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Dream lunged for Eret.
That was the moment when George noticed something was really wrong. It was in the middle of everyone. There was no way anyone could miss it. Lunging forwards, sword in hand, Dream slashed at Eret. Once across the chest, once across the arm. A slash to the stomach. Gasping, Eret stumbled back. Niki caught his arm, Jack helped him stay upright. Blood spilled from the injuries.
“Dream!” George gasped. Making his way forwards, he froze when Sapnap’s arm suddenly braced across his chest. He paused, looked over at the other young man. Instantly, his eyes widened. Sapnap was watching the scene unfold with a pensive expression, dark gray-black eyes narrowed almost entirely. Swallowing, he took another breath.
George turned back to what was happening. On his other side, Ant and Bad flanked him. Dream had been let out of the prison because they wanted to give him a second chance. As soon as they had walked into the room, George had thought something was different. Something had already seemed off about him. Now, it was definitely off. Something was definitely wrong with him.
And now he had attacked Eret at what should have been the meeting where they decided how to reintegrate Dream into society.
“Dream. You better have a damn good reason for doing that.” Phil announced, stepping carefully in front of Wilbur. Drawing his sword, the immortal stepped forwards. When George glanced at him, and then at Wilbur behind him, he saw Wilbur’s eyes widen. Something akin to worry crossed his face. “We let you live once. There are much worse things than death for an admin.”
Humming, Dream turned. And then he marched away. Pulling away from Sapnap, George hurried after him. “What—George! George! It’s not safe!” Sapnap said.
Glancing back, George met his friend’s gaze. Dream was getting away already. “Trust me, Sapnap. Please. ” Blinking, Sapnap pulled back. Dropped his hand. Then, he looked to Karl and Quackity.
Without giving anyone else a chance, George hurried after Dream.
They kept walking in silence for a bit. As they moved, George watched the blood drip from Dream’s sword onto the carpet. What is wrong with you? What’s happened to you? Looking at him, George paused. Wondered for the first time if maybe Sapnap was right. If Dream was going to kill him.
“What?” Dream asked, tone darkening to something else. Flinching, George looked up. They both stopped walking in the middle of the hallway. George blinked and met Dream’s gaze. “What do you want, staring at me like an idiot?”
“I-I just—“ Stammering, George dropped his gaze. Looked down at the carpet. Blood was pooling under Dream’s feet. Not just from the sword, though. “You’re hurt.”
“It’s nothing.” Dream dismissed. Spotting the injury, George reached for it.
A hand snapped around his wrist.
Cruel fingers dug into his skin. Twisting his arm to the side, Dream stared down at him. The light behind his head haloed him like some kind of angel of death, dark green eyes holding their own sort of light. As Dream twisted his arm beyond what was normal for it, squeezed it, too, George’s mouth opened in a silent cry of pain. Something inside his wrist popped and cracked. “D-Dream. Dream.”
Throwing his arm to the side, Dream straightened up. Moved forwards. Backing up, George held up his hands. Pain struck through his wrist, heat flooded his cheeks and welled up in his eyes. Looking up at the admin, George swallowed. The sword glinted like flint in the sunlight streaming through the windows.
Then, Dream smiled. Tipped his head to the side. His free hand, the same one crushing George’s fingers just a second before, delicately touched his cheek. Trailed up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind his ear. Then, Dream leaned in. George’s hands settled on his chest for a moment. He closed his eyes when Dream moved like he was going to kiss him.
Instead, Dream’s breath settled on his ear. When he spoke, it ran chills down George’s spine. And not in the good way, either. This wasn’t the kind words that one would say to a lover. Dream was treating him like an enemy.
“If you ever touch me again without my permission, I’m going to break each and every one of your fingers one by one and then cut off your hands.”
Fingers curling, breath hitching in his throat, George froze. Snapped his eyes open. Staring at the front of Dream’s hoodie, he swallowed. Took a shaky breath. He doesn’t mean it, he swore to himself. But he knew that wasn’t true. Not with that tone. The one he’d never heard directed at himself. Only at other people. Never at him, or Bad or Sapnap or even Ant.
