ORPHANED

:: one hundred twenty-nine ::

"i think we should have george put the star on the tree."

as her sentence came to a close it was evident that his sister wasn't for that idea at all. her unbelief delayed for a moment before it turned into a sour sulk, and it seemed as if she was trying to communicate telepathically with their mom for her to take it back.

"c'mon now, you've been doing it practically every year." she rested her hands on the brunette's shoulders to protect him from any probable attacks from the youngest.

"fine," she gave a moment of reasoning before she shifted the situation into something she would benefit from. "but i want reassurance that i will get to do it next year."

his mom twisted to check with him but all she got in return was a shrug. he gave up fighting for it and recognized it as her responsibility a long time ago, and to be honest, he was surprised she gave in at all. "that can be arranged." she answered with a nod.

"shake on it." george insisted, and dream's sister agreed, sticking out a hand for their mom to shake, her picture of the brunette restored.

"then it's settled." he clasped his hands together, eager to get the deed done before his sister changed her mind.

the urgency passed around the room and his mom clearly understood, standing from behind the brunette. "i got a new one and i'm excited to show you. let me go get it." she rushed up the stairs and knowing her as well as he did, dream knew it wouldn't be much different, but he and his sister would put up a front of excitement to make her happy.

"how am i meant to get up there?" george pointed to the top of the tree that was high enough that he wouldn't be able to comfortably reach it without a crutch. he turned to the blonde, suspecting the offer of a stool.

dream hadn't thought about it until then, but at the remembrance of the tradition he gave a knowing smile. "that is a wonderful question george because usually i-"

"i'll lift you up!" his sister butted in to answer, well informed of what exactly it was that was going through the blonde's head.

"as if you have the strength to even pick him up off the ground." he criticized. with all the stunts she had pulled today, he wouldn't be surprised if she did everything in her power to prevent him from fulfilling their tradition.

"i could totally lift him up off the ground!" she crossed her arms, tired of the multiple incessant times her brother would dispute her strength.

"i think she could do it, after all, she did completely knock you off your feet in dodgeball." the brunette snickered with a playful smile from where he still sat on the sofa.

"hey this guy is kinda funny." she pointed a thumb into his direction before her hands came back to rest on her hips.

"it was one time," he whined, unbelieving that the brunette would take her side. "go ahead and try." he crossed his arms, not entirely wanting to watch his words be eaten.

"then i definitely could pick him up! george stand up." she beamed, turning to the man who jumped at her excitement. "please." she then added for courtesy, of course.

and at the command of both of them, he stood, unsure he had the right to do anything else, and surely enough, he was hoisted into the air. she had managed to pick him up off the ground, but they were lacking the necessary height.

"okay to be fair, that is pretty impressive, but you aren't lifting him high enough at all." his eye's flickered between the highest point on the brunette's head to the highest point on the tree and there was a considerably large gap.

so finally he was set down, with a melancholic huff and a disappointed shrug. "i guess you could do it." her words were mumbled with the roll of her eyes, not wanting to have given her brother the satisfaction, but it was a victory for him nonetheless.

when their mom came down with the star it was just as he had suspected, nothing much different than before, however, george was over the moon about it, which was a good compromise for the need of a fake reaction.

"our first christmas away from home and george is going to make sure it is memorable by not tipping over my tree, right?" she handed him the new star, with a smile that nobody could tell the intentions behind.

the brunette nodded, again afraid he had no other choice. seeing how serious she had been about karl's betrayal, his hands began to sweat.

dream was unsure how to approach the situation, it's not like he could've just came up behind him and lifted him off the ground. everything seemed to operate smoothly for him until it came to things surrounding the brunette.

from the corner of his eye, he could see his mom pick up her phone to record and he decided it was best to act then. "are you ready?" he whispered between them, avoiding eye contact, knowing it would do nothing but throw him off and run the risk of throwing them both into the tree.

"you won't drop me?"

"who do you take me for?"

when he nodded in response dream was quick to lift him off the ground, eager for them to be out of sight of the camera. george struggled more than anyone before him, and the blonde began to wonder if it was his first time.

"c'mon george!"

encouragements were thrown around but they did little in terms of helping.

"my arms are going to give out." he squinted his eyes and his tongue slipped past his lips in concentration. before they knew it a cheer was announced by his sister and it was their only confirmation that he was successful.

the only problem that found them now was the fact that dream had become so enamored by watching the brunette he had yet to realize they were done.

"okay, mr. hands you can put him down now, you don't have to keep hogging him, he's our guest to ya' know."

"right."

and although neither of them dared to check, they shared a flustered hesitance.

—

around halfway though this chapter i started writing it on my phone and may i say, what a good decision that was. also i was wrong about karlnap skate stream i can even watch them dance the second hand embarrassment is killing me