Chapter Text
(PAST)
Dream stares anxiously at his computer screen. He waits for George to call him, and his fingers drum nervously on his thighs. He shouldn’t be nervous, but he is. It’s not like something bad had happened. That definitely wasn’t it, but there was no denying that something was up. For the past week, Dream could tell something was off. George had been acting strange, more closed off and quiet. And every time Dream would ask him about, the older man would simply say he was ‘tired.’ Then, earlier in the day, George had texted Dream, saying that he ‘wanted to talk about something important.’
The Discord ringtone starts blaring through Dream’s computer speakers, successfully pulling him away from his thoughts.
He answers the call with shaking hands.
“Hi,” George says, words coming out in a huff like he’s been holding his breath for a long time.
“Are you okay?” Dream asks, his voice laced with worry for his friend.
“Yes,” George says, but Dream can hear the strain in his voice. He can tell the other man isn’t telling the full truth.
“What did you want to talk about?” Dream keeps the conversation going, his nerves settling slightly. He stops drumming on his thighs and instead leans back, folding his hands on his lower stomach and tilting his head back to look at the ceiling.
He waits in silence for a long time for George to answer.
“I have something I want to tell you,” George says slowly.
“Well, I know that.” Dream hopes his playful tone makes George smile, even if it’s just for a moment.
“No seriously, this is important.”
“What? Are you pregnant?” Dream asks, breaking out into a fit of laughter when George’s giggles travel through his speakers. He basks in the sound of his friends' laughter until silence settles upon them.
“Dream, seriously,” George says, and the sound of his voice alone is enough to make Dream take a mental step back.
“Sorry, sorry,” he rushes quickly, hoping that he didn’t make George genuinely mad.
“It’s okay, I just-” George cuts himself off with a loud huff.
Dream waits patiently, just like the other does for him when he’s not having the best day. He sits silently and let’s George collect his thoughts.
“I just, I trust you, so- so that’s why I’m going to tell you this. I’ve been thinking for a while and- and I don’t want you to tease me when I say it and-”
“Breathe, George,” Dream says softly. His voice grounds George a bit, and the brunet sucks in a long and shaky breath. “I’m not going to tease you, promise,” Dream adds.
“Can you say my name again?” George asks.
Dream doesn’t hesitate. “George, it’s okay. You’re going to be okay.”
He hears his friend take a few more deep breaths before speaking again.
“I think- I uh- shit,” George cuts himself off again, not being able to get the words out of his mouth.
Dream can imagine what George probably looks like right now, laid back in his chair with his hands in his hair and eyes squeezed tightly shut. It’s the same position Dream has seen him in countless times before when he’s gotten frustrated over a game they’re playing. The only difference is that this time, George isn’t just throwing a pity party because he’s sad he isn’t winning.
“This is hard,” George says.
“Do you want to talk about something else?”
“No! I- I need to say this now. My head feels like it’s on fire, and if I don’t say anything now I’m going to explode.”
“Okay okay,” Dream says, chuckling softly at George’s dramatic word choice. “Whatever you’re going to tell me, it’s not going to change anything, I promise.”
“You don’t know that,” George says. Dream can tell there’s something hidden in George’s voice, something deeper than whatever secret his friend has been keeping from him, but he doesn’t pry.
“I do, now please just tell me because I’m starting to think you killed someone or something,” Dream says.
“Are you trying to get me to speedrun my secret telling?” George is quick to respond, making a joke to try and ease his nerves.
“That was so, incredibly unfunny, George,” Dream says, but a smile tugs at the corner of his lips, and he can sense that George is smiling too. “If you don’t want to talk about this now, don’t feel pressured to. I’m here whenever you’re ready.”
“Okay,” George breathes out, Dream’s words settling in the pit of his stomach. “I’m ready now.”
Dream stays silent, waiting for George to speak whenever he’s ready to. He hears a few shaky breaths come through his speakers, then slight shuffling.
“I think-“ George starts, but he chokes on his words and swallows them down. “I think I’m gay.”
“Okay,” Dream says carefully. He feels like he’s tip-toeing around an open fire.
“Okay,” George says, sounding relieved. “That was really hard for me to say.”
“Thank you for telling me,” Dream says.
“You’re the only person I felt I could tell.” George’s voice gets smaller as he continues speaking. “I’ve just felt so... jumbled, for a while now actually. It’s just been so confusing, figuring this all out now. I’m scared.”
“You don’t have to talk about it more if you don’t want to,” Dream says. He knows how hard it is for George to actually express his emotions, and he doesn’t want him to feel obligated to put every little detail out in the open.
“No I- I’ll feel better if I do. Unless you don’t want to listen. I can-”
“George, I’m listening.”
There’s another period of silence before George starts speaking again.
