Archive of Our Own

The halls of the castle George resided in remained as empty as ever. His brother Wilbur was currently making music in his bedroom, and they had some unspoken agreement that George would leave Wilbur undisturbed during that time.

It was pretty boring without anyone around. His father was off doing his duties as king, and mother was with her friends somewhere.

Over time George had managed to get used to stuff like this. It happened all while growing up, and really, it was a surprise to no one that it still continued now.

The palace at which he lived in had no interesting stuff. Since the kingdom was still fairly new it wasn’t like they had a lot of stuff to inherit.

George liked that it was somewhat empty but at the same time he hated it. In a sense it was lonely and dark, but at the same time it did leave a lot to the mind. It was like a blank canvas that anyone could paint all over. 

There was definitely a lot of that canvas as well. Given this was an actual castle, there were far more room then any family could ever use. To new people it was a lot like a maze when it came to navigating the place.

George walked past one of the larger windows and glanced out for a moment, being greeted by the sight of many fields. Quickly he remembered about the garden and figured he should go there.

He made his way over to the garden at which a willow tree resided in. This was always a peaceful place to go when he needed somewhere to think to himself. Around the tree were flowers, but more often then not George chose to leave those be. He had no reason to disturb their growth anyways.

Silently he laid back in the grass and closed his eyes as a nice breeze swept through the place. Most recently he graduated from school, leaving him with nothing to do other than read books or wonder around mindlessly. George didn’t even have fighting training anymore and that was the worst part. Some parts of him wanted to be busied with that stuff. As much as he hated it, a part of him longed to be busy with something.

On the days where Wilbur wasn’t busy making music they had a lot of fun together. Sometimes they’d crash classes, and others the duo would just cause trouble.

George could never forget the time when they attempted to start a bonfire. If a maid hadn’t come by in time then they probably would’ve risked burning down half of the castle itself.

As his thoughts slowly returned back to present day he basked in the sunlight shining down on him. In about a year he would no longer have time to do this. Soon he’d be crowned king.

He didn’t have to think about that for long. One of the palace workers carefully approached him and got ready to say something.

George opened an eye, confusion washing over him before he had a chance to make out anything. The woman quickly spoke up, “Your father would like to see you. Wilbur is already on his way.”

George frowned and got up. Whenever their father wanted to see them that meant he was either extremely angry or he wanted something. Neither of those seemed fun right now.

“Where is he?”

“His office, your highness.”

George nodded and walked out of the garden with the girl following. Immediately they parted ways, George going to the office and the other going off to wherever work called.

He walked down the long hallways and glanced occasionally at portraits hung across the walls. Some were family portraits, while others were just of pretty landscapes.

When he arrived at his fathers office he stepped in only to see his brother already standing in front of him.

George huffed and stepped inside, taking his place standing right next to Wilbur. He wasn’t aware of why they were here and George was certain he didn’t want to know either. On the bright side, his dad didn’t seem angry, so that left only one other option: he wanted something.

Usually what he wanted was nothing big. Once he called him and Wilbur in just to pester them about mealtimes, but that never made it less annoying.

George had already come to the conclusion that whatever they were called in here for was unimportant. Even if it weren’t, he was positive there would still be a way to make it boring.

Their father cleared his throat quickly. “So guys, you know Karl Jacobs?”

The brunette hesitantly nodded. Great, Karl. The infamous and amazing Karl. He always got into trouble and at this rate it wouldn’t surprise George if he somehow managed to drag him and Wilbur into it.

“Well, he’s hosting another masquerade ball and wants our family to attend.”

George let out a sigh of relief at that. It was way better news then he had been expecting to hear, even if he wasn’t one for social gatherings. In all honesty he thought that Karl had burned down a building with Sapnap again. It was a miracle those two hadn’t been sentenced to death yet.

George glanced over at Wilbur and he simply shrugged. It was a mutual understanding that they were fine with going. Neither of them were about to throw a fit about this. If they wanted their father mad, that was definitely what would do it.

“Alright, we’ll go. The outfits will be on our beds soon right?”

His father nodded. “The ball begins tomorrow at around six in the afternoon. You know the Jacobs, always prefer to host later into the night.”

George hummed in acknowledgment and spared once last glance to Wilbur before he began walking out. Now he’d at least have something to do, which he was grateful for. Sometimes Karl could really help out without even knowing it.

He walked back in the direction of his room and stepped into it without a second thought. When he looked over at his bed, he was pleasantly surprised to see his outfit for the night already neatly there.

George went over to it and held each garment carefully. It wasn’t his favorite outfit ever, but it’s work for a masquerade ball. The main color scheme he appeared to be wearing would be blue and black. Again, not his favorite, but it’d word.

When he looked over at his mask he could feel himself suppress a sigh. It truly did look over the top, almost like the stuff you saw the in movies.

After setting the clothes aside in a spot they wouldn’t get wrinkled, he sat on his bed and considered the possibilities that tomorrow could bring him.

If he was being honest he really wasn’t expecting all too much. It was just a masquerade ball after all, nothing special about it.

As it stood the masquerade ball was currently being hosted and George was standing right off to the side of it. These events were hosted every six months and they were definitely something. Initially Karl had intended it to be every month, but his parents quickly intervened and flipped his plans around fast.

George had managed to learn quite a bit about the boy given their time together growing up. Their families had always been close, so naturally, Karl and him had grown close too. In result, George was always stuck at these events with no escape out.

He had never been a fan of stuff like this no matter how hard he tried. Back when he was still in school and learning the ways of royalty, he had been taught an endless amounts of waltzes. Perhaps that was why he despised this so much.

Still it was better then being holed up in the walls of the castle so he couldn’t bring himself to complain.

The mood in the ballroom was cheery, filled with young maidens and even some children that jumped about.

George stayed in his corner of the ballroom. Beside him was an extraordinarily long table of food, at which different cakes, soups, and baked goods sat on. Of course, that was another thing that Karl enjoyed doing: spoiling his guests. Everything was prepared by the best bakers and culinary chefs in Kinoko Kingdom.

George currently was the eldest son of L’manburg, a large kingdom that sat further North then from where he currently was. His younger brother, Wilbur, was no more then a year younger at the solid age of twenty three.

L’manburg had only been formed a little under one hundred years ago, making it one of the smaller kingdoms. Population lacked behind in thousands compared to others, but it was still a kingdom nonetheless.

Even though it was a smaller size, the king still had quite a lot of power when it came to the politics of the world. He was a great leader to say the least and many people respected him.

Because of this though, many kingdoms have attempted to wage war with L’manburg. It was quite a shock that things still remained peaceful.

Perhaps thats was why George’s mother and father had persisted they attended this ball. It could be a way to let loose and dance with strangers.

Unfortunately for them though, George absolutely hated the thought of doing that. So he stayed in the corner as he sipped away at some unknown liquid. For all he knew it could’ve had alcohol, but it still tasted good nonetheless so he couldn’t bring himself to care.

From what George could see Wilbur was definitely enjoying himself. He wouldn’t stop talking to this one kid named Ranboo, and George couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that Ranboo seemed scared. In a way George felt bad because he could understand where Ranboo was coming from.

The night didn’t drag on much longer from here.  The orchestra seated at the opposite end of the ballroom were still preparing their instruments. Any moment now melodies would ring through the ballroom, and that’s when George would have no choice but to waltz with those around him.

More accurately, he didn’t have to but it was only polite to do so.

As the first member of the orchestra raised their violin bow and placed it on the four strings, the rest of the instruments chimed in with the first note.

Together they created a very refined melody. The notes bounced off of the walls of the room and sent pure delight to those who cared to listen.

Attendees began making their way to the middle of the room. George sighed and set down his drink, following close behind others as they quickly found others to dance with.

He struggled to find anyone that stood out to him that he’d gladly have a first dance with. Currently, all the hot shots wore capes and suits made of the finest material in their kingdoms.

Most of those outfits consisted of the padding at the shoulders, a button up jacket that went no further than the hips, and nice pants that looked more expensive then a commoners life itself.

Those showing off always had different things on the jackets. Some ranged from having a weapon belt — with no weapons on it — to having multiple pins like they were some toddler at a theme park.

One of the more humble kings, Technoblade, never wore such silly cosmetics. George had grown a liking to him throughout all of Karl’s masquerade balls. The man with long pink hair always wore a white button up shirt with a black corset tied loosely to his waist. It was a fashion statement to say the least. Men almost never wore corsets as it was seen as some disappointment, but Technoblade on the other hand encouraged the usage.

