Interaction [Dreamnotfound]

29 | Reunite

I know my upload schedule isn't as on point as I'd like it to be, and I'm working on it. Thanks everyone for reading :)

-Cas

Dream took in a breath. The figure sitting before him looked familiar, but he couldn't remember why...

It didn't matter. He opened his mouth.

"Now. I don't know who you are, or why you're here of all places, but we need to talk-"
He didn't even get to finish his sentence before Skeppy butted in. "He's here because we knocked him out earlier! He attacked Bad, so I hit him, I didn't even mean to hurt him badly but he just went unconscious and then we stole his identification and I knew I shouldn't have come here I put you in danger I'm so sorry-"

Floris frowned. "Wait wait wait, that's not what happened! I'm not here for you- I don't even know you!"
Skeppy stared. "What?"
Floris shrugged. "You may be worth something, I guess, but not more than the most valuable criminal in the world right now - and that's George. The brunette, I suppose?"
George gritted his teeth. "Don't call me that."

Floris raised his eyebrows. "As you wish."

Now Bad stepped in. "No, Skeppy's right, you shot me in the arm! Remember?" he held out his wrist, the bandages clean yet tightly wrapped to help the wound heal.

Floris stared. "I... did that?"

Skeppy was looking mad. "Yeah, you sure as hell did! You could have killed him!"

Floris shook his head. "I..." he took a deep breath. "I know I was robbed after I attacked someone, and then they stole my S-mob, I just don't remember who they were..." he turned to Bad, and there was real compassion in his eyes. "If that actually was you, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you..."

Bad didn't bother to reply, fidgeting with the edge of his sweater as Skeppy seethed. Dream hurriedly stepped in., changing the topic.

"How did you get here?"
Floris shrugged. "Like I said, I code a lot. I'm one of the best coders on our team, actually," he replied. George groaned. "Cut out the boasting, will you?"
Floris felt his cheeks heat up. "Yeah, well all I'm saying is that I'm good at coding. I made some custom code that would track you and lock onto your band, so that you couldn't change it, and I fixed the settings so it was in one-person mode-"
"Yeah, I saw that!" George cut in. "I was trying to edit the code, but it wouldn't let me..."
Floris motioned to the band on George's wrist, now limp and dead. "I see you've deactivated your band?"
George sighed. "It was really all I could do," he replied.

Floris had pride in his eyes - he had forced George to shut down his band - but he forced it down. Now wasn't the time.

Dream took the conversation once more. "So you took our location, tracked us down and just... knocked?"
Floris sighed. "The plan was to ambush George, because I thought he was alone. I would threaten him, capture him and bring him back to the base. It... didn't work out so well."
George rolled his eyes, and Dream grinned. "I can see that."

Skeppy stared. "Why wouldn't you just bring a government team with you?"
"I wanted the fame by myself," Floris replied. "I wanted to do it on my own."

Bad stepped in tentatively. "And now you... want to be on our side?"

Floris flushed. "I know that sounds weird, I can explain-"

Skeppy opened his mouth, but Dream shushed him. "Go ahead, Floris."

Skeppy shot Dream an impatient glance, but Dream ignored it. He had other things to think about.

Something about Floris was really getting on Dream's nerves.

Why did he look so familiar?

Floris started talking. "Look, I didn't really have a choice when I joined the government, okay? I started coding when I was like 12, I didn't know anything... They took me in, said I had talent, taught me everything I can do today. I didn't realize what they were doing until a few weeks ago, and I didn't want to take action because without them, where would I go?"
He paused. "If you're, like, willing to take action against them, then I'm all in! I... I just want somewhere I can be... accepted, y'know?"

George stepped in. "Why did you start coding when you were 12? Isn't that a bit early?"
Floris looked uncomfortable. "Well... I... I didn't really have a family, at least not one I knew of... I grew up with nobody except for one friend I made in the Layout Centre, and I haven't seen them in years-"
Dream frowned. "Hold on, hold on. You... you grew up in a Layout Centre?"
Floris nodded, and Dream stared, starting to put things together.

"F... Fundy?"

Floris's eyes widened. "No way. No way! Clay?"

Dream didn't think he had ever smiled so hard in his entire life. "Fundy!"
He leapt at Floris, tackling him to the ground with a hug. Floris held on, trying not to cry.

He hadn't made a single friend in that centre except for Clay. They had grown up together. They had been best friends.

The government had forced them apart.

Floris had always known they'd make their way back together.

Bad was smiling, the sweet moment rather wholesome in his eyes. They were two friends reuniting, and it was an amazing sight.

George was glowering.

Dream pulled back, and there were tears in his eyes. "I- I thought I'd never see you again-"
Floris was grinning. "I knew I'd find you someday!"
It was a cringy line, but it worked in the moment. Skeppy felt a smile appear on his face.

"Can we continue the conversation?" George snapped, and Dream turned to him. "George, what the hell!"
George flushed slightly. "I just don't think you should be- be reuniting in the middle of Florida, outside where the government could catch you!"

Dream composed himself. "I guess you're right," he replied, stepping back and taking a seat. The grin didn't leave his face, however.

Floris was grinning, too. "I can't believe this!"
Skeppy maneuvered his way in swiftly, ignoring the mountainous glare on George's face. "Floris?"
Floris turned, nervousness evident in his face. "Yeah?"

"What do you have to offer us?"

The question caught Floris off guard. "Wh- what do you mean?"

"Like why should we let you join us? What good can you do? I know you work for the government... maybe you could let us in on some of that?"

Floris thought for a moment. "Actually, I have a lot of information," he replied carefully.

Skeppy raised an eyebrow. "Oh? On what?"
Floris looked him dead in the eye.

"On the government tests."