Chapter Text
Dream pulled his armor over his head. He clicked the pieces into place with their straps. He kicked his boots onto his feet with a slight sigh. He stretched his back out, his neck cracking.
He heard footsteps approaching behind him but he didn’t look around yet. It could only be one person. Only one person had the opportunity to be with him when he wasn’t completely covered in armor. He was only comfortable with one person being next to him while he slept.
Dream kept his eyes on the stone wall. Their house had been built into a cliff side. It was far away from where anyone could find them. It wasn’t perfect, but it was cozy. They had built it together under sunny skies.
Dream still remembered getting a bad sunburn during those days from having his top off. He had grumbled as aloe was rubbed onto his back by delicate hands.
Dream enjoyed it here. It was the one place in the server that he didn’t have to worry about being jumped at any moment. He didn’t have to worry about being vulnerable here. He could let the hard protective mask crack when he was in these walls. He could let his walls down and be open here. He was safe here.
Dream ran a hand through his hair, deeming it presentable. He continued to tighten his armor straps, making sure they were snug around him.
Dream paused as soft hands touched his sides from behind. They slowly traced over his skin and looped around his stomach. A head rested upon his shoulder and Dream hummed.
“Where are you going?” George hummed from behind him, pulling him closer into a sort of hug. Dream brought his hand over George’s, smiling softly.
He turned around and George kept his arms looped around him. He wrapped his own arms around George, smiling softly at the brunette in front of him.
“Me and Techno are taking down L’manburg,” Dream answered, “for the last time hopefully.” George frowned slightly, face twisting in slight annoyance.
“What?” Dream asked with a smile. He was able to read George’s expressions at this point. They had been together for so long. Not relationship wise, just friendship wise.
Dream had grown up alongside George and Sapnap. They all had spent most of their teenage years exploring together and sleeping in random places each night. They all had each other though, so they were fine. Sapnap is gone now. Well, not technically gone, he just didn’t understand. He didn’t see what Dream was trying to do. He didn’t understand how his plans were for the greater good of the server.
Dream and George had both tried to explain to him that the dethroning argument was staged. Dream was doing anything he could to make sure people would stop going after George to get at him and it worked. Sapnap wouldn’t believe them though. He had called Dream a manipulative liar. Accused him of gaslighting George into this false reality.
It had hurt to hear those words come from someone that Dream considered a brother. It had made his heart stutter within his chest, years of friendship falling apart by one conversation.
George had just walked away, hurt and confused by the other man’s actions. Dream had tried to talk to Sapnap for a bit longer after that, but it had just ended in a screaming match. They had gone their separate ways cursing each other’s existence.
Dream had gone home and cried that night. He sobbed into George’s arms asking how his best friend could really think he was that terrible. He had asked George if he really was a monster. George had told him no. That he was perfect and caring. His ways of showing it were just difficult. That he was protective and would do anything for those he cared about.
They had fallen asleep tangled in each other's arms. Both deeply hurt by the loss of their best friend. It was hard to accept that someone you loved for so long now hated you, but Dream had gotten used to the feeling lately.
“Why can't you just leave them alone and stay here with me?” George asked him. Dream tilted his head slightly confused as George continued, “who cares about them?” Dream sighed softly.
As much as he wished he could just let go of it all and run away with the older boy, he couldn’t. He and Punz were on the right track to discovering immortality. If that happened then he wouldn’t have to worry about George dying anymore. They could bring unity to the server by the discovery…
Okay maybe that part was a stretch, but he could hope. Also, Tommy would just come looking for him if he left. The boy wanted nothing more than to make his life a living hell. He would look and search until he found him again.
Dream would never truly have peace. He accepted that a long time ago. He was just sad that George had to suffer because of him.
“I know,” Dream admitted, looking away from George slightly, “I have to do this though.”
George pouted in front of him and Dream wished that he could just burn it all to the ground for his sake. He would do it for George. He would do anything for George.
“Why?” George questioned, looking up at him with tired brown eyes. Dream brought his hand to George’s face, brushing his hair out of his face and holding it softly.
“Because if I don’t, then Tommy will just stay on his power trip of hurting me and everything I care about,” Dream sighed honestly, “and if he hurts you, I will never forgive myself.”
George huffed, looking down with a frown.
“I guess you’re right,” George reluctantly admitted, “it’s just stupid.”
Dream agreed with that. It was stupid. Everything about the situation they lived in was stupid. He truly wished he could just throw it all away. He would if he wasn’t so positive it would end up getting one of them hurt.
Dream sighed, placing a hand under George’s chin and lifting it up to look at him. There was hurt and disappointment swimming in his eyes. Dream felt his heart burn inside of his chest.
“I’ll be back,” he whispered quietly, like someone that wasn’t George would hear him, “I will come back here when it’s over.”
Doubt shone brightly in George’s eyes and Dream sighed again, wishing that George would have more faith in him.
“What if you get hurt, Dream,” George started, pulling away from him slightly, “or worse! You keep playing these games with them and you're going to get yourself killed.”
George looked at him with fear. Not of him, but for him. Dream stepped back closer to George, eyes softening. He pulled George into a hug and the smaller hugged him back tightly. Dream buried his nose into George’s hair. His hand was rubbing comfortingly over George’s back.
