Emeralds For Trade // DNF Royalty AU

Chapter 10.1: The Beginning

The two laid on a picnic blanket facing each other. Their knees barely bumped against each other, and the late autumn breeze blew through their hair, leaving it lightly tousled. They could hear the quiet rustle of the tree they were under. Dream was staring at George's face, stray tufts of hair falling over his forehead oh-so-gently. He was like an angel, too beautiful for this world. He could barely believe that he was the luckiest man in the world, blessed with the absolute privilege of breathing the same air as him.

And laying across from him, Dream wanted to bear his heart out. Tell him everything he wanted to know, give him everything he could ever ask for, grow a garden of the prettiest flowers that were worthy enough to be presented to him. He wanted to make George the happiest one could be, and he would do anything to see that smile again and again.

"And what did you say to him?" The quiet voice asked, a smile still lingering on his lips from when they laughed before.

"I told him exactly what was on my mind. That he was an idiot for thinking I would let him speak to me like that. One kick to the nuts and he was off my back."

This sent George through another fit of giggles, to which Dream couldn't help but join him. Their voices were like a symphony, harmonizing together to the rhythm only they could hear. This time, George managed to drown out the static and he couldn't be more content with what he heard.

"Sounds like you were quite the problem child," George teased lightly.

"I mean, wouldn't say that. I'd like to think I had some problematic circumstances," Dream countered, a cheeky grin on his face.

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"My dad was a dick. Like, the biggest asshole around. Always so uptight about the dumbest things."

"I'll bet you didn't make things easy for him," George said light-heartedly.

"Fuck no, I gave him a hard time, as he deserved!" Dream said, drawing another warm laugh from George. He shifted to lay on his back and looked up at the clouds as he continued, voice sounding less boisterous than before. "Y'know, you're lucky. Your parents seem to care a great deal about you. My dad... He barely acted like a father to me."

George watched him, his mask hiding his face but his tone and body language revealing all he needed to know. He had heard about the last king, and how he was a stern ruler. From hearsay, he knew that he wasn't the most loving father, especially after the death of his wife. Still, George hadn't considered how this might have impacted Dream growing up.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said gently, a hand reaching out to gently squeeze the man's forearm. This made Dream look over, thankful that his mask covered the way his pupils dilated and cheeks flushed. "I don't know much about him, but it does sound like he was a bit of a dick."

"Yeah. There's this one time..." He trailed off, hesitating. "Sorry, that one's a long story."

George tugged gently on his arm, almost pouting.

"No, no, go on."

Dream bit his lip gently, turning onto his side again and watching the cute expression on his face.

"There was this one time, I was out by the water. We were sitting on a dock. There was a boy, around my age, a tailor. We used to talk every other night and just listen to the waves crash. He'd sew together some scrap fabric and stuff them with cotton he could get his hands on for me, make me little trinkets. And I'd write him little poems, letters, stuff like that. I was around 18 at the time, I think my birthday had just passed. My father noticed I kept sneaking out, so he had some guards follow me one night."