Chapter Text
In the moments that followed, the duo sat in silence as the sun set in the distance and the crashing of the tides filled the dimly lit room. Dream was flooded with raging hormones that only made him want to pick George up in one swift movement and connect their lips in a lust-driven kiss.
He knew it was wrong to take advantage of George's vulnerability from his earlier sharing. The hurt in George's words, the pain written on his face and the safety he felt when opening up to Dream were enough to send his heart into a frenzy. He just had to look so damn good while doing it too, didn't he?
"I don't know what to do or say to make you feel better but, I can assure you, that wasn't your fault, George," Dream soothed.
The softness in his tone melted George's heart as he finally allowed himself to come to terms with it and let himself believe it. He needed to hear Dream say it, only then would he have believed it.
George's heart pounded against his chest as he considered the consequences of his next move. He knew so much hung on the line but he needed to do it- to convince himself his feelings were real and not something in his head. He ached for closure and only Dream could give him that.
"Dream?" He whispered, inclining his head gently to meet Dream's eyes.
"Yeah?"
Both their hearts pounded in their chests as it felt as though everything around them had stood still. Everything and everyone seized to exist at that moment when George leaned in and placed his lips gently on Dream's.
It felt like something out of a movie, except it was better. Dream's head spun at how surreal the situation was. He'd liked George for so long that he'd knocked himself down when they'd fought and now there he was, exchanging a moment of intimacy in the form of a passionate kiss. His heart pounded aggressively in his chest, only adding to the adrenaline coursing through his veins.
As for George, who'd constantly lied to himself over having romantic feelings for his best friend to the point that he'd dated someone else to convince himself otherwise, now wanted every passing second to be spent in this fervent exchange. How long had he ached to feel Dream's lips on his, their hands intertwined as they spent every moment wrapped in each others' arms without a care in the world about what others felt?
As they pulled away, their chests rising and falling with every breath, the atmosphere seemed to tense around them. Suddenly, it felt harder to breathe as the air thickened.
"Woah," Dream exhaled, staring into the brunette's chocolate brown eyes.
"Yeah," the latter chuckled.
No words could express the thrill of it all- the steamy session, their feelings, the fact that Sapnap had no clue about this. It only made them want it more.
"Wanna go upstairs?" Dream suggested, his chest tightening.
If George said 'no' then it would make for an awkward conversation they'd need to have. But, if he said 'yes', the events that would follow would be straight out of his dreams.
George let out an unrecognisable sound, one that resembled a squeak, but whatever it was, Dream understood as consent. He nodded, excitement flaring in him as his heart is on the verge of explosion.
Dream rose before extending his hand to George, grinning. The latter accepted, cheeks flaring up at the contact. Upstairs they headed, awaiting the next few moments of thrilling intimacy.
"Guys you should have com- OH MY GOD!" Sapnap shrieked, averting his eyes instantly on entering the room George and Dream were in, shirtless and sucking each others' faces off.
"What the fuck?" The duo clamoured to opposite sides of the room in obvious embarrassment of being caught.
"WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?" He questioned, still recovering from what he'd witnessed.
"Um," George began but stopped short.
He didn't know what to say. How was he supposed to tell Sapnap everything that had happened over the past few days, and even mere minutes ago?
"What about Mia?" He pressed, eyeing the two.
"I broke up with her," George mumbled after seconds passed in silence, glancing over to Dream and hoping he'd take charge of the interaction from there.
"When?"
"A few days ago."
"And you didn't tell me?" Sapnap's voice croaked.
He watched both his friends avoid meeting his eyes, whether it was from the embarrassment of him walking into their make-out session or that they'd forgotten to tell him everything that had gone on in the past few days, he didn't know. All he knew was that he was hurt.
How could his two best friends have hidden this from him?
"Nick, we wanted to tell you everything, we swear," Dream spoke this time, his voice as soft as silk, as he walked towards his friend. "It's just, we needed to figure things out ourselves too."
"So, are you two dating?"
The two looked at each other, a mixture of emotions written all over their faces. What were they?
"Would you like us to?" Dream asked.
Sapnap exhaled sharply, his heart softening at what his friend asked him. He recalled when he first met Dream, he would ask Sapnap for his opinions on everything. There was never a thing he did that he didn't run through Sapnap first. It meant a lot to him that Dream was consulting about a relationship with his best friend, something he knew would be life-changing for all of them.
How could he possibly be mad at them for hiding things from him when he knew they cared so much about him?
As the two's eyes met, Sapnap's lips curled upwards into a grin as he nodded, his eyes stung as tears started forming in them. He was so happy for them.
"Of course, dude, you two would make a great couple," he responded honestly.
