It's not that George didn't want to be alone with Dream. In fact, he craved it entirely. Even when Dream was standing a few feet away it would feel like endless void between them. Yet, his heart could not bring him to allow himself to feel these emotions. George didn't fully know why he was holding back so much. He knew Dream was good for him, and that if he gave the boy a chance they could have an amazing relationship together. Yet, fear was the main factor he could focus on. Fear of possibly losing his best friend if they broke up in the future, fear of what the fans would think, fear of what his family would say. There was so much to be afraid of just because he loves his best friend. It was unfair, to say the least.
"Dream stop, I can't- breathe!" George struggled to speak through broken breaths.
"Not until you admit you love me!" Dream shouted back, further digging his fingers into George's sides with relentless perseverance.
"I dont *hiccup* wanna lie to you" George let out with a shit-eating grin on his face. He was merely teasing Dream, and Dream knew that.
"Well I guess I won't stop tickling you then" Dream stated before continuing his attack on George's body, prodding at his sides, neck and armpits. George's head was thrown back in painful bliss, warm laughs echoing throughout their tiny apartment. The truth is, Dream already knew George loved him, he just wanted to hear his favourite laugh.
"O-Okay Dream!! I- l-love you!" He squeaked out, swatting at the other boy's arms. Dream retreated his hands to his sides, a sloppy smile plastered on his features. George's breaths were ragged and heavy, trying to recover from what felt like torture.
"I know you do, baby. I love you too" Dream whispered tenderly, leaning down for a kiss.
George woke up in a sweat, arms wrapped around himself as if in a hug. He touched his lips where Dream had kissed him in his dream, and butterflies flew through his stomach. He was disappointed to say the least; having to leave his own fantasy world and face reality. Being with Dream seemed so much easier there.
Letting out a large huff, he swung his sweatpant covered legs over the side of the bed, stretching and cracking his limbs and bones. He leaned down to search for his house slippers when he saw Patches curled up on the carpet beneath him. She had been sleeping in his room recently, though George was unsure as to why. He carded his fingers through her fur, smiling as she purred in content. After sliding his feet into his slippers, he made his way downstairs to make breakfast. Surprisingly, no one was awake yet. He decided to cook for everyone, seeing as it was their last morning together.
While flipping chocolate chip pancakes and humming a tune to himself, he heard heavy footsteps from behind him.
"Morning George" said a deep voice, belonging to his secret love.
"Goodmorning" he turned toward Dream, offering a tired smile.
"You didn't have to make breakfast for everyone y'know, I'm supposed to be the host here"
"Yeah but every other guest is leaving today but me. Thought it would be something nice for them to wake up to on their last day"
Dream's heart bloomed at George's consideration.
"Well, it honestly looks really good. I'm surprised you didn't burn down my house" Dream giggled.
"Yeah whatever, I'm not all that bad at cooking, especially when I've been watching you" George said. He mentally facepalmed knowing he had just admitted he observes Dream while he cooks.
"Oh, really?" Dream said in a teasing tone, "you like watching me cook?"
"Don't flatter yourself" George smirked, returning to flip another pancake and set it on the stack he had made. Dream smiled at his back, relieved the tension from last night had dissipated.
"What's cookin' good lookin'?" Sapnap sang as he entered the kitchen, slinging an arm over Dream's shoulders. The position was quite funny, considering Dream is a whole head taller than him.
"Pancakes. I also cut up some fruit already it's on the table" George gestured to the breakfast nook in the corner.
Slowly but surely everyone came filing into the dining area, all surprised at how well George had made them. Many compliments were given to the chef. As Karl took his last bite, he checked the time on his watch.
"We should probably leave soon. Only 2 hours till our flights leave" He stated in a somber tone.
"I'll go pack the rest of Lucy's things" Bad responded whilst standing up from the table. Quackity rolled his eyes-of course Bad had many things to pack for his rat dog.
The table went quiet after that, everyone not really knowing what to say. Sadness hung between them like a hammock of emotion. Dream picked at his food for a bit before attempting to lighten the mood.
