Archive of Our Own

The sound of waves slapping against sand mixed with the chirping of birds was the first thing George heard when he came to consciousness. He groaned and felt a stifling heat cover his body like a blanket that had been thrown over him. Slowly , his eyes opened up and he was faced with a brillant blue sky.

He blinked up at the cloudless sky for a couple of seconds before he tilted his head to the side. A sharp spike of pain erupted from his left leg and George let out a sharp hiss at it. He felt tears well up in his eyes as he grit his teeth in an attempt to help lessen the pain he was feeling.

His breaths were shaky and the only thing keeping George from screaming was his clenched jaw. His hands reached for purchase on the ground and his hands grabbed fistfuls of sand that shifted through his fingers.

Well, George definitely knew he was on a beach.

He took a couple more deep breaths before he attempted to raise his head. The weight of it was too much and it fell back onto the sand. The sound of birds chirping around him felt mocking and spikes of annoyance flared up in George. He turned his head side to side, finding it to be easier than lifting his head.

To his right a lush jungle laid, snarled vines hanging from tall leafy trees and flowers bursting with colors laid everywhere. It reminded him of the tropical resort the cruise workers had assured his family they would arrive at, but this was not as pristine and carefully cut as the land they had shown on pamphlets.

There was a shuffling somewhere to his left and George’s head snapped to the sound. His eyes widened at the sight and his mouth dropped open.

A blonde man with a white robe covering him stood there. He had tanned skin and his blonde hair was pinned up into a small ponytail. An air of power and mystique surrounded him and George felt the urge to reach out and see if his hand would phase through him. He didn’t look real, he didn’t look human, he couldn’t have been

The man’s eyes widened and he knelt down on the soft sand as he stared at George. His lips were slightly parted in a soft “o” shape and caution danced in his eyes.

“Who are you?” His voice was clear and held a comfort to it that blanketed George.

George opened his mouth to respond before a spike of pain shot up from his leg and he hissed. The man’s eyes flickered to his leg and concern washed over it before he nudged a bit closer to George.

“That...that’s got to hurt,” He muttered.

George felt a hand ghost on his arm before trailing down to his leg. He froze and his eyes widened before he snatched the man’s hand.

“D..Don’t touch it!” He gasped. The words desperate and full of humiliating pain.

The stranger shook his hand off of George’s grip and shook his head. “Of course, I wasn’t thinking too much when I saw it. I kind of tried to start trying to help you on instinct, I’m sorry.”

His words were sincere and soothing enough that George felt the pain from before begin to dissipate. He leaned back down and let out a hefty breath as he listened to the waves and wind.

George grit his teeth and took a shaky breath before tilting his head towards the stranger. “Who are you?”

“Didn’t I ask you that first?” The stranger’s eyes crinkled as he spoke and barely held back laughter littered his voice. “Well it doesn’t matter much I suppose...You can call me Dream for now.”

Dream.

George hadn’t met anyone with such a name but strangely it suited Dream. The calming airy nature surrounding the man reminded George of when you would just wake up from a dream you couldn’t quite remember but it left you feeling warm and fuzzy.

“I’m George,” The words slipped from his mouth before he could think.

Dream smiled softly and raised his eyebrow playfully. “George? It’s a nice name.”

“T..thank you,” George stuttered, a warmth taking over his face that he frustratingly knew wasn’t from the burning sun. He wasn’t exactly the strongest person when it came to pretty people and Dream just so happened to, frustratingly, be his type.

“I can help you,” Dream offered, he glanced down at George’s leg, “I can make the pain go away.”

There was a silence for a couple of seconds and an unsaid “but” bothered George relentlessly.

He grit his teeth in an attempt to ease the pain. “But?” He managed to hiss out.

Dream sighed and looked George in the eye, “...but you’ll need to trust me enough to let me knock you out for a bit.”

“K..knocked out for a bit!?” George stuttered, panicked ideas of what could happen filled his head.

Just because Dream was attractive and had been nice so far it didn’t mean George trusted him with his unconscious body. George was weak to attractive people sure but he wasn’t a fucking idiot around them.

“I won’t do anything!” Dream assured with a nervous laugh trailing his words. “If I were to do anything I don’t think I would be asking if you were fine with me knocking you out to help heal you.”

“That’s true,” George took a deep breath and continued to push past the blistering pain with each word, “but you could be just trying to lead me into a false sense of security.”

Dream raised an eyebrow. “If you want to be here for a while and wait weeks to naturally heal then I suppose you don’t have to trust me.”

George opened his mouth but found nothing coming to his mind to say. Dream did have a good point, even though it was sketchy as hell George would rather take the chance at getting his leg fixed than dealing with the pain. If Dream turned out to be a violent serial killer then he would deal with that later.

George tentatively nodded and watched relief flood Dream’s eyes. The blonde sighed and looked up at the forest before he stood up. His body blocked the sun and his head

“I’ll leave for a bit to grab the mix you’re gonna eat.” Dream brushed a piece of hair away from George’s face with a soft smile. His words were tender and warm as if they were a blanket determined to smother George in comfort.

George felt himself relax at the touch and when Dream’s hand moved away he had half the mind to grab it so he could keep it there. Instead he let the hand move away, a faint disappointment lingering in him, and the blonde walked away to wherever he had to go.

George wasn’t quite sure of how much time passed before the blonde came back. Seconds felt like minutes and minutes felt like hours when your entire leg was screaming in pain.

Thankfully the soft footsteps and shadow appeared after a bit of waiting. George looked up to find Dream standing there with a carefully carved wooden bowl in his hands. Small swirl carvings were etched into the sides and while it was obviously handmade the bowl was one of the prettiest things George had ever seen. What was with this island and everything being pretty on it?

Dream knelt down to George’s side and carefully held the bowl in one hand before he gently tilted George’s head up with the other. George complied and he found the bowl lifted to his lips for him to drink. He opened his mouth and a sweet taste poured in. It reminded him of a blueberry and strawberry mix that threw him back to the farms his parents would take him out to so they could pick some fruit for fun.

Halfway through the bowl, with George taking slow small sips, he realized his eyelids had begun to go limp and his limbs relaxed. He paused to look up at Dream, who gave him a soft smile and nod. George opened his mouth again and began to take more of the liquid.

Once he finished the bowl he felt seconds away from sleeping. Dream gently put his head down as George felt the darkness take over him.

A hand touched his and softly squeezed it.

“Don’t be like the others...please.”

The words rang out in his head as George was about to fall into unconsciousness, leaving a hazy confusion to enter his mind seconds before he found himself trapped in nothing.

——

George opened his eyes to find himself back on the ship. The wind whipped his hair back and the smell of the salty ocean filled his nose. He glanced up at the sky and found the sun happily on display as it shone harsh beams down.

George squinted his eyes and looked around the deck, empty pool chairs and towels resting neatly on them. His eyes reached the front and he saw a man with long pink hair standing at the front.

He straightened up and walked over to the man despite not recognizing him. The man wore a suit of black armor with a slightly crooked golden crown upon his head. On his feet he wore shockingly pink shoes and a sword hilt hung on his hip.

“So, George huh?” The man said, not even turning from the sea that he looked out at.

George froze, confusion winding in him at the man. “How did you know my name?”

“I know a lot,” The pink haired man shrugged before he turned around.

Like Dream the other man had a near ethereal look to him. However unlike Dream, who had a softness to him, the pink haired man gave off an intimidating aura. His eyes were a bright blue and a scar rested on his cheek and dragged down to his jaw. Everything about his face made a cold fear wash over George and he had half the mind to jump over the edge to avoid his stare.

The man clicked his tongue. “Right, I can’t do that near you mortals.”

He snapped his fingers and the cold fear disappeared within a second. George’s eyes widened and he let out a deep exhale.

“What the fuck was that?” He muttered, more to himself than to the man.

The man smiled and leaned back on the rail. “That was part of my godly aura, I forgot to turn it down a bit so you wouldn’t try to kill me, or yourself.”

“Godly aura?” George asked, the words foreign on his lips. He tilted his head as he stared up at the pink haired man.

“Congrats,” The man sighed before he got off the rail and put his hand out, “you’re talking to the god of war himself, Technoblade.”

George had had weird dreams in the past but this definitely took the cake. He wondered if the drug Dream forced him to take had a part in this.

“Oh no, I can assure you this is real,” Technoblade chuckled softly, as he pulled his hand towards George’s shoulder to touch it.

