A/N: EVERYONE @milkjog drew amazing fanart pls check it out here: https://imgur.com/a/35DKQa0   thank you so much for drawing it <3

There was no reason Dream should have woken up at four in the morning to his phone spazzing out on his nightstand. Especially since the friend those notifications were from was only one hour behind him.

Dream mumbled a few colorful words under his breath before his arm shot out from underneath the blankets to grab his phone. Upon turning it on, he squinted at the bright light, just barely being able to make out the notifications.

Sapnap: hey

Sapnap: guess what

Sapnap: dude

Sapnap: its only 3 howre u asleep

Sapnap: wake up

Sapnap: dream

Sapnap: this is important

Dream furrowed his eyebrows and frowned as he scrolled up on their conversation log. The last time they had texted was a full month ago. If Sapnap had fallen off the face of Earth and only returned now, it was probably as important as he claimed it was. At least, it'd better be.

Dream: what

Sapnap: finally

Sapnap: anyway

Sapnap: im on spring break in a couple days

Sapnap: and apparently theres a minecraft con close to your town during that

Sapnap: and i was wondering

Dream: i forgot you were in college for a second

Dream: ha imagine

Sapnap: shut up

Sapnap: im coming to florida for it and i have an extra ticket

Sapnap: was wondering if we could actually meet up this time

Sapnap: and have you not flake on me

Sapnap: but if u cant then thats fine, ill just invite one of my other friends

Dream: that was you standing me up actually

And it had been. They had come close to meeting in real life so many times (after they first met on a Minecraft server of all things), only for other circumstances to interrupt before they could. He wasn't about to give up the chance to see his friend, no matter how busy he was.

Well. It also helped that he wasn't very busy these days.

Dream: but yeah lets meet up

Dream: when're you coming?

Sapnap: on the 22nd specifically

Sapnap: dude

Sapnap: i can finally kick your ass in real life

Dream: ill give you five dollars if you actually win against me

Sapnap: alright bet

Maybe that wasn't such a good idea. George was already stressed enough as it was keeping him alive during his everyday daily routine; how would he fare when Sapnap came in and started pushing him around, even as a joke?

Oh, shit. George existed.

Dream: hey uh

Dream: i kinda have a roommate now

Dream: so im gonna talk about some stuff with them first

Sapnap: you told me we'd room together :(

Dream: nah, i hate you

Sapnap: wow ok

Sapnap: ill let you sleep now

Dream: can you just go to sleep like a regular human?

Sapnap: who said im human?

Sapnap: ;)

And on that terrifying note, their conversation ended.

Dream set his phone down, now alone in the blank darkness of his room.

Even if the grogginess of being woken up at four in the morning muffled all his senses, his heart bounced at the idea of finally meeting up with his long-time friend, after so many unexpected circumstances that pushed their meetup date further and further away. But life was different now that he essentially had... a roommate? It didn't feel right to call George that.

Whatever. Future Dream could think about this later.

Dream pulled his blankets back up to his shoulders and drifted to sleep.

*

Dream was going to kick his past self down a flight of stairs.

"So what you're telling me is," George said over a breakfast of coffee and eggs, "you and your friend are going to spar, and I'm the poor fucker who has to keep you alive during that?"

"I mean, when you put it that way..."

George shook his head.

It was only then that Dream noticed the bags underneath George's eyes were just a bit darker, his voice just a bit softer, and his energy just a bit less than it was before. George was an angel, but that probably didn't mean he didn't fall victim to exhaustion every once in a while.

"Listen, is that really the way you want to go?" George asked. "It isn't even your friend who's gonna end up killing you. You're gonna trip over something stupid and I'll be too tired to catch you properly. That's at least a trip to the hospital. I'm not telling you what to do, I'm just saying this is a really bad idea."

"Okay. I guess I won't fight him then."

George blinked, then furrowed his eyebrows. "Wait, you're actually listening to me?"

"I'm surprised, too. Don't get used to it."

"But... you love being difficult. That's your thing."

Dream shrugged and waited until he swallowed his gulp of coffee before speaking. "Being alive is pretty good, too. I mean, not really, but I imagine it's a lot better than being dead."

"Well, you're right about that..."

The two finished their breakfast, George eating in contented silence and Dream wondering if Future Dream would be able to handle whatever was about to come.

"By the way, I was joking," Dream said. "The most he'll do is push me around a little."

"Yeah, I know."

"Then why'd you look so stressed?"

George laughed and flicked a piece of egg at him.

*

Guy in a white headband, guy in a white headband, guy in a white headband—

"Careful, too much thinking will kill your last brain cell," George snickered.

Dream opened his mouth to respond, only to shut it when he realized yelling at him to shut up wouldn't be a good look in public. He sent a quick glare in George's general direction before returning to his search for a man in a white headband.

A man in a white headband would probably be easier to find anywhere that wasn't the entrance to a Minecraft convention.

