Chapter Text
Sapnap ran through the halls, nearly skidding as he went around the corners too fast. He was panting as he sprinted, only one thought on his mind.
People moved out of the way when the saw him running, staring at him in confusion as he dashed through the building. Sapnap didn't pay them any attention, he didn't even have the breath to apologise to that one woman he nearly knocked over.
He skidded into the briefing room, half colliding with the doorway as he entered, and finally stopped, panting as he caught his breath, cheeks red and muscles screaming.
"Me." He breathed out, looking up at the small room of people, all sitting down in a meeting with Karl and Velvet standing in front of them, both looking at him in shock.
"Sapnap, what-" Karl started to speak.
"Me. I'll go. Please, I'm desperate." Sapnap stood up straight, hands on his head as he tried to get rid of a stitch under his rib.
"Sap, you aren't on the list." Karl said gently, walking around the small group to go closer to him.
"What's one more person? Please, I'm so bored. There's nothing to do here. I'm itching for an adventure."
"It's dangerous." Karl said, looking at him with concern. "It's not just a simple mission to clear the city."
"I am going crazy in here. Send me. Please."
"We could use him." Velvet said, raising an eyebrow at Karl. "We do need a couple more people for this mission."
"No. He's fine." Karl grabbed Sapnap's arm and tried to tug him out of the room. "Sap, this isn't your mission."
"Karl, I'm so bored. And I'm not useless. I'm a damn good fighter, and I am way too stubborn to die." Sapnap looked him in the eye. "I don't know why you don't trust me on any of these missions."
Karl looked down, and Sapnap took his hand, giving it a squeeze.
"I only just got you back." Karl said softly. Sapnap gently tugged on his hand and took him out of the room, away from listening ears.
"It's been 3 months." Sapnap rubbed his thumb over his hand once they were standing out of the room. "I've recovered. I'm here. And I have no intention on leaving you. Ever."
"Then don't do this mission, please." Karl begged.
"You're doing it." Sapnap frowned.
"That's different."
"How? I obviously don't want you to go risk your life either. I couldn't bare losing you too." Sapnap furrowed his eyebrows.
"The difference is it's you." Karl pleaded. "I can't lose you."
"Karl." Sapnap brought his hand up to his mouth and kissed it, pressing a small smile against it. "I love you. But you're being a hypocrite."
"But if something happened-"
"Do you think I'd cope if it was you?" Sapnap asked, lowering his hand. "I love you just as much as you do me. I'd spiral just as bad if it was you who got hurt. Can you not see that?"
"I know." Karl whispered, and Sapnap tugged him into a hug, hooking his chin over Karl's shoulder.
"If we both go, we can look after each other. That sounds fair, doesn't it?"
"What if-"
"No. None of that. You need to put a bit of trust in me I can handle myself. Just like the trust I put in you to come back to me every time you disappear on a mission."
"Okay." Karl sighed, pressing a kiss to Sapnap's cheek. "I love you, you know that."
"I know." Sapnap pulled back to kiss him properly, smiling as he pulled away. "Now please let's go kick some zombie ass together."
"It's not just about fighting zombies, obviously." Karl let out a small laugh.
"I know, I heard the mission-" He was interrupted by some shoes skidding on the floor, and a boy resting a hand on the wall in the hallway as he caught his breath, looking up at Karl and Sapnap.
"I will get on my knees and beg for you to let me on this mission, Karl." George said, breathing heavily. "Say yes before Dream finds out."
"How did you both hear about this mission anyways?" Karl asked with a laugh, looking between the two.
"We would never expose that secret." Sapnap said.
"Karl. Please. I'm being smothered. I need Vitamin D. I need to go outside for once. It's been months I'm dying. Please say yes before he comes." George begged, eyes wide.
Sapnap's eyes drifted to George's cheek, his heart clenching as he saw the black veins. They hadn't fully faded, and they might never go away. The veins left on George crept up his neck from his shoulder, just spreading up his jaw onto his cheek, as well as down to his elbow.
