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What could he even say about George, having only seen him in person for a few days? He was short, average, but short compared to him. The hug at the quarantine hotel had been comedic, Clay- or Dream, as George hadn’t stopped calling him- went to hug him and it cracked his back, making him laugh. So he lifted the Brit off the ground in a crushing hug that had him a good few inches up.
What else? What about his accent? It was so much richer in person. He knew what he sounded like, but hearing him not over the static of a phone or computer was captivating. Just like everything about him. His hair, his skin, his eyes. He was starting to think he had a problem with staring, because he couldn’t take him in enough.
More than that was his personality obviously, but they had all known they’d get along great. Sapnap, as they were used to calling each other their screen names by now, was just as excited to have him over for the two week period, and to get some better food in him than what he had been trying from the various fast food deliveries.
After they had thoroughly stuffed themselves with greasy pizza, cheese breadsticks, and a two liter of soda, George had reminded him they should do some streaming. And really they should. But he didn’t want to separate from him for hours on end. George liked to have his camera on, it was a part of his set up. He couldn’t ask him not to. So begrudgingly, he watched as George went to sapnaps room, and Dream and sapnap set up in his.
“-and I know it’s annoying to ask, but if you could check to see if you’re subscribed that would be fantastic. Sometimes YouTube unsubscribes you, I don’t know why, but everyone single sub helps. Ok, Dream what are we doing?” George piped up. His chat was flying by on the screen next to the game, and Dream grinned as he explained.
The moving blocks textures pack was nauseating to say the least. They’d done it once before and had ended up deleting it. Now they were back to try again, and this time there was no fake gagging, or exaggerated moves, just pure force of will and trying not to get nauseous.
Half way through it got interesting when Sapnap stood abruptly from the desk. Dream laughed and wheezed as he held his head in one hand, holding his chair with the other.
“I just need a minute.” Sapnap groaned, making him laugh harder. George was in much the same state, rubbing his eyes and face, and holding his head. He had been for a good minute, not saying anything.
“George? George. Look at the lava.” Dream laughed.
“Oh my god dude. How are we suppose to do the end of the sky is moving?” Sapnap muttered from under his hand. Dream laughed again, half heartedly this time, his eyes tracking back to George’s camera. He hadn’t moved.
“Georggggeee...” he whined. It had to be a bit right? Was he going to fake cry? Or was he actually feeling sick? Maybe they could take a break. They did just eat all that food, and with a level of grease he wasn’t used to.
Before he could suggest it though, George was looking back at the screen. He looked pale, more than usual. Sapnaps color settings didn’t wash him out like his own back in Britain did, but he was white as a sheet.
“I’m fine. Let’s go.”
“You sure?” Dream asked. George didn’t smile, or even respond. His mouth opened, then closed. Dreams eyes flicked out to the chat. A few people were asking some things but it was going to fast to read. Then he looked back, and he felt the ground give way underneath him.
Panic set his heart completely racing as he watched George’s eyes flutter and roll back so far he could see the whites. He jerked and fell backwards, slumping in the chair. With his weight to one side completely, the chair finally tipped, and George’s limp body fell on the floor with a dull thud, the headphones ripping out in the process and clattering.
Sapnap didn’t have George’s stream up on his screen, so when he asked what that noise was Dream almost thought he had imagined it. Just a crazy, anxiety induced, hallucination. But he blinked, and George was still on the floor of Sapnaps room, and he was out of his chair before Sapnap could process what was happening.
“George!”
“Whoa- dream! Clay the camera! What are you doing?” Sapnap yelled, giving his stream a vague comment before following after him.
“He fell, I don’t know, I saw his eyes roll back and it almost looked like a seizure, is he epileptic? Can you get a seizure without epilepsy?” Dream shouted, fear making his voice louder with every quickened step towards the room. He broke into a run before his hand landed on the handle-
Shit. Fuck. The camera. Fuck it. Dream yanked his hoodie up over his head and pulled the strings before barreling in, back to the door. George laid splayed on the carpet, and that alone made him almost collapse, fumbling wilding, swinging his hands around to try to hit the camera. He was losing time!
