Dream stayed up all night, keeping watch over the three mortals.

George woke up first, moving away from Callahan to sit next to Dream, leaving over an arm's length of space between them.

Dream didn't know how to start, so the two just sat in silence for a while, staring at each other. George cleared his throat and spoke first.

"I really am sorry for kissing you," George whispered, looking down. "I― I just kind of acted on impulse."

"Yeah," Dream muttered.

George looked back up and said quietly, "But you did kiss me back..."

"I know."

"So why are you pushing me away?"

Dream closed his eyes and sighed softly. "I..."

"It's because of that other person, right?" George's voice was so quiet, even with Dream's ears, he had to strain to listen. "You said you had a partner once, but now he's gone?"

"His name was Fundy," Dream whispered, "and he was my everything."

"Everything is a big word," George whispered.

Dream swallowed and opened his eyes. He said, "I-I just― you remind me of him."

George was silent for a moment before he said, "Tell me about him."

Dream blinked in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, um, okay." Dream cleared his throat and looked at his hands. "He was a shapeshifter― like Antfrost, but instead of a cat he could change into a fox... everything about him was just so... compelling. He drew me in and I couldn't help but fall in love with him."

Dream chewed on his lip, deciding if he should be telling George all of this. He continued after a moment, "He had this energy about him, like he was beckoning me. He was pushy and stubborn, but when it was needed, he was kind and caring. He made me feel accepted, at home... I finally felt a connection that I had never felt before."

"Like a soulmate," George said quietly.

"Yeah," Dream muttered. "He-he was everything I wasn't at the time. I was mean and harsh, still sour because I didn't want to work for my boss. Even though I had been doing my job for a while, I was tired of killing and I wanted out― I wanted to find out what happened to my family.

"I had little to no personality. Talking to me at that stage in my life was like talking to a wall. Things changed when I met Fundy..."

Dream closed his eyes, relief coursing through his body when he felt hands grip his own. Dream continued, "Fundy was one of my targets― I was supposed to bring him back to Technoblade alive. His home was the farthest I had ever travelled, almost a year away by foot. When I captured him, he wouldn't shift out of his fox form, biting me to try and get away. I had never met someone so stubborn.

"After a while, he stopped and shifted into his regular body. No one had ever looked at me like he had― fierce determination in his eyes and such hatred that I flinched when I first looked into his eyes... Fundy liked to talk. He'd talk and talk as we walked, never failing to find something new to talk about.

"The first weeks were long. I hated him, I hated how he wouldn't stop yapping his mouth off, I hated his fox-like laugh when he said something funny. Everything you could hate about a person, I hated Fundy for."

Dream felt a tear slide down his cheek and George's hands squeezed his softly. Dream whispered, "Eventually, I started talking back. I had never had someone to talk to before. It was nice... talking. I learned all about him and he learned about me. Since I didn't have much skill in conversation, my tongue would slip and I'd spill something.

"Fundy was so understanding― he was such a good listener and I couldn't stop myself from telling him everything. He didn't scare away from all of the horrible things I had done to survive. He didn't push me away and call me heartless... after five months of talking, he finally saw my face."

Dream swallowed and said shakily, "I had a nightmare one night, about my family dying. I woke up screaming, scaring the shit out of Fundy, who I tied to a tree whenever I slept. He was there to comfort me, saying things about how I was here and present and how I got out. How I wasn't dead like my family...

"I took my mask off for the first time, letting his fingers wipe my tears and cup my cheeks." Dream sighed shakily, his hands trembling as he squeezed George's. "No one had ever looked at me like he had... that was when I knew something was different. That was when I knew I loved him.

"It had only been five months, but we spent every minute together― how could I have not fallen for him? Fundy pushed past all of my barriers and got to know me like no one had, he was the one person who saw me for me.

"He fell for me too, once I had started becoming more of who I used to be― who I was when I was with my family. He didn't know me as Dream, he knew me as someone else, someone who wasn't a monster. And he fell for me― for the real me."

Dream closed his eyes as more tears slid down his cheeks. He whispered, "I delayed the trek back to Technoblade, taking detours and unnecessarily long rest breaks. I had to return to Technoblade or he would extend my years of service to him. I wanted to be free more than anything and Fundy understood―"

Dream's voice cracked, "He'd used to tell me we had time. How we would be with each other no matter what. He believed in fate and said we had time to be together. We were nearing Technoblade's base when he started to get desperate. He called me a coward among other hateful things. It hurt me, but Fundy didn't want to die. I didn't want him to die.