He never wears short-sleeve shirts, and Sapnap often sees him in high-neck ones. He had a bandage over his cheek for the first month to hide it, but was eventually convinced no one would care or hate him for it. It is because of George that a cure has been made, and a vaccine produced and given to nearly everyone in the Haven.
"Fine." Karl sighed. "We do need a couple more hands. And you're both vaccinated."
"Immune, thank you." George pointed at himself, standing up straight and walking closer with a smile. "I don't need the vaccine."
"Yeah, yeah. Good for you George." Sapnap rolled his eyes.
"So." George clapped his hands. "When do we leave?"
"Come inside, we're still sorting the fine details before a full briefing." Karl said, resigned, and let the two newcomers enter the room, finding their seats.
"Right." Karl sighed, walking back over to Velvet who was typing on his laptop. "So, we've got three additional people."
"Three?" Sapnap questioned, and George looked confused too.
"Yep. The third one is coming..." Karl checked his watch. "Any second now."
The door slammed open again and Dream scowled as he entered, eyes landing on Karl first, then onto George and Sapnap.
"Absolutely not." Dream shook his head, walking over to George. George looked up at Karl, pleading with his eyes.
"Dream, you have two options. Join the mission, or leave so I can brief the team." Karl sighed.
"Sure thing. Just need to grab something." Dream said, hooking his hand around George's arm and hoisting him up out of the chair despite George trying to fight it.
"Get off you idiot." George scoffed, trying to pull away. "I'm going whether you like it or not. I need some bloody sunlight and something to do."
"Not a mission. That's for sure." Dream tugged George further.
"Sapnap!" George demanded, and the boy in question stood up too, grabbing George's other arm and keeping him in place.
"Dream, let him go."
"No." It was like they were fighting over a toy. George had one arm in each hand. "Not yet."
"I've fully recovered." George told him.
"You aren't ready to do any running or fighting."
"Says who! You won't let me go." George's attempts to pull himself away we're hopeless.
Everyone else in the room watched in both concern or slight amusement. Tina was trying to hide her smile while Punz was outright grinning at the entertainment. Sam looked mildly concerned, eyes flicking between all three of them. Ant was watching with his eyebrows simply raised, and Skeppy looked only slightly impatient.
"George, just- please." Dream huffed out.
"No. Dream, you're smothering me. I'm not going to break from a gust of wind. In case you've forgotten, I'm literally immune. Nothing bad is going to happen."
"Zombies can still kill you, in case you've forgotten." Dream scowled.
"You've seen me fight!"
"Months ago. You're in no state to fight."
"Dream. Please. I've been training every day just for something to do. I'm good. Ask anyone."
"He is good." Sapnap said, still tugging on George's other arm. "Can throw daggers like it's nobody's business."
"And I can still use a bow." George added. "Dream, please."
"I don't care. You've only just-"
"It's been months!" George yelled, finally pulling out of his grip and nearly falling over from the momentum onto Sapnap. "I wanted to find the Haven so I could have freedom. Not to be imprisoned."
"We came to rest. And to not have to fight again." Dream frowned.
"I came to find a home." George wrapped his arms around himself. "Somewhere to come back to where I can rest and feel safe. Not for a prison."
"What if something happens." Dream swallowed, shaking his head. "I can’t do it again, George." His voice broke slightly.
"It won't." George's voice was softer.
"Something always goes wrong, no matter how hard we fight."
"That was when we were exhausted, hungry, already hurt, and hardly any idea of where we were going. Now, we're prepared, and well-rested, have all the resources we need and a great team." George gestured to the room. "Things might go wrong, but now we can actually solve the problems."
"I would never forgive myself if you die again." Dream's eyes were on George. George sighed and walked forward, grabbing Dream's hands and gently pulling him out of the room.
"I didn't die." George whispered, as he shut the door and met his eyes. "I'm right here."
"In my nightmares you died." Dream croaked out.
"But I'm alive. We all are. Because we're fighters, Dream." He sighed again and pulled Dream into a hug. "You need to trust me." He whispered. "I need you to trust me."
