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Chapter Text

George was practically asleep, his head resting comfortably in Sapnap’s lap as the Ember Angel spoke excitedly about… something. George honestly has no idea beyond it being some Earth sport involving a ball (which seemed like almost all of them). But his friend’s excitement always made him smile and even with their third absent, he felt warm and safe which inevitably made him sleepy.

Speaking of: “Hey, Sap, where is Dream?” George asked. 

The interruption clearly took Sapnap by surprise before the black haired man looked down at him. “I don’t know. Honestly I thought he would have gotten here already. Maybe the Council needed to speak to him after his last mission?”

“Hm. Probably.” George agreed. And maybe it was just because the three of them were almost never apart, but something felt wrong. It was when Sapnap gently grabbed his wrist that George noticed he was rubbing at his shoulder blade. 

“You’re feeling it too?” Sapnap asked quietly, sounding far more serious than he had only moments ago. And that was when George realized there was an iciness spreading through his nerves from the rune on his shoulder blade. Sapnap’s wings, that looked almost gray to him rather than the vibrant reds and oranges Dream described them as, curled around them both protectively and George sat up as Sapnap’s arms pulled him to the younger’s chest. 

“He’ll be okay, Sap. Come on. It’s Dream we’re talking about.” George insisted and Sapnap nodded, but it was obvious the other didn’t believe him. George wasn’t sure he believed it either. He’d never felt iciness through the runes before. Heat for when Sapnap was in danger, absolutely, and while George didn’t feel it, he knew the others felt pins and needles on the handful of occasions he was the one in danger. But they’d never felt cold chills in the years they'd spent connected.

When there was a knocking sound, both of them jumped. Sapnap got up quickly and moved towards it, putting himself between George and the door with one hand tucked behind his back. George could see sparks flickering in the Ember Angel’s fingers as Sapnap opened it. “Yes?” Sapnap greeted. It was obvious he was feeling nervous too, with his large wings puffed up to block the view of the room which meant George couldn't see who was there. He doubted it was anyone they knew though or Sapnap wouldn’t have reacted that way. 

George quickly stood up, stretching out his smaller baby blue wings before he approached Sapnap’s back. It felt wrong to be apart from him in this moment. The sparks faded from his fingers as George got closer and when Sapnap reached back George took his hand. “The Council is requesting you and George immediately.” An unfamiliar voice said. 

“We’ll head right there.” Sapnap answered and closed the door. His wings dropped and he looked so lost and afraid when he glanced over his shoulder at George. It was moments like this that he was reminded how much younger Sapnap was than him. 

"It'll be fine, Sap. Dream wouldn't let anything happen to us." George insisted.

"It's not us I'm worried about." Sapnap answered softly and George just squeezed his hand because he understood. The iciness was getting stronger and the worst part was George could feel Dream trying to stifle the connection. To keep them from knowing he was in danger when it was his magic, his research, his idea to connect them. Whatever was happening wasn't good.

“Let’s go. The sooner we speak to the Council the sooner we can find out why Dream is in danger.” George reminded. Sapnap took a breath and nodded. They left the house together and Sapnap shook out his wings before he leapt off the balcony. George watched him for a moment. Even if the color was grayed there was a shininess to Sapnap’s wings in the sunlight that George thought was beautiful.

When Sapnap stopped gliding and looked back George quickly leapt off the balcony to join him in the air. The younger angel flew close underneath him. It would be risky if they hadn’t been flying together for years, but both Dream and Sapnap liked to position themselves between him and the ground. Sapnap usually flew above because the two of them were overprotective and liked to bracket him but George barely had to think to adjust when Sapnap did.

They made excellent time flying over the clouds and passed a couple of houses in the distance before they finally reached the large quartz structure where the Council held its meetings. George was almost shivering from the cold chills by the time they landed. Sapnap’s wing wrapped around him, radiating warmth, and George let the Ember Angel pull him closer. Sapnap was waiting on him and George offered him a weak smile before he started walking. 

The other stayed close enough for George to be wrapped in warmth but they had barely entered the lobby before an angel came running up to them. He were young, evident by his still white wings, but very tall with pale skin, dark hair, and heterochromatic red and green eyes. George knew who it was; Dream’s potential apprentice Ranboo. 

“George, Sapnap, this way. Quickly.” Ranboo sounded scared and was hurrying off before they could say a single word. George shared a look with Sapnap and they almost sprinted to catch up. Whatever was happening was really not good when the usually calm Ranboo was panicked.

That feeling was only confirmed when Ranboo led them to a long hallway with a single door at the end that sent George’s heart into his feet. The door itself was ominous; a large ornate double door that was white at the top fading to a pitch black at the bottom. It was the only place in the Council’s legislative building with black, making it unmistakable. Ranboo was lingering with his hands on the door handles, looking at them anxiously. Sapnap took hold of and squeezed George's hand briefly before pulling his hand and wings back. George missed them immediately.

He took a breath and put on a blank face. “Open the door.” He directed and Ranboo did. 

Even with the new distance between him and Sapnap, George could feel the other angel reeling at the sight that greeted them. He just felt numb. Completely and utterly numb . Dream was on his knees next to a gap in the clouds that led to nothing but blackness. Two guards in full armor were on either side holding his arms and worse, standing on Dream’s wings. According to Sapnap they were white with vibrant green tips, but they looked yellow to George. They were Dream's pride and George hated thinking of how many broken feathers they were going to have to preen. But there was something off; blackness had begun to overtake the bottom part of Dream's wings.

Dream had a snarl on his face that gave way to something neutral when his eyes landed on them. The other angels wouldn’t see it but George could; there was fear in his eyes. And that was more terrifying than anything because Dream didn’t get scared. Sapnap took a step forward, past George and towards Dream when a new angel stepped between them. 

The tall brunet was familiar to them both. Wilbur, the Council's favorite spokesperson, with silvery wings that served as a reminder of his silver tongue. Not that all Angels of Eloquence were terrible, Quackity was an old and very dear friend, but Wilbur… He liked his role with the Council a little too much and wasn't afraid to stretch the truth on their behalf. 

