Stuck With Me (Gream/DreamNotFound)

4- Into Fire

Clay stared up at the ceiling in shock.

Well, partially shock. Part of him wanted to scream, another part wanted to break down and sob, and another part desperately needed to punch something. He wouldn't have minded punching himself, considering what just happened.

He had watched, helpless, as Herobrine- or Dream, as he had named himself- had stolen not just his body and his username, but also his man. At least it wasn't our first kiss, Clay thought ruefully, but it didn't bring much comfort.

That first kiss. Clay wished he could go back and relive it again and again. It had been brief but sweet and perfect for him.

Despite his flirty and, he'd admit, slightly cocky behavior, Clay was a fan of taking things slow. He adored late night talks that lasted for hours. He treasured each and every sideways glance, blush, and laugh. He craved lazy afternoons full of snuggles.

Dream had taken things too fast and too far, using George just to taunt him. Clay wanted to scrub his own mouth out with soap after what Dream had made him do. Even just remembering the laughter that had echoed in his mind as he was forced to kiss George made him clench his fists so tightly that his nails dug into the palms of his hands. He gasped and sat up abruptly when the pain finally registered in his mind.

Clay tried moving his fingers again, and they wiggled on command. He let out a short laugh in surprise. When George had smashed the piece of iron into the side of his head, it must've somehow knocked Herobrine out, but not Clay. Not that it didn't hurt- he could feel his head throbbing even though it had begun to heal- but he hadn't heard Dream speak to him in his mind since.

Arming himself with the sword and shield Dream had somehow spawned into his inventory earlier, Clay stepped into the portal and was taken to the Nether.

After taking a few moments to recover from the disorienting experience, Clay looked at the environment surrounding him.

He was on a small island in the middle of an ocean of lava. Clay's eyes trailed up a lava fall and saw the ceiling looming overhead. Despite the dry, open air around him, Clay felt closed in.

He spotted a thin pathway of cobblestone suspended over the lava on one side. Rolling up both sleeves of his hoodie in an attempt to cool down, he began walking across. He took a few timid steps, trying to focus on the path below his feet, but he couldn't ignore the lava bubbling far beneath him. The sight made him dizzy, and he swayed slightly.

He decided to crawl the rest of the way across, not trusting his balance enough. He scowled at the slow progress he was making. Whenever he played Minecraft at home, he had taken his chances with dangerous leaps and perilous drops without a second thought. Now, he didn't even dare to stand up while crossing a bridge.

Glancing up briefly, he saw solid land drawing nearer. He picked up his pace as much as he dared, still terrified of making any mistake that would send him careening over the edge. He thought it had been bad enough when Dream had flown him up into the air and let him fall to the ground. With access to Clay's memories and thoughts, he knew the best way to frighten him. But there was nothing keeping him from hitting the ground hard now (or rather, the lava, which was exponentially worse) except himself.

He thought back to the other height he had faced- the deep ravine. George had been there with him, and in Clay's efforts to impress him, he hadn't fully comprehended the distance between himself and the ground before he jumped. He had suffered the consequences briefly before healing then, but if he were to fall into the lava now...

Clay finally reached the netherrack on the other side safely and stood up again. Having conquered his phobia, at least for now, he redoubled his efforts to find George. Luckily, he didn't have to wander too far before spotting the Nether fortress.