"It's my life, i can do whatever the fuck i want." George snapped and Quackity seemed a bit taken back. George wondered why. It couldn't be because he swore, he did that quite a lot off-stream.

"Well yes but...why?" Quackity asked a couple of seconds later. A very good question, he thought. There were a lot of reasons as to why he had decided to do this. One of them being distancing himself from Dream and then also Sapnap because he couldn't ignore one of them and talk to the other. Not when they were roommates.

"Because he doesn't fucking tell me anything." That was one of the other reasons. It seriously hurt when Dream didn't tell him what was wrong. What could possibly be so bad that he couldn't tell him but could tell Sapnap? And Sapnap probably told Karl so it couldn't be that bad? But that would leave just a single option. That it was in fact about him.

"That's the stupidest reason I've ever heard." Quackity said and George scoffed.

"If you're like trying to make me talk to them again then I can say that you are doing a really bad job." He said and he heard how the other sighed.

"George, why are you doing this? It's hurting you." Quackity said and then added. "And him and Nick."

"Well...talking to him hurts." He truthfully said, leaving out the part about how not talking to him hurt much more. But even to George's ears what he said to Quackity sounded like an excuse.

"I know but...what is your goal with this? To just suppress your feelings and hope they go away? It doesn't work like that, you know that." Yes, that is my goal.

"What if I don't know that? What if that is my only way, my only chance?" Chance to what, George? Lose your best friend?

"Do you really want to get rid of your feelings for him that bad?" Yes, he thinks, because they will never lead to something real. It will all be just useless longing for something he can never have- someone he can never have.

"Yes! I want to love him like a friend, a best friend. Not...something else." He sniffled and began tearing up. Goddammit, this was exactly why he didn't want to talk to anyone. He couldn't keep his tears in.

"I wish I could hug you right now." He only started to cry more at that. "George I promise you, you will make it out of this alive." Yeah, alive but heartbroken.

"But what if the only solution is to cut him out of my life?" It was scary to think about, that there was a possibility that he and Dream would never talk again. George shaked his head as if trying to get the thought out of his head.

"George, do not do that!" Quackity shouted. He sounded almost...scared. But of what? "Trust me, that will not end well. For either of you."

"Then what should i do?" He asked weakly and hated how his voice broke. He hated being vulnerable, especially in front of his friends.

"Talk to them, to him." George's eyes widened. There was no way he was confessing his feelings, ever. Why did Quackity even suggest that? George had no idea.

"What, no! I can't do that." He almost shouted.

"George, I don't mean 'talk about your feelings' I mean 'talk to your best friends'." Okay that actually made a lot more sense. But it was still not good. Talking to them meant that he had to try and control himself from snapping at them.

"It's not that easy." He eventually got out.

"Why? You're talking to me right now." Sometimes Quackity could be really stupid. Of course it was easier to talk to Quackity because for the most part they just joked around. It was not often that they were having a serious conversation.

"Yeah, you. I haven't been ignoring you for days." And there it was, he admitted that that was exactly what he was doing.

"Just talk to them! Start with Nick or something." George was taken aback by that.

"What, are you crazy? He's going to kill me! You know how protective he is of Dream." The last time they had talked Sapnap sounded as if he really was going to kill George.

"Then call Dream first, problem solved." Ah yes sure, problem solved. As if it was that easy. George wished it would be that easy.

"Wha- that's not- whatever, i don't want to talk about this anymore." He muttered and took up his phone. No notifications. He couldn't decide if that was a good or bad thing. Probably bad since it meant that neither of his best friends had tried to reach out to him in a couple of days. Well, he only had himself to blame for that.

"Then what do you wanna talk about?" Quackity asked, immediately dropping the subject.

Dream nervously tapped on the couch's armchair as he watched Sapnap and Leah trying to show something with their hand gestures. The others were playing charade while he just watched. He felt too...anxious to play with them. Not bringing his phone did the exact difference from what he had hoped. His anxiety only became worse without it.

Out of nowhere someone laid a hand over his own and stilled it. He looked up and saw Sapnap stand before him. He crouched down so that he was now at the same level as Dream.

