32 bit love (dream x reader)

chapter nine: the end? (or the beginning?)

"i'm tired of pretending i moved on after love or host."

you fidgeted in your chair, swiveling around nervously as you racked your brain for the right words to say. were there any? "i know that sounds weird, and it all sounds like a cliche, but it's true. i still have the flowers in my room, i don't know how you found my address but they're here, i can't fucking focus on anything because i needed to get this off my chest." 

maybe i misinterpreted everything. maybe the flowers were just a pretty gift. maybe he chose me because it didn't matter, it was all for the views anyway, it would've been more realistic in that scenario any-

"y/n." 

it was the same voice you heard in your own dreams, in hallucinations, on-call, in every passing second. and god, it was so frustrating to have someone constantly plaguing your mind when you had a life to live, people to entertain, and subjects to study for. and yet you lived for the thrill, everyone did. and yet, the tone was so neutral to you. you couldn't read him; he lacked any form of body language. 

"yeah?" your concise response was questioning every moment you've ever shared with the guy on the receiving line, and in your eyes, a complete shot in the dark. 

"i didn't expect to get anything, anyone, for that matter out of austin's show. no one does. you and i both knew that going into this," he chuckled, the faded memories of that day splaying vividly in your mind. and maybe it's all come full circle, patience waning with each word left unsaid. intensified apprehension made you glad your averted eyes and shaky hands weren't visible. "i underestimated the power of twitter, as always. i'm sure you've seen the fanart, the animatics, the comments, the tweets, the posts, about us. and i started to get used to it. i liked it, honestly. i like you, i really do. the hardest part is maintaining some kind of long-distance relationship that i'm scared of."

he was right. falling asleep on call was never the same as feeling someone's breath on your neck, or simply seeing a living, breathing person to fuck around with. through the grapevine, someone would find out. whether that was through tommy running his mouth live on stream or a joke that implied something more than normal friends would say, the possibilities were endless.

and you were scared. 

and he was scared. 

"i guess the question isn't 'if' anymore, we know that now. it's a matter of how." you said, overwhelmed by the prospect of everything that was him and came with being with him. 

"yeah." 

a few minutes of silence pass, broken by the notification ding on your phone. 

dream

8 Ball 

despite the scenarios running through your mind, you laughed, genuinely. "wow, dream. i profess my undying love to you, and you send an 8 ball message to me. i see how it is, i'll just rescind my confession." 

the man in question wheezed. "oh, damn it! i thought that wouldn't go in." he had knocked the orange striped ball in while trying to aim for the solid green one. "i was lagging, i wouldn't do that." 

"yeah, can't take a blow to your reputation, can you?" you grumbled sarcastically, but it was all in good nature. "your leo is showing, dream."

"oh, shut up." 

his sentiment is punctuated with a quick flick of the 8 ball into the corner pocket. 

***

needless to say, dream managed to dismantle everything you were anxious about and turn it into something you could both laugh about. it was a talent you both abhorred and appreciated equally.