Archive of Our Own

Day One

“And, what do you think?”

George makes his way back into the living room of their rented flat and locks eyes with his best friend Sapnap. He looked at George with a tilted head and curious eyes. They just arrived in a ski resort where Sapnap had spent every winter in his childhood and the brunet wanted George to be as fond of the place as much as he was. Sapnap knew the landlord, they were old friends of his parents, and they were able to score the small flat at an affordable price for the two students.

“I like it, it’s cosy. And it is bigger than our dorm.”

“That’s not hard.”

George chuckled as he picked up his suitcase and carried it into one of the two bedrooms. They weren’t big, more practical than comfortable, but it was okay. They were only staying in this flat for a week. A week away from their studies. A week to get their upcoming exams out of their head and to spend their last break together before they both will graduate.

George was glad that Sapnap suggested this holiday to him. They didn’t know yet if they would keep living together after getting their diploma. Heck, George didn’t even know what job he wanted to pick up. The holiday held a bittersweet taste but for now, they just wanted to enjoy themselves.

Over dinner, they discussed their plans for their stay and George was once again reminded that Sapap was way better at winter sports than George was. While his best friend knew how to snowboard and did it every year, George’s only experience in skiing was from years back when he had been in a ski resort with his family. He barely remembered anything but Sapnap assured him that he would remember as soon as he stood on skis again. George decided to trust Sapnap since he seemed to have good general knowledge in this field. Beforehand, they rented a pair of skis for George and a snowboard for Sapnap online as well as all the gear that they needed to be safe.

“Actually, I have a confession to make. I booked a private instructor for your first day here.”

George nearly spat out his food. He just wanted to enjoy his week of vacation in peace and he knew his best friend. His pranks were what made George's life interesting but they also annoyed him a lot, especially when he came unprepared for them.

Sapnap explained that his parents suggested that since they had done the same thing every year in Sapnap’s childhood. It was a good way to be reminded of the techniques and to feel safer for the rest of the holiday. George had some doubts about that. Despite it being embarrassing, he also just wanted to enjoy his holiday and not exactly do that much physical activity. But he knew his best friend and he knew that he loved snowboarding and just being in the snow, so he agreed to do at least one hour with the private instructor. How bad could it be?

“I just want you to have fun as well. And if you enjoy skiing, then maybe we can go on more winter holidays in the future.”

The next morning, the two friends made their way to the lift that would take them to the middle of the mountain. It was crowded, even though they were fairly early to avoid the greatest masses of people. Still, it took ages for them to get into the cable car gondola. George nearly fell asleep as soon as his back hit the seat. They had to get up early to pick up their rented gear and Sapnap’s discipline was admirable to George. He would never have actually been able to follow through with their plan, only because of his lack of motivation, that is.

“We are meeting Karl at the middle station.”

Sapnap had been giddy the whole morning, his reunion with his childhood friend coming closer by the second. Sapnap and Karl spent every winter together when they had been kids since their families both spent their winters in this ski resort. Their parents soon caught on to their friendship and booked the same ski school courses for the both of them so they could spend time together every year. Now, Sapnap was excited for his two best friends to finally meet as well, both being some of the most important people in his life.

“I still think it is unfair that you get to spend the whole day with Karl and I have to do these stupid lessons.”

George crossed his arms, pouting his lips. Sapnap laughed at him, patting George on his rented ski helmet because he couldn’t reach his hair to ruffle it. Luckily, both of their rented helmets and goggles were just black and white. George had seen the pictures that Sapnap had sent him over the last winters, sometimes sporting neon-coloured helmets and goggles that didn’t match in colour.

“It’s going to be okay, George. Seriously.”

George huffed but deep down he knew that Sapnap probably was correct. It was the ski instructor's job and he probably wouldn’t care that George only learned how to ski now that he was an adult. It probably wasn’t unusual. But still, this pit of anxiety stayed in George’s stomach. He would have to spend at least that hour with the instructor that Sapnap had already paid for and gifted him. After that, he could just stick to Karl and Sapnap and ski around the whole resort with them.

“Karl and I will make sure you don’t get lost here either. We are going to take you to the ski school building and we are also going to pick you up when you are done with your lesson.”

“So you are going to act like my parents?”

Instead of answering, Sapnap just shrugged his shoulders. A fond smile made its way onto his lips and he seemed to disappear in his thoughts. George rolled his eyes. His best friend probably imagined his future with Karl and their future child. Sapnap never told him that he had feelings for Karl, but George found it to be pretty obvious. All that Sapnap spoke about after his holiday was Karl. Not the beautiful nature or the good conditions of the slopes. Only Karl and how cute he looked with the stupid frog eyes that he had put on his helmet.

While he waited in front of the ski school building, George’s fear became reality. He stood in between children that were half his age or even younger. Their parents were carrying their skis and boards and waiting to hand them over to the instructors. George was content that he didn’t have to spend his day in a group of 10-year-olds, thanking Sapnap and the gods above for the private instructor. With a frown, he looked over to Sapnap as a child nudged him and he almost fell with his feet in the unfamiliar skiing boots. His best friends didn’t even notice, too deep in the conversation with Karl who George had met just minutes ago.

Karl seemed to be as sweet as Sapnap had described him, his eyes a glazing brown and his cheeks in a lollipop pink due to the cold weather. George would have loved to talk more with Karl and to get to know him better. But he was too preoccupied with his nerves regarding the upcoming lesson and Sapnap’s desire to catch Karl on every single detail of his life, even though they texted or called every day and Karl probably already knew everything. Still, the sweet boy listened and flashed his sugary smile at Sapnap.

