Chapter Text
“I don’t want to break your heart twice..” George said, slipping the band off Dream’s ring finger. When George had seen him without he was simply getting it cleaned.
“But I still don’t know shit about letting go..” Dream whispered. “I can’t let you go again. Please.”
“I should have just gone back to the day when I had to chance- or I should have taken the chance to get immortality or maybe I should have just never let you fall in love with me.” Dream just took George into a tight embrace. Their hearts laid frozen and still. George was willing to leave again, or to erase everything. He was willing to let go of what they had fought for all these years for the sake of Dream’s happiness. It pained Dream.
George took his own band off and held them together in his palm, stepping back. Dream watched as his left eye started emitting a blue glow and Dream wanted to peel his eyes away from George’s palm but this was a train wreck and he could tear his eyes away. Dream watched the rings melt and steam in George’s palm till they were simply vapor in the air. George let out a breath. “I’m here to say goodbye. I’m not going to open the revival book. I’m not going to cry and beg. You need to honor my dying wishes now and move on.” George’s voice was harsh, Dream flinched. “We’re meant to be divorced and yet you wore that stupid ring. I’m meant to be dead and gone, and yet you don’t move on. I know you didn’t pack those pictures of me, Nick and Karl had to do it because you refuse! Everyone else honored my death, Clay. And yet you couldn’t seem to let go. Well it’s time you bloody learned how to.”
“George,” Dream started, “You can’t do this.”
“I believe I just did.”
Dream huffed and pushed a button on his bracelet. XD appeared behind him and George tilted his head. “Why is-“ George was cut off by seeing Nightmare next to XD. George’s eyes went wide. “Clay.”
“I’m sorry George but if I can’t get through to you.. then I had to call someone who could.”
“Love,” Nightmare spoke, “Death filled you with anger. No one event recognizes you anymore. Not the gods or me and now your own husband.”
Dream picked at his nails. George scoffed and XD just let out a breath.
“What the fuck is this? A fucking intervention?” George asked.
“Yes.” Nightmare said. “Yes it is. Because you fucking need one.” Nightmares eyes were solid black. His eye bags were strong and his face had lines of age after 5 years. He was about 30. George noticed the same lines on Dream’s face, maybe even more prominent on the CEO’s from years of stress and grief.
George’s brows furrowed. “You’re aging?” George asked, his eyes scanning the demon’s face rapidly.
Nightmare nodded. “You chose mortality.” Nightmare said and George let out a shuttered breath. “But you died. You haven’t aged in 5 years, the rest of us have. And now you just want to go and be dead again. You want to throw your life away like it meant nothing when it meant everything .” A pause, “you bleed gold, and yet you want to bleed red. You want to bury yourself back in that damn hole and be stuck in the afterlife with the gods who did nothing but hurt you!”
XD flinched at the accusation, but he didn’t protest.
George nodded his head. Then he sighed. Then he glanced at the clock. Then he teleported away, kneeling down in a church and letting out a breath as his fingers interlocked over the wooden bench.
He knew one person who didn’t seem to hate him. So he prayed like he always had. To his one true God. Callahan. He prayed to go back. He prayed to go back to that day. He prayed for a do over.
“Let go of him or I’ll kill you.” George said and Sam chuckled.
“You can’t hurt me, 4, you have a code! The people would never trust you if you killed me.” Sam said and George grabbed a dagger from his side and tossed it into the base of Sam’s neck where it met his shoulder.
Dream was released from the grip and Sam’s trident fell to the ground with the masked hero. “You could live from that… if I let you.” George said, stepping closer to the man who was now kneeling and had his hands at the base of the dagger, while blood spilled down his hands. “Or I can let you die.” George laughed, “because I swore to protect this city no matter what . The others have a code. They have rules to live by. They have morals. But let me tell you this,” George wrapped his hand around the handle of the dagger and pushed it deeper into the skin, making Sam scream in pain, “I don’t give a fuck about rules. I was the first goddamn hero and I will be the last. And no one, including you, will get in the way of this city being safe at my hand.” George yanked the dagger out and watched Sam fall to the pavement, blood seeping from his body, “I hope I made myself clear.” George touched his neck and the wound healed, before he crouched to Dream to make sure he was okay.
George heard Sam pick up the dagger. Would he really try this, this time around? Seriously? George rolled his eyes and caught the dagger behind him, disintegrating it immediately. At least he didn’t have to die that way two times. George stood up and Dream followed suit.
“You were hired because I knew you would do this.” George said. Sam was smirking behind him because clearly George wasn’t going to kill anyone, Heroes had a code. And all the other villains were waiting for their victory because George proved he wouldn’t kill.
George chuckled, “friends close and enemies closer, that’s what they say right?” George asked. Sam raised a brow. “But what’s closer than that? Hell?” George asked and turned and stabbed an arrow into Sam’s heart, smiling.
Techno ran over and instantly grabbed George, moving him away from the dead man.