Then a man slightly shorter than him carrying a suitcase bumped into his shoulder, gave him a wide grin, and said, "Do you believe in love at first sight or should I walk by again?"

Dream froze. Faintly, he heard George laughing somewhere behind him.

White headband, check. Smug tone, check. Correct voice, check.

"Um... if your name isn't Dream, I'm so sorry. I'm meeting up with an online friend and that was the code we decided to use to see if we were really who we were. Sorry about the mixup, I'll just let you go on with your—"

"Sapnap, that was the worst thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth," Dream said, laughing.

Sapnap's eyes widened. "Dream? What the hell, man?" His expression sharpened into a half-hearted glare. "I thought I got the wrong guy. Do you know how awkward it would've been for me to use a random pickup line on a stranger?"

"I told you to use a pickup line, not a bad pickup line."

"What do you mean? It was perfect. We're meeting each other for the first time and everything."

"God, that was worse than the pickup line you used on me," George grumbled. "'Did you just fall from heaven?' What the hell was that, Dream?"

A snicker escaped Dream's mouth, which he immediately regretted in the moments after it had already happened.

Luckily, it wasn't too out of place in the conversation to laugh. Sapnap patted him on the shoulder and said, "Come on, we should get moving if we want to check everything out."

"Uh... you wanna put your suitcase in my car first?"

"... Yeah, actually. Thank you."

*

It was weird only being able to address one friend while actually being present with two friends. Was this how actors felt all the time about cameramen on movie sets?

"Promise me one thing, Dream," Sapnap said, his voice spiking when he stumbled on his way out of the booth. "Minecraft VR. Never again."

Dream shook his head in an attempt to shake the life-sized creepers and skeletons out of his head. "I don't know, wasn't it fun running around with creepers chasing you?"

"No, not at all," George murmured.

Dream risked a glance to the side, where George sat on the ground, his chest heaving up and down. George glared up at him. Maybe strapping on a VR headset when Dream knew he already wasn't the best at staying alive with his vision wasn't a good idea...

"Let's just stay here for a bit," Dream said. He leaned himself against a wall. He probably couldn't get himself in too much trouble in that position.

Sapnap nodded and followed suit, leaning against the wall and staring at the floor.

The two waited until they gathered their bearings to begin walking again. When Dream glanced back, he was met with a ghost of a smile.

*

"Oh my god, Sapnap, look! I found a perfect replica of you," Dream said.

Sapnap turned around with a smile that promptly fell flat upon seeing the potted oak tree sapling figurine in Dream's hands. "I hate you."

"I'm buying this for you."

"Oh, what—No, you're not, Dream," Sapnap said, his sentence ending in a chuckle.

"I am. You deserve it."

"Put the sapling down. I won't hesitate."

"Hesitate what?"

Sapnap picked up a potted Minecraft cactus and pointed it at Dream. "Put the sapling down, sir."

Dream bit his lip to hold back the laughter bubbling in his throat. "I'm afraid you'll have to take it by force."

"Excuse me?" came a third voice. "Could you please put the merchandise down if you're not going to buy them?"

Uh oh.

Dream and Sapnap froze, exchanged a glance, then muttered apologies as Sapnap put the cactus down and Dream walked towards the cash register.

All the while George stood in the corner of the shop and laughed.

Dream couldn't help but smile at that.

*

"I can't believe you actually got this for me," Sapnap said. The potted sapling rested on his lap, nestled between the palms of his hands. "And that you're driving me back to my hotel. You could've just left me and I'd be fine."

Dream shrugged the best he could while driving and paused to make a turn. "You're, like, my best friend. Of course I would."

"Wow, that's sad."

"I know."

The night sky enveloped them, the roads illuminated by streetlamps and the headlights of other cars. Stars glittered in the sky, and the moon rose over the high buildings of the city. Time felt unreal. It was like the world had warped them into an exact copy of the world they used to be in: it was the same world, but nothing felt the same.

George was asleep in the backseat among Sapnap's suitcases and whatever random junk Dream had stuffed in his car. Would that mean his reaction time would be slowed?

Maybe. Dream tapped his fingers on the wheel, his legs tensing as if he were sitting on a chair of needles. He should be more careful.

"It's only ten," Dream said, "You're tired already?"

Sapnap tried to nudge him with his elbow, only to hit the middle compartment. "Oh, shut up. I didn't even know you had a car. Why do you have a car? You live in the city."

"Had it when I was home with my parents and I had to take my sister around a lot. I just took it when I left home."

"Isn't it expensive to maintain it?"

"I mean... it's not so bad here. It'd definitely be a lot worse where you live. And the bus doesn't always go everywhere, like my parents' house."

Sapnap nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer. "Was it hard moving out? I mean, I know you didn't go to college and we're in different boats, but..."

Dream chuckled. "Dude, I'm one year older than you. Why're you talking like I'm a boomer?"

"Because you are."

"Shut up. Of course it's hard, but it's worth it, you know? You get privacy, autonomy... It just gets lonely sometimes."

