dnf oneshots

40. turn off the cameras

"Could use some tweaks," Ron mutters, "but this would sound great."

"So real, too," Jacky says. "Is it about anyone in particular?"

Dream can see the way her eyes glint like she knows exactly who it's about. He's been working with these two for nearly three years; they can read him like a book at this point. He still gives himself away as he glances towards George.

Jacky hums, smirking. "Does he know?"

Dream shakes his head. 

"Love confession song," she says with a sigh as she turns away. "So romantic."

The three of them sit down and rework parts of the song. 30 minutes later, they begin working on pitches, vocals, all the stuff Sapnap and George both hate but Dream absolutley loves.

"Hey," George says behind Dream a few hours later. 

Dream jumps and turns around. "Hi," he says, subtly hiding the pages with lyrics on them. "Good sleep?"

George slumps into the chair next to Dream, groaning. "As good a sleep can be when you're on a bench," he mutters. Dream subtly motions to hide the lyrics, and Jacky immediately scoops them all up and acts like she's reorganizing them. "What have you guys been doing?"

"The stuff you always hate," Dream says. 

"Are you going to be recording soon?" George asks. 

Dream casts a glance towards Ron. "I dunno, are we?"

"Uh," Ron says, pulling out his phone. "We could do... Slow Down today?"

"Sounds good," Dream says. 

George hums tiredly. "Okay."

Dream chuckles as his eyes blink shut. "Do you want me to call you a taxi, George?" he asks, looping an arm over his shoulders. George immediately falls against his chest. 

"No," he says, muffled by Dream's shirt. "'M fine."

"You're exhausted," Dream says, balling his free hand so he doesn't touch. 

George immediately sits up, swaying gently. "Whaddya mean?" he asks. "I'm wide awake."

Dream snickers. "Tell Ken if you wanna go to the hotel and sleep, okay?"

"Okay," George mumbles, slumping against the table. 

Dream runs his hand along George's shoulder as he leaves the confrence room, leaving him with one of their bodyguards just in case. He follows Ron and Jacky into the recording studio itself, where he swaps his OU cat beanie for headphones. They do some final ideas, and Dream steps up to the microphone.

Whenever he does, he feels brand new. Like a new person, in some way he could never describe, not aloud. It's... freeing.

They record the first demo, and they review it and take notes on how to improve. They do this once more before Ken pops in to say George asked to go back to the hotel. 

"Don't sit up watching reality TV, okay?" Dream says, grasping George's shoulders. "Actually sleep. You need it."

George grumbles. "Stop worrying, Dream," he mutters, clearly already half asleep. "I'll be fine."

"Okay," Dream says. "I should be done before 8, so we can go for food then, okay?"

George hums before being led out by Ken and Bink. Dream ducks back into the recording studio, and they keep recording for what feels like hours. It's really only two and a bit. 

"Wanna do Spotlight?" Jacky asks. "Now that George is gone."

"Or Kind of Love," Ron mutters, looking down at his phone. "We have Paranoid, Until I End Up Dead, Slow Down and Invincible done."