The entire way back George badgered him about being more careful.
"–and it's not just digging straight down without a care in the world, every time we're in the Nether you go skipping around seeing how close you can get to the edge of a cliff before I freak out."
The sun was setting behind them, casting the white city walls in a vibrant orange as they approached.
"You're always like, 'Oh, I'm Dream I hit pigmen for fun now watch me parkour over a lava lake.'" he mocked, waving his hands around. "Then the pigmen come after me and I have to deal with–"
Suddenly he realized how silent Dream had been. Usually by now he would've interrupted him with a scathing remark or something.
George turned to look at his friend. While his face remained covered by his mask, its white surface was scuffed and blackened. What he could see of his dirty blond hair was frazzled and stuck up at odd angles, their tips singed. Dream's entire body language conveyed exhaustion, his shoulders slumped and his clothes burnt and torn in some places.
"You okay?" George said, his voice softer with concern.
Dream lifted his head. "Yeah. Just tired." After a brief silence he added, "and tingly."
"Tingly." George repeated.
"Like there's still lightning inside me."
"Inch-resting." he hummed. "I wouldn't suggest touching metal objects for the rest of the week."
They stopped at the city gates and George waved at a guard on top of the wall. He watched the man hesitate for a moment, taking in their bedraggled appearance, before finally opening the gate.
He realized he must look just as bad as Dream, but then again he wasn't the one struck by lightning. As they passed through the long archway, he put a hand on Dream's shoulder. He hoped it wasn't his injured one. "Why don't you head back? I'll go turn this stupid head in."
His friend visibly brightened. George knew there was a smile behind that mask.
"Don't claim all the money for yourself, okay?"
"Mmmm can't promise that." he shook his head, "How about a ten-ninety split?"
"What, I get ninety and you get ten? Sounds like a plan."
George shoved him. "No idiot, I did all the work. Twenty-eighty."
"Then I get eighty. I got struck by lightning."
They reached the fork in the road, George splitting off towards the castle while Dream headed to the center of town.
"Just promise me you'll go straight to bed." George called before his friend could be swallowed up by the evening crowd, "I better not come back and find you staying up doing something stupid."
"Okay, mom."
George would be glad to know that Dream did indeed go home, wash up, and immediately fall asleep.
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I have no idea how wattpad works. Does my stuff even show up in the tags?