George let his eyes slip closed and he placed his hands back on Clay's chest. Beneath his fingers, he could feel Clay's heart hammering. His wasn't fairing much better.

When George began kissing back, Clay let his hands trace from their place on George's hips around to wrap George in closer. George let one hand trail up from its place on Clay's chest to reside in the soft baby hairs at the base of Clay's neck. Clay hummed against George's lips.

He took his chance, slowly beginning to waddle George back, towards the couch. It only took a few steps before the backs of George's knees hit the couch and he fell, dragging Clay with him.

[SPICE WARNING! Skip to the second warning if you wouldn't like to read it!! (Again, I don't write NSFW, it just gets a bit spicy)]

"Fuck," Clay groaned as he hovered just above George, knees either side of George's legs and hands either side of George's ribcage. He'd managed to slam his ankle against something during the fall.

George shuddered with a stuttered breath and Clay's eyes widened in realisation. "I'll keep that in mind." Clay teased and George rolled his eyes, cheeks pink. Before Clay had the chance to continue, George snaked his arms around Clay's neck and surged up to reconnect their lips.

Clay lowered himself onto his forearms to lay more solidly over George, claiming his mouth. George was on cloud nine with Clay's weight pressing him further into the couch and Clay's incessant mouth moving against his own. He felt his soul leave him as Clay's tongue slipped past his lips.

Clay pulled back and dropped his forehead to George's shoulder in order to catch his breath. George took that as his chance and he roughly flipped them over.

He revelled in the disheveled and surprised Clay beneath him. His hair was mussed, pupils blown wide and lips a beautifully bruised red. George was positioned between Clay's legs, hands either side of Clay's face. Both of Clay's hands were up beside his head, almost in surrender. George wanted desperately to take a photo in order to hold this moment forever.

[SPICE OVER]

He leant, slowly, and pressed his lips to Clay's again, chastely. Clay felt no disappointment as the heated air fizzled out into something more gentle. He brought the back of his hand up to caress George's cheek before cupping it, trying to hold back his smile.

Eventually, neither could hold back their smiles and they had to pull apart. George lowered himself to lay on Clay's chest and rested his cheek just above Clay's shoulder. Clay turned his head to follow George's, nose to nose. They pressed their foreheads together, giggling. Clay wrapped his arms around George's shoulders and George rested his palm over Clay's calming heart.

The two were content to lay like that for hours, wordlessly exchanging chaste pecks, blushing smiles and quiet laughs. Suddenly, George buried his face into Clay's shoulder with a groan. Clay laughed out a 'what?'.

"I owe Nick fifty pounds now." George grumbled and Clay threw his head back in a laugh. George pulled his phone from his back pocket in order to pay over the money.

After doing so, George dropped his phone onto the floor and burrowed back into Clay's chest. He let the hand over Clay's heart trace the three words echoing in his own. Clay could have sworn the shapes that George was tracing felt like letters.

It was peaceful, Clay's heartbeat and George's featherlight touch lulling eachother into a hazy sleep-like state. Until the door burst open.

"GEORGE, WHY THE FUCK DID YOU SEND ME FIFTY POUNDS? WHAT DO YOU MEAN I WIN?" Nick screamed as he bundled down the corridor like a whirlwind. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the two on the couch like deer in headlights. "Oh. I see." Nick stated before smirking and snapping a picture.

George groaned and burrowed into Clay's chest, causing him to laugh. "Why did he owe you money?" Clay asked, brushing George's hair down with one hand.

"He bet that you - Clay you, not Dream you - didn't like him back." Nick explained, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. Clay turned to look at George.

"You thought I didn't like you back?" Clay asked, lightly jostling George's shoulder. George whined something into his chest. "I'm pretty sure Vincent was genuinely considering moving in with Zak and Darryl because of the amount of mental breakdowns I was causing him over you." Nick laughed and George whined again. "How didn't you know? I flirted with you all the time. I still flirt with you all the time. When did you realise I liked you back?" Clay genuinely asked and George tilted to talk.

"I thought that was just how you were. I thought you found it funny to tease me because you knew I liked you. And, if I'm being honest, I don't think I admitted it to myself until the words were coming from your mouth." George admitted and Clay squeezed his shoulders.

"Well yeah, I do find it funny to tease you but I find it funny to tease you because I like you. And because you look cute when you blush." He stated, poking George's pink cheeks. George smiled softly.

