Secret Santa time! (Again!)
This time it's the Dreblr Secret Santa event organised by @dreamsclock ! Thank you again for all your work!
This is for @minshinxx, hope you'll like it! I managed to do something on a lighter tone this time. This is about c!dteam, but it doesn't follow canon much haha.
Summary: George and Sapnap take care of a sick Dream with small shenanigans on the side. (I tried, okay? :,D)
Dream, Sapnap and George were close. Anyone could tell you that. They've known each other for years and stuck together ever since. They were often told that kind of friendship was rare nowadays.
Obviously, being this close means you know your friends pretty well at some point. Or at least you think so.
For example, they thought that Dream knew how to take care of himself. He had to, right? There's no way he would have survived that long otherwise, barring respawns. Even then, too many respawns usually took a toll on your body eventually, and this man was a superhuman on a bad day. So they concluded that he was fine.
They were wrong. This man is hopeless. So much that unbelievable luck is the only thing that kept him alive this long. After numerous close calls involving grievous injuries or life-threatening illnesses, they decided that enough was enough. They sat him down and talked to (read: lectured) him for hours hoping to get it through his thick skull that self-care is important. They then thought that he had learned his lesson by now.
Though when he suddenly collapsed in the middle of the road, they think they should have known better. Sometimes, life hates people enough to not give then the mercy of death and a quick respawn. Maybe that was what was happening.
First things first, no panicking. It wouldn't help anyone and instead waste time. They vaguely remember Dream chiding them about it.
So they calm down, and assess the situation.
At first glance, Dream is not injured. Further investigation confirmed it. They can rule out "injury he didn't tell them about". However... his skin is rather flushed and sweaty. Poison then? ...No. He isn't taking damage. Which leaves...
Well. That shouldn't be too hard to deal with.
"You make a shelter, I'll get food and water."
For once, there wasn't much arguing. It's unfortunate that it happened at Dream's expense but hey, at least he'd be proud?
George doesn't waste time watching Sapnap go and immediately works on gathering wood and dirt. The sooner it's done, the quicker he can attend to his friend. His stupid and stubborn beanstalk of a friend.
But George was even stupider for believing Dream would get the memo this time. Not even two weeks ago the same thing happened, except that time it was from a wither effect. Looking back on it, his and Sapnap's frantic search for a cow to milk was kinda funny. Dream sure loves giving them a scare, doesn't he? George can't help but sigh tiredly.
The hut is done shortly after, and it's the most hideous thing George has ever built. How a simple dirt hut can look so ugly is anyone's guess. Dream isn't awake to make fun of him and wheeze out a lung in the process, but he can't say he's happy about it.
Speaking of him... he isn't faring much better. He sounds like he's struggling to breathe, and George debates whether he should take off his mask to help or not.
Well, surely Dream wouldn't be mad if it was for his sake right? But at the same time, it feels rude to violate his privacy like that, even if they saw his face multiple times already. In the end, he lifts the mask just enough for Dream's mouth to show and hopes it'll help.
After that... he doesn't know what to do. Sapnap hasn't come back yet, there's nothing to do in the hut, but he can't bring himself to leave Dream unattended for even a second.
So even if Dream's skin is sweaty and gross, seeing the man relax ever-so-slightly and lean into his touch is more than worth the discomfort.
Sapnap gets back finally, with enough food and water to last them weeks. George decides to not comment on the ridiculous amount as long as Sapnap doesn't comment on his apparent clingyness. He doesn't.
"I was lucky to find a village, so I got ourselves a few potions and stuff while I was at it."
George only hums in reply. With that conversation over, they set to work.
George gets a fire going to make stew with the carrots and potatoes they got. He's not sure Dream could handle steak or bread in his current state.
Speqking of apologies, George figures he should apologise now rather than when Dream finds out.
"Sorry. I had to take off your mask."
Dream, in all his sick-addled, sluggish glory, slowly blinks as he processes the information.
"...'s fine... 's jus' you guys..."
Is all he says before passing out again. Sapnap and George can only exchange a look. Did he really trust them, or was he just too sick to care? (Hopefully the former.)
