Stealth. (FtM Karl)

Time

Tw mentions of blood/sh

George's pov:
As the weekend passed, things weren't getting better. As the sun rose once again, I realise that it's the beginning of the third day since the incident, it's Monday.
I've been staying with Dream since that day, I don't want to leave him alone, especially since I know.
I haven't told him, I've avoided it for now but... I'm obviously worried about him.

I've been sleeping in his room with him, Bad gave us some stuff to set up a temporary make-shift bed for me. It was the first night I stayed when I'd woken up in the middle of the night, the day of the incident, street lamps outside illuminated the room enough to see it. Or them. I don't know if it was multiple or not but I saw.
It's the way he was positioned, the sleeve of his hoodie rubbing against his arms must've reopened whatever wounds were there, but I saw blood, and the way his sleeves rolled up I saw the edge of a messy bandage.
I didn't want to assume anything, I never took him to be the type to do something like that, but you never know with these things, even the happiest of people suffer in silence.

It wasn't till a few days after that I was sure, Karl came to us for some advice on the very topic. It was the look in Dreams eyes, it was the way he just seemed to understand and immediately sympathise. He didn't have to say anything for the pieces to just come together.

I still don't want to assume anything, I don't want to accuse him and be wrong, but I also don't want to leave him alone just incase.

I sit up and look over at his bed, I take a moment to admire his features, his mouth is slightly gaped and I swear he was drooling slightly. His hair was messy, his features neutral, it was peaceful. That's the word many people use to describe it at least, but there was another emotion there, similar to happiness but in the way that I can't help but stare and adore, I could do it for hours, the feeling makes even the most boring activities exiting.

There are more masks now, it didn't take long for Bad to get a hold of more, but that didn't change the past.

Either way, I was okay missing more of school for him. I didn't want to leave him alone in the house.

Just incase.

I unplug my phone and check the time. 8:07, college opens at 9, and I don't think either of us have any lessons till 10.
I look at my notifications, 2 messages from Karl, 1 from Sapnap.

Karl: How's dream doing?
Do you think he will talk to Sapnap any time soon?

Sapnap: How's he doing?

Bad. That's the truth. Dream doesn't want to show it, but he's not in a great place.

I respond to them both with the same message:

George: I think he's doing better, don't think he's ready to go back to school yet though.
He needs some time.

I turn off my phone.

"Once again you're up before me" he chuckles, stretching his arms up into the air and his legs forward.
'And once again I am blessed with your morning voice' I think, though I'd never dare say it out loud.
"Morning, Dream" I instead respond.
He just hums in response.

I don't want to ask, but I will. "Do you... think you're ready yet?" I ask, I've been trying to avoid the topic of college all together since last week.
He stays silent for a moment, "I don't know."

"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask.
"I don't know."
"That's okay."
He's quite again, he's clearly contemplating, "maybe."
"Yeah?" I respond, being gentle about it, I don't want to push him, "you don't have to till you're ready."
"No, I should. It's probably better that way" he admits.
I'm not sure what happened before he moved to Bad's house, but I've always assumed that it's why he's always been so closed off.
Again, I dare not ask. None of my business.

Dreams pov:
Im glad that George is here, it makes it harder to get away with stuff but it's for the best. But he's been keeping me company for close to a week with little explanation.

"I don't think I'm ready, George." I start, it's weird, I've never felt this comfortable around anyone but Sapnap, "even with new masks, it's too late, everyone has seen my face."
I felt so vulnerable when it broke, that mask was a wall, something built to hide from the cause of the scar. It was like I was a new person with it on. With the mask, I could be Dream, I could be cool, confident, popular; and without, I was just Clay, anxious, stressed, vulnerable Clay. Clay had the scar, not Dream.

George wasn't sure how to answer, "It's impossible to change the past" he started, "but I don't think you want to spend the next two years at college hiding in your room, Dream. We have to go back at some point."

'We' I repeated, he said we. Does he only plan to go back when I do? It's because he cares about me. But then he's missing class. Or is he just saying that to be polite? Maybe he doesn't mean it. But it's George. He probably would, he's stayed this long, he might feel obliged to stay with me.
Burden.
That word seems to always appear.
Always a burden.

"Yeah. You're right." I respond, I tried to not sound sad, or stressed, but also not happy, I ended up sounding neutral. A but too neutral.

"No, Dream." He gets up and sits down on the bed next to me, "I'm not trying to rush you, keeping your face hidden means a lot to you, it's okay if you're not ready to go back yet."

Something I love about George. The way he doesn't care about my scar, I know he doesn't because of the way he speaks to me, I see his eyes. They're looking into mine, not around or above, only my eyes.
I feel this tugging at my chest, it's not the first time but it always confuses me, and it's only around George.

"I don't want you to miss anymore school," I continue, "I don't want you to feel like you have to be here." I don't know why I'm saying these things, but they keep coming, "You shouldn't be missing school for me."

He takes my hand, "I promise I'm here because I want to be, I'm here because I care about you." There it is again, he's here because he cares, and I'm making him worry. "You don't have to go to school yet," he continues, "we can start small."

"What do you have in mind?" I'll take anything at this point.

"You can talk to Sapnap." He states, clear, almost as if there was an under-tone of command, he was certain about this answer, he had a plan in mind, it's clear that he'd been thinking about it for a while.

And it wasn't that bad of an idea, I had no right to be upset with him, I just needed someone other than myself to blame for this mistake.

"Okay" I answer.
"Okay?" He smiles, another thing I love about George. Not just his smile, but the way he smiles, you can tell that he's proud; of me or the fact that his idea worked? Im not too sure, but I don't care.
It's still his smile nonetheless.

(Guys help me out, I've forgotten if they're going out yet in this book, I've read through most the chapters and can't find anything but I feel like they are. Please.)