"You look cuter." He murmured, softly bumping Clay's nose with his own.

"I'm too single for this, where is Bartholomew?" Nick asked, pushing off of the wall and calling for the cat. George froze, staring at Clay's confused face.

"Bartholomew?" Clay echoed, baffled. And then it clicked.

The cat.

Clay couldn't contain his wheezes. Who, in their right mind, calls a cat Bartholomew? George groaned and turned as far from Clay as possible, which wasn't very far considering he was still laid on Clay's chest. "It's not that funny." George grumbled and Clay cooed, using one hand on George's hip to twist him back into facing him. George watched, unimpressed as Clay calmed. He couldn't really be angry when Clay was smiling like that.

"It's a little bit funny." Clay said, making sure to wrap his arms around George so he couldn't roll away. "But it's cute." He finished, brushing George's hair back. They were absolutely smitten. Clay leant to press his lips to George's.

"I have returned with my love." Nick stated as he reappeared, cat in arm. George and Clay separated, half out of respect for Nick and half out of fear of what Nick may do to them if they don't keep an eye on him.

////:\\\\
13/5/20

Darry
Hey
7:51pm
Are you free?
7:51pm
It's fine if not
7:51pm

Dream :)
Hey, of course I'm free
7:51pm
What's wrong?
7:51pm

Darry
Zak and I had an argument
7:51pm
I'm over with Vin right now but
7:51pm
I'm just a little upset
7:53pm

Dream :)
You don't have to explain yourself to me Dar, it's okay
7:53pm
Do you want to video call?
7:53pm

Darry
Please
7:53pm

Dream :)
Is it okay if George and Nick are with me?
7:53pm
I can go to the office if not
7:53pm

Darry
Can they be there too?
7:53pm

Dream :)
Of course
7:53pm
We'll call you now
7:53pm

////:\\\\

"Hello?" Clay called. They had set up George's laptop on the coffee table, camera angled at the couch that Nick, Clay and George had squeezed themselves onto side by side. It took a moment but eventually Darryl's face appeared on the screen. He was curled on Vin and Clay's couch, looking as though he'd been crying.

"Oh Dar," Clay sighed sadly and Darryl sniffled, rubbing his eyes. He let out a little self-deprecating giggle.

"Sorry." Darryl whispered.

"Don't be sorry, Darryl. Never apologise for your feelings." George spoke softly but firmly and Darryl gave a small nod.

"Do you want to talk about it or do you want us to distract you?" Nick asked kindly. Darryl looked to be contemplating for a moment.

"Can I talk about it?" He decided, voice small. The three others nodded encouragingly. "It's not even that important, we always joke like this but... I guess this time it wasn't a joke." He stated before deciding he should fill them in.

"He had been fine and he even seemed excited to be trolling twitter. The first picture was my idea but he continued to hold my hand for the rest of the walk. It's not the first time he's held my hand but he always makes up some excuse" He began, fiddling with his fingers.

"I let him come up with what to post next because he always says I'm not very good at trolling. Everything was great and he stayed cuddling me for a while after posting." He continued.

"But then I made some stupid joke about him being... I don't even remember... I think it was a joke about him being my child? And he got really defensive and angry. He said that he wasn't much younger than me, which is true, but then he went off about... about how we all see him as this immature baby of the group... and that I'll never see him as an adult because he's five or so years younger than me." He sounded so small and confused that the three on the couch ached to simply reach through the screen and pull him in for a hug.

"Every time I tried to talk to try and calm him down or explain that we do all see him as an adult he'd cut me off or talk louder. And then he just stormed off to his room. He told me to go away when I went to check on him." He had his arms wrapped around himself.

"It sounds like he's scared, Darryl. Scared and insecure." George supplied gently. "He cares about the way you see him and he's scared that he's little more than a kid to you. He's the same age as Clay but people tend to forget that because of his personality and they baby him. He doesn't want you to baby him too." George explained. Darryl nodded softly.

"But he is more than a kid to me." Darryl stated quietly.

"Then let him know that, once he's calmed down. He's not angry at you, Darryl, he's just afraid." George said and Darryl nodded with a hum.

"You're a lucky guy, Clay." He finally said. Clay placed a hand on George's back and rubbed softly before wrapping the arm around his waist fully.

"I am, aren't I?" He asked fondly and George rolled his eyes, cheeks pink. Nick fake gagged and Darryl laughed.

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~ Dandelion