George observed the entrance of the wooden building in front of him as instructor after instructor made their way out of it to greet their groups of the day or to find their individual students. His gaze was captured by a special boy, about his age, with sunshine swirls of hair and a grin that warmed the air around. His helmet dangled on his forearm, some shades lighter than the boy’s hair. George wasn’t sure if it was a bright yellow or neon green but he was sure that the colour was a lot dumber than the black helmet on his own head. Somehow, George made up his mind that the radiant boy could pull off the unusual helmet colour, no matter how dumb it would look on any other person.

Sunshine-Boy passed out high-fives and beaming smiles as he passed the crowd of kids. They seemed excited as he came out, he was well known amongst them and George guessed that he usually did the ski schools because there was no other explanation for this. Seeing the smile on the blonde’s lips eased George's frown and replaced it with a grin of his own, unaware of it happening.

George observed the boy so closely, how he interacted with and talked to the children around him, the warm expression never leaving Sunshine-Boy’s face. Despite his gaze following him, George didn’t even notice the blonde approaching him. Suddenly he was ripped out of his mind as the guy in front of him began to speak. He wouldn’t even have reacted, not understanding that he was actually being talked to if it weren’t for Sapnap and Karl making their way over to the newfound duo.

“Hey, are you George?”

Luckily, Sapnap started talking to the instructor, giving George some more moments to gather his thoughts while Karl was just standing to the side and watching the situation unfold with a smile.

“Yeah, this is him.”

A hand landed on George’s shoulder, finally pulling him all the way back into reality. With a hand hovering in greeting, George mumbled a quiet “hi” and smiled up at the guy who was a lot taller than him.

“Hi, I am Dream and I will be your instructor for today. One of my colleagues was supposed to help you today but she fell ill. That’s why there is a female name on the slip that you got after booking.”

“I gifted the lesson to him, actually. I didn’t even notice that there was an instructor’s name on the document, to be honest.”

After his explanation, Sapnap was fast to pull Karl away from George and Dream, shouting “goodbye” and “have fun” over their shoulders while already strapping on their boards. George was happy for his friend, finally being reunited with Karl and doing the activity that they both loved so much. But at the moment he just wanted to yell at them for leaving him alone with Dream this soon.

Carefully, Dream showed George how to connect his boots to the skis. He stood next to him with open arms, in case George lost his balance and fell. Luckily, that didn’t happen but still, George grew quite frustrated as he needed two or three tries per boot.

"You are doing good, no worries. With routine, it gets easier."

After Dream’s praise, George felt bad and he admitted that he had skied before. He added that it was years ago and he didn’t remember much of it. Dream chuckled, finally putting his helmet on and strapping on his own skis as well. He was more skilled and far quicker than George had been. To George’s dismay, his earlier assessment turned out to be correct: the neon-coloured helmet actually didn’t look bad on the top of Dream’s head. Strands of his blonde hair peaked from underneath the helmet and correlated beautifully with the neon green (or yellow?).

Without any further instructions, Dream starts going slowly, looking behind him to make sure that George was able to follow him. Unsure, but under pressure to perform well under Dream’s gaze, George managed to ski quite well. He was a little shaky at first, the skis gliding on the snow a long-forgotten feeling. But after a couple of meters, George grew used to the feeling again, remembering the times he felt the wind on his face and the snow hitting his cheeks as he took a too-sharp turn. He went slowly but steadily, though he was hopeful that he would soon fall back into his old and forgotten routine. Surprisingly, even after so many years, he still remembered bits and with every movement of his feet more and more of the memory came back.

Dream turned to look back at George, skiing backwards for a bit to make sure that George wasn’t struggling too hard. He stopped, not even turning around for that and George had a hard time coming to a halt beside him, trying not to fall and pull Dream down with him. Laughing lightly, Dream skied around George once, stopping on his other side the way he had planned to before.

“Sorry, I just wanted to get away from the crowd to talk to you.”

George nodded, remembering the masses of kids that crowded in front of the ski school building. Dream took off his helmet once again, ruffling his hair that reflected the sun so beautifully. He disconnected his skis, walking to stand in front of George to talk to him more easily. George grew nervous as Dream got so close that he could see his own reflection in the beaming green eyes.

“The kids seem to like you a lot, Dream.”

Dream scratched the back of his neck and momentarily looked at the ground to avoid their eyes meeting. George used the time and let his gaze wander over the man in front of him. His broad shoulders threw a shadow on George. The locks of his hair looked golden under the sunlight. He remembered the green, sparkling eyes that were so full of life and joy. His cheeks blushed from the cold and seemed to be tinted in an even deeper colour now.

“Yeah, I usually do the ski schools for the whole winter. Many of the kids come back with their families for multiple years. I watched them grow up.”

George smiled. Dream was so sweet, his eyes glowing as he talked about his job and working with kids. Just from the few seconds that George had seen Dream around kids, he knew that the man was awesome with kids, burning for his job and so happy with what he was doing. With his studies, George never imagined that he once would wonder if he was going to be happy with his future job. Seeing Dream opened his eyes in that regard. He wanted to be as happy as Dream with what he was doing in his life.

“You said earlier that you have been skiing before. Can you tell me more about what you did?”

George grew ashamed as Dream imagined his skills to be far better than they actually were. The one-time skiing trip wasn’t enough to learn a lot of techniques and George only followed his parents around rather than focussing on really learning how to ski on his own. George told Dream exactly that, his face coated with a reddish blush but a comforting smile on Dream’s lips.

“It’s okay. I guess your family took you on blue slopes only, then? That’s what most people do with their children since blue slopes are good for beginners and families.”

“I don’t really remember, but yeah, probably.”

Dream took a step closer again. George’s skis were already in between Dream’s legs in the position that he stopped in. He looked ungraceful and he tired his thigh muscles in the flexed position. He put a lot of his weight on the ski poles, his upper body tilted forward. If his poles slipped out of the powdery snow, he would fall face-first into Dream.

