~~~

The London streets were bursting with energy, a sharp contrast from the quiet atmosphere of the coffee shop that George and Clay had just exited. Tourists scurried around the city enjoying the uncharacteristically warm air.

     Clay lagged slightly behind the other boy. "So, where are we off to first?" He questioned, his voice full of anticipation.

     George smiled at his new-found friend. "Wouldn't you like to know," He began smugly. "I can't tell you or it'll ruin the surprise."

     "I wasn't aware it was a surprise," The American laughed. "You do know that normally the tourist is the one who plans the tours, right?"

     "Well this is a special tour, and trust me, it'll be way better. And you should thank me, I'm doing this for free!" George pointed out.

     "Can I at least guess?" Clay asked as they turned a corner.

     "You can try,"

     "Are you gonna take me to see Piccadilly Circus?" He wondered curiously, trying to think of various attractions that England was famous for. "Maybe the Big Ben, or something? London Bridge?"

     George gasped dramatically, putting his hand on his chest in mock outrage. "I'm going to pretend that you didn't say that and just continue walking,"

     "What? Isn't that where tourists go?" Clay asked innocently, suppressing a smirk.

     "Exactly. Gross," George faked a gag.

     "Hey, Rude! Technically I'm a tourist too."

     "Not after today! Come on, follow me," He grabbed Clay's arm, dragging him through an empty alleyway.

     "Is this the part where I get murdered?" Clay joked.

     "No, stupid. This is a shortcut," George rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help but grin as he let go of the other.

     The road ahead led to a more secluded area. Little boutiques and pop-up shops lined the narrow cobblestone streets. The brightly colored buildings stood out against the grey of the sky. Clay stopped walking in awe, admiring the picturesque scenery around him.

     "Wow," He breathed. They hadn't gone far but their surroundings had changed from taxis and smog to sprawling parks. "It's so green here." Clay turned his body to face George, still looking around in shock.

     "See, isn't this better than some crowded square full of random advertisements?" George spoke with a knowing smile.

     "Maybe," Clay admitted in defeat.

     They continued along one of the pathways through the park. Tall trees towered above the two, leaves rustling from the slight breeze. At the other end of the park cars quickly whizzed by, but the two boys were in their own little world.

     "There's this amazing theme park not to far from here. My mum used to take me and my brother every summer when we were little," George closed his eyes briefly, reliving the happy memories from his childhood.

"That sounds really cool! Maybe you could show me sometime."

"Bold of you to assume I'd give you another free tour," George laughed lightly.

Clay wheezed, trying not to choke. "Oh my God, you're ridiculous!"

George laughed, leading the way to an overhang that looked out on the canal. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! I'd be fun to bring you there."

"Whatever, it's not like you could even ride any of the rides anyway since you're so short!" Clay teased.

"I swear, I'm going to throw you over the railing and into the water!"

"Oh, you're scary when your mad, you're like a little gremlin!"

"Clay!" George shouted, but he was smiling. "You suck, I hate you!" He playfully punched the other's shoulder.

Clay's laugh eventually faded to a small chuckle but a smirk was still evident on his face. "'I'm kidding, I'm kidding'" He mocked in a fake British accent.

He was met with a glare from George. "I hope you've been paying attention to where we've been walking because you're going to have to find your own way home," He deadpanned.

"Okay, fine, I'm done teasing you." Clay giggled moving to stand next to George.

"Yeah, you better be!" He rolled his eyes. They both smiled and leaned onto the rail to look out at the view. The sun began to peak out from behind the clouds, glinting gold on the reflective surface. Below, people passed by in little paddle boats sending ripples across the otherwise calm water.

"I've always wanted to ride in one of those," Clay stated, gesturing towards them. "They're so cool. Look, that one looks like a swan!"

"I love those! But I don't think they let giants on, you could sink the boat."

"Okay, maybe I deserve that a little bit," Clay acknowledged. "Truce?" He asked, holding out his hand.

George eyed him suspiciously before extending his own hand to shake Clay's. "Deal," He answered. "For now, at least."

"Let me make it up to you. I'll pay for one of the paddle boats," Clay offered.

George raised an eyebrow. "Only if you get a swan one."

"You drive a hard bargain, but I guess I owe you.
I'll race you there!"

"Oh, you're on!"

Shoes pounded hard against the pavement as the two boys sprinted towards the rental counter at the edge of the canal. George caught up to Clay, giving him a small shove to slow him down.