“Betrayal breeds revenge.” George said, it was what Techno had said to Tommy at George’s funeral about villains and why they killed him. “ This is what happens when you turn your back on a friend.” George motioned to Sam. “We both made rules about killing and it seems like he was willing to do what no one else would. You have no right to talk to me about code when I could have just died! How would that make you feel, David!?”
“You’re seeking your own end, George!” Techno yelled and George suddenly started grabbing at the collar of his shirt as his lungs restricted.
“N-no.” George said suddenly. It was hard to breathe. His vision was spotting. This had never happened before, did someone poison him? “No. You will not kill me. I will bring Sam back o-or anything whatever fine. But you can’t kill me. I can’t go through that again! Don’t make me please!” George was on his knees now, tears pouring from his eyes as he clawed at his chest. When did that happen?
“Again?” Techno and Dream asked in unison.
“Please…” George whispered. “Please don’t make me watch you all from the afterlife… please. It hurt so much. Please don’t. I’ll do anything. I’ll turn in my costume and I’ll leave the city and I’ll bring Sam back- I’ll do anything. Anything you need- just don’t make me do it again.” George was sobbing and Dream was on the ground hugging him as George begged for his life. Techno let out a breath and joined Dream in the hug.
“I know I lied when I vowed on that Hero code… but I can’t have history repeat.. please don’t make me watch you all forget me. I’ll bring him back- I planned to. But it hurts. It hurts so fucking much.” George whispered. “Why should I have to pay for this war? I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t ask for you both to tell me everything was fine and have your words mean nothing!”
“George-“ Techno started.
“What gives you the right to deal such deep pain!?” George yelled, “the pain you sow is the pain you must weep, Dave! You’re lucky I don’t fucking kill you all right now! Take away what you took from me!” Both of his eyes shone a bright blue. Sam suddenly started coughing. Wilbur ran over to make sure he was okay and Dream put a hand on George’s shoulder. His skin was burning hot. “Baby, we need to get you home. Everything will be fine in the morning.”
George just let Dream pick him up and carry him away. They ended up in their home and Dream set George in the bathtub, not caring about his clothes or anything and turned on the cold water. Dream watched steam leave George’s body and he let out a breath of relief, changing back to normal clothes. George fell asleep in the tub and Dream got him dried off and changed into fresh clothes and into bed.
-
His eyes opened first. It was sudden and it was harsh when the light slammed into his eyes, causing him to close them again for a moment. George sits up and pushes blankets off of himself, he’s in a bedroom he doesn’t recognize, wearing clothes he surely didn’t pick out. What the hell? Where is he and where is Dream?
George frowns. He was back at the castle. He was back in the afterlife. He had been dreaming of going back. It was false hope of a happy ending.
George let out a soft breath. He chose to go see Dream for a day. Say his goodbyes. Tell him to move the fuck on. But once he made it to the church, his time was up. He was out of time and didn’t get to live the happy life he wanted.
George moved down the hall he had walked hundreds of times now and went to a familiar room, seeing the image of Dream in the water. He was looking at the boxes full of George’s stuff and holding the engagement ring he gave to George in his hand. George had melted their rings. He regrets it. He took that part of himself from Dream. He was selfish and horrible and didn’t deserve to even live in the afterlife. He deserved the worst punishments.
He watched Dream wipe tears away and curse before he started shouting. George watched as Dream picked the box up and tossed it across the room. Everything fell all over the place and Dream only let a scream tear through his throat.
George closed his eyes to avoid watching it. He couldn’t. He caused this pain and he couldn’t even bear to watch it.
George heard someone enter the room. “Please let me go back. Please..”
“Ok.” Callahan said. “I will.”
George mumbled a ‘thank you’ as he kept his eyes shut and his hands gripping his shirt.
*
*
*
George looked around the halls. He was holding the straps of his backpack with his thumbs where they rested on his collarbones. Everyone was going to their classes and minding their business.
He was unnoticed.
When the halls cleared, he saw 3 people. Dream, Sapnap and Karl. He knew them. Of course he knew them. They were his best friends.
He saw the pins on Karl’s bag, he saw the bright smiles on their faces.
He saw the future in their eyes. The future he already lived. Except now he had to relive it. He had a chance to start over. He had the chance to turn on his heels and go to his class and never talk to them. He had the chance to never meet them.
George stepped forward just in time to run into Dream. Dream was a bit disoriented for half a second before he immediately started asking George if he was okay.
“I’m fine.” George said. He had to hold back the word ‘idiot’ because it hadn’t become an endearing word shared between them yet. He wasn’t even meant to know their names. He only just moved there that week. “Thank you, though.” George spoke softly. He couldn’t be mad at Dream. No matter what.
“I don’t think we’ve ever met.” Dream pointed out. Sapnap and Karl were a few feet away, just watching. It was different this time. He would keep it that way if he needed to.
“Me neither, I got here like 3 days ago.” George said.
“Well, I’m Clay.” Dream extended his hand and George smiled, connecting their hands. The glint of a ring - his previous engagement ring - on his right hand ring finger met the corner of his eye.
“And I’m George, it’s nice to meet you.”