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"So, you're sure you can't fly?"
Dream rolled his eyes, glaring at George from his gaming desk. Contracting his wings he swiveled around to raise a pointed brow.
"Do you sleep in a coffin and live forever?" George scoffs tucking petulant arms beneath his pits. Knowing he won the battle Dream taunted him, "I fly anywhere I want, idiot, you know that."
"Yeah, well, I could kill you."
"Sure." The computer screen dinged prompting Dream to spare his attention elsewhere. Clicking on the new keyboard he'd set up a day or two ago for the creature behind him, he squinted at the screen. "The worst you’ll do is gnaw off my pinky finger?"
George's breath brushed up against Dream's neck before he even realized the man had moved. He envied vampires for their speed as all he had were wings. The big gawking things weighed him down more than helped with agility.
"No," George's breath tickled Dream's skin. He grinned to himself. "I'll drain you from here."
A finger dragged over a taunt tendon leaving the Fae to shiver. Lifting his free hand Dream turned George's chin up, thumbing over the vampire's bottom lip. Gently, he pressed the pad of his finger to the sharp fang hidden behind nearly symmetrical lips. It punctured yet didn't cause even a flinch, Dream was used to the bite by now. George closed his mouth around the Fae's thumb before sealing the bite over with his tongue. He frowned realizing he had lost this argument.
"You suck."
"Actually," Dream swiped the excess spit onto George's shirt, "you do. I am normal."
"Says the man that doesn't trip balls off of fairy fruit. Spare me, Dream."
With the second chair pulled up,
George plopped down and made it creak beneath him, legs tossed into Dream's lap a second later. "I eat normal food too."
Dream let his lips relax into another grin. His left hand squeezed at a petite ankle bone, George squirmed but didn’t pull away from him, "yet you still come find me when you're hungry."
It was normal for a vampire to eat a weighted diet of real food and blood. George couldn't find a thing to like about animal blood, he claimed it tasted of grass and dirt. If there was nothing else he'd settle for it but animal blood was avoided like the plague most of his life.
Werewolf blood was a step up from animal, the same for any type of changeling, they were half human half animal. George viewed it as more seasoned grass.
Human blood was normal, like bread to a starving man, but Fae blood might be the equivalent of hors d'oeuvres. The taste of it was a delicacy. It wasn't his fault that Dream was a walking milkshake with gold flakes and wings.
When a wing twitched with Dream's concentration, George reached out to it. Nimble fingers ghosted over the velvet feeling of skin, veins running throughout the span of him. They were like bat wings, no feathers or fluff, and they were sensitive. So much so Dream banished them away in most situations. Waving over a hand to use the illusion. George pinched one just remembering that he wasn’t always lucky enough to be in the presence of them, the wing involuntarily swung at him.
"Stop," Dream chuckled, "I will knock you out on accident like last time."
Ignoring Dream's warnings, he caressed the wing from the dip at Dreams shoulder blades where they started all the way to its sharp talon at the peak. Before him the fae sighed, drooping at the touch.
"You think you're wings taste better than the rest of your body," George mused, "you know. Like chicken wings."
Breathy, Dream waved a hand, "fuck off. Stop thinking about eating me. If you're hungry there's an entire blood fridge downstairs dedicated to you."
Like mist Dream vanished the appendages from his reach, a simple glamour only pure Fae had the ability to preform. George watched the solid wing dissolve beneath his fingertips like fire and ash.
"You taste better than my store bought blood bags." Dream snorted at that meandered comment. Dropping his head back onto the spare chair, George groaned loud enough to wake anyone in a ten foot radius. "Plus your blood has a sedative effect at night."
"Why is that?"
George paused abruptly, having to explain the reasoning would make their friendship a little weird. When in reality it wasn't weird at all they just had a connection, Dream's blood did what Dream intended it to. It's why the vampires savored Fae, their magic was... unique.
All blood had certain healing properties, certain benefits, but Fae could become any of the above. It needed intention from the Fae, consent from the vampire. A transaction of sorts. Similar to humans and O type blood, it was universal. But if one was in love... that changed quite a few things.
"Um," the vampire parried, "you know how werewolves scent each other."
Dream met his eye, skepticism etched into each beautiful feature, "yeah?"
"When a vampire is... comfortable with someone that is Fae and drink from them it can have different effects." To shake off the embarrassment he sat up straighter, "kinda like vampire venom."
He hums, "wait is that how you make it not hurt when you bite me?"
George rolled his eyes and wondered why he even indulged the stupid oversized pigeon, "yeah, dumbass. What, did you want it to hurt?"
"Um," Dream tilted his head and leaned back in his chair, "not every time but I want to know what it could feel like. Oh! Come on bite me, we can do a test."
George chuckled, "funny."
"No, seriously." The dumbass held his arm out, wrist flexing, veins popping. The vampire’s mouth watered. "It can't be that bad."
"I'm not biting you and letting it hurt."
"Please."
Chewing on his lip a fang popped out from his skin just thinking about the other's taste, Dream tracked it with his eyes. George was reluctant to let it hurt, he knew how bad it could feel. As a child when he miss behaved his father would snap at his wrist to teach him a lesson. Teach him strength. Drinking vampire blood as a vampire tasted of sand, but one could still conflict pain if their ability allowed it. It was partly why George hated his power, an inheritance from his great, great, great, grandmother, he was a rare find. An evil find.
"If I bite you, you'll be ill for days."
The Fae shrugged his shoulders and pushed his wrist into George's personal space. The vampires eyes honed in on the wrist and etched small red veins into the bags beneath his eyes.
Then he pulled away. Why he loved the Fae so much was beyond him, he'd moved over an ocean just to live with him, to complete their trio. This was the equivalent of asking George to rip his care for the other apart and burn all of the pieces.
"I'm not biting you," Dream was about to protest, George held up a hand. "I'll just let you see what it would feel like."
"Oh," he took in a breath, "you said you didn't like using your power."
George stood up and turned Dream's chair to face him, strong legs spread to make space for the vampire to stand between them. He choked down the warmth he felt when the Fae held his hips, it was friendly, if not a little awkward. Dream looked up at him for once and George looked down. Gripping his cheeks he muttered, "I'll stop before it gets bad."
"George, just do it."
He tucked a curl behind Dream's semi-pointed ear, "you can't hate me for it afterwards."
"You're scaring me dude," Dream's smile turned weary the longer they stood in this position. "It's not that big of a deal."
"I'm not scary," George scoffed, "but I’m supposed to be."
"What's that supposed-"
"Pain," George muttered hands gripping Dream's cheeks gently. Two thumbs brushed against the Fae's warm skin while he went uncharacteristically still. Frozen in fear. Eye glassed over.
Dream looked at George with a stupid expression. Sitting a foot away from the boy on the couch, George scooted closer to him.
"I'm hungry."
