Chapter Text
Before he knew it, Alex was pulling up outside the bar. It was recently built and from what he knew it was pretty well respected. It was called Saturn which Alex found interesting. Alex started making his way toward the door, he couldn’t see Punz or Karl which means they must have been waiting inside.
Alex pulled the door open and his eyes caught on two figures sitting at the bar. Karl was sitting across the bar from Clay. Their faces were so close together at this angle, Alex wasn’t sure if they were kissing or not. He turned around and walked out of the bar, his heart pounding in his chest. Eret was right. Of course he was.
He took a few deep breaths and looked back toward the door. Shaking his head, he grabbed the handle again. Karl was in love with Punz. The likelihood that he’d kiss Clay for any reason was slim to none.
Alex opened the doors again, allowing himself to be swallowed by the sounds of the bar. Clay and Karl were laughing now and Punz was with them. He worked his way through the crowd up to the three and tapped Punz on the shoulder. Punz turned to face him and a smile spread widely across his face.
“Ginger Ale! You’re here.” He said with a smile, pulling Alex into a hug.
“Of course, I said I was coming, didn't I?” Alex responded, hugging his friend back. “Hi Karl.” He said over Punz’ shoulder.
“Hey there! How was your day?” He asked, cutting Clay a look when he tried to interrupt. Clay promptly shut his mouth and leaned back against the bar.
“It was good, kind of tiring. I didn’t see you at the demonstration, I thought your unit was coming?”
“We did.” Clay said, peering out from behind Karl. “Karl just has a record of scaring kids with his personality so Captain made him stay in the firetruck this time.”
“Captain didn’t make me, Clay. I asked.” Karl said, smacking Clay on the back of the head.
“Hey! Don’t disrespect your lieutenant!” Clay exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head.
“We’re off duty, you dumb honk.” Karl rolled his eyes. “Alex, you met Clay.” Alex’s heart did a somersault. Now that he was just in civilian clothing he looked so… rugged. Before his hair had been slicked into place and he had kept a warm smile on his face. Now his hair was messy and he looked more sly, almost like he was up to something.
“That I did, although it was a brief exchange.” Alex said with a soft smile. Clay extended a hand and Alex shook it, giving the firefighter a small nod. He would not let himself be flustered by this man’s charm. Karl and Punz shared a look and Alex scowled at them.
“Hey, hey! No telepathic communication between you two. It’s not fair.” Alex poked their chests, his eyebrows furrowed. Karl put his hands up defensively and let out a soft laugh.
“Okay, okay.”
“We’ll play nice… for now.” Punz said. Alex rolled his eyes and finally sat down.
“Punz, why’d you pick this place?” he asked, trying to find a bartender. He was in desperate need of a drink.
“A buddy of mine from work started picking up shifts here for extra cash, it’s his first night so I figured we’d rack up a tab and help him out.” Karl said, a lazy smile on his face. Alex raised an eyebrow at him suspiciously. Noticing his expression, Karl started laughing.
“Don’t worry about it, he’s a good guy- oh speak of the devil. George!” He called the brunette over. George walked over to them with a smile.
"Hey guys! What can I mix up for you?” he asked.
“Scotch.” Karl said. Punz rolled his eyes.
“You’re so weird, Karl. I’ll have a vodka tonic.”
“I’ll have a pint, whatever your best beer is.” Clay said, giving a slight shrug.
“And I’ll have a mai tai. Thanks George.” Alex said with a smile. Clay gave him a look and let out a small laugh. Alex raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
“Something funny?”
“No, not really, I just figured you and Punz would have switched drink orders.” Clay said with a smile. Alex cursed himself. Why did Clay have to be so suave? George gave Clay his beer and shot an apologetic smile at the other three. The bar was packed, they knew it would take time.
Alex ran a hand through his hair. His week had been incredibly stressful, and while he was grateful for the opportunity to get out with his friends there was just as much of him that wished he was at home in his bed watching tv. He must have zoned out more than he had expected because the next thing he knew Punz was in front of him with a very concerned look on his face.
“Alex? Are you okay?” Alex shook his head and blinked hard.
“Yeah, sorry. I just have a lot on my mind is all.” He said, giving Punz a half smile. George came back and started making their drinks. He made Alex’s last and then leaned on the bar.
“Alex,” he said.
“George.” Alex responded, taking a sip of his drink. Alex could tell George was stressed and he wasn’t sure if it was because of the job or trying to figure out a gift for Sapnap.
“So you said to get a locket for Sapnap.”
“Yes… and what about it?”
“I think it’s a great idea but I just don’t know what picture should go in it. I was thinking maybe something from our first real date back at the beginning of Uni, but those were all on a polaroid and I don’t want to cut those up because I don’t even know if they’d stay well and-”
“George, breathe please,” Alex interrupted. George nodded and took a deep breath. “Okay. What you can do is you can make a photocopy of the picture you want to put in the locket and cut the copy to the shape of the locket.” he said, his heart sinking a he watched Karl drag Punz onto the dance floor, leaving him alone with Clay and George. George wasn’t a problem, his main concern was Clay.
“Alex, I’m sorry if my text earlier was too much, I-” Clay started. He seemed almost embarrassed by it.
“What? No, it was fine, I just wasn’t sure how to respond, not to mention, I had a class to teach.” Alex said lightheartedly. He watched as Clay’s shoulders relaxed and in return, he felt himself relax too. A comfortable silence fell over the two of them as they sipped their drinks. It felt easy.