Even his scarlet red cape made impressions on those around him. Some rumors spreading around the Kingdoms claimed that the cape was stained by his enemies blood. Tonight though, he wore a pig-like mask which hid some of his most vital features. It made George’s own mask seem lame. It was one of those overdramatized ones that had blue feathers sewed along the edges and expensive jewels lining every last portion of it.

On the bright side, it did match his outfit. He wore a navy blue turtleneck shirt. With the outfit he wore a black cape which only hung on one shoulder. To keep it on him there was a singular white string around his neck which was tied into a bow. The bow wasn’t fancy, just the type you got while tying your shoes.

To compliment the cape, a black sash sat nicely on his other shoulder. As of for his pants he only wore a slightly darker shade of blue.

George continued to glance around the ballroom in search of someone to waltz with. Out of the corner of his vision he spotted Karl, but it was evident he already had someone seeing as Sapnap had his arm around Karls waist.

For a second he wondered if he should give up on seeking for a dance. Last time this happened he had to dance with Wilbur, and that was far beyond embarrassing even for George.

Wilbur never let George have a break from it. Even months later he still teased George about it, saying stuff like: “You’re so lonely,” or “I bet you still need my help.”

His eyes scanned everyone that was currently attending until his eyes finally fell upon his friend Niki. Back when they were in school together they had very little exchanges, but she was always sweet nonetheless so George made his way over to her.

“Oh, George! It’s a pleasure seeing you here,” Niki smiled. She currently was in a waist drop pink ballgown. The straps hung off her shoulders and stayed loosely around her upper arm. Her mask was no different from George’s except for the fact it was white.

“Yeah, it’s nice seeing you here too.” George paused for a moment and knew no more talk would be made, so he held out his hand and sighed. “Care to dance?”

He felt Niki’s hand grasp his own as she simply nodded.

Together they made their way to the middle of the room and joined in on the endless rotation of the waltzing. As the orchestra played everyone danced with one partner, but on cue people slid over to the next person they could dance with.

George placed his hand on Niki’s waist and held her hand up with the other. Her hand relaxed on his shoulder, and with that, they began their movements.

Due to both of them having gone the same prestigious school they knew everything like second-nature. Each step was in sync, and every spin was perfectly calculated.

Niki was the first one to speak up. “Has any maiden caught your eye tonight? Perhaps even a prince?”

George shook his head, “I wish. Everyone so far I’ve seen is just trying to show off and it’s rather annoying.”

“I get that. My eyes aren’t set on anyone either,” Niki over exaggerated her sigh.

George allowed himself to look around the ballroom once more, but he quickly stopped himself and turned his attention back to Niki. “Minx is over there, you know.”

“Yes, but I don’t want to dance with her. It’s not like we’re together, and besides,” Niki’s voice quieted down a notch as she spoke, “she’s an awful dancer too. I heard last time she almost broke someone’s foot.”

George chuckled at that rumor. It was preposterous yet amusing at the same time. He nodded in response and allowed his smile to remain for a second longer.

The orchestra continued to play the music, until abruptly, the cue to switch dancers was made.

The both of them were quick to take their hands off of each other and get ready to search for another partner.

As Niki left she lightly pat George’s shoulder, giving him a little good luck as she scurried away. George on the other hand looked around the place. He could see the piano player place their hands back onto the keys as they got ready to play the next waltz song.

He hurriedly glanced around and desperately looked for another to dance with. If he didn’t find one within the next ten seconds there was no way his brother would let him live it down.  So, George turned around and saw a man a little taller than him and figured it’d work. His back was currently to George, also seemingly looking for a partner.

The brunette grabbed the other mans hand and flipped him around, placing said mans hand on his waist. George’s own made it’s way to the other persons shoulder.

“Sorry about this, but I’m not looking to be made fun of by my younger brother for the next six months.”

The other man raised a brow and laughed at that. Their free hands held onto each other as they raised them up and began the next waltz.

“Can I get a name then? It’s the least you could do,” the strangers voice was only a little deeper then George’s own.

“I’m George from L’manburg Kingdom.”

“Dream from Pandora Kingdom.”

The smaller of the two immediately recognized the name. “Your Drista’s brother, correct?”

“You know her?”

“Briefly. She began school right as I was graduating.”

“I see, so then that must make you twenty four?”

George nodded. Drista was currently fourteen, hinting at the ten years you had to attend all of the charm schools.

“I don’t have a doubt in my mind she’ll grow up to be a fine woman.” George commented delicately, not wanting to overstep any boundaries.

At that Dream only laughed, “No need to sound so formal. It’s better when people aren’t aiming to please.”

At that George immediately relaxed. They spun around just once as their waltzing continued. So, Dream didn’t like when people were formal. Guess they had something in common.

“Thank god. If you were some snob I would’ve cried.”

Dreams laugh came out in a quiet wheeze. Despite his white mask covering half his features, George was confident in saying the other man probably looked beautiful.

He couldn’t help but notice the small drawn on smiley face at the corner of Dream’s mask. It looked like it had been done in sharpie, which was a pretty odd thing to use on expensive stuff.

“Dream? Why is there a smiley face?”

The small smile never left the taller mans face. “My other sister did that. She said it suit me, and I didn’t bother getting another mask.”

At that George nodded and continued to step side-to-side and really all around in sync with Dream. No more words were exchanged, both of them resorting to just looking at the other.

George took note on how Dream’s hands felt against his own. There were gloves on Dream’s hands, but that was one accessory that George didn’t have on this time around. Despite that though he enjoyed the feel of the fabric beneath his hand.

He didn’t tense up whatsoever, and if anything, he was enjoying this a lot. His feet continued on naturally seeing as he had every moment carved into his muscle memory.

As the orchestra got louder and more instruments chimed in, Dream spun them once again and kept a tight grip on George’s waist. The brunette admittedly didn’t mind the pressure. It ensured that he wouldn’t fall back at all and that was something he was grateful for.

The music boomed around them as every person in the orchestra gave it their all.  Every note, every sound, it was all laced with raw emotion that almost made George falter in his steps.

He had no chance to do so though as Dream continued to encourage him along, the hand on his waist only tightening it’s grip and leaving George feeling defenseless.

Gently, the smaller male squeezed Dream’s hand and laughed a bit to himself. Oddly enough, he found himself finally enjoying tonight. Dream was laid back and for that George was beyond thankful for. It was easy to talk to him, even if they had only heard of each other before.

The orchestra finally slowed down their song and began to draw it into the final few notes. As that happened, both of them let up their holds on each other and got ready to end with a bow.

Before that could happened though, Dream spoke up: “Do you want to get out of here? This place is stuffy and I know a place we can go.”

At this George rolled his eyes. “Fine, but don’t try anything stupid or I’ll leave.”

Dream chuckled, “Of course, your highness,” his tone was filled with humor.

George crossed his arms on his chest at the joke and scoffed. “Lead the way then before I change my mind.”

Dream nodded and began walking towards the massive double doors. He didn’t bother hiding the fact the two of them were leaving, and in result Karl gave George a knowing look.

So you’re getting laid?

George scoffed and glared in a way that meant one thing: No, shut up.

From there Karl looked away and continued chatting with Sapnap and their other friend Quackity. George continued to follow Dream until they were out of the ballroom, and almost immediately Dream let out a long breath and took off his mask. The brunette did the same, enjoying the newfound feeling of not having feathers brushing across his skin every other minute.

The halls of Kinoko Kingdom were massive. Every corridor had pillars on each side, and with those came archways on the ceilings. There weren’t many decorations either aside from the plants that sat in between all the pillars. The floors were a nice marble and decently shiny.

George frowned and looked back up at Dream who was currently leading him to what appeared to be a balcony. They weren’t actually near it, but considering George had practically grown up in this castle, he knew the place like the back of his hand and could pinpoint their exact location right now.

There was nothing interesting to look at so he looked at the next best thing: Dream.

Dream almost seemed like a mystery in some ways. They had never interacted, and any knowledge was just general public stuff.

George considered for a moment how much power L’manburg and Pandora would have combined. Enough to definitely influence what the people did to say the least. George wasn’t power hungry, but he was aware that befriending Dream would open up a lot of possibilities.

