the wall that divides us | DNF au

five

george

The sun had gone down, and George's mum had just tucked the young boy in bed. The moment was always bittersweet. George had always known that his mother was ill; she needed more nutrients than the average healthy member of the community but receiving more than everyone else would 'inevitably  be the catalyst of greed.' Nevertheless, the boy loved his mother and tried to spend as much time with her as possible, knowing - even at such a young age - that their time together was limited. And even though George's love for his mum was limitless, no one loved her more than his father. 

"Kristen, there's got to be something out there, something that can help you," he heard his father's voice bounce off the wall in a frustrated voice. "I cannot just sit here and watch you accept the fate this community has decided for you. It's not right." George understood his father's anger; the screaming and the yelling scared him, but he knew his dad just wanted what was best for his mother. "There's not much else we can do about it now, Phil," George heard his mother's sigh of acceptance; she was always so accepting- she never wanted any disputes when they could've been avoided. Peace. She was the peace of the family, if not the entire community. 

"I'm going out there," his father said, rustling around the kitchen. George wanted to jump out of his bed to see what was happening; he wanted to know where 'out there' was and help his dad find the aid his mother needed to win back more time with her. "I'm going to the wall, Kristen, and I'm going to find my way through; you and I both know there's more than just this. The books, the maps, the photographs left by the fallen ones prove that." Then, a brief moment after hearing his mother trying to interrupt him, his father continued. "I'll come back for you when I find someone who's going to help you, I'll take you and George, and we'll leave this place; we'll make sure you get better." 

That was the very last time George heard his father's voice. 
Only a few weeks had passed without a sign from the man who declared he'd find something 'out there,'  George's mother went to sleep one night after tucking him in bed as she usually did. However, she did not wake up the following day. George found peace in the fact that his mother passed as peacefully as she could, but his heart still ached at the thought of the fate that might've befallen his father.

The town immediately noticed the disappearance of Phil Watson; they assumed he went towards the wall and automatically presumed him dead. "And if he isn't dead and decides to come back, we'll have to do it ourselves. We cannot afford treachery and selfishness to seep into the community and corrupt our morals."

"George?" the masked blonde spoke up, shaking the smaller one from his deep thoughts. "I lost you for a second there," he chuckled, readjusting himself against the wall, tilting the mask to the side, "I asked you why you don't think you can ever come back." Dream pushed. George inhaled deeply, "It's complicated; it simply wouldn't make sense for me to go back now that the sun's up."

Dream decided to drop it for the meantime as he watched the sunrise. "Why were you at the wall? I assume you don't go all the time unless you've got a death wish."

George only now started to notice the constant sarcastic demeanor Dream displayed. It wasn't a pleasant personality to surround himself with at all. Everyone George knew before Dream was well-mannered, apart from Tommy, with the occasional swearing. Otherwise, people did their best to ensure everyone was comfortable. Now, on the other side of the wall, it felt as if he had quite literally stepped out of his box; everything looked different, felt different, and even the people, albeit a single person, were different.

"It was my first time, my friend Wilbur convinced a group of us that it'd be a good idea, and regardless of it being completely out of my comfort zone, I decided to do it," George admitted, feeling the pit of his stomach flip as he heard the other man laugh. His eyebrows furrowed, finding it difficult to pinpoint the humor in his previous statement.  

"Walking to a wall is considered stepping out of your comfort zone? Fucking hell, George, maybe going back to where you came from is a good idea; you wouldn't manage even a single hour out here on this end." George found great offense in Dream's words. But, evidently, there was truth in it. George had never even touched a weapon before, and by the looks of it, Dream knew how to fight with an axe since he knew how to walk. He shrugged and looked down at the cup of water in his hands. 

"You don't talk much, do you?" Dream spoke up again as he grabbed one of the chairs from his kitchen area and placed it before the bed, straddling it while leaning his arms on the back of the seat. 

"You don't show your face much, do you?" George retaliated, immediately regretting his words, noticing the attitude in its undertones. It wasn't like him to talk back, let alone to someone he barely knew. "Sorry, that was rude; you probably have your reasons," he added with a mumble now, the false confidence far from evident. 

Dream leaned closer to George, instantly causing the brunette to hold his breath unknowingly. "I do have my reasons. Not everyone has a pretty little untouched face like yours, outsider." George could hear the gritted teeth behind the mask. "You're lucky I like you; you're like a dirty little secret I'm keeping from everyone," Dream said nonchalantly as if his words didn't send waves of heat through the smaller one's entire body. 

Feeling the heat in his cheeks, George had to look away.

The petit boy knew that he was attracted to men but constantly had to push the thought away back home.  It wasn't accepted in their culture - the culture that surrounded sustainability relied on reproduction, and fantasizing over men working on the field set back any near future plans in doing so for George. 

It became easier for him after a while. Seeing as all the men he knew were considered brothers to him. There was something about Dream, though, the mystery behind the mask, the body language exuding heaps of confidence, and the way he spoke- god, the way he spoke. George had never felt chills like the ones he got when Dream said something in his consistent condescending tone. 

"I can tell I have an effect on you, Georgie," the blonde smirked. "Saving you is either going to be the best decision I've ever made or the biggest mistake of my life."

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Author's notes:
GUYS!! YOU'RE INSANE!!! So much positivity I literally cannot comprehend it in the slightest.
I'm glad you're all enjoying it so far.