Ends of the Earth

Epilogue

3 years later

Hazy sunlight filters into a tiny bedroom, and Dream stands in the very center of it. His eyes roam slowly over the things that fill the space and make it feel a little less empty; a mixture of things that are his, and some that are George's.

In the corner, George's favorite bow is balanced up against the wall, and their backpacks sit together at the foot of the bed. There's a pair of George's shoes lined up neatly by the door, and a pile of clothes that's a bit of both of their things.

There's little reminders of George everywhere that Dream looks, almost like he's just stepped out for a moment. And sometimes, Dream can even trick himself into thinking that's the truth. It hurts less than being stuck here waiting for someone who won't ever come back to him.

A heavy feeling settles in Dream's chest, but it's one that he's become all too familiar with. He's better at dealing with his grief these days. He chooses to focus instead on the promises that he made to George; promises of protecting their family and trying to live his life as best he can. He figures it's the least he can do since George won't get the chance to do it himself.

There's a soft knock at the door, and as Dream turns, the door creaks open. Dream smiles softly when he sees Tommy standing in the doorway with Tubbo at his side, eyebrows raised expectantly as he eyes Dream.

"Are you ready, Dream?" Tommy asks him, and Dream drags in a slow breath. He glances around him once more, and then nods and answers, "almost, there's just one last thing I have to do."

He earns a quiet groan from Tommy, and Tubbo reminds him, "we have to start moving. We have a really long walk ahead of us."

"I know," Dream responds with a faint smile, "I'll be quick, I promise."

He moves closer to the door, and shoulders carefully past Tommy and Tubbo. He begins making his way down the hallway, and calls out over his shoulder, "I'll meet you right outside the city, okay?"

He can hear their faint protests behind him, but he keeps moving until he spills out of the building and into the fresh morning air. He can't leave the city without doing this, and he sets off on a familiar path through the streets until he reaches a large field. It's the very same field where George and him spent their last moments together three years ago, but like always, Dream tries not to think about it as he trudges through the grass. There's a worn path from how frequently he's walked this route, and he follows it mindlessly until he reaches the first large tree that borders the field.

At the base of the tree is a small pile of rocks that Tommy and Tubbo carefully placed to mark George's grave. Dream sits down in front of it, and he notices that there's a few wildflowers stuck between the rocks, probably left behind by either Drista or Niki. He reaches out to touch one, and as he does, he quietly murmurs, "hi, George."

A soft breeze stirs around him, rustles the hair at the nape of Dream's neck. He smiles to himself, because it almost feels like George is saying hello back.

But then the breezes dies down, and Dream is left with a silence that feels heavy and unbearable. He sighs softly, and whispers, "I really miss you, George. I know I tell you that a lot, but it's true. I wish you were still here."

For a moment, Dream lets his eyes slip shut. He tries to picture George's face; his soft smile and his dark eyes, the faint freckles and his unruly hair. He can almost hear the sound of his laugh, the sassy undertone of his voice when he's trying to prove a point. 

He's constantly worried about forgetting, but he doesn't think he ever will. George is too deeply engrained in every part of him. He counts himself lucky, because he hadn't even realized he had been looking for anyone until George stepped into his life.

His eyes open slowly, and he's quick to brush away the tears. If George were sitting next to him, Dream thinks he'd probably tease him for crying so easily. It would all be harmless jokes and playful smiles, the same way it always was with George. He'd give just about anything to have it all back.

With a soft sigh, Dream stares at the pile of rocks and tells George, "I just came to tell you that I'm gonna be leaving the city for a while. I'm not sure how long, but I won't be able to come visit you every day."

The breeze stirs around him again, and Dream smiles faintly as he adds on, "don't worry, I won't be gone forever. You know there's no way I'd be able to stay away from you. It's just like I told you, I'm always gonna be right here with you, George."

He lapses into silence, hands smoothing over the grass as he thinks of what to say next. There's something that sits in the very back of his mind, something he's always been too scared to voice aloud. He thinks it's ridiculous that he's still scared even now, and so he decides to tell George about some of the things he's been missing instead. It makes him feel a little better to think of George sitting somewhere listening to his voice.

"It took a long time," Dream starts, "but we finally have a cure for the infection. Philza worked with Ranboo and a few other people, and it's like version four hundred and four or something, but they finally did it."

He thinks George would be so happy to hear that there's finally a cure, and he smiles to himself because it's the first really good thing that's happened in a while.

"That's why I'm leaving the city," he keeps going, "there's more cities like ours now, and we're bringing the cure to them so we can finally start fixing things. Tommy and Tubbo are coming with me. They really miss you, but they've really been trying to stay out of trouble like they promised you."

He thinks about Tommy and Tubbo, and the way they follow him around like they always did with George. He would never try to replace George, but he looks out for them the way George wanted him to, and makes sure they stay unharmed even though they're still troublemakers at heart.

"And Wilbur," Dream thinks to add on, because he knows that George would want to hear about him, too, "he's good, too. We get along a lot better now, I think you'd be happy. He even said that if we ever get the chance, he'd show me around London."

Another faint breeze, and Dream laughs softly to himself. He tries to think of what George would say if he were here, but his mind is empty and there's a slight ache in his chest. He takes a slow breath, and then whispers, "I really wish I could hear your voice again, George. And I really hope that wherever you are, you're happy."

Most of the time, he reminds himself that George has Karl, and that usually helps. He talks about it with Sapnap a lot, and he even told Sapnap about how George saw Karl at the very end of his life. He half expected Sapnap to call him crazy, but he only smiled like he was relieved to hear it.

Dream smoothes his hands over the grass again, and takes a steadying breath to calm his nerves. He's not sure he can leave the city without saying what's on his mind, and he lets his eyes slip shut because it feels easier this way.

"George," he says his name carefully, savors the way it sounds when spoken aloud, "there's one last thing I need to tell you."

He prays that George can hear him, because he's never actually said these words to another person. But he needs to say them now, even though his heart feels like it's about to beat out of his chest.

"I'm sure it was always obvious," Dream starts, "but I've always been completely in love with you. And I know I never actually told you, and I'll probably regret that for the rest of my life, but I'm telling you now."

It feels bittersweet, because he wishes every single day that he had gotten the chance to say it in person. He had always been too nervous, and he had never been sure whether George felt the same. And at the very end, it felt wrong to say it while being the one to pull the trigger. But he tells himself that some day, after he's lived his life like he promised he would, he'll see George again and it'll be the very first thing he says to him.

Somewhere in the trees above, the branches rustle and a bird chirps. Dream opens his eyes slowly, and in the distance he can hear Tommy and Tubbo calling his name. There's still a lot of people out there that need their help, and so he leans forward to gently touch the makeshift gravestone, smiles to himself and whispers, "I love you, George. And I'll be back, I promise."