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"Got any other ideas?" George asked, glancing over at Dream who was fidgeting with a pen. He sat opposite him on the picnic rug they were sharing, trying to brainstorm ideas on how to get their friends together. As this was their first proper hang out, and they weren't even doing it because they wanted to hang out with the other, they'd agreed to meet at a park instead of one of their houses.
George realised as he'd arrived that this was a lot like a date and was somewhat confused why Dream had suggested this. Regardless, he'd brushed it off for the sake of getting their friends together.
"Nope, so far 'pretend double date' is our only option." Dream responded, finishing a doodle on the margin of his notebook. George groaned at his response, flopping into a lying down position with his head beside Dream's elbows in which he was leaning on.
"Well, I guess it's the best we got then. I just want to go home." George told him; his voice muffled by the ground. Realising that could come off as a little rude or snarky, he quickly added "It's cold." to his words.
A rustle and then a moment later, a warm blanket laid on top of his back, causing George to smile and turn over to curl into it. As he soon noticed, it was, in fact, not a blanket, but a hoodie. Glancing over at Dream who now only sported a t-shirt and jeans as his warmth, he frowned.
"There!" Dream said with a satisfied expression. "Less cold now grumpy?" he earned a huff as a response. George's eyes raked over the blondes arms for a moment before meeting his eyes again, dismissing the pink blush for the cold.
"No." He remarked, spotting the shiver the taller tried so hard to hide. "Now you're cold." Dream shrugged his shoulders, sitting up and rubbing his hands up and down his arms in an attempt to warm him up.
"Well, we can't get everything we want in life can we?" He replied. Sensing he wanted to move on, George shifted the topic of conversation back to their idea on how to set their friends up.
"Okay, so, you tell Sapnap I asked you on a date and need him to 'pretend' to go on one with Karl, like a double date, because you're a pussy and are afraid to go by yourself." He explained, subtly burying his face in the hoodie so he could smell it. "And I'll tell Karl that I asked you on a date and want him to come on a 'pretend' double date with me in case I find you more annoying than I already do."
Dream huffed at his plan. "Why do you get to be the one asking me on a date? Why I can't I've asked you?"
"Well, we can't get everything we in life can we?" George mocked, poking the other's thigh with a teasing smile. "Anyways, we'll go to like, a theme park or festival or something, have lunch or dinner all together and then split up so they can be by themselves. Then we'll meet up at the end and hopefully something would've happened."
"Great, so not only do I have to put up with your grumpy ass, but I also have to pretend to like you for three hours or more? Can't wait Georgie!" Dream teased, ruffling the shorter boy's hair, earning flushed cheeks at the nickname and a slap for the hand in his hair. He didn't seem to objective to when the other kept it there and continued with his combing through it.
A buzz from George's phone snapped them out of their trance, reminding both boys they needed to get home soon. So, with a little disappointment on either end (not that either would show it) they packed up their things and headed home.
Climbing into his car, George ducked his head and rested it on the steering wheel. A red hue covered his face as he reminded himself of the events that day. Maybe it would be easier to pretend than he thought.
~~~~
It wasn't hard to go to Karl and say he needed to talk to him about something. After all, they lived in the same house, so they spoke all the time. It was more difficult however to lie to said best friend even if it was something he knew he wanted.
"Karl," George approached his friend cautiously as the taller cooked. He got a hum as a response and an urge to continue. Panicking as he didn't know how to stall the conversation, George just blurted out what he wanted to say. "Karl I asked Dream on a date but I need you to come with me as I'm really nervous so can you pretend to come on a double date with me Dream and Sapnap as your date?"
He spoke fast and stumbled over a few words but knew he got the message across clearly when the stove was turned off and his friend turned to face him, placing his hands on his hips. The stare he received was blank for a while, eyes darting across his face to tell if he was joking. When no signs of any obvious lies (even thought it was sort of one) Karl's face broke into a grin and he wrapped his arms tightly around his short friend.
"I knew you liked him!" He laughed, George gently reciprocating the hug. Karl gently pulled away to stare into George's eyes. "And yes I'll happily go with you! Don't worry, Sappy and I will give you two plenty of alone time! What's the plan?"
"Um, we're going to a festival this weekend, the four of us can eat lunch or dinner, whatever works out best, together, and then we can go on some rides and play some games and stuff." George hoped that passed as a cover. He desperately wanted the two to be happy.
"Sounds great!" Karl responded; a wide smile present on his face. He turned back to their dinner and George let out a silent sigh of relief their plan worked. He gently pulled out his phone to text Dream to good news and found a message from him already. He smiled at the name, unfortunately being the moment Karl turned around to grab something, finding amusing to see the brunette smiling at his phone.
"He texted you?" He asked teasingly. George blushed and opened his phone to read the message rather than stare at his contact name.
"Yup." He admitted quietly. The message he'd received read of Dream's success on his end to convince Sapnap to come. George shot a message announcing his triumph back before turning off his phone and heading back upstairs.
Now all he had to do was pretend. While also not pretending.
This would be difficult.
