"Who's that?", Dream asked, as he peeked around a corner, seeing a beautiful young elf, that looked an awful lot like a childhood friend if his. Instead of answering, Bad pushed him out of his hiding spot and said: "Go ask him"

The elf whipped around, drew his bow and only missed Dream by an inch.

"Holy fuck", the blonde said, eyes wide, as the arrow hit the tree behind him sinking in almost three inches.

The elf had another arrow drawn already, looked at the blonde with squinted eyes.

"Who are you? And don't lie, the next one hits", he threatened and Dream held his hands up. "I'm Dream", he pulled Bad from behind the tree and added, "This is Bad. We're just on the way to the next village"

The brunette slowly lowered his bow.

"You're clumsy for a rogue", he said, taking the arrow and putting it back into the quiver on his back. "What? That wasn't my fault! He pushed me!", Dream defended himself.

The elven boy smirked. "Feisty, aren't we?"

Dream was taken aback, blushed at the smirk as he watched how the brunette walked towards a path that went deeper into the woods. "Sapnap, Karl, make some space, we have guests", he said and then looked back at the blonde and his friend, giving them a nod towards where he was looking.

They came closer and saw on the side of the path a campsite. Two people already sitting around a campfire. One appeared to be a fire genasi and the other one a human.

"That's Bad and blondie here is Dream", the elf said and Bad waved them with a smile, while Dream pulled up an eyebrow.

"Blondie?" "Take it or leave it.", the brunette said and added, "I'm George, by the way"

Without waiting for a reply he joined the others around the campfire, put his bow and arrow aside, instead pulled out a potion and downed it in one go.

"What's that?", Bad asked, "The potion I mean" "Healing potion, we had a pretty heavy fight a few miles south from here", George said, pulled up his shirtsleeve, revealing a wound that now grew closed again due to the healing potion.

"Where are you headed?", Dream asked and Sapnap replied: "To the next village, we got a letter from the mayor asking for help"

"We got a letter like that too", Bad said and for a moment there was silence.

"Sure it's the same village?" "We've been called to Bulóra", Karl replied. "So were we"

"I guess we're partners now", George said, nudging Dreams arm, after the blonde had sat down next to him.

They all started chatting, got to know each other. Dream found out that Karl was a Bard and Sapnap a fighter who was trained with the blade. "We need to train together sometime", he said, before he asked George, "And what class do you belong to?"

"I'm a druid. Nothing special", he replied, "But I'm most certainly better at hiding then you are" "Oh come on now, it wasn't my fault. You would've never seen me, if it wasn't for Bad pushing me", Dream clarified and George smirked. "Let's test that theory. You go and hide and I will search for you. When I find you, I'll shoot at you like I did last time" "And if you don't find me?" "I'll owe you a favour", he replied and the opportunity was too tempting to say no.

"Alright give me five minutes" "You can only go for a maximum of ten feet, more would be impossible considering the size of these woods." "Deal"

Dream stood up and left into the woods.

He climbed up the highest tree he could find, hid between the branches and waited.

A few minutes later he heard steps from down below, saw George walking through the bushes. He was cautious, ready to draw his bow at any given time and Dream almost giggled when he saw how hard the brunette tried to spot him, never considering to look up.

He sighed contently and leaned back, smiled every time George walked past him.

After a good fifteen minutes he saw George stopping under the tree he was hiding on, heard him groan. It was time to reveal where he had been.

He jumped off the tree, landed with a roll a few leaves catching in his robe.

"So about that favour", he said with a smug grin and watched as George pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah?"

"Do I have like a time limit till when I have to ask for it? Is there stuff I can't ask for?"

"A favour is a favour, not a coupon that stops being valid after a year. Ask for whatever you need, when you need it"

"I like the sound of tha-", he fell quiet as he heard a noise from a few feet away.

He could tell it wasn't Bad and considering the build of Karl and Sapnap such loud steps couldn't come from them either.

He took George by the arm, pulled him away from the path, pushing him against a tree.

"What are you-" "Shh, it'll hear us"

"It?" "I don't know what it is, but I hear something" "You're so overdramatic it's probably a deer" "Be quiet." "What if I'm not?"

"For fucks sake, do me the favour and be quiet", Dream sighed and George fell quiet.

And then he heard it too. Heavy trampling, crunching leaves and sticks under what sounded like heavy leather boots.

Whatever it was it didn't seem to notice them, went out of hearing range.

George's heart was pounding in his chest and he looked like a terrified cat as he stood there pressed against the tree.

"That was a close one" "You'll get another favour, for using the original favour to keep me safe", George said after the initial shock faded. "Aw, you're welcome", Dream said, ruffling the druids hair.

