For the First Time

George

The stress of putting together the video wasn't the worst part. The delays gut me, and I'm waiting impatiently for it to begin.
Quackity and Karl nearly chewed my ass off for how late it's run into the night. Thankfully they are drunk together and having a good time.
The video is uploaded, and responses from fans come pouring in. Me, Sapnap, and Dream sit around the sectional, rewatching it for the tenth time.

"This is your best video yet!"
"Yay! DNF is real!"
"Omg, this is amazing! Can't wait for Twitchcon 2022!"

My mind is reeling, and I feel light. Dream nudges Sapnap with his foot, which sits close to Dream, his head swooping to the side. Sap jolts awake.
"You did it, man!" Sapnap says, moving to stand. "Now I'm going to bed."
"Good, get out of here." Dream says it with a smile. "And don't wake me up in the morning."
"I won't," Sapnap says with wide eyes. "Night, Georgie."
The way he says it and winks at me has me rolling my eyes. "Whatever."
Then, I'm alone with Dream, illuminated by the giant projector.
"You did great," Dream says with a dorky smile. He throws his arm around the back of the couch, only inches from me. He's so sincere, so caring. It's insane matching his face to the man who's made my heart flutter erratically for years.
"What? Are you okay?" He asks, his lip jutting out slightly.
"Yes," I say, snapping from my thoughts.
Dream's tangled hair is begging to be played with. "What are we doing?"
"Sitting on a couch." He answers dryly.
I throw my head back. "Ha, ha. I meant us."
"Oh," he says, straightening. As if he wasn't prepared for this conversation. "We're dating."
I bite my bottom lip, feeling like a fool bringing it up now. Our time together has been blissful, but our workload is about to increase.
Dream inches closer, taking my hand. "Nothing's changing. We'll just be doing work and dating on the down low."
"You're okay with that?"
Dream's laughter is a soothing melody to my anxious thoughts. "I haven't flirted with you this long with an expectation you'd change. I like you the way you are."
"Go on." Usually, this is where I say I'm unique and don't need external validation because I already know I'm awesome. But I need it. I need to understand why and how Dream likes me after all this time that it's real.
"You're like a pot of boiling water," he begins thoughtfully. He leans in close until his lips are hovering over mine. "You're slow to wake up, but once you are, you're boiling, and I might die in it, but it's worth it."
"That literally makes zero sense Dream," I say, matter of fact.
He backs away and laughs. And although he's the idiot, I'm the one blushing!
"What I mean is, you're cautious, careful, but I know you're loving and kind," he says, leaning back in. "LA, the next month, will be hectic, but we'll always have each other, and things will be okay."
The words ease my mind more than I expect. I throw myself onto him and bury my face in his neck, inhaling his intoxicating scent.
There are no words to describe how my head is buzzing, and my heart is beating. But Dream makes up for my lack of words by pulling me away from his body and drawing my face to his.
Our kisses are shallow and desperate, as if trying to make up for them earlier. He gets up and carries me up the stairs to his room, firmly shutting the door behind us. He turns around and presses me against the latched door, and runs a hand through my hair.
"Damn," is all I manage between kisses.
I can feel him smiling as he says, "I'll do anything for you, George."
And it's all I need to know. We've got this. We'll navigate what's to come.