Chapter Text
---
Dream's axe is a familiar weight in his hands.
It cuts through the air and digs into the skull of a particulary agile Normie. How it managed to evade him for this long is beyond him. Its rotting body gets flung onto a nearby shelf, the sound echoing throughout the dilapidated grocery, until it drops to the linoleum in a pool of zombie blood.
Yanking his weapon out, he twirls it in his hand with a flick of his wrist. He breathes out a puff of warm air, creating a cloud visible under the barren, sunset lit streets of Seattle.
'Huh,' he thinks to himself, 'It shouldn't be sunset yet.'
Making a mental note to tell Sapnap on the way back to the University of Washington, Dream steps over the puddles of blood on the floor to get to his bag, grabbing the singular pack of AA batteries on the way out. Knowing Sapnap, he's probably already impatiently waiting outside his post, ready to bitch at him for being slower than a Normie with no legs. He shoves the last of the cans of food into his rucksack, his poor, abused, threadbare rucksack that's been with him since before this whole apocalypse mess.
'Not as heavy as last time,' he sighs internally.
Or the time before that for the matter.
He's about to shrug his backpack on when in the corner of his eye, he spots something he definitely missed during his initial sweep. A singular energy bar in the display by the register.
It finds its home in his jacket pocket, right next to the batteries.
The streets are dark when Dream finally sets off towards the hospital across the street that Sapnap’s looting. He digs out a crumpled piece of paper and a pencil from his jeans. Crossing out the grocery on James and Ninth, the x joins many others on the makeshift map. Ninth Avenue is quiet, save for the chirping crickets and Dream’s soft breaths as he hauls cans of soggy refried beans and spam that can probably survive longer than he can up towards Harborview Medical.
The wind rustles the brown leaves scattered along the street, causing him to pull his jacket tighter around himself. Occasionally, Dream looks back when he hears a sound that’s too similar to the crunching under his scuffed red Converse. Picking up the pace, his heavier steps echo throughout the quiet block. After making a turn, the hospital comes into view.
But not Sapnap.
A second later, he hears a gunshot coming from inside the building followed by a muffled string of particularly creative curses. He doesn’t think twice before rushing in, shouldering the double doors open.
“Sapnap?” he calls out, grip tightening around the handle of his axe. A beat passes before another gunshot rings throughout the sterile halls of the hospital followed by a heavy thud. He looks around frantically, trying to make out the origin of the shot.
“Dream?! I’m in the west wi–motherfucker,” another gunshot. “HURRY THE FUCK UP!”
He sprints down the corridor, skidding to a halt behind a small horde of Normies. He counts four alive and two slumped over corpses before he sees Sapnap. His friend is behind a makeshift barricade consisting of a single hospital bed, sitting horizontally in the narrow corridor. His hands are braced on the metal railing of the bed, pushing back the zombies straight into Dream’s path, who are thankfully unaware of his presence. Their sight is trained on Sapnap, giving Dream a few valuable seconds to assess the situation. He gratefully notes that the air is clear of the smell of rotting sewage.
“Dude, I thought this place,” Sapnap grunts out, “was supposed to be empty?”
“Chase probably marked it wrong by accident.” Dream swings his axe, colliding with the rotting skull of a Normie reaching a bit too close to Sapnap’s hand, “Dumbass...” he spits. The corpse falls behind the horde with a thud. A hard shove to the bed from Sapnap sends the rest of them toppling into a slow, moaning heap. Both of them know that they’ll stay there for a good while, giving them a window to escape.
“C’mon, let’s get out of here,” Dream calls out, flicking the axe out before returning it to its place on his back. In the corner of his eye, he notices a fleck of blood on the wool lining of his jacket and groans internally.
Sapnap vaults over the bed then shrugs his rifle over his head. He turns towards the exit following Dream’s path, stomping on a hand that’s closing in around his ankle on the way.
Dream is waiting for him outside, arms crossed over his chest and eyes darting around at any movement he sees in the dark. Sapnap jams a plank of wood between the door handles, trapping the last couple of zombies inside. He hefts up his bag before interlocking his hands behind his head which draws Dream from his daze.
“How’d they get the drop on you anyway?” Dream asks, an eyebrow quirked disbelievingly.
“My fucking flashlight busted and they snuck up on me,” the younger complains with a scratch to his head, “Plus like, I wasn’t expecting it to get dark so soon.”
“Either way though, I’m so going to rip Chase a new one,” Sapnap declares, “There was barely anything in there dude, all that mess and a fucking bag of chips.” He angrily shoves a hand in his pocket, producing a similar piece of paper to the one Dream has, unfolding it jerkily. “Am I blind or is that not a fucking diamond?” he points at the box labelled Harborview, pushing it into Dream’s face. Sure enough, a diamond is drawn next to it.