Dream scoffed and held out his wrist like a routine. Elated as always, George practically hopped his way over to Dream kissing his skin before biting. It never hurt when he did this, besides the initial bite it more or less felt good to Dream. Something similar to taking a calming sedative. George had told him it was used for prey back in the day, that they'd bite and not drink first to let the venom calm their meal. A pliant meal is easier than one trying to escape.
Dream's doctor always encouraged him to donate as, like the rest of his family, he had very thick blood. Either he donated once every month or he needed to take blood thinners. Ever since George arrived he stopped taking the medication for this exact reason. His doctor said it was a viable option, that some even visited vampire clinics for the way it made them feel. The only warning, never take too much.
"George," Dream mumbled lax on their couch. "You get a few more seconds then you have to stop."
He didn't stop instead he pulled away and thumbed over his neck. Dream struggled to push his friend away but found his body nearly unmovable. "George?"
Then he struck. Teeth sunk deep into Dream's artery, breaking skin. This time the venom burned, pulsed, scraped. An intrusion to Dream's body caused him to cry out. It was pathetic to fight, the older boy was stronger, he still desperately pulled at Georges hair. Soft strands turning numb between his fingers. His veins ached and pulsed. His heart couldn't keep up. Every drop drained up into George's mouth, Dream couldn't breath. Couldn't scream. Low heated yelps came out but George bit down harder to silence him. He wouldn't pull away. Dream felt betrayed. He felt his life seeping out in slow mouthfuls. It hurt. Physically. Even mentally.
"Please." His vision started to blank then it stopped.
"eam, Dream!"
Dream's face was pressed tightly into George's chest. Hoodie fabric smothered his initial shock. The vampire held him close whispering his name repeatedly, stressed hands dipping through his hair to ground him.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he repeated it over and over while Dream caught his trembling breath. Strong fingers fisted in the back of George's T-shirt. He touched his wrist, then his neck. "It's not real. I wouldn't do that to you. It's not real."
"That was... terrifying."
A nose found the top of Dream's hair, apple shampoo pressed close, voice cracking, "I know. I'm sorry.”
He swallowed, "well, it hurt... really bad."
George huffed, "no shit."
"It felt real." Pressing his cheek to George's sternum, the boy standing followed, his cheek grazing over soft auburn blonde hair. The deep grueling hunger no longer ate at him. Honestly, George doubted he'd sleep for at least a week after what he just did. "Like it was actually happening. Could... could you see what I saw?"
"Yes."
"How did..."
George leaned back and caressed Dream's cheeks once more, brushing the stray tears away from his friend's skin he laughed bitterly. Mortified at the fear blinking between the hazel green specks in his friends eyes.
"Some vampires tell the future, or grow flowers in the garden, and I do that." He shied away, eyes on a lackluster strand of hair that stuck up from Dream's cowlick. "I can make anyone see something painful. Feel it. Death, broken bones, heartbreak, a vampire bite. Betrayal. One word and then they see it, feel whatever I want them to."
"Can it..."
George sucked in a breath and faltered on a step back, "yes. It can kill if taken too far. You were in it for 10 seconds, think about if someone did that for an hour, several different scenarios. Different pain. Their body wouldn't handle it."
"Have you... tested that?"
George eased his way back into his squeaky spare chair while digging his fingers deep into his own hair. The ability wasn't just terrifying to Dream, it scared George just as much if not more and he had to live with it.
"My father used to make me go hunting with him." George said, "he'd see the animal. I had to kill it. No gun. No weapon."
"Fuck," Dream said. George agreed. The silence laid between them turned heavily far too soon and George was eager to escape.
"Are you okay?"
"What?" Dream looked up snapping out of wherever his head had gone. "Yeah. I'm fine. Are you?"
Breathily, George stood, "yeah. But I am... hungry. So, I'm gonna..."
"You don't want-"
"Not after that." George gave Dream a tight smile, pushing his wrist away kindly. "I think I'll need a week recovery after that."
"It wasn't real," Dream reasoned. "You wouldn't hurt me, George."
"I just did."
There wasn't an argument to that.
***
"You smell like dog."
A snout pressed cold up beneath George's chin. Dipping until his nose brushed against the giant wolf's laid heavy on his chest, George sighed. Grey and black wool matted together to form a beating fur coat, charcoal eyes the jewel of the animal.
"Sulking?"
"No," George said. "I'm not."
"Are."
"Sapnap." The fur on the back of his neck could closely be compared to premium silk. If he could George would turn him into a very comfortable throw pillow.
"Bitch." The words echoed around in his thoughts as the wolf gazed at him.
"Get out of my head." Snuffing, Sapnap nudged his wet nose into George's chest, eyes closed. Werewolves were unique in they way they could read people. From sadness, sickness, dread, heartbreak, the wolves could feel it. And in a way Sapnap understood George's horrid ability as his was almost as bad. Different weapons same battle.
"Hungry?"
"No, I'm not hungry."
The whimpering became annoying after a few moments. Sapnap could feel George's pain, his hunger. It wasn't terrible yet, it was only just digging at his ribs at the start of this week. Only eating human food as a vampire will keep the being alive but eventually starve him after a prolonged period of time. George was scared of blood after what happened with Dream. Scared he might loose control in his bloodlust. He messed with his own mind by giving pain, fear. All magic had consequences big and small.
Sapnap snuffled once more, rolling off onto the floor to disappear beneath the sight of the couch. When he came back up he was human again, eyebrows furrowed at George pointedly.
"Really? You think I can't feel it?"
"Shut up, Sapnap." He chewed on his lip, "another day and I'll be over it."
"You better or I'll force a blood bag down your throat myself." The werewolf grimaced, "that sounds weird. Whatever, eat, dumbass. You'll get sick if you don't."
***
George did eat, but not blood. He stared at the bag and felt guilty somehow. It put a bad taste in his mouth, using his ability on Dream. The Fae seemed fine. Dancing around the house like he usually did, cooking George breakfast, watching movies in the living room with him and Sapnap. It was as if he had unlocked a new found knowledge and was extremely interested in his vampire abilities. Most of their conversations became fact dominated.
"So, you can't lift anything with magic like I can?" He spun in George's desk chair while the vampire sat limp against his headboard, skin paler than usual. Sleep had prevailed him since the incident, hunger eating him alive, but that wasn't as bad as the fear laced in tight curls from from last week. He could hurt them, Sapnap and Dream, easily. They wouldn't even be able to fight him off. It made him sick. "Or talk through telekinesis like Sapnap?"
"No," he swallowed. "No... um... I can't."
"Well, what else can you do?" Dream rambled on and George picked at the string bursting through the duvet. "I know we've talked so much about this over a screen before, but it's different in person."
"Yeah," George said distracted.
"Do you know if... hey, George? You alright you look a little sick."
"Fine," the vampire shook his head, "just a little distracted."
"You look... have you eaten?"
George didn't answer.