"Thank you for coming promptly, Angel of Embers Sapnap and Angel of Slumber George." Wilbur greeted them with a small formal bow and George desperately wanted to take Sapnap's hand again. 

"What's going on, Wilbur? Why is Dream…?" George couldn't finish the sentence and Sapnap flinched at what he didn't say. Dream made some kind of call-out that was silenced with a pained sound before it could become a proper word and it took every ounce of willpower George had not to look away from Wilbur. Sapnap did, however, and a weak almost whimper left the Ember Angel's throat.

Wilbur had a soft, compassionate and sad smile on his face that George hated the fakeness of with a burning passion. "Dream is under suspicion of falling in love with other angels. The both of you, to be precise." Wilbur explained gently.

That snapped Sapnap's attention back to the Angel of Eloquence while George could barely process his thoughts were moving so quickly. This was bad. That kind of accusation and for them to go so far as to bring Dream to the Fracture meant they already had enough evidence to believe him guilty. Chances of getting out of this unscathed were slim at best. 

"I don't know what you want from us, Wilbur." George finally said and Wilbur hummed in a way that had George's heart sinking. 

"So you do love him back. Isn't that interesting?" Wilbur finally stepped away from them both and George wanted to sprint past him to hold Dream. There was blood on Dream's face now from his nose, probably from when he'd been silenced. 

"We won't let you do this to him, Wilbur." Sapnap interrupted the tense silence, sparks in his fingers, when abruptly George was grabbed. Despite his yelp, another guard had time to grab hold of Sapnap before he could do anything. The Ember Angel struggled unrelentingly with little success while George very quickly gave up. He was not a warrior angel like Sapnap, Dream, or the guards and had no hope of breaking free with pure strength alone. 

What confused him was that despite the both of them being grabbed and now under suspicions like Dream, George didn't feel any warmth through their bond that would mean Sapnap was in danger. Just those awful chills. Wilbur turned towards Dream, whose defiant expression had returned. 

"I told you, Wilbur! I…" Dream glanced at them looking apologetic before he quietly admitted; "I enchanted them. I fell in love and wanted them to love me. I told them the runes were for protection. George's is on his shoulder and Sapnap's his hip. Please, Wilbur, don't punish them for my deeds. They've done nothing wrong." 

And George might have bought the whole story. Would have gotten angry and might have even believed Dream had done that to them because it was perfectly believable. Except for one fact. George had realized years before the runes, years before they'd even confessed , that he loved the two angels he lived with. Dream's runes had nothing to do with it.

"You made that very clear before they arrived, thank you. What I still don't understand is why you would confess to it." Wilbur crouched down to look Dream in the face while George could hear Sapnap panting hard as he finally stopped struggling.

"Because I love them. With everything I am, I love them, and I would never forgive myself if they were hurt or cast out because I was selfish enough to want their love in return." Dream sounded desperate and it hurt George's heart even as he finally realized what Dream was doing. He was trying to take the fall for all of them. "The rune on my hand is what binds the love spell." 

Wilbur pulled the glove from Dream's left hand, revealing a rune George had never seen before carved into his friend's skin. It was Dream's work; there were no other angels capable of using runes and casting spells like him. But something about it felt wrong and after a beat George realized why. The rune was firstly carved into Dream's skin, where usually he would use ink, and because it was carved it was clear, at least to him, the wound was fairly fresh. Dream must have used magic to carve and heal it when he'd been arrested. But Wilbur wasn't likely to notice that. 

"You know the punishment for falling in love with another angel." Wilbur said and Dream nodded. "You've fallen in love with two and enchanted them. I cannot give you any relief."

It took George only a moment to realize what Wilbur meant and he screamed "No! Wilbur, please!"

The Angel of Eloquence gave him that same sad smile he'd worn the whole meeting. "The rules are the rules, George. I cannot change them." He said before he stood and looked at Dream. "Dream, for your crimes you are sentenced to be cast out. You will have your wings ripped from your body and will never be allowed to return to heaven. May your soul find redemption in its next life."

Wilbur stepped away and the guards on either side of Dream moved. One took hold of Dream's arms, pulling them forward, while the other went to Dream's back and George could hear Sapnap screaming as the cold from the rune enveloped him entirely and left him numb. He could do nothing but watch as the guard grabbed one of Dream's wings (and George was certain that just like the rune carved into his hand Dream had done something to make his wings look tainted to give Wilbur even more evidence) and pulled. 

There was blood, so much blood, as the wing was ripped from Dream's back, but despite their third's mouth being open his scream was silent. When the wing finally came free George nearly threw up at the sight of tearing flesh and the guard tossed it aside. Dream looked dazed and sick, tears running down his cheeks and blood pouring down his heaving back. 

Sapnap was screaming curses and threats and from the sounds of it was struggling hard, but George couldn't look away from Dream's face. "Please." George whispered to no one as tears of his own fell. The guard holding onto him was less restraining and more keeping him upright now. Of course nothing stopped.

The guard grabbed Dream's other wing and George saw his friend brace for it. This one took longer and George had a feeling the guard was doing it intentionally. The worst part was when abruptly Dream's scream cut through the tense almost silence in the room and George realized Dream had been using his magic to stop it from being audible. 

That didn't make it any less heart wrenching. It was a sound that would haunt him for years and Dream kept screaming until it gave way to sobbing and repeatedly whimpered "please". Thankfully the guard finally ripped the wing free with one last strangled cry from Dream. The other guard also let him go and Dream crumpled the short distance to the floor.

He curled into a trembling ball still whimpering and George yanked free from the guards to run to his side. "Dream. Dream, I'm here. Oh god." George ignored the blood that was all over Dream's back, the floor, and now his clothes. All he wanted was to hold the blond and when George pulled him into his lap, the younger angel weakly wrapped his arms around George's waist, his face hidden against George's body. He could feel his shirt getting damp from Dream's tears and was pretty sure he was crying too.

