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Dream loved love.
To love unconditionally and see the best in everything, that is what he was good at. Love swept him up from beneath his feet and tickled his core. To love unconditionally and see the best in everything, that is what Dream did. He liked the way the feeling would come at him at full force, he ached for the feeling of utter devotion to someone.
He loved love, there was no other way to put it.
But when it came to George something was different. His emotions didn’t hit him like a bus, sending him crashing into the ground until all he could think about was that feeling. Something about that boy from London captivated Dream, but in such a different way than he was used to.
One.
Maybe it was silly to stay up all night talking to someone across the world from him but Dream didn’t care. He loved talking to George, even if it left him groggy and disoriented the next day.
To be completely honest with you, Dream would do anything to talk to George. Any time of any day, if George wanted to talk, they would talk.
And that’s why, at six in the morning, still no sleep to keep him going, Dream was staring at his phone, listening to George ramble on about nothing in particular.
The sweet sound of George’s voice, as if it had just been coated with honey, filled his ears. He let the words enter his mind, painting pretty pictures in his imagination.
Well, that’s what he would do if he was awake - but right now he’s so tired, so simply admiring the sweetness of his voice would have to do for now.
He liked these late night calls. The calls where it was just them. No filters, personas, expectations. Nobody else was there to judge or listen to the two of them - it was simply them.
Two people who would do anything in this world so that one day, these talks could be in person.
As the rest of the world is sleeping, Dream couldn’t help but feel as if it was only the two of them that existed: although, that would be a dream come true. Their words were for only each other to hear, which makes them so much more meaningful, there was more truth behind them.
“Dream?” George asked after a few moments of silence had fallen over the call, but there was no response. Not that George was bothered, he was tired of hearing himself talk, so silence was alright he thought.
He wondered if Dream had gotten bored of listening to him rant about anything that came to his mind. He wondered how many times he’d mentally told him to shut up.
After waiting a couple moments, wondering if maybe Dream had gone to the bathroom or went to get water, he spoke again. “You still there?”
“Mhm,” the tired dirty blonde mumbled into the phone. “I’m just listening to you talk.” - not a complete lie.
George laughed at the obvious cover up. The rasp in his voice and extremely loud yawn that escaped his lips straight after the words did, gave away the fact he was sleeping.
“Why don’t you get some rest. I’ll talk to you when you wake up.”
Dream wanted to retaliate - he wanted to listen to George speak forever. But then again, he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer.
“M’kay,” he reluctantly obliged. “I’ll speak to you later, Georgie.” his voice was muffled from the pillow he’d buried his head into.
“Sleep well, Dream.”
“Wait,” Dream stopped him from hanging up. “Stay on the phone with me.”
So he did.
George was so happy his camera was off because the smile on his face was most definitely one Dream would make fun of him for. (Not to mention the blush too.)
“Of course I will.”
“And keep talking.”
“Hm?“ George hummed. He wasn’t sure if Dream had actually said anything or if he was just hearing what he wanted to hear.
Dream confirmed it was the first option. “Keep talking. It’s relaxing.”
Butterflies.
“What do you want me to talk about?”
“What you wanna do when we finally meet each other.”
George sat and thought about it for a moment. What did he want to do when they met? I mean, what do you do when you meet the love of your life- I mean, your best friend.
“We could go bowling,” the brunet suggested and laughed quietly when he heard a little hum from Dream. “And obviously we want to go to Disney. I think laser tag would be kind of fun to try too.”
He sat and listed every single thing he wanted to do when they met up, and once he heard the light snores coming from the other end of the line, he couldn’t help but smile. He also couldn’t help but wonder what his snores would sound like when he was right next to him.
“Sweet dreams, Dream.” he spoke quietly once he was certain the dirty blonde was asleep. “I love you.”
If only he could admit it when Dream was awake.
Two.
Sitting in a call with his two best friends, Dream would never have guessed that he was about to get the best news he could dream of. Today was supposed to be a normal day. A normal day where he’d sit and play some games, eat some food and pass out at around 4am.
But it was currently 11pm and George had frantically text him, telling him to join a discord call.
And who was he to say no?
“Dream!” George yelled as soon as he connected. “Sapnap, are you still there?”
No reply.
“Sapnap!” he repeated a little louder.
Dream laughed at his unexplained hyperness. “I think I heard him go to the kitchen.”
“For God’s sake!” The brunet groaned. Dream could practically feel George’s eye roll. “He needs to hurry up! I have important news!”
