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sacrificesapnap · 1 year

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My all-time favourite DNF fanfiction

Over the last year and a half, I have read almost every single DNF fic that has been posted to AO3, yet ended up with a rec list with just over 10 fics. These are my favourite favourite DNF fics. If you think I’ve missed something - let me know!! I always need new fanfic to read :)

This list will be updated when I find something that I think deserves a top spot. Please make sure you read tags before reading, because a lot of these will have adult content and other possibly triggering subjects. I hope you enjoy!

Heat Waves by tbhyourelame

Word count : 51,840

Dream has always held a gentle admiration for George, but when their nuanced friendship trickles into his sleeping mind, he awakens to a new world of conflicting emotions and longing. Lost in the midst of a heat wave, he continuously listens to a song that works itself in to the very core of his heartache. Floridian nights, unsent messages, spiraling infatuation, and terrible, terrible weather.

This is an obvious recommendation but how could I actually make a fic rec list without putting heatwaves on it. It has great characterisation, a lot of the plot is true to real life or close to real life, and it has a painfully accurate amount of overthinking and pining. Heatwaves itself is finished, however the sequel Helium is a WIP, which the author has said they currently have no plans of finishing. Either way, it’s well worth reading, and a must-read to anyone new to the fandom or new to reading fics.

When by hayloftown

Word count : 163,493

Trust doesn't come easily, but fear does. Dream was dealt a bad hand, who can blame him for his hostility? Or, in which Dream comes from a bad background and finds safety in a new home. Whether that "home" be the place or the people, he is unsure.

God, hayloftown’s fics are incredible. I am not joking when I tell you I have never cried more at a book or fanfic EVER. It was devastating. That being said I literally had to read it in one sitting. This fic describes complex emotions, feelings and especially bonds between people incredibly, and it is so enjoyable to watch dream’s character develop throughout. I actually felt hollow after reading this, because by the end I loved all the characters so much I never wanted it to end. This fic has some pretty heavy themes, so please read tags before reading this one.

Stars, Stripes and Aristocratic Snobs by hayloftown

Word count : 122,536

Even hundreds of years since their historical wars over independence, American politics and British royalty still struggle to get along, as seen in the rivalry between first son Clay “Dream” Chapman and Prince George of Wales. After a week long trip to the UK after the "tragic" passing of Prince Charles, the successor to the throne and Prince George's father, the two are forced to get along and put forth a better front for the ever-present media.

It’s only fair to have two works by hayloftown on this list, because they are both favourites of mine. I am such a sucker for royalty au’s (prepare to lots more on this list) so this was perfect to me. The summary says everything you need to know about this fic, so I won’t say too much, but I really enjoyed George and Dream’s dynamic in this fic, and I’m a slut for george in a position of power (sorry not sorry).

I’ve Never Fallen From Quite This High by Scoops (consciousness_streaming)

Word count : 92,419

A phone call out of the blue after two months in Florida turns George's life up side down. As one relationship falls apart, another falls together.

This fic is soooo good. Without spoiling too much, George deals with his parents’ relationship problems whilst developing a relationship with dream (I’m telling you this because I had this in my marked for later for ages and I didn’t read it because I was scared the aforementioned relationship that was falling apart was karlnap lol). If you love family dynamics and domestic fluff this is a must read. George’s mum is the main character in this honestly she’s such an icon, but I just love the dynamic between all the characters in this. 10/10 would recommend.

The mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix series by saintaches

Word count : 108,775 across three works

Dream and George attend the same prestigious conservatoire, and they fucking hate each other.

I will admit that I originally clicked on this fic for the porn. However, after reading the plot that came with the porn, it turned into one of my favourite fics ever. It’s so beautifully written, a bit purple prosey at times, and is honestly art in writing form. Honestly parts of these works are a little devastating, but its worth it for the development of both dream and George individually and their relationship.

Metanoia by 24notfound

Word count : 246,211

Following the death of Queen of Salacia, George is thrown into kingship. And in reluctantly preparing for an indefinite war on the account of avenging his mother, George's vision seems to get blurred by the unlikely and unexpected bond he forms with the Prince of Vulcan: Dream.

Honestly this is just the perfect fantasy dnf fic, combining royalty and war with elemental powers. Aside from all the family dynamics and dnf’s actual relationship, the two things that I loved the most in this fic were the relationship between George, Karl and Quackity and their wonderful outfit’s and parties. Another perfect work.

as for praise and worship by squigly

Word count : 121,006

George is a detective working for Scotland Yard investigating a string of art thefts linked to grisly murders. Dream is a gambler who knows more than he lets on. They can't stay away from each other, even when they should.