“Do you have any boundaries that I should know of? How far I can push you or if you have a hard no-go that I have to avoid?”

“I don’t have a specific aspect that I want to work on and I guess, I trust you. You know better what I am able to do and what skills you need for a specific route. As long as you say that I can do it, I am willing to try. But I might go slowly.”

Dream agrees, appreciative that George trusts him and his abilities so much. He always liked these kinds of students the best because he can do what he had planned out beforehand. Dream always made sure that his students were comfortable but he also wanted them to explore their limits and be more confident in their skills. And people with a mindset like George's were always the most successful in their cooperation.

They start skiing eventually. As much as George felt safe just talking to Dream, they had to get going and actually work on George’s techniques and skills. The ski resort was made for families and beginner skiers, so luckily blue slopes surrounded them and George didn’t need to worry about difficult slopes for now.

After a while of skiing, during which George concentrated on not falling flat on his face, he eventually got the courage to look up. He passed by firs and snowy hills as Dream skied backwards in front of him to give George instructions. A dazzling smile was on the blonde’s lips, shining as brightly as the powdered snow below them. George noticed that there were mostly children or their parents skiing alongside them. He really was on a kid’s hill. Normally, George would be filled with worry in a situation like this. Embarrassment would cloud his mind because the much younger kids were already so much better than him at going down the slopes. But Dream’s comforting smile and their physical proximity sent waves of heat throughout George’s body. He couldn’t care less if there were wandering gazes on him as long as he had Dream’s warm and gentle eyes on him.

“You are doing amazing, George. We can do more difficult techniques soon if you keep on improving like this.”

Yep, there goes the rest of George’s doubts. Dream assuring him was the only thing he needed to keep on trying his best and not lose motivation. If Sapnap saw him like this, he would call him whipped. There was barely anything that could motivate George. Usually, he loses motivation and interest in something as soon as he fails once or realized that he wasn’t good at it. Because not trying and maybe missing out on some things was a far better feeling to George than realizing that he failed.

During that descent, they stopped a couple more times. Every time they made a full stop, George realized that he was slowly getting better. He could already time his motions pretty well and reach the planned destination for his stop closely. They went over different techniques again, some that George remembered in the back of his head, some that were entirely new, but Dream was good at explaining them and he even demonstrated some of them.

They went on a little steeper part of the kids’ hill to try out another technique to break. Dream skied in front of George, forward this time, the latter just following him and copying his motions. That way, George was able to slowly get used to breaking differently than the “pizza slice”, as Dream called it. George found it to be pretty easy, just turning in on a curve when he realized that he got too fast.

Eventually, Dream and George reach their first lift of the day. So far George only got up on the main hill with the cable cart and he hadn’t been in a chairlift. He was a little nervous to actually get on it with skis under his feet and heavier boots than he had ever worn before.

Dream chatted happily with the lift staff when they were next in line. It was a small chairlift, only two seats were next to each other and to be honest, George was glad that there wouldn’t be kids with them. He didn’t want to have awkward small talk with strangers. Even though Dream was deep into the conversation with the staff, he paid close attention to George to make sure that he would manage to get into the lift.

“This lift takes us near the top of the mountain.”

George swallowed hard. He wanted to improve his skills but he was also unsure how good he was at skiing. Maybe Dream just thought too highly of him and the next slope was going to be very embarrassing for him.

“But don’t worry, there are mostly blue slopes as well. Some are red but we are going to get down without them.”

Dream really knew what to say to George in order to calm his nerves and make him look forward to the rest of their lesson. At first, George enjoyed the view out of the lift, watching skiers and snowboarders pass under them and inspecting the different slopes they passed. After a while, that got pretty overwhelming though because George imagined going down those slopes that were way too difficult for him. He also compared his skills to those skiers who drove down red and black slopes.

“Do you want to get to know each other a little more? The lift is pretty long and we are going to spend a lot of time together in this lift and the following ones.”

George agreed, welcoming the distraction from his thoughts. He wanted to hold a conversation with Dream, he wanted to get to know him but he didn’t know how to start the conversation himself.

“Let’s just start with the basics. I am 23 and have worked as a ski instructor for the last three winters. Even though I snowboarded more the time I started teaching.”

“I turned 26 in November and I will finish my computer science degree after this semester.”

Dream nodded, signalling that he had heard and understood George. It was quiet between them for a bit. George began to panic. After knowing his age, Dream probably thought of him as an incompetent idiot. He should have never agreed to this stupid holiday and this even more stupid idea of Sapnap.

“Woah, that’s so cool. I study computer science as well but during the winter semester, I pause studying to be a skiing instructor. It’s a good way to make money to finance the rest of my year. Where are you studying?”

“I study in New York, Sapnap too. But I am from the UK and he is from Texas.”

Dream grinned at him after mentioning his origin. He looked him up and down, George wondered if Dream’s gaze on him had a meaning and if he would comment on it. A blush made its way onto George’s cheeks, as the tension grew between the two of them.

“I could tell because of your accent.”

The suspicious grin on Dream’s lips gave away that there had to be something more to it.

“Is that a good thing?”

“I think it’s cute.”

George’s face flushed even more and if he were questioned, he would definitely say that it was because of the cold. He pushed his helmet down on his head more, trying everything to hide his sunburned face. Dream’s blazing gaze rested upon him, scanning his reaction to the slightest detail. George was too flustered to speak and just smiled at Dream dumbly. It had been ages since an American person told him that they liked his accent and didn’t make fun of it.

“I am originally from Orlando, Florida. And I am just staying here for the season.”

