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Dream lies on his back in the soft sand with his legs splayed out lazily, one hand resting on his stomach and the other palm up above his head. His sunglasses are perched on his nose to block the bright orange light from the sun setting into the ocean horizon. It reflects warmly on the water, creating a glittering, silver path.
He closes his eyes and listens to the comfortable noise around him; waves lapping at the shore, families chatting quietly nearby, and Sapnapoccasianlly turning a page in his book a few feet away. His eyes flutter open and he turns his head slightly toward his friend. He is resting on his stomach, holding his book with outstretched arms in front of him. Dream is sure the position must be straining on his neck but Sapnap looks comfy enough so he decides not to comment on it.
The soft sunset paired with the nice sounds and the soft evening breeze that is brushing through his salty hair is enough to lull Dream into dozing off. His mind drifts peacefully between the beach and dreamland. Just as he’s about to slip into a deeper sleep, though, he feels something get placed on his ankle.
Feeling too sleepy to move, Dream only opens an eye to peer down at his legs. The sight that greets him puts an instant smile on his lips.
It’s Zoe, laying on her stomach (similarly to Sapnap) and using her small fingers to carefully place seashells along the top of his legs. Dream resists the urge to say something, deciding instead to let her continue her decorating without his parental interference.
Making sure to keep his legs still for his daughter’s little project, he drifts off again.
He is not sure how long he is out for, but he is brought back to the seafront when he suddenly feels the same, cold sensation begin on his other leg. He peers down through his tinted glasses again, this time to see George placing shells, copying Zoe’s position with his stomach in the sand and legs bent back crisscross.
On his right leg, there is now a line of various seashells and pretty stones all the way from his ankle to where his swim trunks reach on his thigh. Zoe seems to be finishing up, placing her last few seashells where she deems them fit, and straightening up the neat row she has created. His left leg is still bare, but George has started a line by his ankle to match the one Zoe has made.
They both look to be in deep concentration, one on either side of Dream, leaning on their elbows. Neither of them is paying any mind to Dream – maybe they think he’s asleep.
“Georgie?” Zoe whispers just barely loud enough for Dream to catch.
“Hm?” George hums, not looking up from his gentle placements.
Zoe leans over Dream’s leg to a better whispering distance; Dream can feel drops of seawater drip from her hair and onto his sun-warmed skin. “Is daddy sleeping?” she asks.
“I think so, Z.” George whispers back after glancing quickly up at Dream’s still figure and his dark sunglasses.
Dream loves listening to their little conversations and hearing George interact with Zoe in general. He would never have guessed that George would be so good with children before they met in real life.
But then again, is there anything George isn’t good at? Dream thinks not.
They’re a perfect duo, consisting of two of the people Dream loves most in the world. Just that thought is enough to make his heart warm.
Zoe stands up, breaking Dream out of his fond thoughts. “Need more,” she declares to George, who then stands up and takes her hand.
“Let’s go get more seashells,” he agrees and lets her lead him down to the water to search.
Dream watches them with sleepy eyes, unable to fight back the wide grin that spreads across his face at their interactions. He can just about see them now, all the way down by the water. They’re both bent over the sand, clearly focused on their mission.
“I see you smiling, idiot.” Sapnap mumbles from his right and Dream turns to face him, meeting his gaze over the top of his glasses. The book he was reading now lays discarded in the sand and Sapnap has moved to lie on his back. Presumably to “get that surfer tan” as he put it earlier.
Dream scoffs. “How can I not smile at that. Did you see how cute that was? And the seashells they’ve placed on me together?”
Sapnap waves a dismissive hand in his direction. “Yeah, yeah, just admit you’re a simp for George and go.”
Dream laughs louder at that but catches himself once he remembers the art on his legs and how easily it could all slide off if he moves too much. “Okay, Sap.” He sighs, feeling overly aware of the truth in Sapnap’s backhanded comment.
Before their conversation can go any further, the duo returns with their hands full of pretty additions to their masterpiece. With Dream as their canvas, naturally. The two lie back down in their previous positions, ready to continue.
“You do that side and I do his tummy, okay Georgie?” Zoe instructs, and George gives her a nod in confirmation.
“Good plan,” he adds.
Soon after, their work is complete, and Dream watches as they both stand up to admire it. They stand by his feet, blocking the sun and thus casting a shadow over Dream’s body. He takes this opportunity to show signs of being awake, moving to take off his sunglasses and rub at his eyes.
“Daddy!” Zoe exclaims once she sees him move.
“Zoe!” He responds with matched enthusiasm. He leans up slightly with his elbows in the sand behind him in order to get a better look at his legs. “This looks beautiful!” he says, smiling at her.
She giggles. “Me and Georgie made it,” she boasts, turning to look up at George who’s standing beside her.
Dream looks at him too. “Beautiful, George,” he says honestly. George smiles at him and Dream pretends that it doesn’t make his breath hitch, instead glancing back at his daughter.
“Are all of these for me? These pretty seashells and stones you’ve found?” He asks her. George is definitely still looking at him, he can feel it.