This is such a wonderful plot heavy story, and the way squigly created this world and developed the story around Dream and George’s characters will have you gripped from the first chapter. Honestly, this story deserves to be published as a novel, it just has such an immersive and exciting storyline that I have no doubt you will read this in one setting (just like I did).

for you, the stars by andthentheybow

Word count : 115,149

There is exactly one person in the entire universe that knows Doctor George Davidson is alive, and that’s George himself. Even with everything against him- starvation, damaged machinery, the environment, and human error- he’s determined to not become the first person to die on Mars. And once they find out he’s alive, his crew resolves to do everything they can to bring him home.

When I first read the description for this fic I was not expecting to love it as much as I do simply because the situation is so far removed from both cc!dnf and c!dnf that it didn’t feel like it would work. However, their characters in this are so true to real life, and the astronauts have to face publicity and pressure from the public. I love this because I feel like georges intelligence gets lost all the time in fanfiction, but hes appreciated in all his genius glory here, pure bamf George through and through. Good bit of angst and pining, a side of karlnap, and really funny roles for a lot of the other smp members, this is just a really enjoyable read.

Reflections by darlingsdream

Word count : 128,341

In which Dream is assigned as Prince George's new personal guard and finds that it is surprisingly easy to fall for the royal with the spunky attitude but incredibly hard to keep his secrets from him.

This is a perfect Prince!George / Knight!Dream story. It has lots of plot twists and angst but its worth it for such a good story. If you love fantasy or the dynamic between princes and their guard, you will love this. I need to reread this asap tbh.

cinnamon and swirl by offday

Word count : 83,327

Sapnap stays quiet a moment, and while Dream sniffles, the little girl in his lap turns, taps against his face like the tears are common. Dream kisses at her hand, promises her he is okay. He acts like nothing is wrong. Like Sapnap isn’t crying in front of him too, when he should be scolding Dream.

“Why didn’t you?” Sapnap asks as he swipes the back of his hand over his nose. “I mean, not even George?”

Dream decides to tell his friends about his daughter right before they move in.

This is hands down the best DNF kid fic ever!! For some reason, I much prefer kid fics where one person is a single parent and the other person joins them later on. This fic is just perfect. I love that it’s not an AU (other than the fact dream is a dad), I live for uncle Sapnap and dreamnap’s friendship and I would die for protective dad!dream like that’s so attractive are you kidding me. I don’t care if you don’t normally like kid fics, read this now!!

Protected by Anonymous

Word Count : 102,200

Dream is the Crown Prince and the future king. His sworn duty is to protect his kingdom from outside threats, especially from the scourge of magic.

George is his best friend and, technically, his servant. And he has a secret.

I wish the author of this fic would reveal themselves because I would die to read more of their work. Anyway. I love this so so much. It’s a merlin AU fic where George has magic in a kingdom where magic is banned. Another great one for anyone that likes royalty au’s and once again it has a healthy amount of pining and angst all mixed in with fluff and fantasy and ugh I love it. A lot of fantasy fics are heavy on dream protecting George but I love the dynamic in this where magic George is secretly protecting dream and saving his life. To be honest this fic lives in my head rent-free sometimes. Even if you think this won’t be your cup of tea please just give it a try because it’s so good!

#dnf fic #dnf #dnf fanfic #dreamnotfound #dreamnotfound fic #dnf fic recs #fic recs #dsmp #mcyt #georgenotfound #dream #dreamwastaken #dnf ao3 #this feels like a piece of my soul

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vesperewrites · 10 months

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do u have writers u recommend (dnf)? love ur writing btw

Aw, thank you! I do! (Sorry this has been sitting in my ask box for a while since I'm not online much lately). In no particular order, these are some of my favorite DNF writers:

Scoops (ao3): Extremely versatile writer. Engaging plots. Has something for everyone! How are they ridiculously talented? I want to examine their brain with some of the coolest worlds they come up with. They write vividly and pack some gut punches in their fics. When I open a Scoops fic, I know I'm in for a treat.

Extrasteps (ao3): Another extremely versatile writer. I love her fics so much. Delicious. Sometimes dark. Good mix of AUs and the explicit stuff is top tier. Their Blinding Shadows series drives me feral (her other bite-sized fics are great).

Altaneen (ao3): Perpetuam Memoriam is an excellent fic (DNF royalty/political intrigue). The darker themes in her work give me major gothic fairytale vibes.

Dizzy (ao3): Bite-sized fics. Made me fully realize some kinks that I could totally be into. *cough*pisskink*cough* Their writing is cathartic, terse, and captivating. They have excellent George and Dream characterization. They're super unafraid to write what's outside the box within DNF and I am in love with them for it.

Preytall (ao3): Huge writer crush. I've reread their fics multiple times. Their fics are gourmet and I come to feast to satisfy some deep itch in my brain. Gorgeous prose. The tropes they write are mwah, chef's kiss. Their blog is also one my favorites on Tumblr for prime degen DNF sex brainrot.

