Chapter Text
“He doesn’t like coffee. He doesn’t want coffee,” George wants to tear his hair out. Sapnap is the stupidest person he’s ever met. “You’re trying to like poison him or something.”
“I’m not trying to poison him, oh my fucking god, George.”
“Then why are you—”
“I’m not making him coffee, for fuck’s sake!”
George looks dubiously at the coffee maker Sapnap hauled out and onto the counter not ten seconds ago. Seems mighty suspicious to him that Sapnap would drag out the coffee maker when none of them drink coffee in the house.
“Don’t you think Kate—”
“Shut up!” George leaps across the kitchen to clamp a hand over Sapnap’s mouth. “Why would you—”
If Sapnap ruins Dream’s birthday surprise, he’s going to get Dream to have sex with him in Sapnap’s bed. And not clean up. And also maybe sabotage his hat collection or something since the sex in Sapnap’s bed thing will be a hard sell to Dream.
“She’s going to need some coffee when she gets here. They both will,” Sapnap says after licking George’s hand to get him to move it. George brushes his hand against Sapnap’s hoodie in total, actual, disgust. He needs to like pressure wash himself after that. Gross. “I’m just being prepared.”
“It’s going to look suspicious,” George points out.
“Only if you keep arguing about it,” Sapnap says in return. He looks down at his hoodie where George wiped his germs and laughs to himself.
The bacon pops on the stove top and Sapnap rushes over to mind it again, leaving George to stare helplessly at his own hand like it betrayed him. He walks to the sink, waits for Sapnap to look over at him, and then heaps a load of soap onto his hand. Point made.
“You’re so dumb,” Sapnap tells him and then George washes and washes and washes his hands.
“You’re dumb.”
“Hurry up, bro, you gotta do the eggs before he wakes up.”
“Because you burn them,” George snickers to himself, soap still slimy on his fingers. At least he’ll be super clean after this.
“Well, yeah. I know that about myself and I’m leaning into it. That’s why it’s your job.” Sapnap turns the bacon over, “I get to wake him up!”
Trust Sapnap to take the easy job for himself. Waking Dream up on his birthday, the one day a year he’s not too much of a pansy to do it. At least he knows Dream won’t like it as much as the way George wakes him up. There’s a lot more tongue involved than whatever Sapnap has planned.
“Stop thinking whatever you’re thinking,” Sapnap says, face a map of horror.
Hands finally clean, George turns the sink off and starts wringing his hands. “I’m not think—”
“You’ve got that look on your face. Thinking about Dream’s dick or whatever,” Sapnap shudders and George rolls his eyes. It’s not like he’s wrong.
“Who’s thinking about my dick?” comes Dream’s voice from the front hallway. Sapnap and George meet eyes in shared panic, communicating in the way only old friends, lovers, and relatives can. “It better be my beautiful boyfriend.”
“Congratulations,” Sapnap tells him when he walks into the kitchen wearing the same ratty sweatpants he always wears, “You win this round. It was, indeed, GeorgeNotFound.”
“Happy birthday, baby,” George throws himself into Dream’s arms. It’s a good thing he and Sapnap went over the plan, accounting for every contingency. He knows Sapnap will execute plan F now.
He kisses Dream sweetly, not taking it too far in the presence of Sapnap, for everyone’s sanity, really. Dream pulls back, a contented look on his face and pops one more smackeroo on George likes he just can’t help himself.
“You have to go back to bed, though,” George tries to be stern when telling him this, lowering his head and retrieving his arms from Dream to cross them over his chest.
“What?” Dream’s face falls, “but it’s my birthday.”
“Well, birthday boys get their special birthday breakfasts in bed, don’t they?” George says, losing momentum on this character he’s playing. It’s mid-day, past time for breakfast, but the alliteration is right there.
“Birthday breakfast?” Dream’s eyebrows rise in surprise. He glances over George’s shoulder to the kitchen at large and squints. ”Sapnap’s not making the eggs, is he?”
“Fuck off!” Sapnap yells, but it’s in good fun. George and Dream giggle together and George graciously allows Dream to wrap an arm around him, hand resting on his ass. Name a better duo than Dream and George’s ass.
“Seriously, though,” George says, “Go back to bed and let us do this for you.”
“But—”
Sapnap sighs heavily, a world weary thing like everyone is out to get him. “Dude, just go back upstairs. Once I’m done making breakfast I’m going to Punz’ so you guys can like, do whatever. That’s my gift to you. Just don’t tell me about it.”
