𝕎𝕚𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕎𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕄𝕖 - Ⓓ Ⓝ Ⓕ

~42~

All the breath left Dream's lungs as a head full of wet brown hair broke the surface of the murky water, and within a second he was slipping down the stairs, pulling his best friend up with a shaky hand as he tried to drag him out of the surging water and onto dry land.

Dream fell backwards onto the floor, leaning up against the wall as he clutched Sapnap to his chest, who was heaving in unsteady gulps of air, a hand taking a fistful of Dream's now wet shirt. A small part of Dream was relieved that Sapnap managed to make it back okay, but the other half of him was frozen in striking terror.

His hands moved across Sapnap's body, sliding from squeezing his shoulder to pressing a hand against his cheek. His roommate blinked up at him, not paying attention to Dream for a moment before he sat up, shaking out his hair and causing a few drops to annoyingly hit Dream again. In that moment, Dream had to mentally restrain himself so that he didn't snap and push Sapnap away, knowing that he was angry and emotional and shouldn't act out at a time like this.

"N-Nick." Dream gasped, his hand falling to the floor beside him, staring up at his friend in shock, who looked oddly calm to Dream, despite the fact that Dream had lost the rope in the water. How did Sapnap even manage to get back okay?

The brunette looked up and gave him a smirk, although it wasn't one to annoy – it was one to reassure. "Hey, Dreamie."

Dream rose his eyebrows, shifting his eyes frantically from Sapnap to the dark water, panicked. He reached out and grasped Sapnap's forearms in an unforgiving grip, forcing a few shuddering breaths into his lungs. George was still in the water – George could be dead.

He made eye contact with his friend, who's smirk was gone when he realized how much the dirty blonde was shaking. "Sapnap – George is in there. H-He fell and I couldn't get to him in time," his voice was wobbly and weak, cracking as if he was a teenager going through puberty again, although it was just from the suffocating feeling of impending doom and stricken sadness. "We have to get him out. He c-can't hold his breath for long and he's probably drowning –."

A steady hand clapped over his shoulder, startling Dream for a moment, but Sapnap looked down at him with a hardened gaze, his voice level and controlled. "George is okay. I found him down there and left him in an air pocket in the kitchen," he began, soothing Dream's churning gut, although he was still wracked with anxiety. "I tied the other end of the rope to him. He should be waiting for us to pull him out."

Dream was relieved, and also utterly stunned. George was okay? He didn't drown – didn't die? He looked up at his friend with hide eyes, nose red and stinging, and felt moisture prick and cling to his eyelashes as the air was punched from his lungs, leaving him breathless. He sprung to his feet, unsteady for a moment after he stood, and leaned against Sapnap, who didn't hesitate to reach out and assist him.

Once Dream gathered his bearings, he and Sapnap walked towards the top of the stairs, both of them feeling rushed despite knowing that George was safe at the moment, but something unknown was pushing them to be faster – as if something was wrong.

Dream reached out and took hold of the wet rope, as well as Sapnap, who still had it tied around his waist. The taller of the two positioned himself a few steps down the stairs, his ankles disappearing into the water. Sapnap took a few slow steps back before his pace grew quicker, and he started to pull on the rope while moving backwards. Dream matched his drags of the rope, and pulled at the harsh rope quickly, the length of it dragging through his pare hands and rubbing his palms raw when Sapnap pulled a little too fast.

Dream was too preoccupied with pulling on the rope to suppress the grunt and wince that slipped from him at the painful sensation spreading from his hands, and he silently hoped that Sapnap didn't notice his discomfort. George was the main priority right now, not him. Dream could wait before caring for himself, especially when George could be in immediate danger without them knowing.