"Hey, that's cheating!" He called after the other boy.

"Run faster, long legs!" George exclaimed. "You can't catch me!"

Sounds of their loud laughter floated through the air. Passerby turned to look at the scene the two were creating, but neither George nor Clay cared.

George arrived there first, collapsing on the counter and gasping for breath. "Yes, I win!" He raised his arms above his head in celebration.

"You're such an idiot!" Clay wheezed as he reached the counter. He smiled ear to ear, ignoring the strange look the lady renting the boats gave him.

"Can I help you?" She questioned, her lips pursed tightly into a frown.

"One paddle boat for half an hour, please." Clay answered pulling out his wallet.

"That'll be £12." The lady nodded, her mood improving some when she realized the boys were actual paying customers. "The boats are down that way, pick any one you'd like."

Clay handed her the money, a bright smile still lingering on his face. He thanked her then grabbed George's arm pulling him down to the docks. "You got lucky, there's only one swan boat left."

"Come on, let's go!" George quickly sat down, excited. "I can't believe you've never done this before! Are there not paddle boats in Florida?"

"Actually there's a ton, It's kinda crazy I haven't been in one!" Clay sat down next to George. "So we just use these peddles?"

George smirked, a mischievous glint in his eyes. He suddenly started peddling fast, causing the boat to lurch precariously to the right.

"George! What's wrong with you, you're gonna tip us over!" Clay shrieked, laughing. He started peddling too, trying to balance the boat.

"Shh, you're gonna scare all of them away!" The other scolded, pointing to a flock of birds nesting in a nearby tree.

Laughter continued to bubble up in Clay's throat. His cheeks ached and he was unable to wipe the smile off his face. George joined in, his own giggles gradually raising in volume until his laughter matched Clay's.

"Ow, Clay, my stomach hurts," George was laughing hard now, almost tearing up. It had been ages since he had laughed this hard, and even though his sides were in pain, he didn't want to stop.

Clay tipped his head back, happily. "Same, I feel like I'm gonna fall out of the boat!"

A bright flash went off suddenly, startling Clay and making the boat rock dangerously again. George had taken a picture of the two of them on his phone.

"Sorry," He apologized. "I just wanted to always remember this moment." He explained, his giggles fading.

George pulled up the photo to look at it. Clay's head was thrown back, but you could still see the huge smile plastered on his face. Both of them looked so happy, their expressions glowing brightly.

"Aw, I love that!" Clay beamed. "You have to send it to me!"

George nodded, texting him the picture. He put his phone away and looked up at the sky, relaxing. Both of the boys had stopped peddling, just letting the boat float around aimlessly.

The sun slipped back behind the clouds again, the temperature dropping slightly. Others started paddling their boats back to the dock.

     Clay looked over at George and noticed that he was laughing again. "What?" He asked curiously.

"Your laugh is kind of funny," George started before trailing off.

Clay narrowed his eyes. "What?" he repeated.

"At one point it sounded a little bit like a dentist's drill!"

The American wheezed another time. "You're such a weirdo,"

"You just did it again!" George blurted out.

"Shut up, shorty." Clay taunted. He looked back up at the sky, noticing how it had abruptly darkened. "Hey, we should probably head back to the dock, it looks like it's gonna rain,"

"Typical London," George mused. "But yeah, you're right we should probably go."

As soon as George finished speaking, the sky opened. Rain poured down from above, drenching the two boys immediately.

"Oh my God! Peddle fast, come on!" Clay shouted. "Jesus, it's cold now!"

They rushed back towards the docks, feet firing madly against the peddles. As soon as they reached the edge of the canal, George and Clay stood up and clambered out of the paddle boat.

"Run!" George yelled loudly. "This way!" He pointed towards an empty gazebo along the park path.

     Rain still fell down in a violent downpour. The two boys sprinted under the structure and slumped onto the nearest bench.

     "Wow, that really came out of nowhere," Clay said with a small smile.

     "Welcome to London, otherwise known as the world capital of capricious weather."

     "I'm used to it. Florida is basically the capital of bipolar weather,"

"Fair point." George set his bag down next to him on the bench. He shivered and drew his knees up, hugging them close to his body. "I should've brought an umbrella,"

"It's okay, you didn't know it'd rain. But damn, there's still so much left to see but we can't even do anything 'cause of the stupid rain." Clay complained. His mood darkened along with the sky.