"He told me that we could run, we could be free together, but I knew that wasn't true. Technoblade himself would come after me, he would enjoy the hunt and he would enjoy killing Fundy in front of me."

Dream took a deep breath and whispered, "So I took him to Technoblade, not knowing what he was going to do to Fundy. As it turns out, all Technoblade wanted was to kill Fundy, for the sport of killing a shapeshifter and some other reason that I didn't know. I tried stopping him..." Dream's fingers lifted to trace his scar on his face. "It's how I got this scar...

"Technoblade killed him right in front of me and said that I should've known better than to fall for a mortal." Dream paused and muttered, "He was right... I should've known better."

Dream quieted and exhaled slowly, listening to George's breathing. Hands left his and Dream's heart dropped, of course, he doesn't― His thoughts were interrupted when two hands cupped his cheeks and lifted his face up.

"Hey," George murmured, "it's not your fault, okay? You can't choose who you fall in love with, it just happens... for better or for worse."

Dream's eyes opened and his eyes teared up at George's soft expression. His voice cracked, "But I should've known. I can't fall in love with a mortal― it never works."

"Would it be so bad to try again?"

Fingers brushed against his cheeks, wiping away Dream's tears. Dream sighed shakily, leaning into the soft touch. He searched George's eyes, which were filled with empathy and kindness. Dream whispered, "But it would hurt too much."

"Is that what you're afraid of?"

Dream nodded and George murmured, "It's okay, Dream, we're all scared of something."

Dream practically melted into George's hands. He looked to George's mouth and back up to his eyes, breathing, "Fuck it."

His hands reached to George's face and pulled him to his lips. George moved in sync with him, his hands reaching into Dream's hair. Dream parted George's lips and his tongue traveled into George's mouth as he pulled him on his lap.

George tasted new, a taste Dream savored as they kissed. He could taste last night's dinner and the morning's dew. George was new and nothing like Fundy. Dream felt his stomach flutter as George hummed gently against his lips. His lips were soft and cautious, slowly moving as if waiting for Dream to pull away again.

Dream didn't however, instead letting George be the one to pull away. George did after a long moment, smiling against Dream's mouth. Dream's eyes opened and met George's eyes, shining with awe and happiness.

George leaned his forehead against Dream's and whispered, "You're perfect."

Dream felt a flush rise on his cheeks as he murmured, "You're such an idiot."

George laughed softly and leaned back, his hands falling to Dream's shoulders. George whispered, "Promise you won't push me away again?"

Dream's face softened and he lifted one of George's hands to press a kiss to the inside of his palm. He murmured, "I promise."

A smile lit up George's face. He leaned forward, pressing his chest against Dream's as he laid down. His arms wrapped around Dream's torso and his head rested in the nape of Dream's neck. George sighed contentedly and lifted Dream's hand to trace his palm.

Dream rested his chin on George's head, closing his eyes when George started humming quietly. Fingers traced down Dream's palm and to his wrist, where the bracelet laid. George asked quietly, "How... how old are you?"

Dream inhaled sharply. He hesitated before whispering, "Two hundred and seven."

The fingers tracing his bracelet stopped. George swallowed and muttered, "I... I'm twenty-four."

Dream pulled George closer, not wanting to let go. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes and he whispered with a weak laugh, "You're so young."

There was an obvious strain in Dream's voice and George sat up, Dream reluctantly letting him go. George's face was sad as he said quietly, "How... how― we'll have to make the most of what we have while it lasts."

Dream clutched George's hands tightly, whispering, "Let's not talk about that."

George's expression turned painfully sad and he replied softly, "We'll have to eventually... I know the future looks―"

"LET'S FUCKING GO!!" Sapnap shouted, causing Dream and George to jump. Sapnap sat up abruptly, rubbing his eyes as he blinked at the sight in front of him; George on Dream's lap, the two holding hands. Sapnap whistled and clapped, poking Callahan in the shoulder.

Sapnap laughed with joy, muttering, "Finally, took you guys long enough."

Dream couldn't help but grin, George doing the same. Callahan sat up and clapped, his eyes crinkling in a smile. Dream lifted George's hand and kissed his fingers. George flushed now that they had an audience.

Sapnap said with a longing smile, "Man, I can't wait to do that with Karl."

Dream and George's faces fell, the movements going unnoticed by Sapnap. Callahan noticed, but he didn't draw attention to it.

Sapnap talked cheerfully as they ate breakfast and got ready for the day. His happy mood was easily shared, but Dream couldn't help the dread that was slowly pooling in his stomach.

Their journey was almost over; they would see Technoblade soon.