“Not much luck on my end either,” Dream scoffs, slapping Sapnap’s hand away and beginning the long journey back to the UW campus. “Let’s just hurry up, George is probably bored out of his mind right now counting boxes all day.”
---
George is bored out of his goddamn mind.
Bryan Adams croons out from his tinny Walkman speaker, singing something love and being young. He hums along softly as his pencil scratches the notepad in his hand, the light of the flashlight under his arm illuminating the crates of supplies. The music is coming out slower than usual, he notices, and slightly garbled.
He finishes tallying the amount of winter reserves the university has, the of cans of food, the energy bars, the instant noodle packs, hell, he even takes into account the amount of empty boxes because he has nothing better to do. The total is concerningly low, coming up to be just enough to last them a couple of weeks for the upcoming winter if they were just around 140 people, and not the 149 they currently are. George has been around long enough to know what happens next. The group having survived for as long as it had was no lucky coincidence.
From outside the storeroom, whoops and cheers drown out Bryan Adams and his own nervous thoughts.
‘Ah, they’re back. Right on time,’ he thinks to himself, pressing stop. Stepping out, George locks the storeroom door, jiggles the lock twice just in case, then pockets the keys. He hooks the notepad on the door before double checking the numbers again. Making his way down the almost pitch black Hansee hallways, his flashlight slightly flickering, the noise gets progressively louder as he nears the entrance to the dorms.
Surrounded by a group of people, Dream and Sapnap present their haul, both their bags full of valuable supplies.
‘Not as full as last time,’ George thinks, already mentally estimating the amount the two scavengers managed to bring back with them.
Someone from the crowd takes both their bags along with their weapons and walks off to the direction George just came from. He meets Dream’s gaze through the crowd, noticing the all too familiar dull rust color of dried blood flaking off his cheek. Eyes widening, he looks down and sees fresh stains on his jacket lapels and on his knuckles. They get the customary pat down to make sure they aren’t hoarding food for themselves, both of them raising their arms over their heads. Dream gives the person a glare when they’re about to pat down the front of his jacket, causing them to pull back their hands sheepishly, quickly moving onto Sapnap.
Dream, probably sensing his distress, mouths an inaudible, “Don’t worry,” over the person’s head, placating him slightly. From beside Dream, Sapnap notices George and promptly screeches out his name, drawing all the crowd’s eyes on him and George really wants to return to that storeroom right now. Dream just chuckles.
‘The traitor,’ George thinks fondly, as Dream seamlessly parts the crowd to get to him, Sapnap following close behind. The crowd dissipates as quickly as it forms, each person returning to their duties around the complex until it’s just the three of them in the hallway.
Knowing there’s no one left but them, Dream wraps an arm around George’s shoulders until his elbow is practically digging into Dream’s side. His boyfriend leans down to press his nose into soft brown hair. “I brought batteries back for your Walkman,” he murmurs, barely audible, though not before giving his surroundings one final glance, just in case. George just hums in response, his gaze cast downward but his hand comes up to lightly squeeze Dream’s, once again noting the dried blood in the creases of his hand. Dream pulls back slightly, nudging George’s cheek so they’re facing each other but George refuses to meet his gaze. Dream’s brows furrow with concern. He opens his mouth to ask what’s wrong but is interrupted by Sapnap pushing them apart.
“Stop eye-fucking in the hallway idiots, I’m fucking starving,” he says as he grabs George’s arm to lead them towards the mess hall.
“Later,” George mouths, giving Dream’s hand another squeeze before he’s dragged away. “Let go of me Sap, I swear to god,” he whines, which just makes Sapnap tighten his grip.
Dream nods, worry still evident in his gaze but he smiles slightly at his best friend’s antics. “I gave you a whole energy bar, asshole,” he calls out to Sapnap as he follows the duo, tossing an empty foil wrapper into a pile of discarded boxes.
“Why are you in such a hurry, anyway,” George questions, trying not to trip over his feet and bust his already heavily duct taped flashlight.
“Well one: I’m starving, and two: I’m so going to kick Chase’s ass into next week,” Sapnap lists, George swears he sees his eyes narrow when he mentions the other scavenger’s name.
“What is it this time?” he asks, genuinely curious how the scavenger managed to fuck something up for the duo for the umpteenth time.
“Dumbass marked Harborview as empty and lootable when there were six zombies just fucking around in there and nothing to loot,” Sapnap complains, “How the fuck did he miss six zombies, George, six.”