"It's hard to when every time I have, you've gone and gotten yourself hurt." Dream'a voice was muffled against his hair.
"But I'm still here, aren't I? You need to trust that I'm not going to die, that I'm going to fight for myself."
"I do trust you." Dream whispered, and George squeezed him. "I just don't know if I trust myself to protect you anymore."
George pulled back, grabbing Dream's arms and looking at his heartbroken face with slight confusion.
"I don't know why you think that."
"It's my fault every time you've gotten hurt. The grenade, I let go of your hand. That time the human found you in the tree and sliced your cheek cause I left you." He reached out to brush against the scar. "You got bit protecting me." Dream's fingers brushed against the back veins, following them down his jaw. "It's my fault it happened. It's always my fault.
George reached up and gently took Dream's hand, holding it with both of his own, looking between Dream's eyes with sadness.
"I didn't know that you blamed yourself for that." George whispered.
"How could I not? You saved me and got bit. It was my fault." Dream was looking away now.
"Dream." George lifted a hand and cupped his face, pulling his eyes back to his. "Have you ever stopped to think that maybe it was neither of ours fault?"
Dream didn't respond, and George just smiled, thumb brushing against Dream's cheek.
"We're in an apocalypse. The world is against us. You didn't put the grenade in my hand, or throw the dagger. And you certainly weren't the one who bit me." He laughed softly. "We've made the decisions we had to, in order to survive. And it all worked out in the end. If it was you who got bit..." George swallowed. "You weren't immune, you would have turned or died. I won't ever regret my decision to save you. And I wouldn't have had to make that decision if the apocalypse didn't exist. We're surviving, Dream. Not killing each other."
"I don't want you to get hurt." Dream said, and George smiled.
"Oh, really? I thought you wanted me to suffer for all eternity. Just, straight to hell, burning forever, tortured for the rest of my- hey, stop!" George laughed when Dream squeezed his sides and made him double over. "Dream!" He tried to get out of his grip, but Dream held tight, tickling him.
"You're an idiot." Dream laughed, and then pulled George close to his chest, hands trapping him but no longer tickling. He let out a sigh, and George relaxed against his chest. "I know it's obvious. It's just scary because you've been hurt so much, and I just want to shelter you from it forever."
"I know." George wrapped his arms around Dream. "But you can't. Part of life is getting hurt. Physically, mentally, emotionally. You can't control everything, and you know you can't control my decisions. I will get hurt, one way or another. All I need you to do is be there to help me get better. And to trust me to do my best."
"I trust you. I love you."
"I know." George whispered, and Dream pressed a kiss on the top of his head. "I love you too."
They stayed in that hug for a few more moments, just breathing each other in and holding onto the love they found in each other. Love is hard to find, and it can take a while to bloom. But it's even harder to hold on to, because love isn't easy. And it certainly isn't kind.
You have to fight for love. It's not something you just stumble across, decide to keep and just hope you don't drop it somewhere. Love is messy, love is a journey, love pushes your limits and tests your patience. Love looks like arguments, and sadness and forgiveness. It looks like laughter and pain and holding on, and you have to fight for it. Love is hard, because it's trust. It's trusting another person with your heart. It's trusting them to stay, and to fight, and to be safe. But it's also trusting yourself. Trusting yourself to love, to open your heart and let someone in.
Love is trust, and it's pain, and it's compromise. And it can be found in the places you least expect.
•
"Alright. We're nearing our target." Karl spoke from the front of the van in the passenger seat, turning around to look at the group. "We've been over our jobs and what we're each doing. It's a rescue mission, not a clearance of zombies."
Dream grabbed George's hand and gave it a squeeze.
"We know our targets. We know they are compromised but not of their status. Hannah is here for injuries." Karl nodded at the woman, sat in the front with several bags at her feet. "Radio in if you're down."
"Do we know how many zombies there are?" Punz asked.
