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“George…”
Blood matted the hair at his temple. Blank brown eyes stared up at the sky above him. It was such a pretty pale blue color, something that he would have had more time to appreciate. Such a pretty day, too. Shame that he was spoiling it with the blood currently spilling between his fingers.
Someone was kneeling over him. Hands pressed to the deep injury in his stomach. Panicked dark brown eyes, flecks of fiery amber licking at the whites around the iris, jolted from the wound to him. “George, hold on…please…” Their voice was so distant. Sucking in a weak, shaky breath, he blinked once. Who the hell was George? Was that him?
“George, come on. I’m right here.” There was that voice again. He wanted to go to it. But his limbs wouldn’t move. Around him, someone was screaming. Rough bark brushed against the back of his neck. Everything was weak. He could hear his heart beating in his ears. Was it slower than it had been a moment before?
“George, please don’t go. Please, I need you. We’re trying so hard, we got him. We got him again he’s going back in the prison but I can’t do this without you. Please, George.” Oh. George was him, then. Blinking, George tipped his head to the side.
There were two people next to him, sitting there in the grass.
One of them had sweaty black hair tied back with a white strip of cloth. The makeshift headband didn’t quite work, some little wisps of black hair hung down in front of dark eyes. A white shirt with black sleeves, spattered with red blood that probably wasn’t his, clung to his shoulders. Heaved up and down with each sobbing breath. He had the outline of armor wrinkling the cloth at his stomach and shoulders. His trousers, also black, still had the plates of flexible leather and iron strapped to them. Old, scuffed combat boots sank into the blood-swept grass at his feet. The blood all looked sort of brown, which George knew was just his vision. Sapnap. Swearing, Sapnap pushed a little harder on George’s stomach.
There was a deep injury there. Dimly, George remembered being stabbed. Actually, he remembered being stabbed by the other person. Dream. Except that couldn’t possibly be happening, because Dream would never be caught dead sitting beside Sapnap. Not since Sapnap threatened to kill him if he ever escaped the prison.
Still, there the admin was. Crouching in the grass, seemingly unaffected by the gore around him, was Dream. There was a faint golden glow around him. It could have been green, but it wasn’t quite the same color as Dream’s signature hoodie. He had black cargo pants on, black combat boots. His mask was strapped to his waist by a belt. As a result, his face was shown, freckles dotting tanned skin and bright eyes flashing like his teeth when he smiled. “George.” He said, tone softening and becoming clearer and clearer. Holding out a hand, Dream whispered, “It’s nice to see you again.”
Reaching up slightly, George tried to move. “No, no, save your strength, George. Come on. Please.” Sapnap begged. “Please, you can’t leave me.” Dream looked at him. Blinking, George looked to Sapnap. People were approaching, but he couldn’t make out faces. It was him and Sapnap and Dream, like it had been what felt like a thousand years before. Just the three of them. Standing on the edge of that cliff, looking out at the server in front of them. The trees stretching to the horizon as the sun set, waves of plain grass to their backs and the mountains to their left. A deep ocean somewhere in the far distance.
George’s heart was impossibly slow in his ears. Taking another breath, he looked to Dream. “Do I have to go?” He asked. Whispered in a voice so soft he wasn’t sure it dare pass his lips. Smiling sadly, Dream didn’t reply. Not with words. Rather, he dipped his head ever so slightly, closed his eyes. “Alright.” He shuddered once, looked at Sapnap. Behind him, Dream sort of faded a bit, unfocused. That didn’t matter. George could focus on him in a second. “Hey…”
Sobbing, shoulders shaking, Sapnap clutched onto one of George’s hands. “Please don’t go.” He begged. “Please. We just won, George. We beat him. He’s going back to the prison and he’s never coming back.” George smiled, tugged him closer. Sapnap hugged him, arms wrapped around his back.
Eyes closed, George said, “You’ll be alright, Sap.”
“Promise?” Sapnap choked out, squeezed him a little bit tighter. Smiling, George did the same.
“Promise.” A warm hand settled on his shoulder. Blinking, George raised his head. Let go of Sapnap. Dream was standing now, holding out a hand.
“Need any help, King of the Woods?” He asked. Smiling, George took his hand. Let himself be pulled up. Behind him, he could see Karl and Quackity hurrying to Sapnap’s side. Karl got there. Quackity, however, hesitated. Waited for a long moment. Then, turning, Karl grabbed Quackity’s hand, pulled him close. Sapnap was holding onto George’s body, which had gone limp in his hands. The whole server was there.
Turning, George looked to Dream. “I guess they did what you wanted. They found someone to rally against.” He paused when he saw someone else familiar. There, standing at the back of the crowd, were Techno and Phil. Between them, fully alive, was Dream. Head tilting, he looked to his Dream. Smiled lightly. “You sly son of a bitch.”
Shrugging, Dream shoved his hands into his hoodie pocket. “I may not have had much control of my body, and I may have been killed by the exorcism, but he had no clue what he got himself into.” Turning, he offered his elbow to George. Linking their arms, George walked with him through the grass. Long strands brushed his legs, gradually fading away into something softer. Bright sunlight cut through the dust clouds, a soft and cool air settled over them as they walked towards the sunset.
Then, suddenly, Dream took George’s hand in his. Spun him forwards, gently. A hand settled on his hip. George looked at him. “Being a little bold, aren’t we?”
“Hmmm, maybe.” Dream replied, tugging him a little closer with a snarky grin on his face. “Why? Too much?”
“Mmmmm…” Tipping his head to the side, George winked up at him, replied, “Just the right amount for a Leo.”
Placing his free hand on his chest, Dream said, “I am the epitome of a Leo. A paragon. Quintessential.”
“Ooh, big words.” George mused. Laughing, Dream swept George’s legs out from beneath him. He tipped backwards, felt Dream’s arm tighten around his waist so that he was being dipped instead. “Smooth.”
“You and I never did get to do that dance.” Dream mused, lifting him back to standing with ease and then gently spinning them both. Their feet tangled together for a fraction of a second, but neither of them fell. “What do you think? Think we should steal it back?” There was a bright sort of light to his eyes. Smiling, George tipped his head again. Thought for a moment.
Leaning in, he kissed Dream’s cheek. There was a huff of surprise. Grinning, George replied, “I wouldn’t be doing anything else.”