Archive of Our Own

It was a quiet, rainy day. The soft pattering of raindrops could be heard tapping on the room high above the librarian’s head as he sorted books at the return desk. There was a dim glow streaming from the large windows at the front of the library, just barely lighting up his work area. Luckily, he’d invested in a desk lamp for this very reason. The overhead lights were too sharp, too violently fluorescent that he just left half of them off at all times. He thought it created a better atmosphere. It’s not like the owners really cared what he did with the place, anyway.

Dream had been the head librarian at the local library for two years now. The owners knew him from when he was a bright-eyed middle schooler wandering the stacks, intimidated by the sheer amount of knowledge surrounding him. After growing up, getting his degree in English, and maintaining his love for literature he’d been hired for the position pretty easily. They were an older couple that ran the place, but once Dream had gotten the hang of things around there they’d basically given up control to him. It was his library as far as any of them were concerned. He liked it that way. It gave him the freedom to do things like turn off half the overhead lights.

Also, he had the freedom to get a cat.

He’d always loved the idea of keeping a library cat around. They’d be a gentle presence for any patrons, a great distraction for upset children, and most importantly a friend for the workers. Dream had asked for permission first, of course, but he easily got it. They agreed with all of his reasons for wanting a cat in the library. As long as he kept care of it and none of the other workers had an issue with having a pet at work they didn’t mind at all. They’d even called it a cute idea.

So, two months ago Dream went to the local animal shelter and met all of their cats. Every single one. He had to find the best match for the job, just as he had to when helping hire new employees. He needed a cat that was calm and not destructive, but wanted one that had a fun personality. A lazy cat that didn’t explore the library and meet new people just wouldn’t do. He wanted a cat with spunk. Maybe that was just because he wanted one to match his own energy, but he worked nearly every day of the week, so he’d be spending a lot of time with this creature. It made sense to him that he find a cat that mirrored himself.

After being introduced by the kind shelter volunteer to all of the cats, he spent some time just hanging out with them and observing their temperaments. There were a few kittens but, while adorable, he knew he couldn’t take on raising an animal in a place like that. So, he focused on the adult cats. He noticed which of them scratched the walls and which hissed at himself and the hovering volunteer. He avoided getting attached to any of those. He leaned down to pet the ones rubbing up against his legs, also trying to avoid getting too attached to the ones that stayed directly underfoot. The wrong patron could potentially harm a cat that was too needy.

Then, he noticed him.

A lithe, black and white cat that seemed fully grown. He had been curious of Dream upon first arriving, but had stuck to wandering the room since. When Dream approached him, he gave a quiet meow of acknowledgment at Dream before rubbing his face on Dream’s outstretched hand. Then, he walked back away to sniff at a toy on the floor. There was just something in the cat’s eyes, something interested yet reserved. Something inviting. Something that made Dream fall in love just a little bit.

Some paperwork and transportation later, Dream found himself the proud owner of Basil the cat (named after Dream’s favorite Victorian literature character). He set everything up for their new pet beforehand, so all he had to do was hope that Basil would settle into his new life easily.

Two months later, Basil was happily living out his new life as a library cat. He was exactly what Dream had hoped for in a cat and so much more. He was often tempted to take Basil home with him - which he knows the owners would allow him to do - but he was committed to keeping up his dream of having a library cat. Basil seemed happy enough there anyway, so Dream didn’t want to rip him away from a good life.

As Dream scanned in returns, Basil lay curled up on the desk beside the stack of books. He was purring as he breathed deeply, a sign of him falling into sleep. Dream paused his work to smile at the little cat. He reached out to pat Basil’s head, causing the cat to jolt his head up. Cats can’t scowl, but Dream swore that Basil tried to before jumping down to find a less disturbing place to rest. There was the spunk Dream had wanted. He rolled his eyes at the cat’s dramatics before going back to work.

At 1, Dream decided to take a break to grab lunch. Well, “break” was a loaded term. Tina wouldn’t be in to relieve him of his shift until 3, and their library was small enough that they only had one librarian working at a time. Lunch consisted of Dream eating his packed food at his desk in case anyone decided to come in during that time. However, he did limit himself to only eating and watching during his lunch time. No sorting, scanning, returns, nothing else. In a way that made it a break for him since he kept himself so busy the rest of every shift he worked.

As per usual, the mysterious lunch thief had struck again.

For some reason he and the other workers who stored their lunches in the break room fridge always found something missing from their meals nearly every day. It’d only been going on for a couple of months, but Dream was slightly worried about it. Did they have a secret homeless person living in the library nobody knew about? If so, he’d gladly give them his food if they just asked. Or maybe it was one of the custodians, which again, if asked, Dream would definitely give up his lunch to any of them. Nobody ever came forward about it though, and none of them had ever caught someone in the act.

Today they’d stolen Dream’s lemonade.

He sighed. Dream hated not having a drink with his lunch, and he’d already finished the bottle of water he’d brought for his shift. Yet, somehow he knew whoever was taking his things probably needed or wanted it more than him. He settled back at the front desk and ate his lunch with a dry mouth without complaint. Nobody came in for the rest of his shift, so he was able to (somewhat) enjoy his food in peace before Tina came in.

“Slow day?” she asked as she sat her stuff down beside Dream at the desk.

“Yeah, but it always is,” he replied.

“This might be one of my favorite jobs I’ve had, but it sure is the most uneventful.” Tina looked down at where Basil had rounded the corner to say ‘hi’. “Oh hi baby!” She crouched down to pet Basil as Dream got up to gather his things.

Dream couldn’t help but notice the empty can of lemonade in the trash can beside the front desk before he left. It looked exactly like the one he’d packed for himself that day. He’d been at the desk all day, so how could someone manage to dispose of his lemonade without him noticing? He swore no one had come in for hours. Thoroughly confused, Dream decided to just go home and ignore it. If he told Tina it might freak her out to be alone for the late shift. Plus, it was already empty. What was Dream supposed to do with it now?

He clocked out and went home, curiosity ablaze in his head over this lunch thief. Dream decided that he was determined to find this mysterious person and help them if he could. That meant he did the thing any sane person would do in this situation: he bought a security camera.

…

Once the camera was delivered, Dream spent an entire evening trying to figure it out. It was actually pretty simple though, and it was exactly what he needed. He could set it on a timer so it didn’t run all the time, and he could view the live feed directly from his phone. There was even a motion sensor, so it’d alert his phone whenever there was movement in front of the camera. He wouldn’t leave it on when he wasn’t there because honestly he didn’t think it was right to spy on his coworkers. So, the camera was set to run Monday through Friday from 9-3pm, his exact shift.

After setting it up in the corner behind the door - so that it’d almost not be visible - Dream felt his nerves spike up. What was he expecting to find from this? If it was some random person, how was he to catch them and not fear being attacked? Or what if it was one of the custodians or someone else who worked for the owners? He knew he wouldn’t report them, but how could he offer to buy them food without being offensive? It was too late though. The camera was set up and Dream had his phone laying on the desk beside him so he’d see if he got any notifications from it. His plan was fully in motion; all he had to do was wait for something to happen.

It was nearing noon when he finally got the notification that there’d been movement in the break room. Dream scrambled to pick up his phone and click on it, hands shaking as he waited for the feed to load. When it finally did, his heart dropped to his stomach.

There was a man in there. A stranger that Dream had never seen before. He had dark hair and pale skin and carried himself as if he belonged in that break room. Which, if he’d been the one stealing their lunches this entire time, he must be comfortable waltzing in there and taking whatever he pleased. He was quite handsome from what Dream could see, but that didn’t put him at ease to see him in the safe place for himself and his workers. Dream watched in shock as the man opened the fridge and went straight for Dream’s lunchbox. He opened it, searched through its contents, and chose Dream’s apple for himself. Just as he went to put the lunchbox back, Dream realized he should probably intercept the man before he got away again. This was his chance.

Without much thought or fear that he rightfully should’ve had, Dream rushed back to the break room. He rounded the corner of the hallway and came face to face with the culprit. The man mirrored Dream’s own expression of shock. He hadn’t expected to actually catch the thief today, and the man clearly did not expect to be caught. Just as Dream opened his mouth to speak, he watched as the man did something completely incomprehensible.

Before Dream’s very eyes, the man’s features started to morph. His nose and mouth began to jut out as his eyes grew rounder. Hair started to spring out from the man’s skin - everywhere, not just where one would expect there to be hair on a human. The apple fell to the ground as the man went down to his hands and knees. He yelped, a sound that was almost human with an animalistic tone to it. Dream took two steps back, but his eyes were locked onto the horrifying sight before him.

The man was shrinking. There was another sound that erupted from the stranger that sounded like a cat in pain. It took the transformation completing for Dream to finally put it all into place in his mind. In a matter of seconds, the strange lunch-stealing man standing in front of him had turned into a small black and white cat.

Basil, to be exact. The man had turned into Dream’s library cat.

It took everything in Dream not to scream in horror or curse from the shock of it all. It was a library afterall. Any loud sound would have people rushing over, and how was Dream supposed to explain what the fuck he just witnessed?

“Basil?” Dream asked the cat incredulously, unsure what else to say or do.

Basil whipped his tail back and forth as he crouched down in a defensive stance, staring right at Dream. Before Dream could gather his thoughts, Basil bolted down the hallway towards the open part of the library. Dream tried to run after him, but somehow the little cat was faster than him. Dream turned around the corner and was met with empty air. Basil had disappeared into the stacks.

Apple long forgotten, Dream searched the rest of his shift for his cat the rest to no avail. He was thoroughly confused and a little mentally scarred from seeing a human turn into the cat he’d come to know and love. He didn’t find Basil before Tina was in to start her shift. If she noticed Dream’s frazzled state, she didn’t question it. She just let him leave with a few words exchanged.

…

Basil doesn’t show up for the remainder of Dream’s work week. Dream fills the food bowl and empties the litter box as normal, so he’s not worried about the creature’s health. However, he can’t get what he saw out of his mind. Dream spends his free time after work and on the weekend researching catboys (which doesn’t give him the results he wants) and werewolves (are werecats a thing?) and comes to the conclusion that the cat he adopted had to be a shapeshifter of some kind.

