But We're Not Normal

Comfort

Nick was disheveled and sleep-worn but none the less awake when he arrived at George's. He made a b-line straight to George's room, Vin having explained the situation whilst he was driving over.

He opened the bedroom door and his gaze fell upon George, who looked a pitiful mess to say the least. He was curled tightly into his chair, phone propped against his PC, dressed in a pair of gray joggers and a white top. Clay's hoodie was discarded on the floor beside him and George's knuckles were white where they were clutched tightly around Clay's pendent. When George looked up at Nick through red raw and puffy eyes, Nick felt his heart shatter. This wasn't his best friend.

Nick was quick to stride across the room to George and George responded immediately, reaching his arms out. Nick wrapped his arms around his shaking frame tightly, one hand cradling the back of George's head. He let out soft shushing noises as George hiccuped into his shoulder, nails digging deep crescents into Nick's back through his sleep shirt.

Nick gently pulled George into standing, picking up his phone, and manoeuvred them both towards George's bed. He plugged in and propped George's phone up on the bedside table, Darryl smiling sadly at him from the screen, before working on bundling George up in his duvet. He pried George's nails from his back in order to cocoon him in and took a moment to situate himself on the pillows against the head of the bed before pulling George against his chest.

"No homo," Nick tried as an attempt at humour while George curled his knees up and nestled his head against Nick's shoulder, arms lost in the bundle of covers. George let out a watery laugh, echoing the words back in a hoarse tone. Nick wrapped his arms back around George and rubbed up and down where he assumed George's arm was before settling still once more.

"Vin told me what happened already but is there anything else you want to talk about?" Nick prompted once they were settled. Darryl held a soft, questioning smile as he looked between Vincent and Nick. It was best not to get involved, he figured.

George thought for a moment, letting himself become aware of the way he moved with each of Nick's breaths. It felt so wildly different from being curled into Clay's chest that George wondered whether he'd romanticised what it was really like.

"Can I ask you all some questions? And you have to be honest with your answers, no matter what." George asked, looking between Darryl and Vincent as he couldn't really look at Nick from their position.

"Of course. Even if you won't like the answer?" Vincent asked carefully. He distantly wondered when in the hell he had become so soft. It was probably Nick's fault.

"Especially if I won't like the answer." George responded with about as much fire in his voice as anyone who'd been crying for the last few hours could muster up. The three voiced quiet agreements.

"How do you think this ends?" George finally gets the courage to ask. There's a moment of shocked silence as the three think.

"I think it'll end with the two of you happy and together again forever," Darryl decides and Nick and Vincent hum their agreements.

"Clay will come to his senses. He'll talk to you and the two of you will talk to management together," Vincent adds, all sourness disparaged from his argument with Clay. Just because he's stupid and headstrong doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to be happy.

"You'll work things out like you always do. Clay's been obsessed with you since day one and you with him since long before that. The universe owes you both a happy ending and it would be dumb to have it be with anyone but eachother." Nick finalised. He'd been working on his words. George nodded to himself, deciding his next question.