CHAPTER 9 - BAKING BURNOUTS

Orlando, Florida, Monday, 1:34 p.m.

With a nervous flick of his tail, George agreed. A bake-off had begun, he slipped into an apron, fighting the strings into a knot at the back.

The group beforehand booked two rooms in a hotel, only to make exotic smells in the kitchens. With fun to run alongside it. But George's lack of sleep from the previous night yearned for the comfort of his bed.

"Okay so, me, George, and Quackity" Karl interfered. Everyone silently agreed

"I guess that it leaves me, Fundy, and Sapnap." Dream gave away the obvious. "ready everyone?"

A pang hit George, jealousy lurked behind in his shadows, digging its claws into his thoughts.

Why does Fundy suddenly have Dream all the time?

The Omega zoning out only crawled him deeper into the helpless overthinking. But soon remembering all the trouble he went through just to get a look from Dream.

Dream is the problem, remember?

"What are we making?" Quackity's voice was what helped him out of his thoughts. The group split into their separate rooms before giving answers.

"I don't know, George?" Karl called, giving himself and Quackity.

The Omega was too caught up in skimming through the cookbook, to respond to the calls of his name.

But soon the brunette felt the eyes burrowing into the back of his head. He spun around, "What?"

The two Betas looked at each other with a grin spread across their faces, which was only seconds away from erupting in laughter.

"Idiots" Returning to the only words to create their food. Carelessly flipping the thin pages until stumbling upon a recipe that was yearning to be made.

"Hey, what about lolly cake?"

——

Furious concentration filled the kitchens. Though, George's ears picked up harsh mumbles coming from the other side as if they were struggling to cooperate as one.

The Omega coughed sluggishly as the flour waterfalled in a rush to the bowl. Making the trio rasp in desperation for clean air. 

Stabbing the sloppy mixture with a wooden spoon, George had the honor of securing the flour in the brew.

"Quackity, use parchment paper not cooking spray!" Karl exclaimed, laughing as the others joined in the positive energy.

But the wails were now getting louder, the wall was the only thing blocking them of answers.

"What's with all the yelling on the other side?"

"Yelling? What yelling?" The duck looked up from his work, pausing in confusion.

"I heard it too." Karl cleared "Sounds mostly of Dream."

With a satisfied 'oh' the trio continued, with faint rough voices in the background.

The time traveler whipped out a chopping board and tugged the Eskimos from their packet, finely chopping them with neat skills.

Distant clanks from Karl's knife colliding with the wood, it was far off from being annoying, it was the batter that was creating George an arm ache. "Use your hands, not the spoon idiot" The duck came around from behind, laughing.

The Omega scoffed, tugging out the spoon, as if the mixture hugged the spoon, the entire batter stuck to the spoon. The trio burst into a joyful fit, as George continued to hold to hold the clump of mixture clinging onto a scoop in the air.

Soon, the bunch of ingredients gave way and plummeted back into the bowl, the circular dish rocked at such heavy impact.

After the second round of laughter finally died off, George was making his way to rinse his hands to fold the mixture in the flour, that Quackity prepared on the bench for him.

But, the voices rose through the walls again, seeming more aggressive this time around. All three of the boys were staring at the wall like they could hear better by gazing at it.

"Oh, my god! Just piss off Fundy!" An unforgivable insult came through the thin walls, followed by a slam that rocked the walls.

"The fuck?" the duck interrogated, spinning his head around while the other two followed.

"What was that?" Karl knew he wasn't going to get answers but left the question empty.

George spoke up. "Sounded like Dream again."

"You go, George, I'm sure Dream likes your company." the wolf nudged, attempting to give the Omega a small opportunity.

"Um…" The brunette didn't feel valid giving a true answer, so he only agreed. Setting aside his kitchen wear, and pulling his apron off, George strode to the door.

Entering the room beside him, he looked for some answers. Before the others could question his presence, he spoke first; "What happened?"

Sapnap replied, as Fundy remained silent, his face shadowed in shame. "Dream was really on edge this morning, we don't know why, but he'd just snap at this little mistake we made."

"what made him leave just before?" 

Sapnap gave the fox a chance to speak, but he stayed silent. So the panda took his words instead. "Fundy had accidentally poured a bit too much vanilla extract. He just suddenly snapped." Sapnap was lost for words as he remembers what had happened minutes ago.

"I think-"

But the Omega refused to listen, he could only be dragged into the thought of the fact that he knew why. He felt guilty seeing his friends get the punishment they didn't deserve.

"I think he stormed off to the public bathroom down the hall." Directions were given and the Omega followed.