Dream wasn’t even sure if he believed in the supernatural before all this, so what are the odds that the one cat he clicked with at that shelter months ago ended up being some half-human half-cat…being? Why did Basil choose him of all people that came into that shelter to trust? How had he survived living as a cat for so long? Had he always been able to shift into a human, or was that new with his adoption? Dream had so many questions but no way to get an answer when Basil was fully avoiding him.

How does one ask a cat questions anyway?

That made Dream realize he didn’t even know if Basil could speak. He hadn’t said a word when Dream had confronted him, just made those painful sounding noises. What if he was only capable of making cat sounds? Dream had to come to terms with the fact he just might not get his answers. It was frustrating, all of it.

By Sunday evening, Dream was so fully lost by this new concept that he felt like he was going to lose his mind. The only thing he knew that would make him feel better was his best friend, so Dream called Sapnap to come over. Sapnap didn’t question the sudden invitation, he readily agreed to come visit Dream. They were like that: they wouldn’t see each other for weeks because of their conflicting schedules, then one would randomly invite the other over/out and they’d hang out like nothing had changed. They texted constantly, so it wasn’t like they needed the time together to catch up. It was just nice seeing each other in person sometimes.

Not feeling up to cooking for Sapnap, he ordered a pizza for whenever his friend got there. Sapnap didn’t bother knocking when he got there, just let himself right in as he always did (with Dream’s permission, of course). A few minutes later, there was a knock that signaled that the pizza had arrived. Dream fetched it and tipped the driver. After helping themselves to a couple slices each of the pizza, the two settled into casual conversation.

“So, how’s work been?” Dream asked, trying to avoid thinking about his own job for the moment.

“Same old shit. Tips have sucked recently, even at the bar.” Sapnap sighed before taking a bite.

Sapnap worked at a sports bar and restaurant, mainly bartending but occasionally hosting. He’d been there for about a year at that point, and he seemed to be getting sick of it. Dream had offered him a job with him multiple times, but he always shut it down. Something about not wanting to be bored out of his mind when there’s nobody to help. Dream understood; the library wasn’t the most exciting.

“Have you been looking for another job?”

Sapnap shook his head as he swallowed. “Nah, I’m just gonna stick it out until something comes to me.”

Dream gave a short laugh. “That’s not how finding a job works.”

“That’s what happened to you,” Sapnap countered.

“I still applied for the job, and I got a degree so I could move up the ranks. You can’t just keep working at a bar until something different falls into your lap.”

“Oh, I’m not struggling to have anyone on my lap,” Sapnap said with a smirk.

Dream bit back a grin. “I hate you. You know what I mean.”

“Yeah yeah, don’t worry about it though. I’ll figure it out eventually.”

They ate their pizza in a comfortable silence for a bit with the TV softly playing some action movie Dream had never seen before. He liked this about Sapnap. They could enjoy their time together without having to fill every moment with chatter. Dream also felt instantly at ease in his company, like all his earlier worries had flown out the door as Sapnap pushed it open. Sure, it was still on his mind, but Sapnap - with all his idiocy - still had a calming presence that just made it feel better. There was a warmth in his vibes that Dream hadn’t found in anyone else. He was really lucky to have him as his best friend.

“What about you, how’s work been?” Sapnap asked.

Dream finished his slice of pizza as he thought about how to answer that. He couldn’t lead with ’So I saw a human guy turn into my library cat in front of me and it ruined my month.’ Yet, he still wanted to get Sapnap’s insight on the situation. Somehow.

“Well, I set up a security camera in the break room,” Dream replied.

Sapnap furrowed his eyebrows. “What? Why? To spy on the weekend shifts or something?”

“No! No, it’s on a timer so it’s only one when I’m there.” The look of confusion didn’t leave Sapnap’s face, so he continued, “It’s to catch the person stealing our lunches.”

He watched it click in Sapnap’s mind. “Ah, okay. So, any updates on that yet?”

Dream hesitated. “Kind of.”

“Don’t be cryptic, what happened?” Sapnap pressed.

Dream opened his mouth then shut it back, struggling to word this in a way that didn’t sound weird or fake. Maybe now wasn’t the best time to reveal everything. Maybe it was better to keep Basil’s secret, even from Sapnap.

“Well, I saw the thief, but it was some guy I’d never seen before,” Dream said.

“And? Did you catch him in the act?”

“No, I- when I got back there, he was already gone. He hasn’t come back since,” Dream lied.

“I’ll come be your bodyguard and beat the shit out of this guy next time you see him,” Sapnap offered.

Dream smiled. “Yeah, you’d love to just sit around in the library all day every day waiting to jump some hungry guy trying to find food?”

Sapnap frowned. “Well, when you put it that way it sounds bad. Also boring.”

“Exactly. Don’t worry, I can handle this.”

“Have you even told the owners yet?” Sapnap asked.

When Dream didn’t answer, he rolled his eyes dramatically.

“You’re literally so dumb. There’s some rando stealing your food all the time, and you haven’t even told the people in charge?”

“If he just needs help I don’t want them to overreact.”

“You’re too nice for your own good.”

“He’s only taken food. I really think he might just be hungry.”

Dream wasn’t sure if that was true since Basil’s food bowl was emptied on a daily basis, but there was no way to address that without diving into what had happened.

“Whatever dude. It’s your life and your job. Just don’t come crying to me when the guy is actually evil or something,” Sapnap said.

Dream ignored him as he gathered up their trash and took it and the leftover pizza to the kitchen. Sapnap was scrolling on his phone when Dream returned to the living room. The movie was clearly not entertaining for either of them, but it served as good background noise so Dream left it. He pulled out his own phone, half-tempted to turn on the security camera to check if Basil had come out. Dream highly doubted he’d be in the break room though, since no one left food in there overnight and the library was closed on Sundays.

That brought to mind the whole shapeshifter thing and how Dream was really struggling to wrap his mind around it. He didn’t want to outright tell Sapnap about it, but maybe he could phrase it in a way that got his opinion on the subject without revealing too much.

“Random question: do you believe in anything supernatural?” Dream asked him.

Sapnap looked up from his phone but took a second to think. Dream appreciated that they could talk about this stuff openly and it wasn’t weird.

“I think I’ve seen ghosts before, so I guess yeah. You?”

“I didn’t for a long time, but I might be changing my opinion.” Dream paused. “What was it like? Seeing ghosts?”

“Well, I was a kid so I don’t really remember it, but I’ve seen reflections of people behind me when there’s no one there. Really freaky, especially as a kid. My mom also told me when I was a toddler I apparently talked to the air like there was someone there. Dunno if that’s a supernatural thing or me having an overactive imagination though.”

Dream nodded along as he spoke, taking in what it must’ve been like to see things that weren’t there when you looked back. It felt adjacent to his experience. Ghosts were different from shapeshifters though. That didn’t really give Dream what he was looking for.

“What about other stuff, like werewolves or whatever?”

Sapnap just looked at him for a moment. “Do you believe in werewolves, Dream?”

“I- I mean, I don’t know, maybe? Just asking what all you believe in.”

“No, I don’t believe werewolves are real. I’m a very ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’ type of guy. So, unless you introduce me to a vampire or some shit I think it’s all made up. Except for ghosts. Ghosts are definitely real.”

“Fair enough.”

“Any reason you ask?” Sapnap asked.

Dream shrugged. “I’ve just never asked before, so I was curious.”

“What about you? What do you believe?”

Unsure how to exactly explain that he was a skeptic until the moment that changed everything, Dream just replied, “I don’t know yet.”

…

The work week began again, and Dream still didn’t see the cat (creature?) for days. He was completely settled on never seeing Basil again. Maybe he could have Tina catch him and try to rehome him if he’s not happy in the library anymore. Tina might like having a cat. But was it wrong to put Basil in another situation where he had to present as a cat all the time? Dream’s head hurt when he thought about it too much.

Wednesday came along, and that’s when he got his first notification from his camera. Dream dropped the book in his hands with a thud as he grabbed up his phone quickly. Sure enough, as soon as it loaded, Dream saw the black and white cat carefully stepping into the break room. Basil looked around, as if making sure he was completely alone, then began to change again. Dream couldn’t believe he was getting this on camera as he watched the same transformation he’d seen before happen in reverse. Though, it seemed less painful than before, probably because it wasn’t so sudden.

Once Basil was fully in his human form, he went over to open the fridge. That’s when Dream flew out of his chair, practically jogging to the break room. As soon as he stepped inside, Basil whipped around and let the fridge fall shut behind him. Thinking as quickly as possible, Dream decided to slam the break room door shut. Basil looked at the door then back at the librarian with wide eyes. Dream stood directly in front of the door handle, trapping Basil and himself inside the small room together.

Shit.

Dream had finally trapped Basil with the intention of confronting him, but now he had to figure out exactly how to do so.

“I- um, so you’re…” Dream stammered, unsure how to approach all the questions he has from the past week. “I’m sorry to corner you like this, Basil, but I-”

“My name is not Basil.”

So he can speak.

Taken aback, Dream paused before asking, “I’m sorry. What is your name then?”

The man chewed at his bottom lip, probably contemplating opening up or not. Dream hoped he would. He really just wanted to help him.

“George,” he said finally.

Dream gave a nod. “So, George, are you a shapeshifter of some kind?”

George barked out a laugh. “I thought that was super obvious after last week.”

Going hot, Dream struggled to get out a proper response to that. “You- I guess I just, I don’t know, didn’t want to assume.”

“Okay, well I am. Obviously.”

That’s when Dream noticed it.

“You have an accent,” he was saying before he could think.

George cracked a smile. “Again with addressing the obvious.”

“I just didn’t expect that since I found you in an American shelter. I thought you’d pick up an American accent,” Dream tried to reason.

“You know I haven’t been a cat my whole life until coming here, right? Like I have had an entire life outside of being your little pet for the past couple of months.”

Dream took that in for a second. The way George spat out the word “pet” made Dream feel guilty. For some reason. It’s not like he’d known the cat he was rescuing was going to be part human. He thought he was doing good.

“How did you end up in a shelter then?” Dream asked.

George frowned. “Do you ask every person you meet about their hardships right away or am I an exception?”