Fuck the camera. Fuck people seeing. He dropped to his knees, pulling George’s legs up into his lap and holding them straight. Sapnap came charging in just as Dreams shaky fingers found George’s pulse. Good. Heartbeat is good.
“Is he breathing?!”
“I-I don’t- I don’t know.” Dream admitted, holding his fingers under his nostrils.
“Yeah, he’s good. He’s fine. He’s gonna be fine. Right?! He’s fine! He- call- someone!” Dream stuttered, using the hand not on his legs to touch his cheek. It was warm, but he didn’t actually know if that was a good thing, or just normal. All he knew was the stupid rhyme. Red raise the head, pale raise the tail. And he had been pale as a ghost, but he wasn’t now. Should he put his legs down?
“-call they’ll just say they can’t take him! Covid!” Fuck, what did Sapnap say? Something about the hospital not taking him.
“Come on. Come on George- fucking- gogy. Stupid idiot. You know? Gogy? Funny! Now, wake up. Make fun of it. Wake up George. Please. Please, please, you’re fine. You’re fucking fine, come on. I’m right here. This isn’t funny anymore. I need- I need you to wake up. Come on George.” He begged, dropping his legs and moving both hands to his face as soon as he saw eye movement.
“George?! Come on dude, come back. Can you hear us?” Sapnap threw in. George’s eyes rolled, trying to center back on someone. Dream leaned over him further, brushing his hair back.
“George!” He sighed, voice shaking.
“What happened? What?”
“Easy, do you know where you are?” Sapnap asked, crouching down to get closer.
“I’m- at your place in Florida. What happened? What? I’m on the floor.” George muttered, mouth smacking open and shut for a moment as his eyes moved around the room.
“George-” Dream managed, mouth going dry. His heart was pounding so hard he felt like he couldn’t breathe. Shit, he wasn’t breathing was he? He was taking in rasping breaths that he could hear out loud, and then Sapnaps hand found his back, running slow circles while he held George’s face like a lifeline.
“I was- we were recording the moving blocks thing. We just were. And then I was... I’m on the floor now. What happened? Am I ok? Dream?”
“Fuck you.” Dream said shakily, moving his hands to George’s shoulders along with Sapnaps other hand on George’s back. Together they braced him as he sat up, but as soon as he was sitting forward, dreams arms wrapped further around him, pulling him into a hug. He didn’t move, holding George tight to his chest and feeling him breathe. It somehow seeped the fear out of his body.
“Shit! The camera!” Sapnap yelled suddenly, jumping up and running to the computer, shutting everything down. In the darkened room Dreams own head spun, adrenaline starting to make his whole body shake. George’s arms lifted up to hug him back, and all he could do was bury his head in the smaller mans shoulder.
“Do you have any idea how scary that was?! Dude, dream just launched out of the chair and I thought he was gonna be sick, but then he looked terr-” Sapnap stopped, mouth still moving in search of better wording.
“I was like, cause I heard something hit the floor. I thought maybe you had gotten sick, but then Dream started to run in there, and I had to disconnect my stream. And when I came to the door he was in here in view of the camera, and you were out cold!”
“That’s insane. I don’t remember at all. My head was hurting, and we were recording, and we went in the nether. And I started to feel floaty like maybe I had t eaten enough today, and then I woke up.” George stammered, still rubbing circles onto Dreams back.
“We’re never doing that again. Or anything that can trigger seizures. Why didn’t you tell us you had epilepsy you idiot?!” Dream shouted. His hands balled into fists in George’s shirt, and George winced at the volume in his ear.
“I don’t. I- did it look like a seizure? This has happened before but I didn’t think it was that bad.”
“What?!” Dream shouted, pulling back.
“Dude! Yeah, that’s the kind of thing to get checked out!” Sapnap gaped.
“It just happens sometimes. I think it’s because I’m colorblind. I don’t know. It happened on Karl’s stream once too. He was throwing steak around and we were standing on a colored carpet, and I started to feel really out of it, and then I just fell over, and I caught it on camera.”
“What the fuck!”
“Yeah, they didn’t realize and it only lasted a second, but when I woke up and told them, they got really quiet. They were like, super sorry. But then we just went back to it. My eyes had been hurting and I guess it just- made my brain turn off.”
“That’s not normal.” Dream ground out, swallowing against the lump in his throat.