Dream carried on the conversation as if nothing had happened. George was glad that Dream was seemingly used to having weird conversations with literal strangers that he spent one or two hours with and then never saw again. Well, maybe he didn’t flirt with any of his other skiing students. If George understood it correctly and it was meant flirtingly.

“Why are you here? And why are you picking up skiing again after what? 15 years?”

“Sapnap, Nick, my friend that brought me to the lesson wanted to come here with me for a while now. He came here with his family a lot and we wanted to go on vacation together before graduating uni and maybe splitting our ways.”

George smiled at the countless memories of Sapnap and him living together in the small university apartment and spending the last four years of their lives glued to each other. Fond eyes watched George as he spoke about his best friend. Dream saw the love in his eyes that George held for his friend. Dream thought about his own life and how it got pretty lonely because he had to change locations so frequently and drastically as the seasons changed. He admired George’s and Sapnap’s friendship and wished for something similar for himself. Maybe he could conquer that when he settled more.

“How did you decide that you wanted to be a skiing instructor? I mean, it’s a pretty unusual job, isn’t it?”

Dream laughed. He outright laughed and George had never felt so much joy before in his life. The sun shone just a little brighter and the clouds moved out of its beaming rays. Dream’s breathy laugh was to die for and George melted as Dream’s glowing eyes set on him.

“It’s unusual, yeah. But I love it. Like your friend’s family, mine went skiing every winter too. My siblings and I grew up in a ski resort just on the other side of the valley. When I was done with school I realized that I eventually needed a job and money. So I looked for a job to do alongside college and my mom suggested becoming a skiing instructor.”

They were near the end of the chairlift and Dream removed the safety bar from their seat. He showed George how to hold his legs and skis to not get caught in the snow below them and to exit the lift smoothly.

“Anyways, I knew that I wasn’t made for being a waiter or any other usual job people do while studying. I could never imagine spending even more time at a desk or even inside. I love sports, I love skiing. And I also love working with kids. It’s a great aspect of this job and I am more than happy to have ski school classes every season. Just this winter, I swapped with a colleague because it’s his last season working here and he wanted the full experience one last time.”

Talking about his job, Dream realized that he was in a good place in his life. He loved what he was doing, even if he could only do it half of the year. And it was visible that he felt like this, too. George could see how much he adored his job and how important it was to Dream to work with kids and to be outside while earning money.

As they skied around the corner and exited the lift area, George was mesmerized by the view that hit him. He could see over the whole valley, seeing the ski resorts that surrounded them and all the skiers and snowboarders that were going down the slopes below them.

George took in the view, slowing down his skiing as he was so mesmerized by nature’s beauty that surrounded them. Dream came to a halt next to him, having seen the view a thousand times before but understanding George’s amazement. After George remembered why they were there, he tore his gaze away from the snowy mountains and instead looked over at his instructor. Surprised, he realized that Dream was looking at him rather than at the view. For a couple of seconds, they just held each other’s glances and smiled dumbly. Dream grew embarrassed after he realized that he was caught red-handed and shifted his gaze away. A fiery blush covered Dream’s cheeks and he coughed to find his voice again.

“You get the idea why I wanted to be a skiing instructor? This is so much better than an office job.”

George nodded. He also understood why Dream was so ecstatic to work outside and get to take in this view every day and whenever he wanted. Seeing this and experiencing the same aspects of life in the mountains, George would even understand if Dream decided to never move closer to his family again so he would never have to miss this panorama ever again.

“Are you ready to go down your next slope?”

George swallowed hard as he looked up at Dream. They stood at the entrance to the slope that Dream had designated to be their next. From just standing at the top, George was under the impression that it was a lot steeper than the hills he had gone down so far. He was really doubting if he was able to actually get down it without making a fool out of himself. A skier rushed past them, nearly making George fall as he circled down the slope with ease, not slowing down once. He would never be able to go down a slope like that. Fast, unbothered and skilled.

“I don’t think I can do this, Dream.”

“Oh yes, you can.” Dream positioned himself in front of George and watched him over his shoulder. He pulled the mirrored goggles onto his eyes and winked at George before they covered his eyes completely. “I saw your skills earlier. If I weren’t sure you could do this, I would never have taken you here.”

Dream’s words reassured him and he started to go downhill slowly. He motioned George to follow him as they had done before. He showed George how much distance should be between them to make sure George gets down safely. The brunette felt a lot safer at all the precautions that Dream took to make sure that he was getting down the slope safely.

George managed to follow Dream pretty well in the beginning. He drove in a curve whenever Dream did and followed the route that he took. Dream manoeuvred them around the people and made sure that no one would drive by George too closely to throw George out of the loop.

“You are doing great, George.”

Dream showed George a thumbs up over his shoulder. He had occasionally looked back at George to scan how well he was managing to follow him and couldn’t see any flaws in George’s techniques. Apart from the obvious lack of practice and the stiffness that was most likely due to his nervousness.

The dashing smile that Dream sent over his shoulder now, made George weak in the knees. The praise and the proud look on his face made George want to commit his life to making Dream happy every moment of his life. To George, Dream was warmth and the sun reflecting on the sparkly snow. He was his comfort and he was his reassurance. With Dream by his side, George had the feeling to be invincible and to be able to go down every slope possible. Cause Dream would be by his side through it all.

“Ouf!”

With a thump, George landed in the snow. He had always imagined falling in the snow to be gentle and the surface to give in to his weight, but it was sturdy and he slammed into it with full force. He held his shoulder and tried to untangle his legs to get up as fast as possible. His skis were somewhere on the slope above him, where he had originally fallen, the safety measurements working and them disconnecting automatically.

“Are you okay?”

