Chapter Text
Despite having a younger sister, Dream had never learnt how to plait hair, Drista preferring to keep her hair short, rarely letting it grow past where it brushed her jaw. Because of this Dream found himself at a loss when he realised that he now had hair long enough that it needed to be tied back to avoid it getting in the way while doing everyday tasks. Even playing minecraft proved hard when his hair kept getting in the way of his eyes.
Now, he wasn't completely useless just because he couldn't braid his hair, he could use a bobble if needed but, no matter how hard he tried he kept misplacing them, his collection dwindling to the point where he could only find one after about ten minutes of searching so he usually just forwent the bobble and tucked his hair behind his ears, dealing with the inconveniences as they came.
Dream's frustration with his hair came to a head when, during MCC, it got in the way while he was trying to complete parkour warrior. He had thirty seconds left on the clock and three sets of trapdoors left to jump up. He knew he could do it but he couldn't afford any mistakes, one slip up and any chance he had of completing the course would be gone.
As if understanding the immense pressure Dream was under, his hair took that opportune moment to come untucked and obscure his vision. He desperately flicked his hair to the side and in doing so nudged his mouse slightly and caused him to miss the final jump.
He watched in abject horror as any chance he had of completing the course fell, just like he did, into the void. Dream didn't even bother attempting to climb the walls in the last ten seconds, choosing instead to slam his headphones down out of rage. Chat spammed 'baby rage' but Dream didn't even see, pacing to the other side of his room in anger.
His teammates didn't seem to notice his absence as they congratulated each other until George noted his suspicious silence, "Dream?" he asked almost cautiously, he knew Dream hadn't completed the course, they all did, the glaring lack of fireworks proving that to everyone, he didn't know why though.
Tubbo and Niki quieted down at George's call of Dream's name just in time to hear a faint, "What the FUCK" and then a loud bang and some more inaudible cursing.
George laughed nervously, knowing Dream wouldn't have wanted his stream to hear that, always liking to seem cool and collected in the face of failure in front of them, "Uh I'm going to pull him into a different teamspeak just to check on him, I'll be back in a few." (A/N I know mcc isnt done over teamspeak, its done on discord but for the sake of plot its teamspeak shhh) Tubbo and Niki agreed and went back to talking about their experiences on the parkour map after the usual 'buddy left your channel' calls out.
George turned off his facecam and muted himself on his stream. "Dream," he called out, louder this time and he thanked any deity that might be listening that Dream heard him that time. He got a hum in response, sounding closer to the mic and slightly pained, although George thought that was only noticeable because he knew Dream so well, "You might wanna mute your mic for the stream."
"Oh whoops," Dream muted the stream and chuckled nervously, "what did they hear?"
"You swearing and then a loud bang, what the fuck happened Dream?" George asked, clearly worried about his friend.
"My stupid hair got in my eyes on the last jump and I missed it, ahh that's so unfortunate," Dream sounded calmer, he was over the adrenaline and anger that had been coursing through his veins both from the thrill of the competition and the consequent failure.
"So you're okay then?" George said, unsure, picking at the skin around his fingernails. He dropped his hands into his lap and looked up at his monitor when Dream let out a loud wheeze in response, "What?" he then said, smiling fondly at the blonde's loud laughter.
Through the laughter, Dream managed to say, "I fuckin', oh my god George, I punched a hole in my wall."
"You WHAT?!" George let out a laugh in disbelief before joining Dream in hysterical laughter, "Dream I'm gonna, I'm gonna piss myself laughing." George held his sides as he shook with laughter, tears forming in his eyes at the sheer hilarity of the situation.
Calming down slightly when he hears a ping from his phone, George checked it and completely sobered up, "Dream, we're missing MCC, they've started the vote." Dream however, found this even more hilarious and lets out an inhuman sound, "Geeorrgeee," he tried to say something else in vain but he was doubled over with laughter and gasping for air.
"I'm leaving, goodbye," with that George exited the teamspeak channel to join Tubbo and Niki's and unmute his stream. Joining him a few moments later, Dream sounded almost completely normal, as if he hadn't just been wheezing his lungs up a few seconds before, but George could still hear the amusement in his voice; he smiled at his screen fondly before realising he had his facecam on and everyone could see him grinning like a loon.
They finally settled back down into MCC and the incident was mostly forgotten about, apart from when Dream walked past his wall and couldn't help but burst back into laughter again and him sending a photo to George, which the brunette immediately put to use as blackmail.