George gently hushed him, running trembling fingers through the soft blond hair in a familiar motion and wishing he could do anything more to help. A moment later Sapnap was at their side, wings wrapped around them both creating the illusion of privacy and a bubble of warmth that had Dream reaching for the youngest of them. Sapnap scooted closer and took Dream's hand, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. Both their hands were shaking.

"George, Sapnap, I need you both to back away." Wilbur directed and both of them ignored him. Dream needed them. He was pale and trembling hard, gasping for air he couldn't seem to get, and there was nothing they could do besides hold him.

When someone grabbed George under the arms and yanked him up, he screamed. It was enough even to get Dream's attention and he reached him with a hand he could barely lift and a pained weak whimper that George was never going to un-hear. Another guard had grabbed Sapnap and both of them were dragged back, but the Ember Angel pleaded "Wilbur, please let me cauterize the wounds. Please . He's going to bleed to death!" 

Wilbur hesitated for a moment before he nodded once. Sapnap was released and George watched as he sprinted back to Dream's side. He was murmuring something to the blond before sparks lit up in his fingers and Sapnap ran his hands gently over the wounds on Dream's back. Dream whimpered but the sound hurt less because at least this time Sapnap could comfort him even if George couldn't. 

When the wounds were sealed Sapnap was yanked to his feet and dragged back. The guard who had pulled Dream's wings out was motioned forward by Wilbur. He lifted the blond, stepped to the edge of the Fracture, and without ceremony dropped him. George heard a scream and didn't realize right away it was him making the agonized sound. 

Dream fell like a rag doll and George's knees gave out completely when he disappeared into the abyss of the Fracture. The name felt all too appropriate given the way George's soul was fracturing. The guard that had been holding him back was holding him up instead. It was Sapnap screaming furiously that pulled George back to the ground and he looked at the Ember Angel. 

There were two guards on him, in the process of wrestling him to the ground though Sapnap certainly wasn’t making it easy for them. The guard holding him had such a loose grip it was easy for him to pull free and he rushed over Sapnap, shoving the other guards back. Sapnap was crying and melted against him when George pulled the younger to him, letting him hide his face.

They were left alone because Wilbur motioned for the guards to back off with a wave of his hand. “Sapnap and George, you are both required to see Callahan as soon as possible to have the runes removed.” Wilbur stated before he left the room along with the guards. 

"Shush, Sap, it'll be okay. I promise. We'll get to Earth as soon as possible and find him. Dream knows how to look after himself in the meantime. And I have you to keep away the chills until he's back by our side, right?" George offered quietly and Sapnap pulled back, wiping away his tears. 

His normally fiery eyes were lacking their spark and George reached forward to wipe away the wetness on the Ember Angel's cheek. Sapnap leaned into the touch as he nodded. "I know, but… His scream, George…"

George swallowed hard as he nodded. He understood completely, but the Council was going to do everything it could to keep them from moving freely until they were no longer under suspicion. Dream would just have to survive without them until then.

Chapter Text

Sapnap's flying was listless, his wing strokes only just barely strong enough to keep him in the air and he kept getting buffeted to the side by winds that normally wouldn't do more than ruffle his feathers. But he couldn't bring himself to care. There was drying blood on his hands, looking so out of place against the white clouds he and George were flying over. It was only George's presence above him that kept pulling his focus back. Because Dream was gone and that meant it fell to him to protect George until he came back. Sapnap refused to consider anything else.

It was a short flight to Callahan's clinic and Sapnap stumbled on the landing like he hasn't since he was a fledgling just learning how to fly. George caught his arm and kept him from falling over completely. He offered the brunet a small smile and George smiled back, but neither of them could say their smile was genuine. He wanted so desperately to pull George into his arms and hold him, but two Wardens had followed them.

They probably thought they were being discreet, but against a white background their armor was a dark stain and Sapnap was a warrior. One of the best. He always checked behind him for pursuers. He was keeping an eye on them when George took his hand and pulled him into the clinic, closing the door immediately with a huff to hide them from view. Apparently he'd noticed the Wardens too.

The clinic was a welcoming space. Mostly made of a dark wood with living greenery making up the ceiling and trailing down the brightly colored walls. The front area served as a lobby and a place for angels to get small medical supplies like bandages to keep in their homes. There was a set of stairs on the left that Sapnap knew led to Callahan's living quarters, which he knew was filled with colorful fluffy things and also had a conservatory. Dream liked to stargaze there and Sapnap quickly tore his eyes away. There were a couple of other doors on the ground floor. One under the stairs led to a storage and brewing room; that door was carved with a rune that only allowed chosen individuals past. It was one of Dream's, Sapnap was quite certain, and he quickly looked away from that too as his heart throbbed.

There was an exam room, the door open to reveal a small bed and more brightly painted plant-covered walls. The door was shut to the ward, usually used by Angels going through a molt though occasionally warriors would end up there with a more serious injury. Attached to the ward, but not visible from here, was a room of Cradles for Angels of Slumber in Hibernation. It was a much softer room with pastel wool covering the floor and walls. And then there was a surgery room near the main door; it was very rarely used and the only place in the clinic with white walls and no plants.

The door to the storage and potion brewing room opened and there stood Callahan. The antlered angel looked furious and upset and before either of them could say a word, he threw something at them. Sapnap jumped in front of George, back turned to Callahan to protect them both with his wings. 

Thankfully the Angel of Wilderness wasn't throwing potions, but the sticks still hurt and he seemed to have an endless supply. Sapnap simply bared it; it barely hurt, after all, and he probably deserved it for allowing Dream to Fall.

"Callahan, please stop! Callahan!" George was calling blindly because Sapnap refused to lower his wings and let George get hit. The sticks stopped and slowly Sapnap dropped his wings to turn around.

Callahan was huffing, glaring at them with pain in his eyes. He snatched up the notebook and Sapnap winced. Usually he would sign to them and he only used pen and paper when he was really angry. When Callahan held up the paper, the words taking up almost an entire page, Sapnap had to bite back a whimper.