Quiet fell over the two. The only sound was rain mercilessly falling against the pavement. Clay noticed George's teeth chattering so he scooted a little closer to the other boy. Suddenly he felt bad for complaining. Today had been so fun, and he really appreciated George showing him around when he didn't have too.

He wouldn't even be in the cold right now if it wasn't for me, Clay thought. Guilt churned uncomfortably in his stomach. George hadn't brought a jacket, so he just had a thin long sleeved tee shirt on.

Clay bit his lip nervously turning his head to look at George, who had started shivering even harder. The hoodie Clay had on was a little damp, but the inside was soft and mostly dry. "George?" He broke the silence.

"Yeah?" The cold boy responded quietly. His head was angled away from Clay, eyes cast on the rain falling from above.

In one quick motion Clay had taken off his hoodie. "Here, you look freezing," He held it out to George. "Put this on, it's warm."

George's eyes lit up as he looked at Clay. "Are you sure? What about you, won't you be cold?"

"Dude, just looking at you is making me freezing. Take it."

Blood rose to George's cheeks turning them a soft pink. He felt embarrassed as he reached out to grab Clay's hoodie. "Thank you," He whispered.

The smell of vanilla and laundry detergent wafted into George's nose as he put it on. It was warmer, just as Clay had said it would be. He put the hood up trying to obscure his face. The long sleeves fell past George's fingertips and into his lap.

"You look like you're drowning in it, you're so small! No wonder why your cold," Clay observed with a laugh.

"B-be quiet!" George sputtered. He was glad he had put the hood up because he could feel the heat rising in his cheeks again.

Thunder rumbled from overhead, followed by a flash of lightning. He missed having his hoodie on but he was glad he'd given it to his friend. Clay shifted closer to George again, their legs almost touching.

"What're you doing?" George asked, his voice climbing higher than usual. He tried to scoot away as he was still embarrassed that Clay had given him his hoodie.

"I'm cold too! Im moving towards the warmth," He explained. "I don't want you to be shivering but I don't want to be freezing either."

George just shrugged in response. "Whatever,"

Minutes passed as the two boys sat calmly and just watched the ran in a comfortable silence. It finally began to slow down, changing from heavy torrents to a mild shower. George yawned and closed his eyes. He felt himself begin to doze off, lulled to sleep by the sounds of thunder crashing and the smell of the hoodie. George's head dropped onto Clay's shoulder and his breaths evened out.

Clay pressed his lips together trying to silence his laughter. "Aww," He breathed, looking down at the sleeping boy.

The rain subsided to a gentle drizzle. Moisture dripped down from the tree branches, creating large puddles in the grass. A smile ghosted Clay's face. I guess a little rain isn't all that bad.

"George," Clay murmured. The other boy didn't stir, his eyes still firmly closed. "George, wake up," Clay shook him softly.

George's eyes fluttered open and he groaned, quickly shutting them again. "It stopped raining, George," Clay said quietly.

At the mention of his name, George seemed to realize where he was. He blinked and stood up quickly. "Sorry, I- I guess I fell asleep." He coughed awkwardly.

Clay smiled warmly as he got up. "It's fine. We both went to bed pretty late last night so I get it."

"Rain always makes me tired," George yawned. He still felt half asleep. "So what should we do now?"

"Are you doing anything tonight? We could keep hanging out if you want,"

George smiled, playing with the sleeve of Clay's hoodie. "I guess we could get some takeaway and go back to my flat or something?" He checked the time on his phone. "It's already almost five."

"Yeah, that's a good idea. I didn't even realize I was hungry but I guess that's what happens when you only eat banana bread for lunch."

"How does Japanese food sound? There's a really good place near where I live."

"That sounds perfect. Oh my God, I'm so excited to eat!" Clay said honestly. "Lead the way, I'll follow."

     The heavy scent of rain lingered in the humid air. Dark grey clouds hung in the sky but it was only sprinkling out now. People crowded the area, carrying umbrellas to protect themselves from the weather. Speeding cars and tall buildings came back into view as George led Clay through the winding pathway back into the city. They continued walking into the chaos until the calm of the green leaves was only a memory in both of the boys' minds.

     "Do you want your hoodie back? It's not as cold anymore," George offered sheepishly. He felt bad that he was still wearing it.

     "No, you can keep it on. We're almost back, and like you said it's not that cold so I don't really need it." Clay reassured him. "Also, it's an added bonus that you look ridiculous in it."

     The bottom of the powder blue material was just above George's knees. "Fine, your loss. Maybe I'll just keep it, it's really comfortable," He teased. "And this is my favorite shade of blue."

