Comfort (Dream X GeorgeNotFound)

Double Date

George stood in front of the mirror. Whether it was his lack of a reasonable sleep schedule or the overhead lighting in the bathroom, he wasn't sure, but the bags under his eyes seemed even more prominent.

He considered where to start. Half an hour seemed like an awfully short period of time to freshen up for a date. Maybe Clay was just eager to see Rose. His heart twinged with pain at the thought.

He turned on the tap, letting the cold water run over his fingers while he waited for it to heat up a little more. When he was satisfied, he cupped some in his hands and splashed it against his face. The sudden cold was unpleasant, but helped to snap him out of the haze he'd caught himself wrapped up in since Clay's arrival.

His thoughts wandered all over the place while he brushed his teeth. Who would this guy he was being set up with like? Would he actually be able to maintain a healthy and lasting relationship alongside his burning passion for his friend? Or maybe the new guy would be his new coping mechanism. He doubted it would happen, but there was still a sliver of hope that his date would sweep him off his feet with his charm and looks.

He rinsed his mouth out and turned off the tap. The sounds of a suitcase zipper were coming from the living room, indicating that Clay was looking for a suitable outfit.

George wiped his hands dry on the towel hanging next to the sink and headed to the living room. His assumption was right - Clay had been looking for clothes, and now he was standing in the middle of the room, naked from the waist up.

"I... Uh..." George stammered, trying to collect himself so he could say something instead of random garbled sounds. "D-Do you have any, um, clothes? To wear?"

Clay held up a random hoodie. "Well, the place we're going to is pretty casual, so I'm just gonna wear something comfortable."

George nodded, face flushing as Clay turned away and continued to rummage in his suitcase. He slinked away to his bedroom, legs feeling like jelly.

He let out a breath as soon as he shut the door behind him. It was going to be even harder ignoring his feelings now that he'd seen just how good Clay looked. And Rose had seen him first. The newfound sense of possessiveness over his friend was strange - it flared up whenever he thought of his friend's date.

He threw on a random band tee and changed out his sweatpants for a clean pair of pants. He looked at the pile of shoes near the door, but none of them really caught his eye. A sudden knock on the door made him jump, but he managed to collect himself just as the door creaked open.

"Hey George." Clay poked his head in. "You ready?"

George made a mental note of everything he had needed to do. Most of the things on the list seemed to be checked off, except for the shoes.

"I can't pick which shoes to wear." George sighed, kicking over one of the winter boots in the corner with the tip of his foot.

Clay fully emerged from behind the door, standing beside George to take a look at the selection.

"I think the converse would look pretty cool with the band t-shirt."

George leaned down, grabbing the pair of black converse he hadn't worn for months, sliding one of them on.

"Jeez, why don't I ever wear these? They're so comfortable!" He slipped the second shoe on, standing up. "And make me look like I'm 17."

Clay laughed. "I think it looks nice." He opened the door wide enough for both of them to fit through. "They're on their way."

They headed downstairs out into the open. The blinding rays of the morning sun immediately hit George's eyes, making him squint and attempt to shield his eyes from the light that seemed to be coming from everywhere. Clay seemed amused at his friend's standoff against the sun, but he angled himself so George could walk in his shade.