Chapter Text
Dream hasn't taken a breath of fresh air for a year. It feels unusual to not have the scorching taste of lava smoke invade his mouth. When he first got out yesterday, he couldn't get enough of it. Today, the sensation still feels new.
He can't bring himself to go into any houses. Anything that has a roof seems too restricted now. He slept in the forest by Techno's house and trusted the stars to keep guard over his sleeping mind. They owe him that, after all that has happened to him. When he woke up, the sun was rising.
In the beginning of the prison time, Dream cried a lot. He stopped after a while. Everything seems to lose its purpose in there.
Sometimes he would hold up his hand to his mouth to feel his breath against his skin, just to know that he was still breathing. Some days, the smoke of the lava would simmer into his cell and make the air in his cell blistering and dirty. It hurt to breathe. On those days, he needed no reminding that he was alive.
There were times when Dream wished to not be alive at all. Sometimes, Quackity would spend more hours than usual in his cell. Sam wouldn’t look at him when he came to get Quackity afterwards. Dream wondered if his screams could be heard through the thick obsidian walls of his cell, if Sam listened and rejoiced.
Needless to say, Dream spent a lot of time planning his revenge.
This morning, Dream felt alive for the first time since forever. He felt a spark of what he used to live for. Before, it used to be determination, arrogance and a need to claim what he saw as his. Now, everything is mostly replaced by anger. It burns in his chest.
Dream knows what must be done. He also knows no one wants him out. Sapnap’s promise that he would be the one to kill Dream if he ever got out used to haunt Dream, but it seems so long ago now.
Even when he met Sapnap, he wasn't scared. Sapnap knew he wasn’t, Dream could see it. Unfortunately, Sapnap knows Dream too well, knows what he actually used to care about. So Sapnap talked of another life, a life they used to share together, with George.
“He doesn’t talk about you,” Sapnap had said and the walls around them seemed to shrink.
Dream didn't care.
George in the sunlight. George sleeping softly. George laughing. George holding his hand. George crying. George telling him to not go. George--
He doesn’t care.
If Sapnap’s only weapon is reminding Dream of George’s indifference to him, then Sapnap’s beloved kingdom might as well already be burnt down. Dream is already painfully aware of what George must think of him.
Sapnap seems to think Dream doesn’t know where Kinoko is. Dream doesn’t tell him otherwise.
---
Kinoko is bright and full of hope and Dream thinks that if things were different he might have liked to live here. For a moment, he feels slightly sorry it must be destroyed in the end.
Dream knows that Sapnap would kill him right now if he knew Dream was here. He’s lucky Dream isn’t planning to burn it just yet. Sapnap has always been that way, ever since they were kids. Too trusting and all too careless. He should have learned by now.
Right now, Kinoko seems empty and Dream dares to explore. There’s a pond with koi fish and it reminds Dream of the community house in its early stages. There used to be fish on the roof, but they’re gone now.
As Dream watches the fish, a man nearby sleeps. He doesn’t wake much. The birds, the bugs and the foxes whisper about a man who rarely moves. Today, though, it’s time for George to wake. Just for a while, then he’ll go back to sleep again. He’s so tired and it’s much easier to dream than to remember what he would rather not.
He stirs in his bed. The animals looking over him in his state of unconsciousness scatter away to all corners of the room and watch him from a distance. They chitter worriedly when he stands up. They have things they need to tell him. George waves tiredly at them when he notices, stretches and yawns.
“Where’s Sapnap?” He asks. His animals chatter all at the same time. George can’t make out a word.
“I’ll be back.” Georges goes to leave and the chittering increases once again. The door closes behind him, and the animals go quiet. They’ll have to wait until he’s back to tell him that there is an intruder in the kingdom.
George can’t remember when he was last outside. The sun blinds him. It blinds him so much, in fact, that he at first doesn’t notice the person standing by the pond. When he does, all he can make out is the glimmering netherite armour. Sapnap is always wearing it, even at home. George hasn’t worn his own set in ages, can’t even remember where he’s put it.
The sun is warm on his hair and the wind feels nice against his skin. He feels more awake than he usually does. This was a good day to wake. He begins to climb the long way down the ladder to talk to Sapnap and maybe to the fish in the pond. They probably have something they want to tell the animals in his house, he could pass a message.
---
Dream doesn’t notice the figure climbing down the mushroom house. He’s begun to feed the fish with small pieces of bread and feels strangely at peace in a country that most probably wants him dead.
He does notice, though, when there are light steps behind him. He freezes for a moment before, lightning quick, he pulls his axe from his side and spins around, ready to fight.
When he turns around, he isn’t met by Sapnap, Karl or even Tina.
“Dream?” George says, wide-eyed. Dream can’t remember the last time someone said his name like that. George doesn’t even look at the weapon pointed at him.