     "No, you thief!"

     "You're the one who stole my suitcase, Clay."

     "You seem to be forgetting the part of the story where you stole mine too."

     "Yeah, well you stole mine first," George argued. "I had to steal yours out of self defense. But I guess I have to forgive you since you rented the boat earlier."

     Clay laughed. "God, you're such an idiot."

     George opened the door to the restaurant and rolled his eyes. "Go through the door before I close it on you."

     Since it was around dinner time there was a small queue to order the food. Clay's stomach growled as he scanned the menu. "Everything looks so good I don't know what to get!"

     "Oh, I'm definitely getting a ramen bowl. Whatever you get though, you have to get mochi for desert. It's literally so good!"

     "I have no idea what that is," Clay wheezed. "It sounds like some type of yoga or something."

     "Ugh, you're so uncultured. I am about to change your life."

     The two boys ordered the food then went to sit down to wait for it. "Do you still live at home or do you have your own place?" Clay asked curiously.

     "I live alone. My family all lives in Cambridge, which is where I grew up," George answered. "I actually just moved to London a couple of months ago."

     "Oh, really? You seem like you know where everything is already!"

     "Cambridge isn't too far, we used to do little day trips to London all the time when I was younger. That definitely helps with navigating around."

     "Yeah, I bet. So I assume you have a job?" Clay continued.

     "Yep, I work as a coder so I do programming and web design type stuff. It's pretty cool 'cause I can basically work from any place at anytime and all I need is my laptop." He rambled. "What about you?"

     "I've had my own apartment for about a year now, which is good because I'm a YouTuber so I can record videos at like three in the morning and it's not a problem."

     "Wait, you're a YouTuber? That's literally so cool, I've always wanted to make videos but I've never actually tried-" George was interrupted as a server brought them their takeaway bags. After paying for the food, the two boys stood up and made their way across the street to George's flat.

     "You live on this street? You're so lucky, it's like right in the middle of everything!" Clay exclaimed. "And there's so many restaurants over here!"

     "Yeah I really love it here. Anyways, I have a great idea for where we should eat!" George and Clay got in the elevator and took it up to the 4th floor before getting off.

     The two walked down the hall until they reached George's place. He set down his bags and took out his key to unlock the door.

     "Wow, it's so clean! This is nice," Clay looked around the living room. It was decorated simply, but it still felt homey.

   George set his bag with his laptop and wallet down on the counter. "I'll give you an official tour of the place later, but right now we're going to a secret spot." He smiled, excited to show it to Clay. "Grab your food and follow me!"

    Clay raised an eyebrow but he complied, grabbing the bags and exiting out the door after George. "Are we going back to the elevator?" He asked.

     "You'll see, it's a surprise. Close your eyes! I'll guide you where you need to go."

     "Am I going to die?" Clay asked after he shut his eyes. He took small baby steps forward, nervous he would crash into the wall.

     "No, come on, just trust me!" George grabbed Clay's free hand, slowly guiding him down the hallway and into the elevator.

     "Can I open my eyes yet?" Clay wondered. He gripped George's hand tightly, worried he was gonna bump into something.

     "No, just be patient. I'll tell you when!" George answered as he pressed the button to go to the roof of the building.

     "Oh my God, please be careful!"

     "Don't worry, I'm being careful. Don't you trust me?" George giggled a little.

     "I'm not sure yet, depends on if I survive this or not."

     "Ugh, you're so rude! You can trust me, I promise!"

     The doors to the elevator opened and Clay felt the night air on his face suddenly. He clenched George's hand. "Where are we?" He asked, confused.

     "Don't worry!" George repeated. You'll see in a second."

     He pulled Clay forwards guiding him to a table a little ways away from the elevator. George helped Clay put the bags on the table and then he grabbed his hands again leading him a little more.

     "Okay, are you ready Clay? You can open your eyes!" George told him as he let go of his hands.

     Clay's eyes shot open and he gasped, a grin spreading across his face. The sky was almost dark and the city lights were glowing a bright amber.
Some of the clouds had cleared so Clay could see patches of the sky. It was a deep purple color that gradually faded into orange and then pink. The clouds were lined with gold since the sun was still behind them. "This is amazing!" He marveled at the beautiful view.

     "Earlier you said you wanted to see more of the city so I thought it'd be a good idea to come up here because you can basically see everything," George told him. "How's this for sight seeing?"

