Heatwaves Dreamnotfound (NOT MINE)

Chapter 4: Mirage

"Maybe it's worth more than that to you, then." Sapnap takes a pause, and continues with caution in his voice, "also, I don't think it all came from nowhere."

He frowns. "What do you mean?"

"I'm saying that you probably, I don't know, had these feelings for him before," Sapnap says. 

Feelings. "Um."

"Sorry, was that not—,"

"No, no, don't worry about it." Dream swallows. "Maybe you have a point. Either way, I'm in this shit now. How do I get out?"

"Do you want out?" Sapnap asks.

"I—," Dream falters, not expecting the word yes to get caught in his throat. "I want him."

Sapnap coughs awkwardly.

Dream turns red. "Sorry."

"It's fine, just something to get used to. Have you...talked to him, about how you feel?"

"I can't do that, he'd freak out. You know how he gets even when I'm joking," Dream says.

"You do get under his skin," Sapnap says, "not in a gross way, though. If he had a real problem with it he'd ask you to stop."

Dream scoffs. "Seriously? This is George. He hates confrontation."

"Dunno. He seems fine confronting you." He hears Sapnap's lips smack a few times.

"That doesn't mean anything—wait," he pauses to listen. "Are you eating?"

Sapnap chews. "Yes."

"In the middle of my super emotional conversation?"

"It's my lunch."

"It's so loud, Sapnap. What is that, taffy?" His nose scrunches in disgust.

"Peanut butter and jelly sandwich," Sapnap corrects. "Have you eaten anything today?"

He rolls his eyes. "No. Don't mom me."

"I will. You're talking to me about boy trouble, so I qualify. Eat something."

"I'm not hungry," Dream says.

Sapnap makes a noise of disbelief. "It's a really sweet peanut-almond mix, with strawberry jam, on rye bread. Toasted."

He feels a grumble in his stomach. "Goddammit."

"Get food," Sapnap says, "and go home, jesus."

Dream begrudgingly leans off the car and opens his door. "George doesn't 'confront' me. It doesn't mean anything," he repeats. Waves of heat radiate from inside the vehicle, making him wince. He should have at least cracked a window or two when he'd parked—this is going to be a nightmare.

"Oh come on, Dream. He calls you out all the time to make you like, piss yourself or something." Sapnap chuckles lightly.

"Yeah, but—oh my god, it's too hot right now," he lowers himself into the seat, "but that's just him joking around. He's not serious." He tugs the door shut, immediately rolling down the windows once his keys are in the ignition. The air outside is a few degrees less hellish than inside his portable oven, but not enough to provide relief.

"Don't you think that when you're actually saying stuff, he just thinks you're joking too?" Sapnap questions.

His fingers hastily shove at the air conditioning controls. A small, cool burst is all he needs. "I don't understand what you're trying to say."

"That maybe he's just mimicking you," Sapnap says, "maybe he wants you, too."

A blast of scorching air attacks his face from the dusty vents immediately, flooding the car with suffocating billows of heat. It smells like pain.