But We're Not Normal

Unsettled

There's nothing quite like the aching weight of around three thousand, four hundred and fifty long miles - that's about five thousand, five hundred and fifty three kilometres - of endless ocean to make you miss your lover. George and Clay would know that better than most. It was hard. Incredibly hard.

But it wasn't the worst bit.

George thought that the hiding would be fine. He didn't need the world to know as long as he had Clay. As long as it was he and Clay, together, then it would be fine.

But he didn't take into account the possibility of actively having to cover their tracks.

It wasn't hard for George himself, no. He made sure to talk about Clay often on streams and social media, knowing the fans believed he was separate from Dream. As long as George was crushing on Clay then he couldn't be crushing on Dream was their logic. So, it wasn't hard for George.

It was hard, however, for George to see Clay have to cover it up. To have Clay tell him he had to cut down on the amount of streams he was involved in because people were getting suspicious. To have Clay become paranoid of his every breath, all for the sake of keeping George out of the public eye as much as possible.

They still had moments, ones that George and Clay would cherish, where their reality didn't seem so harsh. Moments where George would fall asleep on call with Clay and wake up to his soft snores down the line. Moments where they'd plan outings for when they next saw one another - outings they'd probably never get the chance to enjoy.

It was the hiding, ultimately, that placed the heavy weight on the rope that tied George and Clay together. It was the hiding that brought the strain.

And, like every new, stupid and repressed couple does, they ignored it. They went on as if neither could feel the slowly building pressure weighing down on their hearts. Because they weren't able to risk the possibility of pulling away from one another.

"Clay, I am begging you to come see George." Nick opened the moment Clay answered his seventh call in a row. Clay set the phone down beside his laptop with a strangled sigh, knowing he really didn't have the time to be on call right now.

"Why, what's up?" He managed to get out, heart aching at the mention of his boyfriend. He'd made a deal with himself to not think about George too much for fear off simply booking an impulsive flight again. He'd been chastised by management for months after that stunt.

"He won't stop whining about how much he," Nick raised his voice a few octaves into a mocking tone "misses you but doesn't want to tell you because you're so busy and so stressed and already trying so hard." He complained with an underlying note of concern. Clay had known the two long enough to know that this meant Nick was genuinely concerned for George. So something had to be genuinely off with George.

"I wish I could come see him," Clay huffed, fingers pausing over the keyboard "but I can't. Not for another month, at least." Clay grumbled. He'd pleaded almost daily in order to shorten the break before he could see George, management would snap if he brought it up again. Nick groaned loudly, overshadowing the sound of Clay returning to typing.

"I wish there was a way we could all get management off your case. Vin's been looking into it but nothing so far." Clay felt his heart warm marginally at the fact that his friends were so willing to help he and George be happy together that they'd attempt to help without previous prompting. He ran his fingers through his hair.