"You okay?" He asked in a low voice and Dream looked over at his family. They weren't paying attention to them. He turned back to Sapnap and slowly nodded. "Bad Adhd-day?" He nodded again.

"Feeling a bit anxious." He mumbled and Sapnap nodded understandingly.

"Wanna head back home?"

"I guess so." Sapnap stood up again and held out his hand. Dream took it and Sapnap helped him up. His legs felt weak since he had been sitting for over an hour.

"Let's go then."

After saying goodbye to his family they went out to the car and Sapnap got it started. Dream stayed silent while his friend talked about some basketball match he hadn't seen. He didn't bother listening and was instead just looking out the window, it was already dark outside. For just a second he focused again and listened to what Sapnap was saying.

"...know people are worried about you." He heard and turned to look at him.

"Huh?" He confusedly asked and Sapnap shaked his head with a small smile.

"You haven't been listening to anything I've said, have you?" He asked and chuckled.

"No...sorry." He apologized but Sapnap just shaked it off. It did happen quite a lot after all so he was probably used to it.

"It's fine, I was just saying that everyone is worried about you."

"What do you mean...everyone?" He questioned and Sapnap slowed down the car. Dream looked forward and saw that they were at a red light.

"Well... I can't think of a single friend of yours who hasn't reached out to me asking how you are." Sapnap simply stated and began accelerating the car again. Dream was confused. He hadn't been away for that long. Why was everyone so worried? He didn't get it.

"Oh." He exclaimed.

"Yeah...were you planning on calling George sometime soon?" Sapnap tried smoothly to get the topic of George into the conversation. Dream groaned and turned back to the window. They were almost home now. "What? Are you not even going to try?"

"Try what? Talk to someone who doesn't want to talk to me?"

"He doesn't not want to talk to you. He's just...frustrated."

"I know, but what am I supposed to do? Tell him?"

"That would be the best option but you could also talk to him and solve it as friends." Dream frowned. What the hell did Sapnap mean? Solve it as friends. Did he really think that he should talk to George about his feelings and then just...continue to be friends? George would never wanna talk to him if he did that.

"Solve what as friends?" He snapped and glared at him.

"Your argument or whatever it is, chill out dude." Sapnap defended himself and held up the hand that wasn't on the steering wheel.

"Keep your eyes on the road." He muttered and Sapnap didn't argue against it. Nobody said anything for the rest of the way and when they got back Dream went up to his room without another word.

After turning on his computer without a plan on what to do, he reached for his phone that was still on his bedside table. It was dead so he put the charger in. It wasn't as if he expected something when he turned it on but it was still hard to not think about it. He looked over at his phone a few times and considered picking it up and turning it on but convinced himself every time that it still needed more battery.

His computer was now on and he looked at his notifications. There were far too many for him to respond to now. But one of them stuck out to him. It was from the MCC Twitter account as well as the MCC discord. He clicked on it and his face fell. It was a reminder to sign up for the next event if you wanted to participate.

This was hard. He had already skipped the last one since had been hospitalized; he couldn't skip another one. But the next MCC was only in fifteen days, was he able to fix everything till then? And he had not been online for like...what was it? A week? Oh god.

Even though he was on a break he still felt the need to give his fans some kind of content. Therefore he quickly signed the form and handed it in. What should he do now?

Oh, right. His phone.

He glanced over at it but quickly shook his head. This was ridiculous. He couldn't be scared of his phone. Stubbornly he picked it up and checked. It didn't look much different from the notifications on his computer and a quick look told him that there was nothing from George.

He didn't know whenever to feel disappointed or relieved. Was this it? He questioned. Was this really what would pull them apart and destroy their friendship? A secret? This was pathetic. He was pathetic. He couldn't even talk to his best friend without having a mental breakdown.

Without really knowing what he was doing he clicked onto George's contact and clicked on the call button. It took a couple of seconds for him to register what he had done and he almost dropped the phone. "Fuck." He breathed and went to hang up. But it was too late, George had picked up.

George froze as he heard his phone ring. He knew who it was. Of course he knew. Dream was the only one he had that went through do not disturb.

"He's calling me." George interrupted whatever Quackity was saying. He went quiet before groaning, obviously understanding who he meant.

