Forever

Chapter 22

Dream hovered near the doorway, eyes turned to watch George as he shoved the last of his belongings into a small bag.

After almost two weeks of being confined to a tiny hospital bed, George had finally been permitted to leave. He was leaving with a few fading bruises, a couple new scars, and with almost none of the memories that made him the person Dream knew and loved. But he was awake and he was alive, and Dream knew that was what mattered most.

George stood still for a moment, and then turned slowly to where Dream stood waiting. He looked unsure and nervous, something that Dream realized he would have to get used to.

"Is everything okay?" Dream asked slowly and cautiously.

George nodded, shifting his weight between his feet as he answered, "yeah, I'm okay. I'm just really tired, and my brain, it's all...fuzzy, I guess."

It was something the doctors had said would be normal for a period of time, the memory loss and the hazy mind. It wasn't always permanent, and Dream had chosen to focus on that. He hoped that if any memories returned, it would be the ones that mattered most, the ones that tied him and George together and cemented a future where they could still be happy.

But for now, all Dream had was a version of George to which he was virtually a stranger. All he had were blank looks, questioning gazes, and confusion that cut deeper than it was meant to.

"Are you sure you want to go back to the apartment, George? I could take you to your dad's house if you'd prefer. I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

George shook his head, he'd heard the question so many times over the past couple of days, and every single time his answer was the same.

"I'm sure," he stated it confidently, but Dream could hear the slight waver in his voice that only happened when he was nervous, "my doctor said I should try to get back into my normal routines. It's supposed to help me remember."

Dream didn't respond, and George motioned between the pair of them as he quietly added on, "and this is normal, right? You and I?"

Dream nodded despite the fact that nothing about it felt normal. He rubbed at the back of his neck, and then softly responded, "yeah, this is normal. It's been you and I for a few years now."

Something in him faltered at the words, but he buried it deeper for George's sake. In turn, George gave him a soft smile that made Dream's face flush with warmth, and he nodded as he quietly hummed back, "then yes, I'm sure. I trust you."

"You do?"

The question spilled out before Dream could stop himself, and embarrassment warmed his body as George laughed softly. He pushed messy hair out of his eyes, and gave Dream another soft smile that made his knees weak as he said, "yeah. I'm not sure why, but I just do."

It wasn't much, but it felt like a start, and Dream smiled.

George reached for his bag, and Dream instinctively stepped forward to help him. He closed any distance between them, stepping past George without realizing just how close he'd gotten. The back of their hands brushed together, and George pulled back into his own space as if the smallest contact had set him aflame.

"Oh," Dream stepped away quickly, "I'm sorry. I was just going to get your bag for you."

George nodded, but he kept his eyes turned away, and Dream's heart sank. He used to do stuff like this all the time for George, but now it was like it was all brand new. George was close enough to reach out and touch, but there was more distance between them then he could ever remember there being.

Dream grabbed the bag quickly, turning to gain some distance from George. The last thing he wanted was to make him uncomfortable, and so he waited until George was ready and approaching on his own.