     "George, this is perfect, seriously!" Clay couldn't take his eyes off the view. The streets far below were still full of movement. A slight fog softened the hard lines from the tall buildings that were aglow with lights, like someone had taken a handful of glitter and thrown it as far as the eye could see.

     "Look down there," George pointed into the distance. "You can see where we were earlier today. See the canal?"

     Clay nodded, amazed. Laughter rose up in his throat again as he remembered riding in the paddle boat. "Wow,"

     "Whenever I have trouble sleeping I'll come up here. It always helps me clear my head." George confessed.

     "This is amazing!" Clay said again. "I feel like I'm on top of the world!" He reached his hand out towards the few visible stars as if he could touch them.

     "You should feel flattered, I've actually never shown this spot to anyone before. Anyway, we should probably eat our food before it gets too cold."

     George pulled the table with their food a little bit closer to the railing so they could still enjoy the view while they ate. The two friends continued talking about anything and everything as they ate.

     The sky continued to grow darker and more stars emerged. "The only downside I can think of with living in London is that sometimes you can't see the stars. It's too smoggy, especially if you're low to the ground. But up here it's a little easier to see them."
George spoke.

     He had always loved the view of the night sky. It was the one of the few things he actually missed from his childhood as an adult.

     "I don't appreciate the stars enough," Clay started. "It's so easy to get caught up in the business of everything. I feel like I forget to pause sometimes and just look up." He looked over at George, finally tearing his eyes away from the sky. "Thank you for reminding me to look."

     George smiled softly. "Thanks for looking with me," He said quietly.

     The food was gone and the empty bags were scattered across the table. "That food was amazing. I think I could eat there everyday for the rest of this trip and I'd be happy about it." Clay declared.

     "I told you it would change your life!" George joked.

     "You were right,"

     "I'm always right, giant."

     "Whatever, shorty."

     Clay felt like his smile was practically tattooed onto his face. Today had only been the first day of the trip, too. He wondered what other memories would be made as the days passed. Clay wished for a fleeting moment that the trip could last longer than three weeks. He pulled out his phone to check the time and saw several missed texts from his sister telling him the their mom's plane had landed and asking Clay where he was. "Crap, I have to go!"

     "What?" George asked, shocked. "Is everything okay?"

     "Yeah, everything's fine, I'm just an idiot. I forgot to tell Layla I decided to wait to go to her house until tomorrow and she's all worried," Clay explained.

     "Layla?" George questioned, confused.

     "My sister," He clarified. "My mom's plane landed today and I'm supposed to be there to help her unpack. I completely spaced it!" Clay pulled out his phone again and called for a car, then sent a quick text explaining the situation to his sister.

     "Well I guess you do have to go then." George frowned slightly.

     "Yeah, I'm sorry!" Clay apologized.

     "No, it's fine. Today was really fun, thank you for letting me show you around!"

     Clay stood up. "Today was so fun! I'll text you tomorrow, maybe we can hang out again?"

     "I'd like that," George grinned, rising to his feet. "Have a good night, Clay."

     "Goodnight, George!" Clay took his empty bag and threw it away. "Bye!" He waved as he walked backwards, disappearing into the elevator.

     George waved goodbye until the doors were firmly shut. He smiled and rolled his eyes. "What an idiot," He mumbled to himself.

     The sky was pitch black now. George cleaned up the mess and moved the table back to its original spot before getting into the elevator and riding back down to the 4th floor. He unlocked the door to his flat and took off his shoes.

     The place suddenly felt lonely. George sighed as he made his way to his bathroom to get ready for bed. He looked in the mirror and gasped, realizing he was still wearing Clay's hoodie. Oops, I totally forgot I was wearing this.

     George flopped down on his bed and was hit by a wave of exhaustion. He checked his phone one last time before plugging it in and smiled when he saw a text from Clay.

CLAY: Goodnight :)

     He later down and typed a response.

GEORGE: Night :))

     It was still a little before nine, but George was ready to go to bed. He stared up at the ceiling thinking about everything that had happened today and he smiled. These next three weeks are going to fly by. Almost instantly after the boy shut his eyes, he fell asleep.

~~~

hello! sorry for the little break, here's an extra long chapter to make up for it. i was in an accident and i have a concussion so i have very limited screen time, which means updates might be a little sporadic. i'll still try and update minimum once a week.
thank you for all of the feedback and votes on the previous chapters, i really appreciate it! let me know what you thought of this chapter and any suggestions for improvement.
have a great day or night wherever you're from and whenever you read :)