'HOW DARE YOU'

Sapnap felt George flinch beside him and once Callahan was apparently satisfied with their horrified glances he turned the notebook back around and quickly scratched another message. This one hurt even more.

'HE LOVED YOU'

"Callahan, please." George pleaded, desperate and pained in a way Sapnap had never heard him sound before. He stepped closer to the brunet and George turned from Callahan, ducking slightly to bury his face into Sapnap's shoulder. His baby blue wings were slumped limp, feathers trailing on the ground, and George's shoulders were trembling. Sapnap quickly wrapped his arms and wings around the other angel.

"We love him too, Callahan. We haven't stopped. Do you think that if we could have done anything about this that we wouldn't have?" Sapnap reminded and Callahan softened a little as he studied them.

The notebook was set down and Callahan made a quick gesture with his hands. 'I'm sorry.'

Sapnap offered him a weak smile over George's still trembling shoulders. "It's okay. I'm angry at myself too. I wish I'd done something. I should have done something. But the story Dream gave… He was always the best liar of the three of us and his story meant that anything we did would be blamed on Dream's runes." 

There was a pause before Callahan began signing again. 'They want me to remove them.'

Sapnap flinched as he nodded. "I know. George and I are hoping you won't. It's not what Dream claimed and I need it. I…" Sapnap trailed off as he realized that George wasn't just trembling, he was shivering. The rune was so cold now even Sapnap was getting goosebumps.

George squeezed him and Sapnap quickly held him back, raising the temperature of his wings to as high as he dared even if it made his core colder. They were radiating heat now, almost to the point of being able to burn, but George nestled against him with a soft hum as he relaxed a bit. "Thanks." The brunet muttered and Sapnap ran a gentle hand through his hair.

"Course." He answered before he glanced at Callahan. The Nature Angel looked much more sympathetic, his brown dappled wings that looked so much like a deer's pelt fluttering nervously. 

'I still need to look you over.' Callahan insisted and Sapnap nodded. The antlered angel led them into the exam room and Sapnap half-carried George when the brunet refused to let him go. It was awkward to walk with the taller angel basically hanging from the and around his neck, but he managed. 

Once the door to the exam room was shut George relaxed further and finally pulled away. Sapnap was reluctant to let him go but his inner fire felt weak and the heat that returned to it from his wings was welcome. "I'll go first." George offered and Callahan nodded. 

Sapnap took up a post against the wall, leaning against it as Callahan worked. It settled something in him to see that George was okay. There were some darkening marks on his arms where the council guards had grabbed him, but nothing compared to the bruises Sapnap was sure he'd have. George had put on a little weight from the last time Sapnap had seen him shirtless, which was good because he and Dream had been trying to get him to eat more for years. He was still so pale there were no tan lines from his shirt, but that was normal for Angels of Slumber.

Callahan spent a few extra minutes looking over the intricate tattooed rune so carefully inked onto George's shoulder. It was the only part of George's skin that was marked; the brunet didn't even have any scars, something Sapnap was proud of. Dream was covered in them, despite Sapnap's best efforts to protect him. 

'Everything looks fine. Your turn.’ Callahan signed to Sapnap and George hopped off the exam bed. Sapnap pulled off his shirt, mindful of his wings and the blood on his hands. Not that it mattered; his white shirt was already stained. He set it aside and Callahan frowned. His fingers reached out and ran gently over the bruises and the handful of scars on Sapnap's chest. None of them were very serious and most were quite faded. 

Callahan had treated pretty much all of them and there wasn't much to be done for the bruises so the Nature Angel didn't linger long. Just looking enough to clean the dried blood from his skin with a wet cloth before he tapped Sapnap's shoulder, in the same location George had his rune, with a raised eyebrow. "It's on my hip." Sapnap leaned back and pushed down his pants just a little on the right to reveal the rune. It almost perfectly matched George's and was no less carefully done. 

Callahan looked it over with a lot less detail than he had George's before he pulled back. 'You look fine. Make sure to take care of the bruises. And-' Callahan stopped himself and Sapnap shared a look with George.

"And what?" Sapnap asked and Callahan let out a soft breath.

'With Dream's absence you might experience bouts of depression or anxiety. Please come see me if you do.' Callahan said and Sapnap certainly flinched. He couldn't tell if George did. 

"We will, Callahan. Thank you." George said as Callahan moved back so Sapnap could stand. He quickly got dressed, shaking out his wings before he rejoined George. The brunet let him take hold of the older angel's hand and while it was nothing compared to his normal body temperature the slight warmth from George was nice.

'You should go home and rest.' Callahan instructed. 'You aren't allowed to go to Earth until further notice.'

"I expected as much." George answered. "We'll be alright, Callahan. I expect Bad, Karl, and Quackity will come by to check on us too. Besides, it's just a matter of waiting it out until we can go after Dream." George added.

Callahan looked between them before he held up a finger to wait and left the room. Sapnap squeezed George's hand and the brunet squeezed him back. "Are you in any pain?" He asked and George shook his head.

"I'm not the one who got dragged to the floor." George eyed him from the corner of his eye and Sapnap shrugged. 

"I had to try." Sapnap answered and George nodded, a faint smirk on his face.

"Of course you did. I'm not even surprised. You might be a hot headed idiot, but you're our hot headed idiot." George answered and Sapnap pouted at him.

"I'm not." He grumbled but Callahan re-entered the room before he could properly reply. The Angel of Nature held out a potion bottle, which George accepted and studied. 

"What's this?" The brunet asked.

'Give it to Dream when you find him.' Callahan instructed and George quickly pocketed the glass bottle.

"Thank you, Callahan." Sapnap said and the antlered angel nodded. He pointed at the door with a soft smile and George led the way out, almost pulling Sapnap along after him.

Chapter Text

Nighttime had fallen, leaving the sky littered with stars and the clouds faintly glowing. It was a pretty sight to fly through as they approached their house. There were lights on when Sapnap and George landed on the porch. Sapnap put himself between George and the door immediately, sparks flickering in his fingers in case he needed his Blazing Sword. He didn't know who was here but he was not about to let George get hurt. He pushed the door open and slumped with a sigh of relief when he realized he knew exactly who had entered their home uninvited.

