much too similar to near a hundred dreams he'd had before. Figuring this was another of those oddly lucid dreams where you continuously wake up, Jethro curled Clark in closer and nestled his head back into the pillow more comfortably, distantly registering the fact that Clark's face was so close, Jethro's nose had brushed his in the process.

Certain in his fantasy, Jethro took the chance to simply admire the boy in front of him. He took in long lashes resting on gently freckled cheeks; rose tinted lips slightly parted and curled into the shadow of an endearing smile - Jethro would never get past the fact that Clark would occasionally smile in his sleep; sleep-tousled hair that was soft and just verging on too long but it suited Clark anyways.

The longer he stared through half lidded eyes, the more he realised that this version of Clark was ever so slightly different to the one he was used to dreaming of. The roots of his hair were beginning to show through brown, there were soft bags beneath his eyes and Jethro was certain he could feel the scratch of Clark's bandage against the exposed skin of his waist.

How he managed to love this version of Clark ever more than his original, Jethro wasn't sure.

And he continued to be unsure all the way up until it hit him, all at once, that he was genuinely awake. He was genuinely awake and Clark was still there, soft, huffing breaths fanning over Jethro's face.

Jethro couldn't remember the last time he'd had the luxury of waking up beside Clark, let alone with the boy in his arms. He felt his lungs constrict and his heart swell, resisting the urge to swaddle Clark as close as humanly possible.

No one was all that certain how long Jethro simply watched before Clark began to stir. He had half the mind to pretend he was asleep in the hopes that Clark may stay but, by the time he had decided, it was too late.

Clark seemed disoriented for a moment, blinking slowly, before he realised what was going on and flushed a bright red, freezing.

"Morning." Jethro rumbled and Clark felt the way it echoed through him. He stayed still, wide eyed, as Jethro began massaging small shapes into the small of Clark's back with one hand. The other came up to carefully brush back Clark's hair.

"Is this real?" Clark blurted and Jethro, despite himself, chuckled.

"I, uh, I thought the same thing." He replied bashfully. "But yeah... it's real."

"Oh." Clark murmured, registering the small star Jethro drew over his skin. "Is this okay?"

"Yes, yeah." Jethro answered, probably too quickly. "I..." He paused, unsure, but Clark simply waited patiently. Clark had always waited for Jethro to be ready.

Jethro was certain he was being unbelievably selfish but he always was when it came to Clark.

"I know what I want now."

"Yeah?" Clark could feel his heart hammering and he knew he was shaking beneath Jethro's hands but he really had no control over either fact.

"I want this," Jethro carefully, tentatively, cupped the side of Clark's face "I want you."

It was worth it. Dear God it really was worth it to hear the words fall from Jethro's mouth. He'd waited so long, seen Jethro through so many others, faced so much hurt and denial, but it was all worth while.

"Sorry," Jethro murmured "I know you're going through a lot right now, you don't need this on top, but I thought you should know. I'm here for you, you don't have to go through any of this alone, even if it's just this. Even if it's just being here when you fall asleep and staying here until you wake up. Even if this- shit, are you crying?"

Clark laughed, something bright and happy and unafraid, as he pressed into Jethro's large, warm palm. He couldn't care less about the tears down his face as he pulled himself closer by the arms around Jethro's waist. "That's all I need, Ro. All I've ever needed."

Jethro couldn't help his grin, brushing his thumb over Clark's cheekbone and pressing their foreheads together. "Okay."
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To all you Clark stans that get mad when I hurt him: you're welcome 😌✨

Feedback is welcome and appreciated!!

Yours, Dandelion