Setting Sun

7 | Future Dread | 7

George woke in a cold sweat. He put a hand to his eyes, inhaling deeply. Just dreams, he thought. But they weren't just dreams, they were nightmares of old memories and old pain that George had worked so desperately to put behind him. But now they were back, and George got the feeling they wouldn't go away quite so easily this time.

He noticed a dull blue light in the kitchen. It was coming from the fridge, a tall figure blocking some of the way. Dream turned around, spotting George.

"Did I wake you?" he asked in a whisper.

George shook his head, realizing he probably couldn't see him very well.

He shut the fridge with one hand, using the other to grab the pint of ice cream he'd been hunting for. He came to the couch, sitting on one of the arms as he scooped some of it out, popping it into his mouth.

"What are you doing up?" George asked, tiredness clear in his voice.

"Couldn't sleep, you?"

"Bad dream."

"Mm. You know what always helps me when I have a bad dream? Ice cream," he said, holding the cup and spoon out to George. After a moment's hesitation, he took it, savoring the flavors that danced around his tongue.

"You were right, that does help," George thanked, handing it back to Dream

They sat in a comfortable silence. George watched the snow still flurrying down outside the window.

"Why do they call you Dream?" George asked, surprising himself.

"Hm?"

"Your nickname. What prompted it?"

"Oh, it's a funny story actually," he chuckled, "So you know how Sapnap and I moved here together, each from different states?" George nodded, Dream continued. "I didn't come up with that idea on my own. It came to me in a dream."

"Dude, that's so cheesy."

"Hey, it's true. When I told Sapnap that he started calling me a psychic, and it just kinda stuck. But, when I got a job at Puffy's and she asked me what nickname I wanted to go by, psychic sounded pretty dumb, so I chose the first thing that came to mind. Dream seemed fitting, considering the circumstances. We wouldn't be here if it hadn't been for that dream."

George didn't want to think about that. He didn't want to know what he would be doing right now if not for Dream and Sapnap. Most likely he'd be sitting on his couch, watching a random show and enjoying the fact that he didn't have to worry about making it to work on time the next day. Though their friendship was new, it was good and George wouldn't trade it for anything.

Not even for them. Because as much as he loved them, if they were back it would bring back that chapter of George's life that he worked so hard to ignore. Sadly, that's what their friendship would always be, a reminder. Maybe if they'd met at different times things would've been different. Maybe George would have stayed in England, of course still far away from his mom, but in the place he'd grown up in. Maybe they'd be together right now, and George would have no idea that there was a pair of best friends living in Denver, Colorado, under the aliases of Dream and Sapnap, working at Captain Puffy's bar. He never would've met Cara, never witnessed her call him a dear friend to her. He wouldn't have a well paying job working for Mr. Schlatt, fulfilling his dream career. He'd most likely be in even heftier college debt because he wouldn't have the student loan programs he did here.

Realizing all this made George recognize all the good he had. But this good didn't mean as much until he met Dream and Sapnap, because regardless of the minimal stresses he had, he'd never known comfort past the point of talking to someone in a bar. Someone who couldn't  really help him or prescribe him with the medication he most likely needed, but could only listen. That didn't mean that Puffy's listening ears didn't help, it's just that George needed friends, real friends who he could hang out with. People who would serve the same role to George as they did almost seven years ago.