“It wasn’t- I didn’t mean it like that. This is just new to me. I guess I don’t know shapeshifter etiquette.”

George continued to frown at him.

“I’d be open to learning more though,” Dream added.

“Why do you care?” George asked.

“Because I can tell there’s something going on with you. You wouldn’t be stealing my food everyday if you were content with cat food, would you? Then I find out what you are and you hide from me for a week as if you’re scared of me. It doesn’t sit right with me after how you used to act.”

George hummed. “Well aren’t you just the nicest guy ever? Caring about some stupid cat you only got to keep you company at work now that you know he has a human form? I’m flattered.” His tone fell flat on the last sentence, and it made Dream’s gut twist.

“It’s not like that,” Dream said quietly.

George considered him for a moment. There was something reserved in his manner, and Dream could tell he’d been through a lot. It made him want to help even more. He hoped George would let him.

“So, what do you think you can do to help me? You’ve trapped me in a damn library for the foreseeable future, and it’s honestly not where I had hoped I’d end up,” George said.

“You don’t have to be trapped here.”

“Oh? And what do you suggest I do instead? Sleep on the streets?”

“You could stay with me,” was out of Dream’s mouth before he could process how that might sound.

George scoffed, but Dream didn’t give him the chance to reply.

“I mean just until you find some place for yourself. Not like another pet situation. You’re obviously not a pet cat,” Dream said.

George considered him for a moment. Dream could basically see the gears turning in his head. He really hoped he’d give him a chance to help, even if just for a little bit. He barely knew the guy, but he had bonded with him in his other form. Regardless, he’d want to help someone who was unhappy, especially in a situation Dream had put him in. If only George would give him the chance.

“I’m not sleeping on a couch,” George stated defiantly.

“I have a spare bedroom. It’s my office right now, but there’s a futon in there.” Dream fought back a smirk. “Unless that’s not up to your standards either?”

George stared at him for a moment. Dream almost thought he was overstepping by offering up his apartment to a practical stranger. He was responsible for putting George in a repressive situation in the first place, so why should he expect George to trust him now? He was about to backtrack, about to make it all a joke.

Until George said, “I guess I could make do with that.”

Dream let out a breath. “Great. I’ll take you there tonight then.”

George went wide eyed. “Tonight? What about Tina?”

Dream considered that. “Well, I’ll just tell her I’m taking Basil home with me for my new roommate. If she asks again down the line we can just say he ran away.”

George gave a small smile of gratitude. Dream stepped away from the door handle and opened the door back up. George stood there quietly, as if waiting for Dream to leave to go back to what he was doing before.

“Also, you can have whatever you’d like from my lunch while I get the crate ready,” Dream said.

Groaning, George went back to the fridge. “I hate that stupid thing.”

“If we’re lying to Tina we have to do it right.” Dream watched George rifle through his food, picking out the cup of fruit and the lemonade. “Also you’re welcome.”

George just shot him a look. “I didn’t say thank you.”

“Didn’t have to.”

With that, Dream turned to head down the hall to the storage closet to retrieve the cat carrier among other things that might be suspicious to leave behind. He’d just donate it all to a shelter later on, but he just needed it out of the library for now. He packed up everything just in time for the end of his shift and Tina’s arrival.

“Hey- oh. Why is all Basil’s stuff out? Oh no, is he okay?” Tina asked immediately upon seeing all the cat stuff laid out on the desk.

“He’s fine! I’m sure you’ve noticed, but he’s been hiding a lot and acting weird. I just got a new roommate who really wants a cat, so I thought it might be good to get him out of here and have them meet. You know?”

Tina nodded. “Oh okay. Well, I’ll miss the little guy, but it’s probably for the best.”

“You can always come over to visit,” Dream offered even though he doubted George would want to shift much once he was free to be human.

“That’s very sweet, Dream, thank you.” Tina gave a warm smile. One that almost made Dream feel bad for lying to her.

Almost.

Dream tracked down George to his favorite spot in the library: the comfy chairs in the reading nook in the back corner of the public space. He was in cat form curled up on the cushion sound asleep. Dream wondered silently if his sleeping schedule would be a mess due to all the naps he was used to as a cat. He reached down to pet his head, stirring the shapeshifter from his slumber. The cat looked up at Dream with droopy eyes from sleep, and Dream swore his heart melted.

Was that weird now that he knew that George wasn’t just a cat?

Dream nodded his head towards the front of the library as he said, “Come on, time to go.”

George shook his little head before sitting up and looking at Dream expectantly. Dream shook his head but took the hint, leaning over to scoop up the cat in his arms. He carried cat George on his shoulder over to the front desk where Tina had already started scanning returns Dream hadn’t gotten to. She perked up when she saw the two approaching. She came around the desk to pet George on the head.

“I’m gonna miss you so much buddy. Please don’t forget me when you’re gone,” she told the cat.

“I doubt he’ll forget you. Like I said, you’ll just have to come visit,” Dream said.

He felt the glare directed at his profile as he avoided looking at George.

“Oh I definitely will,” Tina said.

Dream took George over to the open crate and guided him inside easily. He said goodbye to his coworker before leaving with an armful of cat supplies he knew he wouldn’t be needing after he walked through the glass doors of the building. Regardless, he loaded up his car with everything and sat George in the carrier on the front passenger seat. It was quiet the entire ride to his apartment- save for Dream’s music playing softly through the car speakers . As soon as they arrived, Dream left the supplies in his backseat as he carried George up the stairs to his place. He was thankful his building had no cameras because he really didn’t want to pay a pet deposit on a cat he didn’t have.

After shutting them inside the apartment, Dream lowered the crate to the floor and opened it. George walked out and shook out his fur before beginning the process of becoming human again (that Dream was somehow less horrified by his third time seeing it). Once standing upright once more, George shot him a scowl.

“You really had to make me stay in that thing the whole way here?”

Dream laughed. “Were you just gonna shift in public where anyone could see?”

George frowned. “Well no, I guess not.”

“Exactly. Now make yourself at home while I grab the rest of the stuff.”

“I’m not eating cat food,” George said suddenly, stopping Dream in his tracks.

He looked at George. “I wasn’t expecting you to.”

“Oh.” George glanced around the living room awkwardly. “Okay.”

Dream bit back his smile again as he turned to retreat back to his car for the cat supplies. He figured he could go to a local shelter that weekend to give the stuff to them. He had more important things to attend to before then. Like helping George gather his possessions because as far as Dream knew all the man had were the cat toys Dream bought for him two months prior and the clothes on his back. Dream was grateful the clothes seemed to stay on his human form between transformations. It’d be a hell of a lot more awkward if George was butt naked every time Dream ran into him as a human.

Opening his door carefully so as not to drop anything, Dream saw George peaking around the corner into the kitchen but jumping back once he heard the door. Dream sat everything down beside the door then looked up at his new roommate.

“Want a proper tour?” Dream offered.

George nodded.

Dream showed him around, ending with his office which would now become George’s bedroom. He hoped he could make enough room in his own bedroom for his desk and bookshelves, but that’d be a later-Dream problem. Current-Dream was captivated by George’s curious eyes and wandering fingers that traced over items that fascinated him as he got close enough. George really did act like a cat, even if he claimed he had a life outside of being one. Dream realized he was staring a little too late when he noticed George’s eyes on him.

“So, um, think this’ll work for you?” Dream asked to break the tension he’d created.

“Yeah, it’ll do for now.”

“Great,” Dream replied. “I need to go to the store tonight anyway. Want to join?”

“Do you not trust me alone in your apartment?” George asked. At first Dream thought he was offended, but then noticed the hint of a smile on the other man’s face that gave away his teasing.

“Definitely not,” Dream said with a smile.”But, I also figured you might need some things since you haven’t been able to live like this in a while.”

George nodded as he wiped his hands down the front of his jeans; Dream wondered if that was a nervous habit. “Right. Shall we go then?” George asked.

“Yeah.”

Dream led them back out to his car. The ride to the store was just as quiet as the one home, but this time it felt deliberate with George in human form. Or maybe Dream was overthinking. He hummed softly along to the songs on his radio to fill the awkward air between them, hoping that it wouldn’t annoy his new roommate. He wasn’t sure how these kinds of situations worked. Was it normal to not be talkative with the person you lived with? Did roommates normally go to the store together or separately? Could Dream be too overbearing already?

Living with someone was definitely going to be a learning curve for Dream.

Although it’d be difficult, Dream was more than willing to try.

Anything to help.

They arrived at the nearest supermarket. As Dream parked, he caught George’s wide eyes looking over the giant building. Was he not used to grocery stores so big? It made Dream wonder more about his backstory, craving a deepdive into the tales of this shapeshifter’s past that Dream might not be worthy enough to hear. Maybe one day that’d change. Dream and George went inside and Dream began his normal rounds of the place. He started in the home goods area, grabbing light bulbs, a new blanket for George, and new wall hanging strips. Next up was plastic bags and paper towels from near the grocery section, then it was time for food.

“What’re some of your favorite foods?” Dream asked.

George looked surprised that Dream had asked him a question. “Um, whatever is fine.”

“No no, I want to get stuff that you like. Give me something,” Dream persisted.

George thought for a moment, glancing around the aisles full of food and people. Dream hoped that bringing him somewhere so busy immediately wasn’t a mistake. It had been a few months since George had been in a crowd.

“I like burgers,” George said softly.

Dream nodded. “Okay cool. We can get burgers.”

After buying some burger patties, Dream wandered around the aisles so that George could explore a bit. He gave him time to look over everything and occasionally pick out something that caught his eye. Other than being sure to grab the essentials (milk, bread, eggs), Dream was focused on allowing George to get whatever his heart desired. He might barely know the guy, but he didn’t want to make living together miserable. Plus, Dream wanted to change how close they were if possible.

“Okay, want to head over to the clothes?” Dream offered.

“There’s clothes here too?”

“Have you been to a super store in America before?” Dream asked.

George shook his head.

