"Are you sure we can't just fly you out? Clark wouldn't mind paying." Geo was curled beneath the covers of his new bed, head pillowed and cheek smushed as he held his phone in front of him, Kiri displayed smiling on the screen.

"This is your time with your friends, babe. We'll have a chance to meet another time." Geo felt a heat flush his face, crawling to the tips of his ears. He covered his face with one arm, smile peeking from beneath it. Babe. Geo felt giddy.

"They want to meet you too though." He spoke once his flush had calmed, removing his arm and turning to Kiri with wide, puppy-like, pleading eyes. Kiri laughed softly, shaking his head.

"I'll think about it, okay?" He finally offered and Geo let out a quiet cheer, fist bumping the air. He eventually settled with a warm, sleep soft smile and attempted to stifle his yawn. Needless to say, he didn't do a very good job of it. "Get some sleep, we can talk some more once you're rested."

Geo pouted, not wanting to leave the call but ultimately feeling the weight of his eyelids. "Will you stay?" He asked softly, propping his phone up on the bedside table, against a glass. Really, Kiri was powerless to say no.

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@Geo-logist
Kiri thought of the name for me :)
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retweets likes
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@ClarkNorKent
That's ✨g a y✨
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@OhOphelia
When do I get to meet your boyfriend?
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@JeThrowMeAway
Stop teasing Geo and congratulate him on finally joining Normal People Twitter
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@Geo-logist
I cant tell whether I should thank you or not
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Vincent grumbled to himself, back turned to Nick on the bed as he laughed at the photo he'd just taken of him. It was blurry and, frankly, cursed but that was exactly why Nick loved it so much. As he managed to calm his laughs into bubbly giggles, Nick jostled Vincent by the hip.

Vincent let Nick turn him onto his back, arms crossed and face deadpan. Nick just laughed harder, poking at his boyfriend's face and cooing obnoxiously. Vincent turned his head away from Nick but the quiver of his lip gave him away. "Is that a smile I see?" Nick teased and Vincent rolled his eyes but let the corners of his lips pull upwards regardless.

"Why do you take so many pictures of me?" Vincent asked, finally looking at him. Nick grinned, tilting his head slightly somewhat like a dog.

"I'm not allowed to want pictures of my sexy ass boyfriend?" Nick replied, feigning an innocence he had never owned. Vincent huffed, ears tipped pink, and shoved Nick with a murmured 'shut the fuck up'. Nick just giggled, letting Vincent push him over before shuffling closer. They smiled to themselves in silence, side by side, heartbeats aligning, for a long, warm moment before Nick spoke again.

"You make me happy, V. I want something to be able remember the time I got to be happy by your side for when I have to be happy from across the sea." Nick finally murmured, smile bittersweet and warm. Vincent turned to take in the side of his face in quiet admiration, slipping his hand into Nick's.

"That's dumb." Vincent finally breathed after getting thoroughly lost near a hundred times in the mesmerising features that combined to make up possibly his favourite person. They both knew he wasn't talking about the pictures.

"Yeah." Nick agreed quietly, turning to face Vincent. He moved the fraction it took to press his nose to Vincent's and Vincent let his eyes slip closed. "But we're smarter than those two idiots. We'll be fine." He murmured and Vincent nodded softly, grazing their noses together.

"If you offer to hide any of this, I'll cut off my hands." He stated sternly and Nick laughed brightly, bringing a hand up to rest on the side of his neck, thumb brushing his jawline.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Nick mumbled, sealing the words against Vincent's lips.

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@Sapnap
From now on, I'm only ever going to respond using reaction images of my boyfriend
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@fleepfloop
Hold on b O Y F R I E N D ?
Why am I not surprised?
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@sapitusnapitus
BOYFRIEND?? B O Y F R I E N D???? SIR?????
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@GeorgeNotFound
Um?
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@Sapnap
So that's what I forgot to do
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"So, when were you going to tell us y'all are fucking?" Clark asked nonchalantly around a mouthful of cherries, leaning back against the kitchen counter on his elbows and looking between Vincent and Nick.

Nick choked on his cereal and Vincent stared frozen, eyes wide and cheeks a brilliant red. Jethro whipped Clark with the dish towel as he passed, grumbling something lowly about Darryl and Geo being present and Clark whined.

"What Clark was trying to say," Jethro glared pointedly and Clark simply popped another cherry into his mouth with a wink. "Is how long have you been dating?" He finished and Nick and Vincent exchanged a sheepish look, mumbling for a moment.

The others watched in confusion. "Nick, please tell me you are actually dating and you haven't just assumed that you are." George pleaded from his spot in the kitchen, Clay practically asleep draped over his back. Nick rubbed his neck and Vincent chuckled nervously. "You're so stupid." George sighed tragically.

