The sun had long since set by the time they had all made it back to the house. No one was really all that sure how, when or why Nick had acquired a panda plush but Clay had spotted Vincent smiling to himself privately when he thought no one was looking so he figured he may have something to do with it. Keres had been eagerly leading Nick back at a fast pace ever since in order to introduce panda and Boobies to one another, Ophelia and Vincent following fondly while the others trailed behind.

George was discretely filming as Keres struggled to drag in the massively oversized bear, Nick putting on a frankly stupid sounding voice for his panda. That was definitely going on Twitter. Payback for all the times Nick had exposed him.

With both Nick and George occupied, Clay awkwardly made his way to Vincent's side, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "What have you done now?" Vincent sighed, turning to where Clay was watching him, lips parted in an almost formed word.

"How did you know I'd done something?" Clay asked, stalling for time to gather the right words. Vincent rolled his eyes.

"You're acting like a kid who just smashed their parents glass or something. Just tell me." He pushed and Clay decided it was now or never.

"I may have asked George to move in with us... and he said yes." Clay mumbled, rubbing at the back of his neck. Vincent just raised an eyebrow.

"Took you long enough." He stated and it took Clay a moment to register what he had said.

"Wait, you're not... you're not mad?" Clay stumbled and Vincent shrugged. He would have rather asked Nick first but they'd both been talking about telling George and Clay soon so he figured now was as good a time as any.

"I'll be moving out soon anyways." He stated and Clay's eyes bulged. "Nick and I found a place not far from you, Zak and Darryl, we're just waiting on all the legalities and paperwork." He explained and Clay was still no less surprised.

"What? You two have only been dating a few days!" He stated, incredulous and Vincent rolled his eyes once more. Really, Clay had such little faith in him.

"We've been talking about moving in together for months, long before we started dating, calm down." He reassured with a lacklustre wave of his hand. Clay was about to press further, ask when and how and why he didn't know, when Nick called out for Vincent and the conversation was ended.

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@ClarkNotKent
Say it back

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@TwixAreForKids
Morning
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@fleepfloop
Good morning
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@OhOphelia
It back
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@ClarkNotKent

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"I swear this week has gone so fast." Zak stated from his spot laid over Darryl's legs on the couch. There was a wave of lazy noises of agreement from everyone lounging in various positions around the sitting room - it was way too warm to attempt to fit them all onto the two couches.

"Today is our last full day, we'll probably spend most of tomorrow morning packing and we leave early afternoon." George continued, attempting to fan himself with some fliers he'd found on the counter. Clay tilted the crappy little handheld fan he had towards George and George groaned thankfully.

"If everyone's okay with it, I was thinking of just staying here for the day. Spending our last day relaxing together." Keres suggested from where she was tucked neatly onto the arm of one of the couches. No one really minded not going out into that blazing sun for the day. The only thing keeping the lot of them from melting was the house's air condition, a novelty to the visiting inhabitants of England.

"A day of wholesome bonding and then get hammered tonight? Getting drunk in the morning is never fun." Clark piped up, splayed messily on the floor. "It'll be a good way to celebrate our last moments together, you don't have to get too drunk if you don't want to." He added at Darryl's concerned glance.

After a moment of consideration, it was agreed upon; they'd spend the day basking in one another's company and then crack open the drinks as afternoon faded to evening.

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@OhOphelia
Dream be accing extra whipped today 👀 him @ George rn

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@GeorgeNotFound
He's simping for me 😌✨
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@quackquack
w HAT WHAT DID I MISS???? WHAT????? ARE THEY FINALLY DATING NOW????????
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@DreamWasTaken
I'm not a simp!! He's leaving tomorrow, let me have this :(
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@RoseWithNoThorns
Okay simp
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"Hey," George started, barely above a whisper. Clay looked up from his hands in his lap to George's softly concerned eyes. The others had all decided to cool off together in the pool and Clay had been planning on joining them before his mind got the better of him. George had noticed how abnormally long it was taking Clay to join them and had disappeared inside in search of him, only to find him slouched on the couch in his swim shorts. "Are you okay?" He asked softly.

"Thinking." Clay replied weakly and George held out a hand. Clay lifted his own and carefully tangled his fingers with George's.

"About?" George pushed, softly squeezing Clay's hand and rubbing circles with his thumb.

"Us." He breathed. "What's going to happen when you go home." He elaborated, reciprocating the gentle squeeze. George wasn't sure how to say that his real home was at Clay's side. "Who says this time is going to be any different? Damien's going to come back and I'll be powerless to do anything except what he asks of me. I don't want to hurt you George but who says this is any different than the first time?"

"Don't think like that." George instructed sternly. "Clay, this time will be different because you aren't alone. I know now what Damien puts you through and I'll be here. You've got me, you've got the outcasts and you've got Mrs Bosko now and you've always had the band. We won't let him control you again." There was a fire in George's eyes, a determination in his tone, that made Clay want to believe him even more. "Besides, I'll be back before long and here to stay. This won't be like last time. We're stronger now." He reassured.

Clay dropped George's gaze, staring instead at their clasped hands. "You deserve better than me, George." He stated self deprecatingly. George gently hooked a finger beneath Clay's chin and tilted his head back up to reconnect their eyes.

"Maybe," He spoke warmly and lowly and held back a joke. Now wasn't the time. "But I want you." He finished, brushing his thumb over Clay's bottom lip and marvelling at the way that they parted. Clay thought he might cry, surrounded by George's relentless and limitless love.

He dropped George's hand in favour of hooking both of his around the back of George's thighs and manoeuvring him forward until he was straddling Clay's lap. Clay then circled his arms around George's bare waist, only barely registering that George's damp swim shorts were soaking him and the couch. George softly wrapped his arms around Clay's shoulders, thumb brushing at the hair behind his ear.

"I love you so much, George." Clay breathed and George smiled, leaning to bump his nose to Clay's before returning. He could feel the words bubbling from his heart up and through his throat. He prayed he'd be able to say them before he got the chance to psyche himself out of it.

"I love you too." George whispered. The words tasted sweet and fit in his mouth rather well. They didn't sound all too horrible either. After having finally been able to say them, George wondered why he'd ever waited so long. He tipped to press his forehead to Clay's with a giddy giggle. "I love you too." He repeated and Clay couldn't help the watery laugh that left him.

George pressed a warm kiss to Clay's lips. "I love you." Another. "I love you." He shifted to Clay's cheek and pressed another kiss there. "I love you." The other cheek. "I love you." His forehead. "I love you." The tip of his nose. "I love you." And finally back to his lips again. This kiss lasted longer, Clay pressing forward into it as well and George humming.

"And people think I'm the simp." Clay quipped, hands resting on George's hips and massaging circles with his thumbs just above the waistband of his shorts. George tugged teasingly at the base of Clay's hair in protest, grinning all too much to care.

Clay leant forward again to seal his lips to George's, humming at the easy push and pull they fell into and pulling George impossibly closer by his waist. Their friends in the pool were long since forgotten.

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@JeThrowMeAway
...

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@EmotionalBeen
Dots, actual dots
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@OhOphelia
Rest in peace poor Jethro's eyes, may they ever be in our prayers
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@Geo-logist
What happened??
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@ClarkNotKent
He walked in on ***** and ****** making
out on the couch lol
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1.5k words

Y'all remember when Nick and Vincent were whispering to each other after comforting George way back? Good times

This feels kinda rushed, I hope it doesn't seem that way :(

Feedback is welcome and appreciated!!

Yours, Dandelion