Then it clicked. Dream was on the bed in no time pressing his hand to George's neck. The vampire shifted to extract himself, Dream smelled good, like baked bread on a Sunday morning. Cheese biscotti. Soup. He had to pull away.
"You're hungry." Dream appeared forlorn, "why aren't you eating?"
"I am eating."
He scoffed, "why aren't you drinking?"
George honed in on his friend and let his headache override every over sensation. Dropping down against Dream's shoulder, George breathed in his smell, his pulse, his breath.
"I can't get the thought out of my head." Another dry swallow, he could almost feel it splash in his stomach. "That I could hurt you guys. Easily."
Dream pulled back and summoned his wings in an instant. Leathery points bowed out and stretched wide enough to knock a few items off of George's nightstand. The fierce way both wings flapped in anticipation let George know he was prepared for attack. He tensed. Dream dropped the act after a second and laughed.
"You could hurt us, George." He canted his head in disbelief, "we could hurt you. Semantics."
"But, Dream..."
"No," he sighed. Then, with only slight reluctance, Dream brought his wrist up to George as an offering. The vampire started shaking his head immediately, hair falling into his eye, Dream hummed. "I can fix you. Let me fix you."
"Dream..."
"I did research on it. On what my blood can do to you." George felt his stomach bottom out, with what he was thinking, this new found knowledge might become slightly uncomfortable for both of them. "It can heal you."
"No... I..."
"Please."
George didn't want to but either it was let Dream right the wrong or go to the hospital, "okay."
The Fae smiled but George stopped him, "you stop me when it's too much."
"I know, George." He urged his wrist up and let him place it to his mouth.
"Fine," George muttered. Slowly he opened his mouth and showed his teeth. Then he sunk with tender ease into Dream's wrist, the Fae grimaced but realized it didn't hurt more than a pinch. Immediately, George's color rose back up through his hollow cheeks with anxious tension escaping his shoulders like melting butter.
Dream carded a hand through George's brown hair while the vampire pulled mouthfuls of blood. "Should have just told me."
George hummed, far too entranced by the Fae buffet presented to him on a silver platter.
"You aren't gonna hurt us." George closed his eyes. "We're not gonna hurt you."
After a minute Dream's vision faltered, head feeling light and airy. At the first sign of too much Dream warned, "five seconds."
George ripped away immediately, eyes retracting the veins that pooled into his cheeks during feeding, a drop of blood still on his lip. He licked it away.
Dream pushed the other's hair back from his clammy forehead. Dragging his tongue over the bite he just made, George closed the wound.
"Better?"
"Better."
Then he smacked him upside the head, warranting a grimace from the vampire. Fangs and all, he swiped over his lips for excess blood prompting, "what the fuck?"
"That's for not eating." Then Dream pressed a kiss to his temple, George melted. The endorphins induced by the blood ran through his veins and were almost as powerful as the nerves in his stomach. "And that's for being careful."
A quiet breath. George reached out, grasping Dream's wing he caressed it. It was almost alike to Sapnap's fur, in a sense, as the feel could still be soft enough to turn into a pillow. Dream furrowed his brows at the languid touch before releasing both wings forward, they no longer intimidated but caressed. Holding George in an enclosed space.
"I like your wings."
A foreign smile, something hinted but not yet discussed, "I know you do."
***
The rain outside kept George up at night, as if he could sleep anyways. Sleep was more of a hobby rather than a bodily need to George, vampires didn't require sleep to live. Fae and werewolf's, however, needed it. Sometimes Sapnap took advantage of that fact. The wolf fell asleep almost anywhere he laid down, not to mention the excessive amount of shedding he had while in his animal form.
Passing down their hallway, George headed to the kitchen to search the pantry for pop-tarts when he caught sight of Dream's door. It was slightly agape leaving room for him to peer into. It must've been propped open for patches the house cat that roams around freely, one that George sometimes threatens to eat when she rips up his favorite sweaters. He'd never do it, the cat is part of his family and he'd never hurt family.
The rain trickles down the window of Dream's bedroom in a soft cascade. Drip by beating drip. Curtain's that are meant to block out the moon and sun seem to have been pushed aside by patches who rests on the window sill fast asleep. George smiled to himself and moved to leave just when the light hit on the man tucked beneath warm blankets. His wings were all George could see.
Spread out in long limp fanned spans all the way off each side of the bed. Dream laid atop his stomach in order to stretch them out during sleep. Each ruffled and twitched while he breathed, a soft pretty dark grey that nearly glimmered in the moonlight. Almost kin to black pearls. George always thought Dream an angel, and himself a dark evil. Mixing the two was bound to cause a catastrophic downfall.
Dream shifted suddenly eyes on the door, he grappled at his bedsheets, "George? That you?"
The Vampire was caught now, releasing a reluctant breath he stepped into the room. Shuffling socks on the threshold George leant against the doorway.
"Yeah, sorry to wake you." George was caught on the way Dream's wings retracted to his shoulders allowing him to roll over onto his back. "I can't sleep. Wanted a pop-tart."
"You're hungry?"
George shook his head, "more bored than anything."
"Come here." Dream opened a sleepy arm and with it a wing extended. The tips of his wings reached out like splayed fingers, softly inviting. George felt mesmerized at the way it called for him. "Lay with me, enjoy the rain."
Obliging the oversized bird, George slid over the edge of the mattress to meet him. A low groan from the springs made him a bit self conscious of this entire activity. In bed together with untold one sided fingers sounded dangerous. George felt the warning fly out the window when Dream tucked an arm around his smaller waist and held him to his chest. His breath brushed over George's forehead before a real fascination came down in one smooth flap.
Timid fingers unraveled themselves from between the two friends chest moving the distance of air to bendy tendons encased by baby soft velvet. George brushed over him causing each to furl under touch. Dream hummed and let himself loosen unevenly.
"Pretty." George's voice barely lifted over a whisper. He corrected himself, "They are fascinating."
"Just like me for my wings, huh?"
George tucked his head beneath Dream's neck and sighed. It wasn't why he liked Dream. It was for the way he spoke, how he cared, the way this simply fell into place when Dream was around. The wings were an added bonus.
"No," George muttered stroking over the slope of the right wing. "More than that. These are still… beautiful."
Dream grinned into George's hair, "they like you as well you know."
As he spoke the left wing stretched all the way over until it tucked tight against George's shoulder. The peak bowed like a servant dedicated to a king.
"They are you," George huffed, "that mean you like me?"
Dream kissed his forehead, "Let me sleep, Vampire."
George hummed and asked, "do the magic first."
"No."
"Yes."
"If I do will you go to sleep." The vampire nodded and Dream sighed. Untucking an arm from around George's torso he waved a hand at the lamp on his bedside table.
The darkness quickly became chased by the brightness of the lamp. Suddenly the light turned on without even touching the switch. George grinned when Dream circled his wrist twice. The lamp’s light pulled from its bulb and floated over the two of them.