Dream wondered more about the life that his new roommate had lived before he’d found him. How long had he lived in America before being in the shelter? Surely not long, right? Why had he even come here in the first place if he just ended up stuck as a cat for months? Dream desperately wanted to know more about George, but it just felt impossible to ask such personal questions after how dodgy the shapeshifter had been with anything like that. He suppressed his curiosity for the time being as they perused the clothing racks.

After filling the cart with food and clothes, the two headed up to check out then home.

George helped Dream carry the bags inside, but once Dream started to put things away he stood awkwardly just inside the doorway to the kitchen, as if not wanting to get in the way.

“I can show you where I keep everything if you want. Might make it easier if you get hungry when I’m not around,” Dream offered.

George agreed and stepped properly into the space. Dream gave him a mini tour of the cabinets and fridge as he placed each grocery item in its place. Once all the bags were emptied, George grabbed his pile of new clothes and made his way to the laundry closet. Dream leaned back against the counter and let out a sigh. He hoped this would get easier the longer George was living with him. If not, he supposed George was free to leave and go somewhere that might make him happier.

Dream really hoped this weird beginning period wasn’t for nothing though.

…

Dream was beginning to become convinced he’d never learn a single thing about George outside of what he already knew. It had been two days, and Dream had barely seen his roommate whenever he was home. Every time they crossed paths when going to the bathroom or kitchen, it was more awkward than Dream had expected it to be. He hated it. By Saturday, Dream had decided if he couldn’t get George to open up to him on his own that he might need reinforcements.

So, he invited Sapnap over.

Sapnap was charismatic and outgoing, so there was hope this would be the thing to get George to crack open a bit. Plus, Dream had kind of sort of not told Sapnap about getting a roommate. He’d actually always told him he never wanted to live with some random stranger because he liked having his own space. Given the circumstances (that Dream, of course, couldn’t tell Sapnap), Dream had readily changed his mind for George. He hoped he could spin this story into making enough sense that Sapnap would buy it.

Dream: hey, wanna come over tonight? I wanna introduce you to my new roommate

Sapnap: roommate??

Dream: ...long story, I’ll explain when you get here

George was still shut inside his bedroom when Dream came out of his own room. He walked over to the door and hesitantly raised his fist to knock on the wood. There were a couple beats of silence before Dream heard a soft, “Come in.”

Opening the door a crack revealed George sitting at the desk that Dream still hadn’t found time to move into his own room. He wasn’t using the computer though, just doodling on some scrap paper Dream had sitting beside the keyboard. Damn, Dream really hoped that George wasn’t bored out of his mind without a phone. Maybe that should be their next purchase towards making George feel welcome there.

“Uh, just wanted to let you know I have a friend coming over soon,” Dream said.

“Okay.”

“I’d like you to meet him. If you want to.”

George set down the pen and stretched out his back before standing. “Sure,” he replied.

Dream led them down the hall to the living room where they could wait for Sapnap. Dream turned on the TV to some random movie just to fill the air between them. Luckily, it wasn’t long before Sapnap was walking through the front door. Dream shot up off the couch to introduce the two.

“So, George, this is my friend Sapnap. Sap, this is my new roommate George.”

“Hey,” Sapnap greeted George.

“Sapnap?” George repeated. “That’s an odd name.”

Sapnap gave a short laugh. “You think my name’s weird, but not Dream?”

“Okay, they’re both odd,” George admitted.

“They’re old nicknames that just kinda stuck after a while,” Dream explained.

George nodded. “Well nice to meet you, Sapnap.”

“Same to you.”

Dream and Sapnap joined George where he hadn’t gotten up from the couch. Dream tried not to fumble with his hands in nervousness. Sapnap would definitely pick up on it and question him on his new friendship with George. Dreams wasn’t so sure he knew how to answer any questions Sapnap might have if he pried too deep. He had a basic coverup story to tell him, and that was all.

“So, how’d you guys meet? No offense but Dream doesn’t have a lot of friends I don’t know,” Sapnap started.

Before George could say a word, Dream jumped in, “We met at the library. He was looking for a book while I was working last week, and we got to talking.”

George picked up on the lie easily. “Yeah, I was trying to find a book on coding to refresh myself. I graduated from college a couple years ago, so I’m a bit out of practice.”

Dream was shocked by his willingness to lie and the ease in which he leaned into the story Dream had thought up. Honestly, it was impressive. He tried not to act shocked by the new information about his roommate.

“We don’t have a lot of coding books that aren’t meant for beginners, so it was kind of a waste. Other than the fact we started talking about living situations and both happened to be looking for roommates,” Dream went on.

“Since when did you want a roommate?” Sapnap asked Dream.

“Uh, not long. I’d basically just decided that week so it was great timing.”

Sapnap nodded slowly, but his expression gave away his suspicions. Dream just had to hope he wouldn’t question it further.

“So, you’re from overseas, huh?” Sapnap asked George.

He nodded. “Moved to the states a few months before I met Dream.”

Yet again Dream fought the urge to drop his jaw or something stupid at the new information. Maybe inviting Sapnap over was a better idea than he thought.

“Where were you living before that?” Sapnap asked.

Dream’s excitement was quickly crushed by the apprehensive look on George’s face. He averted his eyes from either of the other men, settling for looking at the rug.

“Um, kind of a long story to be honest,” was all he said.

Dream cleared his throat awkwardly and turned to Sapnap, hoping to deflect the conversation from interrogating George. While Dream wanted to peer inside the depths of George and his life, he knew that immediately bombarding him with personal questions wasn’t the way to do it. He’d just have to slowly get to know the shapeshifting man he now lived with.

“So, how’s work been?” Dream asked Sapnap.

Sapnap groaned and leaned back in the cushions. “Ass. I told them I was sick of hosting because it’s shit money and boring as hell, and now we’re too short staffed to keep the actual hosts from getting overworked. It’s a shitshow over there. I can tell they all wanna blame me too.”

Dream’s ears picked up on a key detail of his complaints.

“The bar is hiring then?” he asked.

Sapnap nodded, so Dream turned back to George who was looking back at the other two.

“Would you mind working for a sports bar?” Dream asked him.

George chuckled. “You’re just assuming I need a job that bad?”

“Well, you’ve gotta pay rent somehow,” Dream countered.

They hadn’t really discussed bills yet since Dream felt bad for what George had been through, but he couldn’t afford to pay for everything for the both of them off what he made at the library. He could tell George hadn’t even thought about paying for anything yet, judging off his blindsided expression. Dream felt a bit bad for doing this in front of Sapnap, but it was a spur of the moment thing figuring out that George could have a job somewhere. Better yet: with Sapnap.

George blinked a few times before realizing himself and looked at Sapnap.

“How shit is the pay for a host?” George asked.

“Well, you get a smaller cut of the tips than everyone else, but the starting wage is above minimum I think.”

George seemed to consider this for a moment, eyes drifting back to the rug. Then, he snapped his gaze back up to Sapnap.

“How do I apply?”

…

The rest of the night, aside from the slight awkwardness of first meetings, went well. George and Sapnap were feeding off each other’s energy and cracking jokes together about the show on TV. Dream joined in where he felt he should, but mostly just enjoyed the company. He was glad that Sapnap and George seemed to get along, especially if they started working together. When Sapnap finally left, it was well after two in the morning and they all were yawning. However, George didn’t move to go to bed after Sapnap was gone.

“He’s cool,” George stated.

Dream smiled. “Yeah, he’s alright.”

“You should invite him over more.”

Shocked by the suggestion, Dream eyed George. He was looking around the living room, inadvertently avoiding eye contact with Dream.

“He usually comes over whenever he gets an evening or weekend off since I work regular hours. But I’ll see about that,” Dream replied.

George hummed in response and turned to face Dream again. Dream couldn’t help but admire him for a split second. Maybe it was the exhaustion setting in, maybe it was the dim glow of the lamp cascading over them, or maybe Dream just hadn’t fully noticed before but George seemed to have a glow about him. He was really pretty, and this thought struck Dream. He needed to go to bed. He shouldn’t think those things about his new roommate.

Clearing his throat first, Dream said, “Well, I’m heading to bed. Wanna get a phone tomorrow maybe?”

George groaned. “Please. I’ve been so bored without one.”

Dream gave a small smile. “Alright. Sounds like a plan then.”

…

George was a week into his new job as a host, and things were going fairly well for the three of them regardless of the wall that George had put up around himself. Dream desperately wanted to know what he was trying to protect himself from. He and Sapnap were trustworthy and caring; George had to see that by now. He didn’t have to explain the shapeshifting to Sapnap to actually open up to him. Dream didn’t even need to know more if George was uncomfortable sharing anything about it. He was settling into the fact that some of his questions may never have answers. Which was totally okay with him, even if he burned with curiosity sometimes. Dream just wanted to know about George, his past specifically. George just narrowly avoided the topic every time it was brought up.

There’d been small cracks in the wall where facts would slip out about the man that George was before he met Dream and Sapnap. There weren’t many. Dream knew that George had moved here from London about a year ago, but he didn’t know specifics about what he’d done in the time he’d been there before they’d met at the shelter. He also knew that George had a long-term girlfriend before, but everything beyond just knowing she’d existed was vague. George had his own apartment for a couple years before moving to America but never had a roommate. George knew how to code and had even gone to college for it. Beyond those simple facts, Dream knew next to nothing.

Until they were making dinner one random Thursday.

Dream was frying some bacon and eggs for breakfast sandwiches as George sat on the opposite counter watching. It felt oddly domestic, but you didn’t hear that from Dream. They were chatting aimlessly - mostly about work - when George dropped a new fact about himself.

“You know my birthday is next week.”

Dream stopped and turned to face George. “What? When?”

George smiled, as if he knew every piece of information about himself was like gold to Dream. “November first,” he said.

“Dude. You can’t give me a week’s notice for something like that.”

Dream turned back to watch the food, trying to seem as nonchalant as possible about this.

“It doesn’t really matter. I haven’t celebrated my birthday since I’ve been here,” George replied.

“How old will you be?”

“26.”

Dream was tempted to chip at the crack, hoping to break it open completely.

“How did aging work, like before?” Dream tried.

There was a beat of silence in which he almost regretted asking. Then, the wall fell down, releasing a new wave of George knowledge.

