Chapter Text
“That was… absolutely rank.” Dream slammed down the red solo cup in his hand, having just skulled the foul contents consisting of cheap Vodka and some even cheaper mixer that only high school seniors would be caught buying. Dream silently thanked the two drinks in his system for making the taste slightly less putrid.
“You’re just a pussy dude, it’s not that bad.”
“Okay, Sap Nap. Not all of us are seasoned drinkers like you, please forgive us.” Karl rolled his eyes from where he stood wedged between Dream and Sapnap, sporting a similar disgruntled expression to Dream upon skulling his drink too. Dream smiled in understanding at Karl, the pair weren’t the biggest drinkers, either of them were usually the first to nominate themselves as the designated driver for these events, however…
“Not you too, Karl! Come on you two, it’s the end of semester party. Live a little. Stop complaining about your precious tastebuds and have fun, for once in your goddamn lives.” Sapnap smiled at the two of them lovingly despite the previous bite of his words and handed them each another drink he had busied himself with pouring.
“Now. Again, cheers!”
All three boys knocked their heads back with an anticipatory sigh and prayed the alcohol would shoot straight down their throats, only hoping that the taste wouldn’t linger in their mouths for long enough to bother them. Unfortunately, Sapnap is an asshole. The drink tasted at least double the strength of the last one and Dream knew his wasn’t the only one with a bite, holding back a laugh as he heard Karls splutters and Sapnap’s cruel laughter from where they stood.
Fuck you Sapnap.
Dream put the cup down on the kitchen bench where they stood and cast his eyes around the room he was in. Music was pumping from bass boosted speakers over near the patio door, a mix of Travis Scott and Kendrick Lamar seemed to be on repeat, not that anyone was complaining. People around the kitchen were either too busy trying to get themselves heard in conversations over the music or having too much fun dancing around with one another to care what was playing. Casting his eyes over to another room, he saw a collective amount of his classmates playing beer pong. Only after a few seconds of watching, he heard the cheers from the far side of the table as he watched a tall, light brown curly headed frame down the contents of the last cup, followed by a string of ineligible British complaining.
British. Huh.
“Dream?”
Dream sharply turned back to where Karl and Sapnap were standing next to him, the sudden movement made the borders of his sight go a little wavy and his vision took its time to catch up with the speed of his head, undeniably due to those few drinks.
Again, fuck you Sapnap.
“We’re going to go find Quackity, check he hasn’t broken his designated driver promise. You wanna come or do you wanna hang out here for a bit?”
“Good idea, you guys go. Im’a hang here. For a bit.”
Karls flushed red cheeks broke into a cunning grin at Dream’s slurred speech, he leaned forward and grabbed the taller shoulders.
“You… you could go find George? I’m sure he’d be ‘appy to see you. Especially like this. All happy and loose and fun-“
“Karl. Quackity. Let’s go. Dream? Drink some water bro.”
Dream waved the pair off with a scoff breathed through a grin and a flourish of his hand. Sapnap returned the gesture by flipping him off and leading Karl away with a firm grip on the taller boys frame.
Dream sighed and closed his eyes for a second, feeling the cool air from the open patio door on his exposed skin. It felt nice against numbed lips and cooled off the alcohol flush over his cheeks, grounding him slightly from the floaty feeling courtesy to the vodka in his bloodstream. He felt himself sway lightly on his feet as he opened his eyes again, and decided this was his cutoff point.
He knew had things to do tomorrow, even if he doesn’t quite remember them right now, but Dream was always one to be responsible before anything else, and he knew any more alcohol could result in a nasty hangover. Not ideal.
Another scream from the beer pong table broke his train of thought as he watched Wilbur fling a ping pong ball away in dismay and chug another drink, again, immediately followed by very British-sounding complaints. The accent struck a chord in Dream as he remembered Karls's words…
“You… you could go find George?-“
“I’m sure he’d be ‘appy to see you-“
Dream felt his cheeks warm at the thought of George being happy to see him. He wondered where he was currently. Dream set on casting his glassy eyes around the busy house around him, shining green seeking out warm brown in a sea full of bodies as he shouldered his way past the teens around him. The patio door letting in the cold breeze felt like a magnet to him, and he stumbled his way into the cool open air of the backyard. The backyard was littered with, albeit less than inside, but still, lot’s of slightly intoxicated teens.
Dream heard the bright, familiar laughter carry over the pavement easily.
Dream clumsily walked towards the back of the garden, following the warm sound of giggles until he spotted who he was looking for, sitting over by the large fire-pit providing warmth from even where Dream was standing. A small hiccup caught in his throat as his lips parted into a cheek splitting grin upon seeing two of his best friends, practically barreling the brunette he was looking for off the log he was perched on, enthusiasm and tipsiness clear as he plunked down right next to where George had previously.