"We should find the others and leave these woods before sunset. It's not safe to sleep here", George said, "Whatever that was, considering the heaviness of their steps it must be quite strong"

"Sounds like a plan"

They returned to the campsite, got everyone to pack up and outside of the woods they found a spot that was slightly hidden away.

They decided on groups of two for the watch and the first people went to sleep.

Dream was woken up by George, who was wrapped in a blanket, for their shift. "Wake up, blondie" "Don't call me blondie, idiot", he mumbled in a deep morning voice, that send involuntary shivers down Georges spine.

"That makes me wanna call you blondie even more", he replied and chuckled when Dream shot him a tired death glare.

"Get over here", George added, patting the spot next to him. Dream sat up and pulled his blanket around himself, quickly getting to George in front of the fire.

"I hate this continent it's freezing at night", he mumbled and George pulled up an eyebrow. "So you're not from here?"

"No, I'm from an island down south. I'm still getting used to the cold here"

"If you tell me that you're from Dragon Isle, I'm gonna believe in fate", George said showing him a ring he was wearing the emblem of the island. Dream smiled, showed him a necklace pendant with the same emblem. "No way, what are the chances?", George asked pleasantly surprised. "It's such a small island, our families probably know each other"

"You know I did have a friend that looked similar to you, but his name wasn't Dream. It was Clay, maybe you know him?"

Dreams eyes widened. "Wait.", he started smiling, "It's actually you! George, I'm Clay. I changed my name after I became a rogue"

"Don't play me like that, everyone could now say they're Clay." "We had the treehouse, remember? In the woods in the coast and once you brought flowers that we never threw out, became they looked pretty even after they dried out."

Georges eyes widened too now and he smiled widely. "Of course I remember the tree house", he said and Dream hugged him tightly. "I didn't think I'd meet you ever again, after you left the island", the blonde whispered, as his heart almost jumped out of his chest. "I can't believe it, you changed so much", George said, hands reaching for Dreams cheeks to get a proper look of him, "But your eyes are the same. That didn't change one bit." "It there still adventure in there?", Dream asked with a smile, referring to something George used to say to him. Then his gaze grew fond as he met Georges eyes and softly he said: "There surely is adventure in yours"

George blushed and nodded. "There's a lot of adventure in your eyes. I missed seeing that.", he confessed, "I missed you"

"I missed you too", Dream said, pulling him against his chest, "I missed you more then I'd miss the moon if it went missing"

"Last time I checked the moon was your favourite thing" "Well, I changed my mind"

George smiled, relaxed in Dreams embrace and when they fell quiet enough he could hear his heartbeat that was matching his own with how fast it beat.

"Our first adventure as grown ups, fate really wanted us to meet again", George mumbled and felt how Dream tugged him closer, so they were under the same blanket.

A few hours passed by, in which they talked about the time they didn't see each other and what had changed, until their shift was over and they went to sleep.

Dream had gotten his sleeping bag and placed it next to Georges, pulling him closer.

"You're still clingy", the brunette said and the blonde huffed. "Me? Clingy? Never.", he said and smiled when George chuckled.

The night was over quickly and soon they were on their merry way to Bulóra.

The days there were filled with combat and riddles, adventure and new knowledge.

And the night of their victory was spend in a dimly lit tavern. It was already getting very late, when George and Dream decided to go for a walk. They walked through the streets, until they found a spot in the tree tops from where they could overlook the entire village.

The stars lit up the sky and the exhaustion of their final fight was tugging on them, made them calm and quiet.

"You know", Dream started, reaching for Georges hand, "The only reason you could spot me a few days ago, when Bad pushed me was because I thought you were pretty and Bad had to push me out of my comfort zone so I would talk to you"

George looked at him with surprise, cheeks dusted in pink. "I fell in love with you all over again", the blonde added, voice calm and dripping with honesty.

"Again?", George asked and Dream replied: "When we were younger I was in love with you, every time you'd enter a room it was like sunrise and my heart would almost jump out of my chest and now it feels the same again. I can't get you off my mind and there's nothing I want more then to kiss you"

"Do it then", the brunette replied, getting closer to the blonde that was now blushing in a deep shade of red, "Kiss me"

"Are- Are you sure?", Dream asked and George chuckled. "Yes"

Slowly Dream leaned forward, hesitant as if he didn't expect this to go well, before he closed the distance between them, meeting Georges lips.

He felt Georges hands reaching into his hair, let his own touch Georges waist, pulling him closer. His heart felt full and his mind was content. "I wanna be with you", he whispered when they broke away, tips of their noses still touching, "Please stay, I don't want to loose you again."

George nodded. "I wanna be with you too", he replied, "There wasn't a day I didn't miss you when I left home. I don't want to leave you again"

Dream smiled, joy flooding his veins.

"Can I kiss you again?", he asked and the brunette smiled. "I'd be so mad if you didn't"

And only seconds later they met for another kiss.