“I get it, I get it. Don’t yell in my ear idiot,” George protests, covering his ear with his free hand. Despite this, the gnawing feeling in his stomach doesn’t let up.
---
Dinner consists of a can of soup, a can of beans, and a can of room temperature Coke. Really shilling out the good stuff tonight in Dream’s opinion.
The 'mess hall' is the old Hansee common room after its been stripped of all its furniture save for a couple tables. Peeling paint and faded posters decorate the walls. The room is filled with quiet murmuring and the sound of a hundred or so pairs of cutlery against aluminium. Most people are huddled around the large fire in the center, far away from the boarded windows and singular open one near the end of the hall. Most people, except apparently George and Sapnap.
Dream takes his ration after them, eyeing Sapnap as he leaves George to go hunt down Chase. As he settles next to George, he resolves to only step in when the youngest threatens bodily harm at least three times. Their knees touch, alerting George to his presence.
The eldest is busy eating his soggy beans one by one and washing them down with small sips of Coke, grimacing each time.
“Mmm, Coke and beans, what a match made in heaven,” Dream teases, eyes crinkling slightly as he turns to George. George returns his smile, though it doesn’t reach his eyes, Dream laments.
From across the mess, they both hear the telltale sound of Sapnap cursing out Chase, who, to his credit, is currently looking at his feet, thoroughly ashamed. It makes quite the sight to see him yell at the six foot five linebacker twice his stature, Dream thinks to himself. Everyone’s heads turn towards the two, openly eavesdropping.
“-and this is fucking why we almost lost to Ohio in ‘94 Chase, because you forgot what the symbols meant,” Sapnap points his spoon concerningly close to Chase’s face, jerking it closer with every word.
Dream winces slightly, ‘Low blow Sapnap.’
“A fucking diamond means ‘no zombies, potential loot’, you fucking dumbass.” The linebacker tries to open his mouth to get a word in but Sapnap keeps going, not one to let someone else have the last word, “Am I wrong Chase? Am. I. Wrong.” Chase just shakes his head quickly.
“That shit could get someone fucking killed dude, especially if they didn’t have a flashlight with them. Make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Sapnap instructs, his tone only losing a fraction of its previous venom, before turning away.
He stomps away with a huff, crossing the mess to return to their corner and barely paying the rest of the other residents any mind. To their credit, some of them quickly turn away when they see Sapnap coming their way, fearing they may be the next victim on his current warpath. The youngest plops down with a groan, cracking open his can of Coke and taking a swig. He frowns at its lack of fizz but takes another gulp of it anyway.
“I swear to fuck, that human embodiment of whole milk better be grateful I didn’t take my spoon to his fucking balls dude,” he emphasizes every word with by stabbing his spoon into his can of beans. Dream doesn't doubt a word his friend says, silently thanking any god out there listening that he isn’t on dish duty today. Small mercies.
Out of the corner of his eye, Sapnap spots George side eyeing his hands while biting into another singular bean. He makes a mock affronted noise which catches George’s attention, making him cover his mouth with the back of his hand, hiding his small grin.
“Hm?” George hums coyly.
‘The little shit,’ Sapnap thinks
“Are you even paying attention George,” he asks mockingly, only half serious which almost betrays the smile creeping up in his voice. George doesn’t respond and only goes back to openly staring at his hand.
“Dude, what do you want?” This time a laugh escapes Sapnap's throat.
“Can we exchange? Corn tastes better than tomato,” George finally asks, holding out his can of Campbell’s.
“Dude no. The fuck? Tomato tastes like ass.” The younger shakes his head and opens the aforementioned can, about to dig in.
“Yeah, cuz you’re so familiar with what ass tastes like,” Dream says under his breath which earns him a glare from the younger.
George glares at him through the corner of his eye before turning back to Sapnap. “Ugh, fine I’ll give you the rest of my Coke too.”
“Fuck no dude, it’s basically half empty at this point.”
“I’d take the deal, Sap,” Dream interjects.
“Yeah cuz George’s making it,” Sapnap points out.
“I’ll give you Dream’s Coke too.”
“Hey, leave me and my Coke out of this,” Dream protests around a mouthful of food.
“Fine. Deal,” Sapnap agrees and hands over the can in exchange for George’s half finished Coke and Dream’s unopened can that George grabbed from in between him and Dream before he could further protest. “Pretty privilege...” Sapnap mutters under his breath.
Dream just rolls his eyes as George tucks into his can of soup, noting that this is the first proper smile he’s seen on his boy’s face since before he and Sapnap left in the early hours of the morning. The sight makes his chest tighten.