Dream found it hilarious when his best friend got this way. The random bursts of aggression that were usually uncalled for, but entertaining all the same.
“Which is…?”
“You’d already know if Sapnap wasn’t taking his sweet time doing a dump!”
Dream exhaled a wheeze coming out while he did, eyes almost watering from the unnecessary aggressiveness. “Will you calm down? What’s the big news?”
“Get Sapnap and you’ll find out,” George leaned back in his chair. “I’ll keep it a secret if he takes too long.”
“I think that would bother you more than me by the looks of things.”
“I’m gonna kill someone in a minute.” - Dream didn’t doubt that.
“Woah,” Sapnap entered at the right time. “What happened to piss you off, George?”
George gave his monitor a death glare. “You! You happened!”
Dream wheezed even louder than last time, “Right, well he’s here now so tell us the news.”
George leaned back in his seat, pretending to stroke a beard he most definitely didn’t have. “Okay, fine.” he paused for a moment. The silence was killing Dream more than he’d like to admit. “My visa got approved!”
There was silence for a moment, Dream and Sapnap’s mouths both gaped open in surprise. This was the news they’d been waiting to hear for years. This was the news they’d been praying for.
The call burst out into cheers, three men celebrating like toddlers who just got promised a dessert after dinner. The grins on their faces were ones which made your heart flutter with joy.
“Oh my God, so you can move here now?” Sapnap asked, his face sore from how wide his smile was.
George confirmed. “I can move in with you guys!”
The butterflies that overtook Dream’s stomach were unmatched. He’d never felt so excited - yet so nervous - at the same time.
He was actually going to meet George.
He was going to see his best friend of seven years, in person, for the first time in his entire life. He was going to feel George in his arms- George was going to be in his arms…
Oh my God, George was going to be in his arms. He was going to be with George.
At this exact moment Dream wasn’t sure what he was thinking. He’d been waiting for what felt like forever to hear those words. George’s visa was approved. So why the hell was he so anxious?
He felt his cheeks burn up and sweat form on his hands as he listened to George and Sapnap freak out. He felt his heart beat faster at the thought of actually seeing George in person.
He definitely wasn’t this nervous to meet Sapnap - but that doesn’t mean anything, does it?
Three.
With the lingering news that a new person would be joining the household, it only made sense to decorate the empty room that had been waiting for someone to occupy it.
The plain white walls were calling to be spiced up.
Dream and Sapnap were no interior designers, nor did they know anything about what made a nice room, but they were determined to make this bedroom the best anyone had ever seen.
Walking into a bed, bath and beyond was overwhelming when you didn’t know anything about how you wanted to decorate your room. Sheets of all sorts and paints of all colours were everywhere: confusing the pair more than they already were.
“I say we make it blue.” Sapnap decided, a wall of colours in front of them.
Dream nodded in agreement, skimming over the different shades with their names clearly displayed underneath. “What shade?”
“Pale,” he pointed to one close to the bottom row. “I like that one the most.”
“That one it is.” Dream grabbed a sample.
Dream isn’t sure when he learned all this stuff about George; but looking at all the decor the place had to offer, he found himself suddenly recalling information George had told him years ago. Little bits and pieces of what George did and didn’t like, Dream found himself knowing exactly what his best friend would love in his new room.
Lamps galore filled the aisle, Dream mentally noted which ones he could get. Meanwhile Sapnap went on the hunt for a rug to cover a portion of the oak wooden floor. Neither of them were particularly confident in what the final outcome would be - but that didn’t mean they weren’t going to try.
Dream inspected everything he bought, making sure it was perfect. He wanted to ensure whatever they got, George would love.
But they could only try so hard, because once they got home they came to the realisation that not much of what they bought went together - but it’s the thought that counts. They just had to pray George would see that.
Dream dragged the bed to the wall opposite the window, hoping the sunlight every morning would motivate George to wake up. After, Sapnap painted the walls in the colour they’d decided on while Dream assembled the desks.
“Does this look good?” Sapnap was pointing towards the wall proudly, the whole left side painted.
Dream stood there, looking at the wall as if his son had just handed him the most beautiful art piece. “I love it. George will too.”
“He better!” Sapnap widened his eyes. “Do you see all this paint on me? I put my sweat, blood and tears into this.”
“You’re so dramatic.”
Later that night Dream found himself lying in the bed that would soon be George’s. The scent of fresh paint filled his nostrils.
