Chapter Text
Dream directed his Minecraft avatar to run aimlessly around the plains biome that he had spawned in, breaking grass and flowers as he went. He was still on a Discord call with George, Snapnap, and Bad after filming a new manhunt video, and they were all tired. The call had briefly gone quiet. As he broke the silence, Dream could hear the exhaustion in his own voice.
“So. You guys are definitely heading here next month right?”
“I don’t know…” Bad sighed. “I’m still hoping Skeppy will move into the extra bedroom at my place.”
Dream leaned back in his chair, scrubbing a hand over his eyes. “Bad, you don’t have to move in here when Snapnap and George do. You can just come visit. You know, stay for a week or whatever.”
“Maybe.”
Snapnap snickered, “Bad doesn’t like traveling.”
Bad’s microphone barely picked up his muttered, “What’s to like about it?”
Dream gave a subdued laugh. “Well whether you want to move in or visit——If you feel like doing either, you should. It’d be great. The Dream Team plus BadBoyHalo, together at last in the sunshine state.”
“I think you mean The Muffinteers plus Dream.”
“Nope.” Dream said, smiling.
The sound of sheets rustling came in over Snapnap’s microphone. He was probably getting into bed. “I for one, am excited about moving in to——What did you call it George?”
Dream laughed, "He called it The Dream House.”
“Ah yes. Dream, it’s your house so I guess that means you’re Barbie. Can I be Ken?”
“Shut up, Snapnap”.
Realizing that George hadn’t actually responded to Sapnap, Dream pulled up Discord to check that George was still in the call. His icon was clearly there, in their call, but he hadn’t spoken for some time. Did he fall asleep?
“Uh, George? You still there?” asked Dream.
There was a pause where the line was quiet but then George’s soft accented voice echoed through his headphones. “Yeah. I’m still here, Dream.”
“Are you okay? You’re still going to move in with me and Sapnap next month, right?”
“Um. I think so?”
“Wait.” said Dream. “You’re not sure?”
“I don’t really know yet. I’m sorry.”
Dream couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed. They’d been talking about doing this for ages and George had yet to give him a straight answer about whether or not he’d actually be willing to make the move. Whenever he’d brought it up with Snapnap and George on call, they both always seemed enthusiastic about the idea, but as soon as he started talking about the logistics of actually moving them out to his place, George seemed to hesitate.
“But Georgie you have too!” Snapnap whined. “If you’re not there, what’s the point?”
“Hey!” Dream pretended to be offended, “I’d be there too obviously.”
“Sorry Dream, George is just cuter than you.”
“That’s probably true.” said Dream. “But seriously George. I really want you to be here. If there’s anything that I can do to help you make your decision… Or like if its about money and I could help you move in some way——“
George groaned. “Dream that’s not even it. I do want to be there and I’m not worried about the cost of moving. I’m just hesitating because—— Ugh. It’s so stupid.”
The line went quiet as they all waited for George to continue, but he didn’t.
Bad hesitantly spoke up. “You know, you can tell us about anything that’s bothering you. Even if you think it’s stupid.”
George let out a breath that was audible even through the call. Like he was releasing tension to gear himself up for something. “Yeah. Okay. Can we do a video call?”
They agreed and Dream started pulling up the video call. Privately, he was always a bit nervous talking to his friends on video. Even after he’d met up with SapNap and George in public, he wasn’t used to it. He couldn’t help but feel that his face gave away everything he was thinking. But despite this feeling, he left his camera feed on.
Snapnap answered the call first. When his video loaded up, it showed him lying in bed, having answered the call from a laptop. When Bad joined, the light from his monitor in his dark room made him look paler than usual, but Dream could see that his hair had started growing back as it was slightly curly now. George joined last. Although he was only visible from his chest up, Dream could tell that he was nervously swiveling his desk chair from side to side.
“What’s up?” Dream said.
George let out a quiet, nervous laugh. “It really is dumb.”
“Well dumb or not, let’s hear it.”
He hesitated, “Yeah just give me a moment. This kind of thing isn’t easy.” Through the video feed, Dream could see George chew on his lower lip. “I just have something to tell you all. You know, before I’d decide on moving in… I mean it’s not like a big deal anymore anyways, it’s 2020. But I’ve just put off telling you guys for so long, and it’s gotten harder and harder to say. And I know we’ve joked about it—“
“George—“
“Hold on Bad. Just let me get it out first.”
Dream was smart enough to see where George was going with this. He had no idea what his face was doing, but he hoped his expression was supportive rather than something else that would betray the surprise and confusion that he was feeling.
“I’m gay.” said George.
There was a pause. Then Bad jumped in. “That’s great! I’m so happy you trusted us with this.”
“Aw Georgie I feel like a proud parent!” Sapnap teased. “Thanks for telling us.”
“Yeah, thanks for sharing.” Dream said, and then he immediately cringed. Thanks for sharing? What kind of response was that? He tried again, “I mean, we support you of course George.”
“Um, thanks guys.” George said.
“Were you worried we wouldn’t want you to move in with us? Is that why you felt like you had to tell us before?” Sapnap asked.