"Then fucking pick up!" He answered and left their ongoing call. George nervously looked down at his phone that was in his hands. Fuck, he was not prepared for this. But what if this was his only chance at repairing their friendship. What if this was his last chance before Dream and Sapnap finally gave up and moved on from him. Before they finally decided that he wasn't worth their time and left him. He answered.

"Hello?" He shakily asked and he heard a breath hitch on the other side.

"George." He heard Dream's voice whisper and everything broke down. He began sobbing and put his head in his hands. His voice probably sounded muffled but he didn't have the time to care about it.

"God, i'm so fucking sorry. I-I should have never done that. I'm so sorry-" He began apologizing and stumbled over his words.

"George, you should not be the one apologizing. I'm sorry." Dream interrupted him and George could hear that he was also crying.

"No, I'm the one who has been ignoring you. Im-" He didn't know what to say and instead ended up apologizing more. "-sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you about telling me. I know that-that it's not my place to know if you don't want me too."

"I know but-" Dream paused and then continued in a low whisper. "I made you question our friendship and I-I don't want you to ever do that George. You are my best friend and nothing can change that." That wasn't true, George thought. There was something that could change that and it started with romantic and ended with feelings.

"Yeah..." He said slowly. It was honestly quite embarrassing to think about what he had said to Dream the last time they spoke. It was harsh, he was very aware of that. But he was also aware that he at least deserved some kind of explanation as to why his best friend was all of a sudden having panic attacks all the time. "You...still can't tell me, can you?" George asked and wiped away his tears.

"No, I'm sorry." It was silent for a bit. "Are you going to be online now?" George scoffed.

"What do you mean? You're the one who has been gone."

"That's...true I guess." There was a loaded moment where nobody said anything. "George, can you promise me something?" Dream asked quickly and George could barely hear what he said.

"Maybe."

"Never do that again. Never ignore me like that. Please." Dream begged and George took a sharp breath.

"I can't promise that Dream. That's my way of coping when I get mad or frustrated or sad or..." Heartbroken. "Anyways...I can't promise that."

"George please, it kills me when you do that. Please don't do it again." Dream continued to beg him and George frowned. He couldn't promise that because he knew that it would probably happen again.

"Okay I promise." He lied and Dream seemed more at ease after that.

"Thank you." He whispered back and George felt really bad for lying to him.

"Are you um...mad at me?" He finally had the courage to ask and he heard how Dream sighed. That doesn't sound positive, George thought.

"No, no I'm not." He finally answered after a couple of seconds and George let out the breath he had been holding. "Are you...mad at me?"

"No." He answered quickly and truthfully. He had had a couple of days to think about it and he had come to the conclusion that if Dream didn't want to tell him then it wasn't any of his business. Plus he had missed Dream so much that he wasn't able to be mad at him.

"So we're good then?" Dream hesitantly asked and George laughed.

"Yes Dream, we're good." He said and smiled happily. He was glad that he finally had his best friend back and that may have been one of the reasons for what he said next.

"Is your offer still up?" He asked.

"My...offer?" Dream asked, probably having no idea what George was talking about.

"About...Florida." He silently said and he could hear the exact moment that Dream understood what he meant. He heard a sharp breath and Dream started to stumble over his words.

"You-I-really? Like...for real? Seriously, you're not joking? You're coming here? To Florida? To...me?" George chuckled at Dream's excitement and was a lot calmer now considering the reaction he had got.

"Yes, if you will have me."

"Of course we will!" Dream shouted and George smiled. This went a lot better than he thought it would. "Oh, have you signed up for MCC yet? Or are you going to skip this one?" Dream asked.

"I had completely forgotten about that. Is today the last day to sign up?" Dream hummed in response. "Have you signed up?" He hummed again. George looked up at his computer and put his phone down on the side of his keyboard. When had his hands became this sweaty, he wondered before drying them off on his pants. He quickly found the applications for MCC and signed it.

"So what have you been up to...the last couple of days?"

"Well I had dinner with my family and Nick." George frowned; he had completely forgotten about Sapnap. Oh that was going to be hell.

"Your siblings too?"

"Yep and oh Leah was there too." Dream seemed excited by this and even though George would never confess this, he was a bit jealous. Even though he didn't want to know who this girl who Dream seemed excited about was, he still asked.

