Requested by: FallenAngelWasTaken on Ao3.

Amanda's POV

"Dream," Amanda called out, gently knocking her knuckles against the bedroom door. Even after all these months together it felt odd for her to just barge into the bedroom when the door was closed. Even though she had spent countless nights in there since they started dating.

"In here," He called back out casually. She walked in and found the shower on. The door to the bathroom that branched from the bedroom was wide open.

She walked in slowly. Finding Dream only in his jeans standing in front of the mirror. His phone gripped tightly in his hand.

"Hey, you walked off after that phone call. You seemed upset, everything okay?" Dream's face softened and he smiled at her. He brushed the hair in her face behind her ear and brushed his thumb along her cheekbone.

"An old friend of mine called me, he was dunk-" Dream shook his head. Almost like he was trying to forget the things that had been said. "He won't remember it in the morning." She wrapped her hands around the male's torso, looking into his eyes. He seemed upset and it hurt her to see that emotion in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Amanda consoled. She didn't know the importance of that phone call at the time, but it seemed important enough that she should comfort him. So she did. "Is he alright?" Dream nodded.

"He is." He confirmed.

"Are you?"

"As long as you're here." She kissed him warmly. Dream was fully in the moment but then his phone beeped with a notification. His eyes ripped away from Amanda and to the phone that rested on the counter. He desperately wanted to check it, knowing that it was 100% George.

Dream pulled away from his girlfriend. He needed to not think about George. They weren't an item anymore. "Why don't you join me?" Dream gestured his head toward the shower. Amanda grinned.

"Of course."

While Amanda got into the shower Dream walked over to his phone. He clicked onto the icon next to George's contact, blocking his number.

==Three Months Later==

Amanda sat cross-legged on the floor that day. Nothing special about her outfit, merely a sweatshirt, and baggy sweatpants. Her usual neatly kept hair was unbrushed and in a messy pile on top of her head.

She and Dream had a tough week. This was their first week in their new, yet empty, apartment. Amanda sat on their apartment flooring eating Chinese food, the both of them exhausted from a busy week of packing and other important moving responsibilities.

Chinese food in hand, Dream joined the woman on the floor. Dream was glancing around the room. "What's wrong?" Amanda asked, covering her mouth as she talked. The two had been dating for months. They had seen the worst of each other. They had seen messy morning hair. The aftermath of food poisoning after their vacation. They still loved each other.

Would this moment be the one where he had enough? Was he over it?

His next words were unexpected:

"I can't wait to marry you." He beamed and Amanda swore her heart skipped a beat.

"Really?" Amanda asked. Dream nodded and it felt like her heart was going to explode. "I can't wait to marry you too."

"Let's do it. Marry me, Amanda."

She smiled. Sure, it was a little spur of the moment but she thought nothing of it at the time.

She should have known that Dream had talked to George's mother that day. She should've known sooner that George was the one who had triggered this.

But even now, when she does know, it still felt like Dream had meant it. She knew that Dream loved her then, that he loves her now. Just not like he loves him.

Amanda still wondered what that phone call was about that day. She never learned that part of it. Was he hurt? In a relationship? She didn't know, she won't ever.

==One Month Later==

Dream and Amanda sat at their kitchen table. Wedding invites were scattered across the tabletop. Dream was going through the invitations like crazy, marking off names and closing envelopes like crazy.

Then he stopped.

And he stared.

His eyes focusing on a certain lone name on the list.

Amanda knew the name before she even asked. The same man who had drunkenly called her boyfriend, the one who made Dream want to marry Amanda in the first place. The one who she didn't know was going to be the cause of all their problems in the future.

Anger bubbled in her stomach. Couldn't they get through important milestone in their life without this man coming to Dream's mind? No apparently not.

And it always triggered something. It always made Dream shift. He would be different afterward, he would look and feel distant. And just when things began to get normal again, it would go right back to the way it was.

George would somehow come into their lives again.

"What is it?" Amanda asked, keeping her temper level. Not wanting to show this ugly jealousy that was only growing inside of her. She herself hated it.

"Uhm, a friend." Dream's brow furrowed as if he was deep into thought. "We dated a few years back. He was my best friend."

"Are you inviting him?" Dream searched Amanda's eyes.

"Am I allowed?" Amanda stood up and walked over to him She wrapped her arms around him.

"Of course you are, if you still love him as a friend you deserve to have him there. He's still your friend. I know you wouldn't hurt me, Dream. I trust you."

And it was true she did trust him. So she watched as Dream invited George's mother. Hoping that maybe he would show. Maybe he wouldn't, but then he would be able to feel better about all of this after at least trying to invite him.

Dream closed the envelope and placed it with the others. Amanda kissed Dream's cheek and ran her fingers through his hair.