"Stars?" Dream's eyes were still closed and George admired the abilities to do this while being half asleep. He whispered his agreement and pet over the leathery wing keeping him safe. It tucked in even closer as a response. "Stars it is, then."
The little light orb split into a million pieces with a snap of Dream's fingers. Scattering through the room, tiny orbs of light flew through air to create an array of clusters. The stars mapped out slowly on the ceiling. The Big Dipper and Little Dipper next to the fan, Sirius and Orion on the left, finishing off with Andromeda and Regulus on the right. The only reason George knew their specific placements was because Dream was an astronomy nerd. But he couldn't put too much fault in him, he was a light fairy after all.
"Did you do this for your girlfriends when you would sleep together?" George reached out and touched a little orb only for it to shock him then disappear.
"Don't touch them." Dream took his assaulted hand and kissed the injured finger. "And no. I only do this for you."
George didn't know how to respond to that, so he didn't at all. Instead he watched the magic float around them in spinning orbs of stars until Dream started to fall asleep. And slowly one by one the lights dimmed with him. When the last orb simmered out George went back to caressing the wings enclosing him. Tiredness came in slowly but somehow he felt more secure between two powerful wings than in his own bed. Safe between them and Dream.
***
There was a party happening within large rented mansion. Music and drinks spread over a counter in the kitchen while people and creators moved about the area. George found himself pressed into Dream's side on the couch. Quackity and Punz mingling on the other couch. The atmosphere was loud enough for George to want to sit back in the car they arrived in but he opted to feel Dream's pulse beside him instead. It beat rhythmically when he brushed two finger's over the wrist holing his thigh.
"Fae blood can do what?"
George had both of his hands digging relentlessly into his face to keep from having this conversation. Quackity had control of the conversation and seemed to find it amusing telling Dream all of the things George kept from him. Vampires were a pain in the ass.
He snickers, "it can be used sexually yeah. You didn't know that?"
"What?" Dream shook his head in disbelief. "Like what does it do?"
Gesturing, Quackity asked, "George knows this. Why didn't he explain it?"
"He doesn't know," Dream tried to defend. "Right, George?"
"Um," the vampire shifted uncomfortably next to Dream. Beside him the oversized bat dropped it's jaw at the reveal of lies. "Well..."
"Why the fuck didn't you tell me!"
Quackity was having a field day with these two, "it's the first thing vampire's learn when their like eight. What kind of blood does what to your body. It’s a safety thing. Some Fae might take advantage when they realize-"
"Quackity!"
"-they can make vampires feel the way they want them too if they are willing to drink from them."
George felt the redness taking over his pale complexion, "You didn't need to tell him that!"
Quackity now looked confused, "what why not?"
"I. Drink. From. Him."
He faltered from taking a sip of his drink, "you let him feed on you?"
The question was directed to Dream who seemed to be very deep in thought after the latest findings. George knew where is head had gone, straight to wondering what he felt when he let him feed. To what they didn’t talk about. His eyes had a slight glow when they met George's on the couch. The lights in the room flickering slightly from his spike of emotion.
"Yeah, I have over compensating blood. I need it thinned monthly."
Quackity snorted and sipped from his drink. Contemplation clear in his thoughts. "Is that really why you let him feed off you."
George could feel the shimmer in the air, Quackity's magic was so potent he could almost taste it.
Cut through lies Dream answered, "yes. I also like being needed by George."
George balked at him and it seemed Dream didn't want to say as much as he was forced to speak. He covered his mouth with a spare hand, eyes widened. Quackity laughed from the opposite couch.
"Sorry, couldn't resist. You two are a puzzle I want to piece together."
Punz seemed to finally clock back in, "did you just use your power on him?"
"He did," George said. "You're not supposed to use it for your personal amusement, Quackity."
The other vampire rolled his eyes, "that rule applies to the dangerous abilities. Mine is child's play. Look, Punz what are you most annoyed about right now?"
The werewolf blinked, "Karl said he was bringing me a drink and decided to play fetch with Sapnap instead. I wanted my margarita."
Despite the seriousness of this situation George snorted. Out of the window Punz was correct. Karl, another Fae, hovered in the air with a large branch. Below him Sapnap, a so called ferocious werewolf, wagged his tail in wait for the toss. Then he shot out into the yard to fetch it.
Dream shook his head and sipped from his drink while George muttered, "still not right to use it without consent."
Then dark eyes honned in on him. Quackity leaned his elbows on his knees and asked, "what are you so afraid to tell, George?"
The magic grew dense in the air but George resisted it the best he could. Struggling he grit out, "nothing."
"Wait, why didn't he answer truthfully. I can feel you're using the ability on him." Dream looked between the two immediately after Punz pointed it out.
"Vampires are different," Quackity explained concentrating. George sat stiff with a tight grip on Dream's wrist to ground him. "We can block out each other depending on who's stronger. But he won't last, I use my ability too much. We're practically the same strength even if George refuses to tell me what rare ability he has."
"Stop." George managed to say, "I’d rather not win."
His friend smirked, "then let me win. Tell us why you feed off of Dream, the real reason."
The magic was drowning enough that George felt the truth bubbling up. He panicked, "Pain."
Immediately, his own magic won the childish struggle. He struck out the other. Quackity froze up. A hand pulled at his throat. The drink in his left grasp fell to the floor bound to stain the expensive carpet. It was all in his head but he physically stopped breathing. Breath shallow and unsupportive to his lungs. George couldn't break the contact from it, a situation playing between them, this was anger driven. Provoked and preened, he felt the rage mix into the magic much like it had when he was young and out of control.
"Oh, shit," Punz said holding Quackity's slumped cheek. "Dude. Let him go. He can't breathe. George!"
The vampire disregarded anything other than his rage until Dream pulled his chin from the scene. It broke the contact between the two and forced George to focus on something else. On him. On his eyes and his breath, on his lips.
The vampire’s ears rung with the mellow sound of Dream's voice drawing him out of it, "stop."
"What?"
"You weren't stopping." Dream spared a glance at Quackity who was coughing but clearly breathing once again. "You... your anger was... it was a lot."
The warm palms on his face held tight enough to bring full reality back in like a title wave. Drowned in the aftermath of his actions, George swallowed nerves while Quackity started to laugh at their situation. Shock clearly the only problem now.
"You shouldn't have... you shouldn't have provoked me."
The smaller vampire waved a hand and pushed Punz's parental doting away, "I wanted to see what you were hiding. Apparently, it was a Darktrack ability. That... it's an amazing ability, George."
"Tell that to the way you almost died on the carpet because you pissed me off." George scoffed and stormed his way out of the living room and up into the grand stair case.
-
"Don't fall I don't want to have to catch you."
Down below the balcony George leaned over, Dream stood with his wings spread and his arms crossed. George spared him a dark glare and said, "I won't die from a fall, I'm not as fragile as you."