“Yeah I seriously think you should go to a doctor.” Sapnap added.
“Maybe once I’m home. Your healthcare is awful.” George grinned. Sapnap laughed and helped him up gently, and Dream took the queue to also stand, his own legs wobbling. He couldn’t think straight, and suddenly time had passed.
“Oh my god, I forgot that was live. Look at this, people are already posting that on its own. We didn’t have the green screen up, like they saw all of that.” Sapnap chuckled, holding out his phone to show George the clip.
Sapnap covered the moving blocks with his hand, showing him only the corner of the screen. George’s mouth hung open, and it hit Dream like a train. He couldn’t breathe again, and he stepped past them completely, rushing out of the room and into the main living room. Sapnap and George followed, watching him put his hands on his head and pace.
“Dream?” Sapnap called. It was too far away. He couldn’t focus on it, didn’t care-
“Clay.” And then he was back, pulled back into his body, and George was barely touching his arm, hesitant.
“I think you should sit down. Take some deep breaths.” George said. They both knew of his history with anxiety, but George hadn’t seen it. He’s heard it, in late night calls full of shaking and unsteady breaths. He didn’t get loud or overly hysterical like some people, his were quieter, in the background attacks.
“Yeah. I should be telling you that!” Dream breathed, giving him a grin for the first time in- had it only been seven minutes? What the hell.
“Just updated Twitter, just says you fainted and it scared everyone so we’re taking a break, and that you’re fine. But now I’m getting blown up. Tommy says in all seriousness he hopes you’re ok, but he also said to leave you on the floor.” Sapnap laughed, plopping down on the couch. George laughed as he sat down, leaving room for Dream to sit between them.
“I’m ok, I promise.” He said quietly, aimed more at Dream, he knows. He looked up at those eyes, Georges stupidly pretty eyes that he had been grinning at for days now, and now all his mind flashed back to was the whites on them rolling back. He made a choking noise and Sapnap startled as Dream sat straight up, coughing.
“Sorry, I’m- I know it’s over. And I know you’re fine. My body literally just won’t calm down. My throat is tight.” He gives half-heartedly, sniffing and hoping they can’t see his eyes welling up, the reason he made the noise. George is quick though, and he’s always been quick. He lifted his hand, just enough to gets Dreams eyes to flash back to him.
“What do you need?”
“I need to forget that happened. And like- see that you’re ok. But I just keep seeing you laying on the floor.” Dream admits, earning him a cautiously sad look from Sapnap, like he wants to comfort him but doesn’t know if he would appreciate it yet. George doesn’t have the same reservations, reaching out carefully, slowly, making sure his touch will be met with appreciation, and Dream nods, and he’s pulling him in, letting Dream rest his face in the crook of his neck.
He can breathe finally, like breathing into a paper bag. The compressed space makes it easier somehow. Tears are forming but being soaked up by his shirt just as quickly, before they can even leave tracks on his skin. Sapnap snorted and shifted in his spot, a warning that he was moving.
“You sure you aren’t gay for each other?”
“Shut up and put your weight on me.” Dream snorted, the laugh ripping through him in a much more pleasant way than the sob had earlier. He could feel George smile, and Sapnap shift to do just that, leaning his side into dreams back and rubbing circles with his hand. The other raised to show George what Twitter had to say.
It was a unanimous decision that one of them should go live, even just for a bit, and say what happened. Sapnap ultimately made the call to do it, because George should stay sitting and keep sipping on water, and he knew Dream would want to be the one keeping an eye on him. They thought he was clueless, but he had sat up a few too many nights with them, whether playing or watching them stream, or comforting an on-edge with anxiety Dream, and the way they looked at each other? If anyone was clueless, it was them. So he left the room, leaving them to watch some movie George had never seen.
Dream wasn’t paying attention. He wasn’t sure George was fully either. He was watching, but every so often he seemed to snap back to attention. It put Dream on edge, every time knowing George was probably just bored, or thinking, or tired, but wondering if any second he might pass out again.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” He blurted out, regretting it immediately. It had sounded too harsh, bitten with cold from the worry bouncing around in his head.
“Tell you what?”