Exciting the room with new answers, The hallway seemed stretched to the bathroom. But he knew he needed to clear things with Dream.

What if it's just a lack of sleep?

The thought stopped him.

He's probably just cranky, I'll just embarrass myself if he's just tired and it's not between us.

But his footsteps continued, even the chances, Dream has been acting off lately. Walking to the restroom was a blur. The brunette seemed distracted with the stupidly ordered numbers,

embraced against the endless doors. With a sharp right, he heaved open the door to his destination. 

"Dream."

George saw the Alpha standing at the sink, swallowing the last of some pill. "Dream, what—"

"Leave please." His polite manners wouldn't last long, he seemed different.

"I'm not leaving till answers idiot" the Omega huffed. "What made you snap at those two so much?"

"Not now, please George. At least till these pills start to work" Dream almost sounded desperate with his words. George was taken aback at the dull stare that followed. The answer he was only given more interest in this situation.

The brunette was aware of the stiffening of the blonde's tail, almost realizing that the other wasn't going to back away without answers. Though regret raced down his spine, he saw the fogged trance Dream seemed to be trapped in, like a forced drug. 

His eyes seemed thin, and his hair was filthy, not brushed or washed. His clothes seemed carelessly chosen, but the brunette never cared what Dream's outer shell was, the Omega only cared what caved beneath. 

Yet, this trance he was in seemed to affect his inside too, every approach George tempted was only shut down, growing more irritated each time, as if it were an infection.

Suddenly, after the brunette attempted another question, it was the last straw. 

"GO! GET OUT!" Silence had made Dream's words echo. The blonde gazed at the Omega, straight into his eyes. Except, it seemed like he was looking past him as if he saw something in George he'd never seen before. 

The brunette didn't know if it was the pill kicking in, or lack of sleep. Nevertheless, he knew one thing. Something is not right.

Soon, a tense aura followed, spreading through the room, and infecting the duo with cramped thoughts.

  With a painful sigh, George gave way, leaving with a door slam. 

"Fuck!" The Omega kicked the hallway walls, and regret flashed throughout him for a moment as it rang along the thin barriers. As if he was scared someone would respond negatively, like telling a misbehaving kid to knock out their attitude. 

But the brunette's anger only presented itself like a toddler, he never learned another way to show these emotions. This burst of frustration ended up getting his friends' attention as if they weren't already listening.

"George? Is Dream okay?" Sapnap only fled for answers through the brunette. 

"did it sound okay?" the omega lost his hands in his pockets, gluing his eyes to his shoes as if he was guilty.

"Look, I told  you I knew why!" Sapnap persevered "You didn't listen" he chuckled. This bubbled the brunette's anger, the mood he was in, didn't seem to take a liking to laughter. The only way George's mood was seeing a positive trait was like it was as if he was being laughed at. 

The omegas eyes still magnified to the floor, he came closer to the panda, steered by curiosity that wasn't fed by Dream himself. So he would find it another way.

Once George had gotten close enough, Sapnap signaled for the boy to follow him back into the room the panda originally peered out of.

the whole group was now all gathered in one room. Asking questions to each other in Georges's absence, because he was crowded with quizzes, and they were pulling at his tongue for a fulfilling reply.

"What did he say?"

"We heard yelling, is he okay?"

"Was it Dream who made that slam?" 

All these voices clogged Georges's brain, he ground his teeth against each other in frustration. The Omega furrowed his eyebrows in mixed, negative feelings. His hands dug deeper into his pockets. He gave an upset wail, before storming into the previous room he began cooking in. 

The brunette found himself clearing out a path toward the hotel bedroom. Something about bedrooms always bringing comfort to the table for George. Where he could just find peace and let the walls of the bedrooms fight whatever problems are trying to reach the Omega.

Sapnap ended up following his path, sitting down beside him, the two shared a well-needed long conversation leading to finding out:

Dream is in his rut.

——

"Anything else?" A lady spoke, so dull some would think she was reading off a script.

"Um." George watches Karl pause. "And this Snickers bar." he grabbed and exposed the chocolate against the cold counter. The cashier gave it an effortless scan, typing a few things and finishing.

"That'll be nine seventy-one." Spinning the payment terminal around, directing the wolf to pay.

From the doors of the store, George was standing, almost stalking. The lady took notice of his presence, melting her eyes into slits, suspicious rising within her eyes. The brunette broke eye contact. Looking away awkwardly.

He flicked his ear in response to the finishing sounds of the cashier ringing up. 

Karl had taken his attention to the situation. "Thank you!" The wolf called. Walking out of the store. The Omega quickly went to the beta's shoulder, hustling away.