He found himself staring at the ceiling, wondering if Geodge would notice the tiny stars Sapnap and he painted.
He wondered if maybe, just maybe George would notice the small initials on the skirting board.
The room was so peaceful, so quiet. He couldn’t wait for George to finally move in - for their late night talks to take place in this room instead of four thousand miles apart.
Maybe they’d cuddle: no of course not. But then again they always said they would - he really wanted them to.
Don’t be ridiculous, he scolded himself.
But the feeling of butterflies only came back tenfold at the thought of having George wrapped in his arms every night as they talked about everything and anything.
There was a word for this. A word that Dream was going to push down and ignore until he couldn’t any longer.
His thoughts were interrupted by a buzz.
Georgie <3
you up?
Dream
considering it’s only 9pm, yes.
why are /you/ still up?
Georgie <3
i can’t sleep
this time in two days we will be together
i’m so excited
Dream
me too i can’t wait to see you in person :)
Georgie <3
i’m finally gonna know what you look like
Dream
don’t set ur expectations too high
Georgie <3
oh shut up
Dream
call?
Not even two seconds later Dream’s phone was ringing, George’s contact taking up the whole screen, he accepted.
“Hi.” a sleepy voice came from the other end.
“Hi, Georgie.” Dream spoke softly, his heart melting at the sound of the other's voice. “We finished decorating your room today.”
George smiled to himself. “Really?”
Dream hummed.
The line went quiet. Soft and comfortable silence filled the air, Dream wondered if George was thinking what he was.
I can’t wait to have you in my arms.
“I was thinking,” George started.
“-That’s a first.” Dream interrupted, laughing at his own joke.
Dream could practically feel George’s eyes roll. “Don’t make me cancel my tickets,” he threatened. “Anyways, I was thinking, I’ll finally be able to prove that you’re not that much taller than me.”
“I am that much taller than you.” Dream insisted.
George scoffed. “By a couple inches! Is that a lot to you?”
“Woah there.” Dream’s eyes widened, his tone turning from soft to shocked. “There was no need for that. ”
“I think there was.”
More quiet.
If it was with anyone else Dream would cringe at the silence, but with George? With George it’s okay. With George anything is okay.
“I can’t imagine what you look like.” the brunet blurted out. “Like I can’t even think of what you could possibly look like.”
“Pretty average.” Dream answered. “Nothing special. I mean it when I say don’t set your expectations too high.”
George wished he could shake some sense into Dream at that moment. “I think you’re beautiful.”
“You don’t know what I look like.”
“I don’t need to.”
Dream let his smile overtake his entire face. “Shut up.” he said fondly.
“Next time you say that, I’m going to respond with ‘make me’ and you’re not going to know how to act.”
“Okay, George.”
“Are you blushing right now?” George asked.
“No,” he lied. “I’m not. Are you?”
George laughed quietly, “What would you do if I said yes?”
“Call you a liar probably.” Dream shrugged. “But then again, I’m pretty charming so I can’t blame you for blushing.”
“Okay, big guy.”
Four.
Today was the day.
The day George's feet would touch American soil for the first time.
With shaky legs, sweaty palms and a beating heart, Dream found himself driving to the airport. The whole ride was a blur, he doesn’t remember a single part and to be honest, he’s not quite sure how he got there without crashing.
All he needed was a text.
The text he’d been waiting years to receive.
Georgie <3
just landed, see u in 20 :)
It’s safe to say Dream’s heart exploded at that notification. He didn’t know what to feel. He wanted to scream, throw his phone, or run away. Why was he so nervous about this?
It was George.
His best friend.
It’s not like things were going to be awkward - he hoped not anyways. But that didn’t stop the what if’s swarming his mind.
What if he froze? What if they hugged and George wondered why he was sweating so much? What if Dream isn’t everything George hoped he would be?
Come on, stop it.
It took everything in him to not turn the car back on and drive away.
Dream
i’m outside the terminal <3
He inhaled slowly, trying to calm himself down. He made the conscious effort to stop bouncing his leg and grabbed his keys.
He swears walking to the airport doors took an eternity.
He counted every step, every second, and although it took not even a minute, it felt as if years had passed. Waiting was slow and painful - he knew that - but these few minutes seemed longer than all the years he’d already waited through.
Maybe it was the fact George was only minutes away, or the fact that if there were no walls, he’d probably already see the brunet. Maybe it was the fact that he was about to meet George - but he’d never shaken as much as he did in that moment.
Every time someone walked through the door he felt as if his heart stopped for a moment - until he actually saw George.