Maplefound (ao3): Ahhh I like the fics they have up. I really enjoyed the imagery in hunger, bone deep. I find myself clicking on that fic a lot lately just to re-read.

Mieldoux (ao3): Incredible prose and this fic was excellent. Poetic writer, love them.

Alisonsomething (ao3): Their second-person POV fic is so good that I revisit it semi-frequently. I do not care for second-person POV or soul marks AU, but they are proof that a good writer can reel in anyone. Superb writing . They also write angst incredibly well and I am currently reading FIFLW.

Venus43 (ao3): Although they have left the fandom, I still think about Aching Heart and This Thing Called Us. They write tension and longing so well and god it just hurts. I miss them everyday.

SamrieIMG (ao3): Okay they are hands down, my hugest author crush. They do not write DNF anymore, but their prose, world-building, incredible stories hit me a certain way. They are the reason I started writing in the first place and I have a special place in my heart for them. This darkfic (more DSMP/minecraft-ish) DNF series is incredible. READ THE TAGS. Horror thriller-ish. Each fic stands out on its own. It's not a romance (it's even better), but it's a hauntingly beautiful journey. Seriously underrated author. Imo, the tropes listed aren't that bad/overly explicit but ofc, please heed the tags.

In no way is this a definitive list, but just some DNF writers I can think of off the top of my head (and bookmark-ready). It is late and my brain's dead, so I'm sure I'm forgetting more people.

I need to comment on more fics for real though.

#author rambles #author asks #I admire these writers so much #dnf ao3 #DNF #not an exhaustive list

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coconuttwater06 · 10 months

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Dibuje a estos tilines para usarlos de portada en un fanfic que ando escribiendo sobre ellos, me volví algo loca con los colores otra vez. Por si les interesa estaré subiendo el fanfic tanto en Wattpad como en Ao3 🙀🙀

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/story/338387442-crooked-dnf Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48329134

#dnf ao3 #dnf fluff #dnf art #dreamwastaken #dreamnotfound #georgenotfound #my art shit #drawing #colorful #emotional #streamer #twitch #cute boys #gay #wattpad #ao3 stuff #ao3fic

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dnfrecs · 1 year

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IRL DNF FIC RECS (GEORGE IN FLORIDA PT. 2)

light in a dark place [ two storms, 1/1, 3k+ ]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/44415886

The sales associate asks Dream if they’re certain about the size, because they have the same one available in a king size which may be more comfortable for two people, and George is certain his face reddens at the realization that oh, obviously she can tell we’re a couple. It’s far from the first time that someone out in public has made the same assumption about the two of them—but it’s the first time the assumption has been made correctly.

at your fingertips [ riversofgold, 1/1, 3k+ ]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43959198

“Are you cold?” Dream asks, ready to wrap the blanket around him.

“No,” he answers. “Touch me anyway.”

Dream laughs from the bottom of his stomach. “I will,” he looks at him, and thinks that he falls in love more, if it’s even possible. He pulls him closer and wraps his arms around his back. “Sweetheart.”

George shoots a look at him. “Sweetheart?”

“You are,” Dream strokes his bare knee, makes his lip curl towards his cheekbones. His heart tightens his chest. “My sweetheart.”

or Dream, George, and a boundless love that grows within them.

down my arms, a thousand satellites [ crabnap, 1/1, 8k+ ]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/40468806

“How do you feel?” George asked, low and soft.

“A little better,” Dream said. “Can you call me baby again?”

He really didn’t know where that had come from, the warmth and closeness pulling his thoughts straight off his tongue, but George’s mouth parted sweetly and his cheeks were bright pink and Dream didn’t regret a thing.

“Why?” George breathed, smiling a little, like he was trying not to but couldn’t quite manage it.

Dream was tingly all over. “Because I like it.”

or Dream gets sick and George, to his amazement, is actually very soft and caring about it. Surely nothing life-changing will come of this.

; sick fic aaaaa!! <3

down here it is always me and you [ littlemisssunmin, 5/5, 36k+ ]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/35048242

They couldn’t possible talk about this, not even when Dream moved his hand closer, his fingers brushing his thigh just above his knee. Sapnap was still streaming, his voice blatantly clear in the background of their little moment shared on said best friend's bed.

It was all new.

And his heart was a beating drum in his chest.

George was used to dissect the voice on his phone for years. The inclination of his tone and intent of words.

This was the complete opposite.

They had to relearn how to communicate.

or George has finally arrived in Florida in the middle of November. He hadn't been prepared for a shift in his relationship with Dream that felt almost as easy as breathing.

; i recommended this before but it’s complete now!!

