Chapter Text
They don't usually eat at the dinner table. It's weird.
They eat in the living room with the TV on or eat in their rooms while they're working or streaming.
But Sapnap had gone out for the night because a friend from Texas was visiting Florida so Dream and George were left to find dinner for themselves. They decided it be the day to cook pasta, and so they did.
It was more of an accident really, Dream had been helping with the cooking but then he was told that the SMP server was lagging and Tubbo, Ranboo, and Techno were streaming so he had to get on that really quickly. He had his laptop out so he thought it would just be faster to sit at the dining table and work rather than run upstairs and boot up his PC.
In the midst of the fixing, George had finished and set down the plate of cooked spaghetti in front of Dream before sitting across the table to eat his plate.
George was scrolling through Twitter, eating casually as the two of them sat. Every once in a while George would laugh at something and retweet it.
Once the server was up and running, Dream closed his laptop and looked at George.
"Oh my god," George mumbled, immediately bringing Dream into the conversation the moment he knew Dream was free. "That clip from a year ago of the Valentine's thing is circling Twitter again." He laughed.
"Oh," Dream chuckled. "When you rejected me on stream?"
"Mom, no, no he broke up with me," George horribly mimicked Dream's American accent.
"You did," Dream joked as he started to eat his dinner.
"Right," George drawled.
"Hey you started it," Dream shrugged. "I had to tell my mom if it was over."
"What do you mean I started it?" George questioned.
"You were the one who texted her I'm Clay's boyfriend," Dream said.
"That was so long ago!" George laughed. "She doesn't actually still think we're-"
"No," Dream said. "She knows we joke about going out all the time."
"Do you really tell your mom everything?" George teased.
"If it's important," Dream shrugged.
"So I'm important?" George said smugly and Dream just chuckled.
"Well considering my last girlfriend-" Dream grimaced. "I think she just wants to know if I'm seeing anybody, or if I'm planning to."
"That has nothing to do with me Dream," George rolled his eyes with a smile, going back to scroll on his phone.
"Well-" Dream mumbled.
"What?" George said, though his eyes were still reading the tweets.
"Go out with me," Dream suddenly blurted out.
George stopped eating and looked up. His eyes shifted around, before entirely turning his head to look around. He inched higher in his seat, trying to look over the table to see if Dream's phone was recording.
"Where's the camera?" George asked.
"What camera?" Dream asked back.
"Recorder then, or your phone," George puzzled out. "What are you recording with?"
"I'm not recording anything," Dream said.
"I don't get it," George quizzically stared at Dream. "What's the joke?"
"It's not a joke," Dream said. "Go out with me."
"You can't go from talking about your mom to asking me out, that's just weird," George said.
"Well we're talking about how my mom wants to know my love life and you said it had nothing to do with you-" Dream said. "Now it does."
"No," George answered, taking another big bite of pasta as he leaned back into his seat.
"Why do you always say no?" Dream complained.
"Because it's a joke," George said. "It's always a joke."
"Okay, maybe sometimes it's a joke, but I can be serious if I want to be," Dream said. "Will you, George, go on a date with me, Clay? You know, slash SRS."
George yet again had to stop eating to look around the room. They were alone, Sapnap isn't even here right now.
"I'm not recording anything," Dream exclaimed defensively.
"No, I'm not going to go out with you," George said.
"Why won't you go out with me?" Dream asked.
"Why do you want to go out with me?" George snapped back.
"Because why not George?" Dream said. "We've been friends for the longest time, we obviously know how to live together, and work together, and not kill each other. Everyone knows we're good for each other, so why not?"
"You want to go out with me out of convenience," George said slowly.
"I mean, on top of the fact that I like you," Dream said.
"You don't like me Dream," George rolled his eyes.
"I do, I do!" Dream insisted. "I love playing with you, and staying on phone calls with you back before you moved in. You're funny and smart, and handsome-"
"Don't-" George felt his cheeks turning pink. "Stop it. You know very well that's not what I meant."
"What do you mean?" Dream furrowed his eyebrows.
"You like me as a friend, you think I'm convenient. I know the work you do, I deal with you every day, I understand the whole anonymity, the hours, the job. I'm easy, Dream," George said. "I'm easier than you having to get a girlfriend, or boyfriend I guess, and introduce them to this life."
