Teach Me // DNF

7

George had all but committed that night to memory almost as soon as it had happened, and he had replayed it over and over again in his mind countless times over the past few days. It had been terrifying at the time, leaving George feeling vulnerable in a way he never really allowed himself to be before. His heart had pounded hard against his ribs, but it settled into a calmer rhythm as a smile filled with warmth crossed over Dream's face, and his hushed confession filled the spaces around them.

But it had been a few days since it had happened, and he had barely been able to spent any time with Dream over the course of those few days. He had only really seen Dream in passing, when one of them was either rushing off to class or work. But even in passing, Dream had barely muttered out more than his usual "morning, Georgie" or a simple "see you after class". It was like things had remained completely unchanged for Dream, while George's whole perception of their friendship had been altered.

And although Dream had said all of those things, George still found uncertainty nesting deep in his mind, pushing into his thoughts at every possible chance. He wasn't used to the delicate intricacies of relationships, and all he felt now was confusion and self doubt.

And as he dragged himself up the stone pathway that led to his apartment, those feelings of confusion and doubt were weighing heavy on his thoughts. His brown eyes were cast down towards his sneakers, and George was barely even registering his surroundings as he approached the building.

He was so lost in his own mind that he didn't even realize what was happening until it was actually happening. He came to an abrupt stop as he collided with something large and sturdy, and his eyes snapped up just in time to catch a glint of emerald green and a flash of a familiar, lopsided grin. A steady arm wrapped around his waist just in time to stop him from colliding with the ground, and his breath caught in his throat as Dream quietly muttered, "watch where you're going, pretty boy."

Just like the first time Dream had used the pet name, George felt his face flush with heat. The air escaped from his lungs in a breathy laugh, and he shoved gently at Dream's chest as he mumbled back, "you're an idiot."

Dream laughed, and when he quieted down he responded, "I'm the idiot? You're the one walking with your head down, Georgie. You're lucky it was me you ran into and not a complete stranger."

George barely had the presence of mind to nod in response to Dream's words, he was already stuck on the feeling of the blonde's arm wrapped around his waist, holding their bodies together in a way that was making George's thoughts hazy. Dream seemed to sense the shift, and he let his arm fall away so that the two could fall into step beside one another, letting the silence settle around them for just a moment before he was asking, "everything okay? You seemed pretty deep in thought."

George exhaled a slow breath as they approached the door to their apartment. He wasn't sure how much to say, or what the right words were to convey exactly what he was feeling. He wasn't even sure what the hell he was feeling these days.

He watched Dream lean against the doorframe, his brown eyes locking on the keys that were swinging from the blonde's index finger as he quietly said, "I'm fine. I was just thinking about the other night."

There was a beat of silence, and George knew that Dream was waiting for him to say more. He swallowed hard against the sudden bubble of nerves in his chest, silently willing himself to keep talking. He had never been the best with words, that was Dream's area of expertise. George had always envied Dream's confidence and his ability to say whatever he needed to say, no matter the consequences. He was bold in a way George could only ever hope to be, but he tried to summon at least a shred of that confidence now as he lifted his eyes to meet Dream's waiting gaze.