“I age the same as you even in other forms. So slower than other cats, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

Dream took that in, then realized, “So, that’s why the vet couldn’t determine ‘Basil’s’ age, huh?”

“Yeah. I’d say that was a little above his pay grade.”

Humming in agreement, Dream then began to plate their food.

“Also, it does matter when your birthday is because we’re totally doing something this year.”

“No. We’re not.”

“Uh yeah we are. I’m telling Sapnap and we’re gonna figure something out.”

George groaned as he hopped back onto the floor. “It’s really not a big deal.”

Dream turned to hand him his plate. “I don’t know who told you that, but birthdays are actually a big deal. We’re celebrating.”

George gave him a look.

“You’re getting your first American birthday, I’ll make sure of it.”

“Fine,” George muttered before going over to sit on the barstool.

Dream took his spot next to him and they ate in relative silence. He tried desperately not to become overjoyed at the fact he’d uncovered so much more about George so easily. Was he just not trying hard enough? Regardless, now he had a birthday party to plan. Some form of celebration was due. He wanted George to feel welcome there, special even. He was special. Dream didn’t need to know a lot about him to know that much.

George collected their plates when they’d finished and went to start loading them into the dishwasher. Dream hesitated to go to his room just yet. He’d watched George’s walls come down earlier, and he was dying to know more. Perhaps pushing him all at once was a bad idea though.

“Do you work Saturday?” Dream asked.

George shook his head as he closed the dishwasher.

“We should go out,” Dream said.

George slowly turned to give him a questioning look which made Dream realize he’d misspoken.

“I mean, like out in town. Go for lunch or something. If you want?”

“Oh. Yeah, sure.”

“Cool.”

Before Dream could retreat to his room, George was moving past him to go into his own. As he walked past, Dream caught the scent of the body spray George had picked up on their last grocery run. But as quickly as he caught it, he lost it with George already shutting his door behind him. Dream wished it had lingered. It just smelled nice. No other reason.

Dream locked himself in his bedroom for the rest of the night and tried not to think about taking George out for lunch in a couple of days.

…

It was very pointedly not a date that Dream was taking George on. It was a not-date, if you will. George was clearly not interested in Dream. Dream wasn’t even interested in George like that. His intense desire to know him better was simply because Dream liked knowing people, especially someone he was to live with. That was all. So, Dream definitely didn’t take an extra half an hour getting ready for the not-date. Definitely didn’t try on basically his entire closet before deciding on something that was surely not that much nicer than his normal everyday wear. And when he walked out to see George wearing a new pullover sweater with dark jeans, his heart most certainly didn’t jump at the sight. That’d be ridiculous. It wasn’t a date. Just two roommates going for lunch.

Aside from Dream’s music playing softly through his car speakers, the ride to the local restaurant he’d chosen was quiet. George was on his new phone for most of it, but occasionally sat it in his lap to look out the window. Dream wasn’t paying attention though - no, his eyes were strictly on the road.

Once there, they were quickly sat at a two-person table and their drink orders were taken. Dream used to come to this place a lot, so he had his go-to order ready immediately. This gave him the chance to look at George again (for completely platonic reasons). His hair seemed styled; it was more put into place than usual. It also seemed as if he’d shaved since dinner the day before. Dream liked the stubble on him, but the clean-shave look made him a bit softer.

Okay. Weird thought. Moving on.

“What’re you thinking about getting?” Dream asked.

“Don’t know yet. You?” George said without looking up from the menu.

“I always get the same sandwich.” Dream leaned over the table to point on George’s menu. “This one.”

George nodded as he read over the toppings listed for that one. Dream pulled his hand back and tried not to stare creepily at the other while he tried to make a decision. Soon enough their waiter was back to take their food orders. George ended up just getting the same sandwich as Dream, which made Dream feel a little honored. The waiter left them alone again.

“I’ve never heard of this place before,” George said.

“It’s local,” Dream explained, “The couple that runs it are friends with my mom, so I’ve been coming here since it opened.”

“Cute.”

Dream felt a flutter in his chest at the term of endearment, but tried not to think much of the word or feeling. It was cute to have a local place where your family knows the owners, right? Yeah totally.

They chatted over George’s new job until their meals came out then fell into relative silence while they ate. George seemed pleased with his sandwich choice, and Dream was glad.

“How’s Tina?” George asked suddenly.

“Oh she’s fine. Keeps bugging me about inviting her over to see Basil though.” Dream gave him a grin.

George rolled his eyes. “Of course you had to tell her you took him home and not that he ran out the library door.”

“I didn’t think she’d believe that, okay?”

“Yeah yeah, whatever. You’re lucky I don’t mind shifting.”

They fell into silence again as the chatter of the other patrons surrounded them along with the quiet country music playing over the restaurant’s speakers. It was nice, but it gave Dream an idea.

“I have somewhere I want to take you after this. If you’re not busy.”

“Do I get to know, or do I have to wait in suspense?”

Dream laughed. “It’s nothing crazy. Just realized I haven’t taken you to my favorite park yet.”

“Oh. Alright.”

The waiter came to give them the bill (which Dream refused to let George touch), and soon they were off to the park. Dream loved going there to clear his head. Walking around, people-watching, sitting in the shade, it was all nice. Maybe it was a bit late in the year to be going outside like this, but George had agreed so Dream didn’t care.

Dream parked near the pond at the center of the park, and George followed him out of the car and down near the water. This was Dream’s favorite spot. He rarely took other people there, so he wasn’t sure why he was bringing George. Sapnap didn’t even know he went there. It was sacred. He hoped George liked it. He led them over to an open bench facing the water and sat down. George sat beside him, almost touching but not quite.

“So, why are we here?” George asked.

“I just like it here. Wanted to show you.”

Luckily George didn’t ask any more questions, just hummed and looked out over the pond with Dream.

They accepted the lack of conversation as they enjoyed the view. It was far from anything special, but there were some cute ducks floating around so Dream hoped it was worth their time. He started to wonder why he had brought George here. Was it to try to clear George’s mind, as it was the perfect spot for that? Perhaps it would let him be a bit more open with Dream. Or maybe it was just an opportunity for Dream to let down his own walls a bit. Show George a peek into his life away from the library and Sapnap.

Apparently, the former seemed to stick.

“You know, I don’t miss London. I do miss this kind of thing though. Thank you for bringing me here,” George said.

“Of course.” Dream paused, then asked, “Why did you leave anyway?”

George sighed before replying, “I moved here for my girlfriend before she dumped me.”

“Oh. Sounds like a bitch then.”

George let out a laugh. “No kidding. She’s the reason I ended up in that shelter to begin with.”

This shocked Dream. It was more than he’d heard before about George’s ex. It made him burn with that familiar curiosity as well as with a new anger towards this woman he didn’t know.

“Did she know? About you?” Dream asked.

George hesitated. Conflicting emotions flashed over his face that Dream couldn’t quite read. Then he said, “Yes, but I’d rather not talk about her anymore.”

“Okay. That’s fair.”

Another lull in conversation found them, but it didn’t feel awkward.

Dream could hear the sound of children playing from the playground not far behind them and the distant sound of dogs barking. He wondered if George was scared of dogs like normal cats, but figured that was too silly to ask out loud. He was about to ask if George wanted to go walking when he felt pressure on his shoulder. He glanced down to see George resting his head there. Dream felt a jump in his chest as a smile graced his lips. He liked getting closer with George. He always surprised him.

They stayed like that for a while until George gave a little shiver from the cool air blowing off the water.

“Wanna head back?” Dream offered.

“Yeah.”

They went back to their apartment and had a mundane rest of their day. Dream couldn’t stop thinking about that casual touch of George leaning on him. He also kept thinking about George’s past, but his innate desire to know more was becoming secondary to just seeing how things played out between them.

They watched a movie on the couch, made dinner together, then retired to their respective rooms after eating. Nothing special about the rest of the day, but it felt like an overall amazing day for Dream. George had gone out and let him show him some of his favorite spots in town. It was great. Dream hoped they’d get to continue to do things like that.

He also secretly hoped he’d get more physical attention from George like at the park.

…

The next morning, Dream awoke earlier than George normally did which was normal for them. Their sleep schedules were basically aligned, but the shapeshifter slept in about an hour later than Dream. So, there was no reason for Dream to expect company this early in the morning. Hence his shock when he rolled over and felt something at the foot of his bed. His head shot up but he instantly relaxed when he saw a familiar furry creature curled up down there.

It was George but as a cat for the first time since he’d moved in.

Odd, but not unwelcome.

Dream sat up so that he could reach George’s small sleeping form, and took the risk of running his hand down his furry back. George’s ear twitched before he raised his head to blink sleepily at Dream. It pulled at Dream’s heartstrings. He was just a sucker for animals, even if they were really a shapeshifter apparently. He continued to pet George as the other lowered his head back onto the blanket.

Then Dream heard it: purring. He couldn’t help but smile. The comfort of having a cat wake up in bed with him, happily letting him pet him, was sweet. The fact it was George made it even better. Not for any weird reason; he just felt like this was another step forward for them.

Although he’d rather do nothing more than sit in bed petting George all morning, he did need to pee. He went to the bathroom quickly, but when he returned his mattress was empty. He tried not to feel disappointed and decided to head out to the kitchen. That’s where he found George - in human form - pouring himself a glass of juice.

“Hey,” Dream greeted him.

“Morning.”

Dream grabbed himself a glass, then the juice from where George left it on the counter for him, and poured himself a cup. George walked around to sit at the bar as Dream took a sip of his drink. He wondered if he should bring up the whole cat-George-sleeping-in-his-bed thing. Never one for thinking much before blurting something out, Dream just ripped the bandaid off.

“You slept in my bed.”

George made a face. “Don’t say it like that. Makes it sound weird.”

“I mean I know you were in your other form, but still. It was just new.”

“Yeah well I can only take so much of that futon. It sucks ass.”

Dream laughed. “Fair enough. We can shop around to get you a mattress soon then.”

“Thanks.” George sipped his juice before asking, “You called it my ‘other form.’ Do you not think I can turn into anything else?”

This stunned Dream silent for a moment. “Wha-what?”

“I’m not just half-cat or something. I can shift into any animal I’d like. Well, I used to,” George explained.