Whenever We Fall [ littlemisssunmin, 1/1, 5k+ ]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/44048232

There is a man in the kitchen. A man that he knows. A man that he doesn’t really. One who hums along to a new song that started to play, frying eggs in a pan they had only bought last week.

or George has somehow a harder time matching a face to a voice that he knows by heart and loves, or, A disconnect is adressed on a quiet moring.

; so so very sweet i died + can u tell i love this author lol

I blinked and suddenly [ sweetuhcreature, 1/1, 7k+ ]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/41710104

George gives him a wide-eyed look, feigning surprise. “You think I’m pretty?”

“You are pretty.”

It’s nothing he hasn’t said before, but George falters. Dream feels it in his slackened thighs and the limp hand around his neck.

“You— You’re pretty, too,” he admits, voice sinking. “Is that— Can I say that?"

or Everything is better in person (bits and pieces of George's first six months in Florida, as experienced by Dream).

corduroy and a brown cotton flannel [ gatzbright, 1/1, 2k+ ]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/42297015

“God,” Dream murmurs, “come here.” And then he’s pulling George close, right into the warmth of his sweater-clad chest, and George goes willingly. “Too far,” Dream says, burying the words into George’s stomach. “Being at the other end of the table was too far—”

“I know,” George says, grasping onto the back of Dream’s sweatshirt and pushing his cheek against Dream’s hair. “I’ll stay next to you tomorrow, ‘kay?” And Dream nuzzles at George’s shirt.

“Please—”

“Not gonna go far,” George whispers. “I promise.”

[Or, Dream’s overwhelmed at TwitchCon and worrying after his first panel, and George holds him close.]

Lisbon [ nervouswaltz, 1/1, 3k+ ]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/42298842

“Yeah, you love me too.”

George’s brow furrows. “Thought we had established that.”

The casual way he says it, living and breathing right next to Dream, is enough to pull at something nestled deep in his stomach and send him back towards tears. As parts of his brain come back online, the rest of the day rushes back. The crowds of people, their relentless happiness, the actual living, breathing impact he’s had. The numbers and analytics pale in comparison to the visual.

Abruptly, Dream lets out a sob.

or, Dream gets overwhelmed with the everything that is Twitchcon. George is there for him, through all of it.

i will always be yours [ 21questions, 1/1, 2k+ ]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43804080

I love you. The three words that they don’t say too often, not even in a platonic way—it often takes a few minutes of teasing to get George to admit that he loves Dream too, but sometimes, he still says it.

I love you. I have for a while, I think. You’re just so smart, and you’re cool, and funny, and you’ve always been around. I love you a lot. I feel like everyone can tell except for you.

or Dream and George's relationship is already ambiguous enough, but after their first Christmas together, the feelings start to get a lot realer.

Lavandula [ Raincarnation, 1/1, 6k+ ]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43265064

George peered down at Dream. His green eyes stared back fondly, light dancing within his irises. His focus fell to his lips, and the fondness dissipated. Dream reached for his face.

"What are you doing?" George flinched back.

"Hold still.” Hesitant, but listening, George forced himself to stay put. Dream’s thumb felt around the flesh of his bottom lip, wiping the corner of his mouth. Frozen, and very possibly going insane, George held his breath.

"What is it?"

"You had something on your mouth," Dream uttered, finished. "Can't have anything on your pretty little face."

or George is given perfume for his birthday which tempts a very touch starved Dream.

#dnf ao3 #dnf fic recs #dnf recs #multiple chapters #george in florida #so much fluff #domestic #dreamnotfound fanfic #n recs #r recs #r is forcing me to post this at gunpoint pls help

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majorbisexualpanic · 2 years

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my writing on ao3:

Dream looks at George and sees a future with him, sees his entire life around the man who he met asking for help on a coding job. He remembers all the times they laughed together on discord and fought over the stupidest things.

the writing in my brain:

Gogy Wogy looks at his Dreamie with hearts in his eyes. He quivers with anticipation as his Dreamie stands over 7 feet from his petite body.

#mcyt #dream smp #dreamwastaken #georgenotfound #dsmp #dnf #dreamnotfound #i wish i was lying #i literally thought of gogy wogy and dreamie being overly cringe #cluster fuck of my writing abilities #imagine i just wrote some crack ass fanfic of that #would anyone even read it lol #dnf ao3 #ao3 writer

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dnfao3tags · 2 years

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DNF Starter Pack

hey! I'm starting out a dnf fic recs blog because i just have way too many fics i love that i want other people to read and i dont know what to do with them. thought a good first post could be a little dnf starter pack.

if you're new to dnf and looking for which fics to start out with, here are my followers and i's recs :)