There was Badboyhalo, who stood in the kitchenette. The dishes had all been done and there were a dozen fresh muffins on the counter. Karl and Quackity meanwhile had taken over the living room and brought what seemed like every pillow and blanket in their house to form an enormous soft looking nest on the floor.

George nudged him and Sapnap let the sparks fade away as they entered their house. "Could have given us a warning you were coming." George called, getting their attention and Bad sputtered.

"I'm sorry, George! I told these two muffin heads that we should wait for you to get back before coming in but they didn't listen." Bad explained in a rush.

Twin cries of "hey!" Came from Quackity and Karl but George was chuckling, even if it sounded unenthusiastic. Sapnap could only smile a little, warmed that they had come so quickly to comfort him and George without even being asked. 

"It's alright Bad. Just gave us a scare." Sapnap promised and Bad softened. "Thanks for cleaning up." Sapnap added and Bad beamed at him.

"I was happy to do it!" Bad insisted warmly.

"Great, now all of you come here! Especially you Sap, you're always warm and I want cuddles." Karl demanded and Sapnap felt George's eye roll. But he grabbed the brunet by the hand and pulled him into the nest. 

Karl and Quackity had left a space in-between them. Karl pulled Sapnap into that space and he ended up pulling George down next to him with their joined hands. "Hey! That was supposed to be my spot, Gogy!" Quackity complained and Sapnap savored the fluffiness surrounding him. It wasn’t uncommon for Angels to make nests and cuddle with each other in them. Even their friends did it on an almost weekly basis, but Karl had always been particularly good at making them seem soft and homely and Sapnap needed that so desperately right now.

Karl was cuddling up to his right with a happy hum, basically hugging his right arm to the Angel of Portal’s chest like it was a teddy bear. To Sapnap's surprise George didn't move like he usually would and instead he curled into Sapnap's other side, tucked under his arm and head on Sapnap's collarbone after he sent a smug look over his shoulder towards Quackity. "Too bad; it’s mine." He answered and Sapnap sighed.

"Here. George, just…" Sapnap pulled George over until the brunet was laying on his chest and Quackity all but leapt into the abandoned space on Sapnap's left side. George wasn't light but the weight was comforting. There were wings all over; yellow, baby blue, vibrant green and purple. They were wrapped around and spread over the four of them like a blanket while his own were radiating warmth from beneath.

Fingers brushed through his hair and Sapnap looked up to see Bad had laid down near his head. The red winged angel was gently stroking his head. "You and George should get some sleep, Sappy." Bad instructed softly.

"I don't think I'll be able to. But this is nice. It’s comforting." Sapnap admitted as he let himself relax into the warmth and the weight. But George huffed loudly.

"I'm an Angel of Slumber, Sapnap. I dare you to try and stay awake." George mumbled sleepily, wiggling around until his hand was pressed to Sapnap's bare neck. Immediately he felt his eyes growing heavy as everything started feeling hazy and dull in a pleasant way. He did his best to glare but George was very good at his job and with the warmth of the three other Angels pressed to him and Bad's fingers gently stroking his hair it was no time at all before Sapnap's eyes fell closed.

George knew the moment Sapnap fell asleep and put a little extra into his magic to make sure Sapnap's dreams were good ones. It left his wings faintly glowing like a nightlight in the darkened room. When the lights had been put out he didn't know, but if he had to guess it was Bad who thought of it. Or maybe Sapnap had done it without him realizing since it was usually the Angel of Ember's job.

"Aww, he's so tired. I'm glad he can rest." Bad cooed quietly, though there was very little chance he would wake Sapnap up even by being loud. Not with George working sleeping magic throughout the room. Karl had yawned twice already and Quackity was lacking his usual energy though both were smiling.

"You should join us, Bad. It's very cozy." Quackity recommended as he nuzzled into Sapnap's side. George was abruptly hit with a brief flash of jealousy that made him want to shove Quackity and Karl away from Sapnap, but he quickly squashed it. He liked both of them and it was obvious how much Sapnap needed the cuddles and warmth.

"I think we'd crush Sapnap trying to fit all four of us." Bad answered with a laugh that made Karl giggle sleepily. A soft fond smile adorned the Angel of Purity’s face as he gently worked out the small knots in Sapnap’s black hair.

The room went silent. George was feeling the pull of sleep himself and it was obvious everyone else was too. He laid his head down on Sapnap's chest and closed his eyes, more than ready for a nice long rest, when someone spoke. "Hey George, can you tell us what happened? We know Dream… we know he was cast out, but that's all Ranboo was able to tell me." Karl asked quietly.

George shoved down the pain and guilt and anger that came rising up as he recalled that moment. Recalled seeing Dream bloody and trembling on the floor. His beautiful wings, bloody, lifeless, and still for the first time. His screams and pleas as they'd been torn out. His limp form vanishing into darkness as he fell.

"He was accused of falling in love with me and Sapnap. Wilbur presided over the sentencing." George offered slowly and Quackity muttered something under his breath that sounded unsavory at the mention of Wilbur. 

"But… nobody's cared about that stupid rule for decades." Karl stated, sounding mildly more awake in his confusion, and George nodded.

"And if loving each other was enough to taint an angel wouldn't the both of you have blackened wings too? You three have been in love for so long." Bad questioned. "And, not that I'm not grateful, but shouldn't you have been cast out alongside him?"

It was nice to hear that Bad sounded just as confused and indignant as George felt regarding everything that had happened. "Dream claimed he used runes to make us love him back and Wilbur is ignorant enough to believe that was possible. I’m quite sure Dream enchanted his wings to make them look tainted at the trial, but I don't expect that spell lasted very long. Especially with him no longer in Heaven."

"They won't be able to display Dream's wings, if that's the case. Huh." Quackity was clearly thinking hard and George raised an eyebrow. He glanced at Karl, who also seemed confused, and the Angel of Portals was the one to interrupt the silence.