"Who is that?" He tried his hardest not to make his voice sound jealous.

"Oh yeah, I haven't mentioned her before, have i?" George was pretty sure that he would remember if Dream had talked about some girl before. "She's my oldest sister's girlfriend and she told me that she was going to propose to her!" Oh, well this was a bit embarrassing for him. He probably had no reason for worrying that Dream and this 'Leah' would get together. But did this change anything? Probably not.

"Oh, congratulations to them I guess." He finally answered in a voice that didn't sound the slightest sincere. But that wasn't his intention; he was genuinely happy for them. But he could understand how his choice of words and tone could be misunderstood.

"Do you have like a problem with that?" Dream hesitantly asked as if he was afraid that he would be right about what he was probably thinking.

"Of course not!" George was quick to defend himself. He definitely didn't want Dream to think he was like homophobic or like misogynistic.

"Then why did you sound so..." Dream sounded unsure of what he was saying and trailed off.

"I was just surprised and caught up in my thoughts, I didn't think about how that sounded. I'm sorry. I promise you I'm not like that."

"Okay...I guess I have to trust you then." Dream said in a lighthearted tone. He then began telling George how Leah also had questioned if Sapnap was homophobic due to something he had said. Dream also told him how scared Sapnap was of Leah. George laughed along at the right places and hummed but in all honesty he didn't really listen. He was busy thinking about other things.

He knew that knowing Dream had a gay sister, or something else she didn't have to be gay, didn't change anything. He already knew that Dream wasn't homophobic. But somewhere, deep down there was some kind of unexplainable hope that maybe maybe this could mean that Dream wasn't straight. He obviously didn't seem like he grew up in a homophobic household so maybe. But George quickly shook the thoughts away.

This was ridiculous and stupid. Just because Dream's sister happend to be gay or whaterver didn't mean he was gay or into men. And if Dream somehow happened to be into men there was no way he would like George. They were friends. Dream had made sure of that.

"Dream, I don't think I've ever asked you but, you've never talked about your father." George hesitantly asked, he didn't know if it was a sensitive topic or not. But really he just wanted to hear Dream talk. He however started to regret asking when Dream let out a loud sigh. "You don't have to answer." He quickly assured him.

"No, it's fine, I don't mind. I just don't talk about him a lot." Dream said and then sighed again. "He was a homophobic asshole that left when i was ten." Oh that took a very different direction.

"Oh." Was all that he got out.

"Yeah and throughout the years he has tried getting in contact with us again and even invited himself to important family stuff. Even though he doesn't even have any legal rights to take care of my youngest sister." George just listened and let Dream talk. "And it's so annoying. I hate him but he keeps showing up like all the fucking time. It's honestly exhausting."

"You don't have to answer but...why did he leave?"

"I'm actually not sure...but I think it started out with him walking in on my sister kissing another girl. And him being homophobic you can kinda understand how that went." George hummed. "And then it just got really bad from there. I don't really remember too much, this is just what my mom told me years later."

"Yeah...he sounds like a dick." Dream laughed at that och George couldn't help but laugh too.

"Trust me, from those few memories I have with him, he is." Dream agreed and they laughed a bit more.

"I'm glad I never had to deal with any of that."

"Yeah i guess it's hard to have to deal with homophobic parents if you aren't gay." Dream attempted to joke but it didn't quite land. In all honesty it hurt a bit that Dream just assumed. Not that he in any way blamed him, they didn't talk about this a lot and George was pretty sure that he had said before that he was straight. George forced a laugh.

"Yeah..." He said hesitantly and awkwardly cleared his throat. He silently damned himself, that was so suspicious. Dream didn't say anything for a long time and George just got more nervous. He really hoped that the silence only meant that nobody had anything to say and not that Dream had noticed his hesitancy and was currently trying to figure out the reason for it.

But of course Dream had noticed it and of course he kinda got what it meant. He wasn't stupid. George's suspicion was confirmed a couple of seconds later.

"Are you not...straight, George?" Dream asked in a kind of comforting voice. His tone was soft and George felt like he was about to melt. At least until he realized what Dream was asking him.