George's mind screamed at him at Technoblade’s words since he hadn’t even spoken a single word about how unreal this all felt. George had never felt like he was in extreme danger in his life but even so much as being near Techno made him feel like he was a small rabbit in the presence of an apex predator.

His hand was firm and warm, way too warm and strikingly real. George nearly flinched away at the touch but his body stayed still out of shock.

Techno huffed out a laugh and pulled away. “Well, at least your subconscious is here. Your real body isn’t since I didn’t want to see that green bastard so soon after my last visit.”

Green bastard?

Dream’s vivid green eyes popped into George’s mind.

George’s eyes widened and he stepped back a bit. “You mean Dream, don’t you?”

“Ugh,” Techno groaned, “don’t say his name, just saying it gives me a headache.”

George frowned at his words. Dream had been nothing but nice to him but George knew that just because he had a good experience with someone, it didn’t make them a good person.

“Why?” George asked.

Techno shook his head. “It doesn’t really matter, I don’t have much time anyway so I’ll hurry up and get to the point.”

There was a couple of seconds of silence before he opened his mouth again.

“Whatever you do, remember the people who love you and remember that they’re outside of the island.”

George’s eyes narrowed and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What?”

“I think I made myself pretty clear,” Techno snorted.

George opened his mouth to speak before Techno held up his palm and a flash of light stopped him. George cursed and closed his eyes before rubbing at them with his hands.

When he opened his eyes again, Techno stood there with a large steel sword in his hand and his clothes had changed. A dark crown sat upon his head and the armor had changed into a blood red outfit that somewhat resembled a King’s.

Techno grinned. “Go back to your body now.”

His arm swung and a sharp pain enveloped George in his stomach. He paused and looked down at the steel in his stomach. Tears watered in his eyes and he found red tainting his shirt near the wound.

His vision swum and within seconds it was filled with black as George felt himself fall to the ground.

——

A loud gasp erupted from George as he sat up. His hand tangled harshly in a thin blanket and drops of cold sweat sliding down his forehead. His heartbeat rang in his ears and tears slid down his cheeks.

Frantically his hands made way to his cheeks. His palms touched his soft cheeks and the tear tracks touched them.

George was awake.

His hands rested down on his lap and he looked down at his stomach. He swallowed roughly and poked it, the smallest bout of fear over feeling a flash of pain at it.

But when his finger touched it touched nothing but a clean white shirt with no pain.

He let out a sigh of relief and his shoulders slumped.

George was fine, he was alive.

After a couple more deep breaths, George found himself finally able to focus more on his surroundings. He squinted his eyes as he tried to make out the area.

It was dark and he assumed he was in a small cave. The rocks were smoothed out and small baskets, shelves, and assortments of items rested all over it. A dim candle gave a warm yellow glow to the area that made a feeling of comfort rest in George.

Slowly, George threw the blanket off of him and he swung his legs over the bed. His feet touched a small fur rug and he took a deep breath before standing up.

His legs buckled lightly and a small flash of pain came but otherwise George was fine. Compared to the day before the pain was like a nearly healed bruise.

He grinned to himself and took another step, his leg wobbling slightly but standing firmer than he thought. He let out a small triumphant laugh at the step and took another with wide eyes.

Dream had actually healed him.

At the memory of the blonde, George frowned and looked around the cave. While there was, what felt like, thousands of items in the cave, a blonde wasn’t one of them.

George’s eyes caught sight of a wall of leaves to his left and he begun to make his way to it. There wasn’t anywhere else he could go and he would have liked to see a familiar face sooner than later.

He stumbled out to the wall and shoved the leaves to the side. He walked out and felt surprised at the darkness that greeted him. George turned his head towards the sky and was greeted with a cloudy night sky. A faint circle of light to his right told him where the moon was.

“Oh, you’re awake.”

George jumped and felt his leg twist as he fell. He swore and felt his back smack against the hard rock. Immediately worried hands were on him and apologises were being thrown in the air.

He looked up and saw Dream, concern swimming in his green eyes as his eyebrows were furrowed in worry. The blonde’s hand hovered right over his shoulder as he stared at George.

“You scared me,” George mumbled, a throbbing pain coming from his ankle now.

“I’m sorry,” Dream looked down at George.

George paused for a second as he looked at the blonde before he shook his head. “It’s fine, my ankle hurts now though.”

Dream’s face scrunched up and he pulled his hands back as George sat up. “I should have stayed by your side to make sure you didn’t try to walk on your leg just yet.”

“I would have tried to walk anyway,” George rolled his eyes. “Where were you anyway?”

Dream froze and silence danced in the air for a couple of seconds before he cleared his throat. “I was about to get something for breakfast.” He nodded his head to the left of George, where an empty basket sat.

“Oh,” George mumbled.

The silence came back and George felt himself slowly growing more red. He had never been the best at keeping a conversation going and he mostly tended to listen to others rather than to be the talked in one. Sapnap had said it was the reason why so many girls liked him, which was ridiculous because were their standards really that low?

“You should go back to sleep,” Dream said, breaking the silence with his tender whisper.

George frowned as the memory of Technoblade and his sword came back. Sleeping meant he could see the pinkette again and he really didn’t want to see the guy who stabbed him.

“I just woke up though?” George asked.

Dream shrugged. “There’s not much else you should do with your ankle like that and there’s even less stuff to do here at night.”

George frowned at the idea, though he knew Dream was right. There wasn’t really many other options, that he knew of at least.

A couple seconds passed and right before George was about to ask the blonde to help him get back in the cave, Dream cleared his throat.

“You know, I could carry you to the beach so you could sit there for a bit instead,” Dream offered, a hand snaking up to rub at the back of his neck.

George’s eyes widened. “Really? I wouldn’t be burdening you, would I?”

Dream shook his head with a soft chuckle. “I’ve carried a lot heavier a lot farther so don’t worry, you’ll be like a feather.”

Normally George wouldn’t have even entertained the idea of a near stranger carrying him to somewhere he didn’t know, but after said stranger heals your leg and takes care of you it’s kind of hard to not trust them a little after.

George let Dream’s arm snake under his legs and pull him up. It was a little awkward at first and George didn’t feel quite comfortable but after a bit of shuffling he found himself comfortably settled in Dream’s arms. He looked at the other’s face for any hint of strain and found an easy smile on Dream’s face, as if George weighed nothing.

“Would you tell me about yourself while I walk?” Dream asked. He began to walk down the path and into a forest.

“I’m not very interesting,” George chuckled softly.

“That’s ridiculous,” Dream shook his head, “whoever said you aren’t are clearly an idiot.”

George felt himself blush and he found himself unable to look Dream in the eyes. “I..uh...I guess?”

The words came out more squeaky than George would like to admit and in that moment he wanted nothing more than to die. He should have drowned in the ocean instead of washing up on the island, then at least Dream wouldn’t see him act like a fool.

“So,” Dream ducked under a branch, “tell me about yourself then, only if you want to of course.”

“My name’s George,” George blurted, a couple seconds passed between them and Dream gave him a nod to keep going. “I’m twenty four, I don’t have any siblings, and I have three roommates who are all jerks.”

“Why live with them if they’re jerks?” Dream asked. It was a genuine question that amused George endlessly and he wondered what face Dream was pulling right now.

George rolled his eyes with a smile. “Well they’re my friends but they’re still annoying. Sapnap likes to fight with me, Quackity does nothing but try to tease me, and Karl’s alright alone but he tends to get swept in the other two’s antics.”

Despite his rather snarky words there was a fondness to George’s tone that he knew was there. A small pit of sadness and worry settled in him as he wondered about where they were now. He hoped they were safe.

“Did anyone else wash up here?” George’s eyebrows knit together in thought as concern washed over him.

Dream paused mid step for a second before he shook his head and continued walking. “No, I checked the island twice and I didn’t see anyone.”

The island must have not been that big then.

The two kept chatting as Dream carried George to the beach. It was mostly George telling Dream about his life while Dream asked questions but it strangely felt nice. Being near Dream was nice in itself.

Eventually the tree’s begun to be further spaced apart until a soft moonlit glow hit George. He looked up and saw the moon now, peeking just slightly out of the clouds to greet him.

He looked to his left and gasped at the sight of the ocean. The water was a navy blue and the sand was a pure white that looked soft as clouds. George had seen his fair share of beaches but at the sight of the completely clean untouched beach he found himself thinking he would never see a thing as beautiful ever again.