“Do you understand?” Shakily, George sucked in another breath. Grabbing onto his hair, Dream hissed, “Do you understand?” His other arm was braced above George. The bloody blade was knocking against his shoulder.
Shallowly, George choked out, “Yes.” Stepping back, Dream smiled almost triumphantly. It left a hollow feeling in George’s heart, welling up. Then, Dream turned and started walking again.
“Don’t follow me.” Not even glancing back as he reached the next corridor, Dream added, “Or else I’ll have to kill you.”
As soon as he was gone, George slumped to the floor, cradling his injured wrist to his chest.
“George!” At the end of the corridor, the doors slammed open. Immediately, Sapnap was running to his side. Teeth gritted, George forced himself upright. The ground spun underneath him and he leaned to the side. His shoulder slammed painfully into the wall beside him. Opening his eyes, he lifted his head. Stared after where Dream had gone. “George?”
Looking after him, taking a few breaths, George pushed himself off of the wall. Looked to Sapnap. “How’s Eret doing?” Swallowing, Sapnap glanced down at the arm George was holding. Then, he looked to Bad and Ant where they were standing a little ways further down the line.
“He’ll make it. What about you? Did he hurt you?” Looking over at him, George paused. Looked back at the carpet. Then, he raised his head again, stared at where Dream had left. “George? Did he hurt you?”
“I’ll survive.” Holding out his hand, George snapped his fingers. From the meeting room, his staff flew to his palm. Spinning it, George tapped the end against the ground. From the red and white mushroom at the top, a small dragonic shape form and fluttered its wings. Reaching up, George held out a finger, and it nuzzled against his head. Clearing his throat, George rasped in another tone, “Go track the admin of this world. Stay out of sight. Do not let him touch you.” Dipping its head, the mushroom dragon flew off. Then, George turned and marched back towards the meeting room.
“What are you going to do?” Sapnap asked, following with the other first Hunters. Pausing at the table, which was now entirely empty compared to the packed state of earlier, George picked up his bags and weapons. Then, he turned to look to Sapnap. Immediately, his friend understood. “You can’t be serious.”
“Do you think I would joke right now?” Pushing past Sapnap, George kept moving. The other man tried to grab his wrist, then hesitated when George flinched away. Instead, he kept pace with him. As George walked, he pulled a roll of bandages from his pack and began wrapping his wrist, boots sinking into the soft red carpet of the castle. “I know what I’m doing. I have a feeling about Dream right now. Something’s wrong with him. I need to pick something up.”
“You’re going after him? He just stabbed Eret! He could have killed them!” Sapnap said. When they reached the courtyard, Sapnap paused for a moment. George didn’t, kept walking quickly. As he did, the sunlight basked down on their backs. Once they exited the stone cobble walls and were in the forest, vines sprouted from the earth. Several locked themselves around the bandages, securing them in place and finishing where George had yet to. So, he dropped his other hands, looked to Sapnap. “George, this is crazy.”
“Get everyone somewhere safe. Don’t approach him if you don’t have to. I know what I’m doing. I just need to pick up something." Sapnap suddenly pulled him into a hug. Letting it happen, George held onto him for a second. Then, he pulled back. Stepped backwards a couple times, added, “Either way, this won’t happen again. Phil was right. There are far worse things to happen to an admin than death, and Dream is playing with them.”
“Stay safe. Please?” Sapnap asked. Smiling, George dipped his head.
Then, he turned to the woods and kept walking.
+++
When he came back to the SMP, the first thing he did was head to the castle.
Dream was waiting for him already. Leaning forwards on the hilt of his blade, the tip driven into the ground, Dream smiled smugly. “Hello, there, mushroom king. I got your castle back.”
“If you think I care about a castle, you’re wrong.” Gesturing around them, George asked, “Is this why you stabbed Eret? A castle?”