"Velvet wasn't able to scan the area before our departure." Karl said, grimacing. "That's why we've got a big team. Our assumption is that Bad, Callahan and Sylvee are all together, but we don't know for sure. Remember the teams. Sam, Ant. You're both stationed outside the building to defend from incoming zombies to the disruption. Tina, Punz, Skeppy, you're going upstairs first. Sapnap you're with me, we're going down. Dream, George you're staying on the ground floor. If anyone's area is overwhelmed, you call for backup. No one is to be left alone, understood?"
"Understood." A few voices echoed back. Sapnap just nodded, he was the one currently driving.
"Great. Radio if you find any of them, and immediately return to the van. You'll be covered by another group as soon as possible."
"No one get hurt. All we know is they are stuck in the building and it's under the assumption at least one of them is injured. I don't want to fix you lot up as well as them. So please just refrain from getting severely injured." Hannah said, and they all just nodded.
"Alright. We're here. Let's go." Karl said as Sapnap stopped the car, and Dream opened the van door for them all to run out of. There were no zombies in sight, but their screeches could be heard, both in the neighbourhood, and within the building they had to check.
It was a shopping mall. An abandoned, run-down one of course. It would be difficult to find the trio in all the possible empty stores they may be in. All they know, from the brief message Bad sent before they lost contact, was that they were stuck and needed backup. That was a day ago. They had been on their own mission, to cross the border to Canada for a rumour there was a similar safe haven north. They never made it past Pennsylvania.
A lot has changed in three months of Dream, George and Sapnap arriving. Nearly everyone is immunised, they have much more resources, including this van, and their methods of communication are growing. Velvet has pretty much single-handedly set up his own radio towers through a couple states, pinging radio signals back and forth. It's made the opportunity for missions grow, as signals of distress or success could be sent long distance.
"Alright, keep moving." Karl said, and everyone entered the building except Ant and Sam, who stood out the front, weapons up.
Sapnap and Karl ran down the broken escalators while Punz, Tina and Skeppy went up. Skeppy had been a right mess the past day, and was rushing the whole team to right ready. He was the one leading that group, of course.
"This way." Dream said, and George followed as they ran to the left first. They could hear zombies, but just couldn't tell where the echoing screeches were coming from. They assumed that wherever the trio were located, there were zombies close by preventing them from leaving easily.
It was a bit exhilarating, running with his bow in his hand and quiver on his back full of the arrows. George also had daggers strapped to his thighs and forearms for easy access. He'd been practising for months, literally. Since he recovered, he'd been ridiculously bored.
"On your right." Dream said, and George looked over to a see zombie, which noticed them and started running at them. He hesitated for a second, seeing it's teeth and hearing it's scream, but he quickly snapped out of it, and let an arrow fly straight for it, slicing straight through its neck, the head falling off. That was the other thing, the arrows the Haven had were powerful enough to eliminate a zombie rather than just incapacitate it.
"You good?" Dream asked, a hand on his shoulder. George looked at him and nodded.
"Yeah, just... haven't seen one since..." He rolled his shoulder, which seemed to always have an itch just beneath the surface. It had never healed properly, like the skin and muscle from the bite had fully rotted. His shoulder and arm were still perfectly functional, but it was a permanent reminder of what happened. "It's teeth, just..."
"Hey, you can go back at any time." Dream met his eyes, looking slightly concerned. "It's been three months since you've even seen one."
"I'm fine." George shrugged him off. "Really, just... needed to get that first one out of the way."
Dream scrutinised him for a little longer, before nodding, and pressing a very brief kiss to his cheek before leading the way again. George had to fight his smile, a soft pink covering his cheeks.
They ran into a few more zombies, and George didn't hesitate again. He was right, it was just a shock seeing that first one after a while of not interacting with them. It took his body a moment to remember what it was like, fighting.
"We need backup out the front." Ant's voice came through their radios. "One more person should be enough."
"Tina or Punz." Karl's voice cut through. Skeppy had made it abundantly clear he had one focus, and it was to find Bad.
"On my way." Tina said, and was reminded by Karl to be careful as she navigated her way back out of the building alone.
