ORPHANED

:: thirty-eight ::

dream tried not to draw back from his own sweatshirt when it was handed to him.

"i'll see you around." she winked, blew a kiss, and waved as she walked backwards out of the shop.

dream stared at the hoodie, then up at george.

"what do you think is in the pocket?" he unraveled the sweatshirt, vigilant about where he placed his hands.

george shook his head, "i don't know, her underwear or something." george played with the strings of dream's sweatshirt.

dream dropped the sweatshirt and pretended to throw up. "why would you say that?"

george burst into laughter, the noise echoing in the room.

"i think i'm going to give sapnap this sweatshirt." dream cringed at the fabric on the floor.

"what? no don't give it to sapnap."

"well i don't want it anymore." dream stared down at the sweatshirt. he was glad he swept the floor.

"don't give it to sapnap."

"why not?" he smirked at the man behind the counter and crossed his arms. george sat quiet for a second, retracting his hands into the sleeves of his sweatshirt. "george?"

"...you said you liked the way i look in your hoodie."

"anyone would look good in my hoodie."

"but i don't want sapnap to wear your hoodie." george lifted his head to frown at dream.

"would you be jealous if i did give it to sapnap." dream picked up the sweater and dusted it off, presenting it to george.

"i cried on that sweatshirt."

dream looked at the sweatshirt, he remembered the way george gripped the fabric in his hands. he remembered the way he pressed his face into dream's chest. he smiled. "well i guess i'll be keeping it."

he folded it in his hands and went to tuck it in his bag.

"i'm disappointed, i wanted to see you jealous." dream approached the counter, standing in front of george.

"i've been jealous before." he rolled his eyes.

"no you haven't?" dream tried to think of an instance when george was jealous.

"yes i have. you haven't noticed?"

"no?" dream was shocked. "jealous of me?" he pointed to himself.

george rolled his eyes again. "jealous of people close to you."

"aw, george there's no reason to be jealous." he played with one of the strings hanging from george's sweatshirt

"but you're so close with everyone, i feel left out sometimes."

"you're joking." dream rested his elbow on the counter holding his face.

george shook his head.

"but we spend so much time together."

he shook his head again. "but you have more in common with karl, and you've known sapnap longer."

dream tugged on the string. "but i like talking to you most." george pouted and put up his hood.

"what if we hang out today, so we can make up for all the lost time." dream kept swirling the string around his finger.

"at my apartment?"

"sure why not."

sapnap opened the door, carrying bags. he cleared his throat. "am i interrupting?"

george pulled the hoodie string from dream's hand.

"i figured george would be here, so i brought lunch for him aswell."

dream stood from the counter, "jesus you've been gone for like two hours."

"i'm sorry your favorite food is from a store on the entire other side of town."

**

lunch passed full of conversations and laughter. dream kept looking up to watch the light smiles on george's face progress into full on joy. he was excited to spend another day with george, practically counting down the hours of his shift remaining. when the bell behind him rang he jumped up from the counter ready to leave.

"why are you so smiley?" george flashed his beautiful smile at dream as he knocked into the blonde's side.

"what, are you not? we get to spend more time together georgie." dream took a few steps in front of the man beside him and did a spin.

george smiled and rolled his eyes playfully. dream offered a hand and assisted george into a spin of his own. dream was still honored by the idea of his friends making george jealous.

"you should carry me, since you suddenly have so much energy."

dream smiled still holding his hand, "great idea george." he swept the man off his feet, carrying him bridal style.

"...this is not what i meant." george stared at dream with wide eyes.

dream frowned, "do you want me to put you down?"

george hesitated before shaking his head, wrapping his arms around the blonde's neck, and resting his face on dream's shoulder. "no, this is fine."

dream continued walking, carrying the man in his arms. he wasn't too keen on the fact that george was laying right over his heart, he was able to hear how each of his movements effected the blonde. he was glad it was still dark out, george never seemed to like the idea of being comfortable in front of other people.

dream continued ambling towards george's apartment, glancing at the man as he tied their hoodie strings together. he smiled, he was glad george felt comfortable around him.

"did you know that i'm colorblind?"

dream turned to look at george who was staring at him with sparkling eyes. "i didn't, no...like fully colorblind?"

george shook his head, "i'm red-green colorblind."

"so you can't see red or green?"

"nope."

"i'm sorry." dream frowned.

george smiled up to him. "why are you sorry?"

"you don't get to see the world as it is. it's ugly sometimes, but what about the times it's not. i want you to see that." dream scanned the environment around him. george didn't see the world like he did.

"you don't have to be sorry, it's not like a crippling disease or anything."

dream still frowned. he felt george rest his head against him again and turned to watch the trees pass. he didn't know why he was so upset about this, he didn't think it was fair that george was cheated from the full image of earth. sure, dream was tired of seeing the same thing over and over again but it felt different when he knew george didn't see it the same.

—

this chapter has been on hold for 2 hours now, my bad