“It’s one of my favorite places on the island,” Dream confessed. His words were gentle and George nearly missed the whisper of them.

George couldn’t pull his eyes away from the soft sand and he felt a cool breath brush against him. “I can see why.”

They stayed there for a bit and eventually George managed to snap out of it. He turned and looked up at Dream, who was smiling at him.

“What?” George asked.

Dream shook his head and his eyes crinkled with sadness. “It’s nothing.”

They stood there in silence for a bit before Dream sighed and began to walk towards the ocean. The sound of the waves softly washing up against the shore and the cool wind brushing against George’s face was enough to bring a feeling of comfort.

Dream stopped walking and knelt down before putting George down next to the water. The sand was cool against his skin and just as soft was it appeared to be. George ran his hand through it and relished in the cool feeling of the sand against his skin.

Dream sat down next to him with a soft thud and George’s eyes snapped open to look at the blonde. He wore a light green robe this time and a pair of brown sandals. They both reminded him of Greek statues he had seen at museums back in high school.

Thousands of questions bubbled in George’s mind. Who was Dream? What was George doing here? Why did Dream help him?

Where were they?

George opened his mouth to speak but found the words unable to slip past his lips. There were too many questions racing in his mind for George to pick just one to ask.

“What’s it like?” Dream said, his voice cutting through George’s storm of questions.

George’s brown eyes snapped up to Dream and he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “What?”

“You’ve told me about your friends and family,” Dream sighed and wrapped his arms over his legs as they were pulled into his chest, “but not about the outside world.”

George turned his head and squinted at Dream. “Do you not know?”

Dream’s head snapped towards George and his eyes were wide. He let out a bitter chuckle and stared back at the ocean. “Lets just say, the island is my home and I don’t leave it.”

“What about your family?” George frowned.

“They’re…” Dream began before he shook his head, “they don’t give two shits about me and the feeling is mutual. I don’t keep up with them.”

“Friends?” George asked, hoping that the blonde at least had someone to talk to.

Dream shook his head. “It’s only me and the animals on here.”

“That sounds lonely.”

“That’s just my life.”

Silence settled over the two and the questions began to sneak back into George’s mind. He had a thousand things to ask but he wasn’t sure if it was the right time to ask.

They sat there in silence for the rest of the night. George found himself easily occupied with the questions roaming his mind but his own cowardness kept him from asking the blonde.

Once the sky’s navy blue became to lighten up and the sun began to peak over the horizon, George was slumped over and desperately fighting the urge to sleep. Even with a day's worth of sleep and the terrifying idea of a pinkette meeting him in his dreams again, George found himself slowly losing to the urge.

He laid back and stared up at the sky. The clouds had disappeared and the brightest stars that hadn't disappeared quite yet had shone down at George.

His eyes slowly closed and he found himself lulled to sleep with the sound of waves rushing in his ears and the stars shining down at him.

——

The second time George woke up, he found himself less panicked and more at peace. It was a drowsy awakening with the sun shining in his eyes.

He slowly opened up his eyes and found himself laying on a carefully woven bed that sat in a forest clearing. A thin blanket pooled at his hips as he sat up and he quickly removed it to get up. He hissed when he put his right ankle down and instead decided to simply sit on the bed instead.

The soft grass touched his bare feet as he sat up and his eyes glanced around the area. A rather large fire pit sat a good couple of feet away and two chairs next to a carefully designed wooden table wasn’t too far away.

Dream was nowhere to be seen and at the idea of that George frowned. Maybe it was weird but he preferred it a lot more when the blonde was by him rather than having him away.

He sat there for a couple of minutes in silence before he let out an annoyed groan at his situation.

Fuck it.

George grit his teeth as he rose to his feet and winced at the feeling of his right ankle touching the ground. He glanced around and found a stick near him that was just a little shorter than George himself. He bent over and picked it up before he let out a sigh of relief.

Sure, using a walking stick was slightly embarrassing to him but he wasn’t going to just sit around and wait for Dream.

He managed a couple of steps before the throbbing became too much and he slowly sat down on the ground.

George sighed and set the stick next to him before laying in the soft grass. He put his palm on his forehead and felt the sweat drops roll off of his face as the sun beat down on him from above.

George stayed like that for a couple of minutes like that, simply breathing and letting the sun warm him up, before he heard rustling to his left. He quickly sat up and snapped his eyes over to the noise, only to find Dream there.

The blonde smiled at him and held a basket in one hand. “It looks like someone’s up.” He grinned.

“What’s in the basket?” George asked.

Dream walked over and put it down. George peered in to find bright red apples and bread in it. His mouth watered at the sight of the apples and he plucked one from the basket before bringing it to his mouth.

He paused before he took a bite and looked at Dream, who raised an eyebrow at George. “I'm not going to stop you from eating, whatever on this island that’s mine is yours.”

George nodded and bit into the apple without a second thought. It was just as good as it looked. He let out a soft groan at the taste and practically within seconds he was finished with the apple.

“Geez,” Dream laughed before he shoved the basket into George’s arms, “please take some more. Tonight I’m going to go fishing for dinner, if you want to you can come with me.”

George felt a flash of happiness wash over him as he grabbed a loaf of bread. “Really?”

“It’s important to get fresh air,” Dream nodded, “besides I shouldn’t be keeping you all cooped up like this. You are allowed to do whatever you want here and to use whatever you want.”

“It’s fine,” George swallowed, “you were just looking out for me by making me rest. I didn’t think you were trying to keep me here or anything.”

Dream smiled. “Good, now would you like to go fishing with me after you eat?”

George nodded aggressively and dove back into the basket. Normally he didn’t have a big appetite but after being asleep for an entire day and sleeping for a couple more hours, George found himself famished.

The basket was finished within about ten minutes and when George swallowed the last bit of bread, Dream only raised an amused eyebrow at him but stayed silent as he offered to pick George up.

After a little bit of struggling, George was now seated on Dream’s back and his legs were curled around Dream’s waist. The warmth of Dream’s back pressed against George’s chest and soft blonde curls were right in front of his eyes.

Dream’s hair was pulled back into its usual ponytail but it appeared messier than normal. The curls that managed to escape the ponytail bounced with each step and George had to resist the urge to reach out and play with Dream’s hair.

He found himself blushing furiously at his thoughts.

Dream would think he was weird. Dream wouldn’t like George doing that. George shouldn’t even be thinking of doing something like that with someone he barely knew!

And yet as George sat on the back of the beautifully strange man he met not even a week ago, he found himself wondering what the other would do if he kissed him right there.

George had known he was weak to attractive people, it was something Sapnap had teased him about, so he found himself unsurprised at the thoughts that slowly trickled in his mind as Dream walked.

After a minute of entertaining the idea of kissing Dream, George found himself blushing far too much and going down a rabbit hole he knew he shouldn’t go down. Not at this moment at least.

For the rest of the walk George began to observe the island around him. The woods were well shaded and bursting with all sorts of plants. Birds chirped overhead, the leaves rustled, and the occasional squirrel ran by the duo as they walked.

Slowly they got out of the woods and were now at a large set of rocks near the ocean. At the sight of them memories of England and it’s rocky beaches came back full force.

England.

George’s eyes widened and his grip tightened on Dream’s shoulders at the thought of the nation.

How would George get off the island?

He had been too preoccupied with trying to solve the mystery that Dream was to the point where he hadn’t even thought about returning home.

Sapnap, Karl, Quackity.

Fuck what happened to them? Where they safe?

Dream hummed softly, breaking George out of his trance. “Is everything alright? You just started grabbing at my shoulders pretty hard.”

George swallowed roughly and looked down at the ground in thought.

Should he tell Dream? The man had been nothing but kind and helpful to George during his entire stay. But what if that was what he wanted? Oh God, what if Dream was some sort of cannibal who lured his victims in by being nice then killing them after he gained their trust?

“George?” Dream asked, snapping George out of his thoughts.

George opened his mouth and the words slipped out of him before he could think. “You aren’t going to, like, eat me or something are you?”

Dream froze for a second before he let out a loud wheeze. He bent over slightly and at the sound of it George felt himself go red.

Fuck, George really was weak towards attractive people.

“I’m not,” Dream said after a couple of seconds of catching his breath. The smile could practically be heard in his face and George was tempted to get off of the man’s back just to see it. “If I were I probably would have eaten you the first time that you took the sleeping drug.”