Within a gust of wind, wings unraveled themselves from behind Dream's back. Stretched out to their full length, he popped his neck before bending to lift himself upward. Mesmerized, George watched both wings beat against the air and lift Dream's body effortlessly into the night sky. Hovering before him Dream recrossed his arms over his tight t-shirt, both of their faces now at eye level.
"If you are sulking because of Quackity. He's fine." A small huff of laughter, "better than fine. He's gloating about how he survived your cool ability."
George didn't smile, "survived. That shouldn't be an achievement."
"You're terrifying." Dream deadpanned.
George snapped up, "What?"
"You could hurt someone. You have an evil ability. So what?" Dream offered his hand, "you're a vampire, you're coded to kill. To manipulate. You don't have to feel bad for that. It's part of who you are. It's part of Quackity as well. It's why he acted like that."
George stared at the offered palm, "but I don't want to be feared."
"No one is afraid of you."
"You are a liar."
"Wanna go home?" Dream flapped air into his face suggesting the obvious way of escape. "Sapnap said he'd drive home alone. More so preferred it."
George looked to the ground then up at his friend flying effortlessly, "you'll drop me just to see if I break."
This time Dream had a serious expression rather than a joking grin, "never."
Maybe that was why he grasped his friend's hand. Pulled over the railing of the balcony, Dream held George up in the air and let him fall a second. The vampire yelped and scrambled onto the Fae's arm with both hands yelling his protests. Stomach dropping to his toes. He wouldn't die from the fall but it would still hurt like a bitch.
"What?" Dream hauled George up and held him beneath the knees much like a bride carried over the threshold after a wedding. "I'd never let you fall."
"Asshole." Firmly, George looped his arms around Dream's neck. "Take me home, blood bag."
"You are a piece of work," Dream grumbled but obeyed. Pushing off of the railing Dream shot them into the air flying just above the tree line. Effortless. George remembers the days when he'd find Dream answering his midnight calls in the air. He always said it was a nice place to think. And he never admitted it but hearing the wind over the speaker was calming then, even more so now.
George felt his skin prickle at the cool air and height they flew by. It was a surreal experience being in the sky. Wind, rain, and clouds all mixed above them in a natural cycle. Timid fingers detached from Dream's skin to graze the cloud before them. It evaporated when he glided against it, his hand came back damp with condensation.
"When I was little I used to think you could eat them." Dream pressed his nose close to George's ear so he could hear him over the wind speed. "The second I was in flying class and they allowed us to go as high as we could I went straight through a cumulonimbus cluster. Its the ones with the most rain collection."
George grinned imagining a younger version of his best friend, "then what happened?"
A prompt huff, "I walked home soaking wet."
He laughed, how could he not. Dream's own chuckle was tempted enough not to mention the story. When they grew quite the vampire reached out for more clouds.
"This is cool." George rested his head against Dream's shoulder, "never drive me around in the car again. You're flying me places."
A hesitant pause, "Only if you tell me the real reason you like to feed from me. I know it taste better, but there is something you're not telling me."
He went stiff but realized there was nothing he could do to escape this time. They were thousands of miles in the air, all he could do was fall. Damn the oversized bird.
"Fae blood tastes and feels better when you have a romantic attraction to them. A calming affect for a vampire is a sign of love." Silence. George swallowed, "of attraction.”
Dream shook his head, "we don't have to talk about it now. Later.”
So, they didn't. Instead Dream flew them over buildings and lights until the old back road of their house came into view. George let him land on the balcony of Dream's room made for his flying excursions. And if he raised up on his tiptoes and placed a surprise kiss over Dream's lips neither said anything about it.
***
George was sulking. Door shut tight to keep his other two roommates from bursting in he declared hibernation. Pitch black with all of his curtains drawn, George left his daylight ring on the nightstand and burrowed beneath the blackout covers.
He'd kissed him. A peck against a friend who was more shocked than happy about the notion. He could still see the surprise etched into Dream's features. The brows blow up into his hair line, the agape mouth, his hands wrenching back from where they held George's shoulders, it was humiliating.
George picked at his bedding seam and took in unnecessarily deep breaths. He could hear them talking in the hallway, Sapnap's wolf pacing in front of his door every once in a while, Dream's hesitation to knock. The rapping at the door never came and George didn't get up. He poked around in his room until he memorized every corner of it. Edited things that should have been posted months ago. Even a book he was dying to read had been cracked open.
"I'm unlocking the door." Sapnap's growl was getting closer with every heavy step. "He can't just lock himself in his room because you two are fighting."
"We aren't fighting," Dream muttered. "And you can't just burst into the room unwarranted. That's an invasion of privacy."
"I don't care." The door rattled, "I'm going to loose my mind if I have to feel anymore of his despair through the walls. Not to mention your stupid worry."
Slipping on his ring, George threw open the curtains and took a seat at his desk right as Sapnap opened the door. He looked up from his false attention to his phone.
"Um, can I help you?"
His two roommates, dumbstruck, stared like deer in headlights. Sapnap scratched at his neck after sparring a glance at the Fae. Clearing his throat he said, "you alright?"
George glanced around for as if something was out of the ordinary. Finding absolutely nothing, like he knew he would, the vampire snorted. "Yeah? What's going on?"
"You... what?" Sapnap waved a hand vaguely, "it's stinks of desperation and hurt in here. You can't just sit there and act like we haven't seen you in an entire day!"
George scoffs and stands up, passing his friends in the threshold, "I got carried away. I was watching a sad show my mother recommended. But I finished it now."
Dream sputtered, "what?"
His two roommates followed him into the kitchen. Shadows behind a vampire who's lives within them. Reaching his specific fridge, George thumbed through the newest delivery of blood bags and went for and older one. Ripping the unneeded cap from the top, he pulled a straw from a canister and drank it like a juice box. The veins in his eyes trickling out at the first drop connecting to his tongue.
"Wha.... I swear I could feel..." Sapnap rubbed his eyes clean of frustration and opened the normal fridge. With a can of some kind of soda the Werewolf said, "never mind I guess. Um... want to watch a movie?"
George took another savoring mouthful of his bag ready to answer when Dream cut him off. Head shaking with wild hand gestures, "what? No, you can't... you. What, you don't want to talk about it?"
Sapnap's brows furrowed in confusion, "talk about what."
George shrugged at him far to falsely enthralled in his dinner.
Soft features hardened almost instantly, fists clenched, "he kissed me."
George snorted, a taunt. Or panic. Sapnap's lips upturned into a stupid grin of disbelief, "Dream, what?"
"After I brought him home from the party... you kissed me, George." The Fae straighten out his wings clearing a sign of hurt. Of frustration. "Why are you acting like you didn't?"
Because there was no reaction, because Dream didn't bother to confront him about it, because the Fae didn't kiss him back. George knew if they kept this between them it would ruin more than just their friendship, it would ruin everything. It would change their interactions in person, online, with their friends, anything that they had between them. It was a mistake he couldn't take back. Not in memory nor in action, but it could be swept beneath the rug. Covered over like a photoshopped image, the feelings about it would inevitably dissipate. It would just take time, and with the three of them being basically immortal, they had loads of it.