Pulling the sword from the ground, Dream easily sheathed it and then stepped forwards. Smiling, he took one of George’s hands, spun him in a little circle and held him close. Not yet, George told himself. “I got it back for you, sweetheart. Aren’t you happy?” When George didn’t answer, Dream immediately let go and stepped back. Held his hands up like a white flag. “Fine. Don’t be happy about your gift.” He was walking up to the top of the wall.
Striding after Dream, George kept talking to him. “You can’t be serious! We’ve gone over this, Dream, it’s stupid! It’s just some stupid crown, I don’t even care about it anymore!” George said.
Wheeling, Dream backhanded George across the face.
Eyes wide, George stumbled back. Fell to the ground. By then, Dream was already on top of him. Eyes narrowed, hand digging into the front of George’s shirt. Yanking him up, Dream held his gaze slowly. On the ground, George could see the members of the SMP staring up with wide eyes. Some of them looked terrified, others confused. Immediately, Eret was running forwards. They didn’t seem to care about their own injuries. Niki and Fundy were on their heels.
Turning, George took in everyone who was there. Phil was protecting Techno and Wilbur. Tubbo was holding Michael, eyes wide and terrified, Ranboo and Tommy standing protectively in front of him. He could see the shadows wrapped around Ponk, Punz, Sam, and Purpled. Karl and Quackity were holding Sapnap back, Skeppy and Bad not too far away. Puffy was sprinting up to her wife’s side. Ant was pressed to one of the trees, watching in terror. Jack was beside him, holding an axe with white knuckles. Beyond them, he could see the ghostly form of Jschlatt and another shape, with dark wings and purple coming from a gem that matched the one at Phil’s throat on her chest. Dark brown eyes held his for a moment. Then, she nodded.
George looked back at Dream. Then, rolling back, he placed a hand on the ground, shifted until he had his feet under him. “This isn’t what you want to do.” He said, stepping forwards with his hands open and out. Dream’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“You always do this, George! Is nothing I do enough for you anymore?” Dream asked. Then, he lunged. Grabbing Dream’s arm, George flipped him over one shoulder. Twisted and kicked his weak knee out from under him. Dream, of course, didn’t go down easily. Instead, he produced a knife. George saw it at the last second.
The blade slid between his ribs.
“Great. So now you’re going to die. Are you happy now, George?” Leaning closer, Dream pushed the blade deeper. Looking up, George smiled at him. “Why are you smiling?”
Leaning in, George grabbed the back of his neck and kissed him. As he did, he flicked his fingers. Summoned the little dragon he’d made earlier. Felt the burst of warmth as she formed, heard the hiss and Dream grunt in pain.
Then, fingers wrapped around his throat. Grabbing the dragon and tearing her away from his neck, Dream scowled down at him and stood up. Dangled him over the castle. “That was your plan? A little mushroom dragon?” Scoffing, Dream shook him a little bit. Still grinning, George held onto his arm. “Wipe that stupid smile off your face, George. What’s so funny, anyways?”
“Dream would know.” Then, George held out a hand. His staff flew to his hand from his bag. Then, he slammed it into the edge of the stone, right into one of the built-in chinks. Dream glanced down as George triggered it. “See you in the Nether.”
And then the ground dropped out from under them.
He heard Sapnap scream. Then, stone smashed into his back. Something cracked.
GeorgeNotFound hit the ground too hard
+++
“George.”
Opening his eyes, George started laughing hysterically. Turning, he met the gaze of the same person he’d been looking at a second ago. Rubbing at his eyes, he laid there for a second, felt the flowers around them moving. “Hey.” Laughing, he rolled onto his back.
Lying in the grass, Dream sucked in a breath. “What was your plan there?”
“Remember those mushrooms we found when we were younger?” George asked. In the corner of his eye, he saw Dream nod. “Turns out they’re toxic to Dreamons.” There was a hum.
“You amazing, smart, handsome man, you.” Face flushing with heat, George laughed once. For a long moment, they laid there. No talking. No nothing. Just breathing, taking in everything. Dream eventually took George’s hand, started kissing his knuckles.
“You know we’re going to have to head back, right?”
“Yeah, just give me like ten minutes I’ll work on it.”