“Used to?”

“Haven’t tried since-” George stopped mid-sentence, freezing as if he’d said too much.

“Hey, uh, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Dream assured him.

George looked down into his cup for a few moments. Dream was almost positive that was the end of the conversation. He was above to announce his leave back to his bedroom when George started to speak again.

“You remember my ex I told you about?”

Dream nodded.

“Well, she uh, she also has magic. It’s different from my shapeshifting though. Like you might call her a witch, but I don’t know if that’s the right term for it. She just called herself a magical being. Which is so pretentious, by the way.”

Dream almost smiled until he saw George already was, so he let himself.

“Anyway, when we broke up it was really nasty. We argued for ages until she got sick of it and just turned me into a cat. Like cursed me or whatever to stay a cat for a long time. Then, she dumped me at that shelter with some sob story about how she’s moving out of state and can’t bring a pet with her. Bullshit.” George shook his head in anger. “I tried to shift back while I was there, but her magic was so strong I couldn’t until you’d already brought me to the library.”

“And now?” Dream pressed.

“Now, I can shift between human and cat, but I can’t seem to become any other animals anymore. So, I guess her curse is wearing off but still there. Or maybe she permanently ruined me.”

Dream processed all of that for a moment. It was the most George had spoken about himself or his ex, but also his powers. Dream didn’t know anything about his abilities beyond his cat and human forms. Now, he did.

But more importantly at that moment, “This further proves that your ex is an asshole.”

George laughed, leaning back in his chair. “I love how that’s what you’re stuck on.”

“Well, I don’t know what else you want me to say,” Dream said through his own laughter.

“I guess I don’t know either.”

“Wanna try to turn into a horse for me? How’s that?”

“Wow, Dream, didn’t know you were a horse girl.”

“Absolutely not.” Dream wheezed and had to set down his glass while he calmed himself down.

Once they’d both stopped laughing, Dream decided to bring the conversation back to its serious roots.

“Thank you for telling me all that, by the way. You didn’t have to, but I like getting to know you.”

George shrugged it off. “Well we do live together. Plus, you’re the only other one who knows my secret. No use in continuing to pretend like you don’t.”

“Still, thanks.”

“No problem, I guess.”

…

It was George’s birthday.

The rest of their week had come and gone with the two roommates slowly getting closer but otherwise uneventful. Even on Halloween they’d just decided to buy candy and watch some “scary” B movie. Nothing crazy (partially because Sapnap worked that night). The only new development was Dream waking to a sleepy cat every morning now, but he always went to bed alone.

But, now it was George’s birthday.

Sapnap had requested it off to come over so that Dream could throw a proper American birthday for George. He doubted it’d be much different from an English one, but the sentiment was still there. Besides, George swore his birthday didn’t matter. Dream was determined to prove him wrong while not going overboard and making George uncomfortable.

So, a cake was in order. Dream went out right before Sapnap was to arrive and picked one up along with some candles. George was instructed to stay in his room until Dream told him to come out, so Dream had the freedom to set up the cake and candles on the bar without fear of ruining the surprise. He also ordered pizza because that felt very traditionally American in the absence of a grill to cook out on.

Sapnap came bearing the gift of decorations and alcohol. Beers for himself and stuff for mixed drinks for George. They hadn’t all drank together yet, but they’d discussed their preferences before. Dream didn’t particularly like to drink anything at all, so he planned on stealing some of Sap’s mixers later.

“Where’s George?” Sapnap asked.

“I locked him in his room until we were ready.”

Sapnap looked at him incredulously, so Dream explained, “Not literally. I’m just gonna go get him when we’re done setting up.”

After the confusion was cleared, the two tied balloons around the living room and put up the streamers and string of letters spelling “happy birthday.” Once Dream was satisfied, he hurried down the hall to knock on George’s door.

“Am I free to come out now?” Dream heard through the wooden door.

“Yep, come on. Let’s go.”

George opened the door and followed Dream down the hall. Dream hoped desperately that this wasn’t going to be lame for George. He hadn’t spent too much time setting up or anything, but it was still enough that he wanted George to feel special. George had instructed them specifically not to get him gifts, no matter what else they did. Which felt wrong to Dream, but he’d recently bought George a phone and planned on buying him a new bed soon so that made up for it.

They rounded the corner and George immediately put a hand over his mouth.

“What the hell?” George exclaimed.

“Is it that bad?” Sapnap asked.

“No. Just- you guys didn’t have to do all this.”

Dream felt his whole chest light up with warm, gooey joy. George was impressed by their minimal decorating and store-bought cake. Part of him also ached for all the past birthday celebrations George missed out on. It was probably thanks to that bitch of an ex he had, but Dream didn’t want to poke a sore subject so he would never say that out loud.

“It’s really not that-”

“I’m glad you like it.” Dream cut Sapnap off before he could diminish how cool this had to be for George to act so surprised. He didn’t want this ruined for his roommate.

“Does this cake really say ‘world’s biggest idiot’? You guys suck,” George said as he approached the counter.

“Sap’s idea, I swear,” Dream replied.

“Yeah, whatever. You both suck.”

Dream couldn’t help but laugh at that.

Sapnap took up his expected position as bartender, mixing George a “birthday special” while also pouring Dream some soda and cracking open his own beer. After they all had their drinks, they settled around the living room and dove into conversation while waiting for the pizzas to arrive. It was easy now to talk with all three of them. George and Sapnap were much closer from working together and made jabs at each other casually and without offense now. Dream was also subject to their attacks, but mostly he liked to listen to their banter and only join in when he felt like it.

He’d been quietly listening to their teasing when George made a comment that had his ears perking up.

“Yeah, and what about that new waiter? You totally have the hots for him.”

“Wait, what?” Dream butted in.

Sapnap sputtered for a response for a moment before saying, “I do not have a thing for Karl.”

“Obvious lie but okay,” George shot back.

“He’s not even my type.”

“I’d love to know what your type is then,” Dream said.

“Not Karl.”

George scoffed. “Whatever. Like I haven't caught you staring at his ass twice already.”

“Dude.” Dream couldn’t help from laughing. “You got caught checking this guy out two times and you’re still denying it?”

“I wasn’t- it’s not like that. I don’t even like guys,” Sapnap tried.

“That’s not fooling anyone. I hope you know that,” George responded.

“I’ve known you since we were teenagers, and I’m not convinced,” Dream said.

“You know I’ve never liked a guy before, Dream.”

“Okay, fine. I’m not gonna force you to out yourself if you don’t want to or anything, but I don’t think I’ve ever assumed you were fully straight,” Dream said.

Sapnap hesitated to reply, clearly struggling on what to say to that. Dream hoped his best friend felt comfortable enough to come out if he did like a guy, but if not he didn’t want to be pushy. That wasn’t fair to anyone let alone his best friend of nearly a decade.

“I mean is anyone?” George asked.

“What?” Dream asked dumbly after being lost in thought for a moment.

“Fully straight. I don’t think anyone is.”

Sapnap barked out a laugh while Dream silently processed that. Did George just out himself? It made Dream feel a bit tingly to think about, which was…odd.

“Man, you guys aren’t gonna give this up until I admit I think Karl’s hot, huh?” Sapnap asked.

“Dream just said we aren’t forcing you to come out,” George said.

“True, I did, but…is he hot?” Dream asked with curiosity.

George answered “yes” at the same time Sapnap said “I guess.”

Sapnap noticed George’s immediate confirmation and joked, “Okay, now I’m thinking you might have a crush on Karl.”

“No, I don’t.”

“You sure? Maybe you were projecting. You guys were whispering at the host station for a long time the other night.”

“Yeah, about shit customers.”

“Mhm, whatever you say.”

“I’m not drunk enough for this,” George complained before taking a sip of his drink.

Dream’s eyes followed whoever was speaking as his smile grew until he couldn’t hold in his laughter anymore.

“You guys already bicker like you’ve known each other for years,” he said.

Before either of them could reply, there was a knock at the door.

“Hell yeah. Pizza time,” Sapnap said as he got up to get it.

They fell silent as they ate dinner, actually watching (pretending to watch) the movie Sapnap had put on the TV. It was some action movie Dream didn’t recognize, but it wasn’t half bad in all honesty. Once they finished their pizzas, it was time for cake and another round of drinks.

Dream lit the candles for George, who seemed embarrassed by the whole thing. That didn’t stop Sapnap from throwing an arm around his shoulders and starting to sing the “happy birthday” song in his ear. Dream joined in despite George’s groans to knock it off.

At the end of their singing, Dream instructed George to make a wish.

“Really?”

“Come on. You have to,” Sapnap chimed in.

“Fine.” George closed his eyes for a moment, then he opened them to blow out the candles.

“What’d ya wish for?” Sap asked.

“It won’t come true if I tell you,” George said.

“He has a point,” Dream agreed.

Dream pulled out the candles so he could start cutting the cake as Sapnap got their drinks ready. Plates of cake and full drinks in hand, they all headed back to the couch.

“So, does this feel like a good enough party for you?” Sapnap asked George.

“It’s fine. Not a big birthday guy, so I don’t have much to base it off of.”

“All we need now is for Dream to give you your birthday spanking,” Sapnap said.

It went silent save for the television. Dream felt himself go red as he thought about that mental image, but shook it away quickly. It was a joke. A dumb one. Especially dumb once he noticed George’s shocked expression.

“You’re an idiot,” Dream told Sapnap. Then, to George, “It’s a tradition in some families to spank the birthday person once for every year of life.”

George nodded and said, “Weird but okay.”

“And we’re not doing that,” Dream clarified.

“Again, not drunk enough for that,” George said.

“Think we could get you there?” Sapnap asked.

Dream wheezed. “Dude, do you want to see that?”

Sapnap realized himself and looked grossed out. “Fuck no.”

“Thought so,” Dream said between laughs.

He looked over to see George already finishing off his second drink.

“I’m making myself another,” he announced.

“No, let me,” Sapnap said as he stood up. “That’s literally my job.”

“Not here,” Dream countered.

“No, it still is.”

