Mark My Words || DNF Soulmate AU

Chapter 18

When the embarrassment finally catches up to George and makes itself all too apparent with the deepening blush on his cheeks, he tries to tug himself away. Dream stubbornly clings onto him.

"Dream," he laughs with his face still smushed against Dream's shoulder, "Dream we still have to grab my luggage and go home."

Go home? George hadn't meant to say that, he meant go to Dream's house. It must have been a slip of the tongue.

Dream doesn't seem to have noticed the mishap in his speech, instead pushing his head down and pressing his palms into George's back further to keep him in his embrace.

George wiggles a little, "Dream?"

"George?"

George thanks goodness his face is still pressed to Dream's shoulder and thus not visible to him, because he can feel all the blood rushing to his cheeks as his whole body heats up. He really tries not to shudder and shrink into himself, knowing that in their close proximity, Dream will be able to tell.

But... but dammit. When Dream copied George's tone, he used the soft voice that has such an effect on George even through calls, much less when they're hugging and Dream's head is resting just above his own. George could feel the movement of Dream's jaw against his hair when he spoke and the vibrations that carried through from the words. It sounds so much more tangible, and George feels almost like he can reach out and capture it in a bottle to replay whenever he'd like. And he'd sure as hell like that.

Giving in to Dream's sudden display of softness, George lets himself relax into the prolonged hug as he closes his eyes and loosely wraps his own arms around Dream's torso. It feels surreal but so nice, and George thinks he can fall asleep like this. And maybe he does, because Dream can't seem to let go and George can't seem to tell him otherwise.

Finally, after an extended amount of time that George is no longer aware of, Dream lifts his cheek from George's and pulls back a little, letting his hands fall to his sides and he releases George from his arms. A little reluctantly, though glad that Dream finally complied and they can start the process to get home, George steps back a little as well, almost stumbling with the way his mind is hazy with sleep and comfort.

He hopes he can hug Dream like that again.

Can they cuddle? Maybe they will cuddle. The thought brightens George's mood and he looks up at Dream with a wide smile, ready to lead him to his baggage roundabout until he suddenly has the realization that this is Dream's face reveal to him.

He snaps his eyes shut before they can actually absorb anything other than smudges of colors and shapes that make up Dream's face.

"This will be my first time seeing your face, right?" George asks, head still positioned to look up at Dream but eyes staying shut.

"Yup," a little chuckle brushes past Dream's lips, "Are you scared?"

"Why?" George jokes back, "Should I be?"

"Maybe. I bite," then Dream mimes biting down and George can hear the sound of his teeth knocking against each other.

It sends George into soft laughter, quiet but not lacking in mirth as he tilts forward from the movement and stabilizes himself with his other foot. He doesn't know why it's funny, but it's 2 AM and he's standing in front of Dream and everything is hilarious.

After he quiets down and there's a pregnant pause between them, George makes sure his timing is right and goes, "Okay, Dream."

As George expected, it gets him quietly wheezing as laughter slips out amidst his amusement, and George can't help but giggle a little at Dream's strange sense of humor. He also can't help but note that this is Dream's first time laughing like this in front of him, and he desperately wants to see what he looks like.

He opens his eyes.

The last few chuckles are escaping Dream, and his mouth is stretched wide into a big smile. George notes even rows of pearly teeth and thinks back to when he knocked them against each other for comedic effect, wanting to laugh again at the ridiculousness of it all.

His eyes are crinkled into crescents from smiling so wide, and a bit of his dirty blond hair falls over his forehead and brushes at his eyes. George resists the urge to brush it out of his face for him as Dream finally calms down. When he notices George's eyes on him, he looks taken aback, his eyebrows rising and his eyes widening subtly, then he gives somewhat of a shy smile in George's direction.

George almost thinks he's hallucinating. Why is Dream kind of... cute? Not in the way you would describe people, but in the way a labrador puppy is cute. His clumsily styled hair and small slip of a smile, grayish greenish eyes nervous but eager behind long lashes, all put together on a boyish face that strangely triggers George's cute aggression. He wants to pat him on the head, or maybe even squish his cheeks.

George thinks the sleep deprivation is really getting to him.

"Hi," Dream says to George, his smile coloring his tone and making all his words sound extra-eager and enthusiastic.

"Hello," George says to Dream, marveling at the way he's finally able to see Dream as he talks and match the voice up to the person.

Wow, he thinks, it's so much better like this.

He loves visually seeing Dream happy, not just hear it in his voice.

"Hi!"

George giggles, "Are we just going to go on an endless loop of forever greeting each other?"

"Sure! Hi!"

"Dream! If I don't pick up my suitcase they're going to hold it hostage here."

"Hold it hostage!" Dream bursts out laughing, the only person who has this much energy at this ungodly hour, and George is fascinated by the way his face reflects his joy.

He doesn't even realize a smile lighting up his own face as he watches Dream.

George rolls his eyes in fake annoyance and starts walking away, "Okay, meet-up over. Guess it's time for me to return to the UK."

"No! No, okay, let's go," Dream catches up in long strides and George thinks he's flexing his tallness, "Face reveal over, let's go pick up your suitcase."

They joke through the entirety of picking up the suitcase and lugging it to the car, giggling and smiling whenever they even make eye contact with each other. Delirious and practically singing with joy, they somehow make it into the car with no further troubles.

The entire time, George makes no mention of the XL band-aid taped across Dream's right cheek, starting just under the middle of his eye and extending to the end of his cheekbone.

In his head, he notes that they use the same brand.

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Kang's Note: How was that for a face reveal? Nice and cute, eh? Also get ready for more characterizations of Dream because I love writing him a certain way and you'll come to learn that. Hope you enjoyed! Thank you for reading and I hope you get presents today!