BUGBOY | DORBYN [DISCONT.]

10

daniel's lips pursed together as the door closed behind him, bag slung over his shoulder. the living room was dark, illuminated by the blue light emitted from the television. his eyes scanned the room, the infamous mess of the living room unsurprising.

snack wrappers, empty cans, a quarter-full water bottle, and stray dishes. how daniel's dad managed to be so untidy in the run of ten hours, he couldn't tell.

daniel tried to be as quiet as possible, starting with the recyclables curling around the leather chair. following that were the dishes, and any other package his father had strewn across the table before him.

he had to do the dishes, sweep the living room, and start the laundry. his mom would be coming home in an hour or so, and of course she could take care of the housework, but daniel didn't want her to handle it all on her own.

the sink was too loud, in his opinion. the dishes clanked, the water was heavy when it filled the sink, akin to the ruckus of a stampede.

bubbles pooled up his forearms, seeing steam rise from the water as the heat clung to his skin. daniel pulled his hands out, flicking suds off his fingers and drying off his hands quickly before opening the window above the sink.

cool air filtered in at his face, a complete opposite of the singe crawling into daniel's bones. his eyes closed, hands fumbling with the dishes as his shoulders relaxed.

it wasn't that he enjoyed cleaning, he could tolerate it, especially if his mind was occupied. his actions fell into autopilot, knowing just where he left the knives so he could actually pay attention to them at the end.

there was something comforting about the evening, seeing how dusk painted the skies with pale pinks and purples, thin clouds drifting off up above. It would've been better if the weather was warmer, but daniel appreciated it anyways. after all, without all of the leaves shrouding his view, the picture was worth the weather.

the fridge opened, and daniel's head turned back to find his father's backside. his lips pursed to the side, a dejected, tired gaze meeting daniel's eyes.

"did i wake you?"

daniel's dad shook his head, a forced, tight-lipped grin plastering his features. daniel knew he did, but returned the gesture anyways.

a palm met his shoulder, receiving a short nod. "thanks for doing the dishes, kid."

with that, his dad walked off through the entryway and disappeared, hearing the leather stretch when he dropped his weight in the chair.

time drawled on, and daniel had almost timed everything perfectly. just as he'd swept up the last of the rooms upstairs his mother walked into the house, purse slipping off her shoulder. her hair was tied back and frizzing, and she met him in the kitchen.

when daniel checked the time, it was almost eight. the sun had set, the kitchen was becoming all too cold, and he'd only had to start the washer before he could move onto his homework.

the washer was loud just a room over, and daniel plummeted into the strewn bedding. if anything, his room needed the most cleaning. some days, he was worse than his dad.

his phone buzzed in the backpack dropped on the floor, hearing the continuous ringing smothered in fabric and books. he rolled over, a heavy breath emptying his lungs as he sat up and hauled his bag off the floorboards.

ongoing call from mr. henderson🤤🥵🥴
3 active

daniel opened the notification, regretting it immediately as he was greeted with a loud bustle. maybe if i hang up they won't notice i was here.

but oh, was he wrong. as soon as he contemplated leaving freya's reedy pitch rung in his ears. "hey, loverboy! get a kiss yet?"

he didn't look at the phone, leaving it on the blankets beside him as he hauled out his books. "do i really have to take it that far? i thought i just had to take him on a date."

"i told you to date him. taking him on dates is a part of that, but c'mon, you're gonna leave bugboy to live without a first kiss?" leon teased.

daniel leaned over the phone, face popping into the camera's view, faking a gag. snickers bubbled through the speaker, interrupted by another voice.

"take him out this week, this is taking forever." olivia whined.

"ooh! yeah, i second that, take him somewhere." freya was on board, as she always was. her and olivia were practically attached at the hip.

"maybe," daniel muttered, "we'll see."

EXTRA NOTES
-sorry this was boring just
trust the process 😩