“It’s just, I've never actually had any experiences with girls, so sometimes i think that maybe i just don't know and i'm actually straight but-“
“Wait, hold on,” Dream interrupts, and George stops talking instantly. “You’ve never kissed anyone?”
“Dream, oh my god, that’s not what I said,” George whines, a small smile forming on his face as he shakes his head in disbelief.
“So you’ve kissed guys?”
“Dream! Shut up.”
“That wasn’t a yes.”
“Fine! Okay, no, I haven’t kissed anyone before,” George admits quietly, but Dream can tell the nervous tension in his voice is slowly slipping away. “You’re judging me right now aren’t you?” George says, and in instant he’s building his walls back up.
“No, I said I wouldn’t make fun of you,” Dream says earnestly.
“You just were!”
“No, I was teasing you.”
“That’s the same thing!” George exclaims. He sounds exasperated, and Dream knows it’s his queue for him to stop.
“Hey hey, I’ll stop,” Dream says, and he listens as George sucks in a breath. “I’m sorry.”
“No no, it’s okay,” George says, sounding much more calm now. “I appreciate you trying to lighten the mood.”
“Do you want to keep talking?” Dream asks, still being careful with his words.
“Yes,” George says shortly. “Sometimes I feel since- since I haven’t kissed anyone or anything, that I’m just faking feeling this way or something.” George stops and takes a few nervous breaths.
“Take your time,” Dream says.
“But then I think about how, I’ve only ever said I liked girls because I’m supposed to,” George explains. “And when I think about… liking guys… it’s…”
“Different,” Dream finishes for him.
“Yes.”
“More real?” Dream offers, easily being able to tell George is having a hard time trying to find words.
“I- yeah,” George’s voice trails off.
The silence becomes deafening then. Dream leans back in his chair and closes his eyes to try and process all of the information he’s just been told.
“George, it’s going to be okay,” Dream says after a few minutes.
“That’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one going through it,” George says.
“I know, but I did go through it at one point. I promise it’s going to be okay.” Dream tries his best to reassure his friend. He wants George to feel as safe and as comfortable as possible, and knowing that the older man came to him to talk about something so personal, he thinks he’s achieved his goal.
“Okay yeah, You’re right.” George’s voice sounds tired, and Dream picks up on it instantly.
“How much sleep have you been getting lately?” he asks.
“What?”
“George,” Dream says, tone slightly warning.
“I’m not tired,” George insists.
“I can tell you’re lying,” Dream says. “Come on, I’ll switch to my phone and stay on call with you. We can sleep together.”
“At least take me out for a drink first,” George jokes, a few stray giggles escaping past his lips.
“You wish,” Dream says, smiling widely and rolling his eyes.
He wishes George was in the room with him so he could see his face. And maybe someday, he would.
Dream pushes his thoughts away and pulls his cell phone out of his pocket. “I'm gonna call you,” he says, then ends the discord call. As soon as he dials George’s number on his phone, the other man picks up. “Are you in bed?” Dream asks.
“Not yet.”
Dream hears shuffling, then more shuffling, then silence.
“Okay, now I am, “ George tells him.
Dream smiles and forces himself out of his chair. He walks over to his light switch and flips it down before walking to his bed. He pulls the covers back and climbs under them, setting his phone on his pillow.
“Go to bed,” Dream says softly as he lays his head down on his pillow. He hears George yawn from his phone.
“I told you, I’m not tired.”
“You literally just yawned.”
“No I didn’t.”
“Yes you did, Idiot,” Dream says, but his insult is more endearing than hurtful.
“Okay, whatever,” George mumbles, and Dream can hear him moving around again.
“Are you closing your eyes?” He asks
“Yes.”
“Okay. Goodnight, George,” Dream says softly, letting his eyes fall shut, too.
“Goodnight, Clay,” George says, and Dream grins.
He lets himself be lulled to sleep by the sound of George’s quiet breaths coming through the speaker on his phone.
When Dream wakes up the next morning, he can hear George’s light snores. He sits up slowly and looks down at his phone, the time stamp reading ‘14:20:03.’ Dream smiles before grabbing his phone and bringing it towards his mouth.
“Georgggeee,” He says softly in a singsong voice. A small groan comes from his speaker.
“Huh?”
Dream laughs at his friend's confusion.
“It’s morning,” he says, and George groans.
“I’m going back to bed,” George says. His voice is groggy and rough, and it makes Dream’s insides churn.
There’s something oddly intimate about falling asleep on call with your best friend of three years, which of whom you’re in love with, and then waking up in his company.
It nearly drives Dream crazy.
“Okay, I’ll hang up then?” Dream says, his statement coming out as more of a question.
“No, can you-“ George stops to take a breath. “Can you stay?”
“Of course,” Dream says. He doesn’t question George’s request. “I’ll be here when you wake back up.”