It was highly possible that their kingdoms could come together and be allies. That in itself would solve the issues L’manburg has been having regarding war. God, George was really getting tied up in all of this king stuff. He’d be crowned soon anyways so there was at least nothing wrong with considering his options.

With that in mind he continued to follow the man in front of him. It was odd, the depth of night already having creeped in and eliminating all remaining light.

He took note of how Dream hadn’t even been wearing a cape. It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence seeing as it can make movements more irritatingly difficult. Still, George couldn’t help but like that. Even as he had his own cape draped across one shoulder George could tell Dream was at least more humble than the rest.

Instead of anything flashy, he wore white with gold colored linings. It was simple and yet elegant in some ways.

Slowly as the two walked more George could see the balcony come into view. The fact they were going here was a bit stupid. Plenty of other balconies had far better views of the kingdom and even the sky itself.

As Dream stepped onto the platform, George could’ve swore he felt his heart stop at the sight before him. He had yet to join Dream’s side but he felt he couldn’t even take another step forward.

Right here in the moonlight he finally got a proper sight of Dream’s face. Freckles were dusted across his face, though only to where they were visible if you intentionally searched for them. His hair was the color of honey, styled so perfectly that it brought out the best features of his face while still being messy in a way.

George noticed how his eyes were a dark yellow. In all actuality, he knew that they were most likely green, and never in his life did he think he wanted to see a color properly so bad.

“You’re beautiful,” he breathed out.

Dream chuckled, his eyes crinkling up slightly at the edges with his mouth in a fond smile. “Thank you. Now come on because I want to show you something.”

George obliged and stepped forward until he was side by side with Dream. He focused out at the view, noticing how it was mostly forest with the exception of a few cabins here and there.

It was blatantly obvious though that this wasn’t what Dream meant, and so the second George turned around to question it, he saw him standing at the edge of the balcony.

“Are you absolutely mad?!” George’s eyes widened as Dream took a firm grip on one of bits of concrete on the castle.

“Maybe, maybe not,” he replied simply.

George stood there bewildered as Dream slowly began scaling the wall of the castle. The roof wasn’t far from where they currently stood, but George couldn’t stop the bubbling anxiety in his gut. If Dream slipped once, just once, there wasn’t a single doubt he’d plummet to his death then and there.

Seconds later Dream made it onto the roof. He was fortunate that the current angle wasn’t nearly as steep as the rest of the place. Really, he risked slipping with where he was now. He looked down at George and gestured for him to climb up as well.

There was no way in hell George was going up there.

“No! Get down here right now! This is so stupid, I’m not risking my life!”

Dream sighed and threw his head back before looking at George again. “You sound like my mother. Just take a risk already and climb up! I promise you won’t regret it.”

“I’ll regret it if I slip and die.”

“That won’t happen.”

“How do you know?”

“Just follow my way up and you’ll be safe. I’ll even pull you up once you’re within reach.”

George finally considered going, and after a moment’s hesitation, he grabbed onto some of the wall and hopped onto the raised stone that kept people from falling off the platform.

Slowly he began to climb up. His grip remained as firm as ever while adrenaline filled him to the absolute brim. Any moment he could fall; any moment he could slip.

He felt a hand abruptly grip his wrist and begin hauling him up. George accepted the contact and let Dream pull him onto the roof, practically collapsing into his arms once he was on top.

“You’re such — “ he paused for a brief moment “ — an idiot.”

His chin rested on Dream’s shoulder as Dream didn’t let up on his grip around his body once. It reminded George awfully a lot of when they were dancing around in the ballroom. His body was limp against Dream’s this time though, attempting to regain his composure as if he didn’t just so something completely life threatening.

In the meantime he could hear Dream whispering in his ear, telling him that he’s safe now in the most gentle tone George thought he’d heard all night.

The brunette allowed them to stay like that for a little longer until he finally got up, dusting himself off for a moment until Dream got up himself.

From there Dream continued up further onto the roof. George remained hesitant with every step, the same risk of slipping still remaining there. This was honestly such a stupid idea and George wasn’t even aware as to why he was playing along with it.

Once they reached the peak of the roof though, it looked as if they could see the entire world itself. Before them were miles upon miles of shops and buildings, all of which belonged to the people of Kinoko. His breath stopped for a moment at the sight. Street lamps still provided light to the people, but from up here, it looked like nothing more then small stars in the night sky.

The streets weren’t nearly as busy as they’d typically be during the day. All those left were just the insomniacs and late night shoppers. Suddenly it felt as though all of that trouble was worth seeing this. Upon the horizon there was only the moon, illuminating the rest of the dark places that had no access to manmade light.

George glanced over at Dream only to find him already looking at him. He smiled gently and went back to admiring the view. Dream seemed to of done the same, and they both stood there in comfortable silence.

Very faintly you could hear the blowing of the wind, and if he focused hard enough, George swore he could hear the people in the streets as well.  After some time George finally moved away and began making his way back to the edge of the roof. Dream followed close behind him, an arm always ready to reach out for George encase something went wrong. Fortunately nothing ever did and they made it to the edge peacefully. Now though was the hard part.

George stared down at the balcony that was at least ten feet below them. Just six was enough for bones to be broken, and he could already feel himself grow nauseous at the thought of getting down.

He turned to Dream, and immediately the blonde understood what it was George wanted.

“Alright, I’ll go first, and then I’ll catch you okay?”

Well, George hadn’t wanted to be caught, but it worked for him either way.

“Okay,” his voice came out more breathless then he would’ve liked in that moment.

With one last smile directed towards George, Dream finally began climbing his way back down. It was much more difficult than the way up considering he had to constantly look at the massive fall below him. After all, he had to make sure his footing was right before he fucked up bad somehow.

He hit the ground with a loud thud and grumbled for just a moment before turning back up to George. The brunette on the other hand felt just as scared as he had before.

Why was it he agreed to this again? He couldn’t remember. All he wanted was to be down but he was still too nervous to jump down into Dream’s arms. Though he remembered something. Technoblade had been his mentor in fighting, meaning that George endured some ruthless days. Whatever this was he knew it couldn’t of been as bad as that.

George mustered up the last of his courage and slightly shouted down at Dream. “Alright, I’m jumping!”

The other nodded in response and held his arms up, prepared to catch him at any given moment.

At that George jumped and felt Dream’s arms wrap around him seconds later. Unfortunately though Dream lost his footing and fell backwards right as George got into his arms. The smaller practically crushed him under his weight, and he let out a groan. There was definitely going to be a bruise somewhere on his body from that.

George blinked a few times before abruptly getting up, holding out a hand for Dream who eagerly accepted it. As he rolled his shoulder George couldn’t held but feel bad.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to do that, I’m really sorry, I swear —“ Dream cut him off with a wave of his hand.

“It’s okay. It was my idea, and you’re safe anyways.” He gave George a reassuring smile.

George simply nodded and looked up into Dream’s eyes for a second. They sparkled nicely in the moonlight, and he couldn’t help himself when his eye flickered down to his lips as well. For a second he wondered what it’d be like to have the delicate touch of a kiss all over his body: on his wrists, neck, chest — George shook his head and looked away.

“Let’s just go back. Karl’s probably getting worried.”

“Yeah, and I’m going to hear a mouthful from Quackity.”

George laughed as they began heading back to the ballroom. Both of them put their masquerade masks back on before they arrived at the massive room.

It was relatively silent on the way back seeing as neither of them wanted to break the comfortable silence.

Once they made it back to the ballroom it was evident that the waltzing had stopped. The orchestra was currently packing up, signaling that the ball was coming to an end. George sighed at this and continued on walking into the large room. Near the right he could see his family regrouping and discussing something that was clearly out of earshot.

Dream walked up from behind up and brushed his hand across George’s lower back, muttering something along the lines of: “I’ll see you soon.”

George didn’t bother reacting before he made his way over to his family. When he got close enough, he could tell that they were just discussing when to go home.

“George!” His mother greeted him. “Where were you?”

“I was out with Dream from Pandora Kingdom.”

“Pandora? Oh, sweetie, that’s great! Never bad to think about forming alliances with them,” she turned to her husband cheerfully. All he did was hum in agreement and his mother let out a puff of air.

Wilbur was the next person to chime in. “Now that George is here, can we just go home now? I know the carriage ride is going to take hours and I want to go back now.”

