The Railroad

Chapter 16

Dream stared at George worriedly. The brunet was looking at him, wide-eyed, his mouth agape. He couldn't see any emotion behind those dark brown eyes, but for the first time he could truly see him, clearly with both eyes.

But George didn't care about his unfaltering expression, he was entirely engrossed in the sight before him. His eyes flickered back and forth as he studied every detail of the blond's face. Dream thought George was disgusted, but George thought he was absolutely beautiful. It was clear that his eyes were beautiful, but something about having them both visible made them even more incredible. They were a bright green: gleaming like crystals in the bright light of the fire. The black pupils reflected the sparkling embers, making them seem like they were almost alive.

His overall facial structure was strong, with defined cheekbones and a bony jaw. His nose was thin and rounded. His eyebrows didn't look like they should fit with his hair, seeing as they were so dark, and he had eyelashes that framed his glimmering eyes magnificently. His tan cheeks were coated in a colossal amount of freckles.

Finally, the last notable attribute to his overall very handsome face was the white scar stretching across his right eye and eyebrow to the side of his nose.

"Is it really that bad?" Dream said cautiously, having had enough of George's gawking.

"What are you talking about? You're so beautiful, Dream."

The blond was taken aback by that. No one had ever said that to him before, not even before he'd got the scar. Before he'd thought himself to be mediocre at best, but after Corpse had attempted to kill him, leaving with the scar, he thought he looked hideous. It had been a few years prior, so it had healed quite a bit since the initial incident, but it still made his eye look deformed. Or, he thought it did. It had been some time since he'd looked in the mirror without the mask on.

George extended his left hand and placed it against the taller's cheek. He ran his thumb over the large scar carefully, his big brown eyes still holding an awe filled glaze. Dream kept his breath tight in his chest, still unsure if George was being truthful. He looked like he meant it, but Dream had spent so long thinking of himself only as incredibly ugly, never able to look good again, that he had a hard time believing that someone as gorgeous as George could find him attractive.

"You don't think I look atrocious?" he scoffed.

"Absolutely not. Dream, you are the most handsome person I have ever seen."

The blond laughed dryly.

"No, I mean it! You're... perfect. I cannot tell you how mesmerizing your eyes are: they look like emeralds and they're twinkling in the light from the fire. You almost look ethereal right now."

"Stop, you don't have to say this to spare my feelings. I'm a big boy, I can take it."

"Clay. Stop, I'm being serious." Dream's heart skipped a beat at the use of his real name. The way it rolled off George's tongue made him actually like the way it sounded, for once. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you-"

"Get the scar?" George nodded. "Well, I told you I dumped Corpse. I didn't tell you how. You see, he wasn't as willing to simply part ways as I was. At first, he didn't understand why I wanted to, but when I explained it to him he got all mad and we ended up fighting. He tried to stab me in the heart, which would've most likely been a fatal blow, but I ducked in time and instead the knife slashed me across the eye. Luckily it didn't touch it, it just got the skin around, but I'll have this scar forever. I injured him as well: a scar across his cheek that cut the skin pretty much in half. We both ran away easily after that. You can see why I've held such a grudge."

"Wow. I didn't blame you before, but that's just awful," George murmured sorrowfully.

"Don't worry about it, princess. It happened, it can never be undone."

"Well, if it's any consolation, I think you look better with it then you would without."

"Really?" Dream laughed, raising an eyebrow.

"Really. It gives character. And it really draws attention to those eyes. With the scar right there, it's practically screaming at you to look at your eyes."

"Thank you, princess. You don't know how long I've spent looking at myself in a mirror and absolutely despising what I saw looking back at me. Hearing you, a literal god among men, say that really boosts my confidence. Honestly, thank you."

"Of course!" the brunet said cheerfully, offering a joyous, child-like smile that could brighten anyone's mood. God, he was perfect. It was odd to think that he was a scientist; normally, you would think of a scientist as serious and brooding, but George wasn't like that at all.

He had charisma, a certain charm that would make most people want to like him. Dream got the sense that people would trust him with a secret: that one secret they swore never to tell a soul. He was intelligent and mature and could give you tough love without fearing he might hurt your feelings. But he was also compassionate and would offer you a shoulder to cry on when you needed it. He was genuine and kind: he could be nice to you and truly mean it, and show that he meant it.

They were all just the exact reasons why Dream had fallen head over heels for him. He had no clue how the brunet could see anything in the taller when he was the equivalent of perfection.

Rearranging them slightly, Dream shifted so that he was laying down with his head in George's lap. At first, the other seemed a little surprised by this, but quickly relaxed and began to run his fingers through the blond locks while still staring at Dream's face. If it was anyone else, Dream would be incredibly uncomfortable, but something about George calmed him no matter what.

With his eyes closed, he grabbed George's free hand and and placed it on his chest, gently stroking up and down his arm. His skin was incredibly soft, unlike the cracked skin Dream had received from years of being exposed varying atmospheres. George spent most of his time in a lab, so it made sense that he wouldn't be as rough around the edges as Dream.

He wasn't rough at all, he was gentle and fragile. Dream was terrified that something might happen to him; the thought alone made his blood run cold. No matter what happened the following day, he would keep him safe.

"You never told me what the real reason you're going to Raleigh is," Dream commented, eyes still shut.

"What do you mean? You guessed it, remember?"

"Well yeah, I know you're trying to find the cure or whatever. But, why can't you do it in Tallahassee?"

"Um... I just need some new minds to help me."

"If that's the case, then why did you have to hire a coyote to take you? Could your dad not pay someone to take you in a safer way?"

George didn't answer. Dream opened his eyes, seeing the distraught look on George's face. The blond sat up, turning to face the brunet who wouldn't meet his gaze. The taller used his finger to gingerly lift George's chin, willing his eyes to look up. They did so hesitantly, but he remained silent.

"Why won't you tell me? Do you not trust me? After everything?"

"No, Dream, I do! I trust you more than anyone else... but I can't tell you. It would put you in danger and I can't let that happen."

"Bullshit, George," Dream said, not meaning to get as angry as he was becoming. He was just frustrated that George was keeping this a secret after all that they'd been through together. "You can tell me, you just don't want to."

The taller stood, walking away from the campfire. He could hear George yelling for him to come back; he could hear the thick sound of his voice as it cracked, but he didn't care. He was letting emotions cloud his judgement, and he was letting them take him away from George.

~Word count: 1,385~

A/N: dream at the end of this chapter is more aggravating than dream in heatwaves, in my opinion. also, just thought i'd share that i was vibing to roadtrip when editing this chapter.