The next time Dream really thinks about his hair is when George finally comes over to meet him. Having just, not really cared or had the means to get it cut throughout quarantine, Dream's hair was now longer than ever, falling just past his shoulders. He stood awkwardly in the air-conditioned airport looking at the text George sent him as he landed, the thought that his best friend, (and crush as he had realised a few weeks ago after sleepless nights of thinking about said brunette,) was here, within the same timezone for the first time ever, was finally sinking in.
Nervousness started to bubble up in his chest, what if George thought he looked weird, what if they just didn't click in real life? He tucked his hair behind his ear anxiously, fingers tugging through the few knots at the ends. He had never felt so awkward about his appearance until now, having never had the need to really, but his face reveal to George was so hyped up that he thought anything now would be a let down. Feeling like he was suddenly in someone else's body, his limbs felt foreign and lanky, nausea gripped him with ice cold fingers.
He was shaken out his spiral of worry by his phone pinging with a text from George:
gogy<3 - ive got my bags, where are you?
step-dream - im just outside the entrance to terminal 3, im wearing my own merch
gogy<3 - :] itd probably be hard to miss you anyway since youre a GIANT
step-dream: youre just short
gogy<3 - :p shut up im average
step-dream - whatever helps you sleep at night george
He pressed send and waited for George's reply, his brow furrowing in confusion when a minute ticks by and there was no response. He knew he sounded clingy but George usually replied within seconds and this large gap without a reply worried him, it was George's first time here, what if he'd gotten lost, or injured?
Halfway through typing out a worried inquiry into George's whereabouts, Dream heard rapidly approaching footsteps and swung round just in time for a blue blur to barrel into him. Stumbling backwards at the collision, he wrapped his arms round the person's waist to help their balance. He looked down and realised that he recognised the brown haired head that was buried in his hoodie, the headphone dent that sat in the middle of his hair confirming his thought further.
"George?"
Said boy pulled his face up from Dream's chest and grinned up at him, smiling brightly despite the clear exhaustion from the long flight.
"Dream?" George mocked Dream's surprised tone, giggling at the fake offended face Dream pulled in response.
Unable to form even a single thought with George here, pressed against him warm, so warm, Dream just pulled George even closer, resting his face on the surprisingly soft hair and hoping that his actions conveyed all the words he wished he could say. George had no complaints about Dream's hug and nuzzled his face back into the hoodie contently, revelling in the comforting smell.
Eventually though, Dream pulled back, feeling the people around them giving them weird looks, understandably he thought, after all they'd been standing in the middle of the airport hugging for what Dream knew could have been an hour, his sense of time lost along with most of his coherent thoughts at the closeness of his best friend. He still didn't say anything though, worried that any words said would break the illusion and he would wake up, alone in his cold bed.
George seemed in no hurry to say anything either, perfectly content to stand there and study Dream back, his dark, intelligent eyes flitting over his face, taking in all his features. Dream marvelled at how attractive George was without the hindrance of a screen.
Don't get me wrong, Dream thought he was plenty hot anyway, but nothing could compare to the beautiful picture George painted stood in front of him in real life. His five o'clock shadow defined his jaw and his rumpled hoodie and slightly tousled hair gave him a sleep mussed look that Dream found downright adorable. He realised with a jolt that he'd been waxing poetry to himself about George for far too long, especially with the man himself standing right there.
As he prepared to tell George that they should probably get going, he briefly mourned the loss of the peaceful bubble they'd created for themselves. He opened his mouth to speak but was beat to the punch by George who exclaimed, "Your hair! It's- it's long!"
Dream chuckled lightly, "Congrats George, I never noticed, whatever will you tell me next that I didn't know about myself. Maybe that I have eyes?"
George rolled his eyes and tried to look annoyed but ultimately failed because of the shining grin that keeps slipping through, "Yeah yeah, shut up, I knew it was long but I thought you meant like jaw length." The shorter man trailed off and then continued, no longer meeting Dream's eyes, "I like it." Doey brown met shocked green and George smiled shyly, reaching up and tucking a stray lock of hair behind the blonde's ear, brushing his cheek on the way up and sending pleasant tingles down Dream's spine.
Dream blushed both at George's actions and his word, his mouth falling open slightly. George liked his hair? The thought left a warm feeling in his chest, all his worries cast away and the realisation that they were stupid anyway following quickly after the fog of doubt left his brain.