When he's done, Sapnap stretches his arms above his head with a soft groan, popping his back. He’s going to attend the briefing for tomorrow’s run, he declares, rising to his feet.
“Oh right, can you take my map too? I might be a bit late,” Dream asks, digging the piece of paper out from his pocket and holding it out.
“Yeah yeah,” he says, grabbing it from Dream’s hand. “It better not be because you two are gonna be passionately making out in the dorm,” Sapnap teases half jokingly, the “again” going unspoken. He kicks Dream’s foot which makes him scoff and wave him off indulgently.
The Hansee hallways are mostly quiet, save for the couple of residents making their way around to start their night shifts. The crumbling halls echo with every step he takes on his way to find anyone in tomorrow’s scavenging group.
‘They’re probably already in the meeting room,’ he thinks to himself with a sigh, the meeting room being on the opposite end of the dorm building. All he wants to do is curl up on his ‘bed’ (a generous term for a lumpy mattress with a handful of blankets strewn about it) and pass the fuck out. He picks up the pace, breaking into a light jog, wanting nothing more than to turn in early.
When he finally arrives, the door is shut but he can hear voices inside. He’s about to knock when a particular name catches his attention.
“George Wrighton? Shoulda been outta here a long time ago if you ask me…” the voice trails off and Sapnap has to press his ear to the door to follow along. He holds his breath, hoping that no one decides to pass by this particular hallway.
“-did fix those junked radios…might be useful to keep around,” another voice points out.
“-boy’s a fucking queer is what he is, probably messing with those two guys he always hangs around,” the first voice spits out, full of venom.
‘Fuck.’
“Dream and Sapnap?...been friends even before this last I heard,” a new voice interjects.
"Who fuckin cares if he's a fruit...if he can fix shit..."
"We have to pick someone-"
“...probably been corrupting those two since before this then, we’d be doing them a favor by getting rid of him honestly…”
“Their next shift is tomorrow morning when the sun’s up, we’ll send the kid packing after they leave–,”
That’s the last thing Sapnap hears before making a run to the mess hall, heart pounding and his face flushed with anger. He sees Dream and George in the same corner, talking quietly. Dream probably says something funny because George’s eyes light up and a smile curls his lip.
Sapnap rushes to them, heart about to beat out of his chest.
“We have to talk,” he begins and is about to continue but suddenly clicks his mouth shut, quickly second guessing, “Not here, too many people.”
---
“Say that again Sap?”
Dream's voice is dripping with barely contained fury as they enter their shared dorm.
The door locks behind them with a resounding click and George lets out a shaky breath. He lowers down on his and Dream’s mattress, feeling like the rug is being pulled out from underneath him. His lower lip is raw and bitten red.
“I know what I heard Dream, they’re planning on doing it after we leave for our shift tomorrow, fucking cowards…” Sapnap spits out, choosing to leave out everything else he overheard. His eyes dart between Dream and George, the latter has his eyes trained firmly at his feet while the former is pacing back and forth, running a hand repeatedly through his blond locks.
“We can’t just let them do this,” Sapnap says, looking to Dream.
A few seconds pass, which feel like an eternity, when Dream finally speaks up.
“I’m gonna talk to them,” Dream suddenly says, stopping in his tracks and moving towards the door which finally gets George to look up.
“No,” George interjects firmly, voice clear.
“Why no–,” Sapnap questions but George cuts him off with a look.
“They’re not letting me stay again, especially not for a second time and you know it,” George says, standing up to his full height. “They’re not gonna let me stay until the next time they decide to kick people out just because you two are good at scavenging.”
“I know how little you’re bringing back lately because I’m the one that counts it, all I fucking do is count.”
“That’s not true idiot,” Sapnap’s protest rings out, taking George aback slightly but he pushes on.
“We all know they can easily replace me Sap. So fucking what if I can get a couple walkie talkies and radios to work, I’m just another mouth to feed when the food’s fucking scarce. It was only a matter of time before they realized that.” George raises his voice slightly, jamming his finger into Sapnap’s chest. The quivering of his hand betrays the steadiness of his voice.
“Then let’s all leave together.”
Dream’s sudden interjection causes both George and Sapnap to pause and look at him.
“I fucking told them that if they get rid of one of us, they get rid of all of us,” he says simply, crossing his arms over his chest and giving them a determined look. “We’re not splitting up.”
Sapnap nods firmly with no hesitation, his gaze hardening with determination.
George, to both Dream and Sapnap’s surprise, shakes his head. He just walks over to Dream, eyes downcast and hands clenched into fists at his sides then grabs the collar of Dream’s jacket.
“Why?” he asks, voice breaking slightly. “You know it’s safer in here, with them, than out there Dream, so why?” he says, practically whispering, voice tight.
