start over | dreamwastaken x reader (sequel to split)

"Clay?" I say past a sniffle as I stand back at the edge of the couch. He's curled up with George still watching Harry Potter. I don't know how long it's been since my departure. And I can't tell what movie they are in the series but my sniffle pulls his attention immediately.

"What's wrong?" Clay slides away from George quickly and paces across the living room to sweep me up in his arms.

"I just watched the video." I nuzzle my head into Clay's chest taking in the comfort of his scent. The scent that will always remind me of home. Because he is still and will always be home to me. Not a place. He is home.

"What video?" Clay looks down at me. A double chin forming from his scrunched up face. It makes me release a giggle as I wipe the back of my hand along my nose.

"The video." Nick says with his arms crossed against his chest. He must have followed me down the stairs.

"Wait—" Clay grips my shoulders and pulls me away from his chest. He studies the look on my face and he knows instantly Nick isn't telling lies. "How— what— I—"

"I love you." I reach up and cup my hands around his cheeks and place a featherlight kiss to his lips. The touch is just enough to ignite a flame to set my fire a light with love.

"I love you." He says direct. His voice hovering along the line of serious and sincere. He wants to make known that he does and will always love me. Which is what he's tried to do the entire time I've been back.

"Don't ever push me away again Clay. Please for the love of god, don't fucking let go again." I look at him with pleading eyes. Because I can't do this again. I can't fight again.

Clay reaches out and runs my necklace through his thumb and index finger. "You're the apple of my eye. I can't exist without you."

I reach for the matching necklace wrapped around his wrist. "Apple of my eye." I stare back to him as I run my thumb over the apple pendant.

A smile pulls at the corners of Clay's lips and I match his with one of my own. In this moment I feel content with us. I feel safe. I feel like this is really a forever. I don't feel like I will ever lose us because once I'm gone I will be gone. I can't do the back and forth again. I will slice the cord and threaten myself consequences so great I wouldn't be able to break them.

"Sorry for interrupting Harry Potter." I glance past Clay and at George. He's sat up with a pout on his face as he waits to return to his date with his lover.

"You can interrupt anything you want. You come first. You come before everything. I'd save you before I saved myself. Because the world deserves to be graced with your presence. And I know you'd carry on my legacy." Clay kisses my forehead before pulling me to a tight hug.

"What? You storing your sperm away so if you die I can make you babies?" I joke.

"Well... no." Clay chuckles. "I just mean I know you'd get my fans through a loss. You'd make sure to carry all this on." Clay points between me and all his friends. "You'd hold it all together."

"I am the glue. The missing piece." I sigh. Because it's the truth. They are the Dream Team but the Dream Team does not function without it's missing piece. The glue that holds it all together. That is me.

"Clay doesn't function without his love." Nick says from his newly taken position on the couch. "Which means we don't function without our missing pieces."

"I can't wait to start streaming again with you there." Clay says to himself. Like he's spoken his forbidden thoughts aloud. "To have you sat on my lap just there."