George meets Sapnap’s gaze again, glad to let him do the lying. Sapnap will be leaving the house after breakfast and it will, technically, be his gift to Dream. He just didn’t mention that he’s not going to Punz’ apartment, he’s going to the airport to pick up Mum and Neve. That’s the real present. Sapnap bought Mum’s ticket and George, reluctantly, bought Neve’s.
“Going to Punz’?” Dream asks, getting handsy on George’s ass where Sapnap can’t see it. “For how long?”
“Plenty of time,” Sapnap says, pretending to vomit into the bacon.
“Not all day?” Dream asks, a tiny whine in his voice.
“I can come back for dinner,” Sapnap says, graciously, “if you want.”
“Yeah,” Dream squeezes George’s hip. “I want to have dinner with both of you.”
“Yeah, we’ll probably need sustenance by then, anyway,” George says just to watch the pleased expression on Sapnap’s face turn cartoonishly into nausea again.
“I fucking hate you guys,” he says, humor coloring his voice.
“What’s up with the coffee maker?” Dream nods at it and George makes sure to glare heavily at Sapnap like see, I told you, motherfucker.
Cool as a cucumber, Sapnap shrugs and says, “Thought we might sell it or something, was gonna take pictures.”
“That’s dumb,” Dream tells him. “We need it for when we have guests.”
Quackity and Punz used the coffee maker most recently. Quackity spent a week of his summer break with them, streaming and screaming. Punz often spends the night at the house, since they have, you know, actual furniture like real adults—a couch, a table, multiple chairs. If they’re not careful, Punz will move himself in without them paying attention. Not that Dream will mind.
Dream loves when they have guests. Now that he’s face revealed and met up with George, he keeps inviting people over to hang out. They have an actual guest room now, no free weights or gaming computers to take up all the space. That desire of his is what inspired George for his birthday present.
“Okay, okay, enough criticism. Back upstairs,” George ushers Dream out of the kitchen, grabbing the spatula and threatening to chase him with it. Dream laughs at him, but complies.
The eggs come together quickly. He still doesn’t cook a lot, but George learned to make Dream’s eggs. It’s the one thing he likes doing for Dream that he feels he successfully nails every time. Like, outside the bedroom at least. He always nails everything inside the bedroom.
Dream does the majority of the cooking for the whole household, including a new cat food that Patches adores passionately. She refuses to eat anything else so now Dream spends an hour a week meal prepping for his cat. God, George is so in love with him.
He checks the time and excitement stirs in him when he sees how close they’re getting. “You have the—” George whispers to Sapnap, carefully choosing his words. Dream has ears like a hawk and a clever mind, it’s nearly impossible to pull one over on him.
Nearly.
“Yeah,” Sapnap says, grabbing his Tesla key and foisting it in his pocket. “Are you good to finish up here?”
The bacon sits in its grease to stay warm and George has only a minute on the eggs before he adds Dream’s special cheese. Sapnap picked a bouquet at the grocery store when he went to get the supplies. Sappy boy. They both know Dream loves that shit, though.
George looks at the tray Sapnap arranged, ready with fork and glass of chilled water, just missing the food, and nods. Yeah, he’s got this.
“Okay, I’ll text you when we’re like twenty minutes out,” Sapnap’s voice is so low George has to strain to hear him. “That should give you enough time to—”
“I’ll figure it out,” George says and it won’t be difficult. All he has to do is say one thing and Dream will jump to make it a reality.
Sapnap leaves with one final look of shared excitement and George takes over. He finds the worst picture in his camera roll that’s also not incriminating and posts it to twitter with a happy birthday message that’s not overly sentimental. That’s not George’s style.
Then, all he has to do is bring the breakfast upstairs.
“Really, George?” Dream greets him from their bed, phone brandished in his hand and an amused smile on his face. “You had to go with that picture?”
George balances the tray and sets it down neatly in Dream’s lap, not spilling a drop, thank you very much. “You know I had to.”
“You didn’t, though,” Dream says, tucking into the eggs. He knows he did it right when Dream’s eyes open in pleasure. Food pleasure looks different than sexy pleasure on Dream’s face. It’s one of those things George counts himself lucky to know, even luckier still to be able to put both on his face.
