turned to ice (dnf) (✓ )

nine.

a/n: i still marvel at the amount of support that this story and into fire get. you guys are insane, i love you. i'm genuinely pouring my heart and soul into this story, so please, vote for each chapter if you enjoy <3 remember to stay hydrated and get some rest -chaos

---

word total for this chapter: 2114 (i know it's not as many as i originally said, but i'll probably upload chapter ten VERY soon, so keep an eye out for that)

---

When I wake, Dream is already up and munching on some kind of protein bar.

"We're really low on food." He comments, and I stretch my arms out, squeezing my eyes shut as I stretch. I groan at the motion, my limbs shaking as they begin to move after being dormant for a few hours.

"Yeah." I agree, because I don't know what else to say. We've gotta find this place, and fast. We're almost out of food and water.

Sitting up, I slide my pack over, unzipping it and grabbing something to eat as well. Silence fills the air between us, and I gaze around, guessing by the amount of light peeking through the trees that it's still early in the morning. Maybe 8 am?

After we've finished, I begin to shove all of our supplies back into my bag, slinging it over my back and standing. Dream repeats my motion, walking over to where I'm standing. His fingers find the side of my face, and I press my cheek into his palm, my eyes not being able to meet his gaze out of shyness.

My eyes catch on his white smiley mask, hanging loosely from one of the belt loops of his jeans.

He hasn't worn his mask in a while. I guess he's just not concerned that we're gonna stumble upon people. Oh well. He's smart. He'll put it on if he knows that he needs to.

I feel his lips press to my forehead softly, and my whole body feels warm at the affection. I'm sure the blush is heavy across my cheeks, but I look up to meet his eyes, love clear in his expression. Pushing up onto my toes, I press my lips onto his, but it's not too urgent, just sweet and slow.

He sighs happily into the kiss, and I can't help but smile against his mouth, content flowing through my veins. In this moment, it feels as if I can feel the emotions that Dream is trying to express; his happiness, his love, his fears, all of it. The kiss seems to open him like a book to me, allowing me to read him. He allows himself to be vulnerable.

And I love every second of it. I love the feeling that he trusts me this much. Sure, he trusted me before, but this feels different. Deeper. More intimate. I know that he wouldn't open up to just anyone like this.

So I try my best to do the same. Though, I'm not sure if he picks it up just as much as I do. The world feels as if it has stopped in this moment, and the only thing that exists is him. Dream. My Dream.

We pull apart, but don't move back far, our foreheads pressed together, and our noses nearly touching. For a few seconds, neither of us make a move, until I feel his hand slip from my face, the skin going cold from the loss of contact. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me into him, embracing me tightly.

Smiling, I hug back, enjoying this sappy, affectionate side of Dream. A couple of moments pass before we break the embrace and step back, grinning at each other like some lovesick puppies.

We're pathetic. Honestly. Why was I such a pussy in the first place? He's such a simp.

I chuckle aloud to my own thoughts, actually agreeing with myself for once. He turns, reaching his hand out to me, and I take it, our fingers intertwining with ease. After double checking that we've got everything, we head off, walking towards the water again, and following the beach along the island.