“That’s exactly what a cannibal would say,” George teased, a smile finding its way across his lips.

Dream let out another wheeze. “God, lets just go fish before I get so hungry I start actually considering it.”

George nodded and the blonde man begun to walk onto the rocks. A large smooth one hung over an edge and two fishing rods sat on it.

George let Dream softly put him down and watched the man grab the rods before he was given one.

“Why do you have two rods if it’s just you here?” George asked.

Dream sat out and begun to set up his rod, carefully hooking a worm. “The one you have is my backup, I made it in case if this one breaks.”

“That’s smart,” George said. He held his hand out and was given a fat pink worm to hook. He fumbled a little bit as it squirmed but after a bit of struggling he managed to set it up.

He turned to Dream and saw the other looking at him with a grin. His green eyes shone brightly and the sun managed to hit his dirty blonde hair just right so it made it look as though it was glowing.

George felt a warmth rushing to his cheeks and he cleared his throat before turning his eyes back to the ocean, desperately hoping Dream didn’t notice George’s obvious flustered reaction.

“Let’s fish then!” George cleared his throat as he threw the line out.

Each time George had been taken out to go fishing it had normally been filled with silence, not with Dream though. Within seconds the blonde was chatting about everything, from the weather to what he planned on making for their next couple of meals. George found himself responding to Dream’s words with ease and the two found themselves casually chatting about everything they could.

However Dream didn’t tell anything about himself the entire time, George noticed as he straightened up to stretch his arms upwards. He slumped back down and looked at the darkening sky. A large fish and a smaller fish laid in a basket and Dream had been quick to assure him that he killed them as painless as he could.

“We should head back,” Dream groaned and cracked his neck. He stood up and closed the basket.

George raised an eyebrow up at him. “Will you be able to carry both me and the basket?”

“”Oh,” Dream grinned before he flexed his arm, “easily!”

Damn…George would be lying if he said he didn't find that a little hot.

The walk back was easy and the two managed to keep a light talk between them as they walked. The sky darkened and soon George found himself squinting in the dark in an attempt to make out his surroundings.

“Are we going back to the clearing?” George asked.

“Yep,” Dream said, “after we eat I want to take you down somewhere.”

“Where?” George asked.

Dream’s shoulder shook as a small chuckled slipped past his lips. “You’ll see, don’t worry you’ll enjoy it.”

“Alright,” George smiled as excitement ran through him.

When they made it back to the clearing Dream settled George on one of the chair’s before he began to set up the fire in the fire pit. After that he carefully pulled out the fish and George watched as the other began to make their dinner.

Dream looked oddly beautiful in the light and George wondered if it was possible for someone to become more beautiful as time went on. Each second George was near Dream it seemed like the man had impossibly became more ethereal and George knew what the future would hold if things kept at this rate.

Damn it.

George felt glad that it was dark so the other couldn’t see his red cheeks as he stared at the blonde.

Once Dream was done cooking he quickly cut up the fish and passed it to George. George looked down at the wooden bowl full of fish meat and looked back at Dream.

“Lets eat!” Dream smiled.

The two dug in and George swore he had never tasted fish as good in his life. It was juicy and well seasoned while not being too hot for his sensitive taste buds.

Once they were done George felt like flopping over and laying on the floor for a good couple of minutes. Resting sounded amazing.

“...let’s go to the cave, I set up another bed there so we can sleep,” Dream said as he stood up.

George raised an eyebrow at him. “You wanted to take me to the cave?”

“No,” Dream shook his head before he knelt down to let George climb on his back, “you’re too tired to go though so we can head back. Only if you want to, of course.”

George sluggishly nodded and climbed onto Dream’s back. The idea of a warm bed after eating such a good meal was overwhelmingly tempting.

Dream sat up as he hooked his arms under George’s legs. “Lets go.”

Unlike the walks before, this one was much shorter and a lot more silent. The forest was near silent as well as they walked, with the occasional chirp coming from the trees to break the carefully crafted silence.

George’s cheek squished against Dream’s shoulder and his eyes began to close during the walk. Soon the feeling became too much for him to avoid and he found himself falling away into sleep on Dream’s back.

——

When George’s eyes opened on the cruise ship again, he felt like screaming. The memory of the sword impaling him flashed through his mind and he shivered at it. Every bone in his body screamed at him to run but his feet found themselves unable to move.

“So, you clearly didn’t listen to my brother,” a voice called out behind George.

George flinched and slowly turned around to find a tall brunette man standing there. He wore a yellow sweater with a beanie and a guitar strapped on his back. Unlike Techno, the man held an air of amusement with him though there was something slightly intimidating in his stance.

“What?” George intelligently asked.

“I said you didn’t listen to my oaf of a brother,” The man laughed. He walked over and sat down on a cruise seat before beckoning for George to sit next to him. “C’mon, I don’t bite!” He grinned.

George slowly inched his way towards the brunette and sat down. “What do you mean?”

“What do you think I mean?” The man asked.

George thought back to the dream that felt like it was days ago. Most of it was fuzzy though he clearly remembered Technoblade’s sword going through him.

George’s eyes widened and he whispered to himself. “He told me to not forget those I love and that they’re outside of the island.”

“Well you’re a smart bastard, aren’t you?” the brunette grinned. He took his guitar off of his back before he leaned back with a sigh. “You’ve already spent four days on the island and you only have two more to get off.”

“Get off?” George asked.

The brunette scowled at him. “Well you want to get off of it, don’t you? Your family and friends are on the outside.”

George’s eyes widened. “How long has it been since they’ve seen me?”

“Long enough for them to assume you’re probably dead,” the brunette muttered. He picked up his guitar and strummed on it for a bit, softly hushed words coming from his lips that George couldn’t quite make out.

“What’s with the guitar?” George asked.

The brunette chuckled. “Oh right, mortals don’t really believe in us anymore.”

He straightened up and grinned at George. “I’m Wilbur, the god of music and the older brother to the god of war and the god of messengers and thieves.”

“Your brothers are the god of war and thieves but you’re a god of music?” George frowned. Compared to the other two, the god of music sounded like something lame. Hell he didn’t even know what all these people meant by ‘god’.

Wilbur grinned. “I know right? They’re such brutes. I mean it isn’t just what they’re gods of but they’re most known for those things. I mean I’m also the god of rebellion but I mostly just like to make music these days.”

“That’s…alright then...” it wasn’t what George was going for but he supposed that he didn’t really want to get stabbed again because he managed to accidentally offend Wilbur.

“You really should leave the island y’know,” Wilbur informed as he plucked at the strings.

George frowned. “Why?” Everything there had been perfect and there didn’t seem to be any way to get off.

Wilbur straightened up and stared George straight in the eyes. “If you don’t choose to leave the island before the week is over, you’ll be trapped there forever.”

His previously warm brown eyes had shifted into something colder and now George could see the similarities between Technoblade and Wilbur.

He shuddered at the gaze and the words he had spoken. Dream hadn’t mentioned anything about being trapped there though now some of his words made sense.

“Is Dream trapped there? Did he chose not to leave?” George asked.

Wilbur’s cold glare broke and he barked out a laugh. “You think Dream chose to be there? God what are they teaching you mortals these days about us?”

“Uh, nothing?” George said.

Wilbur stopped laughing and paused. “Oh, right.”

There was a couple of awkward seconds of silence that passed before Wilbur cleared his throat.

“Anyway,” He began, “you need to leave. If you make a makeshift raft Phil will guide you back to safety and speed up the process so you won’t die at sea. He’ll be there an hour before you need to leave to help you get ready.”

“Phil?” George frowned.

It all felt like too much for his brain to take in. Apparently gods were a thing, George was going to be trapped on an island forever if he didn’t try to leave this week, and he was trapped on an island with this really hot guy that was forced on it. Really this week took the cake for the weirdest week of his life.

“My father,” Wilbur smiled before he stood up and stretched, “god of the winds and angel of death.”

Why couldn’t George be talking to gods of riches or peace instead of such violent names. Though Wilbur was also the god of music so George had the strange feeling all gods were just as weird and threatening.

“Oh, alright then,” George muttered, his brain feeling fried from all the new information he had.

When Technoblade appeared he had half believed it was some weird dream he had from taking the drug Dream gave him. However being with Wilbur felt terrifyingly real. Unlike Technoblade Wilbur radiated life and George knew better than to believe this all was just some silly dream his mind made up.