Their father agreed the second the suggestion was brought up. “Our carriage is already waiting so we get a move on.”

Since the mutual agreement had been formed, the family left after expressing their gratitude towards Karl’s family and then saying goodbye to others.

Once making it to the carriage they all got in and waited until they’d make it back to their castle.  In the meantime, George wondered when he’d be able to see Dream again. He had a lot of fun tonight because of him and George couldn’t help but become excited at the thought of getting to know him better.

George didn’t end up seeing Dream for six more months.

It was to say the least, a disappointment. Almost every other day he had him in mind. It didn’t matter what he was doing. Really, he could be eating dinner and suddenly Dream would be invading his thoughts.

George wouldn’t say it’s annoying. It’s nice having something to entertain himself with, even if that was just some silly made up fantasies. One of his most reoccurring thoughts though was when they were on the roof of the castle.

He’d give everything to be in that moment again, overlooking cities as limited people made their way through the streets. Even if the moment wasn’t romantic it was still one to cherish.

George almost caved in to his thoughts one day and nearly asked his dad to invite over Dream’s family. Now though looking back on it, he was beyond grateful he stopped himself. It probably would’ve been super awkward if he hadn’t.

And so now here he was, six months of not seeing Dream and just wishing he was here. Right, there was no way this was purely platonic interest. Don’t get him wrong his feelings didn’t run as deep as love, but he was interested in Dream. Who could blame him? He was hot and actually smart. That was enough to get George on his knees anyways.

Fortunately another ballroom event was being coordinated right at that very moment. In other words: in just a few hours George was going to be back in that room filled to the brim with royals and riches.

Admittedly that wasn’t what he was looking forward to. Of course he was more excited to see Dream again then anything else.

George walked around and looked for some trinkets he could add onto his outfit. This time around he skipped on a cape and instead wore jewelry. Different variations of black bracelets hugged his wrist perfectly, and a very small chain also hung around his neck. The metal just barely skimmed over his collarbone.

On the other hand, Wilbur had actually attempted to get him to wear earrings as well. There were only two things wrong with that: his ears weren’t pierced, and he figured that’d be a little too much with the outfit.

Aside from the few bracelets on his right wrist and the necklace, he wore a dark red longline swallowtail jacket — which was open in the front — with the sleeves rolled up to a little under his elbow. Under it was a black button up with little lace patterns. To top it off, he just had a simple pair of black dress pants.

His mask on the other hand was different this time around. Instead of something fancy such as feathers and jewels, he simply had lace. It matched rather well with his shirt and it seemed to pull the outfit together quite nicely.

Or in other words: he looked hot.

In his opinion the darker colors brought out the paler shades of his skin, and it just overall kind of worked for him.

George considered getting his makeup done but he decided against it. At the moment that didn’t seem appealing considering he was also going to be wearing a mask almost all night.

Wilbur was quick to join the carriage along with their parents. Now they had to go on another long journey just to get to the ball. Of course they’d be on time seeing as it wasn’t set for another few hours, but that didn’t make the wait any more worse. Six months since he last went, and six months since he last saw Dream.

Wilbur who sat next to him slightly nudged him on the shoulder. “You’re all dressed up. It’s different from what I normally see you in. What’s up with that?”

“Well we are going to a ball, and you’re dressed up too, aren’t you? To me it looks like you’re also trying to impress.”

“Touché. Though I’m just trying to find someone.” Wilbur laughed and left the conversation at that.

God, this was going to be such a long ride. He leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes. If they were going to be on the trails for so long then he figured he might as well get some sleep while he was at it.

When George awoke again, he noticed that they were less then five minutes away. The person that controlled the carriage horses called out such and immediately George was turning to Wilbur.

“Help me fix my hair?”

Wilbur agreed and ran a hand through George’s hair carefully, flattening down any bits of hair that suck up in peculiar ways. Once that was over they were sitting outside of Karl’s palace, and before George knew it, they were walking into it.

He grabbed his mask out of his pocket and fit it onto his face. The mask felt different to say the least. Parts of the lace tickled the tip of his nose where the mask stopped, and it was even slightly annoying. On the bright side with this one though George didn’t have to worry about it effecting his peripheral vision seeing as it wasn’t non-transparent fabric around his eyes.

George and his family walked into the designated ballroom and all took their places where they usually did. Once again the brunette found himself in the corner, only this time instead of a drink in his hand it was a sweet he found on the table of food.

When George saw someone out of the corner of his eye he immediately perked up. As he turned to face them with excitement in his step, he was almost disappointed to find Karl approaching him. Oh well, nothing wrong with Karl he supposed.

George greeted his friend accordingly with a hug and warm smile. Karl returned it easily, striking up conversation fast.

“You look great!” Karl smiled.

“Thank you, you look amazing too.” As George took in Karl’s appearance he couldn’t help but notice he was in a dress this time. With a raised brow he spoke again, “Did you lose a bet or something?”

Karl snorted. “Yeah, I did. Quackity said if I didn’t tell Sapnap I hated him then I had to do this, and well, I’m sure you can imagine how that went.”

George laughed and glanced around. It appeared the orchestra hadn’t even arrived yet, so he turned back Karl.

“So what’s up with you then?”

George threw Karl a confused glance. “What do you mean?”

“You seem like you’re looking for someone,” Karl gave him a smug expression.

“I am.”

“Who?”

“Dream.”

Karl hummed in acknowledgment. “That’s the one you snuck off with, right?”

“Yeah, but we didn’t do anything weird! We just were well,” he paused for a minute. “on the roof?”

Karl went silent for a minute before whisper-shouting, “The roof?!”

“That’s what I said! Dream was the one that insisted.” George smiled back at the memory.

“Geez, okay, did you at least have fun?”

“Yeah, the view is surprisingly nice from that high up.”

“I bet it is,” Karl pat his shoulder and then got ready to turn away. The brunette didn’t have a doubt in his mind that Karl was about to go seek out Sapnap, so he allowed his friend to leave the conversation. From there George just stood around by himself again.

Now he could see the orchestra had arrived and were currently setting up, so he continued on waiting. It’d be at least thirty minutes before any music started playing and to occupy himself he listened to the chattering of those around him.

Instead of standing around he went over to the large table of food. The selection wasn’t much different from last time, but there was honestly so much that they could probably solve a small towns worth of hunger. He glanced at all the items but really only one caught his eye: the croissants. They weren’t his favorite, but George definitely wanted to try them again just for the sake of it. He hadn’t had them in awhile anyways and this was probably the best time to refresh his memory of them.

He picked up the baked good and bit into it, pleasantly surprised by how sweet it was. It wasn’t the type of sweet like a candy, but more of like honey. Sweet but not too much.

As he surveyed all of the attendees he continued to eat the single croissant in his hand. George brushed off any crumbs that made their way onto his shirt and finished up the treat before attempting to find Wilbur from where he was.

It was only natural since he was his older brother. George wasn’t sure when he caught the habit, but now he liked knowing that Wilbur was safe wherever he was. In just seconds he saw his brother talking to a group consisting of both men and woman, and from there George didn’t bother to pry more.

Now he was left with nothing more to do. Dream still hadn’t made his appearance, and it was just leaving George more impatient as time continued on. This felt oddly a lot like how he was at the beginning of the last party. With no one to dance with, he could almost say he felt bored. Especially when there was no one to even play music.

He moved his gaze to the chandelier dangling off the ceiling and considered counting each individual crystal to pass time. To be fair, it wasn’t the worst idea he had, but it certainly wasn’t the best. Maybe he should just go chat it up with Quackity. That guy was always the life of the party anyways. Honestly, it almost shocked George he was going to be king someday.

Quackity definitely wasn’t your stereotypical prince. If anything, he was the opposite and he could probably pass as someone who worked in the stables. The man was always bouncing around and shouting. He didn’t care about what people thought about him or his image, and it wad actually really admirable.

George shifted his gaze over to Technoblade who was in the same pig mask as before. His hair this time was in a braid, another boy much younger then George hanging around him. He appeared to be just a bit older then Drista. His hair was in a mini low ponytail, and he seemed to still have braces on. Accompanied with that was a red and white suit that George couldn’t be bothered to carefully examine.

He was a new face to say the least. Technoblade must have brought him along as a plus one. Either that or Tommy was from a kingdom that now was regaining connections with others.