George had forgotten how good Dream was with a sword. They hadn't trained together in the past few months, mostly because Dream disliked that George was preparing himself like he would be leaving again, and George didn't want to be distracted by Dream. So, on principle, they trained separately.
But he was good. George had to keep his attention on his bow so as to not look at the way Dream's arm muscles were being hugged by his shirt when he tensed to swing the sword, and the veins that popped out on his hands and forearms. No, he was not thinking about any of that. Only the way his own arrows landed in the zombies.
"We've nearly cleared the whole floor." Dream said, pushing a hand through his slightly damp hair. "No one has found them on other levels either."
"Mm." George said, shooting a zombie that was approaching from the right.
"Duck." Dream ordered, and George did, as Dream swung his sword out to a zombie that had turned a corner and appeared behind George.
"Right." George cleared his throat, definitely not noticing the goddamn ab muscles that appeared when Dream's shirt lifted as he swung his sword. He stood up straight, meeting Dream's eyes. "You're infuriating." He scoffed, and then spun around, walking away.
"What? What did I do?" Dream jogged to catch up.
"You're distracting." George said, not looking at him, instead raising his bow and grabbing an arrow, aiming up ahead at a zombie fast approaching.
"Oh, am I?" Dream's smirk in his voice was clear as day. "And just how am I distracting you?"
"Shut up." George muttered, turning the corner. Dream just laughed lightly, and ran ahead so he was in front of George. His smirk was stuck on his face, and his eyebrows were raised. It didn't help his skin was glistening slightly from sweat and he was twirling his sword in one hand like it weighed nothing.
"What? I'm not even doing anything." Dream continued to walk backwards, twirling his stupid sword and smirking his stupid smirk.
"If you keep carrying on like that I'm genuinely just going to forget about the mission." George deadpanned, voice unimpressed.
"Like what? What am I doing?" Dream said, smiling as he stopped walking and George was also forced to stop, now closer than before. Dream's hand reached up and wiped some black blood off of George's cheek. "God, you're pretty."
"Oh, not now." George scoffed, and moved to walk around Dream, but Dream put his hands on his waist, stopping him, and then pulled him closer to kiss him deeply. George let him, of course, returning the kiss and shutting his eyes, his hand that wasn't holding the bow wrapping around Dream's shoulders.
"I think you're the one who's the distraction here." Dream grinned against his lips. George pulled back, rolling his eyes, but Dream chased him for another kiss.
"We're in the middle of a rescue mission, you know. Now is not the time." George laughed lightly, unwrapping his arm. Dream kissed his cheek.
"Well you're the one who's getting distracted by me apparently." Dream laughed, pressing one more kiss against George's lips before he could argue.
A sudden loud bang from up ahead that echoed around the entire building was what made them pull apart completely. They both ran down the hallway, weapons gripped tightly and eyes peeled.
There was screeching coming from inside a store, and when they found it, there were several zombies inside, all clambering over each other. They watched as one of the zombies got a dagger right through its face, and then fall backwards.
The dagger had been thrown from above, and George looked up with wide eyes, seeing Sylvee's determined face as she threw another dagger beneath her. She was in the vent in the roof, and the loud bang was the grate falling on the ground.
"Sylvee!" George called, as Dream radioed to the team. George started firing his arrows at the group of zombies all trying to climb on each other to reach the vent. Sylvee ducked her head down slightly, and her face lit up in relief when she saw them.
"Oh thank god." She sighed. "That was my last dagger."
"Are you with the others?" Dream asked as he swung his sword around, him and George gracefully wiping out the group of zombies.
George reached beneath the vent, looking up into it. Sylvee's face was clearer, and he could see the dirt and blood covering it. It was a mix of red and black and George stared in horror.
"Yeah. Bad!" She called, looking straight ahead through the vents. George couldn't hear a response. "Drag him this way, it's George and Dream!"
"Callahan?"
"He'll be alright, just unconscious. He got bitten and we injected him with the cure immediately, but he's out cold." Sylvee said, swallowing and wiping her face with her sleeve, which didn't do much as her entire outfit was dirtied.
