A Matter of Time || Dreamnotfound

22

"I don't understand," Dream huffed. "It's supposed to be here."

Dream paced around the woods, holding George close to his chest. The snow covered forest floor made everything white. Minx's cottage was supposed to be there, but in it's place was just a small opening of snow.

Sapnap spoke up from behind him, "Dream, I think it's time."

"Time for what?"

Dream turned to look at the pyrokinetic, frowning at the look in his eyes. Sapnap muttered, "We should bury him. The ground is hard enough already. We should bury him before winter hits us full on."

Dream blinked in shock. "What?! No, Sapnap, Minx lives around here. We're so close... how could you even think about burying him?"

Sapnap hesitated before saying, "Dream, it's been over a week. The cold is the only thing keeping his body from decaying."

Dream hugged George closer to his chest protectively. He looked at Callahan, then Karl, both had expressions of agreement and sorrow.

"Guys," Dream insisted, "c'mon, listen to me. Minx can help him―"

"He's dead, Dream!" Sapnap interrupted loudly, tears in his eyes.

Dream flinched. "He's okay, we can―"

"Dream," Sapnap whispered, stepping forward. "It's okay. The first stage of grief is denial."

"I'm not in denial," Dream said defensively. "I know he's dead, okay? But he can come back. Sapnap, we can save him."

Sapnap's shoulders slumped as he whispered hoarsely, "Do you not understand how wrong this is? You've been carrying George around like a fucking baby. He's dead, there's nothing we can do to change that."

"You don't understand."

"Try me."

Dream's breath hitched and he looked at George. His lover's head was resting against his chest, motionless. Dream didn't dare let tears dwell in his eyes and he said, his voice cracking, "I promised to protect him. I promised to protect him with my life and now... it's my fault― I failed. I fucking broke my promise, so I'm going to make things right and fix it."

Sapnap exhaled shakily. "Dream, I know how much you love him, okay? I really do, but this is extreme."

"You don't know shit," Dream snapped, his eyes shooting daggers. "Karl is alive, you know nothing about how I feel."

"George was my friend too."

"Stop using 'was'!" Dream shouted, his chest rising and falling as his breathing quickened. "We're going to get him back."

Sapnap stepped forward again, lifting a hand to Dream's shoulder. He breathed, "Dream, it'd be so much easier for you if you would just listen to me."

Sapnap's eyes dropped down to look at George in Dream's arms. Dream stepped back, his grip tightening around George as he snapped, "You just want to get rid of him! You want to bury him where no one will ever see him again."

"That's not true."

A tear slipped past Dream's defenses, sliding down his cheek. He swallowed and muttered, "I love him, Sapnap. I'll do anything for him, anything. You don't understand."

"I do understand!" Sapnap shouted. "Dream, you're so fucking ignorant! Can't you see that I cared for George too! I loved him too... yeah, it's not the same way you loved him, but it still hurts."

Dream clenched his jaw, shoving away the guilt that climbed up his throat. He couldn't let guilt get to him now. He needed to save George, so he said stiffly, "Well, I don't fucking care."