“I’m gonna go check the hallway,” Sapnap breathes out, knowing the two need a moment to themselves.
When the door clicks shut, George continues on, “You can’t be serious about following me Dream, I-I’m just gonna slow you down. I haven’t been out there in years, for fuck’s sake. I can't do what you and Sapnap do. I can't-fuck-I don't even know how to kill a zombie-”
“George–,” Dream begins, his hands slowly grasping George’s wrists, thumbs rubbing small circles into them.
He doesn't hear him, too far in his own head. “You two can-can still stay with the group, we’ll-we can still see each other during your shifts…” George trails off, still refusing to meet his gaze. His grip on Dream’s jacket tightens until his hands shake. Dream hates it. “You d-don’t have to leave, we can make it work, we ca–”
“George, sweetheart.”
Dream leans down to George’s eye level, tilting his head trying to meet his gaze from where it’s hidden beneath brown locks. Sighing softly, he nudges the elder’s chin up. The soft moonlight streaming in from their open window highlights George’s red rimmed eyes and the sight of them breaks something inside him.
“Listen,” he starts, voice catching in his throat, “I promised you, even before this shitshow, I promised you I wouldn’t leave you if I could help it and I don’t plan on breaking it now, not ever.”
“I don’t care if you say you can’t contribute anything to the group. I don’t care about what you can give me, sweetheart. Just us versus them, remember? It’s gonna be like that for as long as you’ll have me.”
“But–,”
“Just trust me, alright?”
Dream tilts his head, giving George a crooked smile and reaches up to cradle his cheek. The warmth is comforting, George thinks and fuck. He doesn’t want to leave his boy, not after hearing his name spoken like it’s something to be revered. Not after reminding him of the promise he made all those years ago, pledged between soft reassurances and even softer kisses. Especially not after reminding him why he loves his boy with more than he could possibly say. Not after his pure and full confidence makes him believe that everything will turn out okay in the end.
George doesn’t say anything, just buries his head in Dream’s chest, fingers digging into the back of his jacket so hard his knuckles turn white. Dream doesn’t push him, just wraps one arm around his waist while the other wraps around his head, playing with the short hairs at its base and burying his nose in the soft brown waves, inhaling the familiar scent. After a moment, Dream feels George nod into his chest and he hums softly in response.
Behind George, the door slowly creaks open, allowing Sapnap to slip through. His and Dream’s eyes meet and Sapnap raises an eyebrow expectantly.
Dream just gives him a thumbs up over George’s shoulder and the younger visibly sags with relief.
---
“Okay,” Dream announces with a breath, though not before thoroughly drying George’s tears and squeezing his hand one last time. “Food and gear are our top two priorities if we’re going to survive out there. We could probably restock when we get out there around Aurora, I don’t think we’ve ever been around there actually,” he turns to Sapnap for confirmation.
“We haven’t,” Sapnap confirms by uncrumpling one of the maps he hastily stuffed into his pocket. “We haven’t been around the west side much to be fair…” he murmurs, studying the map intently.
“Good, give me the other map,” the brunet hands it over and Dream takes it, folding it neatly before tucking it back into his pocket. “We need supplies to last us until we get there though…George can you–” the blond trails off, deep in thought.
“I can get us stuff,” George declares, holding up a set of keys joined together by a UW Huskies keychain. “I can get us bags, food, and your weapons.”
“Have I mentioned that I love you George?” Sapnap asks, tone completely serious.
Dream wheezes giddily, the thrill of what they’re about to do settling in his stomach so he can’t help but chortle hysterically at Sapnap’s deadpanned statement. Which in turn makes Sapnap laugh until both of them are howling with laughter.
“Should I be jealous, George?” Dream asks in between wheezes.
“Shut up, the both of you,” George says, unable to keep the grin off his face. ‘I can’t believe I’m going to be spending more time with these two idiots.’
The thrill of doing something morally dubious gives George an adrenaline rush, it’s both exciting and terrifying at the same time. Like standing on the edge of their dorm rooftop, overlooking a sea of buildings.
“Alright, I’m leaving, I’m leaving,” the brunet says before he could second guess himself. His grip tightening on the keys before he takes a deep breath. “Meet me in the supply room in ten minutes, I won’t be able to carry everything back quietly,” he said before turning the handle.
As the door shuts behind George, Dream instructs Sapnap to start folding the clothes and blankets he wants to bring with him, telling him to only grab a couple of shirts, a change of pants, and his underthings. The brunet starts opening drawers with a nod, pulling out a couple of well worn shirts and a wool sweater and rolling them up tightly then arranging them into a pile on his bed.