"Shit. Are you and Bad hurt too?" Dream asked, just as more zombies entered the store, and he turned back to kill them too.
"Bad's messed his leg up. I'm fine just some scratches." She looked back through the vents again, and then shuffled away until they couldn't see her anymore.
"They are all ok. Callahan is bitten but the infection was neutralised. Bad's hurt his leg. We're on the ground floor pretty much opposite of the entry. Is there another way out of the building?" Dream spoke into the radio.
"There should be an emergency exit near the back if you can find it. Sapnap and I are going to leave and help Ant, Sam and Tina clear the area around the back. Hannah, drive the car around."
"On it. Dream, you said Bad's hurt his leg?" Hannah responded.
"Sylvee, what has Bad done to his leg?" Dream called up. There wasn't a response for a minute, until Bad himself appeared.
"It's not that bad." He grimaced.
"Bad." George crossed his arms over his chest.
"Okay fine, so it may be impaled by some metal wire. I don't know. I don't want to look at it." He huffed. George's eyes widened.
"Bad, help me lower Calla down. Dream, George, can you catch him?" Sylvee asked.
"Dream, what's wrong with Bad!" It was Skeppy's voice that came over the radio now.
"Some wire in his leg? Look, we might need some extra hands over here." Dream said nervously, looking behind him, hearing screeches still coming. So Callahan was unconscious, Bad likely couldn't walk, and they still had to fight their way out.
"Can you catch him?" Sylvee asked again.
"Just wait until the others get here. You're safe up there, right?" Dream said.
"Absolutely not." Sylvee said, shaking her head. "You think they haven't figured out vents? We've been chased around like it’s a maze in here. I opened this grate because we needed to get out."
"There are zombies up there?" George gaped.
"Yes, like I said. They aren't close yet but I can hear them." Sylvee said, impatient.
"Can you hold on two minutes?" Dream said, anxiously looking between the exit and the vents.
"We're compromised. There's a horde on the central elevators, we can't get down easily." Punz said over the radio. "Look, me and Skeppy might need to climb out a window, there's only two of us." They all heard the angry dispute coming from Skeppy.
"Dream, can you all make it out?" Karl asked, voice strained.
"Um." Dream had to let go of the device to run to the entrance and kill a zombie as George shot the second one. "If we're quick, maybe."
"You make the call."
Dream looked back and George just nodded.
"Right. Lower Callahan. Quick." Dream said, hands up as Bad and Sylvee worked together to slowly lower the unconscious boy, who looked quite peaceful actually. If it weren't for the dirt and blood. And the obvious bite mark on his calf.
Sylvee helped lower Bad next, and George had to avoid all eye contact with his leg because it was honestly horrific. Some wire had tangled itself in and around the muscle in his thigh, blood dripping slowly down his leg. Bad seemed mostly unbothered by it, but he was growing slightly pale and certainly couldn't walk on it.
"Ok." Dream looked at the group. "I think I'm the only one that can carry Callahan. So... Sylvee, you're out of daggers, you help Bad limp out. George." Dream swallowed, looking at him nervously. "You'll have to lead and clear the zombies."
"Done." He nocked an arrow. "Let's go." George didn't hesitate, taking off first. Dream had to sheath his sword on his back to pick Callahan up, and it made him instantly feel exposed. He had no defence.
He had to trust George on this one. Not only to protect himself, but to save everyone else.
And oh, was he beautiful. The motion from picking out an arrow and nocking it to the bow string to be instantly released and hit right on target was so effortless, and smooth and graceful. George was so graceful, despite the blood on his body and the rips in his clothes. He moved and anticipated like he had a sixth sense. And the daggers. George’s movements to pull out a dagger from his forearm and thigh and to swing and bury them in zombies necks was so fluid and accurate.
Dream could have been more observant of their environment, or zombies coming that George might have missed, or even the way out. But it was hard to look away from how effortless George moved and how perfect every shot was. It was upsettingly attractive.