George turned away from them and yawned. He had gotten up early today and read for a few hours. Silently he wondered about the book, curious as to what the next contents held. George wasn’t lucky enough to finish it and now suddenly he had a lot of interest in it. Before he could think too hard though, he could see yet another person approaching him.

George didn’t even bother to turn around to greet them this time. It wasn’t that he was being rude, he just well, didn’t want to talk. He sighed and turned to the person, eyes widening at the sight.

Well, it wasn’t Dream, but it was definitely someone more surprising.

“Drista?”

“Oh my! The great George spotted me, what ever will I do?” She giggled.

George was a bit confused at that and the second Drista noticed she rolled her eyes. “It’s how the girls in the kingdoms react when you so much as glance at them.” The young girl crossed her arms.

“They don’t act like that!”

“You’re kidding, right? I bet if you waved at one they’d faint on the spot.”

“I doubt that.”

“Yeah? Well I don’t.”

Both George and Drista laughed in unison. The young girl was in a dress that only went down to her knees, a bow secured nicely behind her back.

“Either way though I bet they pass away or something when your brother even glances at them.”

Drista wholeheartedly laughed again. George liked talking to her, it was always laid back and they seemed like genuine friends. “See now that one I’m not sure on. My brother is gross.”

“Oh, please, he’s the hottest guy I’ve seen in ten years.” George took a sip of the drink he hadn’t even noticed was in his hand until now.

“You mean to tell me the George is infatuated by my brother?” She made a gagging noise, dramatizing her disgust if there even was any.

“Shut up! And stop calling me stuff like the George. It’s embarrassing.”

“Would you prefer Gogy?”

“I will dump this on your head,” he threatened as he gestured towards the glass. At that Drista let out a squeal that was drowned out by the noises of everyone else talking.

“Actually, speaking of your brother, where is he?”

Drista thought for a moment. “Not sure. Last I saw him he was talking to Minx, but that was half an hour ago. I doubt he’s still talking to her now.”

George nodded and considered if there was anyone else he’d talk to. It wasn’t like he knew Dream all that well though, so his question remained unanswered.

“Why ask?” Drista wiggled her eyebrows stupidly.

“That idiot told me he’d,” George threw up air quotations with his fingers, “‘see me soon’, but I haven’t heard from him since the last masquerade ball.”

Drista laughed obnoxiously loud. “You’ll find him eventually, don’t give up now Gogy.”

“Oh my god how does he put up with you.”

“I’m just so amazing!”

“Amazingly annoying,” George joked.

“Not fair! I don’t insult you!”

“Just calling me Gogy is enough to end my entire bloodline.”

The both laughed again before Drista finally turned on her heels and waved goodbye. “I have to check up on Tommy, but I’ll be back!” The girl smiled before running off.

Tommy? That was a new face. It was most likely that boy George had noticed earlier that was lingering around Technoblade. Well he was at least glad that Drista was enjoying herself, same for Karl.

Finally, almost as if on queue, the orchestra started the waltz music and people gathered around. Out of the corner of his eye he could see that Niki was already dancing with someone. It seemed to be Wilbur, and George immediately cursed under his breath. His two go-to’s were already dancing and with each other nonetheless. He groaned and scanned the room once more. Dream was absolutely no where in sight, and it was getting to the point where George was even questioning if Dream was still in the ballroom.

Quackity on the other hand seemed to not have a dance partner, and George was quick to pounce onto the opportunity.

“Quackity!”

The man in the beanie looked up at him. “Let me guess, no one to dance with?”

“You know it.”

Quackity laughed and grabbed George’s hand. “Dude, you really have to find someone to stick to. I swear every time you’re always desperate just to find someone.”

George grumbled and got into the typical waltzing position, joining in on the rhythm of the melodies.

“Well, I did find someone, but I can’t find him anywhere so you’ll just have to do.”

Quackity was pretty bad at doing stuff like this. Every other moment George could’ve swore he was stepping on his feet.

“I’m almost offended! Who’s this mystery person anyways?”

“Dream.” George felt like this was his thousandth time saying the guys name.

“Dream? You’re kidding! Talk about about a fucking deal, man! I’ve been stuck with Sap’s lame ass love story with Karl. About time I have more bullshit to listen to.”

“Thanks?” George laughed. “How are they doing anyways?”

“Good I think. Karl won’t spare me the details of their sex life, and I swear to god if he tells me one more time about ‘the best night of his life’ I’m going to drop his ass.”

George shook his head and bit back yet another laugh threatening to spill from him.

“Better you then me.”

“So mean, George!”

They continued just like that until the end of their waltz. As the music ended they both bowed, Quackity bidding his farewell with a “Hope you find Mr. Mysterious!”

George shook his head and looked towards the doors of the ballroom. At this point he needed fresh air to recollect himself. Quackity stepped on him so much that George could swear his feet were hurting him.

He made his way over to the doors and walked out, gently closing them behind himself as he looked down the halls. To his right he knew there was an astronomy room which contained quite a lot of books plus a telescope.

He figured that escaping off to there would be a good idea, so slowly he began mindlessly wandering large halls yet again in his life. This was something he almost felt like he had been doing more and more recently. Perhaps it was because he was just eager. Really, he didn’t know. At this rate George was going with whatever and not caring.

He heard footsteps of another person and stopped walking for a moment. When he turned around George nearly had a heart attack at the sight of Dream before him

It wasn’t that he was shocked to see Dream — okay, well, he was — but he just genuinely scared him half to death.

“What the hell are you doing sneaking around?!” George sighed once he regained his composure.

“Well, I was going to go to the library, but then I ran into you.”

George shook his head and dismissed it for now. “So much for seeing me soon.” The brunette chuckled which was easily returned by Dream.

“Sorry about that by the way. I’ve been trying to talk to you all night, but every time I tried, it seemed you were always busy with someone else.”

George rolled his eyes. “You an idiot. I was standing around waiting for you, not my fault others were inclined to talk to me.”

Dream smiled and leaned down a little, “Aw, did you miss me?”

George nearly blushed but still pushed Dream away by the chest a bit. “You wish.”

“Actually, I think I don’t have to wish. I heard from my sister you find me hot.”

George could hear the smug tone in his voice. “Liar! I never said that.”

“Are you sure? You’re so red that I think you’re the one lying.”

“Hush!” George muttered and turned away from Dream. He could hear a laugh sound from behind him, and George couldn’t help but join the blonde.

Eventually the laughter died down and there was only a few second interval of silence. Dream of course spoke up first, “Want to go to the library with me?”

“Are we even allowed to be in there?”

“Dunno. We’ll find out soon.”

George shrugged but still continued to walk in the direction of the library. “You know, I was actually going to go to the astronomy room before I was rudely interrupted by a stalker.”

“I wasn’t stalking you, c’mon! Can I not just read in peace?”

“Nope.”

Dream let out a noise of defeat and continued to walk beside George. The silence was comfortable to say the least. It wasn’t even something that had to be broken because really, there was no awkward tension whatsoever. That was another thing George enjoyed about being around Dream. Even if this was only their second time seeing each other, George was taking a liking to whatever was going on between them. Perhaps nothing was and it was all in George’s head, but either way, he didn’t mind. It was nice regardless.

Dream was the first person to enter the library. He held open the door for George who gladly accepted it and walked in, taking off his mask that he nearly forgot was on.

To be honest his outfit was beginning to get hot. The coat just heated him up no matter what, and considering that he just danced around, that probably wasn’t a good situation at all.

George slowly slipped his coat from his shoulders and allowed it to cling onto his elbows as he made his way over to one of the tables.  He took off his coat fully and then took a look around the room before him. It was pretty to say the least. There were about three stories of just books and tall ladders accompanied each massive bookshelf. It seemed clean for the most part but it definitely gave off fairytale vibes.

The only available light was coming from the setting sun, so everything basked in this small glow and made the place seem even more like magic. You could even see the little dust particles clearly floating around the in the air.

Dream seemed to also be getting comfortable, taking off his mask as well and undoing the clasps that held his cape around his shoulders.

George unbuttoned his top a little only to receive a questioning glance from Dream. “Woah, George, I know you’re eager but this is only our second time seeing each other,” Dream joked.

In response George flipped him off and stretched a little. This place was far better than the stuffy ballroom, and George felt like he truly could get used to this.

Not the whole open space part, but more of the having Dream as his company.

