Mark My Words || DNF Soulmate AU

Chapter 1

Dream's voice is getting badly clipped by his mic and as he rushes to fix it, George picks at the soulmark on his wrist.

His finger traces the rough shape of the pattern, a dark little circle about the size of a quarter at the junction of his wrist. Inside, different colored chords, diameters, and radii intersect to make a little pattern that George has memorized from so many hours of staring at it in boredom. Or maybe longing. Sometimes it's both.

Error sounds from Dream's end bring him back to reality and he suddenly remembers he's still streaming.

"Chat," he says half-heartedly in an attempt to entertain, "Type 1 if Dream is an idiot."

The chat goes a million miles per hour as viewers rush to interact, spamming 1's and the occasional 2's.

He laughs obnoxiously, gaze flitting to glance at the chat quickly before it draws back down to look at the strange little thing that is his soulmark.

"See? Dream? Chat says you're an idiot."

"I am n-"

Dream cuts out again.

George laughs even louder, rushing at the opportunity to make fun of his best friend, "Guys! Guys he just admitted to being an idiot. It's official. Dream is an i-d-i-o-t."

He calms down after a while, finally sitting up properly in his chair and moving his mouse around in the Bedwars lobby. He's being mobbed by virtual avatars, particles of hearts and mini-explosions appearing everywhere as he attempts to escape. He floats up to breathe in a moment of peace before the crowd swarms him. George gives up and takes his hands off the keyboard and mouse to fidget with his soulmark again.

It feels itchy, though when George scratches it it's more painful than relieving. It's been like that lately, which makes him a little confused and a little distracted than usual. Maybe it's some weird phantom itchiness, George contemplates as he taps it with his index finger.

Some donations and subs come through, and George leans closer to read their names and respond.

"'Hello Gogy I love you,'" he reads from one viewer, "Thank you! Thank you so much Lisa!"

Another one pops through, he reads it.

"'Soulmark reveal when?'" his gaze drops to his wrist for a moment and the side of his lip twitches, though without facecam the viewers would be oblivious to the fact, "I dunno, I really don't. But thank you for the donation LimbCollector!"

There's a silence after that, awkwardness spreading like a disease in the time that passes. He tries not to be annoyed by the donation--probably the 1000th donation asking to see his soulmark--and the funny username helps. Still, he had to resist sighing audibly when he read the message aloud.

"He only doesn't wanna show you guys because it's on his ass."

"Dream!" George lights up like a Christmas tree before registering what he said and rolling his eyes with a smile, "and that's not true."

"It is, it really is," Dream says earnestly, "I can confirm."

Chat explodes into "WHAT DID HE SAAAAAAY"s and joking accusations of "HOW WOULD YOU KNOW DREAM???" but the moment has been turned from one of awkwardness into humor and George breathes a big sigh of relief.

This is why Dream is George's best friend. He gets it and he knows George. Knows how private he is and how much he doesn't like sharing information about himself to the public, but also knows how easy it is for him to fall under pressure. 

Thank goodness you exist, George thinks.

The moment will definitely be clipped and added to the massive and still-growing collection of DNF moments the fans carefully collect and catalogue like librarians, but George prefers that to answering prodding questions.

"Is your mic fixed?" George sends Dream an invite and he accepts, "can we finally play now?"

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Kang's Note: Yay! The first chapter is out. I've always said you should read/watch the first three chapters/episodes of something before you determine whether or not you really want to continue, just saying ;) I hope you liked this, and consider leaving a comment! I'd be so happy. Shoutout to bwoflo for proofreading this for me!