He perches next to Dream while he eats, careful not to move too drastically and topple the tray, recounting the entire morning spent arguing with Sapnap while Dream eats, laughing in between bites. Dream takes one last bite and then moves the tray carefully to the nightstand.
“C’mere,” he says, crooking a finger at George who follows easily, “need to give you a proper thank you kiss.”
It’s a sweet kiss, quickly devolving into something hungrier. George likes where this is going. He sits on Dream’s lap and feels him start to stir. “Need to give you a proper birthday blow job.” Again, the alliteration is right there.
“George!”
“Why are you always surprised?” he asks, watching Dream’s Adam’s apple bob while he laughs freely into the air.
“I don’t know,” he whines, “I really don’t.”
“It’s cute,” George hides his face in Dream’s neck so the words are almost lost.
Later, the text comes when George still has the taste of Dream on his lips. In the grand scheme of things, it hasn’t been long.
“Uh oh,” Dream says, eyes taking in the text Sapnap sent.
George already knows the words, helped come up with them ages ago when they sent Dream to his mum’s house and came up with the entire plan, Mum and Neve on speaker. “What?” he asks, looking down at the bedsheets to avoid Dream’s eyes—knowing he’ll see right through him. George can’t keep anything from Dream. He doesn’t want to be the one to ruin everything.
“Sapnap says he’s coming back,” Dream frowns but it’s not as pronounced as it would have been before George sucked his brain out. “Something about forgetting Punz was out of town or something.”
“He can just go wander through the mall or something,” George says because that’s something a George who had an entire day of sex planned would say if Sapnap came home unexpectedly. They can have sex with Sapnap in the house, they have before. It’s just weird when Sapnap knows exactly what they’re doing.
“He says he already tried that and he’s bored. We have like thirty minutes, though.”
“I can make you come again in thirty minutes,” George says with confidence. He’s made Dream come in way less time. He’s proud of that fact, almost wishes they’d put it on his Wikipedia page. Maybe his MCC stats page. “No problem.”
“I was going to eat you out,” Dream says, a little disappointment in his voice now. Fuck, George’s dick makes a triumphant recovery.
A thought clicks in George’s mind. Here’s the path to victory. He doesn’t want to smell like sex when his mum and sister get here anyway. “You can still do that,” he promises. “Shower?”
Anticipation lights up Dream’s eyes and without saying it aloud, they race each other into the bathroom. Dream wins with his long legs and ruthlessness, but George is going to be the real winner here, so he lets him have it. Call it another birthday present, whatever.
“I win,” Dream can’t stand to let it go, unlike George who is calm and not at all disappointed.
George hears the garage door as they step back into the bedroom and knows it’s time.
“Sapnap’s home,” George says, unnecessarily. He’s clad in only a towel and even that’s only for the warmth. He loves being naked in front of Dream, for Dream. He likes it even more when Dream’s naked for him, too.
“He can wait another minute,” Dream gathers George close to him, skin warm and comforting against George’s. Water clings to his strong chest, more filled out than in the days after the last time George returned from England.
George reaches up on his tippy-toes, placing a kiss to Dream’s mouth. Fuck, the things this mouth does to him. The things it says, the sensations it gifts him, the smiles he earns, he loves all of them in equal measure.
“We need to get dressed and go downstairs,” he says, hearing the gravitas in his own voice.
Dream cocks his head, not missing the tone either. “What do you—”
“Dream,” he says, turning to their shared dresser and pulling out briefs for both of them. “Get dressed.”
“But I don’t—”
“I think you’re going to be really mad in about five minutes if you’re naked.”
“How can I ever be mad when I’m naked next to you?” Dream asks, provoking something low in George’s belly, like they didn’t just go two rounds.
“What if it’s not just me?”
He tracks the confusion on Dream’s face, watching him put things together in real time. It’s fascinating, watching the connections come together live. “Who else is it? Surely not just Sapnap.”
George throws a shirt at Dream, one he loves to see on him, one that brings out the green in his eyes. “Put some clothes on and find out.”
“George,” Dream says, pulling the material over his head obediently. “George, what did you do? We said no parties.”
“The party is tomorrow,” George says with a shrug, because it is. But it’s not a party in the traditional sense of the word. It’s Dream’s family, George’s family, and several friends who live close by. “This is different.”