Dream accepted he wasn’t going to convince him otherwise, and George seemed content with not going to the kitchen for a refill. George sighed as he tilted his head back to look at the ceiling, and Dream pretended he didn’t feel the desire to stare at the expanse of his neck. He then noticed George’s closed eyes.

“You good?”

“Just starting to feel it. I think Sapnap’s trying to get me plastered,” George replied.

“Maybe,” Sapnap said as he reentered the room and handed the birthday boy his drink.

George opened his eyes and took the drink. “Not complaining. I haven’t drank in ages.”

As the night progressed and more drinks were downed, Dream couldn’t help but notice how much closer George was sitting compared to Sapnap on his other side. He swore that wasn’t the case hours earlier when they’d started this celebration. Dream hadn’t had a drop of alcohol, yet he felt hotter in his skin for some reason. He wanted to blame it on something other than George’s closeness, but he was coming up short on another explanation. It wasn’t bad though. Dream was having a great time.

Having Sapnap beside him and George pressed to his other side as they talked over the TV playing whatever random movie was up next after Sapnap’s pick was really close to a perfect night for Dream. He hoped George was enjoying it just as much, but based on his never ending smile and consistent laughter, Dream had to guess he was. Dream was glad. He hoped this could become a tradition for all their birthdays going forward.

“Alright guys, I’m gonna head out,” Sapnap announced.

“You good to drive?” Dream asked.

“I haven’t had a drink in like two hours. I’m good.”

“Right.” Dream hadn’t even noticed with George continuing to drink the entire time.

They said their goodbyes and goodnights then Sapnap was out the door.

With Sapnap gone, Dream started to pick up their leftovers and trash from around the apartment. George just lounged on the couch watching silently. He didn’t even get on his phone. It’d be unnerving if it were anyone else but George. Having his eyes on you in any way was enough to make your heart pound. Or maybe Dream needed to evaluate some things. Not on George’s birthday though. He was just going to finish cleaning up and go to bed.

George got up and crossed into the kitchen where Dream was washing cups. He leaned against the counter beside the sink and reached out to touch Dream’s arm casually.

“Come onnnn. Let’s go to bed,” he whined.

Dream paused for a split second before rinsing the cup in his hands and turning off the water.

“Give me a sec.”

“No. I want to go now.”

Dream dried off his hands with a smirk. Needy George was something he could get used to.

George pushed off the counter to lead them down the hall and, instead of turning off to his own room, he surprised Dream by pushing straight into Dream’s room. Dream paused in the doorway as George went to sit on the bed.

“Are you gonna…” his voice trailed off, unsure if he even wanted what he was requesting.

George looked confused for a moment before a strange look came over his face. “Oh yeah, right.” He stood up and rolled his shoulders, preparing to shift.

Dream spoke again to stop him, “Would you ever shift in front of Sap? If he knew?”

“Probably not. You’re different.”

There was a pregnant pause as those words hit Dream. Before he could question him further, George was covering for himself.

“Because you, uh, you’ve seen me do it before.”

“Oh. Right.”

Dream couldn’t help as he watched George’s body contort and shrink that maybe this was more special than George was letting on. Could it all be in his head? Sure. But George seemed to mean something else when he called Dream different. While dying to know what it truly meant, Dream knew better than to push George while he was ahead. With George curling up by his pillows in cat form, Dream felt ahead right then.

He climbed in beside George and tried desperately not to overthink any of this. They’d been sleeping in the same bed for almost a week, even if George always started in his own room this was where he ended up by morning. It was completely natural for them to skip the part where he pretends his futon is comfortable. That’s all this was anyway.

Right?

…

When Dream woke up the following morning, he was more doubtful of his conclusions from the night prior when he tried to roll over and couldn't because of the force of someone holding him in place. He turned his head to see George, human George, laying beside him. An arm and a leg were both thrown over Dream’s body as the other man peacefully slept.

Body stiffened and eyes stuck on the man wrapped around him, Dream was in shock. George, the one he’d spent so long trying to crack open, the one he fully expected to move out as soon as the other could find a new place, the man he thought barely liked him, was now cuddling him in Dream’s bed. It felt out of character, but in a way it also felt natural. George was getting touchier the closer he got to Dream and Sapnap, but this? This felt different. Different from petting his cat form as they both slowly woke up. More…intimate.

Dream liked to show his love for his friends through touch, sure, but that mainly consisted of hugs not cuddles. He was far from complaining though - as his body relaxed into George’s touch - because he found it was actually quite nice to be held. He was just a bit touch starved from being single for so long and keeping boundaries around this kind of stuff with his friends. Well, he wasn’t sure if he’d exactly want this from Sapnap.

Did that mean something? Dream had known for a while that George was different from anyone he’d ever been friends with before, but he thought previously that it was just because of the secret and apartment they both shared. Now, with George in his human form in his bed with their bodies pressed close, Dream couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to it than that. His heart hadn’t stopped pounding since he’d realized their position; he was fearful it’d wake the other if he didn’t calm down. He had to admit that he at least didn’t want this to end. Not yet. Not when Dream was so close to an epiphany.

However, George groaned as he rolled off of Dream to stretch out his limbs which signaled he was waking up. Dream rolled over to face George, hoping that the burning on his face didn’t show through a tint of pink on his skin. He blushed easily though, so perhaps George would brush it off. George’s eyes opened and he looked immediately at Dream. There was something in them, but Dream couldn’t distinguish what it was. He wondered, though, if it were fear. He didn’t want George to be afraid to touch him, not when he was accepting how lovely it was to be so close to the other.

“Good morning,” Dream said, hoping to break the tension filling the space between them.

It didn’t work.

“I- I’m sorry.”

Dream wanted to reach out, run his fingers over George’s arm or maybe his cheek, and try to show him it was okay. To let him know he liked the touches. Maybe even show George that he craved the other’s proximity.

In the end, he kept his hands to himself.

“No need for that,” Dream said.

“I just…shouldn’t do stuff like that without asking. It’s…weird. Right? It’s weird.”

Dream shook his head as he fully rolled onto his side to face George.

“It’s not weird to me.”

George’s eyes scanned over Dream’s face, searching for something but Dream didn’t know what. All he knew was that being under George’s gaze made him feel warmer than before. He was learning that maybe he liked that.

“I have to piss,” George announced suddenly before basically jumping out of Dream’s bed to disappear into the hall.

Dream sighed and rolled onto his back again, staring at the white ceiling. He was realizing that maybe he was deeper in than he thought.

…

A couple hours later - when Dream could no longer ignore his grumbling stomach - he decided to come out into the shared space. As he rounded the corner into the kitchen, he saw the back of George’s head over the bar. He was sitting on the couch scrolling through his phone. Dream didn’t say anything as he made himself some toast. Once his food was plated, he walked around to sit beside his roommate on the couch.

They were quiet as Dream ate his breakfast, but Dream’s mind was far from the same. Since George had abruptly left him alone in bed, his thoughts hadn’t ceased racing. Something clicked into place for him when he woke up wrapped in George’s embrace. Something he knew he couldn’t ignore for long. Well, there were a couple things. First, he definitely liked going to bed and waking up with George. Second, he definitely liked George, period. However, he was going to be coming back to the latter realization later.

“How’d you sleep?” Dream asked, hoping to ease them into conversation.

George sighed and put his phone down on his lap. “Look, you don’t have to be nice about it. I know I overstepped, and I could say I was too drunk but that’s never a good excuse. I still knew better than to subject you to that without asking first.”

Dream just stared at George, shocked, for a moment. Yeah, maybe cuddling was something you talked about before you did it while sleeping together, but Dream just assumed cuddling came with sharing a bed. George had just always been in his other form before, so it was different then. If he felt like shifting in the middle of the night and felt like holding onto Dream, well honestly he was honored along with a warm fuzziness in his chest.

But, George felt bad. Dream didn’t want to invalidate that.

“Thank you for saying that, but I meant what I said before. It’s really not weird or anything, and I- well, honestly I, uh, liked it.”

“Really?” George didn’t sound like he believed him.

“Yeah. It’s been awhile since I’ve actually shared a bed with anyone or, you know, cuddled or whatever.” Dream could feel his cheeks burning, and he knew his expression had to be giving him away yet he continued. “I wouldn’t mind if it happened again. If you want that.”

It was then that he noticed George’s cheeks were dusted pink as well, and he saw the way George avoided looking Dream in the eye.

“I mean the futon does suck ass, so if you don’t care…I’d like to keep sleeping with you.”

They both realized how that last comment sounded and, before George could save himself, Dream busted out laughing. George smacked his arm lightly.

“Literally shut up. You know what I meant,” George said.

“Yeah, you want to sleep together, huh George?” Dream teased between bouts of laughter.

George was properly blushing at that point. He shook his head, feigning annoyance.

“You’re so stupid.”

“You love me,” Dream countered as he caught his breath.

George scoffed. “No.”

“Aw come on, admit it. You totally do.”

“I barely know you.”

“We could change that,” Dream said before he could overthink it.

George gave him a look. Dream was getting better at reading his roommate, and it looked somewhat like interest.

“Yeah? What do you mean by that?” George asked.

“I mean that you could literally ask me anything, and I’d answer,” Dream said. “About my life, opinions, plans, anything.”

George hesitated before asking, “How are you so good?”

This caught Dream by surprise. “I’m just me, I dunno. Not trying to be good or anything.”

“That’s exactly it. You don’t try, and yet you’re one of the best people I’ve ever met.” George flipped his phone over and over in his lap, fidgeting as he made his admission.

“Thank you, I- I think you’re good too, George.”

“You don’t have to just say that.”

“I’m not. I mean it.”

Dream looked at George even though the other’s eyes were cast downward. Dream decided he really wanted them on him instead. He reached out and gently held George’s jaw, guiding him to face Dream again. Once they made eye contact, Dream couldn’t help the overwhelming urge that overtook him to kiss George. Right there on the couch. Right after they both admitted they wanted to share a bed. After both admitting they thought the other was good. It was such a tender moment, and Dream wished for so much more.

His eyes moved down George’s face of their own accord, landing on his lips. They looked soft, plush even though they weren’t necessarily as thick as some of the women Dream had wanted to kiss. George was the first man he’d seriously considered kissing. It was…a lot to take in. But he wanted it. He wanted George so badly that he ached to know what he’d taste like.