The bread lies on the ground, cast aside.
Dream doesn’t say anything. What can he say? “I’m sorry I left”, “Why didn’t you come visit me”, “I love you.” None of it seems fitting. George manages to conclude it all in three words.
"I missed you,” George says. He looks tired.
For a split second, Dream gets overwhelmed with it all. George used to be his. Now Dream’s standing here, ready to kill him. George doesn’t even seem worried. Dream’s arm begins to shake.
“Dream?” George asks. Dream can barely look at him.
“Where is Sapnap?” His voice sounds hoarse and unsteady even to his own ears. He hasn’t lowered his axe yet and George finally seems to notice the immediate threat exposed to him. Still, he doesn’t move.
“I-I don’t know.”
Dream slowly lowers his weapon, George isn’t even wearing any armour. He’s harmless. Always has been, for more reasons than one. Silence settles over them.
“Are you surprised?” George asks.
“What?” Dream asks stiffly, awkwardly.
“To see me.”
“No. I guess I'm not. I mean, I knew you lived here, so," Dream says and wishes he could tell George he missed him too.
“Oh.”
The silence seems to stretch on forever. Dream can’t determine if George feels the same way Sapnap does, if George wants Dream dead too. Maybe the only reason George isn’t fighting him is because he isn’t wearing any weapons. The axe feels heavy by Dream’s side.
“Why are you here?”
The question takes him by surprise.
“What, am I not allowed to be here?” Dream asks, as if he doesn’t know very well he isn’t welcome in Kinoko. George just shrugs and pieces of moss seem to fall off his clothes.
“I guess you aren’t.”
Neither of them move. Time seems to stand still.
“I should go, before Sapnap finds me here.” Dream moves past him with quick steps.
“Dream,” George says behind him, “wait.”
Dream stops and turns around without thinking at the desperation in George’s voice. George looks so sad and helpless where he stands.
“I’m sorry I never came to visit,” he says.
It feels like someone punches Dream right in the stomach.
“Come with me. Leave this.” The words come from somewhere deep inside Dream, a place he doesn’t visit anymore. It almost scares him, how deeply he means them.
George curls his fingers into his palms until his nails dig into skin. The ground under him sways and Dream is the only thing seeming to stay stable. How ironic.
“I can’t. I can’t, Dream. I live here. This is my home. I have a responsibility to protect, to-”
“A responsibility?” Dream sneers. Unreasonably, jealousy rises in his chest. He stalks closer, and points an accusing finger at George. “What about the responsibility we have for each other?”
“You left me, Dream.”
“I didn’t have a choice.” Dream grabs George’s arm in his desperation to make him understand. George looks at him with a face void of expression, but Dream notices the twitch of his eye.
“And I bet you won’t have a choice now,” George says.
“Be careful how you speak to me-”
“Or what? You going to hurt me? Kill me?”
George looks Dream right in the eyes for what he says next.
“Put me in exile?”
The grip Dream has around George’s arm grows harder.
“You come here, to my home, and you speak of duty.” George chuckles hoarsely and then looks right at Dream again. There is no humor in his eyes.
“Do you remember the responsibility we had for each other? You crowned me king, just to decrown me. You used me as a pawn in your game, I trusted you and you used me,” George spits out and Dream can hear the emotion now. How could he have ever believed George to be indifferent?
“The worst thing is, I would have been fine with that, had you just asked.”
Dream doesn’t move. He’s not sure he can. If Sapnap came now, he could easily put his sword through Dream’s chest.
“We were supposed to be in this together. So don’t come and talk to me about responsibility and obligation, when you failed the most fucking important one.”
The one given to us by the gods, he doesn’t say, but Dream hears it anyway.
George leans closer and breathes warm air against Dream’s ear. For a second, Dream is lost in the familiarity.
“He knows. He comes to me in my dreams. He knows what you have done,” he whispers.
Dream freezes. Dread runs down his spine, making his blood run cold. The gods are never supposed to visit here. He came to Dream in prison, and Dream was terrified to his core. Techno didn’t understand the significance of what Dream had done and Dream had been grateful. Though, for the bell, he had been less grateful.
“You broke your promise, and now He will break his.” George doesn’t sound distressed, and Dream wonders if he’d enjoy Dream dying.
Dream couldn’t ask for a more fulfilling death, with his George standing over him, sword in hand. God, how he would love to die if it was to George’s hands.
Dream thinks he might be losing his mind.
Dream brings up a hand to George’s face and presses his thumb under George’s eye. His palm reaches to cover the entire side of George’s face, and he can feel new scars on George’s face that weren’t there the last time Dream touched him.
George looks at him with desperation and devotion, despite his prior words. Dream doesn’t blame him for his confusion. It’s not his fault, after all.
“Let Him come to me, then.”