"Yes, but that doesn't mean I like you any less," Dream said. "What? Are we not supposed to fall in love with our best friends?"
"Oh my god you're serious," George stiffened in his chair.
"Isn't that how it works?" Dream said. "You get to know someone, and you start to care for them, and then you fall in love, so we've gone past the first two steps, and now-"
George silently placed his fork down on his plate and got up from his chair before walking away.
"George?" Dream called but George had already made his way towards the stairs. "George."
George was halfway up the stairs when Dream started to go after him.
"Wait George, I'm sorry," Dream called out. "Did I say something?"
"Yes," George mumbled though he kept on walking towards his room. "Yes, you said something."
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Dream quickly apologized. "I just thought maybe, after the 10-hour phone calls, the flirting on Twitter, the Youtube sus moments compilations, maybe you liked me back-"
George stopped in his tracks, his hand was already on his doorknob. So close, he can escape this right now.
"But you could've just said that you didn't," Dream shrugged. "I would've been fine, you just never gave me a reason besides no."
"Dream-" George's mouth moved faster than his brain. He should've run when he had the chance but of course, he wanted to talk to Dream. He always wants to talk to Dream.
"No, it's fine. I promise I'm fine. I won't bring it up if it makes you uncomfortable, I'm sorry," Dream said. "We should maybe stop joking about it, and flirting and-"
"You're going to break my heart," George muttered out and it immediately stopped Dream's rambling.
"What-" Dream almost wanted to smile. This is ridiculous. "What are you, making predictions now? What do you mean I'm going to break your heart?"
George is joking, right?
George had finally let go of the door and turned to look at Dream, the two friends standing facing each other in the empty hallway. Dream tilted his head, looking at George, expecting a smile as he himself was kind of smiling, but was greeted with a very serious and solemn look from George.
George was not joking.
"Look, I know-" Dream wanted to scoff almost. "I know what it looks like. I'm a 6'3 Floridian blond jock, heart-breaker type, I watch football and I think going hunting is cool, but I'm not-" Dream chuckled. "I'm not a player. I'm not a fuckboy, come on now. We play Minecraft, I'm not going to break your hea-"
Dream walked closer to George, who stood there shaking his head. George looked down at the floor, foot-tapping nervously as he tries to figure out a way to run away from the conversation he could've escaped from but didn't.
"I'm not going to break your heart," Dream said again.
"Oh but you will," George's voice was small and soft. "I think you will."
Dream was now less than a foot away from George, staring intently at his friend.
"You're too-" George continued. He was biting his lip trying to stop the quivering. He is not going to cry over this. "You're too much."
"Too much?" Dream repeated and George simply nodded. "Like how?"
"Too kind," was the first thing George said with no hesitation. "Too smart, too handsome, too funny, too caring, too fucking tall-" George inhaled and exhaled a shaky breath, trying his hardest to contain his emotions. "Too important. Too important to me."
"George, look at me," Dream requested.
The shorter boy took his time to lift his head from staring at the ground to staring at his friend. Golden, those golden eyes.
"What are you saying?" Dream asked.
"I can't lose you," George said. "No matter what, I won't."
"You're not going to lose me," Dream said. "I was asking you out, isn't that kinda the opposite?"
"Dream I-" George said. "I'm going fall. Fall very hard and very fast," he explained. "And there's no coming back from that."
"Okay?" Dream said softly.
"If it doesn't work out," George said. "I don't want to hate you. I can't hate you," George paused, taking in a big breath before he continued. "I guess I lied. You're not going to break my heart, I'm just going to be heartbroken by you, eventually."
"What makes you think it's not going to work out?" Dream asked.
"Because you-" George sighed, closing his eyes. "Dream-"
"We'll make it work, we can make it work," Dream said. "We'll get through it, we'll get there-"
"I'm already there!" George exclaimed. "That's the problem, okay?"
George placed his head down onto his hands as he took a few steps back.