Dream’s voice stood warm against the cold snow that surrounded him. It was glazed with worry and he disconnected his own skis to help George up. He grabbed the Brit under his shoulders, pulling him upright without George moving any muscle. If he hadn’t been so in shock, he would have questioned Dream’s strength and the muscles that he was most likely hiding under his winter jacket. As Dream made sure that George was sitting in the snow upright and that he, having no visible injuries, could stay in that position. Dream hurried uphill and collected George’s skis, making sure that no other person was in danger because of them.

Dream sat down in the snow next to George on the side of the slope. Their skis laid in front of them disregarded in worry.

“George? Say something, please.”

The Brit hadn’t noticed that he had gone quiet, the shock subsiding out of his body and consciousness slowly filling the void in his head. He looked up at Dream, his eyes full of amazement at how well he had handled the situation and how caring he had been, despite the stress that he had been under.

“I am okay. A little shaken up but okay after all.”

Dream let out a sigh of relief and let himself fall down into the snow behind him. Luckily, they were on a pretty unoccupied slope, Dream having chosen it earlier for this exact reason. They weren’t in the way of any skier or snowboarder and George was able to practice in peace without worrying about being run over by a quicker person.

“You can’t just not talk to me! I was worried you had a concussion or something.”

George laid down in the snow next to Dream, not caring about the coldness slowly seeping through his jacket and freezing his back. Suddenly, Dream let out a laugh of relief, wheezing and heating the air surrounding them. George laughed with him, despite not knowing why they were even laughing.

They arrived back at the ski school building. After lying in the snow for a while and just laughing with each other, Dream called it a day. He was impressed with George’s improvement in just one and a half hours but letting George on the slopes alone hurrying after his friends still wasn’t a good idea because of how inexperienced he was.

Nearing the building, George already spotted Sapnap and Karl deep in a conversation and not even noticing them. With an evil smile, George stopped abruptly and covered them with snow, a skill that Dream had taught him jokingly as he explained different ways to come to a halt. Laughing, Sapnap and Karl wiped themselves off, playfully glaring at George. Dream stood in the background, letting George inform his friends about how much he learned and how well he did.

A warm smile made its way onto Dream’s lips, adoring the way that George glowed when in conversation with his friends. He hoped that he could bring out the same in George, reflecting some of his own brightness. But it was probably unrealistic as they only knew each other for such a short period of time, even though George seemed to be so comfortable around him already.

Speaking of George, he turned around as he noticed that he had abandoned Dream. He waved him over and Dream stood with the small group.

“George did excellent today. He is a fast learner and with a little more practice he will easily be able to catch up to you.”

George’s cheeks heated up at Dream’s warm words and he grinned up at him. Dream returned the blazing smile, forgetting for a moment that he and George no longer were alone. Karl and Sapnap laughed, immediately sensing the tension between Dream and George and wondering what else happened during their lesson. Sapnap made a mental note to question George about it later.

“Do you think you can find the time to practice again with George? If that’s something that you want, George?”

George agreed with his best friend, nodding his head and looking at Dream with eyes full of hope. He really wanted to see Dream again and at this moment he was thankful to have his best friend by his side because he never would have asked on his own.

“Sure, I had a lot of fun today. Tomorrow afternoon at 3?”

Dream looked down at George, putting a hand on his lower back as he noticed George’s struggles to disconnect his boots from the skis. Dream held George, stepping on the binding himself and letting George lift off his boots. He was wobbly on his legs and glad that Dream still was right behind him to make sure that he didn’t fall over. After a whole day on skis, it felt weird not to wear them now.

“If you wanted to, you could also join us for dinner one of the days we are still here.”

George suggested as he got braver to actually say something to Dream in front of his friends. It was weird because their dynamic seemed to have shifted ever so slightly since Sapnap and Karl listened in on them.

“I don’t want to intrude-”

“Don’t worry. It would be a lot of fun. When are you free?”

Luckily, Karl jumped to George’s support before Dream could even think of protesting further. Karl knew all too well what he was doing and what George wanted. They might not be close but it was obvious what George felt, even if he himself hadn’t realized it yet.

“I am working late today but tomorrow I am free. I can even shift around a few classes to make George’s my last of the day, so I can go down with you right away. Only if you are okay with that though.”

They all agreed to that plan. George was happy that he finally didn’t have to third-wheel Sapnap and Karl alone anymore but of course, he also was excited to spend more time with Dream, outside of him being his ski instructor.

Day Two

The next day, George was due to come back for another lesson with Dream. He slept in while Sapnap and Karl started their day early and hit the slopes already. George’s muscles, not being used to the sudden exhaustion and constant tension, welcomed him with a constant aching. He was forced to take a long hot shower before he even thought about putting on skiing boots again.

George was hesitant to see Dream again due to another reason as well. He was afraid that he would not improve as much as Dream hoped and that he couldn’t live up to his expectations. What if only the basics worked for him and he failed as soon as the slopes got just a little steeper? He did fall on one of the more difficult slopes yesterday, after all.

Well, nothing had changed between them, that was for sure. Dream still made George feel all warm and bright and he still wore that dumb snow-melting smile on his lips. George had an even harder time concealing his fondness the more he got to know Dream and the more time he spent with him. Sapnap and Karl inviting Dream to tag along on their holiday adventures had him torn between endless gratefulness and frowning stubbornness. He was excited to spend more time with Dream outside of their lesson on one hand. But on the other hand, he knew that he would eventually have to leave Dream behind, once their holiday was over and he and Sapnap would be going back to college. There was no way that Dream would give up his job to tag along with them. And was there really a point to holding on to that little spark that they felt? Even if they weren’t sure if something would develop from that?

George was jolted back to the present, ripped away from his worries about the future when Dream called out to him.

“George! Be careful, there is a hump in front of you!”

