Stay, Forever

12

It's only been a couple of days, but already, George is feeling better. Things are changing slowly, and George is surprised every time something new happens.

For starters, he notices that Dream is visiting him more, and it's a surprisingly welcome change. It's nice to not have to sit alone in silence for long stretches of time, and George likes talking about their shared memories. And he finds that each time they talk, he loses himself in remembering new things about their childhood friendship.

That very morning, Dream had spent about an hour with George, and it was the first time George could recall hearing him laugh over the stupid things they had done at the age of ten. The sound of it alone made his heart beat a bit faster, but he's actively trying not to think about that. Just like he's desperately trying to ignore how pretty he thought Dream looked when he was smiling and not weighed down by all of his problems.

And for the first time in days, George thinks that he might actually feel content. He still hates the situation he's in, but he doesn't hate being around Dream, and the idea is intriguing to him.

He's spent a long time thinking about it, and he's still thinking about it when the door to the room slowly opens. Dream leans against the doorframe, and he gives George a smile as he asks, "are you hungry?"

It's late in the afternoon now, and George is starving. Hunger gnaws low in his stomach, and he nods as he answers, "very."

Dream motions for George to follow him, and George hesitates because the last time he had left the room to eat, things had gone terribly wrong. Dream notices, and he softly says, "George, come on. It's fine."

He tries to remind himself that things are different now. He knows who Dream is, and he knows the terrible things that have happened to him.

And even though George still feels unsure, he stands up and follows Dream upstairs anyway. The house is quiet, and he assumes that Sapnap has disappeared again and that's why Dream is letting him upstairs, but he doesn't question it.

Instead, he watches as Dream strides over to the same cabinet George had searched through on his last trip to the kitchen. Dream pulls it open, and then steps aside to show George that this time, it's nearly full.

He steps closer to examine the contents, and he smiles when he notices some of his favorite childhood foods. When he glances over at Dream, he sees the light blush that's crept up towards his face.

"I went to the store," Dream mutters, "I don't really know what you like, so I got some of the things you used to like. I would've taken you with me, I just wanted to surprise you."

George is still smiling, and he quietly murmurs, "this is really sweet, Dream."

George is sitting on the cold tiled floor of his kitchen. Clay sits beside him, and his eyes are wide as he peers into the cabinet that's filled with food and snacks. The cabinets are almost always full, and George has never really taken note of it until now.

But he watches Clay closely, and he sees the way he keeps getting excited every time he finds a snack that he likes. And he doesn't really understand why, but he's too scared to ask.

Clay looks over at him, and the unasked question lingers between them. George notices the way Clay's face colors pink, and his eyes drop down towards the floor as he quietly mutters, "sorry. It's just that my mom can't usually afford to get me the foods that I like."

Guilt floods George's chest. He's never really considered that he might have more than other people have. The food is always just there, and he never really questions it.

He bumps Clay's shoulder lightly with his own, and then gives him a soft smile when he finally looks up.

"You can have whatever you want, Clay," he tells him, and Clay's eyes widen at the idea.