"You ask me out, all the time. And now you wanna try it out because why not because our friends make jokes about it, about how we're good for each other, made for each other," George rambled. "And it's fun, I know. It's fine-"
George looked back at Dream, standing there confused and honestly a little concerned because George knows he's going to cry any second now, and Dream knows it too.
"But I'm already there," George stated. "And you can't tell me, and give me hope that you might meet me there. You want to try, and that's perfectly fine but not with me- please, not with me because I can't."
"I can't handle the thought of you possibly- maybe, falling in love with me. I can't test-run a relationship, having fun for a few months, experiencing blissful joy, only for you to realize that maybe you can't meet me there, that it's not what you want. I can't have a taste of what could've been, and have it stripped away- because I can't hate you. I don't want to. I'm sorry."
Dream was silent, his heart bearing somewhere between joy and broken.
Is-
Is George saying what he thinks he's saying?
George hadn't said it, George was careful to not say the words because he didn't want to. He couldn't. But truth be told, George had realized for a while that he's been there.
He's already at that point where he realized that he was in love with his best friend. But George wasn't stupid. He knew how to keep an arms-length distance, guard himself, but still maintain a friendship. He knows his limits.
And he knows that the simple idea of Dream potentially trying to pursue a relationship with him, and then not working out- He'd really, really much rather they don't try at all.
"What if-" Dream muttered out. "What if I told you I'm also already there?"
"You don't have to do that," George shook his head. "You don't have to be sorry for me Dream, I never meant to confess to you on a Tuesday night during dinner," George attempted a little smile. "You don't have to lie, we'll just forget about it."
"Wait, wait," Dream hurriedly said as George's hand was already on his door handle. "Wait, please."
George can't say no. He wanted more than anything to shut himself in his room and cry, but Dream said please. And he really can't say no.
Dream was fumbling in his pocket to find his phone. He unlocked it, opened something, scrolled up for a few, before holding out his phone for George to take.
"What is it?" George asked.
"Just read it," Dream said.
George looked down at the phone. It was a little hard to look at a phone screen when your eyes are a little blurred with what is potentially the first tears of the night. But he managed and realized that he was on Dream's messages app, and the contact at the top just says, Mom.
Mon, Aug 17, 10:23
he made pancakes today
its a lil burned but ok
choco chip
does he know its your fav?
maybe
idk but its a nice surprise
Wed, Aug 19, 14:42
I can't find patches
worried
help
did you check everywhere
yes
wait no
5 Attachments
found her
Awh that's cute
very cute
George opened the attachments and scrolled through a roll of pictures from when Patches had snuck into his bedroom and slept with him during an afternoon nap. He didn't even know Dream took pictures. He could almost imagine Dream doing it, creeping in his room to take a few snapshots, probably panicking when the flash went off because he forgot to turn it off, before sneaking back out into the hallway to send his mother the pictures.
Sat, Aug 29, 17:08
can't come to dinner
george is streaming
sorry sorry
how bout tomorrow
only if you bring george and sapnap too
can i really
yes
do you think george would want to come?
he hasn't really met anyone but you
don't be stupid
ok
Mon, Aug 31, 12:27
mom he smells nice
i don't wanna ask
is it a british detergent
send pic of the detergent
this one
1 Attachment
that's the same one you use
any freshener?
no
maybe its just him
leftover cologne?
yeah
maybe
its aftershave
Thur, Sep 4, 09:12
can't take your car to the shop today sorry
im sicky
do you want me to come with chicken soup
are you okay
im okay
george is here
Sun, Sep 6, 16:39
im teaching gogs how to make ur apple pie
it is going great
7 Attachments
you seem to be having fun
sap is no help
patches covered in flour
you guys are really cute
i want gogy to try ur pie
can you bake one and bring over
pls
of course darlin
thank
love you
George once again went through the pictures. It was a chaotic Sunday afternoon, and it was him completely covered in flour. He knows Dream was also covered in flour behind the camera since he was the one who dealt the damage. There were a few pictures of both of them and a video of Dream struggling to catch George as they ran around the kitchen counter. Manhunt gone real, it was Dream screaming C'mere George! as they ran around the kitchen island. He heard Sapnap's laugh behind the camera this time, and that's when he knew what 'Everyone knows we're good for each other' really meant.
