Reticent

Guilt

The next day when Dream returned, the two got to talking about their lives away from the pond. Dream often walked instead of driving. Whatever "driving" was. While the two talked, he brought up that lived with a "friend" of whom he spoke of very fondly. Dream called him a friend when talking about this person, but he talked with such an endearing tone. This person clearly meant everything to Dream.

George listened intently, interested in Dream's life, but his chest grew tight in discomfort. He grew so aware of this discomfort that he nearly stopped listening to Dream.

He cleared his throat.

"What's their name?" George asked curiously, trying to keep himself engaged.

"His name is Sapnap," Dream answered, a soft smile spreading across his face. "I've known him for years and we just moved in together."

There was a pang in George's chest and he felt his ears grow warm. He cleared his throat quietly. A strange, unpleasant feeling bubbled in his chest.

"The move itself was pretty rough, to be fair. He's a lot to handle, sometimes," Dream continued on, lost in thought. "But we complement each other, I think. We also work well together, having pretty much the same job, and all."

"That's good..." George muttered. He felt distant and removed. Dream was the only friend George had but... That wasn't the case the other way around. Dream wasn't alone. He had Sapnap. They even lived together, not just visiting.

What should that matter? Dream was his own person. He knew this Sapnap before meeting George. Why did George feel like someone was intruding on his territory?

Territory??? What the hell kind of thinking was that?? Dream wasn't his. Dream belonged to himself and himself only. More, George couldn't meet this Sapnap, so why did it matter so much? It didn't. It didn't matter. Not at all.

This was a place meant for Dream and George. Sapnap was unimportant. Irrelevant. Insignificant. To George, anyway. But... Not to Dream.

Dream having someone to go home to should've been a comfort. George knew how lonely it could get, living by himself. He didn't want that loneliness for Dream. Of course he didn't.

But then... Why was he angry? Was "angry" even the right word?

"George?"

It wasn't the right word. It was close, but there was a better way to describe it. What was it? He didn't like the way Dream talked about his "friend". At all.

"George."

Disdain? No... Contempt? No, that didn't fit either.

George messed with the sand at the bankside, completely lost in thought and ignoring Dream entirely. The sand was so soft. He should appreciate it more.

"George. You good?"

Jealousy.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. Sorry." George was jealous. "What is your job?" George was jealous of Sapnap.

"Oh, uh..." Dream laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact. "I make videos online, mostly." There was a hint of undeserved shame in his answer.

"Oh, cool..." George certainly knew what that meant. Yep. Absolutely. No doubt about it.

"I'll show you, sometime," Dream offered, ignoring the shame. It was stupid to be ashamed of making content for people. He did well for himself. He lived comfortably. And he built it all himself. That's something to be proud of.

George looked at him and saw the growing pride in his smile.

Dream was resting casually in front of George, having sat on the bankside so they two could easily converse. He was also messing with the soft sand, running it between his fingers. He looked so content spending time with George, despite them having just met.

He also left Sapnap to see George. So perhaps he was assuming things about Dream. Or Sapnap. This distasteful feeling was so confusing.

George felt guilt creep into him as his face grew red with embarrassment. How could he feel so jealous of a person he's never met? He had no right to feel possessive over Dream. Dream treated him with such kindness, more than George deserved.

"I could introduce you to Sapnap sometime, too. I think you two would be great friends."

Those feelings, though now laced with guilt, came flooding back ten times over. George didn't want to meet Sapnap. He didn't want to become friends. He got to spend so much time with Dream already, as they lived together, while George sat in the pond alone most of the time. He only saw Dream for a few hours every other day, give or take. He didn't want to share that time.

"That would be nice," George lied. Sapnap was Dream's friend. He was an important person to Dream and Dream was willing to share. Surely, this meant George should share, as well. If Dream trusted him, George should as well. Dream wasn't an idiot.

The conflict in George's mind weighed on him throughout the entirety of Dream's visit. He was distant in the conversation, letting Dream do most of the talking. He only listened half-heartedly and surely Dream could tell he wasn't engaged. Dream, regardless, talked on. Perhaps he figured George needed the company no matter if he was paying attention or not.

George's chest ached.