“Maybe a bit. Uh I was sure you guys would be supportive or whatever when we talk online but its different when you actually have to live with someone. So I needed to make sure. Um I would, for example, be totally fine with it if one of you brought a girl home and you hooked up with her in your room, right? But would you guys be alright if I brought a guy home and did that? That’s the kind of thing I’m unsure about. I don’t want to make things weird.”
At the same time that Sapnap said, “Of course we’d be fine with it!” Dream blurted out, “You’re hooking up with guys?”
George blushed. “Well not that often, but yeah I sometimes do.” He laughed, “I’m only useless when it comes to talking to girls.”
“George is getting action? Yes!” Sapnap cheered. “I knew there was no reason he couldn’t get someone when he has that face!”
And just like that, the atmosphere shifted. Bad, Snapnap, and George began joking around like usual, only this time George didn’t have to keep anything to himself. He happily recounted the events of his worst date, confessed which actors he thought were the most attractive, and told them about the time he’d tripped and fell in front of his high school crush. Throughout it all, he smiled brightly. His relief at having came out to his friends apparent.
Dream listened to them chat, and although he chipped in to the conversation on occasion, he spent most of the call looking at George’s video feed. He looked so relaxed, and although his cheeks were slightly pink, George seemed more at ease with them than he’d been before.
But despite the good mood, Dream couldn’t help but worry that things would change soon, that their group’s dynamic would change. What would happen the next time they streamed on Twitch and got a donation that made a joke about his and George’s relationship? George might be able to laugh at it and play along, but Dream wasn’t sure that he could. Now that he knew George was gay, he didn’t think he’d be able to laugh and joke at the idea of them being something more. Not when there was a small possibility that George might have thought of him like that. It was one thing to tease George about having a crush on him when he was sure that crush was nonexistent. But now, he wasn’t sure.
When the conversation began to peter out, Snapnap and Bad dropped off the call. Dream began saying his goodbyes but George stopped him.
“Dream, wait.”
“Uh, sure. What’s up?”
George’s voice was serious. “I know what you’re thinking.”
“You know what I’m thinking?” Dream mocked, “George, that’s so creepy!”
“Ugh. Dream I’m trying to have a serious conversation.”
“Okay let’s have a serious conversation.”
George paused and Dream could see him clicking around on his computer. Suddenly, George’s video feed disappeared.
“Wait, why did you turn your camera off?” Dream asked.
“Its not that serious of a conversation.”
“Well fine,” said Dream. “You don’t get to see my face either then.” He turned off his own video. “So… what is it you think I’m thinking?”
“I think that you’re thinking about what everyone online is going to say about us if they find out I’m gay.”
“No, George that’s not—I’m not thinking about that.”
“No its okay!” said George, “Really. I’ve thought about it too.”
“You have?”
“Yeah.” George sighed, “I mean if they found out, everyone would definitely say that we are dating. Or that we aren’t dating since you’re straight but that I want us to be. And we’d have to deal with that response for a while. It wouldn’t let up until I get a boyfriend.”
George was right. That’s exactly what would happen.
George laughed softly, “Before you say anything, I mean the real kind of boyfriend. Not a Minecraft boyfriend.”
Instinctively wanting to react with a joke to keep the mood light, Dream searched for a way to say what was on the tip of his tongue: Oh Georgie is your Minecraft boyfriend not enough for you? I’m hurt! Before George had come out to him, he would have said it without thinking. But now, with this newfound knowledge that George was gay, Dream couldn’t. He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a small but real possibility that George had feelings for him.
“So,” Dream said, “What are you saying exactly?”
“I’m saying that I don’t want to tell everyone. Not until I’m dating someone at least.”
“Okay, but are you sure?”
“Yeah.” said George.
Dream couldn’t help but feel slightly relieved that they wouldn’t have to deal with George coming out publicly yet. And then immediately he felt disappointed in himself for feeling that way.
George continued, “And I want everything else to stay the same as it has been up until now.”
“What do you mean?”
“Um, I want us to be able to keep making the same kind of jokes on stream or in our videos. Those jokes about us dating? They’re a part of our brand, yeah, but they’re a part of our friendship first. I don’t want this to come between us.”
Dream’s chest felt tight. “Okay.”
“And, obviously—“ George coughed, “Obviously, I’ve never had any any feelings other than friendship for you. Not even for a second. So nothing needs to change. We can keep up the bit.”
There was no way for Dream to explain the way his stomach dropped at that. Is my ego really that large? George being gay doesn't mean he has feelings like that towards me. Trying to keep his voice normal, Dream choked out an agreement. “Yeah. Obviously.”
“So nothing needs to change?”
“Nothing needs to change.”
Dream heard George’s sigh in relief. “Thanks Dream.”
“Yeah, no problem.”
Through his headset, Dream could hear George yawn and he felt himself yawn in sympathy. They were both tired, from the manhunt and from the conversation that followed it. With a few sleepy promises to talk later while they edited the video, they said their goodbyes.
“Oh, Dream?”
“Yeah?”
Through the call, Dream could tell that George was smiling. George said, “I’m looking forward to moving in with you and Snapnap next month.” Then he hung up.
After that, things began to change.