Chapter 1
Phone call
Soft whips of wind blew Dream's dirty-blonde hair from where he sat beneath a cherry blossom tree, pink colours shimmering like how his cheeks flush brightly to the thought of George.
This place settled in Dream's mind can vary to peace and disaster. It shifts from time to time depending on the boy's bottled-up emotions. Said emotions are based off of procrastination, negativity, and affection towards the thought of George and him ending up together. Personally, it sounded more like wishful thinking the last one, but fantasies are still enjoyable to pursue either way.
Flowing water in the light blue stream beside Dream swirled in miny whirlpools from by the breeze knocking at the current, the sound being ever so relaxing and harmonic.
He inhaled a breath of calmness while looking up at the pink and purple sky with his green eyes. He always enjoyed these moments in his dream, whereas everything was serene and filled with solace. The only pitiful part was that it doesn't last long.
Dream's mask sat on his head in rejection, handsome skin glistening smoothly with beauty. His ego is as tall as a tower, and even if that tower collapsed, the broken pieces would build themselves back up into an even bigger one. There was no chance of ever degrading Dream.
All that filled Dream's ears were the sounds of nature, and the thudding of his heartbeat. Being with George in the future seemed to be such a visionary love in Dream's eyes. He can see every idea almost as if it were drawn on paper. Dream's imagination happened to be very vivid, powerful, and magical. Despite seeing everything so perfectly, the pieces all shattered into stardust before his very eyes when one negative thought claimed his placid emotions:
How? How would he confess his feelings for George his best friend? Why would George share those same feelings for him? And who is destined to be Dream's boyfriend? Sure, that was more than one question... But that only shows his concern towards this topic.
In life, it almost seems as if you've got a number of lives like in a game, and once they're all gone, sadness overwhelms your soul. That was honestly what Dream feared, pain. Dream has spent most of his time imagining a life with George; something so wonderful. To have that stripped away from him and left with an awkward tension instead, that would kill his poor throbbing heart.
Raindrops poured down from the once perfect sky and sunk the coldness into his numb fingers, Dream's green hoodie quickly getting drenched from by the ravishing weather. The poor boy sat stiffly against the bark of the cherry blossom tree, downpour thrashing heavily against his slim frame that shivered when the slams got harder.
Tears welled up in Dream's green eyes, and without any second thought, he blinked them away and sniffled due to the weather change.
A lump weighing heavier than a brick sat madly in the depths of his throat, struggling to swallow it down, Dream choked out a series of sobs and kept crying a stream of tears alike the rain.
"George," Dream whispered upon hearing thunder roar in threat. "I love you so much, but I know that you wouldn't feel the same."
The distant sound of Dream's breathing began to blur out as his green eyes widened to the size of saucepans upon seeing the lightning streaks strike against the sky, groans of dejection thumping in the clouds. Dream's heart poured in brokenness, the shattered pieces clicking together and then falling apart knowing that they couldn't fit... Couldn't be together.
"We come from two different worlds." Dream protested to the storm. "George is playful, and I'm just..." Dream's eyes landed on the sudden puddle that spawned from beside his green and black sneaker. "Different."
The clouds burned in an outlined glow of blue, Dream's heart unwillingly readying itself to drop down into the feverous puddle of water, dulled from all bright colours.
One last strike of lightning darted towards Dream, electrical units zapping beside the bolt. In a mere second, Dream closed his green eyes while a stray tear leaked out, soft inhaling breath knowing the usual drill already.
"Goodbye..."
Pain shocked Dream's lungs, a sudden awakening bringing him back to reality.
Dream's shoulders slumped in exhaustion, tired eyes finding his phone on his bedside table and clicking the button to flash himself the time, 3:33am perfectly symmetrical and bold in white numbers for him to see.
It was no surprise that Dream felt hesitant while holding his phone in his hand, headphones laced on his bedside table with the straying cords dangling down the edge in dismissal.
