saturday mornings are for pancakes // a dream x reader fanfiction

CHAPTER 48: FIREFLIES

hey guys! i recommend these songs while reading this chapter:

'hate to be lame'  by Lizzy McAlpine (ft. FINNEAS)

'reckless driving' by Lizzy McAlpine (ft. Ben Kessler)

hope you guys enjoy :))

It's been two weeks since Clay and Natalie broke up. He seems okay, more busy than anything really. He's acting normal towards us roommates, but we're walking on our tip-toes around him.

Nick and George threw out anything in our house that could remind him of her. The wine bottle they drank at one point that we weren't allowed to throw out, the blanket from her house that she left on the couch a couple weeks ago, the claw clip from the side table. All either thrown out or returned, respectively.

I'm watching Clay now, actually. He's taking chicken nuggets out of the oven; he seems calm, okay even.

He places the stone down and turns to me, catching my eyes. "Yes?"

I sigh, knowing I can't deny that I was caught. "How are you feeling, Clay?"

He shrugs. "Fantastic. Everything seems so normal and natural and nice, you know?"

"Except for..." I try to hint, not wanting to be the one to say the actual words.

"Natalie," he fills in the blank, "Except I had a life before Natalie and I dated. It's not a completely different thing."

I search his eyes for something, a sign that he's lying, but I come up with nothing. He smiles.

"Are you sure?" I ask again.

"You want to go for a drive?" He ignores my question.

"To where?"

"I don't know." He has a mischievous look in his eyes. "Where would you rather be right now?"

"What about your food?" I nod my head towards the stove, now ignoring his question.

He glances back at the chicken nuggets. "I'm not hungry anymore. Nick and George can eat them." He turns to me with a perfectly calm face, a happy face. "It's just a drive," he says, "Not some secret cry for help."

I laugh; I can't help it. I rub my eyes and speak again. "I'm analyzing your every move aren't I?"

He nods. "And babying me."

I smile and meet his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Your apology will be accepted when you and I have go for a drive," he says, very assured of himself.

"That's what'll help?" I raise my brows.

He nods dramatically. "Absolutely."

I stare at him for a moment longer, the 'yes' floating on the tip of my tongue. Finally, I roll my eyes. "Fine."

_ _ _

Clay and I drive in a peaceful quiet for a long time. The music around us is soft as I watch the buildings go by. He's using the arm rest that's seated between our seats. I had shifted my arm slightly, bumping into him. I felt the electricity run up my arm and into my stomach, bursting into butterflies. The feeling hasn't left; a long-term effect of being around him I've noticed.

"Where are we going?" I ask, turning towards him, "We've been driving for a while."

He smirks. "Think of the most cliche place we could go."

I roll my eyes. "How am I supposed to think of that?"

"Think about where we live, y/n," he insists, "Think of every movie, like ever, and there's probably a scene of it."