Zoe frowns. “No, daddy! We have to give them back to the beach!” Her tone is certain and final. Dream smiles even wider, biting back a laugh at her adorable – and admirable – logic.
He reasons with her, “That’s very kind of you, baby. Maybe you can bring home just one seashell then?”
Zoe considers his idea for a few moments before hesitantly agreeing. “Won’t the ocean be sad if I take one?” She asks with genuine concern, making Dream’s heart tighten with love for her.
“I’m sure the ocean won’t mind if you promise it to take good care of the shell, okay?” Dream reassures her.
George grabs Zoe’s hand and says, “Let’s go find your favorite shell, the prettiest one we can find.” She squeals and drags him along to begin her hunt.
Aware that this may take a while, Dream realizes this is his chance to pack up their beach stuff without any fuss. Before he stands, he takes out his phone to snap a photo of the neat rows covering his lower body. Then, he stands and gets Sapnap to help him gather everything.
George returns with a tired Zoe in his arms just as Dream packed the last towel. She is clutching her shell with both her hands, reaching it eagerly towards Dream when they near him. Dream smiles at her. “Did you find the prettiest seashell?”
Zoe nods with a wide yawn. “And we promised the water that it would be safe with me forever,” she mumbles while rubbing her eyes. She looks about ready to fall asleep in George’s arms. He pries the seashell gently out of Zoe’s hands and hands it to Dream for him to see and hold on to until they get home.
The little girl makes no move to get it back, a sign to Dream that she really is ready for sleep – it is nearing nine pm, to be fair. He accepts it gladly and studies it: a large pearly white shell with streaks of pink, similar to the sky tonight.
“Wow, Zoe, what a pretty treasure you’ve found.” He coos and reaches out to brush her hair out of her face, feeling her lean into his touch.
“I see you’re tired, baby. Let’s get you to the comfy car and drive home, yeah?” Zoe smiles at him and nods in agreement, before cuddling into George’s chest and closing her eyes. Dream doesn’t miss the small, happy sigh that escapes her lips. He looks up to George’s face and finds him smiling adorably at the girl in his arms.
“Are you alright with carrying her to the car? I can take her if you want” He offers quietly.
George meets his eyes and assures him it’s fine. “I’ll carry her. Don’t worry, Dream.” He starts walking towards the parking lot.
“Once you’re done swooning, can you grab the parasol and the towels? I’ve got the other stuff.” Sapnap’s voice brings Dream back, and he quickly turns around to do as he requested.
“Shut up,” he mutters with a poorly hidden smile.
They walk the few meters back to Dream’s car in content silence, piling everything in the trunk and getting in soon after. George is already sitting in the back, Zoe in her car seat beside him, already fastened and sound asleep.
With a smile on his lips, Dream starts up the car and drives them home with the last of the sunset behind them. The road is quiet, and the radio plays mellow Jeremy Zucker tunes all the way.
Around eleven pm, they are all finally ready to go to bed. George carried Zoe to her room once they got home while Dream and Sapnap unloaded the beach-packed car. The three boys ate some snacks in the kitchen and chatted quietly about the lovely day they had all had. Dream could not stop smiling, and the others seemed to have the same problem.
Once their giggles subsided, Sapnap announced he was going to bed and the other two followed soon after.
Currently however, Dream finds himself standing outside George’s room. He has gotten ready for sleep, but something feels unfinished somehow, like there is something more he would like to say. It won’t hurt to tell him another goodnight, at least.
He knocks softly and the door creaks open almost immediately. It reveals a comfy-looking brunet, in a (cute) matching pajama set: dark blue silk shirt and pants dotted with white crescent moons and specks of stars. Dream blushes at the sight, though he can’t place why.
“Hey, Dream. You okay?” George asks quietly, a hand reaching out to the other’s chest.
Dream clears his throat and wills himself to meet George’s gaze. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just wanted to thank you for all your help with Zoe today. It, uh, it means more to me than you know.” He cringes internally at how awkwardly his words came out, praying that the other can look past his obvious nerves.
George smiles warmly at him, his perfectly white teeth showing. “I love hanging out with Z, I had a great time with her today. No need to thank me”, he says. “Oh! And I almost forgot, but I have something for you.”
He removes his hand from Dream’s chest and walks back into his dark room. Dream tries his best to ignore how he immediately misses the weight of his touch. When he returns moments later, he is holding something.
Dream shoots him a quizzical smile but has no time to ask questions before George raises his hand up between them, holding the thing out to him – a seashell. Dream just stares.
“I found it with Zoe earlier. It’s the prettiest one I could find,” he urges Dream to take it which he does. “I even made a promise to the ocean that you would take care of it forever and ever.” George admits, adding, “at Zoe’s request, of course.”
Dream chuckles and admires the shell in his hand. It’s the same pearly white as Zoe’s one, but it’s smoother and instead of pink, it has streaks of many colors: blue, orange, green, purple.
“I love it so much, thank you, George.” He says genuinely, meeting brown eyes again. George smiles at him, and Dream could swear that he’s blushing. Or maybe it’s just him. Maybe both.
“I’ll keep it safe forever and ever, I promise.”