(info key: rating (Gen, Teen, Mature, Explicit or Not Rated) | completion status (wip or complete) | word count)

well you obviously have to start with the dreamland series (M | wip (2 works) | 150k+) by tbhyourelame

then you have some canon compliant/adjacent:

my favourite soulmates au - All Of Our Memories Ahead by BirbWatcher (T | comp. | 70k)

the dad!dream fic we all need - cinnamon and swirl by offday (M | complete | 83k)

if you're in the mood for some of the angstiest - The Things We Left Unsaid (I'll Say Them if You Will) by authorialintent (T | complete | 45k)

the ones with tooth rotting fluff:

this one is hilarious and just absolutely amazing - suck a dick fallacy by literaphobe (E | comp. | 122k)

the beautifully written historical aus:

oh my god you need to read this, its rivals with benefits - the sound of your teeth by didnt (E | complete | 51k)

have some classic academic rivals - pine hill by angelbeachcat (T | complete | 66k)

some great authors :D - snakeinaboyband, discountsimp, BirbWatcher, consciousness_streaming , dizzy , alisonsomething , jestbee and honestly so many more

manhunt aus: — Causing discord is a full-time occupation by YumGrapeJuice (T | wip | 56k+ | most likely abandoned) — Trapped (How It Started) by snakeinaboyband (E | complete | 12k)

lore c!dnf/dreamXD fics: — go, george, go! by primdise (gen | comp. | 5k) — Oxeye Daisy by angelbride (mature | comp. | 86k)

stan!george understands me. - flirting on the timeline by cloudfarmer (T | complete | 44k)

go read this socmed au originally posted to twitter right now - Cheater, Cheater by mangoball (NR | complete) (no explicit smut but mentions are present along with cursing)

awesome drista fics: — This is a Drista moment, let's just accept it by Qekyo (NR | complete | 8k) — drista's brother and his homosexual tendencies by vividoddity (G | complete | 6k)

you absolutely NEED to read this. for reasons. - Walls by 24notfound (M | complete | 245k)

and this one too - What a Wicked Thing to Do (To Let Me Dream of You) by snakeinaboyband (E | complete | 72k)

check out my tagnav for more trope sorted fics!

okay i am def gonna come back to this later and add in some more but for now this should be enough, hope u liked it :] <3

#dnf #dreamwastaken #georgenotfound #dnf brainrot #dreamnotfound #dnf starter pack #dnf ao3 #fanfiction #dnf fanfic recs #fic recs #fic rec list #dnfblr

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lightns881 · 1 month

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Summary:

Dream is the best monster hunter in the league. George is an undercover witch on the run. Their lives collide after Dream gets cursed with turning into a tiny blob creature and the only way to turn him back is a kiss from George. But being partners with a bratty know-it-all witch is Dream’s worst nightmare. And after being outed a witch, George has no choice but to stick with him and the league. Will these two ever learn to get along?

The comic-book style monster x monster hunter enemies to lovers au you didn’t know you needed.

PART I

SPELLBIND CITY, 2124.

The phantom’s ragged wings spread from hood to trunk of a 2125 Luxus Mage, which now lies in scraps. It flaps its wings and crashes from pillar to pillar inside the parking garage of a high-rise condo. A resident calls it in on a Monday morning, early enough that the streets are still lifeless and pitch-black. Thanks to their new interception technology, the League is on the scene to capture it before the Bureau even has a chance to send a monster control unit.

Dream and George are assigned the task because Bad thinks it’s simple enough that even they can’t mess it up. Or as he likes to say: “There’s no way you’ll crumble this muffin.”

It’s a joke, really. Up until George joined him, Dream had a hunter success rate of ninety-five percent. Now, it’s like he can’t even manage to catch a red-eyed bunny loose in a pet shop (to be fair, killer rabbits are so nifty there’s no way it doesn’t take anyone at least a full day of preparation).

Everything was much easier when the League’s sole purpose was to hunt and execute—none of this capturing alive nonsense that the losers in the Bureau swear by.

But whatever. If Bad wants him to bring this phantom back alive and tied up on a gold platter then that is exactly what he aims to do. He’s not going to let George get in the way this time. Much less this pesky curse that’s been plaguing his life for nearly a month now.

“Okay. Here’s the plan. I’ll advance from the left while you distract it. Then I can launch the net and you’ll cut it so we can haul it onto the van,” Dream says while he watches the monster peel the top of another car with its bony fingers. It buries his head inside, probably looking to devour whatever half-eaten lunch some idiot’s kid forgot.

“Got it?”

A moment passes before Dream turns and sees George leaning back on his seat with his arms crossed and the van’s manual covering his face. He’s also snoring.

“What the hell did I do to deserve this,” Dream mutters before he slaps George hard enough that he jumps awake. Then he wordlessly points at the monster and leaves the van with his bow and axe on his side.

George is still stretching his arms and yawning while Dream stalks behind the cars with his bow fixed on the phantom.