“What did you do?” he repeats, grabbing the same pair of sweatpants off the floor. George takes them out of his hand and tosses them back on the floor, closer to the laundry hamper. He picks up his favorite pair of Dream’s jeans and hands those over with a trust me look.
Dream rolls his eyes and puts them on while George scrambles to find a suitable outfit for himself. Once dressed, they look each other over. As tempting as it is to rip the clothes right back off of Dream, he’s impatient to go see Mum and Neve.
“C’mon, let’s go greet our guests.”
“Who’s here, George?” Dream asks. There’s no anxiety in his voice, too much trust between them for George to disappoint him. And Dream knows that.
George smiles, letting the excitement take him over. “You’ll see.”
“George.”
But George is already leaving the room, leading Dream by his hand. He looks back, scanning Dream’s face and is thrilled to see him starting to get excited. George watches his expression as he walks backwards down the hallway, knowing Dream won’t let him fall or trip.
There’s noise coming from the kitchen—laughter and Patches’ yowling, the sound and accompanying smell of coffee brewing. George catches Dream’s eye again, curious to see if he’s figured it out, if he recognizes the laughter in their kitchen. How many times have Mum and Dream made each other laugh in the months of their friendship, George wonders. He knows they talk of deep things, things that only the two of them can hold for each other, but there’s evidence of lightness within them as well.
George has watched Dream and Mum’s video upwards of fifty times. It’s his favorite piece of art in the world, catered for him specifically. He plays it when Dream leaves the house for business or to hang out with his family one on one. He plays it when he misses Mum and it’s too late to call her. He plays it when he’s fucking around in the kitchen and Dream’s too busy to keep him company, or on a play date with Sapnap, the two of them taking time to keep their friendship strong in the wake of George and Dream’s relationship. No one was happier for them, but at the suggestion of their therapist, they made steps to ensure Sapnap never feels left out. He’s an integral part of the Dream Team, after all.
“Kate?” Dream says, half question, half like he’s calling out to her, voice soft and disbelieving. George feels more than sees Dream confirm his suspicions, and then he’s off to the kitchen, leaving George to scramble behind him. He enters the kitchen himself to see Dream already twirling Mum around, her body tiny in his arms.
“Are they always like this?” Neve asks from the barstool, a half empty bottled water in front of her like she just chugged it. George sits down next to her and elbows her fondly.
“Yeah, it’s a bit much.”
“You love it, you freak,” she says and rolls her eyes. She pounds the rest of the water back and stands up.
“Dream,” Mum says, breathless as Dream deposits her back onto the floor but won’t take his arms off her shoulders, like if he lets her go, she’ll disappear. “It’s so good to see you, honey.”
“You too! You too, I—” he scans her, likely taking in any changes. Dream always does this when he hasn’t seen someone in a while. “Kate, what are you doing here?”
“Well, is it your birthday, or not?” she asks, one eyebrow arched.
“It is, but—”
“And I missed you and George and Nick, so—”
Dream scoffs playfully, “You talk to me and George almost daily, that can’t—”
“Hey!” Sapnap says, “Kate and I talk every day, too, you know.”
“You do?” George asks, incredulous. He knows they get along, certainly, but Mum and Sapnap speaking daily? About fucking what?
“Yeah, you do?” Dream echoes him, looking searchingly between them.
Kate laughs loudly, more of a release of joy than anything else. “We do, don’t we, Nick? But you’ve been very quiet today.”
Sapnap’s eyes turn mischievous, in the way George has learned means trouble for him specifically. “Been saving up for a good one today.”
“Oh?”
“What the fuck is going on?” George asks.
“Kate and I are Snapchat buddies,” Sapnap says like he isn’t rocking George’s world. “We try to find the worst pictures of you and one up each other. I’m winning, by the way.”
“You’re not,” Kate denies, “I’m just handicapped by not being able to use the naked bath pictures.”
“Mum!” George protests while Dream laughs hysterically behind her.
“What? I said I don’t use those.”
“I can’t believe you and Mum Snapchat,” Neve says to Sapnap, verbally batting at him like a cat. It makes George nervous seeing those two interact. They’ll either get on like a house on fire or actually set the house on fire. Either way, there’ll be flames and carnage.
“I can’t believe you had that matching bowl cut with George in 2003, but here we are,” Sapnap says and the kitchen devolves into pure chaos.
Even Neve gives into the laughter, letting the burn slide off of her just as she slides off the barstool like Sapnap shot her in the chest. They all laugh even harder. Dream walks over to her on the floor, one hand on his stomach like he does when the kettle gets the better of him.