The blonde man coughed awkwardly, finally averting his eyes, "You wanna get going?" George nodded his assent, rolling his suitcase forward and having to jog slightly to keep up with Dream who had already turned around to head out. "Dream! Slow down you idiot,"
"Sorry George, I forgot you were tiny."
"I'm not- ugh shut up." George rolled his eyes goodnaturedly and smiled up at his taller friend. He then proceeded to win their little spat by reaching out and taking Dream's hand in his, rendering the blonde incapable of speech.
George seemed oblivious to the fact that Dream's only thoughts were about how warm his hands were and how they fit so perfectly in Dream's and walked on chattering about anything and everything as he pulled the shellshocked blonde forwards.
They come to a stop about 2 minutes later and George drops Dream's hand. The taller man missed the warmth for a second before shoving the feeling into a box labelled "George - to deal with later". "How come we stopped?" Dream asked.
"You tell me, I don't know where you parked your car," George laughed at Dream.
Dream whacks himself in the forehead softly, "Duh yeah of course. Wait, where are we George?"
"I dunno, I just kinda walked forwards." George twisted his hand around the handle of his suitcase nervously, he didn't like the idea of being lost, even though it was technically his fault.
"You just-" Dream cut himself off with a large wheeze, doubling over as he held his sides in laughter.
When he finally finished laughing, the tall blonde looked up to see George, face coloured bright red, pouting and looking away. /Cute/
George's head whipped round, eyes wide, "What?"
Dream's eyes widened similarly as dread laced through his veins at the realisation that he said that out loud and weighed up his options. Cover up and move on or roll with it, and well, Dream always was more of a now or never guy, "I said you're cute Georgie."
"You- oh," George blushed impossibly redder and covered his face with his hand. He couldn't stop the smile that cracked his face in half nor could he quell the swell of feeling that arose in his chest.
Dream cleared his throat awkwardly in an attempt to clear the air, believing that George's silence resulted from discomfort at Dream being so forward so soon after meeting for the first time.
Little did he know but George was just internally freaking out over the hints that his crush (he almost scoffed at himself for using the word crush, he was 24 after all, but what else could he use to describe the sheer elation he felt when someone so much as mentioned Dream's name in passing. Hearing his voice could leave George on a high that would last all day,) might like him back.
"C'mon George, its time we get home," Dream took the brunette's suitcase, taking note of his drooping eyes. George just hummed sleepily, jogging slightly to keep up with Dream's quick pace, "It should be just this way, not far now."
Dream realised George was lagging behind, jetlag finally catching up with him, and stopped, smiling back at the sleepy man. He tucked George against his side, folding his arm carefully around his waist. The shorter man let out a content hum, allowing his eyes to slip shut and completely relinquishing control to the blonde to lead them to the car.
Eyes now closed George sunk deeper into his sleepy state, resting his head lightly on Dream's shoulder, taking comfort in the warmth the blonde emitted.
"We're here George, you need to get in the car now," Dream said softly, leaning down to the brunette to speak in his ear so as not to scare him. George wrinkled his nose as the idea of having to detatch from Dream, his sleepy state causing him to be more cuddly.
Dream laughed quietly at George's reluctance to let go of him, George taking comfort in the vibrations of his chest. Opening the car for George, the blonde bundles him into the seat, placing a hand on the back of his head to cushion it in case it hit on the roof of the car when he realised George wasn't going to open his eyes.
George sunk into the car seat, only vaguely registering the sound of the boot opening and closing as Dream put his suitcase in. The blonde slipped into the driver's seat and shut the door softly, avoiding loud noises so as not to wake up the man slipping into a slumber beside him.
Pulling out of the car park, Dream hummed quietly along with the music that was playing on the radio. He looked to the side when he felt eyes on him and met the half-lidded chocolate gaze of the man next to him.
"How are you feeling Georgie?" Dream asked, not bothering to push down his urge for contact and reaching out with his free hand, placing it on the shorter man's leg. George's eyes slipped shut again at the warm pressure and a small smile appeared on his face, "Tired," he answered, barely audible in his drowsiness.
"Well we're two hours away so you can sleep, don't worry, I've got you," the blonde man reassured, feeling George relax minutely under his hand.
George succumbed to sleep, the heat of Dream's hand on his thigh burning his skin through his jeans.