He sighed.
"Luck would have it that George doesn't pick up." Dream muttered harshly to himself, wrist rolling his phone around in his grasping fingers. "Pick up or don't pick up—"
"Dream?" George asked curiously from amongst the speaker of his phone, Dream's quick working fingers reaching out for his headphones in a snatch, cord now plugged into his phone, the black and green headphones nestling his ears warmly. "Gosh, have you ever heard of sleep?"
Dream laughed nervously in reply.
"No?"
He could hear George exhale an irritated breath of air.
"I'm hanging up, Clay."
Dream's heartbeat stopped when hearing his real name leave George's vocals, except in the ways that were harsh and brutal, not a sweet lick of honey melted on a sunny day.
"Wait, George."
The call fell silent. Dream wasn't sure if George had hung up, so he checked his phone and saw that indeed he did, the sight only scratching cuts of negativity into Dream's mind to how fast he did so.
"Oh, George…" Dream exasperated disappointedly and gently placed his bright lit phone down on the bed. "Why don't you ever give me a chance?"
The rain howling in the wind outside was the only noise to accompany his mixed thoughts. Dream knew that George only lived three hours away from him, and yet he never seemed to mention it. Sapnap did most of the talking when streaming online. He and George were just seen as players in a game, a spiral of words in the mind that leave him restless at night.
Meanwhile, this was Dream's game, and only he could dictate the move he wants…
Dream dialled George's phone number again.
"One…"
"Two.."
Dream inhaled sharply.
"Three.."
"You're so annoying." George huffed from over the phone. "Why won't you let me go?"
He trailed soft fingers over the shiny plastic of his black and green headphones nestled by his ears.
"Because I'm not ready to let you leave." Dream closed his eyes. "I need you, George."
A shaky, "w—what?" relapsed through the phone, breath caught in the truth.
"George, I need you." Dream repeated far more confidently, green eyes opening when hearing his own voice echo in his head. "More than you'll ever know."
George scoffed from over the phone.
"You're tired, Dream."
Dream grinned slightly.
"Tiredness can't be mistaken for love or a want."
He could almost hear his own heartbeat thudding through his green and black headphones, wires twirled around his arm to meet with his phone.
"Love or a want.." George repeated slowly in astonishment. "What about if I 'want to love you?"
A gasp almost leapt from his lips at the sudden change in wordplay. George hasn't ever been this open towards him, and by surprise, his chess pieces are clicking into place.
Dream found himself lowering a hand down to the bed and stroking Patches' fur tenderly.
"You're smooth, George. But how about my 'desire for you." Dream purred with a roll of his tongue, the earnestly song worthy words giving voice to silence as George thought it through carefully.
"Are you flirting with me?"
Dream chuckled with a "maybe?"
Patches meowed in debate.
"Dream, Dream, Dream.." George detoured with an airy tone. "Oh, how interesting you are."
Dream felt a twinge in the only clothes he was wearing, boxers.
"I know." He proudly dejected. "Just tell me you love me."
George giggled cutely.
"I love you, Dream."
He inhaled a heavy breath and blinked once before a smile pushed at his lips.
"You're going to tell Sapnap about this, aren't you?"
The sound of water being sipped rumbled in Dream's headphones, after a while it stopped.
"Probably."
Dream sighed playfully.
"Can I see you tomorrow?"
Silence became overbearing when being heard.
"Why?" George carefully asked. Dream started lightly stroking at the duvet he laid beneath.
"Because I want to kiss you," he exhaled. "And love you the way you deserve to be loved."
George hummed a tune of acknowledgment.
"You know that I've been avoiding you for ages, right?"
Dream smirked.
"And maybe that's why I've fallen more in love with you."
A beat of deadly silence ticked by. Once it got broken with a loud exhale, Dream tensed up to listen in for the next set of words.
"We'll talk about this in person… See you online at a much-preferred time."
The phone call shut off without another word more.