"Technically, we would have been dating for five months if he had said yes the first time." Nick shrugged and Vincent groaned, throwing his hands up in defeat.

"Would you let go of that already!" He huffed and a ripple of laughter made its way through the room. Nick pillowed his head on Vincent's shoulder with a grin.

"Fine, I'll give you a second chance because I'm so great," Nick ignored George's loud scoff "Vinnie, will you be my boyfriend?" He asked, sickeningly sweetly.

Vincent was practically shaking with the temptation to reject him again, for the comedy of it all. He let out a begrudged sigh. "Fine." He finally responded, dragging out the word.

"POG!!" Ophelia shouted from where she was sat beside Keres, setting off similar cheers. They seemed to enjoy any opportunity to be unnecessarily loud but Nick and Vincent didn't seem to mind.

"So, anyone else want to come clean while we're at it? Other than Clay and George." Ophelia asked, looking around the room. Clay hummed and leaned on George more, almost ripping them over.

"Uh, Zak and I are together too." Darryl shyly admitted, only to be answered by a ripple of giggles. "What?"

"I think we all already knew that." Keres giggled softly, pointedly taking in the fact that Zak was currently half asleep in Darryl's lap, head nestled into the crook of his neck and hands playing with one of Darryl's. Darryl flushed and smiled sheepishly, tightening the arm around Zak's back.

"Um, I don't know whether it counts..." Geo spoke nervously, playing with the sleeves of his shirt. "But I'm pretty certain I promised Kiri a date, when we meet up, last night." He finished, as though it were a question. There was a surprised silence before Ophelia and Clark threw themselves at Geo, each wrapping an arm around him.

"Aw, little Geo is all grown up!" Ophelia cooed, ruffling Geo's hair, Geo batting at her hands with a bashful grin.

"And not as straight as he thought." George quipped with a smirk half hidden behind a mug of tea Clay had probably made for him. Geo stuck out his tongue but his eyes were bright and impossibly happy.

"Don't be shy, give us his number so we can have the kneecap talk." Clark teased, wiggling his eyebrows and leaning into Geo's space, and the others voiced their agreement. Geo just laughed, shoving him back with a hand against his chest.

"Clay can vouch that I follow through with my threats." Nick commented with a proud smile and Clay nodded, grimacing in memory. There was a ripple of giggles and George leant into Clay's chest more solidly, intending to comfort.

"Kiri's not going to hurt me, he's too lovely for that." Geo responded sappily and George and Nick managed to time their gags perfectly.

////:\\\\

Mrs Boss
Hey kid, you free for a moment?
11:34am

Clay (lead)
Hey, yeah I'm free, what's wrong?
11:34am

Mrs Boss
I got a call on behalf of Damien
11:34am
Apparently he isn't happy with the way I'm managing you lot
11:34am
Wants me to pay you all a visit and have a 'friendly chat'
11:34am
Pass on a message, if you will
11:34am

Clay (lead)
Shit, I knew this was too much to ask for
11:34am
Do you want us to come back?
11:36am

Mrs Boss
Nah, I'll come to you
11:36am
I don't know what he's done to make you do what he wants but, from the sounds of it, it has to have been something nasty
11:36am
Unlucky for him, I'm not scared of what he'll do
11:36am
I'll come down and pass on his message
11:38am
Then I'll continue to manage you the exact same as I have been
11:38am
Eight years of managing isn't going to change because of some petty coward in a suit
11:38am
You lot don't worry your pretty little heads about it, I just thought I should warn ya before I just pop up
11:39am

Clay (lead)
Thank you so much
11:39am
You'll never know how much this means to us
11:39am
Have you got a place to stay?
11:39am

Mrs Boss
I've got a place nearby, don't worry about me, kid
11:39am
You deserve to live your lives regardless of who you are, it's my job to make sure of that
11:39am
Maybe y'all can even introduce me to those Misters of yours while I'm in town
11:42am

Clay (lead)
We'd love to
11:42am

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1.6k words

8 ball told me to be nice for once >:(

Since I got such positive reactions last chapter, I will be postponing the skephalo book and DNF oneshots and will do a third and final book in this series!! (That's why this chapter feels kind of like a filler, I don't have to cram everything I want to do into the span of seven chapters any more, so I need to work out pacing again.) Just like I did with this book, there will be a weeks break after we hit forty chapters for me to gather together and properly plan everything that will be happening and then the third book will begin!

Thank you all so much for your love and support, it means more than just the world to me.

Feedback is welcome and appreciated!!

Yours, Dandelion