🏃Clark's POV🏃

"Hey Jasmine," Liam greeted Jasmine once he was close enough. "Clark." His beaming smile created a warm yet cold feeling to arrive in my chest, and without realizing it I was looking away, feeling as if I should've been beat red. Jasmine greeted him as well so I knew I didn't have any more time to stall.

"Hi, Liam," I focused my eyes on his chin, hoping that the change would calm me down. "Glad you could make it."

"Glad I could be here," he replied with a smile, a flirty glint shining in his eye.

I knew that Jasmine was eating this up, filing away any particularly adorable, cute, or cringe moments to talk about, fawn over, or embarrass me with later. Most of the time she had all three done in one conversation if not one sentence.

"Why don't we go join the others?" Jasmine suddenly suggested, breaking Liam and I out of the staring contest that, if judging from the startled expression that swept over his face, we didn't realize we started.

"That's a good idea," I added quickly, standing up and adjusting my clothes. "They are going to love you."

"Well, that's good to know," he gave me a look but I couldn't tell whether he was joking or not.

Mysterious,

Very mysterious.

"Don't just stand there," Jasmine scolded, impatience ever present in her tone. "I want to see my relatives and siblings rave about Clark's new boyfriend."

I paled.

"Jasmine," I whisper yelled, coming up to her side to try to tell her. "Liam and I aren't-"

"Oh, is this a friend of yours Jasmine?" I heard someone ask.

Oh, fudge.

"Oh no Dana," Jasmine said, a light tone of laughter probably hidden in her voice. "He's with Clark."

I wanted to shrink under the multiple gazes that seemed to land on me all at once.

"Really?" Aaron asked suddenly. Basically appearing out of nowhere. He looked at Liam, sending him a plain-faced nod, and then looked back at me. "So he's your..?"

"Oh, uhm. He's my-"

"Boyfriend," he interrupted, a charming smile splitting his face as he came to my side. "I'm Clark's boyfriend."

"You have a boyfriend?" Aiden's surprised voice came next. "I never thought you would. Just assumed that you and Ethan would stay single forever."

My cheeks heated, whether from my embarrassment or Liam's body heat we might never know. What I did know was that Liam had just called me his boyfriend.

Well, that's a new development.

"Yeah," I nodded, looking away from Aaron's scrutinizing.

I looked to Ethan for help but he was busy shoving Aiden for his comment.

"What's going on?" Mason asked jogging into the area.

I addressed his appearance. Tussled hair, flushed cheeks, and swollen lips?

I itched to ask him what was going on but at the moment the conversation was still on me.

So I had to move it over.

"Liam and I are going out and it turns out people didn't know," I joked, leaning into Liam slightly. "I would've thought that everyone would be used to it."

Loosening everyone up with a joke.

"And no one seems to be talking about why we're here, Aiden and Aaron's five-year anniversary." I continued.

Throw them off balance with guilt.

"Plus their big announcement."

And go in for the kill.

"What big announcement?" This time Matthew was the one answering the question. He came over to Aaron and Aiden his piercing eyes probably weakening the couple already. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

Aaron sighed, scratching the back of his neck as he gave me a threatening glare.

"We'll tell everyone during dinner," he started his voice raising in a commanding way. He pulled out his phone checking his phone as relief flashed I've his face. "Dinner that we have to leave for right now."

Everyone was soon heading out after we had organized and discussed the appropriate rides when I noticed that Mark had stealthily snuck back into the group. I quickly scanned his appearance, my eyebrows raising knowingly when I realized that Mason and he were twinning. Tussled hair, flushed cheeks, and swollen lips.