It was too late. And there was no point in denying that falling was entirely George’s own fault. He was lost in his thoughts and didn’t pay attention to the condition of the slope. It was late in the afternoon, after all. The slopes had been used for an entire day and would soon be prepared for the next day again as the lifts closed. With the sun beaming on them for the past hours and person after person going over them, the slopes were in a poor condition this late in the day.

“Shit, are you okay?”

George pulled himself up and looked for his skis, a well-known procedure after yesterday's and today's lesson. He spotted his skis just a couple of feet away and strapped his boots back onto them. That was something that he had become very good at, searching his skis and strapping them on again, due to his multiple falls.

“I am fine, Dream. I was just caught up in my own head and didn’t pay enough attention.”

“No, it’s my fault. I should have told you earlier or just chosen a different slope. I knew that there would be many bumps and ice patches.”

George put his hand on Dream’s upper arm, barely touching him because of his thick winter jacket and George’s gloves. George assures him that he is okay and that they can continue on with their lesson, even though it isn’t a lot of fun with such bad slopes.

As Dream had pushed his schedule around, George’s lesson was his last for the day. He and George decided to just descend from the mountain together and join Sapnap and Karl in the valley. The other pair had stopped skiing earlier, as they had begun as soon as the first lift opened and therefore had been tired before George had gotten back from his skiing lesson. This way, George and Dream had a lot of time to themselves though and Dream was able to show George bits of the ski school building as he locked his skis inside for the next day.

Being a true gentleman, Dream offered to carry George’s skis. Even though George felt bad for using Dream as his ski-bearer, he was glad to finally rest his sore and aching muscles. He should really do more sports on a regular basis. In the gondola, Dream and George were squished together as the lift was almost bursting with people. The lifts on top of the mountain began to close now and people wanted to get down in the valley before the sun would set.

Dream and George met up with Karl and Sapnap in a small Italian restaurant in the valley, close to their rented apartment. As the two of them walked there, Dream was able to tell George a lot about the past of the skiing resort which honestly was more interesting than it sounds. George learned about a local myth and how the small creek fills up all the canals in the city once the thaw hits in late spring.

“There you are.”

Karl waved them over as Dream and George took off their jackets to escape the makeshift sauna that was created when wearing your winter coats inside. They hung them over their chairs that waited for them across from Sapnap and Karl who had sat down on the bench, closer together than necessary.

“Finally, I thought Dream was too hard on you and you weren’t able to walk because your legs were too shaky.”

George grew red as he understood the innuendo behind Sapnap's words. His reaction gave his best friend even more material to ridicule him but Karl elbowed him in the side. George never saw Sapnap shut his mouth as fast as he did just then. Hopefully, Karl would stick around and teach Spanap some well-needed manners.

Dream just chuckled and pulled George’s chair out for him in an all-gentleman manner. George wanted to slap Dream and tell him not to encourage Sapnap further, but it would be of no use. Dinner was going to be great.

Despite his worries, dinner was going smoothly. Sapnap luckily held back on any more ambiguous comments and the whole group bonded well over their pizza and pasta dishes. Dream told Sapnap and Karl a lot of things that George had already learned about him during their lessons but he listened to them attentively nonetheless. He could listen to Dream talk for hours on end and just watch his sweet lips wrap around warm words smoothly. His eyes shone as he talked about his life in the mountains and his job. He was burning to work outside and with kids and the more George heard about it, the more he could imagine Dream in this position and in his own future.

After their food had been delivered, their conversation died because they were starving after a whole day of skiing. Karl wasn’t able to stay quiet for long though, as much as he enjoyed his food. He started whispering to Sapnap, making him laugh and blush. George was used to their antics by now and he wasn’t bothered. He was just happy for his best friend that he and Karl stayed so close despite seeing each other so little. They deserved their time to catch up and enjoy some alone time, too. It was bad enough that the walls in their rented apartment were thin.

“Dream and I wanted to take another walk around town if that’s okay with the both of you. Then you have some more time to catch up.”

Dream shot George a confused look while Sapnap’s was filled with gratitude and adoration for his best friend. George just pulled Dream after him and grabbed both of their jackets, not trusting a confused Dream to think of that while being hurried out of the restaurant.

“I am going to pay you back for the dinner. First thing tomorrow morning.”

Sapnap just waved him off. They would figure out the finances later. Right now he was just glad that George understood his and Karl’s relationship so well and was mindful of it.

Outside, George explained the situation to Dream who slowly understood the different layers of their friendship constellation. It was confusing to grasp who knows whom from where and since when but after spending some more time with their group he at least understood most of the dynamics between them.

They walked through the valley again and George saw houses that he would never have assigned to be American before. Dream told him more about the history and how this valley consisted of just a small village and some farmers' houses before the tourists came in waves, slowly overfilling and flooding the valley. Hotel after hotel and lift after lift was hammered in between and on top of the mountains to accommodate as many people as possible.

“You don’t understand! It doesn’t matter that I am in the cold every day, my ears still get cold easily.”

Dream had been complaining about his freezing ears for about as long as they had been outside. He had playfully blamed it on George that he had forgotten his beanie in the locker in the ski school building because George hurried him.

“See, there is the ski supply centre just across the street. It is still open and we can get you a new hat. I will even pay for it to make you stop whining.”

Behind his words, there was no maliciousness, just pure care and worry that Dream was growing too cold. In the ski supply centre, there were a lot of hats to choose from. George and Dream made a joke out of putting the ugliest hats onto each other’s heads.

“Here, try this!”

Dream put a multi-coloured beanie on top of George’s hair and George pulled it down without even looking at it further. Dream took a picture of him to show him how he looked. The beanie had car ears and was striped in red, green and blue. He actually quite liked it, more than he should. He looked at the shelf from which Dream grabbed it and spotted another one that had green, white and black stripes. He took it and pulled it over Dream’s head, making him bend down in the process. Being eye level, he saw the glow in Dream’s eyes and the pure joy that was behind them.

