Please Let Me Go (dnf)

But I Love You So

The sound of oh so familiar waves crashing along the shore, seagulls calling out to each other in the sky, giggles from young children bouncing through the air, the heat from the sun surrounding him. Each granule of sand shifted beneath him as Dream moved cautiously, terrified if he made one wrong move it would all disappear again. He wanted to stay here. Not for a moment, not for day- he wanted nothing less than a lifetime here. Dream wanted to watch his sons grow up, to grow old with George, to live out the rest of his days in this perfectly curated fantasy.

"Can someone please wake him up? He'll be pissed, yeah, but we can't play with uneven teams."

Dream could feel his heart rate beginning to climb. That wasn't George's voice, but it was a voice he would always recognize. Clear as day, unmistakable, a voice he could pick out in a crowd- Sapnap. Why was he here? When Sapnap and Karl were in his last Dream, it was a nightmare potentially more horrifying than his current reality. Well, was it even reality anymore? Is this place- the in between, purgatory, whatever it was- his new reality? Was this death?

Thin, cold, fingers made their way across his cheek, brushing gently against the stubble on his jawline. Even with his eyes closed, the world seemed to get brighter as the hair that must've fallen around his face was tucked behind his ear. Nimble fingers continued to rub gently on his skin. It felt intimate, it felt loving, it felt like a gesture done out of kindness. It felt like George. Dream slowly reached up his hand to hold the one placed on his face, relief flooding him as the hand turned palm up to hold his.

"You better get up soon before Sapnap comes over and starts kicking sand in your face." George whispered with a small laugh, clearly attempting to make sure Sapnap wouldn't hear and get any ideas. Even with his eyes remaining closed, a smile of relief spread across Dream's face. Wherever he was in this time and space, George was still his. Maybe they didn't have any kids in this reality, but at least he had George's loving touch. Dream still didn't understand much about these dreams, if that's what these are. Maybe he could stay here long enough to get to that point with George- to start the family he never knew he wanted with the man he always knew he did.

"Kiss me." Dream blurted out in a half mumble. "Kiss me so I know this is real." He continued, keeping his eyes closed. He needed to make sure, to be absolutely certain that he didn't have any misconceptions about what he and George were here. There was no time for him to be consumed by silence filled with doubt. George instantly let out a laugh that only made the smile on Dream's face grow wider. The fondness in George's voice, in his laugh, in the fingers that quickly interlocked with his own. Dream knew he was right. He knew George was his.

"Dream! There are, like, people and kids around! You really-"

"Kiss me." Dream interrupted, pulling George's hand away from his face and down into the sand by his shoulder, effectively bringing George closer to him. He could feel George's staggered exhales against his nose as he laughed on his way down. George's other hand, which felt much cooler because of how much Dream had warmed up the first hand George extended to him, rested on his chest. Dream finally opened his eyes, slowly allowing them to adjust to the brightness of the day around them.

The sky was a brilliant blue, without a cloud in sight. The water looked clear, even with the waves lapping against the shore, seafoam peeking out at the top of each wave. The beach was somewhat packed with families and children, groups of friends playing frisbee, sand artists building grand sculptures- but none of that compared to the best view of all. The view of George's chin resting on the hand he had laid on Dream's chest. The brightness in his smile as he watched Dream focus in on him. The bashful way George rolled his eyes as he watched Dream look at him like he was falling in love all over again.