behind closed doors

friends

𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖌𝖊𝖗 𝖜𝖆𝖗𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘 𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖉 𝖎𝖓 𝖔𝖕𝖊𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖆𝖚𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖗'𝖘 𝖓𝖔𝖙𝖊

☾

the door is pulled open and karl peaks his head out, smiling widely when he sees the brunette. "hey!" he greets, stepping back to open the door fully for george, "come in."

george smiles back as he steps in, subtly taking in his surroundings. the first thing he notices is the window at the end of the hallway, which has a blanket hanging over one corner, almost like a makeshift curtain. below it is the curtain railing, which sits discarded on the floor. it doesn't look like it's ever been put up.

george pushes off his shoes, looking at the floor in the process. it's plain wood, but it looks as though there is supposed to be carpet over it, rather than the wood-floor that is supposed to stay as it is. unfinished.

"how long was the walk?" karl asks, the front door creaking as he pushes it shut again.

george makes a mental note of how karl doesn't lock the door as he replies, "not sure, maybe twenty minutes?"

karl tuts as if that's a ridiculously long time. "you should have just got a lift back with tina and me from school," the fluffy-haired boy complains.

"i will next time," george says. "i had to pop home first anyway to do something," he lied. really, he hadn't gone back with karl because he didn't want to explain his absence to dream and sapnap.

"fine, next time," karl agrees. "shall we go up to my room?"

"sure," george grins, following close behind as karl begins to lead the way upstairs. george's gaze shifts to the railing on the stairs, which is missing more than one of the wooden bars.

karl stops halfway up the stairs, turning back to face george. "sorry, i didn't even ask if you wanted a drink," he apologises, giggling a little, "i'm just a bit excited."

"it's okay," george dismisses, smiling fondly. "i'm not thirsty."

"is there anything else i can get you?" karl wonders. "we have snacks and stuff?"

"i'm good, thanks," george declines politely.

"okay," karl smiles, continuing the journey up the stairs and into his room.

george walks into the room as karl holds the door open for him, allowing his gaze to flick over the space. karl says, "just give me a minute," and george offers him a nod in response before the brunette shuts the bedroom door with just george in it.

through the door, george hears two knocks and karl say, "hi," before the noise is cut off by another door closing.

left alone, george isn't sure what exactly he should do. they've shared a bed before, yet george still doesn't know where he is allowed to sit, so he stays standing, just looking around again.

he notices that, again, the window has no curtains, though this one hasn't got a blanket over.

this prompts george to look over at karl's bed. he notices that karl hasn't got a duvet, or at least there isn't one on his bed. instead he has a flimsy looking throw blanket and a single pillow. it doesn't look like much on the double mattress, but george doesn't judge.