trying // dnf

Chapter 4

thirty seven notifications

thirty

seven

you gave me a heart attack but its okay im glad youre liking it or wtvr it was really funny

Also i'm aware ive spelt sapnap's name wrong i can't read and i'm an idiot dw its sapnap from now on 

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Dream was nice and 'forgot' to push George into the next few puddles. Maybe it was because they were holding hands, and Dream didn't want to let go to push him in. Also, Tourist George was super cute. He kept looking around, eyes wide, as if he'd never been in a city before. 

"So, did we want to go to the ocean today or should we save it?" Dream asked. 

George shrugged. "We could go tomorrow," he said. "I kind of just want to go home and sleep off jet lag."

"Sure. There's a spare bedroom across the hall from mine."

Dream felt George's hand stiffen in his.

"I mean it's piled full of stuffies because that's where I keep them," Dream continued, confused. 

"You actually have stuffies? I thought you were joking."

"They're squishy George!"

George giggled. "What's your favourite one?"

"Ooh, probably a tiny squishy clownfish thing I have," Dream said. "But there's like an amusement park or something and there's a bunch of games where you can win a giant taco stuffy."

"And you've wanted it forever?" 

Dream sighed dramatically. "I've literally never seen anyone win the giant taco stuffy, it's ridiculous."

George giggled. "I'm going to tell everyone that you love stuffies."

"Do it and I show them what you sent me in December," Dream said, full seriousness.

George instantly shut up, which made Dream laugh, and that made George laugh. They were laughing together, all fine and good, but then Dream saw a family headed the opposite way on the sidewalk. The man puffed his chest and glared at Dream and George as he passed, the woman held her children closer and told them to keep moving. The family was past them when the man turned and said "that's real sick, you know that? Burn in hell."

"I'll see you there," snapped Dream without a second thought. Dream didn't move his glare away from the family until him and George had passed a corner and they were out of sight. He turned back to George. "That was weird-"

George was pretty shaken up. "Dream, can we go home?"

"Hey, don't listen to them. You're not going to hell George-"

"Dream, can we please just go home?"

Dream swallowed, then nodded. "Yup. Of course we can."

They weren't holding hands on the walk to the car.

/

George was scared of what others thought. He was scared to be himself, because what if an asshole found him holding hands with a guy, followed them home, and then beat them up and killed them? It wouldn't be the first time a gay couple was assaulted or even died from homophobia, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. 

He was scared of being killed for who he loved. He was scared of other people's opinions. He was scared of the families that passed them on the street and threatened them. 

George knew exactly how he felt about Dream. But he also knew that it would be unsafe for him and Dream to be together. 

George looked over at Dream in the driver's seat, focused on the road, a slightly sad expression on his face. I know you're confused. And I wish I could explain it to you. But it would just make things worse. 

For one, it could ruin his and Dream's relationship, and George liked it how it was right now. For another, what if Dream didn't love him back? The thought crushed George. And for another another, what if George told Dream how he felt, and Dream managed to convince him to not be scared of homophobia, and they ended up murdered in a back alley by a homophobe who would get one year of prison and then would be released back into society, praised by some for getting rid of another gay couple-

"Wanna pick up some food?"

George snapped back into reality. "Sure."

"McDonalds?"

"Traditional American food," George teased.

"I will make you walk," Dream warned. 

"I'm not sorry," George teased. "That was funny."

He knew he'd have to explain it to him one day. How he could act like a couple with Dream in private, but in public he changed the subject every time someone brought it up. He could see it confused Dream, he could see it sometimes hurt him. 

But George could procrastinate that day as long as he had to. 

Trying to put it out of his mind, George kept teasing Dream. 

"I bet you only eat McDonald's."

"I wasn't joking about making you walk."