Wilbur bent down to grab the guitar and slung it back over his back. He easily towered over George and George wondered if it was a ‘god’ thing to be extremely tall.

“Any more questions I can answer before you wake up?” Wilbur asked.

George paused for a second, trying to pick out the right question. “How long has Dream been on the island?”

He had his suspicions the other wasn’t quite human and if anything he reminded George of both Technoblade and Wilbur. Was he a god like Wilbur then?

“He’s been there for a good thousand years, living out his punishment for eternity of course,” Wilbur said as if he was simply talking about the weather.

The words punched George in the gut and he felt his eyes widen. His head snapped up to meet Wilbur’s eyes at near neck breaking speed. “Punishment?” He blurted.

Wilbur nodded. “Dream, the god of chaos and the hunt, was banished to that island forever.”

George’s head felt like it was drowning in information now. Dream was apparently a god like Technoblade and Wilbur, which really didn’t surprise him as much as it should, but he was also trapped on the island.

George opened his mouth to continue speaking but Wilbur beat him to it. “I have to go now, you’re waking up.”

George couldn’t have been asleep for anything more than a couple of minutes.

However a fog began to creep on the ship and it continued to grow stronger with each passing second. Pretty soon all George could see was Wilbur’s face in front of him as he stood there frozen in place.

“Remember that you need to leave George, unless if you want to stay there forever.”

Wilbur’s voice rung out hauntingly to George as the white fog clouded over him. It was the last thing he heard before he felt himself stumble to the side and his eyes shutting.

He had to remember.

——

The faint smell of meat wafted through the air and was what greeted George as he woke up. He groaned and sat up on the soft bed. He wearily opened his eyes to find himself back in the cave he woke up in days ago.

His hands reached up to rub at his eyes and once he was done he began to look around for Dream. He couldn’t be too far off, especially if something was cooking nearby.

George stumbled out of bed and cautiously put weight on his leg, smiling to himself when he noticed the lack of pain. He walked out of the cave and down Dream next to a fire with two fish being cooked.

“Fish again?” George asked as he approached Dream.

Dream jumped and whipped his head around, eyes wide in alarm before relaxing when he saw George. “You scared me.” He chuckled.

“Aw, I scawed you?” George teased. He sat down next to the blonde and watch his cheeks turn pink.

“You’re such an idiot,” Dream rolled his eyes before turning the fish over. George noted the smallest hint of affection in Dream’s voice, layered by mountains of fake annoyance, which brought a smile to his face.

Suddenly the memory of England came back and the smile slid off of his face. He watched Dream’s face as he stared at the meal, wondering how the other would react if he confronted him.

“Do you know anything about a guy called Wilbur and another called Technoblade?”

The peaceful atmosphere was shattered within seconds. Dream snapped his head towards George with his eyes wide in horror.

“W..where did you learn those names?” He whispered, as if he couldn’t believe the words coming from George’s mouth.

Then...Wilbur and Technoblade definitely hadn’t just been wild products of George’s imagination that felt real.

George cleared his throat. “I..I think you know where.”

Dream’s bottom lip quivered and he stood up suddenly. His breathing was rapid and his green eyes were set dead on the ground.

“So you’re going to leave me?”

The words sounded so heartbroken that George felt a lump in his throat grow.

He didn’t want to leave Dream. Even if his time spent with the blonde was short, these past couple of days had been some of the best in his life, admittedly he had been asleep for a good chunk of it though.

George opened his mouth to answer but nothing came out. None of the words in his brain felt good enough to say in that moment, nothing felt like enough to explain what he was feeling.

Dream’s eyes darkened and he scoffed. “You’re like everyone else, god I’m such an idiot for even thinking you’d stay with me.”

Before George could speak to him again, Dream turned his back on him and walked away. George would have stood up to chase after him but his legs felt like jelly and he doubted that he would even be able to catch up with Dream.

George sat there in front of the fire pit with two pieces of fish being cooked. He stared at them and didn’t move a muscle as he watched them slowly being burnt. He couldn’t find it in himself to try to do anything else but to think.

Dream had said everyone else, did that mean others had washed up on the island as well? If so, did they leave him too?

A bitter taste entered George’s mouth and he swallowed it back. His hand clenched into a fist on the grass and a hollow feeling filled up his chest.

For the next hour George sat there and watched the fish burn. The sun was raised high in the sky and beat down on him furiously but he stayed there silently thinking.

He had a life outside. He had people who loved him. He had roommates to get back to. George couldn’t just leave them for some attractive blonde guy he met just a couple days ago.

Something wet fell onto George’s shirt and he snapped out his thoughts. He looked up at the sky but found the sky to be clear. He lifted his hand from the grass and touched his cheek to find a trail of water running down it.

He bitterly laughed and finally let the tears roll down. For a stranger whom he had fallen in love with, for someone he knew whose heart would break because of him.

George sat there and quickly wiped his eyes before standing up. He looked at the fish again, burnt to a crisp, before he decided to try to find Dream. He didn’t know the island at all but it didn’t appear to be big enough for him to seriously get lost in.

He found a dirt path that was in the general direction Dream headed and decided to go there. The woods were silent as he walked, allowing George to mull over things as he walked.

By the time the sun began to go down, George found himself frustrated and disappointed that he couldn’t find Dream. He slowly began to trudge back to the cave, with his stomach growling out of hunger and an ache in his legs.

Once he arrived back at the cave his eyes widened at the sight of the blonde sitting down right outside of it. Seeing him there made something in George click and his legs had never moved faster.

Something in him screamed that if he wasn’t fast enough Dream would slip from his fingers and disappeared forever. He couldn’t let that happen, he didn’t want to leave him just yet.

“G..George?!” Dream sat up and stared at the brunette running towards him. His eyes were blown wide and slightly red, the sight making George’s heart ache. “Where were you?”

“What do you mean where was I? I was looking for you!” George cried, he took a deep breath and rested his hands on his knees as he took in air.

Dream flushed. “I...I just needed time to think a bit, I’m sorry if I worried you by leaving so suddenly.”

“It’s...It’s fine,” George gasped.

“Sit down,” Dream said, his eyebrows furrowed in worry as he grabbed George’s forearm to lightly drag him down.

George was too tired to fight and plopped down right next to Dream. His breathing began to calm down and he found himself staring at Dream, the warm light from the fire bringing out his freckles on his face in a way that was distracting. George wondered if the blonde would let him count them sometime.

Dream cleared his throat and George snapped back into focus to see the blonde furiously blushing and not making eye contact with him.

“You can’t look at me like that,” He muttered.

“Why not?” George asked.

“Because, you’ll only make me fall in love with you even more.”

George’s eyes widened at the words and he moved before he could think. His hands grabbed the sides of Dream’s face and he brought it towards his. Their lips were a centimeter away and their eyes were locked together.

Kiss him.

George nearly did so but when he saw the flash of pain in Dream’s eyes he felt disgust sweep over him. He let go of Dream’s face and pushed away.

“I’m sorry,” George blurted. Regret washed over him.

Dream gave him a pained look. “I wouldn’t have minded it if you kissed me George.”

“I would just break your heart even more when I leave if I did that.”

Dream’s face fell and George wanted nothing more than to assure the blonde that everything would be alright but he knew it wouldn’t be. George couldn’t stay, he had a life and a family outside of this island. He couldn’t stay for a man who managed to capture his heart in just a couple days.

“It wouldn’t be the worst thing someone’s done,” Dream bitterly chuckled.

“What do you mean by that?” George frowned.

Dream barked out a laugh as tears filled in his eyes. “It’s my punishment, every couple of years, a man I can’t help but to fall in love with will wash up on the island I’m trapped on. I fall in love and then he leaves, he leaves me trapped here forever. So don’t worry, I’m used to it.”

Wilbur’s words came back to him in a flash. The brunette had been insistent that George should leave within a week of staying and was so casual about the whole situation that it clearly hadn’t been the first time this had happened.

George swallowed roughly. “Dream...I-“

“Don’t.” Dream’s voice was cold and immediately stopped George’s mouth from speaking. “I don’t need your pity, please.”

George could have wrapped his arms around Dream and let the god cry. He could have begged Dream to talk about his punishment even more. He could have done a thousand things in that moment.

“...I’m sorry,” George muttered. The words cracked slightly at the end and he found himself unable to say much more.