Once he was done stretching he immediately began to browse through each book section. Not a lot seemed interesting, just a few book titles that briefly caught his eye before he moved on.  George had an entire library back at his own palace and he was positive that Dream had the same.

“So, why the library anyways?”

“I just like reading books. It’s a nice way to pass time, especially if somethings bothering you.”

George spoke carefully, “Is something bothering you?”

“No,” Dream spoke with the most genuine smile George thought he’d ever seen. “I just wanted to find something new. The book sorting here is different from where I live, and I’m certain there’s some different authors too.”

George thought about it and it actually made quite a bit of sense. This was far different then from what his own library looked like, so Dream made a surprisingly valid point.

Just like that they both went on the hunt for books they’d enjoy. Something about it was sweet almost. The way they’d call out to each other when they found something, and how Dream would get excited when he saw a title from his favorite author. All of it just made the butterflies in George’s stomach flutter.

They both managed to find books they liked and then exchanged them. Somewhere along the way they had agreed that each of them would read the others taste in books.

Surprisingly, Dream’s preference was actually far different then he expected. Apart of George anticipated some weird thriller stuff, but when he was handed the book, it was a romance novel. To be fair it made equally as much sense if Dream was a hopeless romantic. George laughed at his own thought and flipped the book around, reading the summary on the back of the book.

“This actually looks good.” George hummed, nourishing his newfound appreciation for Dream.

“Yours does too. I didn’t see you as the comedy type.”

“Then what did you see me as?”

“Mystery and paranormal!” Dream was quick to answer. “I feel like you’d be interested in stuff it’d be what our world doesn’t have answers too, you know?”

George nodded in understanding. That was one he’d never gotten one before, but it was reasonable nonetheless. George went over to the chair his jacket was draped across and sat down, opening the book to the first page and lightly skimming over the words.

“You don’t think Karl will mind us borrowing these, right?” Dream asked. By now it was already nighttime, meaning they’d just be hurting their eyesight if they attempted to read now.

“He won’t mind, don’t worry. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know these books exist anyways.”

“Alright, if you say so,” Dream sighed.

Dream grabbed his cape once more and George stood up, grabbing his coat along the way. He left the book on the table as he carefully slipped his arms back through the sleeves and messed around with the bracelets on his right wrist. After he adjusted those, he made the little chain on his neck more visible by pulling it out from under his shirt. Once his shirt was buttoned up again he grabbed the book and got ready to head towards the door.

Dream followed close behind him and they both put their masks back on. They had managed to sneak off until what seemed to be the end of the ball. George tossed the book in his hand around until Dream abruptly caught his attention with a small cough.

“You look really good tonight by the way.” It was quiet but still audible. George felt warmth creep up into his face as he went red, “Yeah and I think you’re hot so I guess we’re even.”

“Oh?” Dream looked at George directly with a certain glint in his eyes.

“Don’t even start! Second time, remember? Second time!”

Dream burst out into a large fit of laughter and before they knew it they were back at the door of the ballroom. Both of them stepped inside and were immediately greeted by Sapnap, who didn’t bother questioning them at all.

George turned back to Dream and smiled up at him. “So, see you soon for real this time?”

“See you soon, I promise.”

George hummed and then stood there for a moment, finding himself looking over Dream’s features again. Oh god, this was where he was last time when he almost fucked up and kissed Dream.

He glanced down at the taller mans lips and couldn’t stop himself from leaning in. Dream seemed to be doing the same, almost appearing to be equally as ready as George.

Right as their lips were about to touch though, Wilbur quickly approached them and clapped his hands together once. “Sorry to get in between whatever this is, but mother said we have to go George.”

The brunette let out a small huff of frustration and pulled away at the same time Dream did.

“Just one minute, okay? I’ll be there soon.”

Wilbur nodded and then scurried off back to their parents. George really couldn’t believe his brother sometimes. He looked up at Dream who’s expression was soft and caring, showing itself that it was okay for George to go.

“Alright, well, I’ll see you later!” George excused himself quickly before he said something wrong.

He went over to where his parents were and internally screamed. He was about to kiss Dream who he had only seen twice. He truly was the biggest idiot.

George, you’ve really done it this time.

This time the promise had been kept. As weeks passed, Dream would visit the palace which George lived in. Wilbur for one always gave them sideways glances, but they weren’t malicious in any way. If anything George was pretty sure that Wilbur enjoyed the company. To be honest he couldn’t blame him. More often then not it was just them, and it was probably refreshing having someone else around.

Sometimes Dream would stay with them for a week, other times he’d only stay one night. Really there was no need to only come over for a few hours then leave because in all actuality, they still lived hours away from each other. It definitely didn’t help that whenever Dream visited he’d just get absolutely swamped while in town. By in town George meant that no one left him alone. Him and Dream could be at the bar together, but the second word got out, hundreds would try to make their way over to them.

It had only happened once but it was enough for them to know to never do it again. Not only was it dangerous, but it overall just wasn’t a smart idea anyways.

It had been two months since the last masquerade ball. Karl occasionally reached out until eventually George fessed up to taking the books, but Karl didn’t even seem like an ounce of him cared. If anything George would say that he had been expecting something else, but oh well. He’d could definitely celebrate about that outcome.

George enjoyed where he was right now. His life probably couldn’t get any better. He was able to spend days at a time with Dream, and somehow at some point, his family even began having dinner together again. There was nothing essentially wrong with the royal family, they were just all extremely busy and none of their schedules matched. So yeah, it was pretty nice to have everyone together again.

After dinner one day George stood up and got ready to take his stuff to the kitchen, Dream being nice enough to collect everyones plates and do the same. At first the workers in the palace had insisted they didn’t, but after George dismissed it so many times, no one seemed to care anymore. Not that that was a bad thing; quite the opposite, actually. George enjoyed being able to spend the time with Dream. He was grateful for it.

It seemed as though Dream felt the exact same way, too.

George knew that his feelings for Dream weren’t one-sided. They both made their affection clear to each other, but they’d never gone farther then hugging for a moment too long, or sneaking glances at the other.

Despite that George could confidently say he was fine with where he was. Their relationship anyways was well, forbidden. There couldn’t be two kings. It was simply how it worked.  George chose not to focus on it. If the day came where they truly knew they wanted to be together, they’d work something out. Love was unstoppable and that’s all there was too it. Plus Technoblade would always have their back as well, and that was easily the best part of the situation. There was Karl and Sapnap, and even Quackity. They truly had some of the best people.

For now George continued to enjoy life in the moment. He adored it all no matter what, even as they jokingly pushed each other to the side while balancing glass plates.

Once they made it to the kitchen they set down the dirty dishes and thanked the worker in there for everything. In return she simply smiled, and seeing as they had no other need to be in the kitchen, George and Dream were now wandering the halls together.

It couldn’t be any later then ten at night. Usually they stayed up until ungodly hours of the night, and for them this was just the beginning of the night. George swayed side to side softly as he pointed out every little dent in the walls and explained each story behind them. It was something he’d gotten used to, and Dream didn’t seem to mind either.

When they both got the ballroom though, they glanced at each other and both mutually understood. George walked into the room and basked in the emptiness of it. There were no lights on, but the moon gave them all the light they needed. George walked further in and side stepped just a little, mimicking one of the many waltzes even though the room was dead with no one was holding onto him.

His hands fell down to his sides as he simply glanced around. In all honesty, George couldn’t remember the last time his family had hosted a ball. It had to of been a decade at least because his last memory was from when he was eleven. George couldn’t find it in himself to care. A room that once lived, a room once cared for, was slowly picking up dust and still George didn’t mind. If anything he smiled. Silently he promised himself that when he was king he’d be the one to host stuff in here.

George turned back to Dream who kept a small, fond smile on his face. Slowly he made his way over to George and bowed as he held out his hand, “May I have this dance?” His voice was no more then a whisper.

George smiled softly and slid his hand into Dream’s. “Of course,” he matched he whisper as Dream pulled him in close.

Almost immediately George was reminded of the time when they first danced together. There was no bittersweet feeling because he had no reason to be sad. Instead, he was filled with emotions that he couldn’t even begin to comprehend. Joy, adoration, care, love.

God, he was so in love with the man before him that it hurt in the best way possible. His hand slipped up to Dream’s shoulder and gently squeezed. The blond only quietly laughed at that as he began slowly stepping to the side. George followed the movements, a smile never leaving his face.