Dream sets to work taking out four of George’s shirts and laying them on their bed, followed by a pair of warm sweatpants, and finally by a couple pairs of boxers and socks. He pulls out his highschool letterman, the same one he gave George when they first started dating, still in pristine condition after all these years.
“Might wanna roll instead of folding them, saves more space that way,” Sapnap calls out as he folds then rolls up his flannel blanket.
“Good call, good call,” Dream replies, following Sapnap’s lead and rolling up George’s clothes into neat bundles. He does the same thing with his own clothes and blanket then sorts his and George’s clothes into their own respective piles. He pockets a few smaller items, like the lighter they use for the candles in their room, a swiss army knife, and a map of Washington.
“If we’re heading to Aurora, we should probably find somewhere to crash along Eighth or Seventh,” Sapnap points out. The brunet finishes arranging all his clothes before reaching into his bedside drawer and pulling out a tiny faded panda plush. The whites of its body discolored over time and it was basically falling apart but he places it on top of his pile anyway. He also places a scuffed wallet in the pile, empty save for a couple of faded polaroids and crumpled notes.
“Best we avoid the lake on our way too, we wanna avoid contact with anyone as much as possible,” Dream states, glancing at the map laying on Sapnap’s bed. The area around Green Lake has seen many survivors pass by or settle there over the years and the area is now occupied by several large colonies.
It was a well known fact among survivors that the dead were dangerous and the living were twice as much.
He walks to their door and carefully unpins the numerous polaroids the trio have amassed over the years from the back of the door, shuffling them into a pile and tying them into a bundle with a spare hair tie. he seals them into a ziplock bag along with a sizable stack of opened letters, each written on a different stationary set from the last and stapled to their respective envelopes. He adds the bag to George’s pile. The last things he grabs are three cassette tapes, the Sharpie on them more faded than the last. He adds those to his pile.
He takes one last look around the dorm, with its perpetually stained carpet, window that would never shut correctly no matter what they did, and the sheet that divided his and George’s mattress from Sapnap’s. Once he determines that they haven’t left anything behind, he motions for Sapnap to follow him out the door.
---
‘Okay, okay c’mon, I can do this, I can do this,’ George thinks to himself, trying to psych himself up. He takes a few calming breaths before inserting the key and opening the door. Taking a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dark then turning on the flashlight he stuffed into his pocket. He quickly spotted Dream and Sapnap’s bags hanging side by side, their respective weapons hanging on the same hooks, and grabs them in each hand but he hears a muffled groan from behind a stack of crates.
“Shh, be quiet Noah, someone’s here,” a female voice whispers frantically in the dark. It's followed by another deeper strangled groan.
“Um, hello?” he asks out loud.
“Hi! George,” a girl’s head pops out from behind the stack of crates in the corner of the room, Lia, he thinks her name is. “Um, haha, what are you doing here?” she stammers.
Her tone is overly cheerful and George has a sinking feeling he just walked into something he shouldn’t, ‘Is this how Sapnap feels?’, but he feins nonchalance, knowing he could probably turn the situation on them if he kept up with the act.
“Oh, uh, Dream and Sapnap asked me to get their bags ready for their shift tomorrow while they go over their plan, since I do have the keys and all,” he replies, matter of factly, holding up the two bags so she can see them.
She nods and hums in response, her gaze darting around the room and George is sure they both desperately just want this conversation to be over.
‘They aren’t Admin so stay calm stay calm stay calm stay–’
“Listen–”
“So um–”
They both say at the same time but George continues, “Listen, I won’t say anything if you won’t.” He silently hopes the dark conceals the flush of his cheeks.
Lia breathes a sigh of relief, “No worries hahah,” He hears her slump back into the wooden crate before murmuring something to her companion, “Oh, and uh, thanks,” she adds on, almost as an afterthought.
George looks around the room quickly and his eye catches a brown leather rucksack strikingly similar to the one he used to carry around the campus halls and he picks it up without thinking twice. He shrugged it on, already mentally planning the route he was going to take to get to the supply room. He locks the door behind him with an internal sigh of relief.
‘It’s not stealing if your boyfriend and your best friend technically own this stuff right? Right, okay.’
He makes his way down the Hansee hallways for the second time tonight, in significantly higher spirits but with the same amount of uncertainty. He squints in the dark, avoiding using his flashlight in case someone else is in the hallway with him. As soon as he turns the corner to the supply room, he hears two familiar voices whispering frantically.
“Dude, there’s someone coming!” Sapnap whispers.
“Turn around, turn around! There was an empty room back there,” Dream replies, panicked, also whispering
“It’s me you idiots,” George calls out exasperatedly.