Dream looked up at him and wiped his eyes with a sniff. “It’s not your fault so don’t apologize.”

“I don’t want to break your heart,” George admitted, he paused before he spoke again, “but I have to go back home.”

“I know,” Dream whispered.

The two sat there in silence for a couple of seconds before Dream took a deep breath and wiped his eyes again.

“Will you be leaving tonight?” He asked.

George shook his head. “I don’t have to leave for another two days, let’s enjoy our time together.”

Dream took a deep breath before he nodded. “I’m fine with that.”

George smiled and held out his hand to Dream. Dream stared at it for a couple of seconds and George was beginning to believe he stepped too far, which was odd since he literally nearly kissed Dream, until Dream’s fingers intertwined with his own.

Dream smiled at their hands. “Normally my love isn’t requited. Most guys who wash up here have families or a partner of some sort.”

George grimaced at his words before he squeezed Dream’s hand. “Well I’m here.”

“Not for long,” Dream whispered. He lifted George’s hand with his own and kissed the back of it. “I’ll treasure our time together though, Love.”

A flutter of butterflies invaded George’s stomach at the word and his face flushed. “D..don’t call me that.”

“But you like it,” Dream grinned.

“I..I mean I d..do but it’s a bit embarrassing,” George mumbled.

Dream smiled and kissed his cheek. “There’s no need to be embarrassed, it's just the two of us here.”

The rest of the night they sat there, holding hands and staring into the fire. It was quiet for the most part between them, save for the occasional flirtatious remark.

His eyes were heavy as he leaned on Dream’s body. An arm wrapped around him and pulled him in closer as he slowly fell into unconsciousness. And though the night air was cold George had never felt warmer in that moment.

For a while they could act like everything was fine, just for a while they could act like they could stay together forever.

——

The next morning when George woke up, the sun was high in the sky and Dream was cooking something a couple of feet away. The air was warm and the sky was cloudless.

Day six, the second to last day with Dream.

An empty feeling settled in his stomach as he sat up and walked towards Dream. He watched Dream turn his head and smile at him.

“I was just cooking some chicken, how did you sleep?” Dream said as he returned back to the pan.

George sat down next to him. “It was fine,” George hadn’t had a single dream so that was already in the good range, “what should we do today?”

“I was thinking about going to the beach and showing you my favorite parts of the island,” Dream smiled as he flipped over one chunk of chicken. “There’s this one part I haven’t really ever shown anyone since they tend to leave immediately after finding why they’re here.”

George’s heart slightly ached and he put a hand on Dream’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing for wanting to go back to the ones you love,” Dream sighed, annoyance layered thickly in his voice.

George opened his mouth to argue but found nothing that felt right to say. He closed it and sat in silence as Dream cooked. Once he was done cooking, George was handed a piece of chicken with an assortment of roasted vegetables.

He thanked Dream before digging in. The food was good, some of the best chicken and vegetables he had ever had if he was honest, and he made sure to savor each bite. He had today and some of tomorrow to enjoy with Dream, he needed to make the most of it.

Once they finished eating, George was handed a soft blue robe to change into. He noticed it matched Dream’s robe and began to take off his shirt.

Dream’s face went bright red and he whipped around to face away from George. “J..Jesus! You can’t just change in the open, George!”

George raised an eyebrow with an amused smile at Dream as he kicked off his pants. It was weird seeing Dream so flustered when he knew the other man had been alive for thousands of years. It was cute.

He quickly changed and told Dream that he could turn around. He watched the other’s shoulders relax and turn with a smile. George walked over to him and held his hand out.

“I’m ready to go,” He said.

Dream smiled and took his hand. Their fingers laced together in a perfect fit that made George’s heart clench. “It’s not too far, we’re just heading to the beach again.”

“So we’ll get wet?” George asked as they began to walk.

“Mhm,” Dream hummed, he ducked under a branch, “if that’s alright with you.”

George nodded softly. “I don’t mind.”

They walked down to the beach and chatted for a bit. During their chat George learned quite a bit about Dream and his godhood. Apparently Dream was an old god of chaos and battle strategy with his god form having wings while being around 14 feet tall. However Dream lost the his true god form when he was banished and a curse made it so he could no longer use his powers.

Dozens of questions that had been held back in George’s head were finally being answered and he felt an odd satisfaction when he realized it was because Dream trusted him with the answers.

The beach was as beautiful as it had been the night Dream brought George to it. They smiled at each other and George let go of Dream’s hand before bolting towards the water.

“I’ll get there first!” He yelled behind him. He knew it was childish and not what many grown men would do, but he enjoyed the feeling of joy that came over him in that moment.

The water splashed his feet and was pleasantly warm. Goosebumps popped up on his skin as he stepped deeper in and he shivered when the water reached his waist.

A loud splash came from behind him and he turned to see Dream underwater. The blonde swam behind George and surfaced with a smile.

His long hair was now plastered to his face and neck, with its curls damp and gone due to the weight of the water. A large grin sat on his face and his eyes were sparkling wildly in that moment.

The two messed around in the water for hours. Simply exploring, swimming, and playing games with each other was enough to entertain them until the sun began to dip in the sky. Slowly reds and oranges replaced the blue sky and the few fluffy clouds in the sky were a soft pink from the light.

Both men stumbled out of the water with matching grins and soaked clothes. George had never really enjoyed the beach a lot, the cruise had been Sapnap and Quackity’s idea, but he definitely knew today would be one to remember.

His muscles were slightly sore and his movement was sluggish as he walked on the beach, a little ahead of Dream and not quite sure of where to go. Time always seemed to pass freakishly fast on the island and George now definitely understood what people meant when they said time flew by when you’re having fun.

George turned back to Dream with a frown. “So, what should we do? It’s getting late.”

He didn’t want to go to sleep yet. He only had a couple more hours on the island and would be leaving after all.

“Lets get dinner then I’ll show you the most beautiful place on the island,” Dream said.

“There’s a place even prettier than what I’ve seen already?” George asked, a slight awe in his voice that he hadn’t been able to contain.

Dream smiled and nodded, his blonde hair bouncing slightly at the action. He walked up and grabbed George’s hand with his own. “It’s just one place, but trust me when I say you’ll be blown away. I doubt anything out in the real world could come close to what I’m going to show you.”

George let Dream’s fingers lace in his and they walked off the beach back to their fire pit. Dream had begun rambling about the island plants for the last half and, though George had never really cared about plants, he found himself smiling whilst he listened to Dream.

When they arrived at the fire pit Dream got to work. George tried his best to help with dinner as much as he could but his lack of cooking skills had become very apparent within the first minute. Dream had just laughed and handed George a small bunch of potatoes to peel for their meal.

In the end they ate potatoes, chicken, and an assortment of roasted vegetables. Each bite was delicious and it made George eager for the next. Within just minutes George finished his meal and sat next to Dream as he ate.

The blonde smiled at him. “Was it really that good?”

“Oh definitely.” George grinned as he took Dream’s hand into his own, locking their fingers together.

Dream raised an eyebrow at George but didn’t say anything as he continued to eat the rest of his meal. Once he was finished the sky was considerably darker than before and a cool air brushed against their skin.

“It’s not quite time to go yet,” Dream muttered as he placed the plate down near the fire pit. He turned and smiled as George before laying down on the grass, their hands still locked together. “So let’s look at the stars for a bit.”

George laid back and they looked up at the inky sky littered with stars. George had always been in crowded cities and cramped apartments so the sky had never really been at its fullest. But now? Now George could have stared at the sky and laid on the ground forever.

His head slowly turned to Dream, who seemed entranced with the sky. He tensed his shoulders before turning towards George with a knowing look.

“Is there something you want to ask?” Dream asked.

George swallowed nervously and he gave Dream’s hand a squeeze. “Why...why were you banished to this island?”

Dream froze for a second before a pitiful laugh spilled from his lips. It was short and bitterness seeped out from it uncontrollably. “It’s not a nice story, I wasn’t a nice person back then.”

George thought back to Technoblade’s threatening aura and Wilbur’s intense stare. He didn’t quite know them as well as he knew Dream but he had the slightest hunch that they weren’t that nice either.

“The past won’t change how I feel about you. I only care about who you are now, not who you were,” George whispered.

Dream sighed and looked back up at the stars. A couple of seconds of silence passed between them and George unease growing in him the entire time.