His heart didn’t stop, it only got faster. He felt butterflies fly around in his stomach as if they were fighting to get out. His hands began to sweat again and all he could think about was how gorgeous the English man looked.
Dream watched as he searched the crowd for what Dream could only assume was himself. He watched as George furrowed his eyebrows, squinting his eyes like it would make any difference.
Then - their eyes connected.
Green met brown and the realisation hit George like a ton of bricks. A smile wider than ever engulfed his face and he almost started to run towards Dream.
This was the man he’d been waiting to meet for seven years.
“Dream?”
“George.”
The brunet's eyes lit up at the confirmation this man was who he hoped. “Oh my God.” he wrapped his arms around the taller one.
“Welcome home, Georgie.” Dream pulled him in closer, holding him tight. “Welcome home.”
George looked up at him, a certain look in his eyes that Dream can’t quite place. “I told you you’re beautiful.”
“Shut up.” Dream looked away, a pink flush creeping up onto his cheeks, completely giving away what he was thinking.
He wanted to live in this moment forever. The feeling of George’s arms around his waist, his head buried into his chest. He could smell George’s hair and it was the scent of the sweetest honey he’d ever smelled.
This was a moment he’d think about for the rest of his life.
“Come on, Sapnap’s at home waiting.” he broke the silence.
Home.
George felt fireworks set off in his stomach at the word. Home - as in their home. The place they were going to be living together, something they’d been waiting on for years.
He was finally home.
The car ride back was surreal. Neither of them could fully process the fact that they were sitting right next to each other. George’s hand rested on top of Dream’s and Dream wondered if George felt how sweaty it was - if he did, he didn’t say a word.
They could touch each other, look at each other. There was no screen separating them.
It didn’t feel real.
But with every glance, the sun reflecting off of George’s eyes, Dream was reminded that this was everything he’d been waiting for.
The butterflies were still alive, bursting with excitement and wonder in his stomach. They fluttered more with every time their eyes connected, Dream thought it was weird but pushed the feeling away.
He was finally with his best friend: that’s what he would focus on.
He wouldn’t concentrate on the fireworks in his stomach, or the intense desire to stop the car just so George could be in his arms again. He’d ignore the idea of kissing George right now - because realistically, what was stopping him now?
He’d push it all away.
Five.
Quiet.
Everything was too quiet.
The sun was barely past the horizon, the tiniest bit of light trying eagerly to make itself known through the cracks in his curtains. The birds must have been awake by now, maybe they were trying to haunt him in the silence.
And he wasn’t a big fan of the silence right now, because noise was the only thing that would be able to drown out these thoughts.
These stupid thoughts of George.
He was used to thinking of George, why wouldn’t he be? George was such a big part of his life and he constantly found himself being reminded of the older one by everything he saw.
George quite literally lived in Dream’s mind - not that he was complaining.
But these weren’t his usual thoughts of admiration: they were more than that, though he wouldn’t admit it yet.
Because this was George he was thinking about. His best friend. His companion. His partner in crime.
He was George. That’s all he was.
So why did Dream feel like he should be more?
These new routines they found themselves in seemed so domestic, so lovey dovey. He felt as if they were in a relationship when they weren’t. So why did he wish they were?
No.
He didn’t wish they were more. He was happy with how things were. He wants to be happy where they are, so why does it feel like something is missing?
Morning cuddles and breakfast together was something Dream and George became accustomed to over the next two weeks. Basking in each other's presence was something they didn’t mind getting used to.
Dream liked that he got the chance to admire George every morning. The single strand of brunet hair that fell onto his forehead, the sleepiness of his eyes that made him look half asleep. He admired the small pink flush that coated his cheeks every morning, almost hiding the faint freckles that scattered across his skin.
All in all, Dream fell in love with the simplicity of these mornings. He fell in love with the mornings, not the person he spent them with. At least he’d continue to tell himself that.
“You have food on your lip,” George wiped it off with his thumb. “There you go.”
Dream’s heart skipped a beat as he felt George’s thumb against his skin. He just had to hope George hadn’t noticed how much his cheeks burned.
“Thanks,” he offered a smile, a pink flush creeping onto his face. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” he joked, in hopes it would cover up how nervous he was getting.
Why was he getting so nervous?
George returned the gesture of a smile. “You’re welcome.”
Why did his smile look so different today? Why did Dream feel his heart flipping at the way the brunet's lips curved upwards? Why was his hands sweating at the idea of George touching his face again?
