y/n: your name

l/n: last name

tws: swearing

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y/n's pov *

i woke to knocking at my door. it didn't immediately register in my brain what the sound was, so i took my sweet time rubbing my eyes and cracking my back until the second rap on the wood shook me out of my dazed trance. tangled in blankets, i flopped to the floor and scrambled to answer it. "coming!" i yelled, fixing my hair as i ran.

i didn't even bother to check the peephole, i just opened the door. i didn't know who i was expecting to see, but it certainly wasn't my landlord.

"hello ms. l/n," he greeted me. there was a sympathetic tone in his voice when he spoke to me, and i didn't know why.

"hi..." i trailed off, "how can i help you?"

"i... i'm afraid it's not a matter of that today." he paused to gather his words, wringing his hands as he avoided eye contact with me. my grip on the door handle tightened as i waited for him to continue, and after a few beats of silence, he did. "ms. l/n, i'm sorry to inform you that a new landlord is going to be managing this apartment complex. your rent is already almost a week late. i've never minded that because you're one of the best tenants i've ever had live here, but the new manager is not nearly as forgiving as i am."

i stared at him blankly. "what are you saying?"

he hesitated before speaking again. "the new landlord has made it clear that you have to move out by the end of the week," he finally admitted, "that was the best deal i could negotiate for you."

my words got lost in my throat and my thoughts went fuzzy.

"i'm sorry ms. l/n. i wish there was more i could do," he apologized, patting my arm to reassure me, "i hope you are able to work everything out."

"... thank you, mr. miller," i managed to squeak out, "i... i appreciate everything you've done for me."

he nodded, and with a sad smile, left me to stand alone in the arched entrance to my apartment. when his footsteps were far down the hallway, i shut the door softly, leaning my weight into it.

"shit!" i hissed, knocking my fist against the wood. hot tears threatened to well in my eyes, but i held them back. i needed to be rational and levelheaded if i was going to dig myself out of this mess.

face red as i bottled up frustration and sadness, i sat on the edge of my bed and grabbed a handful of tissues from the tissue box on my nightstand. even though i was refusing to cry, i couldn't stop my nose from running it seemed.

"y/n...?" a soft voice called out.

i jumped, looking around my room. it took me only a second to realize where the sound had come from.

"clay?" i said, pulling my laptop closer to me. "oh my god, i didn't realize i was still in the call."

"neither did i..." he trailed off, "are you okay?"

"yeah, i'm fine," i assured him, but the question alone made it impossible to keep a straight face, and my voice wavered.

"i know that's not true. what happened? i heard you swear from the other room. did you hurt yourself?" he pressed, concern laced in his tone.

"no, i—" i sighed, exhaling a shaky breath, "my landlord came by. i... i have to move out of my apartment by the end of the week."

"oh my god... where— do you have somewhere to go?"

"not yet. i'm gonna see if there's anything in the area, but i... i don't have a lot of optimism about finding something in a week if i'm honest." i ran my fingers through my hair. "i'll figure something out."

he was quiet for a minute before he spoke again. "what if—" he laughed once, cutting himself off— "this is kind of perfect timing, but—"

"ha, oh yeah, me getting kicked out of my apartment is real great timing clay—"

"sorry, wrong wording, wrong wording. just— hear me out. you— uh— nick, george, and i are moving in together next week right? in— in florida?

"yeah, nick mentioned that last night, that's great," i sighed, fed up and not really sure where he was going with this.

"okay— what if you moved in too?"

"what?" i sputtered, "clay, that's crazy. i can't impose like that. you guys—"

"you wouldn't be imposing!" he assured me, "i would want you there. we all would."

"it— it's too risky! i— we don't even know what each other look like. people are excited for the dream team moving in together, not the dream team and u/n. i'm not— i can't ruin that for you guys."

"are you trying to convince me or yourself that you shouldn't move in? cause i can't be convinced. i— i've made up my mind." in a second clay's discord icon turned to webcam footage, and i caught a glimpse of a particularly cute boy with blond hair and sun freckles and i freaked.

i clapped my hand over my eyes. "oh my god! impulsive ass! i— that was illegal, i am now blind, i do not see—"

"i literally heard you slap your hand to your face, oh my god! just— look at me. just look at me."

i exhaled and slowly cracked open my fingers to watch him lean closer to his camera, fingers steepled in front of him. "y/n, we want you to come. i want you to come. you wouldn't be imposing or— or ruining anything, i promise." he paused, taking a breath. "but if you— like— really don't want to then you obviously don't have to, but the offer is on the table. and i.. really hope you take it."

oh. that made my heart twist into a knot.

i hesitated to speak and sniffled instead to hold back tears, letting out a wet laugh and making a clicking noise with my mouth, cause a good joke made everything better. "great— great stuff, yeah. time to— to leak this to my secret stan account."

he chuckled, shaking his head. "i know you're joking."

i nodded even though he couldn't see me. "you have a lot of trust in someone you've only known for a short while clay."

"yeah, well, i trust easily when the person is worth trusting. you've been good for the dream team, and my channel, and for the fanbase, and for— well— me." he sighed and smiled weakly. "so yeah, this is like.. mega impulsive of me, but— i don't think it's a bad idea. i think it's a great one."

i didn't want to speak even though i had so much to say in fear that my words would come out choked and tear stricken.

"you don't have to say yes now, or.. no.. but the offer is on the table. it will always be on the table."

i blinked at his webcam footage and took a deep breath. "i will face reveal.." i finally spoke up, "when i see you. at.. the airport. in— in person."

"wait really?" his eyebrows shot up and he grinned, a big and cute and toothy smile that i noticed was just ever so slightly lopsided, which made my stomach flutter with butterflies for some reason. "o-okay! okay!" he contined to freak out, "that's— yes! hahah!" he leaned back in his desk chair and spun in a circle, letting out one big yell of "yesss!" at the top of his lungs. when he was done celebrating, he scooted back to his desk and faced the camera again, green eyes noticeably brighter.

"are you done big man?" i laughed, shaking my head.

"what do you mean am i done, i'm excited! you should be excited!"

"i am excited! and i— i trust you too clay," i admitted, "but i'd rather you see me and stuff when i'm not crying. because i'm crying right now. like actually."

"well you better wipe those tears out of your eyes! this is— you don't have to cry, because i get to see you next week, and then we get to see each other everyday after that, and we're going to make the best of it."

"god, that sounds horrible," i teased, laughing and wiping the few droplets that had fallen onto my cheeks away. they were happy tears now anyway.

clay grinned and nodded in agreement like an idiot, and i shook my head.

"anyway, i'll— god, i gotta let george and nick know what's going on! they'll be so excited. i'll text you the details of the move later too," he rambled, shuffling around the stuff on his desk as he searched for his phone.

i laughed once under my breath. "thank you clay. it— i don't think i'll ever be able to repay you for this."

"well good thing you don't have to. just pack your bags and get ready to deal with three manchildren come next week."

"i think i can handle that much."

"good. i'll talk to you later. cheer up y/n."

"heh— bye clay."

he left the call, and i did too.

i flopped back against my pillows. it was official. i was moving in with the dream team. how i got myself into all this, i didn't know, but i was glad that things were turning out this way.

i stared into my open closet and at the suitcase set on the top shelf inside.

it was time to start packing.