As Dream draws closer, he’s so focused on the phantom that he doesn’t notice when he steps on a pile of broken glass. The monster’s glowing green eyes and cutting horns are up and facing Dream in the time it takes him to catch a breath.

But just as the phantom pounces at him, Dream shoots the hook that pierces its blue scales and makes its shriek echo across the garage. Although the monster is on him now, it’s stunned for long enough that Dream scurries from under him and tightens the net around it, rendering it motionless.

“Are you just going to stand there or help me?” Dream grunts and gestures to the rope still attached to his bow that he’s unable to cut himself.

George has just finished his stretches and now sits against the van fiddling with his lapis ring. He watches Dream wrestle the phantom like he’s ready to change the channel.

“You seem to be holding up just fine,” George says with an almost smile, “and it’s not like there’s a much easier way of doing this that I could help you with.”

Magic. He’s talking about magic. The bane of his existence. The sole reason his life went from great to fucked from one day to the next.

Dream can’t believe fate’s cursed him to end up stuck with someone like him—bratty, careless, snobby. Worst of all: a witch. He’s everything Dream hates and more. It’s like fate wanted to point a finger at him and cackle. Or maybe that was just Sapnap. No, it was definitely both.

“Just cut the fucking rope.”

“Aye-aye,” George says with a salute and takes his time walking toward him.

He pulls a blade from his belt—the one Dream gave him when Bad welcomed him into the League. But someone like George was never meant to join their cause, not only because he’s a monster but also considering he was working for the Bureau just a few weeks earlier. However, as much as Dream wanted to argue with Bad on the decision, he was right. Given the circumstances of his curse, they had no option.

George kneels down and ever-so-gently begins to slice the rope. Dream glares the whole time, and it’s not until the rope is on the verge of ripping that he notices the grave mistake.

“No no no not that-” Dream says just as the rope rips. The phantom spreads its wings and breaks loose from its restraints, launching them back in different directions.

As the monster scrambles toward the balcony, Dream lunges and yanks its tail. The bone’s sharp enough that it cuts into his palm, but Dream isn’t about to let this fucker escape.

The phantom flings him around as it surges toward the end of the garage and out the balcony. Dream manages to shout George’s name, though it's only from the adrenaline. He’s left clutching knives six floors above the concrete sidewalk and rising.

As the phantom flies further and further from the garage, certainly about to get past the 100-meter limit of his curse, the only words running through his mind are shit, shit, shit. He holds his breath and thinks, here we go.

The transformation happens as quickly as the rest. His ears pop. A cloud of smoke blocks his vision. Suddenly, he can’t feel his arms and legs. He’s shapeless and holds onto the phantom’s tail with only his mouth, which now takes up twice his face.

He’s turned into a helpless blob.

And as if the situation can’t get any worse, with his beady black eyes, he sees the beams of sunlight peaking from behind the skyscrapers as dawn greets the sky.

Well, fuck.

The phantom bursts into blazes. Its body disintegrates into ashes. Now Dream’s falling three hundred meters to his death. He’s a lot more elastic and resilient in this form like a mix between a bouncy ball and a ball of clay, but he hasn’t exactly tested falling from such heights. He assumes he’ll end up splattered on the concrete like a piece of chewed-up gum.

Before he can test his theory, fabric, soft like silk, wraps around his five-inch body. All of a sudden he’s weightless—soaring through the sky on a blue cape.

The sensation of falling doesn’t leave him even after the cape drops him on George’s palms. Then the cape wraps around George’s back and morphs back into his lapis ring. Dream frankly doesn’t understand witch magic, and he surely doesn’t want to be anywhere near it. But he can’t say that it hasn’t gotten him out of a pickle once or twice. Usually thanks to George which he hates to acknowledge.

As he gazes upon the giant asshole cupping him in his palms and smiling, Dream glares (or at least tries to muster as much of a hateful look as he can in this white marshmallow form). Out of all of the curses that witch could’ve hexed him with, this one is the worst he could’ve never thought of.

“Looks like someone’s having a tough morning.”

Dream curses him out, but all that comes out is an incomprehensible pattern of squeaks. George laughs, and to get the stupid grin off his face (as well as get the situation done and over with), Dream jumps and lands a kiss on his lips.

Another cloud of smoke explodes before he can feel his limbs again, and he pats himself down to ensure he’s still intact. Meanwhile, George gags, spits, and wipes his mouth all dramatically like he’s just kissed a slimy toad. Dream can’t say he enjoys the method any more than George does, but he does laugh his ass off at the grossed-out look on his face every time.

It’s when he hears the distant echo of the Bureau’s monster control alarms that Dream wipes his mouth and says, “Come on.” He clips his bow to his back (he’s not sure how it is that he morphs with all of his clothes and items but then again he’s not sure how the physics of magic works). Then he says, “Let’s go tell Bad how bad you fucked everything up this time.”