"Nick when you get home let your mom know I miss her"
Everyone bursted out laughing at the random comment, Quackity clapping his hands and saying "LETS GOO". Sapnap shook his head in feigned disappointment and stuck his middle finger up at the blonde. Karl buried his head in the crook of Sapnap's neck while choking out giggles. They then went on to swing mom jokes at one another, adding more fuel to the fire. A very confused Bad walked back into the room with Rat hooked under his arm.
"What did I miss?"
_________________________
The drive to the airport was filled with happy memories and lumps in everyone's throats. Since Dream drove a smaller car, George volunteered to stay back at the house and clean up while Dream drove everyone there. George was holding back tears when he said goodbye to his best friends, giving hugs that lasted for several seconds before pulling away. Alex hugged him the longest, giving a pat on his back and a sad smile when he released from the embrace.
Once they arrived at the airport, everyone piled out of the car and retrieved their suitcases from the trunk. Dream offered to carry Bad's bag until they arrived at the gate, seeing as he already had his hands full with Rat's carrier. Karl and Sapnap walked side by side the entire time as if practically glued together. They had a special bond and they would surely miss the physical interactions.
Quackity and Bad's flights were leaving first, and thankfully their gates were close to one another. All of their hearts ached, knowing this was the beginning of the end, and not knowing when the next meet up would be. Bad said his final goodbyes, thanking Dream for hosting his stay. He told Rat to say goodbye to everyone, and she surprisingly barked in response. The group laughed at her, and Alex leaned down to pet her one last time. He picked on the dog and always made fun of her, but he secretly loved her. Dream handed Bad his suitcase, and he waved behind him as he strode toward his gate. Quackity left soon after, trying to lighten the mood with soft jokes and laughter.
"I'll message the groupchat when I land" he offered a smile to the remaining boys, before turning to walk up the runway leading to his plane. Karl was visibly upset at his departure, and Sapnap wrapped an arm around his shoulders in comfort.
There was a small gap in between their flights, so they decided to grab food while they waited. They settled on McDonald's, seeing as it was right between Sapnap and Karl's terminals. They ate in silence for a bit, simply enjoying one another's company.
Sapnap broke the silence, "so what do you and George have planned for the next week?"
"I'm not really sure yet, I'm sure I'll be the one to come up with plans though" Dream laughed lightheartedly, trying to hide any hint of concern in his voice. Karl picked up on it anyways, and gave him a comforting look. It seemed like it was something Dream didn't want to talk about, so he didn't push it. Dream silently thanked him with a nod. Sapnap was too busy devouring his burger to notice the interaction.
After about thirty minutes of waiting for the announcement their planes were ready for boarding, the three boys gathered in a group hug. Dream finally let a few tears flow at this point, knowing all of his friends will be gone after this. Except for George of course, but that was a different story. Sapnap went to tease Dream about him being emotional, yet saw Karl with streaks on his face also. He decided to hold back for now but would definitely joke about it in the future. Karl tugged on Sapnap's hand, pulling him into a bear hug. They sighed contentedly in each other's arms, before they both individually embraced Dream. Dream waved farewell as the boys went their separate ways, not turning to look back at them. It would hurt more if he did.
Back at the house, George had been cleaning the entire time they were gone. The six of them had made quite the mess in the short time they were together, and all sorts of snacks and empty monster cans were strewn across the living room and kitchen. He felt quit upset in the empty house, knowing his friends wouldn't be coming back. As he swiped crumbs off the kitchen counter, his chest felt heavy.
Yet, he also couldn't stop thinking about his dream from last night. It felt so right, so perfect, and he couldn't help but recall how upset he was when we woke up. George was terrified of his feelings for Dream, but his dream was also somewhat of a wake-up call. He really wanted to give the boy a chance, and let himself love him. He's not sure if that will ever be fully fulfilled, but he still craved and needed his physical affection. Maybe I'll start with that, George thought to himself. His mental rambling was interrupted when he heard the front door swing open.
After throwing his shoes on the mat beside his front door, Dream walked gracefully into the kitchen, eyes settling on the petite brunette in front of him. He swiftly looked around the kitchen, noticing how much cleaner it was.
