Dream Catcher

Chapter 15: Goodbyes

"Y/n," Clay says softly, drawing out your name, "Wake up."

You groan, covering your eyes as he rips open the curtains, revealing bright rays of sunshine you had so dearly missed.

"No." You respond.

There's a pause.

"Get the hell up, dumbass," he says, throwing himself onto you. You shriek, kicking at his stomach as he leans over you.

"Get off!" You yell, twisting your body around to try and escape. He grabs your wrists, pinning you to the bed, his bedhead hair flopping loosely. He leans in, his morning breath warming your face. You pink, staying still. He dips down even closer, his nose millimeters away from yours. He grins at your expression, then hops off, straightening up his rumpled shirt. You huff, flustered.

"The boys are already downstairs. I let you sleep in as much as I could. See you at breakfast," he says, winking at you before he closes the door behind him. You stay still, looking blankly at the closed door. Shaking your head, you stand up, wobbling a little at the quick change in altitude. Frustrated, you pull on fresh clothes, zipping up your suitcase aggressively.

"Morning, Y/n," George says sleepily, smiling at you as you sit next to Liam.

"I haven't sat next to you in a while," Liam says, stealing a piece of bacon off of Nick's plate while he complains to Clay.

"George talks in his sleep. Do you know how hard it is to sleep next to him?" He groans, ignoring George's quiet arguments. You giggle, glancing at George empathetically.

"Shut up! It's not talking; it's more like mumbling. I can't control it!" He insists, looking at Clay for help.

"I'm sure it's not even that bad, Nick. Leave George alone," Clay says, poking at his eggs. George laughs triumphantly, leaving Nick looking dejected.

Clay steals a glance at you, but you ignore him, pretending to be sucked into a conversation with Liam. He rambles on, but your mind keeps wandering to Clay. You won't ever admit it to him, but you're embarrassed. Embarrassed at how easily you fell into his little trance. You pout, frustrated at yourself.

"I know, right! That's how I reacted too," Liam says, taking your pout as a response to his ongoing story. You nod, agreeing with whatever he had just said.

You all hang out for a little, conversing with each other despite finishing eating.

"When is our flight again?" Liam asks, and you frown at him.

"At 3:00. We'll leave here at around 12:30," you say, gathering up your plates.

"That's in two hours," George says blatantly.

"Thanks, George. That helps," you say sarcastically, grinning at him.

"Well, I meant that isn't a lot of time," he says, glaring at you. Clay laughs at him, standing up to follow you to the dish rack. You scamper ahead, hoping to avoid the embarrassment of talking to him again.

"Y/n, don't ignore me. We only have a couple hours left," he says sweetly, drawing out his words. You push him playfully, pretending to be mad.

"Alright, alright, no need to beg," you say nonchalantly, waving a hand dismissively in his direction. He grins, ruffling up your hair. You swat his hand away but smile warmly up at him. His ears go red, exposing his attempts to stay chill. You laugh at him, moving out of the way just in time as he attempts to slap your arm.

Awkwardly, you begin to walk back, feeling slightly embarrassed to be this close to Clay in front of everyone else. But Clay seems to miss this and pulls you even closer to him as you maneuver through empty chairs. His arm hangs loosely over your shoulder, and you relax, feeling more comfortable. Nick immediately begins to tease you two as soon as you get into earshot but shuts up when Clay makes fun of him for acting like a two-year-old. The rest of the boys return their dishes, and you and Clay make small talk as you wait for them to get back.