LEAGUE OF MONSTER HUNTERS HQ. 10:37 A.M.

George sits with his legs wide and spins from side to side like a hyperactive fifth-grader during lunch detention. It’s one of the things Dream hates most about him—how kid-like he acts. Like he isn’t a full three years older than Dream with a whole engineering degree.

Then there’s the fact Bad chooses to treat him like a kid too. Never any repercussions. Never any real punishment (unless it involves punishing both Dream and George). Never any long-term consequences. George might as well be the teacher’s pet. He bats his pretty little eyelashes and sweet-chocolate eyes and suddenly everyone’s defending him.

Dream has only known him for a little over three weeks now, and he has already declared him his sworn enemy.

“I’ll be honest. I’m disappointed in you guys,” Bad says while watching them from across the table. He has that look his parents used to give Dream any time he snuck stray kittens inside his backpack when he got home from school. “I’ve given you easier and easier jobs and you still haven’t gotten us any good results. What do you have to say for yourselves?”

“It’s not my fault he can’t listen to instructions,” Dream says.

George scoffs. “Yeah. Because we’re always supposed to follow your call? Even though your plan is horseshit and there are better ways to trap a phantom.”

“What? Like witchcraft?”

Bad shushes Dream. “Lower your voice,” he says and peeks through the blinds to make sure nobody’s heard. As if they’re not in a sound-proof conference room and there aren’t barely any people at HQ so early on a workday. It’s not like they get paid to do this.

“Look, George. We made an agreement that we would let you stay here only if you refrained from using any magic for your own safety. We can’t exactly have our monster hunters finding out we have a monster—” George snarls and Bad clears his throat. “— sorry, witch, living under our roof.”

“We’re in an underground bunker,” George says.

Dream laughs. That’s another thing he hates about George: that sardonic know-it-all attitude.

“Point is—we can’t have this same argument brought up again and again,” Bad says.

“I’m not even asking to use glyphs. All I’m saying is that some of my inventions would be a lot more efficient and fool-proof,” (George shoots Dream a look while he says that), “and they’re technology. Not magic.”

“Being enchanted still involves magic. How are you meant to explain to everyone how they work?” Dream replies.

George pouts, though he has no answer for Dream. He does that a lot—turns toward that cute dumb face when things aren’t going his way.

Bad sighs. “Okay, look. Just think about it this way. You guys have no choice but to be a pair so you might as well make things easier for yourselves and try to get along.”

“Yeah. Like that’s gonna happen,” Dream says at the same time that George says, “Impossible.”

Bad looks defeated. "Okay. Just go take five."

Dream doesn’t waste a second in leaving that suffocating room. He doesn’t even acknowledge Sapnap who’s been waiting in the hallway outside since Bad called them in there.

"Don't wander too far or you’ll turn into a pumpkin," George teases.

Dream doesn’t bother looking back and just sticks out his middle finger.

He walks past the brutes testing their electro-wave rifles in the shooting range. Past the kitchen where a robo-attendant is cooking a meal for someone snoring on the couch. Past the combat rooms where a class of newbies is learning the basics of hunting the undead.

"Dude, why are you in such a mood?" Sapnap calls as Dream reaches a simulation room and starts mounting his gear.

"Sleep in the hard-ass beds in this place every night and see how you feel."

He clips his headset on and readies the controllers. The Augment logo turns on just as Sapnap says, "This is clearly not about living at HQ.”

"You try being around that asshole 24/7."

He starts with a warm-up session: two zombies and a spider. The zombies come at him from the sides and the spider is supposed to be a surprise attack from any direction, but Dream’s played this scenario enough that every scenerio is second nature to him.

"Come on, Dream. You can't expect him to be all rainbows and roses after losing his job, his house, his reputation, and turning into a fugitive with the Bureau on his ass. You're not the only one who got his life turned upside down by this. I hate to say it, but it wasn't even his fault."

"So you're saying it was mine?" he says then decapitates the first zombie with a clean swoop of his fake axe and puts the other in a chokehold. This isn’t exactly the optimal strategy for capturing, but the program was never meant to train them on that. Hunters were never meant to capture.

"Of course not, dude, I'm on your side. It was that fucking witch.”

Witches. Oh, how he enjoys setting those bastards on fire in these simulations. He slices the zombie’s neck open and blood pools at his feet. The spider takes him from behind one second later.

“But also, you went against Bad's orders and walked into that fight without support. What did you think was going to happen?" Sapnap says, and it makes him waver. He misses his mark to pin the spider—that nimble little fucker. He throws it across the room instead and notices too late that he almost smacks Sapnap in the face because he can’t see him in the simulation. It’s his fault for standing around while he’s training.