~~~~~
The sky was close to setting as Karl and George arrived at the festival, the latter lugging a picnic basket filled with dinner options as they went to meet Sapnap and Dream.
George was terrified. Karl seemed to be acting like going on a date with Sapnap was a daily occurrence. (🧐) Which was ironic because George was the one 'pretending' to like Dream while he knew Karl already liked Sapnap.
As the boys in question came into view, Karl leapt forwards to give Sapnap a hug, quietly whispering something in his ear which caused the other to nod and chuckle at his words, before delivering one to Dream as well, which was noticeably shorter.
Dream reached down to hug George as well, swiftly intercepting the basket he was holding and shifting it into his own hand and placing a gentle kiss on George's cheek to keep up the act.
(This should be clear enough already, but in case it isn't, George likes Dream.)
George glanced at him slightly before intertwining their hands to go along with it. As they turned to face the others, Sapnap had his arm wrapped around Karl's shoulder, both boys smirking at the two.
Dinner was enjoyable for all four of them, chatting aimlessly, the only sign that anything had changed from the hangouts Sapnap, and Karl forced their friends into going to was Dream and George's tangled feet under the bench they were sitting at, and Sapnap's hand looped though Karl's.
It wasn't long before they were finished, Karl side eying Sapnap as if to send him a telepathic message. The ravenette seemed to understand it, expressing his interest with going to play some carnival games.
Dream gently nudged George at this, signalling this was the moment they spilt up. "I'd like to go on some rides." George told the others.
"I'll come with." Dream responded, giving George a fond smile, the believability that it was filled with love almost fooling George. Sapnap gave him a smirk, reason unbeknownst to George, and saluted the two boys with promises to meet up just after the firework show which started at eight.
The second Karl and Sapnap were out of sight, George dropped Dream's hand with a sigh and began to follow them. A gentle grip on his wrist held him back.
"Where are you going?" Dream asked softly, loosening his grip. George gave him a confused look.
"To follow Karl and Sapnap?" He replied in a questioning tone. "Like we planned?" Dream's hands clasped together, and he fidgeted with the skin around his fingernails.
"Well, we have two hours or so, so I figured we could just hang out." Dream seemed nervous as he spoke, pulling off skin around his nails and flicking it to the ground. George's eyebrows furrowed and he thought about the offer, ultimately deciding against it.
"No, I'd rather follow them and make sure they're all right." He responded, shaking his head. Noticing the way Dream's shoulders slightly slumped, he sighed and reached forwards to collect one of the blonde's hands in his own. "And stop doing that."
He led the taller through the crowd to catch up to their friends. As a distraction, the two went to play some games, as if they were just regularly hanging out.
"Come on!" George remarked, tugging Dream away from the game he had been playing in an attempt to catch up with the others. The taller sighed, dragging the other away from them, towards a quieter spot and gripped the other's forearms.
"George. Chill," he told him. "We've been following them around for nearly 1 and a half hours, you just need to enjoy yourself!"
"But what if something goes wrong! What if Karl confesses, and Sapnap rejects him! Or –"
"George they're already dating." Dream's voice interrupts George's rant, gently moving his hands to hold the brunette's cheeks, earning a confused squeak from his sentence and a growing blush from the placement of his hands.
"How do you know?" The older asked quietly, wondering why Karl didn't tell him this. Dream shrugged.
"I've had my suspicions. They're quite often going to hang out together, I think I've seen Karl kiss Sapnap on the cheek as he dropped him off once or twice, and this entire night they've been holding hands and acting like a genuine couple. Heck, when your back was turned once, Sapnap kissed Karl." He sighed softly, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment.
"So, this was all for nothing?" George asked in a slightly annoyed tone, moving away from Dream, causing the green-eyed man to drop his arms back down to his sides. The man hesitated before speaking.
"Well," He began quietly. "I don't think it was exactly for nothing. We had fun. That's what matters." George shook his head, anger bubbling inside of him.
"No! You knew they were dating and said nothing! We wouldn't've had to go on this date in the first place if you'd just told me." He stepped away, hurt spreading across his face. "Why did you lie?" He whispered.
Dream hung his head. "I wanted to go on a date with you." He muttered, only just loud enough for the other to hear. "Sorry. I'll go." Leaving no time for the other to process his words, he left in search of the other two.
George blinked a few times, the words slowly registering in his mind. As he realised what the blonde had said, he gasped, quickly running after him.
But the crowd was large due to the rapidly approaching firework show so he continuously was pushed in the opposite direction to where he needed to go. There were other people somehow taller than the man, so it was easy to lose him with the amount on people there.
It was beginning to get cold too, George only bringing a t-shirt, not expecting it to get cold enough to warrant a hoodie. So as the clocked ticked down to the show and when George needed to find his way out of that place and go home, he began to panic.
He couldn't find his friends, there were too many people, it was dark and cold, and he was beginning to wish he'd never tried to set up Karl and Sapnap in the first place.
He sat down beside a closed down stall, curling up into a ball to try keep warm. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes, and he pressed them into his knees. The jeans he was wearing didn't seem to be providing any warmth, so the heat he was desperately craving continued to leave him.
