E-404 | Dreamnotfound

Chapter Twelve

"It's time to wake up, sunshine," a voice called, bringing the brunette out of his fantasy. Opening his eyes, he was greeted with a familiar smiley face. It was still night time but instead, George could see the red tints that stained the clouds, signaling that the sun would rise within the next hour.

"Hello," he smiled, slowly sitting up and yawning. He was still disoriented considering he'd just woken up.

"Come on," Dream whispered, urging the boy up.

"What?" George asked once he noticed that everyone else was still asleep.

"Do you trust me?" The taller of the duo asked.

"Yeah."

Dream extended his hand closer to the other, moving his fingers as a signal for the other to intertwine them.

Following through with the action, George held Dream's hand. It was bigger than his own, especially considering he had thin and elegant fingers. The blonde's hand, while he'd think it to be rough from wielding a sword, was soft and warm. It was comforting.

Dream noticed the small blush that'd had spread through George's face. He decided to ignore it. While he'd chosen to be confident any time, ignoring the action helped his anxiety. He didn't want to think about any of that.

He didn't want to think about George.

"You'll see once we get there," Dream explained.

"What about everyone else? Aren't we supposed to keep watch?"

"I put double the amount of torches to cover more distance. After a far enough distance, monsters can't detect humans. They should be alright. The sun will come up soon anyways."

George offered a nod.

"Come on, let's go. You woke me up early and for what?" He teased, jokingly annoyed, "For what-"

Dream started running, pulling the other through a field of wheat as they ran towards a hillside. Trees littered the sides of the small valley.

"Not again!" George laughed as he remembered a time not long ago -- though it felt like ages ago -- when Dream was pulling him down the stairs after getting his bow.

"Try to keep up, stubs," a wheeze escaped his lips.

"Dream!"

Their banter continued until the two of them slowly made their way up the incline of the hill. When they'd settled down, Dream reached up to cover the brunette's eyes.

"What did you want to show me?" George asked, blindly as he fixed his shirt.

"Are you ready?"

"You know maybe not, let's go back," he joked.

Dream chuckled, slowly revealing his hands as he exposed newly orange freckles with rosy clouds.

"Woah," the brunette admired, staring deeply as he stored the image in his head. He didn't want to forget this moment. It was just the two of them and it allowed him some time to think.

"Are you okay, George?" Dream asked, noticing his breathe quickening.

He couldn't answer, too stricken by the wave of pain that had unexpectedly overcome him. The only sound that escaped him was a small cry. His legs gave out and Dream reached out to stabilize him. Checking for any wounds in a panicked state, the blonde realized that nothing had pierced his skin.

"A memory?" He questioned.

George gave a nod. Compared to the last one, this was much worse. It hurt so, so much more than the last. He knew his body wasn't in any outside danger, but he still shook, breaking within the other's arms.

...

An empty playground was laid out in front of them. It'd be rather eerie if not for the other person that stood with him. It was becoming rapidly dark, but they didn't mind, the sunset only proving to enchant the scenery more. George, watching from the eyes of his past self, could recognize the surrounding area and the person next to him. Like before, the two were both sitting under the same tree.

For the time being, they were silent, just observing the sun as soft music played in the background. Compared to the last memory, Karl looked slightly older.

"They're not going to make it, are they?" George questioned, looking to Karl for guidance.

"We've waited this long," he sighed, "We might as well hold onto hope."

"You and me both know that much more is happening, even if we don't have proof," the other contended.

Karl gave a nod.

"Did Alex find anything?"

"No," the taller answered while eyeing the adults in scrubs that were walking by, "For now, we just have to act normal."

"Don't let them know we know."

"Exactly."

...

Air escaped the brunette as he tried to stabilize his breathing. With how quickly the memory had hit him, the consequences came back harder. He wanted to move, but he felt paralyzed due to the pain. He was sure at a later time he'd regain the ability to walk, but as of now, he didn't even want to think about moving.

"Dream?" George was quiet.

"I'm here."

The two stayed in their position. Dream understood the severity of regaining a memory even if George himself couldn't express it. What had they needed to find? Who was Alex? And more importantly, why were they at a hospital?

"Was this one worse?" The taller asked after their shared rest.

George shakily swallowed, "Yeah."

Dream didn't say anything else. He was wrapped up in his thoughts and concerned for his best friend. If the pain got progressively worse as more memories were recovered, was it truly worth it?

The blonde stood, George still within his arms, "I'm always holding you like this, huh?"

The other let out a laugh, "You probably like it."

Dream didn't oppose the statement.

"It's not my fault I'm weak."

"George, you're anything but weak."

The brunette didn't answer. He wasn't convinced that was true. The surrounding area seemed to distract him as he realized that Dream walked instead of pearling due to his state.

"You're stronger than me," he countered.

"Strength isn't always physical. You're without memories but still continued to grow from that. Any average person would've given up, but you've prevailed. That's strength and determination, not weakness."

His lips curled into a small smile. He didn't want to show it, but he couldn't resist his happiness. He felt giddy inside despite the prior events. Being genuinely encouraged by someone was one of the best feelings, especially when you're doubting yourself.

"Really?"

"Of course."