Stuck With Me (Gream/DreamNotFound)

6- Eye Spy

Ok so this picture was made by the extraordinary @/snayeke on tumblr, based off of this story! Everyone please, please go give them some love,,, I just can't get over how good this is. God-tier art right here.

Also, potential trigger warning: violent intrusive thoughts in this chapter. Stay safe.

Soft humming woke Clay up the next morning. Squinting his eyes against the sunlight shining through the window, he saw George- still shirtless- humming to himself as he crafted something. Clay rolled out of bed and dragged himself over to him, wrapping his arms around him from behind.

He yawned once before resting his head on George's shoulder. "G'morning," he mumbled.

George stopped humming and ruffled Clay's messy hair. "Morning, sleepyhead."

When Clay didn't answer, George resumed humming and finished crafting two iron axes. The subtle vibrations of each note lulled Clay almost back to sleep, and he shuffled around behind George, not letting him go even as George returned the bed to his inventory.

He followed George to the door, still resting against him. George stopped humming and tried to pry Clay's hands off.

"I need to put my shirt back on," George explained as Clay's grip only tightened. "And you need to eat breakfast."

Clay reluctantly relented as his stomach grumbled as if on cue. He ate some cooked mutton while George tugged his burnt shirt on. Cat, sitting in front of the door, meowed at them to hurry up. As soon as they opened the door, Cat dashed out, heading towards a nearby river.

George blinked in surprise. "I guess it was hungry." He looked off in the direction Cat had gone for a few more seconds. "Do you think it'll come back?"

"I'm sure it will; it loves you." Clay took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "Let's go get some wood so we can trade. I'll keep an eye out for Cat."

Clay led George into the forest surrounding them. George handed him an axe and they both went to work, chopping down the enormous trees around them. Well, George did. Clay stuck with the smaller trees, not wanting to have to go as high up to get all the wood.

Fifteen minutes later, after both of their axes were broken and their inventories were full, they sat a few blocks apart to craft sticks. They did so in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company.

After Clay finished crafting, he turned towards George to say something, but froze as he saw a green figure silently approaching behind him.

His initial instinct was to warn George and pull him away from the creeper, but a second instinct overpowered it, encouraging him to back away quickly and quietly.

Clay moved out of range, any regard for George gone from his mind as he tried to protect himself. That is, until an explosion echoed through the woods, jolting Clay out of his self-centered thoughts.

He hurried to George's side, who had been thrown facedown to the ground from the force of the blast. He wasn't moving.

"George!" Clay shook his shoulder frantically. "Please wake up." George couldn't just die to a creeper, right? He stopped shaking George's shoulder and knelt back, staring at his own hands. He could've saved George, but he had just sat there and watched the creeper explode. What was wrong with him?

Relief flooded Clay's body as George groaned and rolled over onto his back. He opened his eyes, squinting slightly from the sun's light.

"Clay?" He croaked, followed by a few pitiful coughs. "What happened?"