He holds out the other hand to George’s sister and George stops laughing immediately. He hasn’t spent too much time thinking about the two of them meeting, not while he knows that nothing about Neve’s opinion would sway George from staying here with Dream. But he still wants his sister to like his boyfriend.
Neve shoots up with ease, Dream yanking her to a full standing position like he barely put any effort into it. It’s hot, George will admit. She smiles shyly at Dream and isn’t that strange? To think of Neve as being shy in any regard, not when she’s the loudest, brashest, harpy he’s ever met.
Dream looks her up and down and George just knows he’s comparing her to George—noticing their similar heights, their shared dark hair. Everything else in her face is Mum, though.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Neve,” Dream says, using the hand he’s still holding to pump hers up and down. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Probably only the annoying stuff,” she says with a wry smile, looking more like the Neve George knows and loves.
“I can read between the lines with George. He adores you,” Dream says with a soppy smile, like he’s not giving out precious information. Neve doesn’t need to know that! Big brothers are supposed to protect their sisters and make their lives hell, not whatever this is.
Neve looks over at George with a challenge in her eyes, asking if it’s true. He huffs out a breath and says, “You’re my little sister,” like that explains everything. It should. She knows, they’ve gone through more shit together than almost anyone else in the world. He’s only been through more shit with Dream and— “But so is Sapnap.”
“Aw, bro, you adore me?” Sapnap says instead of getting irritated at being called his little sister. God, full on attacks from all sides. When will he know peace?
“Alright, alright,” Mum says, the voice of reason. He purposefully disregards the knowledge that she’s been sending pictures back and forth with Sapnap. That’s in the past. He’s grown since then. “Leave poor George alone.”
“Yeah, he can’t handle talking about his wittle feewings,” Neve says, reaching over to pinch at George’s cheek.
“I’m working on it,” he says, bristling, because yeah, he is working on it. Hard, too. He started with Dream, making sure he knows he’s loved and he’s been talking with their therapist about how to be more open, like, emotionally. Sure, it doesn’t and never will come naturally to him, not like Dream, but he’s making strides, okay? It’s nothing to turn his nose up at.
“You are, baby,” Dream says, his partner in all things, including therapy. He knows the road George’s been walking, been in the trenches with him. He pulls him into his arms, and just like that George feels himself calm down. “You’re getting so good at emotions, now.”
“How this for feelings, Neve,” George challenges her, “You’re annoying me.”
She snorts, more amused than offended, “Then I’ve done my job, here.”
“You’re sleeping the garage,” George declares, leaning against Dream’s chest.
“Hey!”
“You’re not in the garage, Neve,” Mum says, slipping into the role of peacemaker like an old pair of shoes. “You’re in the guest room with me.”
“You guys are millionaires, you don’t have another guest room?”
“You’re lucky we have that one,” Dream says, voice rumbling in his chest and into George’s.
“I’d offer to share mine—” Sapnap begins and George wants to throw up. “But you were mean to me.”
“That’s the only reason why?” Dream whispers into George’s ear sarcastically and no. No no no nonono. That’s not going to be a thing.
“Dinner,” George says, stepping away from Dream and clapping his hands loudly. Everyone’s eyes turn to him at the sound and, now that he has their attention, repeats himself: “Dinner. Birthday dinner for Dream. I made reservations.”
“You didn’t!” Dream says, excitedly, “Where did you—”
“Remember where we went on our first date?” George asks, fully aware his heart is falling out of his eyes. That was one of the best nights of his life. Dream took him out, fed him great food, they talked about everything they want out of life, what they want out of their relationship, their goals, their dreams. George knew by the end of that night that Dream would propose within the year. He’s ready to say yes.
“Oh gross, I cannot spend the next two weeks watching whatever the fuck this is,” Neve complains and Sapnap raises a hand for a high five which she doesn’t grant.
“Welcome to my life,” Sapnap says, turning his hand to Kate for the high five since Neve snubbed him. She grants it. “Hey, Kate, you wanna stream with me while you’re here this time?”
Her eyes light up. George groans.
Later, after short naps for the women, they all squeeze into Sapnap’s Tesla, opting not to take Dream’s car since no one trusts George, Sapnap, and Neve in the backseat alone. There’s no question that Mum gets the front, no matter who’s driving. It’s not even a discussion.