“So, Alex. How long have you been a teacher here in Florida?” Clay asked, setting his beer down and signaling George for another. Alex shrugged.
“Only about 1 or 2 years, I’m 20, I got my degree early and started teaching as soon as I got it.” He explained, finishing off the last of his drink. He wasn’t really in the mood to keep drinking. He just wanted to go home.
“You don’t look like you want to be here.” Clay said, an almost apologetic look on his face. Alex’s face flushed in embarrassment. Although it was true, he felt bad that Clay picked up on it.
“I- it’s not you, I promise. It’s just been a long week and I-” Alex started, trying to explain. Clay put up a hand, halting his sentence.
“You don’t have to justify yourself to me, Alex.” He said, giving Alex a soft smile. “Here, let me just walk you to your car. I want to make sure you get home safely alright?” Alex let out a soft sigh and nodded. The two of them stood up and as George passed by, Clay handed him a hundred and eighty to cover both their drinks and a tip.
“Holy shit, Clay. You’re just a firefighter, where’d you get all this cash?” George asked. Clay waved him off with an easy smile.
“It’s leftover from a trip I took a while back. Just some spare money I didn’t know how to spend. You’re saving up for your big trip to surprise Sapnap, so keep whatever you can, yeah?”
George gave him a thankful smile, returning quickly to his work. As they walked toward the door, Clay began to hum softly, weaving his way through the crowded bar. He held Alex’s hand tightly so as to not lose him in the sea of people.
Once they got outside and the cool air hit Alex’s face, he felt his cheeks begin to flush. Clay glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, a small smile on his face. Alex wished he hadn’t noticed because the action made him blush even more. Why would Clay want to steal glances at him anyway?
“So, with all your work, do you have much time to yourself?” Alex asked, trying to start the conversation again as they continued walking. Clay shrugged and looked toward the night sky.
“I get some time, but I work most days, sometimes 12 to 16 hours. I nap when I can.” He said, grabbing Alex’s hand and pulling him away from the street as a car sped past. “What about you?”
Alex was well aware of the way their fingers were laced together, the warmth from Clay’s hand spreading across his whole body. Even though it was 10:00pm and below 30 degrees Fahrenheit, he couldn’t feel it at all.
“I get plenty of breaks and such, I usually work through lunch. For an elementary school, there’s a lot of paperwork I have to do daily.” Clay pulled him to a stop and gave him a concerned look, keeping their eyes level. Their faces were so close, Alex could smell the alcohol on his breath and feel the warmth of it on his face.
“You don’t eat lunch? Nothing at all?” He asked, making sure not to let go of Alex’s hand.
“No, not often. It’s not a big deal, I always eat breakfast.”
“Dinner?”
“That’s very forward.” Alex teased, a smile pulling at his cheeks. Clay let out a soft sigh and shook his head.
“You know what I meant, Alex.”
“Yes, Clay. I eat dinner everyday. Why are you so worried about it anyway?” Alex asked, a hint of confrontation in his eyes.
“Because you’re my friend, Alex. I just wanted to know you’re taking care of yourself.” Clay responded, suddenly growing sheepish. “How much farther is your car?”
“It’s just around the corner. You didn’t have to walk me, you know.” Alex said as they resumed walking side by side, fingers still laced together.
“I know. I just wanted to make sure you were safe,” Clay paused, “not that I don’t think you couldn’t take care of yourself I just-”
“I appreciate it, Clay. Thank you.” Alex playfully bumped Clay’s shoulder. “This is the end.” He said, pointing to his car. Clay released his hand and Alex felt a wave of cold wash over him.
“It was nice getting to know you, Alex.” Clay nodded, pulling his keys from his pocket.
“It was nice talking to you, Clay.” Alex walked around his car to get to the driver’s side. He hadn’t realized just how cold it was until now.
“Text me when you get home so I know you’re alive okay?” Clay said, leaning on the top of the car.
“I will.” Alex opened the door and was about to get in when he paused. “Do you want to get dinner sometime?”
Clay couldn’t fight the smile that broke across his face. He’d figured that their friends had completely turned him in to Alex.
“Yeah. I’d love to.”
“Perfect.” Alex said. Clay gave a small nod and began to walk away. Alex slid into the driver’s seat of his car and rested his head on the steering wheel. Against all warnings, he was completely enamoured by Clay Dream. Before he started to drive, he texted Punz to let him know that he had left and was not in fact in some random person’s trunk.
It was a short drive home and before he knew it he was walking through his front door. His cat, Tiger, ran up to him and started rubbing against his legs. He let out a soft laugh and picked him up.
“Hello buddy, how was your day? Did you bask in the sun and sleep all day?” He asked him, scratching his chin. He only purred in response. It was 10:45 when Alex finally got into bed, Tiger curling up by his back. His eyes were half closed when he realized he forgot to text Clay. He quickly grabbed his phone and typed out the message.
To clay dream - 10:45pm: hey, srry i forgot to text you right when i got home. i’m safe and almost asleep. hope i didn’t worry u
Alex put his phone on his night stand and closed his eyes. Not even a minute later it buzzed. Alex was too tired to roll over and check what it said.
From clay dream - 10:45pm: I’m glad you’re safe, get some sleep bud
From clay dream 10:46pm: Goodnight