"I think that lady was catching on." George kept his head low, feeling the cold breeze on his ears. They gave another uncomfortable flick, goosebumps overcoming his body.

The wolf nodded in understanding. "Seven bucks just for some rut suppressants" He continued; "These drug stores are so pricey."

The Omega silenced, with nothing to say in the conversation. Footsteps were the only thing covering the awkward tension.

Karl and George volunteered to retrieve some relievers for Dream. It was difficult to observe the Alpha in such a state. But the scent that followed Dream, was ebbing away at George's self-control. Never helped for the brunette to only have wanting scents to fill his lungs. The fresh air seemed to clear his brain and lungs, and Karl tagged along too, almost desperately.

"I wanted to ask.." the wolf prompted, "I saw the instant wanting to get out the house," said the last part in a mocking voice as if it was George's, mind's voice.

George flushed. "Was it that obvious?"

"defiantly a surprise" he laughed "Honestly, we all thought you wanted to be close with him for comfort."

Scoffing for a response, George kicked up a few stones stumbling in his path. The sky was scattered with faint dots, breaking up the complete darkness. The omega's ears twisted around the unfamiliar sounds he was captured in. This unknown neighborhood lacked the comfort the brunette gained at home.

"George?"

"I'm fine, just homesick," he replied like a robot.

"What?" Karl fixated his facial expression to a confused state. "I never realized you were. But it wasn't what I asked" The wolf's facial features gave rest and let out light giggles, continuing;

"I was wanting to tell you"

"What?"

"At the paint twister." Karl trailed, flicking his tail. After railing his words into a confession he began. "When I went to get the paint, Fundy's phone was left on his bed" Pausing, he enjoyed the scenery around him

"It was unusual, it was just sitting there like he wanted me to find his phone" George silently urged the wolf to continue.

Karl never seemed to notice encouragement to pursue his story. Faint footsteps filled the empty words, but these sounds weren't their own.

The two instantly shared a disturbed glance. Before spinning around to introduce their faces to empty streets. With the occasional light flicker and car whipping by, stranding the duo with a gust of air.

"We look like idiots." The omega hid his fear with a pointless statement.

"your mother is an idiot for letting me fuck her" The wolf failed to mark a grin on the other's face. Instead, George's emotion was dull and serious, Karl almost felt the other's stare creep into his soul. It would've reached further if it wasn't till George was bubbled over with laughter.

They were stranded by the thought of the footsteps they had picked up on earlier. They were acting as if it weren't right behind them.

——

"we're back!" Karl called, Fundy's house seemed deserted. George and the wolf looked at one another, after no successful response. The Omega slammed the front door, kicking his shoes off. The plastic bag stretched under the time traveler's grip, it rustled, and it seemed to attract the others' attention.

Sapnap peered around the corner, he looked frightened, almost.

"Pack your stuff, we're leaving." Blandly, the panda stated.

"What?" Both Karl and George furrowed their expressions too confused.

"Look, Dreams ruts can get rough. He says he doesn't want to hurt anyone." A hint of appreciation gleamed past Sapnap's eyes. "George, quickly give the pills to dream, before it gets worse."

The Omega sighed, prying open the plastic bag, Karl had set down seconds before. Searching for a firm grip on the container. It rattled as he made his way down the unfamiliar hall.

Slamming his knuckles against the door as a greeting gave him a response. "Who is it?" The blonde's voice sounded deserted and dry.

"It's George."

"Uh… Come in."

With the consent of entering, the boy held hesitation through his actions. Holding his hands on the doorknob, but he was right too doubtful, as he heard intense shuffling on the other side.

Making up his mind, the brunette inhaled oxygen and confronted the Alpha. Swinging the door open, even without breathing any, the air was damp and hot. The room was attempting to be shaded in darkness. But the moon's dim light blistered through the top of the curtain, giving George the slightest vision.

"I got the pills..." The brunette skin was littered with goosebumps. He peered around the bedroom looking for the Alpha. But could never spot the blonde in sight.

But soon the omega couldn't help but exhale and inhale rapidly, but as if something poisoned the air, it infected his brain. Dream's scent was heavy, he had just filled it with his lungs. He shivered at the unusual smell, though before losing himself more he plugged his nose. He walked into the uncomfortable temperature of the room placing the pills on the bed. His goosebumps fell extremely as if they were blood cells yearning to break the skin.

"We are leaving to go back to school today" George couldn't help but laugh at himself for what he sounded like with a plugged nose. Dream seemed to hear the obnoxious tone and laughed.

Flicking his ear to figure out where the faint laughs came from, it was on the other side of the bed, only just out of the omegas view. Before leaving his ears had also picked up some unwanted sounds; chains?