Comfort (Dream X GeorgeNotFound)

Cooking Together

The rest of the day was spent lounging around the apartment, playing video games on George's computer and binging nostalgic TV shows.

It had just turned 6 PM when Clay's stomach growled. He looked over to George to see if he was up for getting something to eat, only to find him dozed off on the couch next to him.

Smiling, he slowly stood up, careful not to disturb his friend, and left the apartment to go grocery shopping. Home cooked meals had probably been a rarity to George lately, so he decided cooking a hot meal for him for when he woke up would be a nice surprise.

The street was a lot emptier with only a few people milling about and a couple of shops starting to close up. He figured he'd try his luck with the bigger grocery stores he'd spotted earlier that day around the block, to see if they were open or not.

Luckily for him, he found a clean 24/7 looking supermarket with flashing display lights. He could see some shoppers picking out fresh produce through the glass front, and decided to head in himself.

What would George like? Clay had tons of ideas in mind for what he himself would usually eat in the evening, but he had to take his friend into consideration. He spotted fresh tomatoes as he was strolling down the vegetable aisle. Tomato soup maybe?
He grabbed a few types of fruits as healthy snack alternatives so George wouldn't have to turn to junk food. A few essentials as well - bread, milk, a dozen eggs...

Maybe George would like pasta? He had a few fancy variations of pasta recipes that his guests always loved. Maybe burgers? He'd seen a lot of empty fast food wrappers around the apartment, George might've appreciated a healthier alternative.
He was thinking of suitable recipes when he got approached by an employee.

"Hi! Could I help you with anything?" She flashed a smile at Clay, hands clasped behind her back.

"Uh... Well... I don't really know what I'm looking for myself, to be honest." he gave a polite smile, turning back to the shelf. "I'm cooking for someone else tonight."

A smile spread over the woman's face as she raised her eyebrow. "Date night, huh?" She laughed, but suddenly stopped, realizing she might've asked a personal question.

Clay awkwardly smiled back, fumbling with a box of pasta he had been reading the label of. "Ah no... It's a friend I'm visiting. I just don't know what he'd like." He placed the box down, grabbing another one with a fancy label.

"Ah, not your girlfriend then? Are you single?"

The question can out of the blue and kind of startled Clay, who managed to nod for an answer.

"Yeah," he laughed, "who's asking?"

The woman winked at him as she nonchalantly replied, "someone who might be interested in knowing."

After a while of looking around, Clay turned to the condiment section to pick a few sauces and spices out.

The lady tracked him. "Well, I'd recommend our ready meals. They're delicious!" She gestured towards a station tender by another lady in an apron. "Plus, they don't really need any prep."

Clay didn't like the idea too much. He wanted to cook for George himself, for some reason. He wanted it to feel... personal. It was his way of nonverbally telling his best friend how much he cared about him. Not that he was shy about telling people how he felt, he just didn't think George would take it too well, since he wasn't a very expressive person.