The trio exchanged a hug with one another, relieved that there were no secrets between them. Well, maybe there was still one secret.
"Since we're being completely transparent with each other, I thought it'd be fair for George to tell you what he told me in the UK," Sapnap teased.
Dream's ears perked up as he felt his heart leap suddenly. Why was he nervous?
"Oh no, no we don't have to tell him that," George begged, adding to Dream's curiosity.
"Tell me!" Dream giggled at George's flustered face.
"Oh god, this is so embarrassing."
"George told me while we were in the UK that he wasn't sure about his relationship with Mia. As in, he didn't know whether he really liked her or whether it was just a way to convince himself he'd gotten over you," Sapnap answered, his tone signifying a sense of finality to the statement.
Dream found his face growing hot as he let those words sink in. He wasn't the only one to feel guilty over these forbidden feelings.
"Really?"
George nodded, his cheeks flushed as he buried his face into his hands, earning guffaws from Sapnap and a mild chuckle from Dream, who felt relief swarm him. It felt so good to hear that George still had feelings for him, ones that he hadn't gotten over.
It felt like a personal victory.
"A stroll along the beach is all I'm asking, come on!" Sapnap begged his two friends, knowing well that Dream wouldn't leave George's side.
"I told you I hate the beach," George argued.
"Hey, I'll be by your side, okay?" Dream soothed, wrapping an arm around George's petite frame.
This was enough to send warm embers up George's chest as a sense of protection washed over him. As long as Dream was there, he would be alright. Dream would never let anything happen to him.
"You guys make me want to throw up," Sapnap pretended to gag even though he was beyond happy for his friends.
It meant that he wouldn't have to be the one keeping secrets from the two most important people in his life. Seeing them happy made him feel proud.
"Okay," George gave in.
Sapnap cheered as Dream pulled the brunette closer to him, a wide smile plastered on his face. Now, this was his personal victory.
The moon glistened in the Florida waters as the gentle breeze kept the trio buzzing among themselves. The damp sand felt alien to George's feet as he shoved nightmares from his late friend's death deep inside of him, still clinging onto Dream as they walked together. Sapnap kept the mood light with his lame jokes and occasional teasing of the couple- or at least he thought that's what they were.
It made George question what they were. Did Dream ask himself the same thing? Was he supposed to ask Dream to be his boyfriend or did the constant making out mean they were an item already?
He thought back to Mia and how they'd gone on multiple dates before he asked her to be his girlfriend. Was that what he had to do? He glanced upwards at the taller male who was smiling at their other best friend's jokes and wondered how he would ask him.
He wanted it to be special, the same way Dream made him feel. George hadn't felt this way till he first kissed Dream. The attention and affection he gave George were unlike any he'd ever received and the admiration he had for him, being older than Dream meant he was like a role model to the latter and George knew Dream respected him very much.
Dream too wondered the same. They hadn't made it official, but then again, how did someone make a relationship official? There wasn't any contract, was there?
Did he just have to ask George to be his boyfriend?
"Do we really have to head back tomorrow?" Sapnap whined as they headed back to the house.
It was their first and last night in the house and despite only being there a couple of hours, they'd gotten attached to it. Dream had always loved this place a lot, but seeing that his best friends had loved it just as much made it even more special, and he found himself finding it harder to leave, even if it were temporary.
"I told you, I'm buying this house," Dream reminded.
"Well, hurry up then," George added, chuckling.
They laughed at that. It was the light-hearted moments like these that brought back those memories Dream had with George before either of them realised their feelings for the other.
The times when any flirtatious comment would simply be counted as a joke and nothing more, when every time fans shipped them, they'd laugh it off, when kissing the other on the lips whilst being wrapped in each other's arms was something neither of them constantly yearned.
A time when things were less complicated. A time neither of them really wanted to go back to now that they had each other the way they truly wanted each other.
"Please don't get married in this house, I don't want to live in the house you had your wedding in," Sapnap started. "Oh, and please do NOT have sex, I need my beauty sleep."
George whacked his friend's arm, face reddening in embarrassment and slight disgust. Dream swore at him too, even though he was giggling. He had to admit, the idea of touching George in a sensual way had crossed his mind on multiple occasions since George had arrived in Florida, but he'd brushed it off- one step at a time.
That night, Dream couldn't sleep. No matter how hard he tried, his body refused to let him rest and he didn't know why. He paced around his room, changed his clothes, basically stripped to his boxers, and even then, he was wide awake.
He groaned, crashing face-first onto his bed knowing full well that it was void of one thing- George.
The gentle knocks on George's door seemed loud enough to wake him up as he begrudgingly got up to open it only to reveal Dream, leaned against the frame in nothing but his boxers, his hair messy and face exhausted. And even then, he managed to put on a cocky smile.
