Deception {Dreamnotfound}

20 | Feigned Trust | 20

-George's POV-

I recognise him almost instantly when he enters the room.

The look on his face suggests he does the same upon seeing me, and when I watch the teen's eyes widen in wonder, it's then I realise Sapnap and Clay were right. His eyes are definitely different shades, unlike the last time I saw him. Although, other than that small detail, he looks almost identical.

"George!" he suddenly yells, sprinting across the room to me. I'm embraced in a tight hug, catching me by surprise at first.

Slowly I wrap my arms around him, holding on tightly as if scared my fear of him being dead will suddenly become true. It warms my heart to see him alive, and I let out a shaky breath I didn't realise I was holding in relief.

"I'm so happy to see you," Tubbo mumbles into my shoulder, knotting his fingers tighter into the fabric of my shirt. "I'd started to wonder if you were dead, until I saw the wanted posters a few weeks ago."

"I'm happy to see you too, Toby," I smile, taking his death grip as a sign to enjoy this moment a little longer.

"Can you call me Tubbo please?" he asks suddenly, pulling away. "That's the name I go by now. For... personal reasons..." his eyes drift nervously to the floor, waiting anxiously for my response.

"Oh, okay," I respond, mentally ridiculing myself for forgetting the new name. "It's a very pretty name, Tubbo. Definitely suits you." For some reason, the nickname is perfect for him. I can't figure out why, but it just seems to fit him so well.

"Thanks!" Tubbo smiles, all signs of concern fading from his eyes. "My best friend gave it to me, actually. He's really good at coming up with nicknames."

I notice Tubbo rubbing his wrist again, deciding I'd look out for it after Sapnap mentioned it. Something has clearly happened to Tubbo since the last time we met, but I can't work out what.

"You'll have to introduce me to him sometime," I shrug, hoping that it'll have some connection to what happened.

Clay didn't ask me outright about my problems when he first met me, deciding it'd be better if I worked it out for myself. It took me a few days to process what I did to Clay when I found out, and I spent that time annoyed that he hadn't told me sooner.

But over time, I came to realise he had good intentions, and only hid so much from me to protect me from relapsing. The method ended up working for me in the end, so I decide to refrain from asking Tubbo in case he's a similar  scenario.

A figure I recognise as Fundy suddenly enters the room, Sapnap by his side. His eyes immediately search around for Tubbo, and I notice how he breathes a sigh of relief, similar to my own, upon realising he's safe.

I offer the ex-assassin a polite smile, Tubbo waving at him with a grin. Fundy smiles back, subtly returning Tubbo's little wave with much less enthusiasm.

Fundy's gaze drifts further across the meeting room, settling on Dream. He stares daggers into him, curling his lip in disgust. "You can stay on the opposite side of the room, bitch," Fundy spits to him, resuming his conversation with Sapnap.

Clay rolls his eyes but decides not to protest, taking a seat in the chair furthest from Fundy and Tubbo.

"Fundy I'm seventeen," Tubbo quips. "I can handle myself by now. If I thought Dream was dangerous, I'd have kept further away from him. He's just an ex-assassin, like you."

Everyone seems stunned by the teen's sudden outburst, Clay trying and miserably failing to hide a daring smirk with his mask.

"You don't understand, Tubbo. Dream isn't just some ex-assassin like me-"

I often wondered why he still holds onto it, insistent on keeping it in his bag. Although after wearing it myself and being attacked for it, I've come to understand the power that mask has.

Clay seems to like flaunting that power, knowing most people would run if they saw someone wearing it. An item characteristic to the persona known as Dream, well-known as the only assassin believed to stand a chance rivalling Techno.

Fundy is right; Dream is no average assassin.

"Oh so you know he's more skilled than most," Sapnap drawls with a smirk. "You're scared of what you keep denying he's capable of. Continued to tell me the name 'Dream' doesn't mean shit to you, yet here you are, quaking in fear at nothing other than his presence."

"Shut your mouth, fire-boy."

"Fundy, listen." Clay pulls his mask up, deciding to leave it resting on the side of his head instead of stowing it in his bag. "If I wanted to kill Tubbo, he'd already be dead. I have no reason to hurt him, so I won't." He picks at his nails absentmindedly, as if bored of the conversation.

"Besides, you know damn well George is my boyfriend, and he's known Tubbo and even you far longer than he's known me." Tubbo seems to relax a little bit more at Clay's words, and I debate if there's a side of the teen that is scared of him. Most likely impacted by Fundy, who he must trust the most out of all of us.

"Why would I kill George's friend?" Clay asks, meeting Fundy's eyes with an equally sharp glare.

"Because you're a lying bastard with a cocky attitude who is known to break promises."

"You seem to forget that your reputation precedes you, Dream. We were elite assassins at the same time, and despite the fact I never worked directly alongside you, I know what you were like."

"I thought we weren't holding people's pasts against them?" Sapnap interjects, earning an angry glare from the ex-assassin. He seems to get the point across though, as Fundy changes the subject.

"Either way, you should understand that I have reason not to trust you, Dream. Plenty of reasons, which I'll be happy to remind you of if necessary later-"

"I don't need a reminder of how awful of a person I was," Clay sighs bitterly. "There's a reason I left the elite assassins in the first place. Techno hated my guts when I worked for him, and that situation has only gotten worse since."

Clay suddenly stands, and Fundy immediately steps towards Tubbo. Sapnap shuffles towards his best friend, and I make sure to position myself between both pairs.

He draws a blade from his scabbard, pushing Tubbo further behind him. The sword adorned with the elite's mark, I notice, as Sapnap draws an identical blade. "Don't test me-" Sapnap warns, stepping back until he's out of the crossfire. I do the same, slowly edging towards Clay.

"I'll kill you Dream! Don't start a fight you won't win."

"You wouldn't get anywhere near me, Fundy. An amateur assassin such as yourself wouldn't stand a chance." Tubbo desperately tugs at Fundy's arm, knocking him off balance as he mumbles something frantically into his ear.

"That cocky attitude shows again," Fundy spits. "A facade to cover your nerves, it seems. You aren't as tough as you make yourself out to be." Both swords swing at once, once aiming for the chest and the other for the neck of their opponent.

That is, until I step back into the centre.

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Feigned: simulated or pretended; insincere.