George watched from the doorway with a smile as Clay's Uber drove away. When he could no longer see the car, George closed the door with a sigh.

"Nick, I'm about to have a mental breakdown so either leave while you still can or grab a spoon and get ready to comfort me." George called out as he wandered his way to the freezer in search of ice cream. Nick appeared moments later to collect a spoon.

After finding a tub of vanilla ice cream, Nick and George dropped themselves back on the couch. George could feel the dark clouds from earlier roll in to fill his mind. Before long, George was choking down his ice cream around the lump in his throat.

"Talk to me, George." Nick voiced gently. He'd seen enough of George's breakdowns to know that it was best to get George talking as soon as he could.

"Well, I don't have to decide who I like best." George mumbled, heart aching. "And I don't have to confess either because he already knows." He continued. "I bet that's why he wanted to meet me right after I said it. He wanted me to know so that I wouldn't talk about it. It's his way of rejecting me because he cares too much about people's feelings to say it outright. He said he'd leave if I wanted him to, while he was explaining himself. I didn't think about it then but I realise it now. That was his way of asking to leave. He wanted me to tell him he could go. And I stupidly told him to stay because I thought he might want to still be friends at least." George sniffled, biting the inside of his cheek. It didn't stop the tears trickling down.

"And even if he does want to be friends, he'll realise I'm not worth it by the end of the week. What has someone like me got to offer someone like him? Messages at horrible hours telling him how much I want to hug him? Daily complaints about my shitty job so that he'll tell me cheesy jokes to make me feel better? Shitty playlists of shitty songs that remind me of him?" George's knuckles were white around his spoon.

"I have nothing to offer him. Not as a friend and definitely not as anything more. And he's going to realise that and it's going to break me." George hiccuped. "It'll break me, Nick, but I'll let him leave. I've always been weak when it comes to him. If he told me to walk I'd ask how far. If he told me to jump I'd ask how high. He never asked me to fall but I did it anyway." George paused.

"I thought I was happy... that Dream was Clay and that Clay was Dream... but I'm not. I wish Clay was a normal person so that it wouldn't be this hard. So that I wouldn't have to lose them both."

George knew Nick was bad at comforting words so he didn't ask him for any. Not since the first time he had broken down in front of him. George simply asked for his company. And Nick was always there to give it.

Once it was clear George had finished talking, Nick stood and disappeared down the hallway. He returned with one of George's hoodies and some blankets. George smiled gratefully, removing Clay's hoodie and replacing it with his own. Nick wandered off to put Clay's hoodie away.

George bundled himself up in the blankets and waited for Nick to return. Wordlessly, Nick switched on the TV and put on The Emperors New Groove. George dropped his head to Nick's lap and Nick rested one hand on his hair, using the other to pull out his phone.

"I'm not good with words, George, you know that. But you do have so much to offer. And Clay will see that if you let him. Just because he's famous doesn't mean he's perfect." Nick mumbled before leaving George to watch his movie.

////:\\\\
9/5/20

Sappatus Nappatus
Clay.
9:49pm

Nightmare
Nick.
9:49pm

Sappatus Nappatus
You better be planning to woo George while you're here
9:49pm

Nightmare
Uh why?
9:50pm

Sappatus Nappatus
[an image of George, bundled in blankets, with his head rested in Nick's lap. It displays the back of George's head, Nick's hand no longer resting in his hair. George is looking out at the TV playing The Emperors New Groove. The empty tub of ice cream can be seen on the floor, spoons inside, along with some balled up tissues.]
9:50pm

Nightmare
Wtf
9:50pm
Why is his head in your lap
9:50pm

Sappatus Nappatus
Ffs
9:50pm
He was crying.
9:51pm
I'm not going to tell you why bc that's his business.
9:51pm
But I will tell you that you better make him feel as special as you think he is
9:51pm
Or say bye bye to your balls
9:52pm

Nightmare
I planned to anyways
9:52pm
But now I'm going to even more
9:52pm

Sappatus Nappatus
Good
9:52pm
The threat still stands
9:53pm

Nightmare
Noted
9:53pm
Seen

////:\\\\

It didn't take long for George to fall asleep. Nick switched off the TV and slipped out from under George, putting a pillow in his place. He cleaned up their mess and placed a glass of water on the coffee table before slipping out the front door.

George woke up halfway through the night with sore eyes, a scratchy throat, a pounding headache and an aching back. He sat up, spine popping, and thankfully accepted the glass of water left out.

George sleepily bundled the blankets up in his arms and grabbed his phone off the coffee table, shuffling to his room. He washed his face, brushed his teeth and changed into a baggy shirt and bed shorts before dropping himself back on his bed, promising to shower in the morning.

His phone lit up with a new twitter post and George glanced at his notifications, seeing he had twenty-two unread messages from Clay.

////:\\\\
9/5/20

Clay 😊
You're probably asleep right now
11:39pm
Scratch that
11:39pm
You're definitely asleep right now
11:39pm
Anyways
11:39pm
I wanted to thank you
11:39pm
I'm really glad I met you
11:39pm
I was really nervous
11:39pm
Coming to meet you
11:39pm
So much so that I nearly didn't
11:39pm
I was scared
11:39pm
That you'd hate me or that it would be awkward
11:39pm
But you didn't and it wasn't
11:39pm
It was easy
11:39pm
Talking to you and joking with you
11:39pm
Just being around you was easy
11:39pm
IS easy
11:39pm
And I know you're not mad at me
11:40pm
Or at least you didn't seem mad at me
11:40pm
But I'm going to make it up to you anyway
11:40pm
Because you deserve the world, George
11:40pm
I'm going to stop spamming you now so that I don't wake you up
11:43pm
Sleep well Georgie <3
11:43pm

////:\\\\

George felt like crying again. He desperately fought of the whispering voice that tried to convince him that Clay was lying. That Clay would realise George wasn't worth the effort soon and would leave. He shakily tapped out a reply.

////:\\\\
10/5/20

Georgie 💕
I'm glad I met you too Clay
1:22am

Clay 😊
Oh
1:22am
You're up
1:22am
Did I wake you?
1:22am

Georgie 💕
No
1:22am
Did I wake you?
1:25am

Clay 😊
No
1:25am
I couldn't sleep
1:25am

Georgie 💕
Did you mean it?
1:32am

Clay 😊
Did I mean what?
1:32am

Georgie 💕
You think I deserve the world?
1:37am

Clay 😊
And more, George
1:37am

Georgie 💕
Okay
1:37am
Thank you
1:37am
You do too
1:38am
So much
1:38am

Clay 😊
Are you okay, George?
1:38am

Georgie 💕
I think so
1:38am
I'm really tired
1:38am

Clay 😊
Go to sleep, Georgie
1:38am
I'll be here when you wake up
1:38am

Georgie 💕
You promise?
1:39am

Clay 😊
I promise.
1:39am
Now go to sleep
1:39am
You're supposed to be my tour guide tomorrow, can't have you half asleep all day
1:41am
I'd be lost without you
1:41am

Georgie 💕
I'd be lost without you too
1:44 am

Clay 😊
Sleep well Georgie <3
1:52am
Seen

////:\\\\

And though George still felt heavy in his upset, he felt a little lighter having talked to Clay.

George drifted back to sleep, head filled with all the best places to take an attractive Floridian who might as well have seen the world.

Little did he know that the attractive Floridian never would have minded where they went. As long as George was there, he was happy.

———————————
1.5k words

ITS A MENTAL BREAKDOWN [offkey kazoo]

Feedback is welcome and appreciated!!

~Dandelion