They remained quiet for reasons George may never understand. Perhaps it was because of the generations that had stood in the same place they were now, or maybe they didn’t need to talk; they just enjoyed the company.

As George looked up at Dream’s face, he could’ve swore his heart just dumped all its emotion out at once. He looked so beautiful dancing around in the moonlight, eyes full of feelings that he knew were mutual.

Even if the room being dark, even if George couldn’t see colors properly, he could’ve swore that right in this moment his world was more vivid then it ever had been before.

When Dream stepped forward in the waltz George stepped back in return, continuing their slow rhythm. They didn’t need the music; both of them knew what to do next.

The only sounds in the room where the sounds of crickets, the occasional frog, and the wind coming from outside the window.

It was then in this moment thar George knew for sure he was completely and irrevocably in love.

To him it almost felt as though he shut the world out. Like if only for just a moment, the only people there were him and Dream. Together.

George rested his head on Dream’s free shoulder as their waltz slowly came to an end. They stayed just like that even after having stopped moving: Dream’s hand on George’s waist, the brunette clinging onto his shoulder, both of them holding hands.

No words needed to be said between them. Each understood what was left unspoken, and so, that was how they left it.

George pulled away and stared into Dream’s eyes for a moment. Here they were undisturbed, and hell, they could kiss right now without a single interruption.

Still though, George didn’t. He didn’t do it. Instead he pulled away from their embrace and began walking back towards the door.

“Thank you,” was all he said before leaving the room.

Dream quietly laughed and shook his head, jogging just enough to catch up to George as they both went back to wandering the halls by themselves. Before they knew it they were on the same path that led them to George’s room.

He glanced over at Dream who seemed happily lost in his own thoughts, and without seeking to disturb him, George continued on walking to his room.

As he stood outside the door George considered inviting him in. Why not? Even if Dream had a room of his own, it wouldn’t hurt for them to spend a little more time together.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” Dream ruffled George’s hair.

The smaller scoffed and pushed his hand away. “Yeah, whatever.”

Dream laughed and began walking away as George opened his door. He knew that this wasn’t what he wanted. Or well, as in he didn’t want Dream to go. Not yet at least.

He turned to look at the blonde and quickly called out to him. “Wait!”

Dream curiously turned around and eyed him. “What?”

George held onto the handle of his door before relaxing once again. “Stay with me tonight?”

The others expression went lax as he began going back over to George, “Of course.”

George fully relaxed and went into his room, leaving it up to Dream to close the door behind him. Truthfully he had never been so glad to take a small little risk. Everything was full of risks, so there was nothing much more different with this one.

The room before them was nothing short of boring. It was big to say the least, but that was expected. Even though that was the case it wasn’t decked out in expensive furniture and useless trinkets. It just seemed regular. Aside from the massive bed, there were posters on the walls and what Dream assumed to be fake vines strewn around the room. The bedsheets were white, giving off this almost cozy feel.

“Woah,” was all Dream could force out.

“Is it okay?”

“Yeah, and a lot better then my room at home.”

George giggled and went over to his wardrobe. He was still in his daytime clothes and so was Dream. After shuffling through the cabinets for a bit, he finally found his favorite pair of silk pajamas. Unsurprisingly enough they were blue, and on top of that they were tailored to fit his exact body measurements.

“Alright, turn around,” George commanded as he was already taking off his shirt.

Dream obliged and looked away, waiting for him to finish.

Once done George let him turn back around so he did. The brunette went back to rummaging through his stuff.

“Cotton, silk, or polyester?”

“What?”

“I’m asking you for a fabric type, nimrod.” George looked like he was about to rip someones head off.

“Uh, cotton then?”

The other boy nodded and immediately pulled out a set of pajamas. It wasn’t much, just a shirt and a pair of shorts. Dream caught them as they were tossed to him and began changing.

After they had finished up the rest of their nightly routines, both of them crawled into bed.

Without even asking, George was already crawling right into Dream’s arms. It felt better this way anyways. He didn’t have to deal with the coldness of the bed now that Dream was there. Despite the lack of asking, there were no protests. George could actually feel Dream’s arms wrap tighter around him.

The brunettes head was currently on Dream’s chest, an arm wrapped around him as he listened to the steady heartbeat. Dream on the other hand had his arms strung around George’s waist, his hand occasionally gliding up into his hair in order to play with it.

George fell asleep to the feeling of that, allowing the tug of drowsiness to pull him into what felt like the best rest of his life.

The sun shone through the windows and nearly blinded George when he woke up again. For some reason the bed also felt a lot warmer then it typically did, but he dismissed it for now. The arm around his waist felt — wait. The arm around his waist? George’s eyes shot open and he immediately took in his surroundings.

Okay, good, he was still in his room. When he looked down just to discover Dream underneath him sound asleep, George could’ve swore he felt the exact moment his soul evaporated.

“Oh my god. Ohhh my god,” George whispered to himself.

Suddenly last nights actions began to hit him like a train wreck. He was so sleep deprived and he knew that, but clearly that didn’t stop him from cuddling with Dream.

The panic inside him only rose when Dream began to stir underneath him, his eyes slowly opening and then shifting to George.

“G’morning,” he mumbled out, sleep still apparent in his voice.

Oh shit his morning voice was hot.

George felt his body nearly give out from under him. Alright, okay, cool, he needed to get his fucking act together. George scrambled out of bed and considered what he was even going to do from here.

“Did you sleep well?” Dream asked when he got no response previously.

“Yeah, perfectly fine. You?” George glanced back over towards Dream who was rubbing the drowsiness out of his eyes.

“I slept pretty well. Do you think breakfast is ready?”

George only nodded and then quickly left the room without Dream. He sped walked down the halls until he nearly bumped into Wilbur.

Why the hell do I have to act so weird about this?

Wilbur quickly caught on to George’s mood and pulled him aside. “Is everything okay?”

George nodded, “I just slept with Dream last night.”

Wilbur’s expression dropped in that exact moment. Quickly George tried to recover because that was not what he had meant at all. “No! Not like that!”

“Then like what?”

“We just cuddled and stuff, and when I woke up I suddenly felt all… flustered. I know he likes me back but I feel like my entire body just turned into jello.”

Wilbur thought for a moment. “I think that’s called being sexually arou—“  George shoved his hand onto Wilbur’s mouth. Absolutely anyone could be listening, and yet he just said that out so casually. After Wilbur stopped struggling beneath his palm George finally let up.

“Okay then, different approach,” Wilbur grumbled. “You probably haven’t experienced genuine affection like that, right?”

“No need to be rude, but yeah.”

“There’s your answer. You saw the situation, didn’t know what to do, and in result went haywire.”

George thought carefully on that for a few seconds. To be fair, it made a lot of sense.

“Can I go now? I want to fucking eat because I’m starving,” Wilbur flicked George’s forehead.

”Go ahead.”

Once Wilbur got his clear he walked off and shoved his hands in his pockets. Wow, it was really cold today.

George continued standing there for just a moment before walking after his brother. Well, Dream was going to be at breakfast, so George could always to apologize for his sudden outburst then.

Neither of their parents were at the table this time around but they didn’t care. Both of them sat down at their respective seats, Dream joining them beside George only minutes later.

The mealtime was rather silent. With Wilbur aware of the situation it somehow made things awkward, and George felt like he couldn’t just eat in peace right now.

Every minute he considered apologizing to Dream, attempting to find the right moment. Quickly he realized there just was no right moment. If Wilbur heard it as well that’d just make it much more awkward.

After finishing as quick as possible, George did his typical routine of bringing the dishes into the kitchen. As the plates were put into the sink, George turned to Dream and let out a breath he wasn’t even aware he was holding in.

Now was probably a better time to say something then before. The only other person in the kitchen was the designated worker but George didn’t care about her.

“Sorry about this morning. I kind of saw you and just, I don’t know, got flustered? Yeah that’s probably the word.”

Dream raised a brow and laughed. “You’re apologizing for that? It’s okay, really. I don’t mind.”

George nodded and looked off to the side. That was another thing he found himself doing a lot recently, no matter the situation. The both of them walked out of the kitchen and went over to one of the plain rooms with just lounge stuff. It was cozy, a few couches with some rugs and a bookshelf stocked to the brim.

He found himself going over to the couch immediately and flopping back onto it. He wasn’t in the mood to stay awake right now. Really, he was tired. This morning practically scared him so bad that he just wanted to go back to bed.

