Unexpected Visitor/ dreamnotfound fic

Chapter seven: Panic Attack

"How about this one?" George asked, holding up a hoodie for Dream to see.

They'd been shopping for the past few hours, trying to get Dream a few more clothes and some basic necessities.

"Really, how hard was it for you to pack a bag before you left?" George muttered to himself as he glanced at the price tag.

"We don't have to do this, you know," Dream said suddenly, turning back to him. "I could get a flight back to Florida, I could get my things."

"Dream, we both know that you're not going back there alone." George said plainly. Dream smiled. He stepped closer to George, putting his hands on his shoulders. George breathed in heavily at the contact.

"What if I didn't go back alone?" Dream said softly.

George licked his lips subconsciously, trying to avoid answering.

His eyes began drifting away from Dream's green ones. He wouldn't be able to say no to those glittering emeralds, and Dream knew it.

His hand stretched out, finding it's way sharply to George's jaw, gripping the smaller boy's face rather tightly. He pulled upwards, tilting the brunettes head back so that their eyes met.

But instead of Dream's usual puppy dog eyes, there was something different. Something needing. George felt it too, the tug at his heart that made him want to close the space between them.

Dream was like a magnet, pulling George to him no matter how far apart they were.

He wanted to be close to the blonde at all times, to be touching him, holding him.

No, no, that was weird. Where had that thought come from?

Dream was George's best friend, and he was definitely not in a good enough place to be exploring anything with anyone.

Especially not a guy. He thought back to the boy's words their first morning together.

"It's not something I'm proud of."

What if he could teach Dream to be proud of it? Could he help him understand that his stepdad is the problem, and not him?

But then Dream stepped away from George, whatever expression had been present falling away, replaced, like always, with a stoic expression of heterosexualness, eyes blank and emotions gone.

What are you so afraid of, Dream?

Dream cleared his throat uncomfortably, pulling his hands off George like he'd never put them there, denying the moment that the brunette was beginning to think he imagined.

"It doesn't make sense to go to Florida, Dream." George said, breaking the uncomfortable silence as they began to walk towards the checkout aisle.

The blonde was silent, letting George's words fade out in silence.

"Think about it. You only need a few things, you can get them all here. If you go back, you'll just have to face...everything. I'm not sure you're ready yet." He said.

"I could be ready if you came with me," Dream asked again. George sighed. There was no way to convince Dream to do anything once his mind was set. It was insufferable.

"Of course I'll come with you if you need me, but I think we should at least wait a few more days," George thought it was reasonable, but Dream looked hurt, like he'd taken it the wrong way. "Why do you want to go back so badly? And I mean the real reason, not the excuse about clothes." He said at last. Dream's head was tilted away, eyes downcast and in pain.

"I'm worried about them, George. I don't think he'd hurt them, but what if something happened. I could never forgive myself if-if they-if he did something." Dream sputtered at last.