LOVE LOCKDOWN (dnf + karlnap)

12: Dedicated To The One I Love, chapter two

"George, are you okay? You're crying."

George blinked frantically, wet eyes phasing back into focus and zeroing in on Dream.

"Wha-?" George said, slightly dazed.

Without a word, Dream grabbed George's wrist, pulling him along into the break room. The motion sensor-controlled lights flickered on just as Dream shut the door behind them, leaving them alone in the small room. Worried green eyes searched George's blotchy face, looking for clues.

"What's up, baby?" he murmured gently, cupping George's face in his hands.

"I'm okay," George replied quietly, averting his gaze.

Dream tutted, giving his head the slightest shake. "Talk to me. I'm not gonna judge you, George. If something's making you cry I wanna help you take care of it."

"'S just something Sap said..." George mumbled.

Dream's gaze hardened. "Sap? Was he rude to you?"

George shook his head quickly, finally meeting Dream's eyes just to make sure the blond knew he was serious. "Sap wasn't rude. He just said something that made me think, and then I spiralled."

"What was it?"

"He... Well, he said that he and Karl were in love."

Dream frowned - clearly confused. A crease formed in between his brows that George itched to smooth out, but his hands were glued to his sides: fisted to hide his trembling.

"Good for them?" the blond said, voice more a question than a statement.

"Do you-"

George didn't have to say more before Dream's face softened in realisation. He pressed a hard kiss to George's forehead before pulling the shorter man into a tight embrace.

"Of course I do," he mumbled. "You never have to worry about that."

George pushed his face into Dream's shirt. It smelled like oil, meat and sauce, but underneath was a distinct Dream scent that made George's eyes water again.

"I'm sorry for crying," he mumbled, muffled by Dream's chest.

"It's okay, sweetest."

George laughed wetly and pulled back just a little to look up at Dream. "Sweetest?"

"Got you to laugh, didn't it?" Dream grinned.

"You never have to worry either. About that, " George then said, suddenly serious.

A soft chuckle fell from Dream's red lips. "I know, George. You don't have to worry."

"I do worry sometimes," George sighed. "I'm not good with words and emotions the way you are. I'm scared you... you'll end up getting sick of me, or something."

"Could never get sick of my sweetest Gogy," Dream said, a mischievous glint in his green eyes.

Half-heartedly, George glared at Dream. "I'll take it back."

Dream pressed his lips against George's forehead in a whisper of a kiss. "You'd be a liar, then."

"Guess I would be."

They stood in silence, eyes locked together in a gaze filled with love. George loved Dream, and he felt weirdly at peace with it. But with the sudden emotional distress out of the way, George was starting to feel a pounding in his head. He groaned softly and broke the eye contact to push his face into Dream's chest once more.