Of course before he could do that, Dream grabbed onto George and hauled him up so he was sitting regularly.

George leaned his head back so it rested on the back of the couch. Maybe if he were lucky he could fall asleep like this.

George sighed and took note of the sudden dip in the couch beside him. Slowly George rested his head on Dream’s shoulder, a content sigh leaving his mouth when he heard Dream grab a book and his reading glasses.

It was peaceful like this and George promised himself that he wouldn’t freak out the same way he did this morning. He kept his promise and continued to rest, head on Dream’s shoulder as he read a book that George didn’t bother asking the name of.

Quietly he wondered what would happened from here. Really all they needed to do was make things official, but everything was so complicated as it was. If they actually made it official then there wasn’t a doubt in George’s mind they’d have to work hard to fight for their love.

That didn’t mean arguing with the people; that meant throwing a fight against the actual laws themselves. Everyone was overall pretty accepting throughout the kingdoms, it was just a matter of laws and traditions.

How could two kings rule? Especially when each are from a different kingdom? Would each kingdom merge together or have one left abandoned? There were so many questions and George wasn’t even sure on where to begin answering.

He sincerely wished it were as simple as changing the law and calling it good. So much would have to be figured out for law changing to even be considered.

Was all of that worth the struggle? Him and Dream could always run away to a cabin in the forest, leave the worlds worries to everyone else. At the same time George knew that wasn’t an option. There was too much to lose, and as he was nearing the age of twenty five, his coronation was drawing nearer. Around a year ago his coronation day had been decided. The current king was becoming far too old, so he planned on handing the crown down to George when he turned twenty five.

He opened his eyes and glanced up at Dream. He seemed intent on reading the book in front of him, so George didn’t even begin trying to pester him. Instead he went back to having his eyes closed and thinking to himself.

He continued to try to shove his worries away and save them for a later date, but he was well aware they did need to be addressed.

Almost as if he could sense George’s worry, Dream looked down at him with a frown. “Are you alright?”

George knew better then to lie, so he shrugged in replacement. “I’m not sure. I keep thinking about how if we, you know, become official how we’ll manage with the laws. We’re both going to inherit our fathers crowns and I just don’t know what we’ll do.”

For a second Dream almost seemed stunned. “Official?”

George nodded. “What, did I say something wrong?” he slightly panicked but hid it.

“No, not at all! You just caught me off-guard, okay? I wasn’t expecting you to say it out loud.”

George snorted and rolled his eyes. “Okay, well I said it.”

Dream amusedly shook his head but thought carefully on George’s concerns. “Truth be told, I don’t know what the hell we’ll do. Same goes for Karl and Sapnap. They’re two idiots in love and also have the laws pinned against them. Honestly George, if I were you I’d wait until we’re actually kings to worry about this. I only say that because there’s no use in getting grey hairs over it, yet.”

“Yeah you’re right.”

A silence fell upon them as George got lost in thought again. Before he could continue though, Dream gently cupped George’s cheek and turned his head to look at him.

“Hey, stop thinking. We can talk about it later but for now just relax,” his voice came out gentle and soft.

George smiled at that. He loved how caring Dream could be without even trying to. Even now he was forever thankful for the male in front of him. He almost couldn’t stop himself when he began leaning in, hoping for more then just talking. George quickly stopped though. This was almost stupid. He should just take the last leap of faith, risk everything.

Dream noticed and frowned, their lips only a couple of inches apart. He muttered out a meaningless insult before finally, Dream made the move instead and kissed George.

His lips felt soft, almost exactly how George had imagined but better. Already he could feel himself become addicted as he leaned further into the kiss. It was soft, eager, passionate, but most of all it said everything they couldn’t. It expressed the love they had for each other, every unsaid compliment, all the stolen glances. All of it.

George could’ve swore he lost all of his senses when Dream gently nipped at his lower lip. He knew exactly what he was trying to do, and George would be an idiot to even consider stopping it.

For just a moment George wondered if this what it would be like with Dream consistently as more then whatever this was. George wanted to know if this was what being with Dream ensured, but even if it didn’t, he wouldn’t care either way. This could happen once a year and George would be equally content.

Slowly he parted his lips and Dream did the exact same thing, slipping his tongue into George’s mouth and turning this into a full on make out session. George could feel that this position was going to hurt his neck though, so he quickly pulled away from the kiss and adjusted his position on the couch. He tucked his knees under him and sat back, now properly facing Dream.

It took one look for George to know that Dream wanted him back, so George did exactly what he wished for and connected their lips all over again.

He was careful with his movements, not wanting to overstep any potential boundaries. Just a day ago this had only been a dream of his, and there was no way he was about to fuck it up.

The kiss slowly became more heated, but it was broken once again. This time around it seemed as though Dream moved so he was sitting facing George, and within seconds the brunette could feel his body being pulled into Dream’s lap. As he straddled the other mans thighs, he just barely laughed and went back to kissing.

If you asked George how he got here, he could never give you an answer.

Just barely could he feel Dream’s hand slide under his pajama shirt. It ghosted over his skin, seemingly only mapping him out and testing the waters. In response George just brought his body closer to Dream’s, forearms hanging off of his shoulders as he gripped harshly on the back of Dream’s shirt.

The blonde seemed to have gotten the memo and pressed his hand to George just a little harder. Still it never went any further then just going up and down his waist. George didn’t mind that at all. He wasn’t about to push things that weren’t meant to be pushed yet.

That still didn’t stop him from pressing his hips flush against Dream’s though. The broke apart for air, and George used this as his time to speak.

“Can we not go all the way todat? M’not ready for that,” George almost regret the words that came out of his mouth, but he knew he wouldn’t later.

Dream’s expression only filled with more love, zero disappointment lacing his tone as he spoke, “Of course.”

George smiled at that and went right back to kissing Dream. Now that they had a boundary set up, both of them were much more comfortable with their movements. Dream’s grip occasionally fluctuated, and every now and then he parted from the kiss just to go along and kiss George’s neck instead. No hickeys were left, but there was still always a small bite that made George’s entire body shutter.

With Dream’s arm wrapped around his waist and still keeping him close, George tilted his lovers head up again and resumed kissing. This in itself was easily one of his favorite things, and he couldn’t wait for the times in the future where they’d allow themselves to go all the way someday.

Having Dream’s lips on his own honestly made George felt like he was in heaven already. He was positive that this was going to become another one of his favorite things about Dream. It almost felt as though he was losing control of his body as George grind his hips down onto Dream’s. Both of them moaned at the same time, Dream guiding each roll of his hips.

George was almost thankful that he wasn’t fully aroused. If he were and someone walked in, he had no ides what excuses he’d even attempt to make up. Not that he would try to get out of this anyways though.

Dream shifted back to kissing down George’s neck, his voice nearly coming out broken. “Is this okay?”

”Yes,” George struggled to speak out loud. 

He rolled his hips forward again, relishing in the feeling when Dream met him right in the middle. At this rate he was going to be fully hard within the next minute.

Dream firmly held onto his waist, stopping George’s movements for now and earning a small whine from him. He didn’t want to stop here. The brunette was fully aware though that if his moments didn’t though then they’d have a bad problem.

To distract him from it, Dream but down on his neck, sucking at the skin between his teeth until it turned a deep purple. His hands roamed around George’s body as he explored every last part of him. 

George could feel the sparks that every touch left behind. His body felt like it was heating up without end, heart rate increasing no matter how much he attempted to slow it down.

As he let out another quiet moan Dream moved away from his neck. He knew not to go overboard with the marks, so he left only one hickey on George’s neck and knew that’d be enough. It stood out a lot anyways considering the stark contrast between the colors.

George glanced down at his lover and moved his thighs closer together, tensing a little and caging in Dream further. 

Both of them went in for another kiss. This one was no different from the rest, lustful and full of all the want they could muster. Dream’s grip on George’s waist stayed tight and forcing immobility. In a way, George actually enjoyed that. It just proved how utterly defenseless he was when it came to Dream.

They pulled away after their final kiss and stared at each other for a brief moment.  “Holy shit,” George spoke while still breathless.

“Yeah.”

George laughed and leaned into Dream, only pulling him into an embrace this time around.

“I love you so much.” George buried his head in the crook of Dream’s neck.

“I love you too.”