Super | Dreamnotfound

He leaped

Chapter 50

George could see the corners of Clay's closed eyes prickling with tears, and he frowned and stopped humming.

Clay opened his eyes and blinked, and George reached forward and gently wiped away a tear, his thumb resting against his cheekbone a split second longer than it needed.

"Sorry." Clay said, his voice breaking when he spoke.

"Don't be sorry." George said.

Clay didn't respond. He was sorry for a lot of things.

"Are you comfortable? Do you need anything? Hungry?" George asked. Clay bit his tongue to stop himself from tearing up more.

"I'm fine." He whispered.

"Do you want to sit up?" George asked. Clay considered it for a long moment, before nodding and lifting his head. George shifted so he could properly get up, and he moved his pillows so they were propped up against the wall. Clay pulled one of the blankets with him, holding it up to his chest.

George noticed that Clay had winced when he got up. He thought it might have just been a numb arm, or a stiff neck. But Clay put a hand on his side.

"Are you ok?" George asked. Clay nodded. His eyes were puffy from crying most of the night, and his hair was sticking up from George brushing through it.

"Yeah." He said. George watched him.

George didn't want to push him, didn't want to pry. He didn't want to make Clay upset again either. So he was waiting for Clay to initiate it.

"I never thought he would actually kick me out." Clay whispered, staring straight ahead at the opposite wall. George sighed, and sat closer to Clay, letting their shoulders press together. Clay leaned his head against George's shoulder, moving the blanket so it was covering the both of them.

"I've only told a few people I'm bi. It's something I always felt like I couldn't share because of my father and his reputation to keep." Clay said.

George just listened, not wanting to interrupt.

"He... he was so disgusting towards you, so so awful. You didn't deserve to hear what he said. I hate myself for not stepping in. I hate myself for being so scared of him."

"Clay, it's-"

"No. Don't say it's ok. It's not ok. I just let him speak to you like that. You're one of the most important people in my life. I've promised you multiple times I would protect you and not let you get hurt, and I just let him do that." Clay said, a pained expression on his face.

George leaned his head against Clay's.

"You left and I couldn't fix what he said. He was angry, and so was I. And I guess I snapped. I told him how awful he was and how dare he talk to you like that. And I told him that I was bisexual." Clay let out a shaky breath.

"That was dangerous. You knew it was." George whispered.

"Yeah." Clay winced. "But I couldn't let him do that to you. You already left but I wanted to try to fix things. I don't regret what I said or did, but I should have anticipated his reaction. I knew how he felt about all of it, and I knew that he would be angry. But... but I never thought he would actually kick me out. He said he doesn't consider me his son. And I'm a- a disgrace. A-and I don't deserve to even be a-alive." Clay's voice started wobbling as he spoke, and George grabbed one of his hands with his free one. Clay was the one who adjusted the grip, instead fiddling with George's fingers, moving his index finger across George's knuckles, between his fingers and tracing his palm.