“I won’t let that happen,” Dream whispered. George pulled out of his chest to look at him. Dream kept his hands around George.
“You can’t promise that,” George argued.
“I will,” Dream insisted, pulling George even closer, their bodies flush against each other, “for your sake. I will never let them hurt me.”
“Not for your own?” George asked softly.
Dream looked away for a second. He didn’t care what happened to himself. That was obvious from how he did things. If everyone else was safe because he was the only one bloodied, then he would take that every time. He would let himself take the hits over and over, before he let someone else take them for him. He could handle it. He was raised to handle it. He taught himself to handle it all. He knew he could take it, so why risk that someone else couldn’t. Dream looked back sadly.
“I won’t let them hurt me.” He whispered.
George ran a hand over his face softly.
“Do you promise me?” George hummed. Dream could hear the hesitancy in his voice. The fear and sadness. Dream held him tighter.
“I will always come back to you.”
Dream took George’s hand in his own, placing it on his chest over his heart.
“I will always come back to you. I swear it on everything.”
George sighed slightly, “you promise?”
“I promise.”
George smiled softly. Dream pulled him in by the waist and they met in a soft kiss. George’s hands wrapped around him and Dream placed his hands over George’s.
He pulled back after a moment. George looked at him sadly as he stepped away, grabbing his axe from where it was leaning against the wall. He strapped it to his back before grabbing his mask from where it was hanging in the doorway. He was about to place it over his face when George pulled him back down for another kiss.
Dream gladly accepted it.
George pulled back with a watery smile.
“I love you.” He whispered quietly. Dream smiled back, sadness gripping his heart.
“I love you too,” Dream hummed. He moved towards the door again, looking at his communicator to see if Techno messaged him yet. He had.
See you at mine soon?
Dream typed out a quick answer confirming it and sending it before he looked back to George. He was still looking at him upset. Dream frowned again as he reached for the door.
“I’ll be back,” Dream promised again.
“I’ll always come back for you.”
__________________
Dream was limping. Blood was pouring out of wounds everywhere on his body. Every step sent a pulsing wave of pain through him. He brought his hands over his side trying to hold pressure against the gash there.
It was bleeding rapidly, blood spilling through his fingers, farther staining the orange tattered fabric that was clinging to his skin.
He could hardly call it a jumpsuit anymore. It was hardly on him anymore. The pants were stained a rusty brown from dried blood. His shirt was torn and cut all over, hanging pitifully over his shoulder. That was also covered in blood.
Dream looked down at his arms. Scars crisscrossed the skin there. Permanent reminders of what had been done in that prison. Of what happened to him. Of what he had let happen.
He shook his head. It didn’t matter now. He didn’t need to think about it. He kept pushing his legs running. He had to keep moving. He didn’t know if he was still being chased and he didn’t want to stop if it would cost him his life.
Dream took a breath and it caught in his lungs. His bare feet were burning against the floor he ran on.
Only a bit longer. He only had to keep going a bit longer. Dream heaved, trying not to gag. He could do this. He could make it. It wasn’t too much farther.
Dream pushed himself to keep going. He couldn’t give up now. He had already failed enough. He couldn’t fail again.
So Dream kept himself going. He pushed on despite the burning pain in his legs. Despite the blood oozing from wounds covering his body. Despite the bruises weighing him down. He kept moving.
Dream didn’t think it was much longer. He ran until he made it there. The wooden wall approached his vision after what felt like ages. Dream was sure he was about to pass out. He stumbled up the steps with tired feet. He made it to the doorway.
A large wooden board now was the only thing that separated him and the only reason he didn’t let himself die in the prison.
Dream slammed against the door with his fist. He only knocks once before opening the door and going through the first room. Dream breathed in the sweet smell of coffee and oak around him. It was nice. It was the best thing he smelled in ages.
Dream continued to make his way through the house, looking for him. He made his way through another doorway and almost ran straight into the person he had waited so long for.
“George,” Dream gasped, falling into his lover's arms. George flinched in shock, but the second he realized who it was, he immediately squeezed Dream back.
“Holy fuck Dream,” George yelled softly, “holy, oh my gods. Dream.” George was squeezing him so tightly that it almost hurt. He wasn’t going to pull away though. He would never pull away again.
George moved back slightly, looking over him. Dream did the same to him. George looked different. He still had the same blue shirt he always had, but now it was placed over a white dress shirt. He had a cape sitting around his neck. It was made of moss and wrapped around George tightly. He had a mushroom hat sitting on top of his head lightly.
Red was tenting the edges of his ears like he had a fever, yet darker than that. Dream brought his hand up to George’s face, brushing his thumb against his lover's cheek.
George looked into his eyes. He looked worried and scared.
“Dream-,” he whispered, “what happened?”
He looked away from the other. He knew he looked terrible. He was such a mess. He had been beaten over and over and it showed. He looked away from George sadly.
He hated himself for getting hurt. He hated himself for getting reduced to this. He should have been better. He knew he was better. Still, he couldn’t stop tears from swelling in his eyes. He looked back at George and his voice cracked.
“I told you I’d always come back to you.”