𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐩𝐬𝐞 . [𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫]

𝗇𝖺𝗆𝖾𝗌

(y/n)'s perspective

as i was being dragged by bad and dream, dream sighed. "this isn't working, i'm just gonna carry you instead."

"uhm, alright-" i laughed awkwardly as bad let me go and dream lifted me into his arms, carrying me bridal style.

that's kinda hot—

"george?" sapnap called out, cupping his hands over his mouth. "gogy?"

"gogy?" i laughed.

"it's his nickname," sapnap clarified. "i think dream came up with it?"

i felt dream shrug his shoulders. i tensed up a bit, feeling a bit uncomfortable because i didn't want to be a bother to him.

"oh, i don't mind, you can relax." he said, as if answering my own question? but then i recalled that he probably could feel me tense up anyway.

"oh- okay." i replied, loosening myself back up a bit more.

"i'm right here!" george called. "i've searched everywhere at least twice already and i can't find her!" we heard his accented voice bounce off the dusty walls, coming from the warehome.

"he's by the warehome." bad said as he led us all there.

"hey, i just wanted to thank you." dream said as i looked up at him. "for what?" i asked.

"i mean- you could've left as soon as those invaders came in to attack us, but you stayed and fought alongside us, and being honest-"
dream looked around to make sure bad and sapnap weren't listening as he leaned in a bit.

"you probably did more to defend us then sap and bad did." he chuckled as i grinned. "and genuinely, i appreciate that. you're welcome to stay with us as long as you want."

"yeah- no problem! thank you for not dumping me out as bait or anything like that." i laughed. "thank you for inviting me to stay, i'll take you up on that offer too. my 'hotel' is genuinely more of a haunted house than an actual home."
i smiled, looking up at his green eyes.

he grinned back at me. "alright, sweet!"

"george! hey! i'm not dead!" sapnap shouted at george as he disappeared behind the retro curtain, running towards him.

"yeah, i'm not dead either!" bad added as he skipped over behind the curtain.

"mynx and i are alive too!" dream called out as he carried me through the certain, letting the smelly certain drag over me.

"god, does anyone ever clean this thing? it's musty." i coughed as he laughed, but didn't answer the question.

the group was huddled around their sleeping bags, talking to each other as dream laid me down on my bag and went to his own.

"we need to rob a mattress store or something. these sleeping bags suck." sapnap sighed. "for real, it's like sleeping on concrete."

"that's 'cause we are sleeping on concrete." george rolled his eyes as he hugged his knees to his chest.

"most mattresses are super gross by now. i doubt we'll find a mattress dealer who can sell us a clean one." dream added.

"yeah, you're right. at that hotel i was staying in, all the mattresses were infested with bugs and were practically rolled in dirt." i agreed with dream. "also i have a question."

"hm?" asked bad.

"how come none of you call each other by your legitimate names?" i asked.

they all looked around at each other.

"to protect our identities, i guess." dream laughed. "but i guess we could properly introduce ourselves now?" he asked, looking around for his friends' reactions.

"why not?" george said, facing sapnap and bad, who seemed to be fine with it.

"my name is actually george. it's not a fake name, or anything." george stated.

"my name is nick." sapnap introduced.

"i'm darryl!" bad said with a smile, holding out his hand, which i shook.

"and i'm clay." dream said with half a smile.

"alright, i'm (y/n)!" i smiled. "i mean- i barely have much of an identify here anyway, so i don't mind being called (y/n) casually."

"oh alright. but can you use our 'codenames' publicly?" sapnap asked.

"yeah, of course!" i replied, grinning.

it feels kinda like a new beginning. and as i looked around at my new friends who had slipped into another conversation about mattress-theft, i felt a flutter from my heart: a compassion for them, in a way. even if we had only met yesterday, that one situation with those intruders had strengthened my bond with absolute strangers.

and now, we all know each other on first name basis.