The Masked Man

New Thoughts, New face, New feelings

Words: 1623

Silence...

George looked into the deep, what he would assume green eyes. They stared back, innocently. He could now read his expression, Dream was frightened. George couldn't seem to get any words to leave his mouth, he's never seen a more beautiful man in his life. Everything around them seemed to go black, it was just them, right there, right now. No crickets seemed to chirp, the waves no longer crashed down into the soft sand, cars passing by just stopped, time stopped too. Just them..one world..two people, a new face.

"Wow.." Is the only thing that George was able to cough out.. The yellowish eyes blinked at him, also at a loss for words. George didn't want him to feel uncomfortable, but he definitely seemed like it now. A smile crept onto the shorter boy's face, this was no longer "Dream", this was Clay. The real him.

"This is me..ha." Dream nervously mumbled, as he watched George study his face, mostly his eyes. The smile George held made him more nervous, but also more comfortable with his identity. Dream was never the most confident person, so seeing someone look that way at him made him feel less insecure.

"Thanks..It had of been hard.., to let me do that. You're.." He couldn't seem to find the right words without making this awkward, he was tempted on the word hot, but that would imply that he was gay. Beautiful was another option, but wouldn't that imply the same thing? "You're good looking, it's nice to put a face to the voice." Dream chuckled at the sentence, a slight wheeze leaving his lips. George spaced out, Dream's smile was beautiful..dazzling. He tried to remember how this happened, how he went from never leaving bed, showering only if necessary, never sleeping..to this. To an amazing friendship, a bond, scars..so many scars, laughs, full nights of sleep, ..to the only person that mattered. He wondered if he never went to the club that night, would he be here? On the beach, staring into the eyes of his best friend. George found himself grinning, his cheeks becoming sore.

"You're smiling like an idiot, what?" Dream wheezed more, his bright, white, smile glowing in the night. Clay was all his..his best fri..friend. Friend. That one word, stuck out, repeating over and over. Friend? Why, was that bothering him. They were friends, but why did his heart ache, not in a good way, when thinking about Clay being his friend. George has never had a friend like Clay, he didn't even know people like Clay existed. People who look at the stars, people who can change someone's life in a second, who can laugh and bring a smile on everyone elses face, someone who brings pain, but love.., joy, happiness, anger, sadness..feelings. Looking into Dream's eye made everything else feel like nothing mattered, everything that led up to this moment, didn't even matter..even though this moment..this life had just begun. It's strange isn't it? How you don't know how much you needed someone, how much you craved their existence, until you have them.

"Georgeee, you're making me feel more nervous than I was before.. Whattt." Dream's heart felt like it would escape out of his chest any second, George was smiling, but he couldn't tell why. His rosy cheeks shined in the light of the moon, his brown chocolate eyes fluttering shut and opening every few seconds. Dream released the breath he was holding, just for a moment. He shifted his gaze to the waves that now seemed louder, closing his eyes, breathing everything back in. He hoped, maybe one day, he would be released from this pain that followed. He would be able to hold George in his arms, and whisper him sweet compliments. He would let his face be shown to the world, he would make all the friends he could, spill all of his secrets, his thoughts, feelings. He wished there was some way to tell him, to tear the part of his mind that kept his feelings locked away, and express how much George meant to him. It was already enough..the sight of him everyday, his voice, his laugh.., just him, it would be enough to get him through. How does one describe..love?

When Dream returned his gaze back to the other's, he didn't look away. They didn't find a reason to break eye contact, Dream stared into the beautiful deep brown eyes, and they stared back.

"Sorry..I was lost in thought." George's eyes remained on Dream's, both smiles plastered on both faces. The crickets returned, along with the waves, cars, and swaying trees. Dream might've had issues, protectiveness, lot's of anger,.. but it was all because of pain. He forgave Dream, he let go of all of his anger. They were both just boys..that were being chased and tortured, neither of them truly in the wrong. Each scar and bruise that laid across their bodies, were just many wars they've gotten through. They never won, they never lost. It was just a continuous war that might never stop.

"It's fine, you were worrying me there for a second.. You were really deep in thought." Dream shifted out of his uncomfortable position, removing their eye contact. It now remained on the sand below him, studying it like it was very interesting.

"Yeah, I was. Just realized some things, nothing that important." George lied. He wanted to tell him, he wanted to say that he realized he had feelings, he wanted to say he didn't realize it but it was there from the beginning, the butterflies, the sparks, his love. He knew it now, how did he not realize this before? It was always there, god he was an idiot. That was the reason he stayed, the reason he continued to get scars, for the friendship, but also for the love he had for this man. Did Dream...Clay, did Clay feel it too?

"Are you sure..? You look confused." Dream spoke in a soft voice, now looking back up to the chocolate eyes. The thing is, George wasn't confused anymore. He knew that even on their worst days, he wanted to hold Dream's hand, he wanted Dream to hold him close, he wanted to hold onto him like nothing else mattered, because even on their worst days, friends or lovers, them...together is all that mattered. George now craved to be more than friends, but if being friends kept them together, that was fine. So he would hold in his feelings and all of his thoughts, and he would live life normally. Knowing, Sapnap was right from the start, he was not gay, nor straight, just a little bit in between..and it was for this man..right here..right now.

"Nope, not confused. Thank you, ..Clay, for everything. It's been a little rough lately, with everything that has been happening, but I'm truly happy..and I fully forgive you. I want you to know that okay? I'm not mad anymore, I'm not angry at all, I understand now. Don't say sorry. I completely understand." Now, he spoke the truth. He needed Dream to understand that he didn't need to say sorry anymore, because there was no longer anything to be sorry about. He hoped maybe one someday, one day, they might have a chance, a chance to escape this reality, and move onto the next. A reality without the pain, without Techno, without the bruises and scars, and just each other, with full love. It could be this reality..but how could it be this reality if you didn't know if the other felt it too? How could it be this reality when the scars remained, and the person just kept reopening them. I wish that was what you wanted.. A part of George knew he would love him from the start, but he didn't care, he didn't pay attention, because in those moments he was continent, and he might not be as continent, but he would pretend he was.

"Of course Gogy.. I trust you more than anyone, you deserve this. Thank you for forgiving me..I didn't..and don't expect you to fully, fully forgive me, but if that's what you feel..thank you. I'll try to not apologize anymore, but it's hard when it was my fault." Why was it always my fault.. He pulled the latter into him, holding him into a tight embrace. This might not ever work out, even as friends, they lived two completely different lifes. George was a full on celebrity, with millions of fans..but Dream was too now. But he wasn't always, George posted things weekly sometimes monthly, and Dream could tell his fans were worried, some annoyed.. It was all because of him, everything led up to him being the problem. He would fix it, he would fix this. Their story wasn't over..he knew that. They had many chapters ahead of them, even if some of them made you want to rip the page and end the book completely, it wasn't over. Not yet. Over time, the scars will slowly heal, they may stay as a sign of their weakness points, but they will heal. Dream couldn't even remember who he was before he met George, he couldn't piece it together. Small thoughts came to him, small boy, in a large world, having to be too strong for his age, running city to city, only to return back to this one. Then, he found him, and all the past went away.

"It's neither of our faults anymore." George whispered into the chest of the other. They sat there, silence between them returned. It wasn't awkward, just peaceful. Listening to the strong waves, howling wind, tiny crickets, fast cars, and each other breathing.

Peaceful. Alone. Together.