"That's not what I wanted." Jethro pushed and Clark looked him dead in the eye. Jethro had never seen Clark look so resigned and downright tired.
"Then what do you want, Jethro?" He asked and the question hit harder than Jethro thought it would. The silence was tense and suffocatingly deafening.
"I..." Clark didn't let himself get hopeful "don't know..." and yet he still felt disappointed as he dropped his gaze with a sigh. He didn't need Jethro to say the words, he already knew it all too well. Jethro may never know what he wants, and yet Clark couldn't find it in his heart to stop loving him.
"But..." Clark looked up again in a careful sort of surprise and Jethro's eyes were unusually earnest. "I know that I don't want you to change, Lark. Not for me and not for anyone." He murmured, biting his lip nervously and searching Clark's face.
"Then I won't." Clark breathed softly after a short silence, Jethro finally stepping back enough to free him from the wall. He took a small step forward, peeling himself off of the cold tiles, and looked up at Jethro.
"And, when you figure out what it is that you want..." He took a moment to admire Jethro's ocean blue eyes. Those eyes would surely get him killed. "I'll be here."
With that, he sidestepped around his best friend and slipped out of the bathroom to rejoin the group before they moved on to Typhoon Lagoon. Jethro stood in a baffled silence before following him out wordlessly.
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@ClarkNotKent Sorry for the short ad break folks
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———————————————— retweets likes | | @JeThrowMeAway Welcome back | | @chiccennuggies Clark: goes quiet Ophelia: posts some cryptic shit ab Jethro not talking ab his feelings Jethro: goes quiet Both a few hours later: we back Hmmmmmmmmm I'm thinkign @fleepfloop | | @OhOphelia Y'all made up without getting drunk? I am s h o c k e d | | @ClarkNotKent It's called ✨ character development ✨ Lia you should look into getting some ———————————————— retweets likes
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There was still an unresolved tension in the air but it was the familiar, light and easy to ignore one that followed them all around. Everyone was grateful for a clearing in the suffocating atmosphere and Clark and Jethro had half the mind to apologise for making things awkward. The others seemed more than happy to move on from the subject though, so the two dropped it.
"How have you already burnt?" Clay asked, amusement clear in his tone, as he surveyed George's pink tinted shoulders. George just groaned, reaching a hand to rub at the sore skin as they waited for everyone to be ready to head to Typhoon Lagoon. He should have put on more sun screen.
"I have some aftersun if you want it?" Geo offered, searching through his bag. He could sympathise with George's ability to burn easily under the Floridian sun. George took it thankfully, only to have Clay pluck it from his hands. At George's confused look, he simply smiled and encouraged him to follow where they others had begun walking.
Clay hummed an unfamiliar tune as he began to massage the cold aftersun into George's shoulders, careful not to step on the backs of his heels. George wanted to make a comment about the fact that he was an adult and could do this himself but it felt oddly nice to be taken care of, so he stayed quiet.
Clay tried desperately not to say anything to ruin the moment, he really did, but the ache in his chest was just too much to bear. "Do you have to leave?" He asked quietly, sounding so much more youthful than he was. George wasn't expecting the question, nor was he expecting to think about the fact that he was leaving so soon. He sighed and lifted a hand to rest over one of Clay's. He nodded. "Can't you just stay?" Clay continued hopefully.
"I wish I could." George replied softly, running his thumb back and forth over Clay's knuckles.
"Then do." Clay said as he stepped to walk at George's side, keeping his hands over George's shoulders. "Move in with me and Vin, he won't mind and there's plenty of space." He reasoned and George shook his head despite how much he wished to say yes.
"I can't just stay. I still have the lease on my place back in London and I'd have to get an immigration Visa. It was hellish enough getting a regular Visa, I applied for it soon after you left and almost didn't get it in time." George explained responsibly, tucking himself under Clay's arm more securely. If anyone asked, he'd say it was to protect his shoulders from the sun.
"After the lease is up, move in with me. We can apply for an immigration Visa now and I'll look into ways we can speed up the process." Clay tried and George couldn't find any reason not to.
"You're really adamant about this." He stated instead, voice soft with a breathlessness.
"I want you next to me, George." He replied earnestly and George could feel his resolve crumbling. Then and there, George could find no reason to say no, other than for poor Vincent's sanity.
So he didn't.
"Okay." He decided and Clay stopped walking for a moment, his arms slipping from George's shoulders. Once again, he did the awkward half walk, half jog in order to catch up.
"Really?" He asked and George simply smiled, setting a faster pace to merge with the others again.
"Yeah, why not."
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Imagine you ask your boyfriend to move in with you and he replies 'yeah, why not.'
