Emeralds For Trade // DNF Royalty AU

Chapter 15.1: More Than Life Itself

"Slowly."

"It's so cold," the king complained.

"You've dealt with worse, quit complaining," George laughed.

"It's literally in the middle of winter, I really don't know what you expect from me—"

"It's warmer in the water than out of it!"

"You're the one telling me to go slow!"

George helped Dream as he carefully lowered into the warm stream of water. His shirt was off, but his torso was covered securely in bandages. As they waded a little farther out, they reached to a depth deep enough to reach their necks when they sat down.

The both of them did just that, their undergarments not doing much to cushion their seats as they settled into the rocky surface below. George situated himself behind Dream, his gentle fingers touching the now-wet bandages hugging his back. It made the king shudder a tiny bit, but George assumed it was because of the cold air rather than the brush of his fingertips.

"See? That's better, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Dream hummed, relaxing and pulling his ankles closer to himself, opting to sit cross-legged. "It's warm."

"Told you. Alright, I'm gonna take the bandages off now, okay?"

"Yeah. How much quicker is this supposed to heal, again?" Dream asked, looking over his shoulder at George as the smaller man began to slowly unravel the latticed cloth. Dream let out a quiet hiss as they loosened, the water making contact with the injuries on his chest and stomach, but he relaxed within seconds as the pain faded.

"About half the time it'd usually take. It's not going to take the scar away, but it's going to speed up the process a bit."

Once the bandages were off, folded into a wet little mound in his hands, George waded to the edge to set it down with their other belongings. Admittedly, the missing warmth radiating from behind him made Dream pout a tiny bit. He looked over his shoulder again, letting his eyes linger over George's back. He watched the way his muscles moved under his skin as he wrung it dry and admired the shimmering droplets covering his back as he leaned forward to set it on the rocks.

"You're gonna need it if you want to be fit and ready for the Banquet in Gold, it's only a week away and—... What?"

As George turned back around, Dream blushed faintly, but he didn't look away.

"C'mere," Dream said softly, turning in place so he was facing George better. "It's still cold."

George came by, sitting next to Dream and letting the blonde wrap his arms around him. He rested his head gingerly against his shoulder, keeping pressure from the wound on his arm. As he was pulled closer, basically in Dream's lap, he couldn't help but smile and close his eyes.

"It really is freezing," George agreed gently. "You're warm, though."

"It's your fault," Dream mumbled, burying his face in the crook of George's neck. "You got me blushin' and everything."

Amused, George asked, "Why are you blushing?"

"I always am when you're around."

With that, George cupped Dream's cheek, carefully lifting it so their eyes could meet.

The sky was dimming now, and it was funny how they always found themselves in the midst of a sunset, but George looked forward to seeing the ethereal glow of the creek's stream, and he was eager to see the way the blue hues emanating from the water would dance on Dream's face, blanketing his freckles and casting shadows across his features. Just like in his dream many nights ago, but better.