"All will be okay, Baby." She promised.

And at the time she was naive enough to believe it.

==Wedding Day==

When Amanda finally saw what George looked like she was a little surprised. Mainly because he wasn't what she expected. She didn't assume him to be Dream's type. He was lean and a brunet. Brown eyes, wide smile.

But for some reason it made sense.

The way he looked over at his mother and laughed. How he looked at Dream and Amanda herself with a smile. He was kind-hearted. She could tell. Maybe that was what broke her the most.

She had nothing to hate him for.

"Amanda?" Dream. What was he doing? He wasn't supposed to see Amanda yet.

"Dream? Is everything alright?"

"Can I come in?" Dream said, his voice was tight. He was nervous.

"Of course. Of course,"

The door creaked open and Dream poked his head in. When seeing that it was only Amanda in the room, he walked in fully.

"I want to tell you something. I'm sorry if it's a horrible time but it's about George."

Amanda tensed. But to be honest she was curious. She wanted to know.

"What about him?"

"Just him. Just him."

"Okay? And?" Dream locked eyes with her. Voice soft and requesting when he spoke next.

"I don't want to ignore him anymore."

Amanda was a little taken aback... And to be honest, a little angry. "Anymore? Dream in our relationship I have heard of him more than anyone other one of your friends? Dream it doesn't seem like you're ignoring him."

Dream sighed and shook his head. Seeming to understand Amanda's rightful anger. "No, I don't mean like that, I want him in my life as a friend. As a best friend again. Amanda, I love you, you have to understand that. It's just... George was a big part of my life."

"I don't think I do understand very well Dream. Every single time George came back into your life, even for the slightest second, it seemed to throw you off. You were distant and closed off and just when things seemed to get normal for you again, you were... Thrown completely off course again, and it was always caused by him." Amanda took a deep breath, shaky and slow. "I don't understand and I don't agree but..."

Amanda looked off into the distance, biting her lip, "...But if you want him in your life again then who am I to say no? I trust you, Dream. I trust you won't hurt me."

"I won't. I don't want to, ever. You should trust me, I never want to hurt you." And even as Dream said it, deep down, he felt like that wasn't entirely true.

Because even as Dream said he didn't, he knew that somewhere deep inside of him that he wanted George back.

...

Despite their conversation earlier that day, Amanda considered her wedding day to be perfect. When their eyes met at the altar, Dream smiled wide and Amanda smiled back. But something about him was tense and nervous, so for a moment, his eyes snapped to the crowd. He was looking for someone and when he found them, he relaxed. All of the tenseness in his body came to a halt and he was able to be calm.

It was only for a second, Dream's eye contact had only broken for barely any time for anyone else to notice. But Amanda noticed, and she knew. That was when she realized.

She would never be his safe place. The place he went to when he was calm and sad. It wasn't her he confided in. It was him.

It was always going to be him.

He didn't grow content when he looked at Amanda. But he did in him. It was always going to be him. It always had been.

George.

When Dream kissed Amanda at the altar with a passion she had never seen in him before it reassured her. Like he was telling her not to worry, that he was hers. But deep down she doubted that, like maybe, she wasn't the one Dream was thinking about.

==One Month Later==

Amanda knew that George had been around Dream more. He told her that. But she could also just tell by the way he had acted. He was happier, she could see it in his eyes that he was happier. The way they lit up more often gave it away.

Amanda knew that George was still in love with Dream. She could see it. She could tell by the way he was supportive of her and was always there.

Especially when she announced her pregnancy.

SHe didn't expect George to be ecstatic but he was. Although, Amanda could see the hurt in his eyes too. But he masked it well because she never saw it often.

George wanted to be there for them. He wanted to help and be around. If Dream was at work, George was the person that Amanda would call if she needed something. He had truly cared for Amanda and that was what gave it away.

His kindness was a dead giveaway.

He had loved Dream, he had loved his baby, so much that he loved Amanda. He cared for her truly. Amanda could see that George had a good heart. He respected Amanda, cared for her, and even though he was in love with her husband, she felt the same way for him.

She loved him because Dream did and vice versa.

Their middle ground was Dream.

But the way Dream watched George still hurt her. The admiration he had when he saw George with Mica was powerful. Amanda saw it, and she knew she had no chance in the long run.

...

She wasn't surprised, but she also wasn't expecting it when Dream came home one night smelling of booze and a cologne that didn't belong to him.

She had only told him of her second pregnancy earlier that day. She hadn't expected him to be so hurt.

So disappointed.

"I'm not upset. I'm happy, Amanda. I am. I just..."

"What Dream?" She was angry. Because she had spent so long standing by. Now here he was, breaking the promise he had made to her years ago.

