The Fill-in Boyfriend // DNF

-~16~-

George stared at his phone screen, the contact he had open looking hauntingly back. He couldn't bring himself to text Dream. He really needed to cut off ties but the other part of him wished to stay where they were. It was aggravating.

He groaned in frustration and went to type in something but his phone suddenly went black with an incoming call.

Sapnap?

What the hell does he want?

He let the call ring a few agonizing seconds before he accepted, reaching up to listen from his ear.

"Hello?"

"Rileyyyy my man." Sapnap's voice echoed from the device, fairly loud, "I was wondering if you'd maybe like to come over later tonight for a hangout at my place? It's just Karl, Wilbur, Punz, me, a few others and maybeeee Dream." He coaxed, the sound of a movie rang in the background.

George swallowed nervously at the mention of Dream and he looked up at his ceiling as he thought of how to respond. "Uhm, I really can't—" he began but he never got to finish his sentence before his bedroom door swung open and his father stepped in.

George shot up, the phone falling to the bed and Sapnap's concerned voice ringing faintly from it. He quickly ended it. "Dad?"

"Did you really think you could hide this from us?" His father said, cutting straight to the chase as he always did. George felt his face pale at the sight of him holding up an extra uniform George used for work.

He slowly stood up, cautiously raising his hands in the air, "Dad, I—"

"Are you really that selfish that you would get a secret job and stash away money for yourself? You know how hard me and your mother work each day to put food on the table and clothes on your back!!" Lies. "The least you could do as a son is help us out a little! What use are you anyways!!" His dad yelled angrily, throwing the clothes to the ground and stomping a dirty boot on the newly pressed shirt.

George winced at the sight, "I didn't think it was such a big deal—"

He couldn't even get a word in edgewise before his throat was suddenly encircled by a rough hand and he was shoved to the bed.

"You fucking selfish brat." His father seethed, George could smell the alcohol on his breath and tried not to gag. He struggled against the grip but it was to no avail.

"Where is the money?"

Ugly, fat tears trickled traitorously from the edges of George's eyes and he couldn't find the strength to wipe them away. "I used it all." He lied weakly.

His dad saw right through. "I'll tear this room apart inch by inch till I find it. That shit is rightfully mine."

And he did.

George's stash was found in no time; tens of bills that had been cashed out stuffed unceremoniously into a shoebox and shoved onto the top of his closet. He sobbed, begging his dad not to take his only hope at freedom away but his father only slapped him harshly and left the room, box tucked under his arm.

The cut on his lip throbbed as it was reopened by the blow but George couldn't care less. What the fuck was he supposed to do now? He was completely broke and he had been counting on those savings to get him through college and then out of the house.

He was at square one again.

He glanced through tear filled eyes at his bed where his phone lay forgotten.

A distraction was just what he needed at the moment. And he knew exactly where to get one.

—

Glitchy music and yelling rang out from around George who was holding a glass of foul smelling liquid in his hand. The substance reeked of alcohol and his stomach churned at the reminder of his dad.

Just one drink and you won't remember.

And he did just that. The drink burned on its way down but it was a relieving ache. A promise of soothing cloudiness and artificial happiness. He welcomed it with open arms.

"Hits the spot doesn't it?" A voice broke through the fog of his mind and George spun on the counter seat to greet it.

"You coming to join me?"

Sapnap unceremoniously plopped down next to him, pouring himself a drink from the almost empty alcohol bottle before him. He drank it much slower than George and rested his head on one hand as he turned to speak. "Eh, You weren't my first choice." He gestured to the couch in his living room where not an inch of fabric was shown from the people sprawled across it.

Talk about a few others. It was a full on party. Everybody's sister's cousin was here. It was overbearing and loud. It was distracting.

"Rude." George said halfheartedly in response to the weak insult. He reached forward to get more of the beverage and Sapnap watched him with an eyebrow raised.

"You got enough yet?

"This won't even coax a headache outta me." George lied. He was a light drinker.

He hated alcohol. It reminded him of his dad and reminded him of everything that his dad did under the influence.

He only drank when he absolutely needed to. When he was so lost he couldn't think of anything else to do.

And now seemed a better time than any.

"I'm just sorry Dream won't be showing up." Sapnap said, dismissing George's reply after a moment of thought. The brunette was old enough to be making his own decisions.

"Oh?" That was a relief. He wouldn't have been able to deal with Dream too after everything that went down today. He was so tired of it all.

"Yeah. Said he had something else going on at work. I think he's just making up excuses 'cause of the last time he was here for one of these." Sapnap took a small sip of his drink.

George furrowed his brows. "What happened last time?"

Sapnap seemed to realize what he had said but he was too deep in the conversation to back out now. "He uh, he did some crazy stuff with a few of the guys." He said dismissively, he waved a hand around to evade the question, "but that was ages ago. Long before you and him got together."

"I would hope so."

"He's a loyal guy." Sapnap said, smoothly ending the conversation on a good note.

"Who is?"

George jumped, fear rippling down his spine at the familiar voice. Why now?

"EYY Dreammm, I didn't think you were coming!!" Sapnap greeted, gesturing to the only seat left. The one right next to George.

"I didn't think so either. But work let me off earlier than expected." Dream sat down much more gracefully than Sapnap had before and rested an arm on the countertop.

"Hey Riley."

It was a warning.

A warning that they were acting in a play that both weren't sure what to do.

George glanced up through half lidded eyes. "Hi yourself."

It was a strange strike of deja vu that ran over Dream and George but they were both quick to ignore it. Those days were long gone.

"You want a drink?" Sapnap said, breaking the tension.

Dream eagerly nodded, tired from a long day of work and also wanting a bit of relief. The ravenette poured a generous amount into a spare glass and handed it over.

And only then did the night really begin. 

——————

What's this? I'm still writing this? Ik. Crazy right? 

Don't jinx it idiots. <33