"Because I didn't," George deadpanned, a glance at Sapnap then back at the Fae. "You alright, Dream?"
The Fae only looked at him, eyes glowing with a firm hurt. Above them the overhead lights flickered on the man's inhale. Then he scoffed, releasing whatever tension he had running through his body, once again the lights flickered on and off. Turning on a dime, the Fae threw a 'whatever' over his shoulder and stalked off up the stairs.
George knew it must've been frustrating to hear, but nothing could compare to his sheer embarrassment of the topic. His own hurt. It was better to let it go than press on a wound that would never be dressed. Dream would get over it eventually.
***
It was like a bruise pressed every so often. Online with the fake flirting, going out and seeing people take interest in the Fae, all while covering each bit up by closing off his admittance from Sapnap. The werewolf was constantly trying to get into his head after the first instance a few weeks ago. Sending him looks then becoming forlorn when he realized the Vampire was blocking him out. At home, at the bar, at meet and greets, he kept the channel closed to his best friend at all times. Needless to say he was physically exhausted after three or so weeks. His head felt like a battle field he was losing to himself constantly.
The dissonance was there again, burning into his left side brain. George closed his eyes and pressed his hand to the middle of his head. It was a side effect of always turning the wall on, migraines. They reoccurred so often lately George had taken to swimming to let his guard down. Something about the water made Sapnap's interrogation murky.
"Stop," George, laid on the couch to battle too much, said quietly. "What do you want?"
Sapnap sniffed in front of him, his snout pressing into his cheek a moment later. The cold press was enough to push the animal away, the same hand went immediately back to his forehead. His mental wall remained intact even with the splitting pain in his brain, Sapnap pressed once more at the telepathic channel causing a wince in the vampire. Stopping with another snuff he trotted off to the kitchen.
George relaxed as much as he could into the couch and tried to turn off his thoughts completely. He wanted to flip off every switch possible but that would only send him into silence. Physically and mentally, someone without a temper or a personality. Vampires only ever used that ability if there was something too great to deal with, grief, pain, fear. George was too afraid someone wouldn't know how to turn him back on to try it before.
A cold press against his forehead snapped him completely out of his thoughts. He flinched, eyes open to Sapnap holding an ice pack between his wolf canines. Thankfully George pressed the icepack to his temples and let his shoulders sink into the couch beneath him.
"Ow," he protested feeling a fully grown wolf hop onto his chest collapsing down against him. "You napping on me will not get rid of my headache."
The wolf whined probably feeling all of his aches, stress, and pain second hand. He sighed and dragged a hand through fur that would seriously make a nice blanket.
"Fine." A soft mutter, "just for a little bit."
George had never needed sleep, but he fell immediately into the darkness laid on that couch. The war coming to a quiet cease-fire in his brain.
***
Dream did eventually get over it. It took a week or so, then everything was back to normal. Games, watching movies, talking, it was all the same until George returned to his room and had to remember everything. Every cover of his feelings for his best friend, every touch not meant to be more than friendly, that stupid kiss. Over and over at night he went through torment, and in the morning it was forced away. Until it didn't hurt to think about anymore. Nothing lingered anymore after a while, nothing about it really mattered when he was happy enough to live with his best friends. That was until a certain Fae came knocking on his door.
Pulled from staring blankly at his wall George mustered a smile for the other, inviting him in. It must be another movie, another stupid meaningless conversation, or most likely business talk.
Dream bit his lip, "are you hungry by any chance."
That was not something he expected to come from the other's mouth. "Um... yeah. A bit. Why?"
"I..." the Fae turned a bit pink in the pointed ears. Uncharacteristically nervous. "I either need to take my meds or let you... feed."
George swallowed and averted his gaze, "oh."
That made sense, they hadn't had this exchange in a long while. Not since before that party a month ago. Not since before George stupidly kissed Dream.
"You don't have to I was just-"
"No," George shook his head with a gentle grin, "come here, blood bag."
Dream physically drooped before scoffing at him. Falling into place next to him on the bed, Dream offered up his right wrist. George took it gently a little hesitant to this. It would most likely open the window of feelings for the Fae once more, but a delicacy was a delicacy. He had to take a bite.
Dream breathed evenly at the pinch. "I ready an article about Vampire's that drink Fae blood. And the things it could do." George hummed too enthralled with the taste to care about the conversation. The veins in cheeks grew from dark red to grey with the every mouthful. "How if I want it to. It becomes truth serum."
That’s when George felt the shift. The spark that changed from metallic to smooth. It was too late by the time he retracted his teeth. Dream looked guilty sitting there knowing what he had just done, letting his blood take over George's thoughts. It opened all of his walls from there to a five mile radius. Sapnap must've nearly felt it smack him through their blocked channel. The connection forcibly open by the Fae.
The vampire struggled a moment against the will seeping into his veins. A burn unfamiliar in the way it settled in his stomach. Gripping at his night stand, George felt sheer betrayal between them.
"Dream..."
The Fae wouldn't look at him. "Do you hate me?"
"No." George spat out uncontrollably. Anger connecting with panic. "Not yet."
He hummed and rubbed at his eyes thumbing over his new bite a moment later. A heavy silence, "do you love me?"
He struggled but blood magic was stronger than anything a vampire could resist, "yes."
"As a friend."
"Yes."
Dream glanced him over with a soft smile, "as more than a friend?"
"Yes."
Brows rose and George reached for the trash can by his bed to spit out the lingering rush of blood in his mouth. The powers just beneath his fingertips wanted to reach out, to have revenge. "What the actual hell, Dream!"
He scoffed, "what, I needed to know. And you were blocking Sapnap out. I knew you wouldn't answer me."
"And forcing it out of me was the answer?" Something broke in his heart then, a painful black replacing the fondness for his friend. "Forcing it out of me against my will was better than fucking asking me? Which I don't recall you doing."
George spit out as much as was left in his mouth, but he'd already taken mouthfuls of the tainted blood. It was in his system by now. Churning and churning in his gut to spill out his feelings. His emotions. To spill out his powers.
"You wouldn't have answered me anyway." Dream shook his head. "Besides, I like you too... as more than a friend. I just wanted to be... to be sure. I didn’t know what to say the other night.”
The filter he usually used to keep all of his ruthless remarks no longer remained, "so to keep your ass of an ego at its peak you hurt me instead?"
George winced and gripped at his mouth, words uncontrollable.
Dream's head snapped over at the tone used, bows furrowed, he asked, "what? No. George, it's not a big deal. I'd never-"
"Never what," George snapped veins in his cheeks ripping back to red. He dropped the trash can from his hand, "never trick me into drinking from you? Never force me to tell you the truth? How would you feel if I did it to you? Held you under nightmares for hours? Letting you relive every fear you've ever had over and over. All out of your control!"
