The Mushroom Prince // DNF

24/Home

George leaned back against a tree, cool fall air washing over him, the trees above ablaze with brilliant shades of oranges and reds. He closed his eyes, taking in the sounds around him, finally tuning in to the sounds of voices talking beside him.

His eyes fluttered open and he smiled as they scanned over Clay, Lilyana, and Rue; all spread out in the grass around him, simply enjoying spending time together.

Six months had passed since the night of his father's and Sapnap's deaths, and so much had changed since then.

Lilyana, Queen of the kingdom, had been working tirelessly to restore the town to what it used to be. And while there was still a ways to go, it was already beginning to resemble the town of George's childhood, the place where he would often visit with their mother. George and Clay were constantly by her side, always willing to guide and help her, but she was an amazing and kind queen, and the people loved her.

Lilyana had also been the first queen of their time to take her place on the throne alone, without a king by her side. She had set a new precedent, and Rue had followed suit shortly after her, becoming the second Queen to rule her kingdom without a king.

Rue came to visit them as often as she could, and the group had grown close over time, frequently spending mornings in George's favorite place, just as they were that very morning.

George looked over to Rue as she shifted herself closer to him, pointing down to the ever present notebook in his lap as she said, "it looks just like him, George."

His eyes followed, and he smiled as he looked down at the image that lay on the page. It was Sapnap, exactly as George remembered him on the day of their last conversation in the clearing. He was leaning back, eyes closed, his head against his shoulder and face tilted up towards the sun.

It was George's own personal memory of Sapnap, and a moment he thought of often. It was that very day that he had realized although they were born under different circumstances, their lives were very similar and had run in parallels. And George knew that should they ever meet in another life, they were sure to be great friends because of it.

George carefully tore the photo from his notebook, smiling as he looked up and handed it to Rue while saying, "here, I want you have it. Think of it as a parting gift from me to you."

She smiled back, her eyes scanning over the image as she said, "thank you, George. I love it."

He flipped the notebook closed, stowing it away in his pocket as Lilyana spoke, "I can't believe you guys are really leaving. You know you don't have to, you can stay in the castle for as long as you want."

Her eyes flitted back and forth between George and Clay, the suggestion lingering between them. Clay broke the silence, his voice gentle as he responded, "don't worry, Lily. We'll be back to visit, you won't get rid of us that easily."

Lilyana smiled in response, sighing in defeat as she accepted the answer she already knew was coming.

George and Clay had decided to leave the castle, something that they had been discussing for months before finally making up their minds.

George had always felt like his view of the world was limited, having lived a sheltered life within the confinement of the castle up until this point. There was so much of the world he had yet to see, and with Clay by his side, it seemed the opportune time to go out and explore it. And Clay had been supportive from the beginning, more than ready to take on a brand new adventure with George.

George looked over to Clay, intertwining their fingers and giving his hand a gentle squeeze. He couldn't wait to start the rest of their lives.

~

Later that afternoon, George stood in his room one final time. He had packed up only the necessities, opting to travel light since they were going by horseback. The rest of his belongings would remain here, for whenever he should choose to return to his roots.

He smiled as his eyes scanned over the room, memories flashing through his mind. He thought of his first encounter with Clay in the hallway right outside of his room, and the very first time Clay had come striding into his room uninvited, even the countless nights they had spent in George's bed, wrapped up in each other's arms.

It had been a difficult and unpredictable journey, and George would never have imagined they'd be where they were today, happily married with the rest of their lives to spend together.

After one final look, George left the bedroom, the wooden door falling shut behind him as he made his way alone down the long stone hallway. He exited out of the castle, rays of sunlight washing over him as his eyes settled on Clay, who was waiting for him.

Clay came over to him, his hands moving to George's waist as he said, "you're sure about this, George? We could always just find a little place of our own to call home."

George tilted his head up and planted a soft kiss on Clay's lips, smiling as he pulled away and answered, "I'm sure, Clay. Besides, you're all I need, you're my home."

Clay smiled down at him, and the two shared one last lingering look before setting off on their journey, the very beginning of their new lives together.

*A/N: that's it besties, I hope you all liked it! When I started this, it was supposed to just be a cute lil love story about Dream and George, I had zero idea that this was how it was going to play out. But I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, and definitely surprised lol but it's been probably my favorite story to write so far. ☺️

Now that it's finished, I'll probably go through and make edits because I haven't actually read it through, so any future updates will most likely be because of that.