"Want to share with the class, Q?" Karl questioned and Quackity jumped like he'd forgotten about them.

"Right, sorry. I was just thinking that if Wilbur was the presiding Angel of Eloquence he'll probably be the one in charge of spreading the news, especially with his connections to the Council. But Dream deserves a defender of equal, or dare I say better, caliber so I might do the same and point out all the issues with what happened. Especially if Dream’s wings won’t be on display. Maybe we can finally get something to change around here regarding the Council's unanimous leadership." Quackity explained and George couldn’t stifle a yawn.

"Let me know if I can do anything to help. They deserve it after what they did to Dream. They didn’t even numb him and they literally tore his wings from his back. But right now I'm exhausted. I think we all need to sleep." George muttered as he shifted to get comfortable. Sapnap shifted slightly to accommodate him and the Ember Angel subconsciously wrapped arms around him before settling again. 

"George, before you sleep, there is one thing I wanted to mention." Bad said and George slowly opened his eyes again. It was harder to do this time. "I don't know if you remember my friend who lives on Earth. I think I’ve mentioned him before, but if you want, I can ask him to look for Dream." Bad offered and George smiled at him gratefully.

"That would mean so much to both of us. Thank you, Bad." George answered. He knew he sounded tired and unenthusiastic instead of the bone-deep gratefulness he wanted to express but he was just so utterly exhausted. Thankfully Bad just nodded with a small smile of his own.

“Now get some sleep, you muffinhead.” Bad insisted. Quackity and Karl had both fallen asleep already, pulled into a deep peaceful rest by George’s magic. George was more than ready to join them, to forget everything that had happened today, for a few hours at least, and let his head lay against Sapnap's chest. He fell asleep surrounded by warmth, with a strong steady heartbeat beneath his ear and Bad’s gentle humming filling the room.

Chapter Text

Waking was slow. There was a body on top of him, sleep-warm and limp. But there was no familiar second presence around him. To be fair, George only laid on top of him like this when Dream wasn't there to lay in between them, usually with his wings wrapped around them both protectively. But Sapnap could smell something cooking and forced his eyes open, only slightly worried about who might be in the house.

But it was just Karl in the kitchen and the brunet smiled at him when he saw that Sapnap was awake. "Hey, good morning, sleepyhead. Bad and Q had to go work but I figured you might want someone around and to help with George." Karl explained and Sapnap frowned. He was still tired and his brain was struggling to draw the connection to George.

"With George? What's wrong with George?" Sapnap sat up as he looked George over but there wasn't anything wrong as far as he could tell. The brunet was just sleeping, breathing deep and unhindered, peaceful like he wasn't even dreaming. 

"Oh, no, he's fine. He just went into a Hibernation last night." Karl quickly reassured, but Sapnap slumped in disappointment. He was grateful nothing was wrong but a Hibernation meant George would be sleeping for the next few weeks, especially since he'd gone so long without doing so. This has only happened once before since they started living together and that had been a brief Hibernation. Not to mention he’d had Dream.

Sapnap sighed and gently ran his fingers through George's hair before he stood up. "I actually could use your help. Do you think you could open a portal Dream created? I don't think we ever planned for him not to be here so I don’t think I can." Sapnap requested and Karl nodded.

"I'm sure I can. But you should eat first. Bad left like two dozen muffins and you two never ate last night." Karl insisted so Sapnap carefully laid George down in the nest, the brunet unconsciously reaching for him as he pulled away. Sapnap placed a kiss on his head before he stood and joined Karl at the counter.

Karl put a plate in front of him with two large muffins, a variety of freshly cut fruit, and a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Abruptly Sapnap was starving and all but devoured the food. Thankfully Karl simply laughed and offered him another muffin once his plate was cleared, which Sapnap tried to savor instead of inhale with only mild success. With food in his stomach he felt far more awake and smiled at Karl.

"Thanks." He said and the Angel of Portals beamed at him.

"Now, let's see about getting that portal open. I assume it's linked to a pocket space?" Karl asked and Sapnap nodded as he stepped back to George and scooped the Angel of Slumber up from the ground. George, even in his slumber, nestled against him and Sapnap held him the littlest bit tighter.

"Yeah, Dream made it. Only the three of us are supposed to be able to get in and it has a Cradle for George. It’s meant to be a safe space for him to Hibernate in." Sapnap explained and Karl nodded along as he led the way through their home to the unassuming wood door near the stairs. If he were to open it now it would simply lead to a small closet space. 

"I would tease him and call him paranoid but given what happened yesterday he clearly had a reason to be." Karl answered and there was something about his tone that made Sapnap wonder if the Time Traveler had seen something connected to this, or at least thought he did.

Sapnap nodded at the door and Karl stepped closer, examining the very subtle runes carved into the wood near the top. George's weight was growing heavier in his arms but Sapnap refused to put the brunet down. It was a few minutes before Karl pulled back. "Well, if you were worried about anyone else getting in, don't be. I can open it, Dream even added a rune specifically so I could, but I'm afraid to try entering." 

"What do you mean?" Sapnap asked and Karl gave him a smile though it wasn't his usually bright one. He looked a little scared but in an almost playful way.

"Let's just say that anyone who isn't you, Dream, or George who enters that pocket space is going to regret it and no amount of rune or magic cancellers is going to help." Karl offered before he reached up and tapped one of the runes in the center of the door before running his fingers down. His green and purple wings pulsed with waves of light.

There was a white light leaking around the door that hadn't been there before. Karl stepped back and nodded at the door, the swirling green and purple slowly fading from his eyes as the waves of light faded from his wings. Sapnap opened it and was blind for a moment stepping inside, but he felt when the floor changed from wood to soft, bouncy cloud.

It took no time for his eyes to adjust to the brightness, given that as an Angel of Ember light fell into his domain. Or perhaps the room dulled and adjusted to him; that was also possible. The room was fairly small, just big enough to hold a custom made Cradle that was littered with Dream's runes. Sapnap gently laid George down inside and the brunet curled up, nestling into the fabric covered gel that surrounded him on every side but the top. 