“George?”
“Yes now fucking hurry,” he replies, quietly opening the door to the supply room. He flicks open his flashlight, illuminating the numerous cardboard boxes stacked on top of each other. When he hears the door shut behind him he turns around to face Dream and Sapnap, each of them carrying their clothes wrapped up in a blanket. The two set to work untying their respective bundles and stuffing their contents into each of their bags, packing them down to leave as much space as possible. Though Dream first reaches into his backpack, pulling out a handgun. He checks the amount of bullets in it before shoving it in his right back pocket.
George starts opening boxes and pulling out a few of each of their contents, a couple cans of stews, pasta, and produce. He grabs two handfuls of granola bars and sets them down next to the canned food which Dream and Sapnap eventually scoop up to stuff in the bags as well. Instead of water bottles, he inspects three thermoses for their cleanliness before he fills them each with drinking water. He also riffles through some of the supplies and pulls out three toothbrushes and other toiletries. Next to them, he sets down two full first aid kits.
“Is that enough?” he asks. George sets down the last of the items he got then turns to help Dream and Sapnap finish packing.
“It should last us a week at most, enough time to get to Aurora,” Dream confirms as he zips up his rucksack. He then grabs the blankets they used and ties two corners together, knotting them as tight as they can go.
Having been residents of Hansee for years, the three of them became very familiar with how it operated. There’s one entrance and exit guarded by two Admin members every day and every night so escaping through there would be useless. The only way to escape besides getting sent out on a shift and just never coming back is through one of the windows. The trouble lies in the fact that there are several patrols roaming around the building, not only to keep the zombies out, but to keep the Hansee residents in. The trio certainly aren’t the first to attempt escape through a window and they’re aware of this fact too.
“Sap, check if the coast is clear,” Dream orders, making sure his axe is fastened securely in its strap and his gun is fully loaded in his back pocket before hefting his bag up onto one of his shoulders. He offers one hand out to George and in the other, he holds the finished makeshift rope.
The youngest slips his rifle onto his shoulder before poking his head out the door. He motions for the two to follow him before quietly slipping into the dark hallway. The trio make their way to the end where moonlight beams through stained window panes. They all crouch in front of it, trying to press as close to the wall as possible.
George can’t help but look behind him as Dream and Sapnap tie the rope to the window frame. The sight of the dark hallway unsettles him but he remembers what they’re about to do, what they’re doing right now, and steels his resolve. No time to be scared now.
“George,” Sapnap calls out before motioning for him to come closer.
They all raise their heads to peer out the window and when Sapnap spots a patrol just across from where they are, they duck their heads. He can feel a bead of sweat dripping down his neck despite the cold of the hallway. The brunet waits for several seconds before peeking his head out again. He breathes a sigh of relief when he sees that the patrol is gone.
The window creaks open with a whine which makes them collectively hold their breath, fearing someone might have heard them. A breath passes before Dream tosses the rope over the edge, watching it fall to the grass below. It falls a couple of feet shy above the ground but it’ll have to do. He peers out cautiously, watching out for the glow of flashlights or torches. When he determines that there are none, he slips his rucksack off and it drops to the grass below with a soft thud.
The blond tugs on the rope experimentally, after determining that it’s strong enough, he tosses one leg out the window followed by the other and climbs down quickly. He looks up at George and Sapnap, signalling for them to follow.
“Go, go. I’ll go after you,” Sapnap whispers, already tossing his and George’s bags over the edge which Dream catches.
George nods, peering over the edge. He sees Dream waiting expectantly.
He climbs down gingerly, avoiding looking straight down. Dream helps him land on his feet, carefully holding onto him before setting him down. They’re in the home stretch now, Dream thinks.
Sapnap climbs down as fast as he can before jumping down and landing with a soft “Oof”.
Their hearts are racing as they slip on their bags, sweat beading on their foreheads.
But before the relief could settle in, someone yells out from behind them.
“Hey! What are you three doing!?”
“Shit.”
“God fu–”
“Run,” Dream orders.
He grabs George’s hand and races down the street, Sapnap right at their heels.
Over his shoulder, he sees a group of Hansee patrols racing after them and quickly makes up his mind.
“Sap,” he says in between breaths, “We need to divide them!”
“Stop running!” a voice yells from behind them and Dream’s heart is lodged in his throat as they run towards 45th.
“Sapnap, take George!” Dream yells, letting go of George’s hand as they near the intersection but George’s grip just tightens around his.
“Wh–WHAT? Where are we going?”
“Just trust me! Sap, go!”