They talk over each other at the restaurant, all eager to catch up and Dream excited to get to know Neve. George can see her falling for his charm, the earnestness in his questions about her life getting to her. It’s funny to watch. She’s been on the periphery of his life with Dream for a while—quick to send a meme about them, taking pictures of merch she sees IRL, teasing George in person about their feelings for each other. But it’s entertaining seeing her encounter him, the physicality of Dream, how he rewards you with a real laugh that crinkles his eyes as it steams out of him, the way his head tilts when he’s listening deeply, following it up with a question so intelligent it makes you stop in your boots, question everything. His hair flops in his eyes in a distracting way, making him toss his head so he can see again—he’s unaware of the inherent sexiness of the gesture. George is sure, he’s done experiments. Dream who’s being sexy on purpose is a different guy, it’s put on movements and mannerisms, like he’s playing a role convincingly. Dream just as he is, is infinitely sexier and he has no fucking idea. George is keeping this one close to the chest lest he use this power for evil.
Anyway, Neve stands no chance in the sunlight that is Dream’s entire being. She blossoms under it.
He turns away to pay attention to Sapnap and Mum, talking low to each other. Sapnap points at something on the menu and Mum shakes her head. “…. last week with Jeremy, so I—” he hears, the rest getting lost across the ambient noise of the restaurant and Dream explaining MCC to a suspiciously curious Neve. She’s never wanted to hear about Minecraft from him, but Dream… sure, why not?
“Who’s Jeremy?” George asks, causing both Sapnap and Mum’s eyes to shoot up at him, like they weren’t expecting him to hear their conversation.
“Oh,” Mum says, face turning pink under the low light in this joint. She looks down at the menu again, gazing up and down searchingly, too fast to really be taking anything in. “Just a man I’ve—Just a friend.”
“I’ve never heard of Jeremy,” George says, hoping to hear more about this bloke now.
“He’s a new friend, dear.”
“More like boyfriend,” Sapnap says under his breath but it’s just as the loud table next to them falls into a lull of silence so George hears him. He gasps.
“A boyfriend?” He looks to Mum who’s turning even redder across from him. “You’re seeing someone?”
“George, I—”
Too late. George elbows Dream, pulling him out of his conversation with Neve who looks a little relieved to be spared the inner details of Sands of Time and why George is the number one player.
“Sorry, Kate,” Sapnap mumbles across the table, but George blocks him out.
“Dream!” he elbows him again, even though he has his attention.
“Yes?” he asks, bringing the arm that was around George’s shoulders down to rub at his ribs. George might owe him an apology later.
“Mum has a boyfriend!” He imparts the information, expecting Dream to be just as stunned as he is. He expects Dream to start asking questions about this Jeremy guy—who is he? Where does he work? Where did they meet? He doesn’t do any of that. He looks—he looks resigned.
“No she doesn’t, George,” Dream sighs patiently, “They’ve just gone on a few dates.”
“You knew about this?” he hisses through his teeth.
“Yeah,” the little furrow of confusion appears between his eyebrows. “I thought you did, too.”
“Ugh, you aren’t the right person to talk to about this,” he pushes Dream back against the seat so he can talk over him to his sister at the head of the table, “Neve!”
“What?” she says after taking a deep sip of her water, like she was waiting for a chance but didn’t want to be rude to Dream.
“Mum has a boyfriend?!”
“George,” Mum says, exasperated, “It’s not—”
“Not her boyfriend,” Neve confirms, her mouth turning into a smile. “But I dunno why he isn’t. He’s totally old guy hot.”
“Neve!” George is scandalized. Totally scandalized. How can Neve—how can she be okay with this?
He’s not sure why he’s feeling this way. Mum is a grown, mature, woman. She can do whatever she wants, she can. But it feels too soon. It’s only been a couple months since she split with Dad, should she really be—Ugh, he’s being a dick, isn’t he?
“George, babe, you need to chill about this,” Dream whispers against his temple. Dream’s skin against his serves to help calm him down.
“Why is this the first I’m hearing about this?” he whispers, really only expecting Dream to catch it. It irks him that everyone at the table seems to know about it. Everyone except him. Why wouldn’t they tell him?
“Probably because you’re reacting like this,” Neve says, smirk present on her face. She shares a look with Dream that George doesn’t care for at all. “Here, look at this.”
