Setting Sun

12 | Inured | 12

The loud ringing from his phone woke George, blasting directly into his ear. He jumped, but couldn't move because Dream was still laying on top of him. He reached over, grabbing his phone and answering the call then putting the phone against his ear.

"Hello?" he said, still half asleep.

"George, were you asleep before I called you?" a voice said on the other side of the call, it was too loud and set off George's headache.

"Um yes, I'm not coming in to work today, I'm sick," George told Charlie, Mr. Schlatt's receptionist.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. Well, you didn't have to take a sick day, I was just calling you to let you know that work's canceled till Thursday because of the weather."

"Oh, thanks for telling me, Charlie, have a good day."

"You too, George."

He hung up and put his phone down, sighing. He looked down at the sleeping boy who was curled up against his side fondly, running a hand through the golden locks that took refuge atop his head. He could stay like this forever, Dream's weight on him relieving pressure instead of adding it. His arms were still embracing him, showing no sign that they were gonna let go anytime soon. As much as he didn't want to move, his legs were falling asleep and he had to use the bathroom.

"Dream, honey, I need you to get up," he said, still stroking his hair.

"Noooo," Dream mumbled sleepily, tightening his grip around George's waist.

"Dream!" he giggled, "I need to pee!"

"Hold it," he grunted.

"Don't make me tickle you."

Dream's head shot up, his eyes narrowing as he glared at George. "You wouldn't dare," he said, George gave him a sly look.

"Oh, I would, actually." He proceeded to poke Dream in his ribs, Dream squealed and rolled away from George, falling off the couch.

"Owie, Georgie look what you did," he whined as he massaged his back where he fell on it. George laughed, standing up and stepping around Dream as he went towards the bathroom. Dream grabbed his hand, pulling him back down and catching him before he hit the ground. He wrapped his limbs around him so George sat on the floor in the middle of his legs, trapping him in an embrace.

"Dream, I seriously need to go."

"No. I want you to stay with me."

George got a wicked idea then. He stretched up to Dream's level and licked his cheek. Dream let go of him, leaning back to look at George with a shocked expression. "Did you just lick me?!"

George giggled and took the opportunity to run to the bathroom. He locked the door and did his business then washed his hands. When he reopened the door, Dream was standing outside, leaning against the door frame.

"Holy crap, you scared me!" George said. Dream grabbed him by his waist, lifting him up and carrying him back to the couch. "Dream, what are you doing?"

"You used the bathroom, we are going back to bed."

"Okay then, if you insist," George said, resting his head on Dream's shoulder. He sat them both down carefully, George laying on his chest this time. He grabbed a blanket, draping it over them both, though George didn't need it, he was satisfied enough with the warmth from Dream.

Neither of them went back to sleep, however, both just sat on their phones, dreading the moment they would have to get up. Puffy called Sapnap personally to inform him that they didn't have to come to work either, which he told Dream and George after laughing at their position on the couch. George wondered when they would get over it and accept that Dream and him were gonna be like this a lot. He also wondered when they were officially gonna call it, because that would settle the waters, though the other dark haired boys obviously knew.

"Dream?" George said randomly.

"Yes, love?"

"What are we? I mean, I know what we are, but are we gonna, like, label anything?"

"Only if you want to," Dream said, giving George a glance that made him think he was scared to answer in fear of getting it wrong.

George thought for a moment, deliberating the decision. He didn't know what he wanted. On the one hand, he loved Dream and wanted everyone to know that he was his, but, on the other, he never liked the whole idea of declaring the level of what someone was to you. For example, the title of boyfriend sounded bland, temporary, not even getting close to what George felt about Dream. Then there was significant other, but that also sounded bland. George knew that there wasn't a word to describe his feelings, so he decided that it would be better to not have one at all.

"I don't want to label it." Dream's face fell, clearly this was not the answer he'd wanted. "Don't get me wrong, I want to be together and I want that fact to be known, but boyfriend doesn't sound right. Soulmate sounds a bit more accurate, but you don't go around just introducing yourselves as that."

"Why not?" Dream asked, genuinely not seeming to see a problem with the word.

"Because, well, that seems a bit more private. In my opinion, if two people know what they are to each other, then that's all that matters. Who cares about how the outside world sees us as long as we're aware of the love that binds us together."

"What am I to you, Georgie?" Dream questioned.

"You are the person that makes me love myself, the only one who's able to pull me out of the dark place that my mind always tries to escape to. You showed me that light exists after all the dark that tried to smother me. You are the embodiment of hope and light, never giving up and always persevering. I've always been inured to the cruel way of this world, but you showed me that maybe I don't need to be, because that's not all it is."

"You have a way with words, Georgie," Dream whispered, the love and affection blaring in his eyes, consuming anything else so that if you looked at him, you would never know that there had ever been pain there.

"I've been told that before. All my English professors always loved me precisely for that reason. Now, your turn."

"Funny. I do not have a way with words in the slightest, I was always better at science and math, specifically geometry and the forces of motion. Numbers are my English, they connect perfectly in my brain, same with science."

"I suck at that. I failed science three years in a row."

"Define fail," Dream said, disbelievingly.

"A seventy. That's failing."

Dream burst out laughing, but George didn't understand what was funny. These were genuine thoughts, anything lower than a C was awful. It didn't help that his mom always pushed him to go above and beyond but science was always just too hard and he could never get it.

"I finished eleventh grade with a fifty-two in history and you think a seventy is failing?" Dream said, still wheezing.

"Yep, that's correct."

"You're a dork."

"That's why you love me." George froze at his words. They hadn't said the words until then, and George was terrified of Dream's reaction. Luckily, he just grinned warmly and nodded at George, giving him a kiss on the forehead.

A loud knock at the door startled them, both looked to the other questioningly. When it sounded again, George slowly stood to open it. When he answered, he immediately began cursing himself for doing so as he saw who was on the other side.

"Hello again, Wilbur."

(Word Count: 1,280)

A/N: YES 200 READS! Thank you all so much! I know I've said this before, but it truly does mean the world, and I'm so glad that this story which I enjoyed writing so much is getting recognition. Things are about to get good again, so just stick with it, I promise it won't continue being this uneventful ;)