“George, come on! Dream, meet us in that apartment with the hot ass Madonna poster!” Sapnap calls out before pulling George away, forcing him to drop his hold on Dream’s hand.
They turn left while Dream turns right on 45th, and when he turns to glance back, a significantly smaller group is pursuing him. Smirking to himself, he takes a sharp left into familiar rows of frat houses.
He surveys his surroundings, the sound of his heart beat loud in his ear. He dashes onto an overgrown lawn. Shielding his face, he runs through a hedge as its branches whip at his arms and face. Leaves get caught in his hair and his lungs burn but he keeps going. He makes another sharp turn and vaults over a picket fence, its peaks narrowly missing his shins. A couple patrols were still on his trail, keeping up their pursuit.
He breathes in through his nose and out through his mouth frantically despite his lungs screaming at him to stop.
“Dream!” a breathless voice yells out from behind him.
Making another sharp right turn, he sees it before he realizes what to do.
In front of him on the road is a single zombie, its distended body is stark against the moonlit street. He inhales deeply to try and catch his breath and is assaulted by the smell of rotting sewage.
‘A Methead,’ he thinks. A plan formulates in his head but hesitation washes over him like a cold bucket of water. His eyes dart around, looking for anything else he can use to get them off his trail.
But his mind comes up with blanks. ‘Fuck.’
Glancing behind him, he sees the group a sizable distance away, just about to round the street corner. “Try and stop me fuckers!” he taunts.
Dream just hopes and prays that his plan gives him a chance to finally outrun them.
He runs straight ahead, right into the Methead’s path, ducking under its outstretched arms. He plunges the swiss army knife into its stomach, making a wet squelch. His whole body wretches as the heightened smell of methane and hydrogen sulfide assault his senses but he digs the blade in deeper with a grunt, before yanking it out. With a firm kick to its knee, Dream sends it down with a mangled groan. Pulling out his lighter, he flicks it a few times then takes a hair tie from his wrist and wraps it over the igniter.
He turns around, slowing into a jog facing the Methead and when he sees the group quickly approaching, he throws the lighter.
It travels through the air in a clean arc before landing right next to its writhing body.
The methane ignites with a sickening pop that causes Dream to recoil, shielding his ears. The explosion sprays bodily fluids and solid chunks of something he’d rather not know, landing on the asphalt with wet plops. He catches his breath for a few seconds, chest heaving and squints to make sure that his pursuers are incapable of following him, trying to make out any movement in the dark.
When he’s sure nothing’s coming to get him, he breaks into a jog to the apartment on 20th Avenue, not daring to look back.
---
“George, he’ll be fine.”
“You don’t know that Sap, what if they got him? Oh god, we wouldn’t even know, fuck, sh–”
“He said to trust him right? He’ll be fine George, I swear.”
George was currently chewing his lip raw as he paced the length of the apartment unit. With every minute that passed, his pacing grew more and more frantic. He’s moved on to running his hand through his hair, continuously sweeping it to the side. Of course, this isn’t the first time that George has been in this position but actually seeing the threat and knowing exactly what they’re capable of really adds an extra cherry on top of this shit sundae.
“I’m going to kill him myself if they don’t get him…” Sapnap hears him murmur as he passes in front of him for what must be the 100th time. Knowing George for as long as he has, he doesn’t doubt the little gremlin can actually be pretty threatening if he tries.
A knock on the door breaks the both of them out of their thoughts.
“It’s me.”
George rushes over, throwing the door open and promptly smashes his lips onto Dream’s. The blond isn’t even taken aback, he just leans forward and deepens the kiss, hands circling George’s waist. Sapnap gags audibly but is secretly relieved that Dream showed up when he did, lest he actually tie George to a chair to get him to stop pacing.
‘Fucking bastard,’ he thinks exasperatedly, a smirk curling his lips.
Dream suddenly yelps and pulls away from the brunet, touching the inside of his mouth with his index and middle finger. When he pulls them back, they come back slightly smeared red.
“That was for making me worry you dick,” George huffs smugly, his tongue licking the corner of his lip, swiping over a similar color of red.
“Good god, get a room!” Sapnap yells from behind them.
“Aww babe, I love you too,” Dream says, his tone sickeningly sweet after quickly recovering from the initial bout of shock. He latches onto George’s waist, pulling him into his arms despite his halfhearted protests. The brunet eventually stops struggling and melts into the hold, his limbs going weak with relief and the fatigue his body just realized it had.
“We’re gonna talk about this later,” George murmurs into Dream’s ear, his warm breath ghosting over his neck. The blond just hums in response, pulling George in tighter.
“I hate to interrupt this tender moment,” Sapnap begins, arms crossing over his chest, “but what do we do now?”