Ah, they forgot to make him eat...
It's when Dream's fever breaks during the night that they truly relax. He was properly fed, got some potions in his system and bundled up in a shoddy blanket George made on the fly. All in all, he thinks they did a good job.
"I feel so tired all of a sudden..."
George is almost disappointed that Sapnap didn't rib him about being sleepy all the time. And here he thought that they'd finally get to be assholes to each other again.
Well, they still get to be assholes to Dream at least. It's not like he didn't deserve it.
"I know right? Pushing himself so hard even though he's sick. What was he even thinking?"
"That he could handle it, like the dumbass he is."
Dream shifts in his sleep, mumbling something under his breath as if sensing he was being insulted. He settles back into the blanket without waking up though.
"...You know, for a second, I expected him to jump at me and decapitate me with an axe."
"Still not over that, huh."
"Oh fuck off, that was terrifying! You should have seen the look on his face-"
"I know, he kills me a lot too, remember?"
"Yeah, but when it's you it's usually pathetic or funny, meanwhile I fight him in epic battles and shit."
Ah, there it was. Peace had lasted way too long after all. Balance had to be restored somehow.
The argument didn't last that long, as it was already late and they were tired, so they retreated into the opposite corners of the hut to sleep... only to scoot towards Dream's spot and pass out there anyways. They're quite the idiots, wouldn't you say?
Dream, if he had been awake, would certainly agree. In the fondest tone imaginable, of course.
Of course things couldn't go this swimmingly for long.
Sapnap has no idea what time it is when he wakes up. He wishes George had made some windows at least... the fire has long since been put out, and he can't see shit. Welp.
A snap of his fingers, and a small flame comes to life over his thumb. It doesn't light much, but since he still has no sense of self-regulation, he won't try to make it bigger.
It's enough to see what's next to him at least. Enough to notice something worrying.
Only the blanket remains where his sick friend should have been, and George was already stealing it. If Dream was in the hut, he would have said something by now.
He almost kicks George awake, but decides against it this time. He settles for violently shaking him instead.
"George, wake up! Dream's gone!"
That gets him to sit up, fully alert. Didn't even have to tell him twice.
"Fuck! Where did he go?!"
"That's what I'd like to know!"
They almost rush out of the shelter unarmed in their panic. Sapnap actually set himself on fire slightly, though he managed to get his flames back under control before they burned more than his sleeves. That's what reminded him to calm down.
The way-too-fucking-bright light outside tells him that it's around noon, and he wishes he had George's goggles.
Oh fuck- that scared him!
He squints at the green-clad man in front of him that seems to merge with the forest behind him. His panic levels weren't sure what to settle on at this point. He was ready to tear down the forest only for Dream to be right outside.
"Why are you out of bed?"
"Uhhhh... I figured I'd make you guys breakfast..."
"Why didn't you tell us?! We thought you ran off and collapsed somewhere!"
"Well I'm right here aren't I? And I didn't want to wake you up..."
For once Sapnap was too done to try and argue. That and the bread Dream had made smelled delicious. Further investigation (read: eating) supported his hypothesis. Mmmm... if only he had some jam...
"Do you feel better now?"
But he figures he should at least break up the argument that will definitely escalate first.
"I still feel a little off but overall I'm good."
George narrows his eyes. Sapnap munches on his bread. They exchange a look.
George sighs before breaking eye contact.
"Just don't do that again okay? And that includes not telling us you're sick."
The atmosphere is a lot lighter now. Good, he's done his job. Time for his reward! ...That he had already been eating for the past 5 minutes.
"Sapnap you dick! That was supposed to be for all of us!"
This whole event would eventually join their long list of good memories. Something to look back on fondly or for a laugh. They seem to be getting rarer these days. There hasn't been one in some time, and there probably won't be anymore.
A shame that at this point, memories are the last thing they can cling to.
Word count: 1,129 (became a lot longer than I expected!)
Ending notes: My brain has melted... I probably made a few mistakes but I wanna send this now. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it...