“I was a dumb bastard back then,” Dream huffed out, breaking the silence, “I didn’t care for anyone but myself. I wanted to become more powerful and to rule over the other gods. There was a war and I lost it. During the war I had hurt a young god, one of the newest additions, and nearly taken his godhood from him. Obviously his family hadn’t liked that and I had to suffer punishment.”

George was silent the entire time as he let the words process in his head. His knowledge of the godly part of the world was limited and he was still unsure of a lot of things but it reminded him vaguely of Greek mythology. Gods both being above humans and acting human in the worst possible ways, there definitely was a similarity there.

“So,” George began, his words slow as he spoke, “you tried to take over and take a fellow gods godhood away before you got punished?”

Dream nodded. “That’s the short and easy version. Techno came out to whoop my ass afterwards and I was nearly killed during it.”

“I thought you were immortal?” George frowned.

“The only thing that can kill a god is another god themselves,” Dream hummed softly, “there’s a certain spot on us that if someone were to stab there we would die. Techno got close to hitting that and would have if Tommy hadn’t intervened.”

Tommy, he was the other brother of Wilbur wasn’t he? The god of thieves and messengers.

“Wait,” George paused his past train of thought, “where’s this spot?”

Dream sat up and shuffled closer to George before leading his hands up. It rested right at the small of his back and when George touched there a soft electrical current hummed in his hand that made him jerk away.

Dream laughed as he watched George. “Yeah, when a mortal touches it it’s not pleasant. It’s a spot only other gods can touch and if it’s stabbed hard enough with a weapon then I’ll die.”

“What happens when you die?” George asked.

Dream stayed silent for a bit before answering. “I can’t say anything for what happens for humans but for gods we simply cease to exist. We cannot come back after we die and we become nothing more than a remnant of the past. However humans have forgotten about who we are so we aren’t even remembered after we die, it’s only other gods that remember us.”

“That’s dark,” George muttered.

“It’s very dark.” Dream nodded in agreement.

George stayed silent for a bit before opening his mouth. “Do you regret it?”

“Obviously,” Dream let out a bitter laugh, “I would have gone back and slapped some sense into myself hundreds of years ago. Now I’ve just accepted that I’ll be here forever.”

Silence laid over them. The sky was particularly beautiful this night, the bright stars hypnotized George into looking at them. He knew he would miss the night sky when he left the island, but he also knew he would miss Dream even more.

It was funny how quickly you could fall for a stranger. George had always scoffed at romance and believed it took a long time to fall in love. And here he was, undeniably loving this god he had met just a couple days ago.

About an hour passed, with their hands held tightly together and their sides pressed against each other, before someone spoke.

“I think it’s time to show you,” Dream muttered. He lifted himself up and the warmth George felt on his side quickly went away, making him feel colder all of the sudden.

George stood up with him and noticed Dream hadn’t moved to separate their hands. He smiled and looked at the blonde man. “Lets go.”

Dream nodded before gently pulling him towards the woods. It was dark but each step of Dream’s was confident enough for George to trust the man as they walked. Some plants sprouted from the ground and brushed against George’s leg, making him itch slightly, but the excitement bubbling in him stopped him from even reaching down.

They walked in silence for a good couple of minutes before Dream stopped. His grip tightened ever so slightly and he turned his head to look at George. A leafy wall was in front of them, dense and impossible to see through, and George wondered what was behind it.

Dream took a deep breath and moved the wall of leaves before nudging George in. George stepped through and looked ahead before gasping at the sight.

Large rocks, with moss and plants growing on them, surround the area and blocked off all paths out. It was a neatly trimmed grassy area and the sky was open for them to look at, the stars and moon shining directly down at them.

But that wasn’t what George was staring at in awe.

There was three large pools of water in the middle of the area. Each pool had a hazy mist that looked damn near magical spilling from it. The water was so clear it reflect the moon above and George wondered if he was possibly looking at three mirrors instead.

George had seen a lot of beautiful places on this island but he definitely knew right away that that one took the number one spot.

“It’s beautiful,” George muttered in awe, his eyes not leaving the pools.

Dream squeezed his hand, causing George to snap his head up at the blonde. His eyes were a vivid green and if George looked close enough there was small golden specks in them.

“It is,” Dream smiled, something that made George’s heart clench.

The pools had been the most beautiful thing he had ever seen seconds ago, but seeing Dream smile so genuinely? They couldn’t even compare.

Dream turned his head towards George. “Shall we go swim?”

George almost said no at the idea because he felt like disrupting something so calm and beautiful was near illegal. However he had the feeling that Dream hadn’t just dragged him out to look at the pools, so he nodded.

The two stepped further in the clearing and a cool breeze brushed against George. Oddly enough the clearing was silent and the only noise being made was the steps of Dream and George themselves.

Once they were close enough to the pool, George leaned over to see if he could look at how deep they were. He meant his near perfect reflection in the pool, making him pause in awe.

Suddenly a hand pushed his back and George gasped before he tumbled in the pool head first.

The water was pleasantly warm and surprisingly deep. He cautiously opened his eyes and looked up to find Dream’s blurry face laughing at George. George felt his heart clench and in that moment he knew what he had to do.

When George reached the surface Dream smiled at him. Green met brown and George felt himself moving without a second thought.

His hand cupped Dream’s face and his lips pressed against Dream’s own.

George had kissed people before, that boy he crushed on in eighth grade, Sapnap because of a dumb dare, and a whole assortment of strangers in clubs he barely remembered the names of. However kissing Dream had felt so much more different.

His lips were surprisingly soft and warm. They parted ever so slightly in shock at George’s touch and Dream froze for a second before kissing back.

People had always described kissing as fireworks going off but to George kissing felt closer to a raw feeling of satisfaction that was near addicting.

Eventually, like all good things, George had to end the kiss. He slowly pulled away and took his hand off of Dream’s face. He watched the god open his bright eyes and admired the small golden specks in them.

“That...that was amazing.” Dream’s voice was soft and breathy in a way that played with George’s heart.

George smiled and quirked a brow. “Are you going to get in the pool?”

Dream nodded before he slid in the pool with a gracefulness that George found himself envying. The ends of his hair touched the water and curled slightly, clinging to his neck.

Dream smiled at him, a mischievous glint in his eye, before he flung himself at George. His hands wrapped around George’s shoulder and the force made both men go underwater.

George opened his eyes underwater to find Dream shaking with laughter. Dream’s hair floated all around him and shone like gold under the soft moonlight.

Fuck it was hard to stay mad at someone when they looked like a literal angel in that moment.

Eventually both men resurfaced and George feigned annoyance as he scolded Dream for pushing him under. He watched the blonde’s mouth curl into a not so sorry grin as he apologized for bringing George underwater with him.

The next couple of hours were some of the best George had ever had. Every joke passed between lips brought laughter. Every splash brought a faint childish feeling to arise. Every kiss was soft and felt so, so perfect in a way that made George’s legs turn to jelly and his heart ache for more.

George had never felt so content in his life than in that very moment while he was relaxing in a mystical pool with a god he fell in love.

But eventually, like every good thing George had experienced, it had to end.

The moon slowly began to go down and George felt a feeling of dread each time he looked up at the sky. He tried his best to pull his eyes away from the sky but he found himself unable to ignore the growing sense of dread.

Just a couple more hours.

He only had a couple more hours before he left forever. If George was a weaker man then he might have stayed with Dream but he had a life and people he couldn’t abandon.

When the sky began to lighten, Dream’s excited chatter began to slow down and there was a weight in his eyes that ached George to look at. He wished he could reach out and smother him in comfort but doing that when he was about to leave forever felt cruel in a way.

Both men eventually got out of the pool and squeezed out the remaining water from their clothing. George’s stomach growled and Dream smiled at him, something that felt painfully fake, before asking if he wanted to have one last meal before leaving.

George nodded and walked towards the end of the clearing. He was about to leave before he turned back and noticed Dream wasn’t behind him.

“Is everything alright?” He asked. He tried to come off as casual but in the cracks of his voice sadness seeped through.

Dream nodded, standing near the pool. “I need to grab something, go ahead without me. I’m sure you can follow the path.”

George didn’t want to leave Dream alone, not when they only had a little bit longer left before Phil appeared, however he turned around and brushed the leaves away to step out of the clearing.

Bird chirps, a warm wind, and the comforting sunlight were the ones to meet him. It felt odd being thrusted back into a place that felt so noisy and had so much going on it nearly overwhelmed George right there.