George could only agree with the look of fear on Dream's face, he was terrified of what was dropping past his lips. Unfiltered anger and frustration pouring out after weeks of being bottled up.
"George, that would... that would hurt me I'd never hurt-"
"This could hurt me to!" Dream stood at the raise of voice. "Did you read anything at all? Too much Fae blood, when it's influenced, can cause a vampire permanent damage. Addiction. No control. I have no control of my anger Dream. My power... its-"
The vampire winced again, uneasy at the pure buzz beneath his skin. A thousand fires lit under his power, all of it amplified.
"I didn't know. I'm sorry." Dream reached for George's hand and ended up pressed back into the wall. Wings trapped against wood and strength. "George. I'm sorry. I'm a dumbass, I just didn't know how to ask if you felt the same I just wanted the truth-"
Coming close to the Fae's face he whispered, "pain."
Dream fought for a moment, a bug giving its last struggle beneath the teeth of a predator, then he went still. His eyes glazed over in fear. George, too caught up in the overwhelming pump of Fae blood in his system didn't catch their roommate walking in frantic. He yelled at the vampire. Tugging at him.
It wasn't until a normal blood bag dripped onto his lips that the spell broke. George released Dream and let him collapse onto the ground. Stunned he stumbled back, eyes finally influenced by nothing.
"Dream. Dream? Can you hear me?"
Zoned in on his roommates he felt a wave of nausea hit him. Dream laid unconscious between Sapnaps arms.
"George, what the fuck did you do?"
***
"He'll be fine," George heard the doctor mutter to the congregation a few feet away. "It was just a lot to take in at once. A power like that isn't good to mess around with, especially out of control, but your son will be fine."
Dream's family was there. Worried sick it looked like. Sapnap by their side. George couldn't bring himself to speak to any of them. Couldn’t look them in the face while knowing what he just did to their son. Instead, he peeked at Dream through a small corner window in the ICU, watching him breathe. Wings limp over the bedside.
Not only had he confessed feelings he shouldn't have, but Dream confessed his own. That mixed with the blood spell Dream put on him threw off the entire balance of his equilibrium. His powers. It forced George into the basic vampire tendency, a predator to prey. Someone to fear.
"We can go see him now."
George, glued to his spot by the window, hummed, "I'm alright."
"George," Sapnap said. "You know it's not your fault. He made you manic with the blood spell."
That he knew, the doctors checked him out and checked his levels. After a few minutes, a nurse brought out a purifying medication to get the last dregs that the Fae let him drink.
"He almost died." The because of me was too hard to think about let alone say out loud.
"And he's a dumbass for trying a blood spell in the first place." Sapnap placed a warm arm on his shoulder. "You two just need to talk. You love each other, you just need to work that out."
"No," George turned from the unmoving Fae behind the window. "I don't think we do if this is what happens."
"George..."
Stepping away from the window completely, George dug deep for a reassuring smile. Clasping his hands together to keep from trembling he looked his friend in the eyes. "I'm going to go stay with Quackity for a while. He was so excited he already made up his spare room. I think it will be good for me to be around another vampire instead. If it's a good fit, I'll just take up his half of the rent and stay. He's been wanting a roommate."
Sapnap blinked, "You're not moving out. I won't let you."
George caught a glimpse of their friend's mom grasping her son's limp hand, "that's not your choice to make, Sapnap."
***
"So, I was thinking maybe we could go to this cool vampire boba place!" Quackity helped George haul his bags into a spare room of his loft apartment. "It has a smoothie so normal food but the boba are blood boba. Isn't that sick!"
George didn't answer right away instead he took in the blankness of his new reality. Like most vampires, Quackity didn't sleep. No beds or cushions, just dark hallways with heavy curtains to block out the light outside. It made sense for what George had to stare at in the spare room, "no bed?"
His friend snorted, "no, I have a pull out couch if you wanna take a nap or something. But you won't want to sleep with me we're hitting the town George!"
"Right." George swallowed and set his suitcase down on a small furred carpet. The wool's color reminded him of Sapnap, the specks of Dream, he shook his head at their thought. It wouldn't help dwelling on mistakes. "So, what's first."
Turning back around he found Quackity holding a small metal pendant, with a very deep frown. "You're not going to wear it are you?"
George snagged the heirloom and stuffed it back in his carryon bag, "I haven't decided."
"George," his friend tried, "you had once incident. And it wasn't your fault. Taking your powers away will only make everything worse."
"Yeah," he shrugged. "Whatever. What's first on your agenda."
Quackity sighed but couldn't resist the fun any longer.
***
George's chin dug into his forearm rested over the sticky, he exhaled. Tinkering with the glass of his drink he clicked on the messages from Sapnap. Dream was home, and bitching about this and that. Sulking about the rest. Apparently, the last time the werewolf found their friend was in George's bed with fading constellations scattered around the ceiling. Getting missed them dearly, but fear kept him away. Fear of losing control again.
"What's got you so down?" The husky toned bartender swiveled around after serving a few rounds to some rowdy fairies. Eyeing him closely the fellow vampire severed George a glass of water. "You're friend still around?"
He nodded. Quackity was living it up on the dance floor and all George wanted to do was lay down and nap. Caress soft wings until he fell asleep. He clenched his fist and released it remembering the feeling of soft velvet skin.
"Then tell me what's got you then." The bartender scrubbed the counter and leant against it. "Tellin a stranger is easier sometimes."
George felt his around in his alcohol tasting mouth and considered. Looking at the gruff man he asked, "what's your power."
The bartender grinned, "Pathokinesis. I can feel and manipulate feelings. And right now yours are staining my bar. You?”
He grunted, "Pain Illusion."
The bartender raised his brows, "dark track. What about your light side?"
"My what?"
The vampire eyed him sharply, "your light track. Every dark track ability has a light track one. My friend he's like you. Can bend people to his will. Completely involuntary. That shit feels weird. But at the same time. He can heal whatever he feels is wrong when controlling someone. Like broken Bones."
George pressed his cheek to his arm, "all I do is hurt the people I love."
The bartender shook his head, "you probably don't. But if it's causing this much turmoil. Turn it all off for a bit. Flip the little switch for a while you'll come back a little clearer."
On his way to grumble out more drunken fears, George was interrupted by Quackity dragging him back to the dance floor.
***
"You don't have a bed?"
Uncomfortably rolling on his side, the vampire shifted his phone up and rested it against the wall. The mat he scavenged from Quackity's yoga room was a poor substitute for the fluff of his mattress at home. Or the one with Fae wings that caressed him at night. He sighed.
"Nope." A short and unfulfilling answer. "Vampires don't need sleep."
Sapnap frowned in the camera of his phone. Pulling a plate off the counter he headed upstairs. George felt awfully homesick from all the way across the country.
