✨ghram crackers✨

chapter two

Dream had seen William walk out of his run-down apartment, and he had seen him in the bar. Now he was waiting outside, trying to get him to respond, even though he knew he wouldn't.

He had witnessed the entire interaction between two of his exes. After he'd ruined their lives he figured that hadn't been enough, so he stalked them online and in real life; on-and-off of course– he couldn't devote all his time to the both of them. He had other lives to destroy, hearts to break, the usual. He was a player and a manipulator, what else could he say?

But besides that, the fact that two of his exes had met and were going to meet again at 8 tomorrow was what really interested him. He wasn't worried; not yet.

Ah, there he was. The Onceler. Once an entrepreneur with good intentions to a man with virtually nothing. Broken down and screwed over how many times? He couldn't recall.

And yet, here he was, trudging back to his extravagant mansion just outside the town, with just a hint of hope in his heart. 'Hah! What a laugh.' He couldn't wait to extinguish that last little spark. It would've been sad if he wasn't so obsessed. It was all a game to him. The Onceler was nothing more than a pawn here. Same as William. He envisioned the look on their faces as they realized: There's no getting out of this. It's the same routine, every time.  And they'll never be happy with anyone else. He'd make sure of that. 

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The large doors opened with just the smallest squeak as he stepped inside the tall room. Collapsing on the couch, he grabbed his computer from the coffee table. Opening it, he scrolled through his emails. There was a new one, from an address he didn't recognize. A link was there, to an article from a site he didn't often read. It was about a "missing children incident" from a place a few towns over. Hesitantly, he clicked it, scrolling through the page. He skimmed the article until the words blurred together and he slumped backward in his chair, closing his eyes halfway before the words "Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria" caught them. Wasn't that the place where William used to work? Then he went back and read the article entirely. 'The police have yet to apprehend the killer. Many doubt they ever will.'   They never caught the suspect?

"I wonder who killed those poor kids," he murmured, but there was nobody there to hear him as he clicked around, glancing at a couple of other articles on the site.

'Better ask William about it.'

He closed the laptop and leaned back, too tired to get up and go to bed.

A few hours later, he woke up to the sound of the doorbell ringing. Groaning, he pulled himself off the couch. 'What time is it?' he thought groggily, his tired eyes trying to find the clock.

3am.

He groggily got up, going over to the door and unlocking it, suddenly aware of his creased, wrinkled shirt and undone tie. Because waiting in the door was a man wearing a bright hoodie, a bag hanging from his left hand, sandy blonde hair covering the top of the round mask that covered his face. Dream.

He smirked, reaching up and undoing the buckle on the back of the mask, pulling it off and looking up at him, his smile tugging wider as he looked at that beautiful face.

Dream looked down at him, lips twitching as he wrapped his arms around O's waist, fiddling with his belt loops a little, warm fingers brushing against his back.

He blushed, burying his face in the green hoodie. "I love you..."

The pressure from Dream's fingers increased as he pulled him closer.

"Love you too, 'O.'"

O stiffened a bit, alarmed. "T-that wasn't anything, I promise."

"Mm. Sure..." Dream was quiet for a little as he pulled O out of the hug and looked at him, emotions hidden.

He clung onto Dream tighter, not letting those little whispers and thoughts take away the person he loved.

But William... A tiny voice in his head murmured, but he pressed it down.

Or at least he tried to.

"Well, you're over here... and it's rather late...~"

"Yeah, yeah I am... what's on your mind, hm~?"

Dream's voice sent his mind cartwheeling and that tiny voice came back, just a bit louder. But no mind. If it wouldn't go away, he could just ignore it.

O felt himself blush again and grabbed onto the hoodie, biting his lip. 

Under his mask, Dream smirked. "I could stay, but you have to go meet William, don't you?"

"I don't have to go," He blurted. As soon as he said it, his face morphed into a mixture of guilt and regret. "I–I mean... Well, uh...."

"Go on."

"I don't have to go," He repeated slowly. "But I would like to go. Just to make a new friend, y'know. Nothing important."

"That's fine with me. When do you leave again?"

"I have to leave at 8."

"Mhm."

They both sat in silence for a few minutes before he leaned against him, burying his head in the soft hoodie and hugging him, the emotions boiling inside of him like food poisoning. Trying to forget it and be in the moment with him the rest of the night.

The next day, they hung out, sitting and talking with each other after going out for breakfast. When 8 came around, Dream left as he was still getting ready. Kissing him at the door, O was apprehensive at his leave. But, nevertheless, he let him go. When it was time for him to leave, he gathered his things and left the house, locking the door behind him.