In a world full of noise, George wanted to run back to Dream where everything felt perfectly peaceful.

His eyes watered and his throat began to close up. George’s hand reached up and furiously rubbed at his eyes in an attempt to fight against the growing tears.

He was leaving, he was really leaving.

George took deep breaths and tried to calm himself down. He wasn’t going to ruin his last moments with Dream by crying his eyes out.

There was a shuffling behind him and George quickly pulled himself together. He straightened up and put on a smile he didn’t really feel like putting on at that moment. He needed to smile right now though, not for himself but for Dream.

He turned and saw Dream lightly cupping something in his hands. The blonde smiled back at him, his vivid green eyes crinkling at the corners, and walked towards him.

“I wanted you to have something from the island,” Dream muttered.

George reached his cupped hands out and Dream opened his to reveal a soft blue, nearly silver, flower. George’s eyes widened in awe at it and he wracked his brain in an attempt to try to identify it despite not really knowing too many flowers.

“It only grows on this island and blooms under the moon,” Dream informed. He looked up at George and caught his eye. “I’m going to pot it and give it to you.”

“What if I kill it?” George asked. His mouth moving before his brain and he mentally slapped himself for asking such a question in an important moment.

Dream snorted and straightened up. “I had these flowers made by Niki herself, she told me that they’re pretty much damn near indestructible. You could go weeks without watering them and as long as they get moonlight at least once a month they’ll be fine.”

George was tempted to ask who Niki was but he felt like asking would derail the entire conversation so he kept his mouth shut. Instead he gave Dream a jerky nod and swallowed.

“Thank you.”

Dream smiled at him. “I wanted to give you something to remember me by before you left.”

George’s heart panged at the reminder of his departure and he immediately swore to take care of the flower as well as he could. He wasn’t going to let it die, not when it was going to be his only tie to the island.

They walked on the path together, their voices quiet as they talked and neither really raising their voices. There wasn’t any need to be loud, not when it was just the two of them.

Eventually they made their way to the cave and Dream walked in to grab a small clay pot. It was a simple pot with a small white smiley face on it and dirt had already been in it.

Dream carefully potted the plant, his hands graceful and skilled, before lifting it and passing it to George. George gently took the pot in his hands and was surprised at how light it felt.

Dream stared at him for a couple of seconds, their eyes making contact, before suddenly his face crumbled and his tears welled up in his eyes. His hands darted to his eyes and he took a couple of shaky deep breaths.

“I..I’m fine,” He stuttered out in between breaths.

George put the plant down gently and felt his own eyes prickle with tears. He held his arms out and the blonde pulled George in. Silent sobs wracked through Dream’s body and neither of them spoke while they stood there, hugging and mourning what was to come.

After a couple minutes Dream pulled away. He rubbed at his eyes, red from crying, and gave George a smile that felt too wide and too forced.

“L..let’s go to the beach now, I set up a raft a while back when you were sleeping,” Dream said.

George’s heart ached. Dream had already known George was going to leave him.

George swallowed and bent down to pick up the pot. He cradled it carefully to his chest and nodded at Dream.

They walked out of the cave and Dream turned to him. He silently stuck his hand out and George shifted the pot so he could hold it with one arm. He took Dream’s hand in his own and relished in the warmth from Dream’s palm.

Each step on their way to the beach was silent and their hearts were heavy as their minds raced with millions of thoughts. Neither spoke though, George didn’t trust himself to not start crying again mid-sentence. He didn’t want his ugly emotions to spill over and ruin what little time the both of them had together, he wanted to smile and laugh with Dream.

They arrived at the beach and George froze at the sight of a tall figure on it. It was a man with large dark wings that reminded him of a crow’s wings. He was tall and a green and white striped bucket hat sat on top of his blonde hair. George was a good couple of feet away but even he could tell that the man held the same intimidating aura Techno had.

Dream’s grip tightened lightly and George’s head turned to see Dream’s face scrunched up as if he was fighting back tears. “Phil…” his voice was soft and held a brokenness to it that made George’s heart ache in the worst way.

George’s head turned back to the man and Wilbur’s words came back. Philza, the god of wind and the angel of death.

Philza turned his head and he smiled at the two, causing a firey rage to bubble up in George. He was smiling like he wasn’t just about to separate Dream and George forever. George had never wanted to punch someone more in his life than Philza in that moment, but he held back because he knew fighting a god was probably number one in “world’s stupidest ideas”.

Philza walked up to them and glanced at their hands before looking at the pot. He gave the two a polite smile. “Are you ready to go?”

George wanted to wipe the smile off of his face but just squeezed Dream’s hand instead. “N..not yet.”

“You only have a couple minutes before you have to leave,” Philza informed.

Dream’s eyes widened. “A couple minutes? It’s normally an hour!” He cried.

“I was a late because of Tommy, sorry mate,” Phil apologized. He shook his head and held up a hand. “You know how he is, always causing trouble.”

George had the feeling Phil wasn’t really sorry but he stuffed the urge to throttle the god down. He turned towards Dream, who appeared to be tearing up again. His heart ached and tears prickled in his own eyes as he put the pot down.

He jumped up lightly to wrap his arms around Dream. The blonde wrapped his arms around him again and they stayed there for a couple of seconds before pulling away.

“Did I ever tell you about how beautiful you are?” Dream asked.

George felt his face flush. “N..no?”

Dream smiled softly, his cheeks turning slightly pink. “It takes a certain type of person to catch the attention of a god, and it’s even harder to make a god fall in love with you.”

George was ordinary. He was just some twenty four year old man living in England with a couple of annoying American roommates, a job he didn’t quite enjoy or hate, and a family that was as average as could be. He didn’t have any outstanding features or qualities to him and he was as average as can be.

“I..I’m not beautiful,” George muttered. His face warm and his eyes unable to turn away from Dream’s own vivid green eyes. “I’m as ordinary as can be.”

Dream shook his head. “You aren’t ordinary, no ordinary person could have ever caught my attention. So don’t ever put yourself down like that.”

George flushed and gave a jerky nod. “A...alright!” He squeaked.

Dream smiled and cupped his hand on George’s face. He leaned in and George leaned in too without a second thought.

Thought Dream’s lips were just as soft as their first kiss and just as warm, a bitter sweetness came to George when they kissed. It should have been just as sweet and it should have brought just as much joy as the first kiss, it would have. But it was a goodbye kiss and strangely that changed everything.

They pulled away and George heard Phil clear his throat. He glanced at the blonde man, who hadn’t moved an inch from when George last saw him.

“We really need to get going, mate.” Phil jabbed his thumb out to the sea.

George swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. He bent down to pick up the pot and slowly let go of Dream’s hand. The warmth left him and George had never felt colder in that moment.

“Promise you won’t ever forget me,” Dream whispered, each word tender.

George nodded, tears in his eyes. “I won’t. Promise me you’ll never forget me as well?”

Dream let out a small laugh, it was soft and the sound of it made George’s heart ache. “I don’t think I could ever even try to forget someone like you, not now and never in a thousand years.”

“We need to leave,” Philza said, his voice more stern.

George turned his head towards the man and nervously swallowed before he looked back at Dream. “I have to go.”

“Each time I hear that it becomes harder to listen to,” Dream muttered softly, probably not meaning for George to hear.

“I’m sorry,” George apologized.

“I know you are,” Dream whispered.

They shared one last look before George swallowed and turned away towards Philza. He walked to the raft quickly, not sparing a glance back out of fear that he would run back to Dream.

He couldn’t abandon his life, not even for a beautiful god he had given his heart to.

The raft was large and had a brown sack on it. George cautiously got on it and watched as Phil stepped on. His eyes carefully trained on the ocean’s horizon.

“Where do you live?” Phil asked.

George tried to say England but his throat closed up. He cleared his throat and tried again. “E..England, if you need to enter my memories or something then you can.”

Philza nodded before he snapped. The raft began to float out to the sea gently, not a single wave even so much as approaching the raft.

George swallowed and finally glanced back at the island once they were too far for him to swim out. He saw Dream standing on the beach, his face too far to make out, and it felt the final straw snapped right in half.

He held the pot tightly to his body and began to sob loudly. The tears fell from his eyes and he sounded disgusting but in that moment he couldn’t bring himself to care about sounding like an idiot near the god of wind.

With the painful memories of a beautiful god in his mind, a silver plant in his arms, and a promise to never forget the island, George found himself heading back home.