"But you're not the conventional blood sucker." George scoffed. "Did you tell Quackity you sleep?"
"No, we haven't even had time for me to do it. The only reason he's left me alone now is because he needed to take some exam."
George smushed his cheek into the crook of his elbow to make a substitute pillow, Sapnap only turned more weary. Sensing so many things going on he asked, "you coming home yet?"
The vampire looked away, "no."
Continuing on his journey George didn't have time to protest before the phone was traded off in a familiar room and Sapnap was setting down a plate of food.
"Talk," the werewolf announced and shut the door. George has a phone full of a seemingly exhausted Fae. He smiled gently at him, George huffed.
"Hey."
"Hi," Dream replied. Silence. "You know I'm fine right?"
"Yes."
"And you know what happened was my fault. Right?"
A whisper, "yes."
George can hear Dream rustle before he looked up. The wings on the others back were droopy, which meant Dream was dealing with this as badly as George was. He sighed eventually, a wall coming down.
"Why did you do it?"
A counter, "why... why did you kiss me then act like you didn't."
The vampire looks away, "because you didn't kiss me back. I thought it would be better to pretend it didn’t happen.” He shook then, clear realization coming through like a freight train. "I've got to go."
"Wait-" George did not in fact wait.
***
"How do I turn it off?"
Quackity stopped mid bite of his package noodles and made a disgruntled sound. Chopsticks clambered around his bowl for a moment before he swiped at his mouth.
"What?"
"Turn it all off?" George guestures around wildly. Handling everything for this long made him fear he might explode. "Like click. No worries, no emotions."
"You do know it's a lot more than that right? It turns everything-"
"Just. Tell. Me."
The other vampire frowned but complies.
***
George felt good. Better than good. Great. The cogs that constantly churned in his brain were finally quiet. The bitter taste of worry, regret, and rejection, were all covered in a nice lavender haze.
He smiled with Quackity, danced, drank, laughed, nothing weighed him down. Not even the group of people surrounding him in the tiny spare room could take his happy down.
"George," Quackity muttered, "you have to come back now.”
He shook his head, "Are we going out tonight?"
His friend glanced over to a familiar werewolf, then to another Fae. The two of them pulled each other around the corner leaving the room a little less filled with their hasty discussions. George didn't understand their worry, everything was fine. He felt good. Great even.
"Have you tried sitting him down?" Punz, a werewolf, shuffled in his seated place on the coffee table. That one smelled stronger than the other two, more aggressive. He wondered what pack status he was. "Telling him to turn it back on. Pressing a blood bag against his lips?"
"I'm not going to force a dark track Vampire to from one. That's like asking for a trip to the hospital. No offense Dream."
Dream. George knew that Fae. His wings twitched every once in awhile as he paced holes into Quackity's flooring. He was the pretty one, eyes ablaze and hands tight on his chin, thumbnail between his teeth.
"Has he fed off of anyone?" Another Vampire, Foolish, poked at his side, George snorted at him. “That can make it worse. Make wanting to turn it back on harder.”
"He bit a human at the bar the other day." Quackity grimaced and picked at the end of the bag in his hands. "Luckily, someone in our group could compel. He doesn't remember it at all and after an antidote slipped into his drink by the bartender the guy should be fine."
"Why does he look like that?" Dream asked abruptly, "it's like he's not even here?"
"A few days ago he..."
Sapnap raised a brow coming back in with Karl on his trail, "he turned it off?"
"Yeah."
George still didn't understand why everyone was so worried. He was fine! More than fine. He said so, this time a Fae came and stood before him. The pretty one. His hand reached out to grasp George's cheek.
"Turn it back on George. I'm sorry okay?"
He furrowed his brows, "for what?"
"Everything."
“You didn’t do anything wrong?”
The deep agonizing behind green eyes was so much to see on Dream's usually sunny expression. George took wide cheekbones into his hands and said, "peace."
Dream flinched, then realized he wasn't being subjected to George's power, more or less a new one. The room stilled before them, all eyes on the two frozen in time. The stress seeped out of Dream's shoulders unwilling, even the lingering pain from his visit to the hospital dissolved within a moment. George took every last worry and replaced it with serenity.
Dream yanked out of the trance.
"Quackity," he said abruptly, wrist thrust out. "Bite me."
"What?"
"Bite. Me."
With the force behind the words, the other Vampire sunk his teeth into the Fae. Dream grimaced and pulled the bite away. George looked at him quizzically before Dream pressed his open arm against his lips. Both eyes blew wide before the color came back into his skin.
The veil lifted then, reality coming in to crash down on George quite aggressively. He compressed Dream's hand to his mouth drinking in the first drops of Fae blood he'd tasted since hurting him. Dream cradled his vampire by the head, pressing him close to his chest.
The rest of the group all sighed in tandem, grumbling about worry and so forth. Dream felt the hazy bit of lightheadedness but pushed through it.
"Dramatic ass." Quackity stood from his coffee table and pulled Foolish towards the door with him. "Lets give them a minute."
Punz patted Dream on the shoulder, "I'm going to go wrangle them around about dinner. We'll come get you guys later."
Dream nodded resting his chin on top of mussed hair. George only took a few more pulls from the Fae before releasing him.
"Welcome back."
George closed his eyes tight and let cold arms wrap even tighter around Dream’s waist. Fabric and smells and wings all encased him back to the present. Held and put back together.
"I'm sorry," he apologized uselessly.
"I know."
"I didn't..."
Dream looks down with a small smile, "I know."
A week later
They stared at each other. A floating light dancing between them from the show George begged for. Mindlessly he reached for it, Dream reached for him. A haze of light dimming with the touch of electricity. It stung but not as much as the feeling of hands curving up over his shoulder.
"You don't want this."
Wings. Strong, heavy wings reached out for him, once again they became enclosed in one another. George relented and climbed his way up Dream's lap on his bed.
"I want you." A tender pause, just enough for a hand to caress the other's cheek. "That’s what I wanted to tell you. You didn't give me a chance."
"And you didn't give me a choice."
Dream grimaced, wings twitching with guilt, "and I'm sorry. For that. And for not kissing you back. I was a bit alarmed then-"
George didn't hesitate this time. He pressed his lips firmly against Dream's, teeth nearly clanging in the process. The Fae groaned softening the touch and pushing the vampire flat onto his back, knees bracketing his hips.
"I can feel how sharp your teeth are." Dream chuckled trailing kissing over perfect neck tendons. "Kind of odd."
George breaks another kiss to scoff, a sunset pink contradicting the entire notion. Cold hands trail over ribs, beneath a t-shirt, and ending on the wings escaping the Fae's back. He grips them just to hear the raw groan following it.
"And you have bones protruding from your back." A whisper in a breathless ear, "that happen to be pleasure spots so don't joke about my teeth."
"Bite me?"
George turns to connect their noses in a brush, "you want to go there?"
Dream grins, "bite me, baby."