“Jesus Dream, you’re gonna kill him doing that. He’s just so small and little and fragile.” Dream huffed out a laugh at Quackity’s teasing words and distantly wondered if Karl and Sapnap had been able to find him, or if they were still looking, or doing something else entirely.
“Oh, shut up Quackity.” George huffed out as Dream apologetically pulled him up so they sat side by side, thighs, shoulders, and arms pressing together closely, ankles intertwining.
His friends wouldn’t blink twice at their position, but if anyone else did, he would blame it on the alcohol.
“I’m surprised anyone found you Gogs, you’re so short you basically disappear in crowds.”
“We’re literally the same height.”
“We most definitely are not, I will not-“
Quackity’s voice faded into the background as George finally looked up to face Dream from where he was sat and gave him a close-lipped, but warm smile, finally greeting him with a,
“Hello.”
“Hi?”
“I missed you.”
Dream felt his breath catch and was a little taken aback by the transparency of his words, but he could tell George was a little buzzed. Pale cheeks glowing a warm pink in the glow of the fire, brown eyes looking brightly up at him, swimming with the glaze alcohol provides under a half-lidded gaze. His touchiness was common, but amplified under the influence, hence his eagerness to sit close to Dream. That’s what Dream told himself anyway.
Blame it on the alcohol.
Dream smiled warmly at him anyway and reached a hand over to ruffle the brown locks near his shoulder.
“It’s barely been a few hours, silly.”
George tore his gaze away and set it back on the flames burning in front of them.
“Fuck off.”
“You’re clingy.”
“You’re mean for leaving me with Quackity.”
“You’re an idiot.”
“And you’re short!” Quackity shouted over the flames separating him from where he sat on the opposite side of the fire. Dream wheezed loud and Quackity joined him in his laughter as George balled up his fists, shaking them, and angrily shouted a colourful collection of insults back. Dream thought he’d actually have to physically restrain George from crossing the fire and beating Quackity to a pulp if it wasn’t for the sudden voice that cut the protesting off from behind the raven-haired boy.
“Quackity! There you are, we’ve been looking for ages.”
“Yeah, long enough that Dream managed to find him before us.” Sapnap scoffed.
“Well, did Dream bring these?”
Karl pulled out a plastic Tupperware container that had not only an obscene amount of marshmallows in it, but several long metal skewers. The dream felt George perk up and heard Quackity’s high-pitched squeals of glee as they all passed around the box, taking a skewer and a few marshmallows each.
Dream was hesitant to take any of them, he’d never been a massive fan of eating sweets when he had been drinking. The day after his eighteenth birthday was a hangover and a sugar high crash, and he’d never, ever, wanted to die more.
He looked down at the white, powdery sweets in the box and mulled it over some more, decidedly, he tried to turn to Sapnap on his left and offer them to him instead but was interrupted by a tug on the hem of his jeans.
George had slid off the log again to sit on the ground, allowing him to get closer to the fire and roast his marshmallows with ease. He had his body angled so that he was facing his friends, one hand on his skewer and the other on Dreams jeans. Dream looked down to meet his gaze questioningly and George smiled sweetly. He tore his gaze away for a second to pull his skewer from the fire and blow on the marshmallow, turning back to meet Dreams curious gaze, he held the skewer up to Dream’s face innocently, as if to say,
Go on.
Dream felt his face warm, and his heart stutter slightly. Not sure if it was from the fire, the alcohol, or George looking up at him like that through dark lashes, nudging the skewer a little closer to Dreams mouth.
Go on.
Dream held his gaze as he parted his lips, forgetting all about his hesitance to the marshmallows, and just as his lips touched the powdery texture, George ripped the skewer away and shoved the marshmallow in his own mouth with cruel satisfaction.
Dream sat flabbergasted and burning red as he watched his best friend laugh menacingly around the marshmallow in his mouth. He could distantly hear his other friends laughing maniacally along with the brunette, finding humour in Dream's sudden embarrassment.
He should’ve been mad, but when George sat back next to him, leaned in close and wiped the marshmallow powder off Dream's lips with the back of his jumper sleeve and looked at him through tears of mirth, he could only giddily join in with the laughter from his friends. His face and heart felt warm as he watched Sapnap and Karl jokingly recreate the scene while Quackity pegged marshmallows at the pair, hearing Georges's bright laughter in his ear.
These were the moments he loved. Buzzing slightly with cheap alcohol, laughing hysterically with his boys, warmed by a roaring fire and the presence of his best friend at his side. In these moments he felt content, happy, safe…
A weight pressed against his shoulder and brown curls ticked the nape of his neck. His hand reached up and ruffled the hair, earning him a roll of brown eyes and an exasperated huff. The weight didn’t move, instead pushing into Dream more, and the younger's heart clenched in a way he wasn’t quite ready to unpack.
Loved.