“If I get one, you get one too.”

“We match!”

For the rest of the evening, neither of them put off the cat ear beanies no matter how dumb they looked to the people around them. Unknowingly, the two of them made the same promise to themselves as they walked out of the ski supply centre: to keep the beanie forever and to use it as a reminder of the other person no matter if they would stay in touch or not.

Day Three

Dream and Karl visited them in their rented flat the evening after. Sapnap and Karl grew inseparable over the course of three days of being together again. George knew about this habit of theirs from the times that Karl had visited Sapnap on campus. It wasn’t often because both of their lives were busy and they used holidays to visit their families.
Dream and George faced a similar fate, meeting up as often as possible throughout the day whenever Dream was on a break.

George skied a lot better and Sapnap and Karl made it their mission to show George all the easy slopes that he hadn’t seen with Dream yet. Dream had to do more lessons than usual because a few of his colleagues fell ill with the flu. This made it nearly impossible for them to spend a lot of time together. But they made an effort to meet up as often as possible and luckily Dream had agreed to hang out with them in their flat instead of getting some well-deserved rest after his busy day.

He even made them hot chocolate while George sat on the counter to keep him company. Sapnap and Karl lounged on the couch in the living room, some mindless Christmas movie playing on the tv as background noise.

George watched Dream intensely. How his arm flexed all throughout up to his shoulder while he stirred the cocoa in the pot and how a lock of his hair constantly fell into his eyes, waiting for George to push it back. George didn’t dare to do so though. He was afraid of breaking a boundary and pushing Dream away. The time they spent together was very sacred to him and he wasn’t willing to give it up over some unthought action.

“Are you staring at me, George?”

George nearly fell off the counter after being called out for his actions. He blushed with feverish red, squirming in his spot, his mind running miles to look for a believable lie that he could tell Dream to hide his real intentions.

“I was looking to see if Sapnap had made progress with Karl. The two of them are insufferable but too stubborn to just admit their feelings. I have watched this for the last few years. Maybe they will finally get together if we just let them cuddle for long enough.”

“George, I know you are lying. Why were you staring at me?”

Dream stepped away from the stove and in between George’s legs. He was way too close for George to act calm. Dream’s body heat spread from his arms that were pressed to the counter to George’s legs because they were so close. If George just about moved any muscle in his body, they would touch. And it wouldn’t be an accidental touch of their hands or Dream helping him up and out of the snow after he had fallen. It was a full-on real touch. One that boyfriends did.

“Look, now I got you all flustered.”

Dream spoke slowly and deeply. It sent shivers down George’s back and he had to hold back the tremble forming deep in his belly. He needed to keep this last bit of distance between them, otherwise, there would be no holding back anymore.

“Why were you staring at me, George? Am I that pretty?”

Luckily, George didn’t have to think of a comeback as their playful banter was interrupted by Karl.

“Stop flirting and kiss already!”

George flinched. He thought that Karl and Sapnap were in their own little world and oblivious to what Dream and George were doing in the kitchen. With a sigh that almost sounded sad (but George could be imagining that), Dream retook his position in front of the stove and began to stir the hot chocolate again as if nothing had ever happened. The tension laid thick in the air though and George felt the need to do something before getting any more stupid thoughts. He jumped off of the counter and took four mugs out of the cupboard to pour the cocoa into once Dream was done making it.

To George’s surprise, the hot chocolate was a lot better than he had expected. Dream had to be a master in making it, and the blonde’s analyzing gaze and the mischievous glint in his eyes were an indication that he expected George to be blown away by his hot chocolate.

“I wish I could take you home with me.”

Again, George spoke without thinking first and nearly blasted the drink through his nostrils, shocked by his own words. Dream choked and coughed so hard that he nearly let go of the two mugs in his hand that were meant for Sapnap and Karl. Now, it was Dream’s turn to blush. He halted in his actions and stood completely still. George was worried that he might have forgotten to even breathe.

“I mean- like to be able to drink your hot chocolate every day. Not to- you know…”

George stumbled over his words while trying to explain his words. There was no use though and he just stopped talking. Frustrated, he looked into his mug. If he would just think before speaking or if he had a better way with words, situations like this would never happen to him. Saddened by his own thoughts and the apparent hopelessness of this situation, George missed the slight smile that made its way onto Dream’s lips and the blush that coated the blonde’s warm cheeks. Dream left the room to deliver the mugs to Sapnap and Karl before George could notice his flustered and giddy expression.

“Did you know that there is supposed to be a huge meteor shower tonight?”

Dream sat on one end of the couch and even though George would have loved nothing more than to cuddle up to him, there was an uncomfortable distance between them. George’s unintentional slip-up had multiplied the tension between them by a lot. There was no point in even denying it because Karl and Sapnap had already noticed it too. Dream and George had gone from bantering and teasing twenty-four hours of the day to not even daring to glance at each other. Even a blind person would have been able to see that something had happened between them. Neither Karl nor Sapnap wanted to push them to spill it, though.

“Wow, that’s crazy. George actually loves stargazing and always forces me to come along to watch meteor showers and all that.”

Sapnap looked at his best friend accusingly, forcing him to engage with Dream with just his gaze. George shook his head slightly at Sapnap. He really didn’t want to talk to Dream right now nor did he want to even think about going outside to watch the night sky. He wanted to slap Sapnap for bringing up his interest and now giving Dream a topic to talk about with him. He just wanted to have an early night, cuddle himself in his bed and forget about the Kitchen Incident, as he called it.

“I know a great spot where you can see the sky well. It’s a little outside of the village so the lanterns don’t disturb your vision. I could take the three of you if you want.”