“That you pass out like that from your eyes! I never, never would’ve- I mean that was really stupid. If I had known, but I didn’t know, and I almost got you really hurt. Or I guess I did, and you didn’t get hurt. But if you had hit your head on the desk, or like the headphones had gotten tangled and choked you, I would’ve been watching your face more to make sure-”
“Dream! Dream. I’m ok. I really didn’t know that texture would do that. I mean when we did it before I got really dizzy, and kind of floaty. But I was-”
“GEORGE!”
“Dream! Look I’m fine! No matter how much watching my face you could’ve done, you still wouldn’t have known I was gonna collapse like that. It wasn’t your fault, I promise. There’s nothing you could’ve done to prevent it.”
“I could’ve not made you play again.” Dream quipped, making George chuckle.
“Yeah, but we wouldn’t have gotten that awesome video.”
“Dude shut up.” Dream snarked, making George chuckle.
“Besides, you already stare at my face all the time.” George grinned.
“Yeah, well you have a pretty face. I just didn’t expect to see your pretty face shoved into my carpet so soon.”
“DREAM!”
Dream wheezed, holding his side as George stood abruptly and took a few steps to process the comment. His face was turning red, he could even see it in the darkness and the light of the tv, and it just made him cackle harder. George pointed a finger at him, to which Dream held up an ‘o’ shaped hand and tried to shove it towards the finger. George turned two shades darker while laughing.
When he finally sat, out of breath and flushed, he sat down pressed close to Dream, closer than before. His laughter faded off, and he stared, taking in his ‘pretty’ face all over again. George just smiled at him, leaning back against the couch and letting him, maintaining eye contact. After a good minute, George’s expression changed, a mixture of worry and wonder.
“You could’ve gotten outed.”
“What?”
“Your big million dollar secret. Your face. I watched the video. You just ran in, and the attempt to find the camera behind you was weak. You gave up in like three seconds.”
“Course I did. Your more important than my secret.” Dream said. George faltered.
“You’re serious.”
“Yeah, I didn’t know if you were passed out, or stroked out, or seizing. It looked scary- you looked like you had a mini seizure. I didn’t even really think about it, Sapnap yelled down the hall about it and I just pulled my hood up. If it was a choice between concealing my identity and being with you for those extra second, of course I’d chose you.” Dream said quickly.
“You’d give your identity up to hold my face for an extra few seconds.” George breathed.
“I mean, more to give you help. To get your legs up and make sure you weren’t dead, but yeah. Always. My secret isn’t worth losing you. And frankly, I mean I’d definitely do it for a lot less. I could know you were just passed out and were fine and I’d still run in.”
“Dream...” George mumbled, making him fidget. Why did he sound so... what was that look for?
“Sapnap could’ve gone in-”
“No, no, if I didn’t run in and make sure you were ok for myself, I would’ve needed medical attention. From the worry.” Dream said hesitantly. George had fully turned to face him now, and it was making him squirm, like he had done something wrong. He was starting to smile again though, which made him fell better at least.
“Why do you care about me so much?”
“What?”
“Why do you, Dream, care so much about me? My well-being, and why did you fly me all the way down here? I love it here! But I could’ve paid.”
“Cause I love you.” Dream replied instantly, clicking his jaw shut. This was a serious question. He couldn’t just say something as deep as that. He shouldn’t- but it wasn’t like it wasn’t true. They had known each other for years, and the bond only grew and grew, and being in person it was so much-
“It’s stronger here. That’s the truth. Whatever bond we have, our friendship, our... connection. I didn’t realize just how much I wanted to meet you, and when the chance came I just said ok, I’m gonna do whatever I can to reduce the strain for you. And since you’ve been here in person it’s just- stronger. I don’t even want you to go home.” Dream finished, tilting his head down. He couldn’t look up. That was too much, he should’ve stopped. He fiddled with his hoodie strings, then looked at his nails, trying to find anything to look at except George. He couldn’t see Dreams red face. If he looked up, George would see.
From his line a vision a hand appeared, touching his own nervously fidgeting ones, and he did look up. He looked up as George held his hand hesitantly- so fucking hesitantly. He wasn’t even holding it, more just had his hand laying on top of Dreams fist, so Dream gave it to him, maintaining eye contact. He followed the nervous tilt of red to George’s throat, watching it Bob as he swallowed nervously.