It was like all the air in George's lungs had been sucked out as his eyes trailed Dream's body, feeling his own waistband tighten around his waist as he bit the inside of his cheek to prevent the sound he tried to stifle from escaping. He was so hot.
"Can't sleep," Dream muttered, smirking lightly as he watched George eye him up and down.
"What do you want me to do about it?" George played along, now fully awake.
"Lemme join you in bed."
A sudden euphoria passed over George as his heart went into a frenzy at those words. He didn't know what was about to unfold next but it didn't stop him from getting all excited and nervous at the thought.
"You don't have to ask me twice," George replied, taking Dream by the hand and shutting the door behind them.
As they stood in the middle of the room, in the stillness of the night, a few feet away from the bed, their eyes locked on each other, they took in how unreal this was. The fact that just a few months ago, a confession drove them apart, but at that moment, it was that confession that kept them going, bringing them much closer to each other.
"I think I love you," Dream whispered, his voice shaking.
The air was caught in George's lungs as he let those words sink in. Dream loved him?
"And this isn't the love that we always tease each other with. No, this is different. I feel different around you, in a good way of course, but the feelings I have for you, I can't explain it, except that it's stronger than love. I have never felt this way around anyone before and it used to scare me, but now, I find myself in peace with this kind of love. There's a certain thrill to it, you know? We weren't meant to be together, we shouldn't be, cause we're friends, best friends, but, standing in this room, looking into your beautiful eyes, George, I'm telling you that I love you and I'm in love with you and I truly want you to be my boyfriend."
Dream worded it beautifully and the honesty in his tone and his face melted George's heart. He had taken the words right out of George's mouth. Dream made him feel different too. Special. He loved Dream with every inch of him and wanted nothing more than to be loved by Dream the same way.
Tears pricked the corners of George's eyes and he was afraid he would cry again. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Dream's lower abdomen and buried his face in his chest. The two stayed like this for a while, wrapped in each other's arms, not saying a word and letting the reality of the aforementioned words sink in.
"Clay?" George's words were muffled from still being pressed up against Dream's frame, but even then, he'd heard it.
"Mmm?" Dream muttered, not wanting to say anything more for the fear of ruining the moment.
"I'd love to be your boyfriend," George pulled his face away just enough to look up at Dream with a smile plastered on his face.
Relief and eternal happiness swarmed Dream as he picked George up and twirled him around gracefully. This was the happiest moment of his life.
The duo giggled as their pulses drummed rapidly inside their chests, collapsing onto the bed, still in each others' arms.
As Dream propped himself up with one arm to look down at George who was still lying on the bed, cheeks reddened, he felt himself smile again, but this time, it was from the inside. He was smiling internally, not just on the outside as he once used to do so no one would question how things were with him.
A genuine smile, genuine happiness and a genuine fondness of the British male who lay beside him. George was everything Dream had hoped for in a partner.
He was funny. Dream recalled the hours he'd spent laughing at George's goofiness and lame jokes that he wouldn't have normally laughed at, but, something about them coming from George always cracked him up.
He was understanding. He knew that no one would understand how he felt for George but George himself. The late-night calls they'd had when he'd just talk about whatever was on his mind, even if it didn't make sense, George was there, hearing him out and providing him with the comfort he needed.
He was beautiful. God, Dream was so in love with George's eyes and the way they sparkled whenever he laughed, and his infectious smile that seemed to always brighten his day. Not only was he beautiful on the outside, but he was just as, if not more, beautiful on the inside, and this was the part of George that Dream found himself falling for harder and harder with every passing day.
"I love you," Dream found himself whispering those words subconsciously as George giggled once again.
"I know," George turned to face him. "I love you, too."
As they connected their lips once again in a passionate exchange that conveyed more than words could ever, they felt their past disputes blur into a thing of the past, long forgotten now that they'd finally found each other in the way they'd wanted to- romantically.
It was surreal to Dream how George, his prized possession, his treasure, the one he thought he'd lost forever, was now in his arms, kissing him fondly, wanting him in all the ways he wanted George. It was like a dream come true and he was over the world, giddy with happiness.
Against the odds of being a gay couple, they managed to pull through, finally being able to write the first chapter of their once forbidden love story.
A story portraying two best friends, through their ups and downs and hidden feelings, finally finding each other at the right time to carry their story forward for years to come. The story of Dream and George, two ordinary men, who occasionally streamed games with their friends, who went through fights and fallouts, emotional sharings, betrayal, realisation of true feelings and finally, found solace in each other's love.
A forbidden true love's story, that was what they had.