Despite asking the whole group to accompany him, Dream’s eyes were only trained on George when asking the question. They both desperately needed to have a talk if their relationship would be so uneasy from now on. Secretly, Dream was hoping that Sapnap and Karl would understand his silent question and stay back in the apartment. He wanted to be alone with George and hopefully sort everything out to return to their old relationship. George needed to agree to his proposition for that to happen, though.

“I would love to watch the meteor shower.”

A sigh of relief left Dream’s lips. The first condition was fulfilled now either Sapnap or Karl just needed to understand his plan and make up an excuse for not going. To Dream’s luck, Karl said something along the lines of not understanding why they would be “going outside into the cold only to watch some stupid lights in the sky” and Sapnap added that George dragged him outside enough times to miss out on this one meteor shower and keep Karl company instead. The knowing grin on Sapnap’s lips and Karl’s wandering eyes between Dream and George confirmed Dream’s suspicion. They were going to leave George and him alone and give them some time to talk things out.

George went and got his coat and some warm gloves out of his room that he had thrown over the radiator in there earlier for it to dry. Dream left the living room a little later to get ready in the hallway. He didn’t miss the squeal full of excitement that Karl let out into Sapnap’s shoulder at the thought of Dream and George doing something as romantic as watching the stars together.

Both of them knew that there was a possibility of this happening and they both thought about it as they pulled their newly bought cat beanies over their heads but neither of them really expected it. There they stood, both having put on the cat beanie and smiling fondly as they saw the other had done it too. Dream wanted to go up to George to correct the position of the slightly crooked hat and so he did. George looked up at him through his lashes, amazement and wonder in his eyes at the unsuspected action. There was a hint of a smile on both of their faces and George wanted to keep Dream close like this. Seeing him, touching him and smelling him so near. The aroma of the hot chocolate lingered on him and brought back embarrassing memories for George, but despite the sour reminder there was just Dream that overshadowed everything else.

The spot that Dream knew was a bench by the creek a little outside the small village. They walked there in silence but despite the recent tension between them, it wasn’t uncomfortable but rather a homey and domestic feeling. George could grow used to this, taking walks with Dream in the crisp night air long after the sun had already set. He should have been cold but Dream’s presence beside him and the lingering feeling of his past touch were enough to keep him in comfortable warmth.

They sat down on the bench right next to each other. The earlier distance from the couch was long forgotten and the walk to this spot had taken off a lot of the tension between the two. They realized that they were still the same and that they could move on from this. That there was a future beyond this holiday.

“Look, there are the first meteors!”

George grabbed onto Dream’s hand out of the excitement of having spotted a shooting star. He squeezed it as the meteor passed over their head and its light burned up. George had a wide grin on his face that made Dream smile as well. If he had known that it would bring George so much joy to watch the meteor shower, he would have planned this out better and even a little bit more romantic.

Despite the beauty of the night sky and the occasional passing of shooting stars over their head, Dream was too mesmerized by George’s beauty to actually pay attention to nature. His white teeth reflected the little bit of light that managed to reach them from the village and the cat beanie bushed strands of chocolate brown hair into his eyes. He squinted them in hopes of spotting more meteors which made little wrinkles appear around his features, highlighting the angelic symmetry of his perfect face. George glowed brightly against the darkness surrounding them. A lighthouse in the storm, the evening sun after a rainy afternoon.

“Why aren’t you looking at the stars?”

“Because you are even more beautiful.”

A blush spread on George’s cheeks, heating him up from the inside. They never disconnected their hands and Dream even grabbed for George’s other hand to hold onto as well. George turned ever so slightly despite his rosy cheeks and his love-filled glance. He pulled his hands out of Dream’s grasp, no ill intention behind it. Instead, he grabbed onto the hem of Dream’s cat beanie that sat on top of his locks and pulled it down over the blonde’s eyes. They both erupted in a laugh, Dream’s wheezing and warm while George’s was giggly and gentle.

Dream pushed the beanie up again, not daring to take it off completely. They were matching again. He looked at George with a glint of mischief in his eyes but after looking into George’s pleading gaze, his own eyes filled with love and adoration. George shuddered under this gaze, it sent shivers through his body and he took Dream’s hands into his to have something to hold on to.

Playful and daring, Dream darted forward, nearly jostling George off of the bench and into the snow below them. They would have fallen together but still, Dream was in shock by the power that was behind his movement. George separated their hands and slung his arms around Dream’s torso instead to hold himself up. Dream put his forehead onto George’s shoulder apologetically and huffed breaths against his neck in shame. His own arms wrapped around George’s waist and pulled him against his own body, not a single bit of space between them.

They pulled apart, George’s gentle gaze following Dream’s every action. Goosebumps covered his whole body from the sudden closeness and Dream’s warm breath against his skin that was cooled by the midnight air.

“Can I kiss you?”

George was taken aback by Dream’s sudden words but he wasn’t opposed to it. Fiery hands pressed against his cheeks and tilted his head upwards. Verdant eyes looked into his own, full of uncertainty and concern but also filled with hope and adoration. A small smile tugged on George’s lips as he let his gaze wander over Dream’s features that he had only known for two days but that he felt like he had known forever. A lot of shared memories were already behind those vivid green eyes and hopefully, there would be so many more to come.

“Yes.”

His voice wasn’t much above a whisper more like air that found its way out of his mouth by the hitch of his breath. Dream understood him anyways, maybe because of their close proximity, maybe because Dream just knew.

And they kissed. Illuminated by moonlight in the dark night, the tent of stars above them. They parted, slow breaths falling from their lips and clouds of white smoke surrounding their heads from warm huffs in the crisp air. A shooting star passed above them. It was magical, enchanting. And they knew that they were going to be just fine.