sunset. /dnf/

eleven

"so, how was your date?" nick grinned, his dark brown eyes gleaming mischievously.
george punchrd him lightly in the shoulder, looking at clay who looked like an embarrassed mess and back at his friend.
he glared. "shut up nick. it wasn't a date"
"okay but you can't deny those photos you sent me" the younger man winningly smirked.
sighing, george pinched the bridge of his nose.
"i forgot i even sent you those and now i regret it."
"you ever heard of homiesexual?" shyly, clay joked.
that caused the two to break out into fits of giggles, clay joining in.
as the three settled, george found himself stuck. he was staring at the dirty-blonde boy but couldn't look away.
it's not just platonic is it? george realized, eyes still not leaving the boy.
but he'd had a huge feeling that, well, there was no way that clay would feel the same way, would he?
maybe?
no.
george thought maybe clay was just the cuddly type, but he really couldn't tell.
all he knew is that he had just fallen head over heels for this boy.
"..geeeooorgeee, whatcha thinking about bud?" nick poked him, raising an eyebrow.
george flinched and shook his head "oh, uh, stuff."
"mhm?"
"yes."
"alright-"
clay stared at the two bickering, oblivious about what it was about.
"uhm, we're supposed to be doing the science project-"
george and nick looked at clay, nick giggling a bit.
"sorry, george was a bit dazed in his own little world."
"nick. anyways, here, i've got an idea for the project."
//
"so. due date is next tuesday, if we don't get it done i don't know if mrs. farafy will care too much if we don't finish considering it's literally the last month of school," nick went on.
clay lightly facepalmed.
"nick we should still finish it though."
"i know i just, uh, am gonna be busy."
george raised an eyebrow.
"busy as in hanging out with your stupid friends and partying?"
nicks eyes narrowed into a glare, looking as if he was about to lunge at the british boy.
george shot a look back at him practically saying 'you know it's true.'
after a few somewhat uncomfortable moments of silence, clay lifted his hand up awkwardly and said
"are you two just having a conversation with your eyes?"
they started laughing, clay joining in with an infectious kettle like wheeze.
the three had sounded like hyenas, gaining an angry glare from the librarian.
she stood up from her desk, making her way over.
"boys, please tone your voices down. there are people studying and reading in here.
we don't want a repeat of last week." she eyed george and nick, who, the previous week had gotten detention for being too loud and 'roughhousing'.
"yes mrs. banter." the three said almost in unison.
she nodded uncertainly and headed back towards her desk.
george turned his head back to his friends, letting a small giggle out and then sighing.
catching clay's eyes, he could see the panic rising in his crush's face.
george realized, clay was having a panic attack.
now he didn't know much about this but it didn't look too severe.
but all he knew is he had to help.
"hey hey, clay it's okay do you wanna go to the restroom and try to calm down?" these words sparked alarm in nick, turning around to see his two friends.
george was lightly caressing clay's shoulder hoping it would help, the taller boy breaking down beneath him.
all clay could give was a wordless and shaky nod.
"okay, we'll be back nick."
george helped clay up, and they made their way to the restroom.
making sure nobody was around or in the restroom, they entered and sat beside the sink.
clay was muffling quiet sobs, holding his hands to his chest, eyes practically glued shut.
"breathe. you're going to be okay."
clay stirred. sharply inhaling, he shakily said "i-i can't!"
"yes you can, breathe in slowly, and slowly out."
"here. follow my breathing."
clay opened his eyes, watching george's chest rise and fall, attempting to copy.
"did that help?" george asked after a few tries.
clay nodded "a little bit."
george tried to think of what his mother had told him when he had one.
"oh! do you have some sort of plushie or something that you could hold or hug?"
clay though for a second,
lifting his shaky hand to support his head up, he then looked at george, wordless.
quickly, clay latched himself onto george.
george felt his body heat up.
he kept his focus on the shaking body below him.
"remember, keep breathing the way i am." george said, trying to keep the steady and slow cycle for clay to copy.
clay nodded, head buried into george's neck.
he still was quite taken aback that he went for george, feeling warm inside.
he wanted to always be able to hold clay.
pushing his sappy thoughts away, he returned his focus to what was happening.
it had been about a minute or two, and clay's shaking and breathing had gotten better.
without thinking,
george pressed a small kiss onto clays forehead.
panic immediately flooded george when he had realized what he just did.
on the other hand, clay was perplexed, happy, upset, and everything in one.
clay had pretty much calmed down from his panic attack.
"i'm sorry." george muttered, face red.
clay seemed to have a big blush spread across his face as he looked up to george.
"uh don't be sorry it's okay heh, um maybe just don't tell anybody that happened?" the dirty-blonde's voice croaked, still slightly recovering.
george nodded.
"are you ready to go back?" he asked, feeling. clay detach from him which made him feel a little upset with the comfortable heat leaving his side.
clay nodded. "i just need to clean up."
george stood up and watched by the exit as clay turned on the sink and began washing his face, attempting to pull his fluffy hair back.
george sat back watching in admiration.
after a few moments, clay took a paper towel, drying his face off and rejoining george as they began to leave the restroom.
"i'm sorry,"
"for what?"
"for you having to help me."
"oh nonono, don't be sorry for that! i just wanted to help, i couldn't just let you battle that yourself." george reassured the boy.
clay didn't say anything else the way back but nodded.
they re-entered the library, spotting their friend sitting at the same table they'd left.
as they approached closer and sat down, nick snapped his gaze away from his phone and back to them.
"oh uh welcome back? are you alright now clay?"
clay nodded quickly looking at george and then back at nick.
george smiled.
-
quick pov change to nick btw.
nick was so sick of watching these two just skirt around eachother even if it was just a week.
he knew both of them had reciprocated feeling but they were both too blind and dense to see that.
he would help them notice hopefully.
but it had driven him nuts just watching the two fall head over heels, staring at eachother all the time.
cue gym class.
it was basketball practice, but their teacher mr. clyde didn't care too much and usually just let most the students fool around.
the only people really doing what they were supposed to were the people who wanted good grades.
and that's why nick was sat on the bench, watching.
he couldn't care less about his grades at the moment, after all it was only a few weeks left till summer break.
however, clay and george were still determined to do good anyways and were both participating.
but obviously a person can't do very good if they spend the entire game staring at one another, can they now?
nick couldn't help but giggle to himself as he watched george almost trip over himself, basketball in hand, but still shooting glances at the taller but shy boy.
he had to get these two boys together,
because there's no way they would do it on their own.
he would try.