“George,” Dream started. “Can I…try something?”

George swallowed. “Yeah,” he said softly before clearing his throat and repeating, “Yeah.”

Dream leaned in a miniscule amount. “Are you sure?”

“Dream.” George stared straight into Dream’s gaze. “Whatever it is, just do it.”

Taking the confirmation and running with it, Dream closed the distance.

Kissing a man for the first time was far from Dream’s mind because he was kissing George. The enigmatic, beautiful, and captivating man he got to call his roommate. His friend. George. George’s lips were just as soft as he’d imagined against his own slightly chapped ones. He scooted closer, trying to get a better angle on the kiss.

Dream didn’t get to savor the moment for long, though, because suddenly he was falling forward slightly. He opened his eyes as he caught himself to see nothing but empty air in front of him. He looked down and, sure enough, George was in cat form on the cushion beside him. Dream was confused by the sudden transformation, but before he could question George on his shift the front door swung open.

There was the sound of Sapnap’s greeting as he slipped off his shoes at the door. Panic filled Dream’s chest as the realization hit him that it was too late to hide their predicament. Sapnap was going to see George as a cat. Obviously he wouldn’t know it was George, but this wasn’t good.

“Hey, dude. What’s- is that a fucking cat?”

“Uh, yeah.” Dream turned to Sapnap to see confusion all over his face.

“When did you guys get a cat?” Sapnap asked.

“Long story actually.”

“Like that’s ever stopped you from telling me something before.”

Dream huffed a nervous laugh. “Okay, good point.” Dream looked down at the wide eyes of the cat beside him. “Um, so this is Bas-”

A loud meow made Dream fall quiet. George looked between Dream and Sapnap before jumping off the couch and trotting past the kitchen, around the corner, and into the hallway. Dream’s eyes followed after him, waiting for some sign that it was okay to continue with the half-assed lie he was cooking up.

Then, George in human form walked around the corner with his hands motioning towards himself.

“Ta-da. It’s me,” George said flatly.

Sapnap looked even more confused. “What? Are you gonna tell me why you got a cat?”

George slowly approached them, but he stopped just outside of the living room.

“Here’s the thing: we didn’t. That’s what I’m saying. It’s actually just me,” George said.

Sapnap shook his head. “Okay, funny. But seriously, where did the cat come from?”

George glanced at Dream, desperation fierce in his eyes. Dream took the hint.

“The library,” he began. “Do you remember me adopting that cat for work?”

Sapnap nodded.

“Do you also remember the lunch thief I told you about?”

“Yeah man, but what does that have to do with anything?”

“Turns out they were the same, uh, thing? Person? I don’t-”

“It was me,” George cut him off. “I was the cat Dream adopted, and I was so sick of cat food I started stealing from the break room.”

Sapnap laughed, but it didn’t feel quite genuine. “You’re both fucking with me.”

George sighed. “I wish, but no.” He took a few more steps towards Sapnap before finally saying, “I’m a shapeshifter.”

Sapnap made a face. “Okay, seriously what the hell is wrong with you guys? A shapeshifter? Do you think I’m 10?”

“He’s not messing with you,” Dream jumped in. “I’ve seen him shift, and it’s- it’s hard to watch honestly. But it’s real. That’s why I randomly got a roommate. Did you think I would’ve changed my mind without talking to you first if I had the choice?”

“So, you saw George shift and decided to live together?” Sap asked.

“Not because I saw it, but yeah. I felt bad for keeping him locked in the library once I knew he wasn’t really a cat.”

Sapnap looked between his friends, clearly searching for some semblance of a crack in the facade he thought they were holding up. Not finding one, his expression morphed into something closer to curiosity and hurt.

“You’re not lying to me right now? This is for real?”

“We wouldn’t keep up a bit this long,” George said. “Plus, that’s a pretty weird joke to try.”

Sapnap came over to sit beside Dream on the couch, clearly trying to take it all in.

“So, you can turn into a cat and I just had no idea?”

“I mean it’s not something I broadcast to the world,” George replied as he followed Sapnap into the living room. He sat down on the floor in front of Sapnap.

“I’m not the world though, I’m- I thought we were friends.” Sapnap seemed genuinely hurt by this, which Dream should’ve expected but somehow didn’t. He expected anger and confusion, but not hurt.

“I know, I know. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you once we got close,” George said. “I was just…scared.”

“Scared of what? I’d never be mad at you. I’m not happy you were both lying to me, but I’m not gonna hold it against you.”

George scooted in closer to Sapnap. “It’s not that I wanted to lie or keep secrets from you. It’s just that it’s not gone well every time I’ve told someone about my abilities. Even people I was close to, trusted, loved.” He glanced at Dream then back to Sapnap. “I’ve been surprised before, so I thought it was better to just hide it than risk it. I’m sorry, I should’ve given you more credit.”

“Hell yeah you should’ve,” Sapnap said. “I think it’s badass.”

“Seriously?” George asked.

“You’re like a superhero, dude. Yeah, seriously.”

Dream chuckled. “You kinda are a superhero, aren’t you?”

George grimaced. “Absolutely not. I just turn into animals. That’s it.”

“It’s your superpower, man. Like, that’s so fucking cool.” Sapnap was grinning now. “I have so many questions.”

“No more secrets,” George promised. “Ask away.”

George ended up explaining what he’d told Dream about his ex-girlfriend’s curse and how he came to be in an American animal shelter stuck as a cat. He told him no, it doesn’t hurt to shift every time, and yes, he can do it on command most of the time. Sapnap demanded to see, but George declined. Sapnap didn’t push it further after being denied, but did grumble a little that it wasn’t fair Dream got to see and not him. Dream was happy with how open Sapnap was to learning about this part of George once he accepted they weren’t lying again.

“Are you scared of dogs?” Sapnap asked.

George scoffed. “No. Why?”

“Dunno, just with the whole part-cat thing. Cats are scared of dogs sometimes.”

Dream couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ll be honest, I wondered the same thing.”

“You are both children. Did you miss the whole part of this where I said I used to be able to turn into any animal? That included dogs, you know.”

“Whatever,” Sapnap mumbled, making them all laugh.

Their conversations fell into their normal groove until Sapnap checked the time, cursed, and had to rush out for his shift. Dream wondered why he even stopped by to begin with, but who knew with Sapnap.

Once alone again, Dream began to feel the weight of his actions pulling down on him. He’d kissed George without explicit consent. Clearly part of George didn’t expect that to happen, hence the sudden shift. He’d surprised George, just as he had in the library all that time ago. Dream felt guilty for just jumping him like that.

“Hey, I’m sorry for what I did earlier,” Dream said.

“Yeah, more of a heads up would’ve been nice,” George replied with no malice behind his words.

“I just wasn’t thinking. That’s not an excuse, just- that’s all I’ve got. Sorry.”

George scooted over so that he was sitting on the floor in front of Dream instead of the empty cushion that once held their friend. He reached out and grabbed one of Dream’s hands off of his lap, holding it gently between both of his own. His hands were soft - like most of George - and careful as he squeezed a bit. It was grounding yet also as exhilarating as any contact with George was. Dream was so glad he was coming to terms with what that meant for him, but a small voice in his head protested that George was just being nice. He didn’t feel the same.

“I accept your apology,” George started. “But really, I’m more sorry I ruined our first kiss.”

Dream’s brow furrowed with confusion. “What?”

George’s face broke into a smile. “I hoped our first kiss wouldn’t be interrupted by me turning into a cat then Sapnap walking in.”

First kiss? That implied future kisses, right?

“Does that mean-”

“Kiss me again,” George demanded.

“You’re sure?”

George rolled his eyes. “I’ll take it back if you don’t just do it.”

Not wanting to risk that, Dream moved forward on the couch and leaned down to George’s level. When their lips met for the second time, Dream could taste the joy on George’s lips. It tasted like sunshine and sweets, and Dream was intoxicated by it. He hesitantly placed his hands on either side of George’s face to pull him up closer. George was smiling into the kiss, making the whole world seem brighter somehow even as Dream’s eyes were closed.

George pulled away first because if Dream had it his way they would never part again. However, they needed to talk about this. Just kissing didn’t mean much if George didn’t feel the same as Dream. But, based on the glee on George’s face, Dream felt he could pin some hope on it.

“That was better,” George said quietly.

“Yeah.”

“So, what took you so long?” George asked, startling Dream.

“Wha- what do you mean?”

George chuckled. “You’ve been pining like a lovesick teen since we properly met. Once I noticed, I tried to show you it was okay with me. But you just never made a move.”

“You knew?” Dream was in shock.

“What? Did you not?”

“Uh, not until this morning, no.”

George fully laughed at that. “You’re joking.” When Dream just stared at George incredulously, he said, “Holy shit, you’re not.”

“Alright look, it’s been a long time since I’ve had a crush or whatever.” Dream could feel his cheeks heating up and cursed himself for never being able to hide his emotions.

“Or whatever?” George smirked.

“Shut up.”

“You know you can make me,” he shot back.

As much as that made Dream’s heart jump, he needed to hear George say it; he needed him to admit he felt it too.

“Not until you say it back.”

“You didn’t say anything.”

Dream sighed dramatically. “I like you, okay? Now I want to hear you say it.”

George leaned up to kiss Dream on the cheek before he whispered, “I like you too, idiot.”

After, they kissed until their lips were red and their stomachs were growling. Everything they did, from preparing food to sitting on their phones together after eating, it all felt so domestic with confessions out in the open. Later, they’d discuss labels and telling Sapnap, but not until after they took the time to get used to the new set of boundaries taking shape between them. When George began to yawn, they didn’t need to pretend he wanted to sleep alone. They got ready and laid down together in their bed.

In the days following, George opened up more than he had the entire time Dream had known him. It was like confessing had made every wall just vanish. Dream was beyond thrilled to have George, to know George, to be with George in every sense possible. Even when Sapnap poked fun about being a third wheel now, he knew that his little family was an endless source of happiness. Call him a sap or whatever, but Dream couldn’t be more content with life. Perfect job, fine apartment, wonderful partner, and terrific best friend.

What more could he ask for?