ORPHANED

:: fifty-seven ::

when the food arrived at the table george was enthusiastic to pick up chopsticks and press them into dream's free hand.

"hold this one like a pencil."

dream held the bamboo stick in between his middle and index finger, showcasing where he settled it to the man beside him.

george looked at him unimpressed. "you hold a pencil like that?"

dream inspected his hands, mock writing on the table to ensure he held the pencil correctly. "yes...is this wrong?"

george picked the stick from dream's hands and rested it against his pointer finger, pinching it with dream's thumb. "you're supposed to hold it like this." george removed his hands, allowing dream to inspect his hands.

"that's weird."

"that's right."

"what do i do with this one?" dream removed his other hand from george's thigh to pick up the other chopstick.

george seemed offended by the movement, so dream set down the chopstick, returning his hand to george's thigh, squeezing to reassure him. "sorry."

george smiled picking up the other stick and rested it against the crook between dream's finger and his thumb.

"now move just this finger up and down." he pointed to the index, waiting for dream to try the movement.

dream moved his index finger, watching as the tips of the chopsticks spread and connected.

"wow."

"you have to eat the entire roll."

"i have to do what?" dream turned to the look at the rolls that were much more than a mouthful.

"you can't bite it, it'll fall apart." george spread a mysterious sauce atop both of their plates of sushi.

dream reached for his first roll, feeling his hands shake as he held his hands in an unfamiliar position. he picked up the roll, george's eyes concentrated on his hands. inspecting the muscles in his hands that contracted at the movement.

he brought the roll to his mouth quickly, feeling it slip from his grip.

his eyes connected with george's as he swallowed, feeling the need to turn away, the situation feeling too intimate.

"you did it." george smiled.

"george, truth or dare?" sapnap asked from the other side of the booth, a scheming grin on his face.

"uh," george sipped his drink. "truth?"

"would you kiss dream?"

george, choked on his water, and dream wished sapnap would shut up.

"dare." george corrected his decision.

"i dare you to kiss dream."

george shook his head. "we need a new game."

"no fair." karl crossed his arms.

**

"how much should we tip her?"

"nothing." dream turned from his friend, knowing he was just being petty.

"just because she has a crush on your boyfriend doesn't mean she doesn't deserve a tip for doing her job." sapnap rolled his eyes, placing a twenty on the table.

they began leaving the restaurant, tired after having just finished eating.

"excuse me, before you leave could i speak with you?"

dream turned around to their waitress hastily pulling a sweater over her shoulders. he watched his friends step off into the direction of the car, he had time.

he waited by the door, holding it open for her to follow him out.

they stood by the door, dream waiting for her to speak up first.

"i didn't mean to be offensive, i had no idea. your boyfriend is very pretty and you guys make such a cute couple. i would never try to take him away from you, you guys look very happy together."

dream began sympathizing with the girl. he sighed. "it's okay."

she looked up at him. "what?"

"it's alright. he is very pretty to be fair." he turned to the car, watching sapnap impatiently wave him over. "i have to go now, but thank you."

"oh um, bye." he turned away from her walking towards the car and dismissing the knowing smirk that sapnap shot him as he passed. he sat beside george, who had seemed to watch the interaction with interest.

"what did you talk about?"

"nothing important."

george huffed, settling back into dream's side.

**

"i'm kidnapping you."

"what for?"

"i don't know if you've noticed but i've been running dangerously low on sweatshirts. and i don't blame you or anything, but one of us is responsible for that."

"your fault."

"that's fair." dream rested against the door, waiting for george to exit the apartment. "i need your opinion though, what if you don't like them?"

"i'll like whatever you pick."

"but i want you to come with, i'm bored." sapnap having been busy today left dream to his own devices and he figured there was no point in that when he could instead just bother george.

"why didn't you take your sister?"

"she doesn't want to hang out with her brother unless she's getting something out of it."

"i'm not dressed or anything dream." george seemed to be rushing around his apartment as he spoke from behind the locked door. dream pulled out his phone, figuring he'd be waiting a while.

"i'll help you get dressed, just let me in, i have the entire day planned out around you." he was jolted from his phone when the door behind him opened. he looked up from the floor to a timid george, wearing one of dream's stolen sweatshirts.

"you're my only weakness." george sighed as he caught glance of the blonde right outside his front door.

dream's eyes scanned how the sweatshirts sat on the brunettes torso. "i could say the same."

they stood and stared at each other neither of them making an effort to move at first.

"have you eaten anything yet?"

george shook his head.

"did you just wake up?"

again george shook his head, this time around much more hesitant.

"right, and i'm just supposed to believe that?"

george nodded.

"c'mon i want to hear your pretty voice." dream joked, smiling at the way george turned away from him.

"you're so dumb."

"come, let's go get some food into you." dream stepped away from the door, offering his hand to lead george out to his car.

george placed his hand in dream's, only he could make him this excited to start their day.