head in the clouds

secret's out

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

Dream decides to tell George and Sapnap about his age regression, and it goes even better than he imagined.

* slight angst when Dream gets upset at a movie, but mostly fluff :)

—

Today is the day.

After a year of keeping his age regression a secret from his best friends (and now roommates), Dream has decided that today will be the day he opens up to them. That is— if he can figure out how...

George and Sapnap are in the living room watching movies and, technically, he could just walk in there, join them on the couch and tell them straight up. They wouldn't judge him and he knows he would feel about a ton lighter afterward. Technically.

The problem is that he had planned to tell them earlier in the day when all of them were a little more awake, but he just never got around to it between streams and recordings and long meetings. And now it's 8 pm and all Dream wants to do is honestly just to slip into his headspace and cuddle up with a cartoon in bed.

But alas, he is set on telling them his secret today.

He can feel his brain fogging up more with every step he takes down the hall toward the living room, hearing soft chatter from his friends and the quiet TV. By the time he reaches the couches where they're both sprawled out watching some show, Dream is positively regressed.

Clutching his soft turtle plushie, he eyes the couch where George is laying and thinks of how lovely it would be to crawl into his arms and get cuddles. But he stays put a few feet away, suddenly feeling embarrassed by how small he's feeling in front of the others.

What if they think it's weird? What if George doesn't want to cuddle with him? What if—

"Dream?" George's voice breaks him out of his worries, making him aware of how fast he's breathing. Dream dares to meet his gaze, and he has to use every bit of his willpower to not burst into tears from how kindly George is looking at him.

George smiles and opens his arms as an invitation for the blond to step closer. So, before he can think twice, Dream shuffles socked feet over to the couch and lets himself be pulled down gently onto the brunet, nuzzling his face in the crook of George's neck as warm arms wrap around him securely.

Dream sighs contentedly; it feels even more lovely than he imagined.

"You okay?" George asks softly, rubbing soothing circles on the boy's back with one hand and carding through blond curls with the other. All he gets in response is a small whine, muffled by the fabric of his hoodie. George holds him a little tighter.

He grabs the remote and switches to Disney+, much to Sapnap's confusion which dissipates once he spots Dream cuddled up to George. Perhaps a lighthearted, animated movie will make him feel better from whatever is making him upset.

"Do you want to watch any of these?" George scrolls down the colorful selection of films, urging Dream to lay his cheek against the other's chest so he can see the screen.

Down in the corner of the screen, he sees one he really wants to watch. "Hero!" Dream exclaims quietly, his voice a little higher and whinier than usual. He tugs on George's arm to make him understand, repeating, "I wan' Hero!"

Despite his somewhat unintelligible words, George understands what he's trying to say. "You wanna watch Big Hero 6?" He clicks on the movie so Baymax's distinct white figure fills the screen.

Dream lights up immediately and he nods as best he can with his cheek pressed to the older's chest. "Alright, Dream," George smiles and presses 'play', before returning his hand to the boy's hair and weaving through it as the movie begins.

Now totally enthralled in the movie, the original objective of revealing his secret has been long forgotten in his little mind. Dream follows the animation with wide, attentive eyes while chewing absentmindedly on his hoodie strings.

George says nothing when he notices it, though he thinks he has an idea of what's going on with his friend. Between his unusually shy and quiet demeanor, his voice being different and now him biting on his hoodie, George is almost certain that Dream is in little space.

Just as he's about to ask, the blond's mood suddenly switches from all-smiles to very distressed. He whimpers slightly in George's arms as the screen fills with fire from a building. "Oh no," he mumbles worriedly, subconsciously leaning further into the brunet's arms.

Next, the screen turns grey and sad, and Dream lets out a little gasp and looks up with sad eyes. George pauses the movie and cups his face.

"What's wrong, darling?"

"He die?" Dream asks quietly, a small tear rolling down his cheek.

A warm thumb wipes it away, "Who?"

More tears escape green, cloudy eyes and run down his face, and the brunet sits up to hold him properly. "He die in th' fire," Dream sobs weakly into his shoulder. George shoots Sapnap a concerned look across the coffee table, gesturing to the blond in his arms.

Sapnap catches on and hurries over to them, crouching beside the couch and placing a comforting hand on Dream's back. Slowly but surely, the crying subsides to just shaky breathing and a few hiccups.

"What happened?" Sapnap questions softly, still rubbing the boy's back.

Dream doesn't say anything but nuzzles into George's neck as if he's trying to hide. Both of the other coo quietly at how cute he's being. George speaks next, "Did the movie make you sad Dream? When Tadashi died?"

He gains a nod in response, which he supposes is better than nothing. "It'll turn out alright in the end, sweetheart. Do you want to keep watching?" Dream untucks his face from his hiding place and looks up into brown eyes. George smiles at him and continues, "Wanna see Baymax again?"

The boy's little smile does not go unnoticed by his friends as they coo at him again, making him blush and fiddle with his hands shyly. "Otay," he mumbles.

"Alright, we'll start playing it again. But before we do, can you tell us how old you're feeling, Dream?"

He seems to think about it for a while, before making his hand show four fingers and holding it up proudly to his friends. "Four," he decides.

The other two share a look, a sense of realization washing over both of them as everything clicks into place. George kind of knew from the moment Dream walked into the room earlier, but it sure is news to Sapnap.

Luckily, neither of them are complete strangers to age regression, having been on the internet long enough to read and learn about it.

Dream looks at Sapnap, who gives him a reassuring smile. "Thank you for telling us," he praises, letting the blond grab onto his pinky finger.

"An' you take care of me?" Dream bounces lightly in the brunet's lap as he asks the question he's wanted to for months and months.

George laughs and wraps warm arms around the boy's waist, snuggling close. "Of course, baby. You can come to us whenever you need to, okay? Do you promise to do that?"

"I p'omise."

For the rest of the movie, all three boys cuddle up on one couch with Dream safely in the middle. He starts getting sleepy nearing the end, as the warmth from being held by his two best friends begins to tug softly at his eyelids.

George places a sweet kiss on his cheek, before Sapnap shifts them gently so the blond can rest his head in his lap. And moments later, feeling a whole secret lighter, Dream lets himself drift off.

He sleeps better than he has in a long time that night, dreaming of lazy sunlight and soft grass and bubbling laughter on happy-colored swing sets. And hugs; warm, lovely hugs.

—

1312 words

tadashi deserved better tbh

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