And the ship is sailing.

~~~~~

Liam and I were currently seated in Matthew and Tania's (Aaron's parents’) car. After some discussion, we decided that Ethan, Liam, and I would join Matthew and Tania since they came by themselves in a comfortably large five-seater and we all came by transit. But then some of Aiden's other friends came over and insisted that Ethan joined them since "they hadn't talked to him forever, and they just had to catch up!"

I actually believed them, until they started cackling evilly as they walked away, then I knew Ethan had just set that up so we were forced alone with Aaron's parents. And it was solidified when he turned back around and mouthed "You are totally telling me everything once we get back home," Liam didn't say anything, but there was positively no way he missed it.

And now we were stuck with a prying -but insanely nice- older couple trying to find just about everything that had to do with our relationship.

Once we entered the car they had kept quiet for about a second before they were easily asking us questions about our relationship.

How long have you been dating?

"Not very long actually," I answered. I could not have Liam telling another fib about our relationship.

How did you meet?

Have you introduced each other to your families? Matthew looked at me as he said this. And I don't just mean biological family.

I had smiled at Matthew then, ignoring Liam's confused looks.

So what was your first kiss like?

"Tania!" I practically yelled in embarrassment unaware that Matthew was beat red in his seat. "You can't ask questions like that."

"Why not?" She asked me innocently. A teasing gleam in her eye.

"Yeah why not?" Liam agreed.

"W-what? Why are you agreeing with her?" I found myself asking Liam, utterly confused.

"It’s only a big deal if you make it out to be."

I sat there gaping at my boyfriend.

"Fine," I said firmly, waiting for them to look pleased. "I make it out to be." I turned to Tania smiling apologetically. "Sorry Tania but I'm just not comfortable."

She nodded and in grown-up language that was her accepting her defeat.

"Ok then then," she smiled and I calmed down. No more questions. "Are you two-"

I groaned loudly, purposely interrupting her.

"Oh, hush!" she laughed, struggling to appear firm and parently. "It's the last question. Are you two serious about each other?"

Now that made me pause. I wasn't completely sure how to answer that. On one hand, I did want to try a long-lasting relationship with Liam but on the other hand, I had no idea how much he was trying, and for all I knew I could be a rebound to him.

"I don't know," I answered honestly. "Are we serious?" I asked Liam who was looking a little worried.

"Do you want to be serious?" he asked instead, placing the ball back into my court.

"Yeah," I whispered, smiling against my will. "I do, at least I want to try and see where this goes."

Liam was smiling but before he could reply equally as cute, Matthew was interrupting.

"Good answer," he said simply, his eyes on the road so he was able to completely miss the mood.

"You really can't read the mood can you darling?" Matthew started sputtering in return to Tania's comically disappointed words.

"I-i was driving!" he exclaimed defensively.

"Still no excuse," she replied curtly much to Matthew's despair and our enjoyment.

The moment was gone but I was immensely happy that Liam and I were able to further discuss our relationship.

It might sound awfully stiff and overly professional to you but it was clarity and security to me. It calmed me down and helped me to feel safe.

Something that I desperately needed.

And just like that my thoughts were brought back to Kevin.

——————————

My friends and I were laughing at our table, joking around like usual.

One of my friends pulled me into their arms jokingly planting a sloppy kiss on my cheek.

"Eww, don't do that!" I whined rubbing my sleeve over my cheek to get rid of the saliva.

The man in question had cackled, enjoying the torture he had inflicted.

"Yeah stop doing that Tom, Clark's boyfriend could get jelly," Callum had winked, wiggling his eyebrows when he mentioned boyfriend.

I rolled my eyes.

I mean yeah my boyfriend had actually been the jealous type but I didn't think he was that bad and it didn't call for teasing.

"Clark!"

Speak of the devil. I had thought.

"Yeah, babe?" I asked Kevin when I made my way over to him.

He had just stared at me for a while his eyes running all over my face.

"Don't get cuddly with other guys alright."

"I'm not," I defended myself.

He raised his hand silencing all my previous words.

"Just don't okay?" His words came out through clenched teeth and he started to tense. "You said you wanted to be with me and that means you stay away from other guys."

I was partly stunned.

"Alright, I won't," I told him. I was completely faithful to him, I just needed to make that clear.

He mustered a small smile and drew me in for a long kiss before releasing me and walking away.

——————————

I gasped, jumping when I felt someone shaking me into focus.

"Jesus Clark! What's wrong?" Liam exclaimed, his concerned eyes coming into view.

I looked around me trying to figure out where I was.

The car was parked and Matthew and Tania were already standing outside of it, waiting for us with equally as concerned expressions.

We must be at the restaurant. I thought.

"W-what happened?" I asked Liam tiredly, my hands coming up to rub my temples as I shook myself awake.

"We were driving and you suddenly zoned out!" Liam was yelling. He seemed frantic and wound up tight. "I've been here for the past minute trying to-to wake you up."

His voice cracked and I drew him into my arms.

"Hey hey hey, I'm alright," I let Liam calm his breathing rubbing his back the whole way through. "I'm right here."

He calmed down and after fixing ourselves up we got out of the car. Meeting the worried older couple.

"Are you alright Clark?" Matthew asked the moment I opened the door.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just lost in thought." I smiled assuringly and was relieved when they seemed to relax.

"You must have been thinking really hard," Tania muttered, drawing out a full belly laugh from me and generous laughs from our partners.

"Yes," I replied, throwing my arm around Tania so we could make our way into the restaurant. "I was thinking very hard."