"Oh." Sapnap paused. "Is it easier with your roommate?"

Dream smiled, careful to keep his urge to glance behind him in check. "Yeah, definitely. Only if you actually get along with them, though. Make sure they're people you can actually trust."

"Yeah, obviously. When I move out, can you help me with making the application?"

"Come on, man, you're not stupid. I know you can make it and choose a roommate yourself. But if you want me to check over it or something, I'll do it."

Sapnap gave him a small smile. "Thanks. You're a good friend."

"Of course I am."

"Nevermind, I take all of that back," Sapnap said as Dream laughed. "I'm never talking to you again. I'm putting on the beats I listen to and ignoring you for the rest of the car ride."

"Wow, ungrateful."

"I am, and your music taste is trash."

"Fight me right now."

"You'd lose."

"Sure."

A comfortable silence settled over the two, and they admired the scenery of a late-night drive.

*

The parking garage was a shady place at all times of day, especially at night.

Dream looked around—nobody on his left, nobody on his right, nobody behind. He opened the passenger seat and whispered, "George, wake up. We've gotta walk home now."

George stirred.

"George! Dude, wake up."

No reaction.

Dream grabbed a plastic bag he had left in his car (from Chipotle? When was the last time he ate there?) and smacked it across George's face.

George clawed at the bag, snatching it from Dream's hands. "Oh my god, I hate you. You're so annoying."

Dream snickered and dropped the bag on the floor of the backseat. He would clean that up later. Probably. "Get up, we've gotta walk home before the real crackhead hours start in the city."

"You didn't almost crash a single time during that ride. I guess we should get going before you fall to your death."

"Only in Minecraft, not in real life."

George scoffed and stood up, waiting for Dream to shut the door behind him before scanning the parking garage. "Yeah, if you're gonna die today, this is probably where you would."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"This is the shadiest—"

Dream's phone rang in his pocket, prompting George to cut himself off. His eyebrows furrowed upon seeing the caller.

Dream held the phone up to his ear and said, "Sapnap? What's up?"

"Hey, man. I just wanted to thank you for coming with me to the convention," Sapnap said. His voice was tired, disappointed. It seemed like at any time he could hang up abruptly and never call him again.

"Is something wrong?"

There was a pause before he answered, "Apparently I bought a room right when they ran out, but they never told me they ran out of rooms. Which means I don't have a room for the next week, so I'm gonna have to just... drive back to a motel that'll take me for the night. I don't think one's close enough for me to stay for the entire trip, though, and all the other hotels had been booked for some big business conference, I think. I'm just gonna drive back to Texas after—"

"No, no, dude," Dream said. His heart had sunken so far down his chest it had made its up to his throat, driving whatever words spilled out of his mouth. "Just stay at my place. Free of charge, complementary breakfast, it's fine."

Sapnap chuckled with no humor. "Dude, your roommate."

"I'll work something out with him. Just get an Uber or something back to my place, I'll buzz you in."

"No, that would be unfair to your roommate."

"He just said he can crash at someone else's place."

"Oh, can I?" George said, barely stifling his laughter.

Dream moved to kick at George's ankle before retracting it upon realizing that probably wasn't his brightest idea. "Seriously, just come over. I'll, like, fluff the pillows for you and everything."

"That's a lie," Sapnap said, chuckling. Finally, the cloud of misery hanging over their conversation had been blown away. "Are you completely sure this is fine with your roommate?"

Dream held the phone down at waist-height and glanced at George.

George shrugged. "I don't own your life."

Dream brought the phone back to his ear. "Yeah, he's cool with it."

Sapnap laughed. "Oh my god, today was so wild." There was a rustling on the other end of the call before he spoke again. "I'm getting an Uber. Thanks so much, man. I'll pay you back."

"No, shut up. You're not paying me back anything." When a low tone played, Dream looked at the phone screen, then turned to George. "He hung up. If he tries to pay me back, am I allowed to kill him?"

"No," George said.

"What if I promise I don't get hurt?"

"Knowing you, you would lose a fight with a dust particle."

"Wow, okay. Whatever. We should get going now." Dream pocketed his phone and took a few steps towards the exit. He stopped. "Just to be clear, you're okay with this, right?"

George blinked, then shook his head. "Dream, you're being ridiculous. Just live your life."

"But I won't be able to do anything for you for a week."

"You didn't need to do anything in the first place."

"But you're my friend."

Silence.

"I'm your friend?" George said. "Even though I'm not really a normal..."

Dream shrugged. Seeming nonchalant was tough when his skin prickled from the sudden cold air that had enveloped them. "You act pretty normal. So you're my friend."

There was another stiff moment of silence between the two before George laughed, shooting Dream a sunny, radiant smile Dream couldn't help but smile back at.

Friend. What a nice word.

A/N: my goal for dream and sapnap's friendship was to establish a kind of brotherly best friend type relationship between them and to intergrate the casual flirting some friends do. i hope you enjoyed <3