7 Reasons to Stay DreamNotFound

Day Two

TW: AFTERMATH OF CUTTING/MENTIONS OF SELF HARM

George POV

Scarlet slipped over pristine white skin, leaving stained trails before dripping onto soft sheets. George's hand shook, the silver arrow head necklace sliding from his red-slicked fingers. Blood glinted off the sharp point of the pendant.

Throbbing pain pulsed up George's arm, and his stomach churned when he took in what he'd done. 

I'm so stupid. George glared at the blood droplets still falling to stain the once-white sheets. He didn't know what came over him. He'd opened the dresser drawer to use for clothes, and there had been a necklace inside. The details of the arrow head's design were beautiful, but all he could see was the glinting edge that promised sharpness.

The pain had dulled his raging mind for a moment, but only just a moment. George groaned, stumbling to his feet to clean the mess. He wasn't sure where to begin, or how to hide the blood...

George bit his lip, fighting against panic. There was no way he could hide this from Dream. He didn't know where spare sheets were, and the blood stains definitely wouldn't be coming out of the ones already on his bed. His arm was also still bleeding.... 

He wanted to scream about his own stupidity, just disappear into some dark hole, but he couldn't do that. Instead he pressed his palm into the cut, stanching the bleeding.

George stumbled with shaky steps to the door, feeling pressure building in his chest. He stared for a long moment at the shiny silver doorknob. His hand slipped on the knob, leaving scarlet smears. He managed to open the door, each step making his throat tighten further, until he could barely breathe. 

He scanned the living room hesitantly, nearly jumping out of his skin when a voice gasped from the hallway behind him, 

"Georgie?!" 

George flinched, turning slowly to look at the dirty blond. Dream's eyes were wide with horror, locked on the hand covered in blood, still pressed to his injury. 

"What happened?" Dream rushed over and gently lifted the brunette's arm. 

"I..." Words shriveled on George's tongue, and he squeezed his eyes shut. "... made a mistake."

George could feel Dream's eyes on him. A soft touch carefully lifted George's hand, then pressed down again. Dream kept his palm over George's, murmuring, "It's not your fault. C'mon." 

George followed Dream's nudge, opening his eyes to see a concerned expression on Dream's face, the dirty blond guiding George to the bathroom. Dream kept pressure applied over the wound, releasing George only to pull a med-kit from beneath the sink. 

"Sit." Dream gestured towards the toilet lid, setting out several types of bandages. 

George watched Dream's movements carefully. The dirty blond opened the closet, grabbing a brown towel which he placed over George's lap. Finally, he gently picked up George's hand, revealing the cut on the inside of George's arm, near the crease of his elbow. 

"That looks painful." Dream breathed, taking several gauze pads and beginning to clean the wound. "I'm sorry, Georgie." 

"Don't be, it's my own fault." George winced at the sting of a wound cleanser Dream used. 

"It's not." Dream's voice was firm, pausing his work to meet George's eyes with steady emerald depths. "You didn't do this because you wanted to, you're just hurt inside. I understand that, so it's okay."

The pressure in George's chest unraveled, and he felt several tears slip down his cheeks. 

"What-" Dream's eyes widened. "Did I hurt you? The cleanser sting?"