Again | DreamNotFound

Damn those brown eyes

"Can't believe Karl picked suit shopping over the markets." Quackity picked up a jar of honey from a nearby stall. "Karl's the one who loves these places."

"It's true." Sapnap smiled softly. "Maybe I'll get him something." He followed Quackity over to the next stall.

Dream sighed, hands in his pockets as he followed. He had nothing against markets. He just was not in the mood. All he could think about was George, and what happened 4 years ago. He thought about their entire relationship, remembering moments where George may have lied as to where he had been. Remembering how awkward he became one time when Dream brought up children.

He remembered a few breakdowns, towards the end of their relationship. Where he found George crying and breathing irregularly. He helped then too, and calmed the boy he loved down, even when he wasn't entirely sure why he was upset. George never elaborated much. Dream wanted to wait for him to open up himself.

He thought about it now, and realised how stupid he was. No matter what George was hiding from Dream, he clearly wasn't in the best place, and Dream hadn't noticed. He proposed, too eager for their future to consider their present. Too excited to be with George he didn't see he wasn't quite with him.

Dream was off in his own world, but was interrupted when he heard squeals of laughter from a few stalls up. A child was running through the crowd, knocking into people and squealing.

Dream got a sense of déjà vú when a little girl grabbed his leg and hid behind him, giggling her head off. When he looked down, properly at her, and she looked up, his déjà vu just increased. Her brown eyes went wide and she let out a gasp.

"Dream!" She just about squealed. Dream's own eyes went wide.

"Oh. Hi." He said, the same squeezing feeling in his chest when he thought about George, but put a kind smile on his face nonetheless. She was just a child after all. "Hi Alana." He added her name, more gently. She was jumping up and down with excitement and put her arms up in the air.

"You must call me Lana, Dream!" She shouted. Dream shushed her gently, looking around at all the people staring at the volume. He crouched down to her level, in the hopes she would stop shouting up at him, but she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Up! Up!" She said.

"Um. Where's... where's your... Dad?" He asked, nearly tumbling from her pulling at him.

"Daddy isn't here."

"What?" He asked, standing up and reluctantly picking her up with him, holding her against his hip.

"He's at a... a meeting." She said.

"A meeting." Dream echoed, looking around. Where did Quackity and Sapnap go? And who did Lana come with?

"Who brought you here?" He asked, moving away from the crowd slightly.

"You are coming to my party right?" She said. Dream looked at her. Right. It was her birthday in less than a week, he recalled.

God, it hurt so bad to look at her eyes. Those eyes.
He looked away.

"I'm sort of busy." He mumbled. He could sense her frown.

"Safnap said you come." She said.

Dream's eyebrows shot in the air and he looked at her.

"What." He whispered.

"Safnap. He told me you come to my party." She said. Dream processed this in his brain, swallowing his confusion.

"Sapnap?" He asked. And she nodded. "You've met Sapnap?"