Wed, Sep 9, 03:23
mom
u still up
yes
everything okay?
are you and dad going to be okay if i like a boy
of course we'll be okay
we love you
always
okay
is this about george
maybe
did something happen?
do you think he likes me back?
do you want to talk?
yes please
The time stamp on the text was not a month after George had moved to Florida to live with them.
George was crying. Guess he couldn't keep it in any longer. It was weird though, he really thought that he was going to cry from a broken heart, just like he was going to 5 minutes ago. But it's honestly a delightful surprise that that wasn't the cause.
The texts went on for longer, and longer. Every once in a while a picture of him that Dream had secretly snapped would pop up.
"You can-" Dream spoke up, his voice cracking. George immediately looked up to see that Dream also had tears in his eyes. Didn't know when this started, but Dream was also crying. "You can also check the texts with my sisters. They're so much worse."
George laughed, hastily wiping off his tears with the sleeves of his hoodies before handing the phone back to Dream.
"I'm there. I'm already there," Dream assured him. "I'm right there with you, I promise."
Dream slipped his phone into his hoodie pocket before reaching out his hand to cup George's cheek. He swiped his thumb across to wipe away the tear stains even though he himself had tears streaming down his face.
"Liked you back," George scoffed mockingly. "I liked you first." He reached up and dabbed Dream's face with his hoodie paws, drying away the tears.
"Debatable," Dream argued.
"It's really not," George quipped back.
So they stood there, gazing into each other's eyes as they stood chest to chest. Dream leaned down, slowly pressing his forehead against George's.
"Can I kiss you?" Dream's voice was a level of soft that George had never even heard before. His stomach was fluttering, heart thumping at those four simple words. He never wants to hear any other four words.
"Yes," George answered before tilting his head forward to close the gap.
It was a little soft and sweet kiss. Lips brushing against each other before pressing gently as they fell into each other. Dream's hand moved to bring George's body closer to his as George moved his hand to run through Dream's hair.
They pulled apart, breathing now in sync as their eyes continued to gaze into one another.
"I love you too," Dream said.
George lied. These are the four words that he wants to hear for the rest of his life.
George broke out into a small laugh, unable to answer verbally but he's definitely able to do something. George pulled Dream's face and kissed him yet again, this time deeper and harder.
Dream was now also smiling through the kiss. He bent down and took George by the waist, lifting the shorter boy up from the ground. George immediately wrapped his legs around Dream, now placing himself a little higher, Dream's head was tilting up.
They pulled apart after a bit, panting and pink, lips swollen, smiling like there is no other thing they could do.
"I guess," George started. "I, George, would love to go out with you, Clay," he smirked. "Slash HJ."
"Half-joking?" Dream exclaimed. "What do you mean half-joking?"
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding-" George laughed, quickly taking it back. "I'm kidding."
"You better be," Dream said threateningly.
There was a little cool down from the joke where they stood there in the hallway, still in each other's arms just enjoy each other's company.
"You say," George said slowly. "You say you're already there, and I'm already there," George was hopeful, happy, euphoric even. "So let's go further."
"Oh, baby," Dream's use of the pet name immediately flushed George hot red. "We're going all the way," Dream declared before pulling George in for another kiss.
*Bonus scene (text actually)*
WasTaken Clan:
Me, Bruh, Drista, Sis
Fri, Feb 26, 22:56
Dream
Is
Officially
Taken
bout time
took you long enough
r we talkin ab gogy
no he's dating sapnap
really???
No
NO!
nO
ofc it's george who else
i am best woman
might wanna fight sapnap for that
wtf sapnap can go be george's
ur so rude
i will send george that voice note of you freaking out over the way he says "comfused"
shut up im blocking you
oh i sent that to george like right after it happened
idk how it took you both that long to figure it out
wtf
and he still didnt think you liked him back
my brother-in-law is a clown
we haven't even gone on a date
i already got you reservations at that italian restaurant for tomorrow 8
i will fight sapnap over best woman
dibs on telling tommy
can i tell tommy
we had a bet
you did what
how much is 500 pounds
thats so much money
what were you thinking
you don't even have that much money
winning or losing
you doubt me
what
can you bring home some breadsticks when you go to that italian place?