a fate written in blood

Three Weeks.

George paced around the apartment. A glass of water in his hands trembling lightly as he was thinking over what he had seen. Well, what he saw months earlier. It had finally hit him how close it was. How little time he had left to spend with Dream.

George had always made an effort not to hang around with people who had the closest dates above their heads. Since he had realized what they meant, he avoided certain people at all costs. The fear of growing attached to someone just to watch fate steal them away. He couldn't bear the thought of it. He felt lightheaded. Like his world was just crumbling. The thought of losing his friend, his best friend was sickening. What was he even supposed to do? Tell him he's going to-

The door clicked. Sapnap had come home. Seeing George nervously walking around.

"What's up?", he put his bag on the ground. George looked over, taking a sip of his water to try and act casual. Smiling nervously. "Nothing." the words came out of the lying man's mouth. Even with his glasses on, the worry was still on his face.

Sapnap frowned. Something was clearly wrong, "...Who?" he asked anxiously. Keeping his voice steady to not try to panic in front of George. He had seen his face like that before, the weight of what George knew had always been a huge burden on him. It affected almost every social interaction in his life, like Sapnap's had. Both of their "powers" attached to the fate of others, meant that they would always have something to worry about, something nobody would want to know.

Dream walked into the room. Sapnap always avoided direct eye contact with people, but seeing how George looked over immediately, and the confusion on Dreams face, Sapnap was reminded again of why he would avoid looking directly at people. "Manslaughter", was seen above Dream's head for Sapnap. What he had always seen. He looked back at George, who quickly excused himself and hurried to his own room. The door shut behind George as he left abruptly. The two left standing in the living room looked at each other.

Dream walked up to Sapnap, "Do you know what's up with him?" he asked before Sapnap could ask the same. Sapnap shook his head, "No, how long has he been like that?". Dream thought for a moment, shrugging.

"Earlier, a bit after he woke up." Dream sat down on the couch, stretching and taking out his laptop. Sapnap took out a paper bag from his bag with three fruit tarts in them, offering him one. "Haven't asked about it yet, I think he needs some time." he added, taking the fruit tart.

Sapnap sat down on the other side of the couch, turning on the TV and putting on the first show on their "shared" Netflix account "Continue watching". Dream worked on his laptop, likely procrastinating while Sapnap zoned out on the couch. Waiting for George to explain to either one of them why he was so anxious today...

An hour or two in, Sapnap got up and knocked on George's door. Opening it slightly, leaking some light from the crack in the door into the other's room. George looked up from the floor, he was sitting on the carpet by his bed, writing in a notebook with headphones on.

"...Youu, alright?" He asked, opening the door further and stepping in, staring at the other with a mostly neutral expression on his face. Worry on Sapnap's as they locked eyes. He stepped closer, closing the ajar door behind him as he sat down criss-crossed a couple feet in front of George. The other man was silent and looked away after a quick moment, closing his notebook while Sapnap waited for an answer.

"Hey, c'mon talk to me." Sapnap gave George a smile to try and ease him. George took a breath and hesitated. Opening his mouth to say something but decided against it, closing his mouth again and instead choosing to stay quiet. He looked around the room a bit in the silence, trying to find something to speak on before he could get back around to the topic. Whatever George had on his mind was clearly a burden to him at the moment, he tried to think of ways to at least ease George's nerves. Looking around the dimly lit room, he clicked his tongue. Glancing at George again in the deafening silence.

He took a breath, Sapnap stopping and looking back at George. "It's.. about Dream." he sucked air in between his teeth. Sapnap frowned, he didn't like the expression the other had. An uneasy anxious tone in his voice and a slight tremble in his hands as he took slow steady breaths to calm himself.

"It's about Dream." He repeated, Sapnap giving George a moment to compose himself. Giving him a moment to say what he needed to say. George felt like his jaw was locking up, hearing his own heart beating as his eyes got warm as he held back tears. "Fuck, fuck okay.." he took another shaky breath. The other letting him take as much time as he needed.

"Three weeks." George said, "Dream has three weeks."