Is that concerning? That seeing each other while fighting, holding weapons and covered in blood is attractive? Has this apocalypse conditioned them into thinking as such? If Dream was to watch this scene before this apocalypse, would he have found it as attractive as he does in this moment?
Honestly, probably yes. It's George.
The second they made it out, Sapnap and Karl were there to help take Bad to the van, as Sam, Ant and Tina covered them with the surrounding zombies.
"Bad!" Skeppy shouted from the van, running out with a heavily bleeding arm, and wrapping his boyfriend into a hug, who was leaning heavily against Karl.
"Everyone in the van, quick as you can." Karl yelled, as Skeppy and him helped Bad limp inside. Dream ran over with Callahan, as Sapnap and George covered them, and he instantly placed the boy down.
"Is he stable?" Hannah asked Dream, as she forced Bad to sit and lean against Skeppy, deciding he was probably going to pass out.
"Yes." Sylvee answered instead, shakily sitting down in another seat, taking the water offered to her by Punz.
Sapnap started the car, and the second Ant, Sam and Tina hopped inside and shut the door, they took off.
Dream immediately let out a breath of relief. They made it. And it was a success. And it was a bit exhilarating too.
He felt a soft, warm sensation on his hand and looked down to see George's fingers gently intertwining their hands together. Dream smiled and threaded his back as well, looking up to meet George's soft gaze.
"Did I do ok?" He asked in a soft voice. Dream let out a laugh, and leaned forward to kiss him in the cheek, pulling back and lifting his other hand to push some hair out of George's eyes.
"You were amazing."
"You trusted me." George tried to fight back how wide his smile wanted to grow.
"I do." Dream sighed, brushing his thumb against George's skin, across his cheek where the scar still sat. "I'm sorry it took me a while to learn."
"Do you trust yourself?" George then asked.
"What?" Dream said softly, realising his thumb had shifted from brushing the scar to gently grazing the black veins that used to cover his entire body, but now only a part of his face. George lifted his hand and took Dream's away, giving it a squeeze as he searched his eyes.
"You trust me, sure. But have you learnt to trust yourself yet?"
Trust himself. That's the big one, isn't it? Before, he might have said that he trusted no one but himself. Anyone else would die or get hurt trying to do something heroic. But then he realised that despite his attempts, George and Sapnap were still getting hurt. He was supposed to protect him, and he failed. Over and over. Because it's his job, and he did it poorly. He couldn't even trust himself to protect them.
But, maybe, no matter how hard he may try, no matter how hard George and Sapnap may fight as well, they might still end up hurt. Maybe the best they can do is try, and try. And it’s no one's fault if trying ends up not being enough.
But Dream trusts George and Sapnap to fight, and to at least try. He knows now, that they would fight the hardest they could to come back to him, and the hardest they could to save each other.
He trusts himself too. He trusts that he would do anything and everything to protect them. He trusts that, when something goes wrong (because it will, that's part of life) that he will be there. He trusts that he will continue to fight for them, like he fought for George. Like Sapnap fought for them. They fight for each other because that's what they do. And they do it with every bone in their body, with the trust that the person they are fighting for is fighting just as hard for themselves too.
"I do. I know that I will do everything I can for the people I love." Dream's smile was so soft as he looked at George, who was smiling a very similar smile back. "And I know they'll do everything for me, too."
George let go of Dream's hands to wrap them around his torso instead, ignoring the seatbelts and instead pulling himself as close to Dream as he could. Dream of course instantly adapted, lifting his arms to pull George in, the both of them finding security in one another, breathing in the safety that the other offers.
The thing about a safe haven, is while it is a place to stop, and rest, and survive. It may not be a place for safety for everyone. Safety isn't just found in a bed, or walls, or weapons. It can be found in a person. It can be found in trust. It can be found in someone's arms.
It can take a while of course, finding one. But everyone does. Some people might have to cross borders to find their haven… while others might just need to open their eyes, and listen to the stars.
haven
noun
1. a place of safety or refuge