Sunsets, Whenever.

Chapter Thirty-one

-31-

Clay is walking under the rainy night. Where the flashes of lightning soars from above. He strive the fight with the cold, tears, and raindrops outside. While his only shield is his umbrella and a coat.

He is on his way to the square, where George stated to meet. Beyond the thick rain, he noticed a grumpy teenager with no umbrella or any shield for the rain. He continued to walk forward, not noticing the any other people that he just bumped into.

There was no people outside, except for that teenager he just met. It's a complete darkened atmosphere that even streetlights hadn't helped in the dim nights. It was storming, it's not reccomended to be outdoors.

Clay continued to walk and decided to take some shelter in a dark alley. He stands below one of the houses ownings while observing the rain on the streets. 

"George," Clay was sure tired, cold, exhausted. But those doesn't overcome his desperation to find George.

"Gogy," he yells weakly. Yet no one answered. He was alone, and no one was there to help him.

Between those alleys is only a dark place, a home of trash, and closed doors. He leaned his back in a crusty wall. Hesighed, while shivering to cold and finding warmth to himself.

The cold runs to his sleeves and also in his lungs, which made Clay cough. He covered his mouth at his hands. But he tastes some sort of iron in the midst of his tongue. He spat it in his hands and noticed a deoxyginated blood flowing from his lips and his fingers.

Instead to be alarmed, Clay choosed to ignore it. 

"Blood?" Clay looked deeply.

He walked near the rainy streets again and washed his hands on the streaming rain. He also drenched his hands and washed the blood that was covering his lips, and spat all the other blood in the ground until the irony taste would expel so over.

He looked at the streets again and noticed the the rain starts to get calm. Clay thinks that it was enough rest for him. The blood that just came from his mouth was not an excuse, nor an obstacle.

Clay grabbed his umbrella and continued to walk. Once that he was near the square he noticed a silhoutte of a man beside a streetlight, shielding himself with a black umbrella. He was turned back and only watching either the sky or the north path. But from a far away view, Dream knew that it was George.

"George," Clay yelled.

George didn't answer. He still had his backs on him.

"George, I know it was you," Clay continued, until he reached a meter close to him. "Why are you not answering?"

"I'm sorry," George stated, his eyes still not faced at Clay.

"I'm sorry for what?" Clay asked. "Look at me," 

"For breaking my promise," 

"What is this?" Clay starts to get confuse. "What- What do you mean?"

George faced him.

"I'm sorry for promising that I would stay," 

The sound of rain sizzles on the background.

"Why?" He looked desperately in George's eyes. "Would you leave?"

"I need to," George breathed. 

"Why?"

George sighed in annoyance. "It's hard to explain,"

"Is that because you love me?" Clay tried to guess.

"Yes-"

"George!" Clay yelled, who laughed with an opposite meaning. "Where is 'love' in that?"

"Someday you will understand," George said. "You are starting to cough blood aren't you?"

Clay looked down.

"All of you and I struggles of is time's fault," George averted his gaze away. "No matter how hard could even destiny bonds us, without time, we won't work,"

"You said we will have all the time we want-"

"No, we don't have anymore,"  George walked away.

"So you lied?"

George stopped. "I didn't. I also have no idea that this will happen," 

"So how did you know?" Clay sounded devastated. Throwing his umbrella away, as he don't care about the rain anymore. 

"I already said this to you Clay! It's hard to explain!" George shouted.

"Then just tell me what is something that needs the urge to get back? or who?" Clay replied. "Because to be honest George, I don't want you to leave,"

"I need to get back, so you won't die," George tried to peace out.

Clay steps forward. "You're being secretive George," he caressed his forehead. "In love there's no selfishness-"

"But in love there's no understanding," George faced Clay and threw his umbrella. "So please, just understand our situation..."

A deep silence lithers around them. With both of them getting drenched by the storm. One wants to save the other, while one wants to sacrifice his life. In the name of love. 

George squinted while trying to hold his tears. "Just tell me you don't love me anymore," 

"What?" Clay stars to get confused. 

"Just tell me that you don't love me," George wipes his tears away.

"You don't love me," 

"I love you,"

"You don't," 

"I do."

Clay furrowed his brows as he hears what George want him to stay. George looked at him, his hair drenched and down. Catching his breath and letting his tears and the rain mix in his face. 

"Well then, I don't love you anymore,"

Clay's heart shattered into pieces. "That's a lie,"

"That's a fact," George gulped all his words and looked directly at Clay. "Clay Leonelli, a virtuoso of 1960, is someone that I don't love anymore,"

"But you said-"

"No," George cutted. "I don't love you," 

Clay got sudden flashbacks of moments he was saying the truth. The time he bought a paint, below the bridge of sighs, and at Sapnap's restaurant. It was all the time where there are no lies, only feelings. No need to do this. Or to do that. All they both share is love.

Clay was confused. Does George really love him or not?

"So please let me go..." 

Those words sounded like glasses that shatters right in the heart and a  bullet that was aimed in the brain...

Clay looked down, his tears falling with the rain. "George Davidson, I don't love you anymore. I set you free,"

George continued to cry and walked away...

"But George, I wouldn't forget your promise," he made his last call. "And when I die, I want you to watch the sunsets..."

And with that final goodbye, George ran away from Clay's sights.