#mod.recs

Or, Dream has always been there when George gets sad.

He’s never known hybrids personally, but he’s seen them before. He’s spoken to them in passing. His little sister’s best friend is a dog hybrid. She’d sent him a singing card on his birthday a few years back even though they’d only interacted a handful of times. He’d been in school with some, when he’d been in school. In his, albeit, limited experience, he’s never known them to go to such lengths to hide it. Though, now he wonders how many do and what the reason for it is. But the point is this; George is a hybrid. George is a hybrid who’s gone out of his way to keep it a secret. Or, George is a cat hybrid. Dream finds out.

He could see George's teeth – his perfect front teeth, like little iridescent seashells pressed to his gums – working at his lip. Not biting it, not the harsh mean pressure Dream had put on himself a million times, just rubbing against it. It felt the same way that it did when George clutched his hands together. A safety thing. And Dream thought back to scraggly hoodie strings lit by New Years fireworks. Dream had never been good at moving from place A to place B. It always felt awkward and stilted and like he was two seconds from tripping over his own feet. Maybe that’s why he and George had been stumbling over what their relationship was becoming for months now. But asking George if he wanted Dream to put his fingers in his mouth only felt like the next natural step, he supposed. - George likes having something in his mouth. Dream likes George.

“You scare me, George.” George inhales, surprised, as if he hadn't expected Dream to speak. “I scare you?” George asks him. “Yeah,” Dream answers, breathless. George looks at him as he waits, giving Dream time to elaborate. “Sometimes, when you talk to me,” Dream sighs, “I feel like I can’t breathe.” Or, 2020 Dream and 2023 Dream unknowingly swap bodies for a day to heal past wounds. 2020 Dream has an opportunity to confront feelings he’s pushed down and repressed while 2020 George gets some of the reassurance he needs.

“We should get married.” The words make Dream choke on the scrambled eggs in his mouth, and George just stares at him blankly as he coughs and takes a drink of his water. And, before he can overthink it, Dream gives in. “Ok, yeah. We should get married,” he nods to himself, reaching out to pull George’s hands apart and link their fingers together. “Did you mean, like, soon? Or?” “I mean, like, today.” George murmurs, eyes still not meeting Dream’s.

George made peace with it a long time ago, being in love with Dream like this. The funny feeling stuck in the back of his head wiggled itself free, like a piece of food stuck between his teeth finally coming loose, and abruptly, he realized that this was it. Dream was it. Coming to terms with it felt like grief, in a way.

Or, George moves to America pre-pandemic.

What it says on the tin