ORPHANED

:: three ::

dream had a fun time talking with george, he couldn't deny it, not to mention it helped him take the nerve off of his first day. they talked forever and joked about anything that came to mind, it almost felt natural. around them the coffee shop emptied. the moon left its trail of darkness behind, and the sun began to prance around the awakening town. george's project long forgotten about.

the brunette rested his head on his palm with a big toothy grin on his face, thinking about a joke dream had just said. he let out a breath and rose his head, looking beside him through the windows as he saw the morning light. somber as always. when he turned back to the blonde he was smiling at him with twinkling eyes. george couldn't help but smile back.

"why are you looking at me like that?" george shook his head.

"my shift is over in twenty minutes." dream elated, way too proud of himself for a part time job of serving coffee.

"congratulations, it feels like just eight hours ago you were freaking out about black coffee. you're practically an ace now."

"oh shut up, i could've poisoned you." dream laughed, shaking his head and letting his hair fall in front of his eyes, before running his fingers through it and sharing a look with george.

george rose his eyebrows with a smirk, "but you didn't." too smug for his own good.

"don't be so sure, i'll get you next time." dream shot him a wink, and george would have been genuinely scared for his life, if it hadn't been for the wheezing laugh originating behind the register.

the brunette shook his head, turning when he heard the bell above the door chime. in walked thomas. his eye bags were so dark he could've been misinterpreted as someone with two black eyes. george made a hissing noise and scrunched his face. thomas only shook his head, putting his bag behind the counter and taking a seat beside george.

"i'll have three mochas." he laid his head on the counter.

"three?" dream looked at george making an effort to scan his expression for any sarcasm.

"oh c'mon thomas, that's no way to treat a newbie." george smiled mischievously.

thomas' head shot up and he looked mortified. "i'm so sorry, i thought sapnap still had this shift. i'm sorry. my names thomas, i work the shift right after you, and i've worked at The Grind for several years now. i believe bad told me you're dream? sapnap said you're cool, so i think we'll get along quite swell. i'll just have two mochas."

dream blinked at him sympathetically, interested in how he thought narrowing his order from three mochas to two would abolish all concern in the others. "i'm gonna be honest with you since we're going to be working together now, you look like you need a glass of water, not a mocha, let alone two."

thomas nodded his head, "that would also be nice."

george rose his eyebrows at dream, "what, so now you're not only a nice barista, but you're also a decent coworker? what are you hiding?" george's eyes seemed to shoot through him, it was dream's turn to be scared for his life.

thomas pinched george. "you've never offered me a glass of water, george?" the brunette looked nervous and laughed. dream smiled at the interaction and began preparing lemon water for the exhausted boy resting next to the register. the coffee shop was again quiet, apart from the sound of the crackling ice inside the cup. dream finished what would be the last drink of his first shift.

the water slathered the wooden cafe with the scent of citrus. dream set down the glass next to his weary coworker, and thomas lifted his head enough to down the entire cup of cold water. dream's eyes widened.

both george and thomas spoke at the same time,

"impressive."

"refreshing."

the contrast in their voices is what caused dream to begin laughing again. behind them a clock shrieked, signifying dream survived his first shift at The Grind. thomas groaned into the tabletop. george rubbed his back in response, and dream pat his head refilling the glass for him.

"since technically i'm no longer working, do either of you know which train will take me back north?" dream looked outside. underestimating how long he'd been working. "i thought it was going to be dark when this was over?" he shook his head again.

george asked, "you take the train back north?"

dream looked back from the windows to face george, "i do."

george smiled at him unbelieving, "you're joking?"

dream looked at the back of thomas' head, then back to george. "i'm not?"

george stood from the stool. "well go on, grab your stuff." dream wasn't exactly sure why he complied but he listened to george's directions. he followed him to the doors of the cafe and together dream and george exited the coffee shop.

the blonde looked down to george "you don't have to walk me, i just need to know which train to wait for."

george shook his head to answer. "that's where you're wrong." dream was again confused for the seventh time that day. george smiled up to him, "we take the same train."

dream was surprised, and he blinked at george as they continued walking the route to the train station. he towered over the brunette, but not in a menacing way, more like his own personal security. he couldn't stop his hand from resting on the mans head. "you're so short george." the brunette scoffed, dream couldn't see but he was positive george would be rolling his eyes.

"i am not short, you are just too tall. i am perfectly average sized."

dream shrugged, "only since you feel so strongly about it georgie."

george stared at dream while raising his eyebrows, "at the nickname stage are we? take me on a date first, jeez." his comment was accompanied by dreams unique laugh.