Mark My Words || DNF Soulmate AU

Chapter 37

The tickets back to England aren't difficult to find, and George is set to go back in two days.

Preparing his luggage to travel back isn't that difficult either, George has barely worn through all the clothes that he has brought with him and simply shoves them all haphazardly into the open suitcase, not bothering to fold or arrange them.

Other miscellaneous items are gathered from all different corners of the guest bedroom and tossed in as well, until by the time he tries to zip it up the luggage is overflowing. George grits his teeth and manages to pull the zipper shut, though it's clear even from the exterior that the poor suitcase is at its maximum capacity.

He doesn't tell Dream that he's leaving.

He doesn't see Dream after their incident last time, purposefully choosing the earliest hours to eat breakfast so as to miss the times during which Dream is active. Dream doesn't seek him out either, which suits him perfectly as he locks the door to his room and spends any downtime on his phone.

George has no idea what Dream plans for them to do after their last encounter, but seeing their mutual avoidance of each other, he's sure Dream wouldn't be too opposed to his departure. He can't expect George to just stay put in this stifling atmosphere that permeates throughout the house, without him trying to reach for any sort of a resolution.

Even if Dream was opposed, George doesn't think he has it in him to listen.

The planning continues.

His set-up is still in Dream's room—George has no desire to stream or engage in any work currently—and he has even less desire to walk into that room of memories. He remembers he has at least an item of clothing and his water bottle still in there with his monitors and soundboard, and wrings his brain for a solution. 

George eventually decides that he'll write Dream a note to ship it all back to him, but that ultimately they should avoid face-to-face interactions in the time they have left together in his house.

The two days pass too slowly and too quickly, and George just manages to organize everything in time before he leaves. The plane tickets are ordered, his transportations to and from the airports have been arranged, and his house is ready and waiting.

The night of his departure, he learns to use Dream's washing machine and tosses his bedsheets in an hour before he goes. He clears the room of any trash or items thrown onto the floor. He opens the curtains to a dark night, and leaves a screened window open to air out his previously unventilated room.

George brushes his teeth in Dream's upstairs bathroom for the last time and throws away the toothbrush, the little backstory behind it tossed away with the physical item. The towels he's used go into the washing machine as well, and when he starts its programming finally the low rumbling seems to echo through the house.

George hopes Dream is either asleep or will avoid coming up upstairs for the sake of avoiding him.

The car he's ordered is set to pick him up at 2 a.m., and George spends his time waiting charging his phone as he listens to a random YouTube music playlist that plays too loud in his headphones. He rarely likes his music noisy, always afraid that if they overpower everything else in his environment he'll miss important happenings.

Right now, it's 1:30 a.m., George is heartbroken and tired, and he can't be bothered.

The music blasts on.

The washing machine goes off with a little tune, and George unloads everything into the dryer. There's not enough time for everything to dry and then for George to arrange the bed, so he hopes Dream will complete his end of the chore. He writes it into the note for Dream to remember.