“Neve, why do you have pictures?” Mum rubs her hand over her eyes, like she’s starting to get a headache.
Neve thrusts her phone into George’s face and there’s a photo of an older gentleman with his arm around George’s mother. He’s handsome, George will give him that. He looks kind.
“You’re right,” Dream says to Neve, “Old man hot for sure. He could get it.”
“Dream!” George says, but he’s laughing this time. Dream has a way of pulling him out of his own head.
“What, you were thinking it, too,” Dream continues to know him better than anyone else, because yeah maybe he was thinking that a little bit. Dream waggles his eyebrows and George despairs whatever is about to fall out of his mouth: “Threesome?”
“Oh my god, you’re fucking worse than George,” Neve says, betrayal on her face. George is very familiar with the look. “And that’s saying something.”
“Dream, I don’t think Jeremy wants to fly to Florida to have a threesome with my son and son-in-law,” Mum says. She’s circled around to being amused.
“Like anyone would want to touch either of you with a ten foot pole,” Sapnap says, another look of disgust on his face. It’s almost like his default state these days.
George feels Dream shrug, they’re sitting so close together. “We could fly him in. Maybe fly there, I’m flexible.”
“Hey, only I get to see you be flexible,” George says and Neve mimes throwing up to Sapnap who then starts, too. He even catches Mum give a pretend dry heave into her napkin. God, they’re fucking ridiculous. They’re going to get kicked out of this restaurant.
The rest of dinner goes smoothly. The waiters sing happy birthday to Dream and Sapnap records it so they can make it into part of Dream’s birthday vlog, to be continued tomorrow when the small party happens.
George manages to apologize to Mum once they get home and she accepts it easily. She apologizes for letting everyone else know but him. There’s an easy forgiveness he didn’t know they could ever reach six months ago.
George hears in person about her painting lessons, catching her eyeing the canvas proudly displayed on their wall with a little proud smile. She talks about moving to Nottingham when Neve starts her new job there, a fresh start for both of them. Mum managed to find a part time position to help her get back into teaching and she’s anxious and excited to start. He talks about video ideas, a stream planned with Karl next week, the present he bought for Dream to open tomorrow at the small get together, how he’s interested to see how their families get along.
They talk a bit about things with Jeremy and things with Dream.
“I’m so glad you’re happy, honey,” Mum says over her glass of wine.
“I’m glad you’re happy, too,” George says and he means it. He’s glad she got out of a marriage that wasn’t making her happy. He’s glad she prioritized herself, glad she lent him the strength to go for it with Dream. He never would have without her advice.
“Now go to bed,” she drains the rest of her glass, “Birthday boy needs his real present.”
“He already got it twice this morning. And last night,” George says without thinking.
Mum laughs loudly, delighted, while George feels the blood drain from his face. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. Mum knows they have sex. Mum knows they have great life altering sex. It’s not a secret, but it still feels weird to talk about it. “Good for you, honey. I’m glad you’re taking care of each other.”
“Night, Mum,” he says before he can shove his foot even farther into his mouth.
Up in their room, Dream’s already in bed. He’s back in the ratty sweatpants, sans shirt, and he’s scrolling through his phone. George’s phone beeped a couple times in the last hour so he assumes Dream’s on twitter responding to things.
“Hey, handsome,” Dream greets him. “Go brush your teeth and then get in here.”
“Yes, dear,” he says just to make Dream laugh. It works and he lets the sound of his partner’s happiness follow him into their en suite.
What a great day. Almost all of his favorite people are under his roof, a stone’s throw from him. His mum, his sister, his brother, his boyfriend. He’s so happy, so brilliantly, overwhelmingly, achingly happy.
Spitting out the last of the toothpaste, he washes his mouth out and then joins Dream under the covers. Dream puts his phone on the nightstand to charge, right next to their half empty bottle of lube. Things with Dream are so, so good.
He rolls himself over onto Dream’s strong chest, one of their favorite positions. He listens to Dream’s heart beat loudly under his ear, a promise between beats that it does so for him. George nuzzles into Dream’s chest and with eyes closed, says, “Sometimes I think I was put on earth to love you.”
Dream’s arms come up around him, scooping him into the cradle of his love and he kisses him so delicately that George might cry. He might already be crying.
“Then they did a perfect job with you, huh?” He whispers down into George’s ear, “You’re exactly who I want to love me.”