"George, you didn't have to clean this much. I would've done it myself or at least help you" he pouted.
"Dream, you've let me stay here for weeks while I've barely cleaned anything. Let me help out for once" George reassured him.
Dream continued to pout and crossed his arms over his chest, so George walked toward him, grasping his arms to unfold them. Dream slightly tensed at his gentle touch. They'd barely made any physical contact lately, leaving the spot where George had touched in flames.
"So... it's just us two now" George stated, shuffling from one foot to the other.
"Yeah, you're right Georgie" Dream winked. George felt his face heat up.
"You're such an idiot. You know what I meant" he was flustered at this point.
"Maybe I did" Dream leaned down to the older, lips brushing past his ear, "maybe I didn't".
The action left George very confused but also extremely red. His breath sent shivers down his spine, and George wished he could relive the moment ten times over.
"Get away from me you idiot" George jokingly pushed at his shoulder.
"Idiot this, idiot that. Just tell me you love me already" Dream responded.
Wow, Dream is being really bold today. George simply scoffed and rolled his eyes, but couldn't hold back a smile. He pretended he hated it when he secretly loved it.
______________________
The rest of the day was spent apart, seeing as they now had extra time to edit their next videos since the boys were gone. George rubbed at his temples in frustration. He's been editing for five hours now, looking through what felt like endless footage and clips. With a headache approaching, he pulled out his phone to text Dream. He sent a quick message asking if he'd be able to help him finish making a thumbnail. Dream responded in an instant,
"sure, idiot" he sent back.
Dream walked into the older's room, two glass water bottles in hand.
"Thought you might be thirsty, I know you haven't left your room in a while"
"Oh, yeah, thank you" George could practically feel his own heart smile at the sweet gesture.
"Alright let's see what's going on" Dream feigned annoyance, hunching over George's shoulder and taking the mouse from his hand.
"Well, I think you should make the main text bigger and maybe a different font. It doesn't look bad so far" He moved the mouse around the screen expertly, making changes to what he deemed should be different. One change in particular George didn't like as much.
"No let's do it like this" George reached for the mouse, but instead of swatting Dream's hand away, he simply placed it on top of his. Dream's breath hitched in his throat. George changed the vibrancy of the background image and bolded the subtitle, before starting to retreat his hand back to his lap. Dream quickly placed it back on the mouse and switched it so his own hand was encasing George's. My hand looks so small compared to his, George thought.
"You have small hands" Dream stated. It's like he always knew what was on George's mind.
"They're not small, yours are just weirdly massive" he defended himself.
"Hey don't get defensive George, I never said it was a bad thing. Your hands are perfectly fine" Dream reassured the boy.
"And they fit perfectly with yours..." George almost gasped at his own mumbled words. He didn't mean to let them escape his lips. He bit down on his bottom lip hard as if to stop himself from saying more.
"Wow that's cute" Dream chuckled, playing off George's comment seeing as the brunette seemed embarrassed by his own confession.
After finally finishing the video and making the thumbnail, George sighed in content. He leaned his head back, feeling it rest on Dream's shoulder. Dream leaned into the touch, placing his own cheek on the boy's soft locks. Their hands were now both folded in George's lap. The gesture would certainly look very intimate to outsiders, but it felt oddly normal with them. Dream was surprised George was being this open to physical affection with him after everything, but he wasn't exactly complaining. After a minute passed of the close position, Dream tilted his head around to reach George's sparkling eyes.
"Wanna do something fun tomorrow?" Dream questioned him.
"Of course, like what though?"
"Well you'll have to wait and see Georgie" Dream's eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled. George wanted to trace the lines so badly, his fingers even began to twitch. For once, he ignored the fear and let himself fall into his own deep desires. With a gentle brush of the pad of his thumb, he caressed the wrinkled skin. Dream blinked slowly, absorbing the feeling of such soft affection.
"I can't wait" George beamed up at him, consumed with adoration.
____________________
hiiiii i tried to make this chapter longer since the last one was poop and i've been MIA, but 32K READS WTFFFFF !!!! you guys are awesome, tysm for the support<333