ORPHANED

:: seventy-six ::

he could recognize that voice anywhere.

he wouldn't leave without saying goodbye, unless he would. he didn't mean it, he was joking.

the emotion accompanying the eyes that locked with his own said otherwise. dream hadn't wanted him to hear that. he tried to push down the feel of betrayal that materialized out of thin air.

george held his breath, inspecting the radiant face of the blonde. he looked fine, like this break meant nothing. he made no effort to reach out, and he was already prepared to move on.

this wasn't fair.

george spun around and headed back out the way he had came.

jared was right.

he heard the blonde call his name, but he knew if he truly wanted to speak with him he would run, it's not like it was difficult to catch up with him. dream had longer legs and george hadn't gotten very far just walking.

footsteps behind him made him pick up pace.

"george."

will.

he stopped, turning to face the other. his eyes flickered to the doors of the coffee shop. dream didn't even try and run after him.

"...he was right." george kept his eyes on the doors, scared to meet wilbur's gaze.

"who?"

george didn't say anything. knowing the answer would anger him.

"no george. don't you dare listen to anything he ever said to you."

"then why is he leaving will? he didn't even want to wait for me to explain myself, he was just going to leave. just like that." he turned around, walking back to the direction of their apartment. wilbur didn't try to say anything after that, offering his company as he walked home with george.

he had finally broken it off with jared and this is how he was repaid. he thought it was over, he though he was free, but instead this is what his actions caused. all the tortuous nights he stayed up crying regretting every wrong turn he took for nothing. he thought what he had with the blonde was special, but it was obvious they didn't feel the same way towards each other.

**

as soon as george got into his room the very first thing he did was obvious. he gathered all of the sweatshirts he had accumulating from the blonde, setting them on wilbur's bed.

"i don't want these."

wilbur slowly stepped away from his desk to inspect the fabric, head snapping in george's direction when he realized what they were.

"are you sure?"

"they're not mine." he felt repulsed by the idea of the sweatshirt's ever grazing his skin again.

"george, i don't want to tell you you're overreacting, but maybe think this through a little harder?"

overreacting here we go again. he wished people would stop saying that to him.

"i'm not overreacting will, i'm done with him, i'm finally done, i have better things to worry about now." he crossed his arms, watching wilbur pick up each of the sweatshirts, stepping around the other and disappearing down the hallway. george didn't wait for him to return before he retreated back into his room.

sitting down on his bed he removed his phone from his pocket, staring at the picture set as his wallpaper. remembering the day dream had carried him the entire way to his apartment.

"i'm done." he whispered to himself as he traveled into his photos.

"i'm done." he repeated as he deleted all his recent photos, getting rid of screenshots of their conversations, pictures of the blonde when he hadn't been looking, and stupid posts they'd sent to each other. things he had wanted to remember.

"i'm done." he opened his settings, tears pricking the corner of his eyes, as he set a dull picture as his wallpaper.

he closed the app, his eyes blurring at the colors that stared back at him where the picture of him in the blonde's arms once lay. he turned off his phone, setting it beside himself on the bed, and held his head in his hands.

"i'm done." he finalized. pressing his eyes shut as he attempted to breathe steadily through his nose. he pulled his legs up to his chest, holding himself with a comfort that would act in substitution to anyone who dared walk into his life.

when there was a knock and his door creaked open he pressed his face farther into his arms, trying to avoid telling off the other, he knew will meant no harm. the bed dipped beside him and a head rested on his shoulder. warmth seeped into the expanse of his skin that felt cold to the touch.

"how are you feeling?"

it wasn't a question, he just wanted to know that george was there with him. george sighed.

wilbur hummed into the air. "maybe it's a misunderstanding."

george shook his head.

"george i know that you know i want whats best for you. i'd be on your side if i didn't know dream personally, he's a good guy, i know that."

again george shook his head. "and what about techno."

wilbur came to a full stop. he hadn't expected that. it took him a few minutes to come up with an answer. "there are always two sides to every story."

"you don't really believe that."

"of course i do."

george stopped trying to argue. and they sat like that, for who knows how long, in the cold empty darkness that was george's room. normally it was an inviting environment but now he wanted to be anywhere else.

"i'm not going to give him back his hoodies."

he bit down on his lip, feeling betrayed again.

"i'll put them away so you don't have to see them, but i'm not getting rid of them." he paused, "you guys aren't done."

george breathed.

his brain wandered back to the blonde in the coffee shop. the hair that fell into his eyes, the dark spots that littered his warm skin, his soft gaze, his gentle smile, his calming embrace.

"i don't want to be done."

—

dream bucket hat came in the mail POG