If only he hadn't ignored all Dream's obvious signs that he liked him back. Then they wouldn't have a problem. Then they could've enjoyed their 'date' and possibly gone on more.
He didn't know how long passed, but he heard the firework show occur and end, as people began trickling out of the grounds. The screams of excitement and fright from those on the rollercoasters could still be heard, signalling the place was still open, which was a relief.
It wasn't until he was surrounded by the warmth of someone's arms did he look up. He spotted the lime green hoodie and sighed, relaxing into the embrace, and soaking up the warmth provided. He gently hugged back, wrapping his arms around the blonde's waist, and burying his head into the man's shoulder.
"Dream." He said quietly, letting himself be carefully shifted into the others lap as Dream leaned back.
"George, thank goodness you're okay." The taller breathed, pulling away from the hug to examine the elders face. "Are you okay, oh my goodness, I'm so sorry for leaving you, we've been looking for you for the past half hour when you didn't show up to go home, I'm half convinced Karl and Sapnap are making out it the parking lot and not actually helping, and -"
A hand was placed over the others mouth to stop him continuing. "Dream." George said sternly. "Yes I am fucking freezing, yes Karl and Sapnap are most likely making out. Chill."
The blonde took in a light breath before his gaze dropped to George's lips which caused a worried expression to take over his face.
"Your lips are blue; you must be freezing!" He exclaimed, eyes meeting George's brown ones, pupils blown out from the lack of light. The brunette chuckled.
"Well, you better kiss them to warm them up." He responded casually with an unusual boost of confidence. Dream blinked a few times, a moment of realisation and remembrance and then sadness washed over his face. He slightly backed away and began moving George off his lap.
"Sorry." He muttered. George gripped his forearms and gave him a confused look, rooting himself in place.
"What do you think you're doing?" He demanded, and Dream stopped, allowing George to settle back comfortably into the tallers lap, wrapping his legs around his waist so he couldn't be moved again.
"I thought that was you remembering and reminding me that you don't like me back." Dream said cautiously. His hands hovered over George's hips, unsure on whether or not to place them down, desperately trying not to make the other uncomfortable.
"Who said anything about not liking you back?" George questioned, moving his face closer to Dream's. His hands threaded through Dream's hair, arms wrapping around his neck and pressing their chest together. Dream's eyes furrowed, making a subtle glance at George's lips, then darting back up in confusion.
"What do you –" Dream began, being cut off from the feeling of cold lips being pressed to his own.
He took a second to register the action before kissing back, enjoying the feeling of the other lips on his own. They gently moved against the others, no intent to take anything further. George's body gently began collecting the warmth he so desperately wanted as Dream's body, pressed against his own shared it.
Even if it had taken him awhile to accept and realise it, George really liked the blonde, with his stubborn streak that often got him into trouble but soft side that made people fall for him. As they gently parted from their kiss, George's head gently rested on Dream's chest snuggling closer to him.
"I never said I didn't want to go on a date with you, Dream." He told the taller, humming in satisfaction as the other tangled his hand in his hair. "You ran away before I could respond."
He shifted his head, so his chin rested on the others chest, whining quietly as Dream's hand was removed from his hair. "I guess this whole thing was worth it." Dream's expression melted at the brunettes words, and he smiled, placing a chaste kiss on his lips.
"We should get going." Dream whispered. George shook his head, burying it in the youngers shoulder.
"Carry me." He demanded. The blonde chuckled, shifting his arms to wrap around the brunette and move him into a position where he could be carried back to the car.
Upon arriving at said car, the two boys were greeted by a messy haired Sapnap and a blushing Karl who was trying desperately to hide his neck. Dream rolled his eyes at their antics.
"Karl, please take Sapnap back to his and my house. I'll take George back to yours using our car, okay?" Dream requested, moving towards his car as he shifted George's weight onto one hand as to pull his keys out of his back pocket.
"Is he okay?" Karl asked curiously, tugging Sapnap slowly in the direction of their own.
"Yeh, just cold. But it's okay, I'll warm him up." Dream confirmed, slowly moving the sleepy brunette into the passenger seat of his car. He blinked slowly at him, a smirk forming on his face while looking over at the blonde as he climbed into the front seat.
"Oh, will you now?" George said in a groggy voice, reaching over and intertwining their fingers as he looked over with a fond smile. Dream lightly glared at him before driving in the direction of Karl and George's house.
"Not like that idiot. I meant with blankets and if your lucky, cuddles from me as well." He responded, squeezing George's hand gently.
It wasn't long until they arrived at the house, Dream swiftly picking George up in the same way he did at the festival and unlocked the front door to the house using George's keys. Not bothering to turn on any lights, the blonde made his way to George's room with directions from the elder.
The two settled into George's bed comfortably, their legs intertwined with Dream's arms wrapped around George's body, the brunette's head buried in the blonde's shoulder.
"Warm." George whispered quietly. Dream hummed quietly, placing a kiss on the side of George's head.
"Night Georgie." Dream whispered as the two drifted off calmly into sleep.