"I didn't think I'd be turned into a marshmallow monster if that's what you're asking," he says and aims a slash at the spider. It misses. Since when are they this smart?

"Duh. But you can't rewind now, can you? So what are you going to do about it?"

As he dodges the spider’s attack, something takes hold of his leg and he buckles. He realizes then that he didn’t cut the second zombie’s head all the way through. His back was to him, so he didn’t see him regenerating and now he’s up against both a spider and a zombie with his head barely hanging from its neck.

"You two just gotta learn to trust each other."

"Hear yourself, Sap,” he says after decapitating the zombie, but then gets pinned by the spider and it bites him. The headset is designed to simulate the feeling of a fight with a ninety-nine percent accuracy, and he certainly feels it. His arms burn so badly that he loses strength on his arms and can’t hold the spider off.

“You're asking me to trust a witch.” He doesn’t mean to scream at Sapnap, but he’s in a tough position. The spider wraps its front legs around him and bites his neck. His body stings for a second before all feeling fades away and the screen reads ‘You died.’

He rips off the headset with a curse and slams it down a little too hard. He swipes a hand through his hair and asks, “Did they make this thing harder?”

Sapnap’s stare is dry. He says, “Are you forgetting that the witch in question saved you from being turned into marshmallow putty by another witch and then decided to stick around just so you wouldn't remain a white blob forever. At the cost of what? Becoming his maid?"

"I'm not a fucking maid, Sap.” He puts down the controllers and decides he can’t train while Sapnap’s berating him. “It's called a familiar."

"So you're admitting he helped."

"He didn't not help. But still. Why does he have to act like such an asshole?"

"I don't know. Maybe because you're both acting like assholes to each other. Bad's right. You two just need to learn to coexist. You don't have to like each other. But until we figure out a way to get rid of the curse, you're stuck together so deal with it.” Sapnap crosses his arms and looks at him the way he always does when he knows he’s won a conversation, but Dream doesn’t see it that way. “At least you know he's not trying to murder you else he'd already done it."

"I swear he's just playing the long con,” Dream grumbles.

“Just talk to him,” Sapnap says while opening the door.

“And say what?”

“I don’t know. Make amends. Kiss him for all I care. Anything to get Bad off my ass about talking sense into you. You’re not my goddamn kid, and you’re not even my partner anymore.” He mutters the last part and leaves.

Two hours later, Dream has failed two easy simulations and passed one. He decides he’ll add evening practices to his training schedule since he lives here now. While walking out of the showers, two of his colleagues stop talking when he walks by. It’s been happening more often. People think he’s fallen off, but he’s still the best hunter in the league by far. Nobody’s reached the number of kills he has. He's determined to prove he's still the best.

George is in the lobby doing whatever he’s always doing on his laptop. It’s either that or cooped up in their room tinkling with his toys. He thinks Dream doesn’t notice him hiding them in the box in his closet every time he walks in.

"What do you want? Another kiss?" George says without taking his eyes off his screen.

The guy watching TV nearby does a double take, and Dream chooses to let the comment slide so as to not satisfy George's attention-seeking habits, though he’ll be hearing rumors about it tomorrow.

"I was going to…" He has a hard time getting his words out so he clears his throat. "... say sorry for what happened earlier."

George looks up at that. “And what did happen earlier?”

Dream chews on the inside of his lip. Out of his peripheral, he notices the guy eavesdropping has not-so-subtly lowered the volume. It takes one glare for him to turn off the TV, leave the room, and let the door close behind him.

Dream shrugs. “You know.”

“Then it’s not an apology. You don’t even think you’ve done anything wrong.”

He almost replies “I haven’t” but he knows that’ll instigate another fight and they’ll end up in a worse place.

“I'll let you make more calls,” he says instead.

“You’ll let me use my ideas?”

“You know we can’t do that, George. Bad said we can’t.”

“Oh yeah, and you’re always listening to him, huh?”

It was a mistake to tell him how he got cursed in the first place. Dream’s always been good at following directions (mostly, anyway), but the one time he doesn’t he suffers the worst consequences.

“You don't trust me,” George says.

“What?”

“That's what this is about. You don't trust me. Because of what I am.”

Dream huffs. “Well, do you trust me?”

George stays silent for a second then says the most unexpected thing. "Yeah, actually."

Dream stares, unsure of how to respond. He’s been assuming George feels the same mistrust and disdain for him because of how he acts, but this puts into question everything he thinks he knows. Before he can reply, Bad bursts in and says, “Zombie attack at Paradise Plaza. You two are up.”

“But we don’t handle civilian encounters,” Dream says.

“Well, you’re handling this one. The witch who summoned them is the same one who cursed you.”

To Be Continued...

#dnf fanfic #dnf ao3 #writing #fantasy au #sci-fi au #comic-style writing

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