"I don't know what to do anymore! Can't you see it? Neither of us are happy here. We both know the only reason we stayed here is because of our kids. We don't love each other like we used to. Amanda, I don't know if I ever really did. Not like I thought I did." Dream took a step closer to her. Pulling her hands toward his chest. Tears fell from his eyes, this hurt him of course it did. He loved Amanda, just not like he loved George. "I don't want to hold you back anymore. I want you to be happy and have someone who deserves you. I am sorry I hurt you, I am. But I don't want to keep hurting you."

Amanda was nodding. Because stupidly enough, she did understand. She always understood.

"You love him. You always have, haven't you?"

Dream closed his eyes, "Yeah I have." Dream brushed hair behind Amanda's ear. "Amanda, I will always love you. You are the mother of my children, my family, you are always connected to me. But I'm not in love with you anymore. I don't know if I ever was." Amanda was nodding.

She reached up and kissed Dream's cheek. "Thank you for everything. For my family, my years with you were well spent. I don't regret a thing."

"Nor do I." Dream said. Because it was true. He wouldn't change what he did ever. Because he had his children, his everything. His children meant the most to him than any person ever could.

"Thank you for treating George the way you did. With love and respect."

"I do love him, Dream. I do. I love him as one of my closest friends. I've always known you love him, Dream. I just had hope, I was naive to think you'd choose me." Amanda shrugged. "Send George my love." Amanda pulled away and left him be.

She would get the papers tomorrow.

Their marriage was over.

And although she was hurt, she was happy for him.

For not only Dream.

But George as well.

==Dream and George==

"Do you have Mica this weekend?" George asked as he made breakfast for the two of them. For right now, Mica just thought Dream was staying with Uncle George for a while. She had no clue that they were together, and for right now, she wouldn't.

George understood everything Dream had told him. He knew that he was secondary to Dream, his children came first and that was good. George agreed. So when Dream said he wanted to hold off on telling Mica about him and George, he agreed.

So every weekend, Mica and Dream would sleep in the guest bedroom of George's apartment. George would spend most of his time in his own room and let the father and daughter spend their time together in peace.

Which usually meant the both of them raging while playing Minecraft on the Xbox.

George had spent many nights listening to how Dream was 'angry' that Mica got diamond tools before he did. George thinks he may have actually been a little secretly salty.

"Yeah, I am. She's coming over tonight too. Amanda has some stuff she needs to do for her mom and so I said I'd take her a day early. We want to ease her into the whole split house thing so most of her time is gonna be at the house while she gets comfortable. I don't want her getting scared with new places."

"Yeah, I get that." George began to dice some cucumber, Dream walked over to help. "Am I hiding in my room again all weekend?" George said with a laugh.

"Actually she wants you to join us tonight. I talked with Amanda and she said she thinks it's a good time to tell her. Mica is smart and strong, she deserves to know." George nearly dropped the knife he was using.

"Wait really?" George looked over at him. Dream just smiled and nodded.

"Yeah."

"Thank you Dream. Thank you."

"UNCLE GEORGE!" MIca ran to the brunet and he easily swept her up into his arms.

"Hi, Love. How are you?" He asked as he pulled away.

"Good. How are you staying with us this time?" George nodded.

"I am. I am."

"Yay!" Mica grinned. George and Dream caught eyes and smiled.

...

"Mica, me and George have something we need to talk to you about okay?" Dream said as he put their dishes in the sink after dinner before joining the other two at the dinner table.

"What is it?" She asked looking up at both of them.

Dream didn't even know how to say it, how was he supposed to say this. "You understand what happened with me and Mommy, right?" Mica nodded. "And you know I still care for Mom so much, especially since she is carrying your little brother. She's your mom, and I never want you to feel like you can't talk about her to me and George."

"Okay." She said Mica was smart. Scarily enough, she was understanding well.

"But I am with George, he's my boyfriend." Mica sat up straighter, putting the small pieces she could together.

"You mean like a crush? Like you hold hands?" George laughed at that but continued to let Dream speak further.

"Yeah kinda."

"But he's your best friend."

"He is. And I care for him a lot. I've known George since I was little."

"Hmm." MIca thought for a moment. But then her eyes lit up and she smiled. "Okay!"

She hopped down from her seat and looked up at the men.

"Can I go play now?" George and Dream looked from each other then back at Mica.

"Yes, you can go play now." Dream said softly, almost confused himself.

George was grinning, on the verge of bursting out laughing. Mica walked around the corner towards the quest bedroom. But before she did she peeked around the corner of the wall. Her face turning sour.

"I hope you know that if you kiss... You'll get cooties." And then she skipped away down the hall.

George and Dream couldn't help it, they burst out laughing. "We better be careful, Dream. Don't want to get cooties." George leaned in and planted a tender kiss on his partner's lips.