He looked comfortable and Sapnap smiled, running his fingers through George's hair before he tapped one of the runes in the side of the Cradle. The top of it became encased in a clear material almost like glass and Sapnap touched another rune. This time his fingers lingered. The room dulled until it looked like night, the floor softly glowing while the roof and walls turned into a star-ridden sky, a swirling spiral galaxy adorning one wall while the roof had become an Aurora Borealis. 

Sapnap shuddered slightly as the warmth from the light that had filled the room passed through him and melted into the Cradle. It would keep George plenty warm for however long he needed to sleep. They hadn’t needed to do it this way, especially since it drained Sapnap’s energy a bit. But Dream had done so much to make this room and the Cradle into the best possible space and Sapnap had wanted to do something for George too.

George would be comfortable and safe here. He and Dream had worked so hard to make sure this space would be warm and soft and beautiful, and George untouchable. Even if someone got into the pocket and stayed long enough to reach the Cradle it was unbreakable and protected by both Dream's runes and Sapnap's fire.

"Sleep well, George. I promise to find a way to Dream before you wake up, but I won’t go without you." Sapnap promised quietly. Despite the fact this was a good thing for George, and entirely normal for Angels of Slumber, Sapnap's heart hurt. He was alone. There were three parts to his heart and two of them were now absent.

He left the pocket space feeling dazed and Karl cooed when he entered the house. It didn't even really feel like their house anymore. The portal vanished as he shut the door but he cared far more about Karl's arms as he was pulled into a tight hug. "It'll be okay, Sappy. George is safe, Dream is resilient, and you have all of us." Karl promised and Sapnap clung to him as the chills from the rune wracked his body. 

Warming the Cradle always drained his energy at first and it meant that he was finally properly feeling the chills from Dream’s rune. It did seem a little better than how unbearably icy he’d felt when Dream had fallen. That had overpowered every part of his body and left him so cold he thought his inner fire had gone out. George felt it far stronger and Sapnap envied that he had a better judge of when Dream was in trouble, but was grateful not to constantly be feeling those chills. Even now he was really only feeling it because of the energy drain. 

“He’s doing better.” Sapnap whispered and Karl made a confused noise. “Dream. He’s in less danger now, just a little.” 

“How do you know?” Karl asked and Sapnap remembered that none of their friends knew about the runes. When Dream had first proposed the idea they’d decided together not to risk telling others in case this exact scenario happened. There was no point in hiding it now.

“Dream created a rune. We each bear it. It links us so we know when the others are in danger. That’s the rune Dream said was the love spell.” Sapnap added. 

“Can I see it?” Karl asked gently and Sapnap nodded. He pulled back from the hug and moved his clothes out of the way so Karl could see the mark on his hip. 

“Oh.” Karl knelt to get a closer look, his fingers hovering like he half wanted to touch it. “It’s so beautiful, Sap. I know Dream is one of the best Rune Angels but this is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The details and care he put into this is just…” Karl trailed off while Sapnap blushed. 

He remembered when Dream had done it. It had been the three of them, seated on their bed in the early morning hours when it was still pitch black outside. Dream, with a pot of black ink, a very small paintbrush, and dark circles under his eyes from the many long days he’d spent perfecting the rune. Sapnap had burned all the scratch work after the runes were done and there had been so much of it. But in that moment all he had been focused on was them.

They were all shirtless. Dream’s rune was already there, having been inked over his heart with a less steady hand than usual. Sapnap could only assume Dream had done it in a mirror. He did George’s first and it had taken over an hour for him to paint and enchant it, his wings shimmering like emeralds the entire time. They’d been giggly and Sapnap kept playfully trying to make George wiggle despite Dream insisting he stay still.

And then it had been Sapnap’s turn and the mood had been much softer. Everyone had fallen quiet. George studied Dream’s brush strokes as the blond focused only on his work. Sapnap had spent it studying them, studying every curve and freckle on their faces like he didn’t already know them inside and out. The ink had been cold and the paintbrush ever so slightly tickled him but when it was done he could only be amazed at the detail.

Then Dream had them all link hands so he could complete the magic. The room had lit up with the vibrant bright colors of their wings and for a moment they hadn’t been individuals, but one united soul. Hot and cold and tingly and nothing and everything and at peace. He’d felt whole. And then the moment ended and he’d been himself again but the feeling had never faded entirely. Sapnap was terrified of the idea it one day might.

Chapter Text

Everything hurt. There wasn’t an inch of his body that wasn’t throbbing in pain and Dream was only just conscious enough to notice it. The world was hazy and even with the ground supporting his entire weight he was faintly trembling. Moving was an effort far beyond him. He could still feel the heat of Sapnap’s hands against his back, the burns that had sealed his wounds. It was a much more bearable pain than all the rest and so he focused on it.

At least that was the only warmth he felt and the only pins and needles were from his own body. George and Sapnap were safe. His efforts, all the magic he’d used, the lies, the pain: all of it was worth it if they were safe. He let himself drift off, enjoying the nothingness that came with being unconscious.

Something pulled him back to awareness. It took him longer than it should have to identify it as footsteps. Someone was approaching. Dream forced his eyes open, though it felt like he was fighting the weight of a planet. The world was swaying nauseatingly, blurry and unfocused. The person approaching knelt and Dream could at least pick out they were blond. "Wow. I'm kind of amazed you're alive, let alone awake." Someone with a deeper voice was speaking, but even though he heard them only a couple of words processed in his brain.

Dream groaned, his eyes fluttering closed against his will. The blond suddenly picked him up without too much effort and Dream forced his eyes open again. He was held to the person's chest and his unfocused vision trailed for their blurry face to the sky. It was dark and empty and he mumbled "there's no stars".

The blond carrying him paused in their steps for a moment and Dream only noticed because the sharp stop made him almost throw up. "You should go to sleep. I'll take you to my house and treat your injuries." The blond insisted and it was less of an intentional decision to sleep but rather him blacking out, the world spiraling into darkness.

