[ ❛ ☾ .' HUES! ❜ ─ ✧ DREAM]

── side quest!

( side quest  ── 'clay + nick!' )

"I can't fucking believe you."

"They were bussin!"

The two roommates stood over the kitchen garbage can, filled to the brim with energy drinks, hot pocket boxes, and more recently, fruit gummy packages.

"Nick. There was like, a 40 pack box."

"... They were bussin." 

Crossing his arms, Clay looked back down at the trash can, his friend hanging his head in shame while fidgeting with his nails. The two were officially out of food. There was maybe some expired apple juice in the fridge. Maybe a box of frozen chicken nuggets with only two left if they were lucky. A package of gum perhaps? 

"Do we really need to go food shopping?" Nick frowned, but he was already putting a hat on and grabbing his wallet.

"I'd prefer to not starve, so yes." Clay mumbled, sliding his phone in his pocket and giving Patches a few head pats and chin scratches. Unlike the two, she was well fed. 

"I say we just hire a personal chef. We could do that, right?" Nick said as the two got in Clay's car. "They'd make us food whenever we wanted, went food shopping for us." 

"Yeah, you let me know when you find someone willing to do that." The blonde snickered, driving to the grocery store while Nick took over on aux. 

15 minutes into their shopping trip, the two looked into their cart. 

Fruit gummies, check.

Cat food, check.

Energy drinks, check. 

Hot pockets, check.

"This isn't real food, is it."

"Nope." Clay responded, popping the 'p' and resting his hands on his hips. At this point, the two of them were gonna die before the age of 50 due to their diets. 

"What else should we even get though?" Nick said, looking around the frozen food aisle. Before he could stop himself, Clay found himself digging into his pocket and pulling his phone out. He opened his contacts and scrolled down, fully intent on calling his mom and asking her what they should buy. Yes, yes he was 21. 

"Oh dude, your mom? Lemme get that number." Nick joked, reaching over and grabbing his phone, clicking a contact in the process. Despite Clay's protests, Nick quickly clicked the call option and put his friend's phone to his ear. 

"Hello?" A voice chirped in his ear, and Nick grinned.

"Oh, hi Mrs. Dream!" He teased stepping back as Clay continued to try and grab his phone. Dipping and dodging his friend's attempts, Nick instead just stuck his tongue out and flipped his friend off.

"... Hi sapnap." The voice responded, letting out a tiny laugh afterward. Finally managing to grab his phone back, Clay looked down at the call information. His eyes wide he flipped the phone screen to face his friend, pointing at the contact name "marmaduke." When Nick grabbed his phone, he must have clicked the contact above "mom" instead.

"Nick! That's not my mom!" He whisper-yelled frantically, and another laugh echoed through his phone.

"Is that my son?! Oh, you finally called me! You never call anymore. I get so worried about you sweetie." Mar laughed again, realizing the two boys' mistake. 

"Wrong number, sorry Mar." Clay muttered quickly, pressing his phone to his ear. 

"Oh ouch, you mean to tell me that I'm not "Mrs. Dream?" I'm hurt." She teased, movement and shuffling heard through the other side of the phone. Her voice sounded so different on the phone than through Discord calls. For once, Clay couldn't picture her sitting at her gaming set up. Her voice was clearer now, and closer. For a split second, Clay felt that if he closed his eyes, he'd open them to find her right by his ear. 

"What are you doing?" Clay asked, narrowing his attention to the background noise on the phonecall and ignoring the way that goosebumps pricked up along his forearms. He'd blame it on the chill of the freezer aisle and not the way Marley's voice sounded as she let out a small grunt.

"Laundry. Fun right?" Another grunt. "Stupid fitted sheets. Never go on without a fight." Clay finally looked over at Nick, as it was just the two of them in the middle of the freezer aisle with a cart filled with cat food and other 'necessities.' He told himself to hang up, she was busy, she-

"What are you two idiots doing?" Marley's voice filled his ear again, she must have finally wrestled the fitted sheet onto her bed. Looking back down at their sad little shopping cart, Clay scratched at his jaw and huffed.

"We're trying to go grocery shopping but we honestly don't know what to buy." Her laughter filled the call again, leading him to roll his eyes. "It's hard ok!"

"Is that why you were gonna call your mommy?" She teased. "You can call me momm-"

"I'm hanging up." Clay cut her off, which only resulted in more giggles. Once the girl had pulled herself together Clay continued. "We just don't know what to get."

"Clay wants you to be our personal chef." Nick leaned into the phone before his friend dug his palm into his forehead and pushed him back. 

"No. No, I do not. That was your idea." Clay chuckled, leaning against the shopping cart. The other end of the line was silent, and Clay's laugh quieted.

"Did she say yes???"

"Well I didn't say no. Anyways put me on speaker, I'll show you how to speedrun grocery shopping."

--

"Who knew grocery shopping was so expensive." Nick groaned as he sat in the car with Clay. The statement earned him a very deserving glare since Nick didn't even pay for anything. Flicking his forehead, Clay turned his attention back to his phone. 

"That should last you guys a week. Just do that every weekend or something and just plan like, fun meals!" Even though they couldn't see it, they could tell Marley smiled through the phone. 

"Can't wait to try and figure that out," Clay mumbled softly before moving the phone closer to his face. "Just saying, nobody in their right mind needs pears."

"Oh fuck off! I like them!!"

"But you don't like bananas? Freak." Nick chorused in.

"THEY FEEL WEIRD IN MY MOUTH."

"Oh?"

"Oh?"

"I'm hanging up. You little shits are welcome."

The two boys laughed and shouted quick goodbyes as Marley hung up to continue her laundry. Setting his phone down, Clay drove the two of them and their many bags of food home. It wasn't at all five-star food, but it was enough to last them a whole week without ordering anything, and that's all the two of them needed. 

Hopefully, the next house guest knows how to cook.