This was crossing a line. This was definitely crossing a line. But it could be brushed off as comfort. As a joke, or a thank you, or any number of things if he played his cards right- or wrong. He was t sure if he even wanted to play them right. Didn’t know what right would lead to. But the feeling of his hand, and the look on his face pushed him on.
Seeing his face was important. Knowing how far he was going. Knowing his limit, and what he was going for by even reaching out. But the way he was breathing pointed to a good outcome. Dream lifted his hand, and gently pressed a kiss to the back, raising his eyes to meet George’s. ‘Anything for you your majesty’ right on the end of his tongue if George pulled away, ‘of course I’d run in to save you, your my best friend’ sitting in the docks. He didn’t need it. George’s eyes were blown huge, and he nodded. Permission. Consent.
Dream pulled his arm forward by the wrist and met his lips half way, his head spinning and his body floating. It was completely dizzying, and George’s gasp against his mouth only pushed him further towards insanity. George’s hands wandered almost too carefully, and Dream found his hand and pushed it down onto his own hip, where he latched on.
His other hand buried in Dreams shirt, pulling him closer, and then they were leaning, dipping, falling, George pulling him down on top of him, Dreams arm holding him up above George and the other touching his face. George let out a breathy swear upon opening his eyes, something along the lines of “oh fuck” and Dream huffed out a little laugh, moving from his lips to his jaw line, leaving little nips that wouldn’t mark but that he could definitely feel.
“Dream-” George said suddenly, pushing back a bit on his hips and shoulder. Dream froze. Was he upset? Was he going to leave? Was this a mistake?
“If you keep going... we’re going to have a serious problem, bigger than we do now...” George panted. Dream sighed in relief.
“So it gets bigger?” He quipped, making George turn away with a scandalized huff.
“May I remind you, we’re currently on your living area couch, and Sapnap could see us? I’d rather he not come out to us... doing anything more serious.” George said, taking a few steadying breaths and smoothing Dreams shirt from his position underneath him. The move made him chuckle.
“Crazy, I always thought you’d be a show off.” Dream teased, surprisingly not earning him a light smack or a joke. Instead George’s mouth moved without words, his eyes closing while he came up with the words.
“Oh my god.”
“In the right situation-”
“Oh my god!”
“But not right now. Not... we need to both be sure this is what we want. Where we want to go with this. I... do. But I want to make sure you know what you want. This isn’t something that’s temporary or just because I’m... you know, temporary. A fling that has to leave.” George said quietly.
“God, no. You’re not a fling. You’re not a one night stand George. You mean so much more than that. I already told you. I... I want more. I have for who knows how long.” Dream breathed. George’s smile lit his insides on fire.
“Alright. Good.” George grinned, chuckling against his lips as Dream kissed him again.
“We should stop though. Sapnap seriously could find us. I- it’s um.”
“What?”
“I... make noise. Not like a ton, but- enough. I don’t want him to find us, and you are... in just the right position to make that noise happen.” George chuckled, looking at Dreams arm that was essentially keeping him pinned between the couch and Dreams body.
“Ok, fair. I don’t think he’d mind though.”
“I very much would mind. I don’t want to see his dick in your hand tonight.” Sapnap piped up. Dream practically screamed, a high pitch startled noise leaving his mouth as he scrambled off of George.
“Maybe some other time! But tonight I’m gonna grab that controller from under the tv, stream a different game to erase my recent memory, and then hit the hay. God, that was gay dude.” Sapnap said, his tone disappointed. Dreams wheezing laugh made George also erupt, covering his face with his hands.
“Sapnap!”
“George! You can’t yell my name, I just wanted the controller! I didn’t know I’d walk into a porn shoot!” Sapnap fussed, making them laugh harder. Sapnap joined in, before gasping and turning around.
“Ohhhhh, I need to make sure the stream didn’t hear that. Oh god, that’s twice today I’ve leaked your shit-” Sapnap said, rushing back to his room. George’s mouth hung open, watching for Dreams reaction, waiting as they heard Sapnap reach his room.
“FUCK.”
Well, at least they still hadn’t seen Dreams face.