Maybe he was going crazy.
He thought he was.
“You okay?” George asked, a worried expression overtook his normal happy one.
Dream shook off whatever he was feeling. “I’m good. Just a little tired.”
“Oh my God, did you hear Sapnap’s snoring too?” George’s tone returned to his usual bubbly self. “I couldn’t sleep, the house was practically shaking from it.”
“Yeah! Kept me up all night.” he lied. George didn’t need to know the reason he was actually up all night.
Quietness filled the air, Dream didn’t mind this kind. It was soft, it was safe. Just two best friends enjoying one another’s company while eating their breakfast.
Two best friends.
God he doesn’t think he can convince himself that for much longer.
Plus One.
They didn’t fall in love.
There was no abrupt plummet into the never ending pit. It wasn’t sudden or came as a surprise. They didn’t jump into the warmth of the emotion out of nowhere.
There was no fall.
It was slow. It crept up on them day by day, getting closer and closer as they tried to ignore it. He tried to ignore it. George had known from the start what he felt about Dream, and he was willing to wait.
But now he didn’t have to keep waiting.
Dream was finally ready to admit it - he was going to try and admit it anyway.
The whole house was quiet. Sapnap had fallen asleep on the couch watching TV and George was in his bedroom. Dream was planning on spending the night scrolling through his phone but eventually decided against it: he couldn’t focus on what he was doing.
All he could focus on was the boy in the room next to him.
So he plucked up every single ounce of courage he had and decided he was no longer going to push away his feelings. He didn’t know what was going to happen but at this point, he couldn’t find it in himself to care.
He had to get this off his chest.
Stumbling through the dark hallway to George’s door felt like it took an eternity. With every heartbeat he felt his body getting heavier and heavier with anxiety. His hand did nothing but shake as he knocked on the door.
“Come in,” a muffled voice called. “Hi, Dream!” It followed shortly after.
Dream sat on the edge of George’s bed, a shy smile plastered on his face. “Hey.”
George lifted the side of his duvet up, moving over to one side of the bed. “It’s cold in here, you might wanna get under the covers.”
“Oh, okay.” Dream tried to ignore the way his heart exploded at the thought of being so close.
Their faces were only inches away as they lay in bed, Dream couldn’t help but laugh to himself at how ridiculous this situation is. Two best friends laying in bed together, one about to confess their love.
“I was thinking,” George started off softly, looking Dream in the eyes. “We haven’t properly taken advantage of being in person.”
“What do you mean?” Dream asked, his eyebrows furrowed.
George thought for a moment. “We always spoke about doing our late night talks in person.” he paused again as if he was trying to mentally go through what he was going to say first. “But we always just end up texting, when you could just come through here.”
“I didn’t think you’d want me to come through until the early hours of the morning every night,” Dream kept his voice hushed. “But I’d gladly come through every night. I just didn’t want to bother you.”
“You could never bother me.” George admitted. “I love being around you.”
Dream could faintly see George's smile, he admired the way his eyes wrinkled with joy. “You could never bother me either.”
George looked as if he wanted to say something for a moment but stopped himself. Dream watched his face as he seemed to ponder for a moment if he should just say it or not.
“I love you.” the brunet blurted out.
Dream’s eyes widened and he’s pretty sure he audibly gasped. He didn’t respond for a minute - he wasn’t sure if George even said what he thought he did.
Surely he was imagining it. He got himself all worked up over confessing how he felt that now he was imagining George confessing his love too.
There was silence for a few moments, George’s expression didn’t falter once. He was confident in what he said, and he didn’t need Dream to reciprocate the feeling. He loved Dream regardless if he was given the same love in return or not.
“You don’t have to say it ba-“
Dream stopped him. “I love you too.”
They didn’t fall for each other. How could they when there was no fall? There was no exact moment they knew they wanted each other. It happened over time, as they watched as it did.
But even though there was no fall, there was more love shared between the two of them than most. They had what others looked for their entire lives.
“Can I kiss you?” Dream spoke fondly, a tone George was used to hearing - but tonight it felt so different.
The brunet answered by pressing his lips against his, cupping Dream’s face with his hand. Their chests pressed together as they tasted the sweetness of the others lips.
Dream felt George’s warm cheek in his hand and wondered if George felt the same warmth in his.
It was like the world stopped spinning, and they’d both gladly live in this moment forever.
They didn’t fall for one another.
Their feet were planted steadily on the ground while they let their love consume them.