It was pain that brought him to awareness and slowly he realized he was laying on his stomach on something decently soft. He groaned at the almost burning pain down his spine and a background nose he hadn't noticed suddenly cut off. There were footsteps and then a gentle hand touched his shoulder.

Slowly he turned his head that way and forced his heavy eyes to open. There was a blond man in a white hoodie there, a gold chain around his neck and matching earrings all on just one side. "How are you feeling?" He asked and Dream hummed weakly, his eyes closing again briefly before he forced them open.

"Where?" He croaked before his voice gave out. He was exhausted and tired and even breathing made his throat hurt. The bond grabbed something and offered a straw in a cup. Dream sipped at it and even though the water burned his throat it helped. 

"My home on Earth. I brought you here after I saw you Fall." The bond explained and Dream's expression furrowed. He was far too exhausted for his brain to make quick connections. 

"You're… angel?" Dream mumbled and the blond tipped his head from side to side.

"Used to be. I Fell a good number of years ago now. Someone helped me right after it happened and it made all the difference so I figured I should return the kindness." He explained. "I'm Punz."

"Dream." He answered out of habit and Punz smiled.

"Hi Dream. Welcome to the mortal world." Punz took a seat next to him. "You got pretty lucky. I don't know how your wounds got cauterized but it definitely saved your life. I've never seen someone have their wings literally pulled out before."

"How you?" Dream wished that he could put together proper sentences but even sipping on water was hurting his throat and he felt like any kind of effort to move would make him pass out again. 

"Ah, haha." Punz looked kind of embarrassed but also kind of proud as he chuckled. "Consorting with demons. Made a few deals with some of the good ones for info on the bad ones to help save my team. And I may have traded some information on angels too. Council cast me out the moment we got back, but now I'm glad they only cut my wings off. Even if they didn't numb me."

"Me either." Dream admitted and Punz's expression turned horrified. 

"Prime, man, that had to suck." Punz said and for some reason Dream couldn't help laughing weakly before he hummed in agreement. He was getting tired again, his eyelids heavy and staying closed longer than they were open. "Get some more rest, Dream. I'll be nearby." Punz promised and Dream closed his eyes.

It was probably days, but could have been weeks that passed in a very similar manner. Dream would wake up briefly, usually Punz would shove water and food towards his mouth, and they'd chat for a minute before Dream would black out again. But the periods he spent awake were getting longer and longer until he finally woke up feeling fully alert.

Punz wasn't in the room and for the first time Dream could actually take in his surroundings. It was very different from what he was used to seeing upon waking up. Occasionally he’d Callahan’s clinic, sometimes the white surgery room if he was really hurt or the more woodsy and green ward when he wasn’t, but most often it was home. With Sapnap holding one hand and George nestled into his side on the other, warm and comfortable and safe.

The walls of Punz’s room were a very dark wood and the room itself had minimal furniture. There were large windows, just a bit too high for Dream to see anything but sky from where he lay in a bed. It wasn’t the vibrant blue sky that he was used to. This was almost gray, with darker clouds. Storm clouds he was pretty certain. For as often as he has come to the mortal world he rarely got to learn much about it.

Still, he was feeling stronger and awake and he'd laid here for long enough. Slowly, with his arms trembling far more than he anticipated, he pushed himself up. Even that much hurt. His back felt raw and every little shift tugged at his wounds and spine. But he pushed through until he was sitting up. The effort left him panting and shaking and feeling so unbearably weak . 

Dream pushed forward anyway, slowly dragging his legs from under the covers until his feet were on the floor and he was sitting up on the edge of the bed. His spine was screaming in pain and his arms were taking the brunt of his weight rather than his back muscles. Dream debated the merits of trying to stand when it was abundantly clear his body was not ready for it when the bedroom door opened and Punz reentered. 

The blond seemed as surprised as Dream but after a moment rolled his eyes. "Should have known you'd be the kind to get up when you shouldn't. Come on, lay back down. Let me make sure you didn't reopen anything."

Dream hesitated for a moment before he sighed and nodded. Laying back down was far more difficult than sitting up had been and Punz just took over halfway when his muscles gave out completely. The mattress felt much softer than he remembered from waking up and the moment his head hit the pillow the exhaustion was back. Punz was doing something to the bandages wrapped around his torso but Dream dozed through the process.

"Alright, nothing reopened thankfully. Next time though? Don't sit up without me. I know it might not feel that bad, but all the muscles in your back are basically destroyed right now. Honestly I'm impressed you managed to get up at all. But pushing yourself too soon is only going to do more damage: you need to heal and then rebuild that muscle." Punz dropped into his usual chair with a huff and Dream quietly hummed an acknowledgement. 

"Is it really that bad?" Dean asked quietly and Punz met his eyes.

"I'm not going to lie. It's bad. Like, really really bad. Tearing them out like they did shredded all the muscles they were connected to. The scars are going to be big and permanent. But I don't think it's unrecoverably bad. The fact you're able to sit up already is a really good sign." Punz offered. "But it's going to take a lot longer to recover your strength than you'll like." 

Dream huffed a quiet laugh. "I've never been very patient." He admitted and Punz laughed. 

"Oh I absolutely believe that. Guess now's as good a time as any to learn." Punz glanced at him with a small smile. "Just stay in bed for at least another few days. Then we'll see about having you sit up with help for a little bit each day. I'm going to get you food." Punz stood up and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze before he started to leave.

"Punz? I don't think I've said thank you yet. So thank you. I know I'm not much help now but if there's ever anything I can do to help you let me know." Dream said and Punz studied him for a moment before nodding.

"I didn't do it for a reward, but I understand not wanting to feel like you're in debt to someone. For now though, just focus on healing." Punz insisted before he left. Dream glanced out the window again expecting an even darker sky but instead it was filled with color. Fluffy pinks and oranges on a background of blue. Sunset, he was pretty sure. Or sunrise. But it was a nice sight to fall asleep to.