warmth [dreamnotfound] | ✓

chapter nineteen. time to pretend.

7:35 PM.

Dream watched George as he slowly climbed out of the car, looking around. He had no idea what was going on. Somehow, Dream had managed to pull off the surprise.

"Okay seriously, Dream, where are we going?" He just took George's hand and interlaced it with his own, slotting his longer fingers between the boy's pale ones.

"Follow me."

George nodded but still looked skeptical. He had decided that whatever happened next, he just had to trust Dream. Dream wouldn't do anything to hurt him, right?

The blond practically dragged George through the grass across from the parking lot. A tall hill stood in front of them, looming higher and higher until the pair arrived at the base. Dream looked to George with a quick smile and a nod of reassurance before pulling his hand until the two were climbing the hill side-by-side. It was dark on their side, blocked out by the shadows, until they neared the top. Taking their final steps, George could feel his face warmed by the rays of golden hour. He stepped to the top and looked out to the horizon.

When the two reached the peak, George understood everything.

The open ocean sprawled beneath them, soft waves crashing onto the sandy shore. Small groups of people dotted the beach, laughing or talking or chasing each other through the dunes of white sand. Photographers took pictures of the sun, but they would never be able to capture the beauty of the place. Pink-crested waves lined the horizon and Dream smiled to himself, feeling the heat of the sun on his skin. It was better than anything he could've imagined.

George gasped slightly, his grip on Dream's hand tightening. That was when Dream turned to look at his friend.

To say George was beautiful was an understatement. He was breathtaking. Ethereal. Dream couldn't believe he was privileged enough to stand beside him. Dream with his scars and his freckles and his awkward height. George and his sunkissed face and sparkling eyes and soft lips that just began to turn upward with a smile. "Dream..." he mumbled and Dream swore he couldn't breathe. He would never forget his name on George's tongue. It just felt right. "It's... amazing. It's perfect. I... I don't know what to say."

"Then let's go eat dinner, I'm starving." He grinned as George finally tore his eyes away from the sunset and back to him. The two walked hand-in-hand to the beach, finding an open spot in the warm sand and sitting down beside each other.

All the tension was gone. All the awkward quiet and unkept secrets suddenly dissipated, floating into the air like clouds of steam. Unspoken problems remained unspoken forever.

Dream popped open his soda bottle and took a long sip, staring out at the ocean. George coughed slightly beside him, drawing his attention. "So was this it? Your surprise?"

"Yeah. Probably not as good as you were expecting, huh?"

"No, it's better."

Dream smiled, leaning closer to the boy. He looked out at a family in the distance, two younger boys chasing each other and kicking up clouds of sand. Their shouting could be heard across the whole beach and it reminded Dream of a different time. Not necessarily a better one, but definitely different.

"So how long are we going to stay here?" George asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

He grinned. "As long as you want, Georgie."

"You and that damn nickname!" George rolled his eyes but he couldn't even deny that it made him blush. He'd blame it on the heat from the sun if Dream noticed.

"What about it?"

"Just wondering where it came from. Like, why'd you start calling me that?"

Dream's eyes flickered over his features briefly. "Because I can tell you like it."