//ANGST//

George had broken up with his boyfriend a week ago and it still was affecting him. Every little thing reminded him of Aaron and he wished he could just let it go, but he couldn't.

He especially couldn't when he started showing up.

Who's this he, you might ask. Well, his name is Dream and he's Aaron's abandoned imaginary friend.

George despises Dream, cause all he does it show up when Aaron is thinking about him, and it doesn't help him get over the fact that his ex was gone  and that he shouldn't be thinking about him anyway.

It was always so annoying to George to see that stupid ceramic smiley-mask in his home, he just wanted Dream to go away and leave him alone.

But he couldn't, Dream couldn't leave. Now he was bound to the small brunette until Aaron had moved on. George hated that even more. He just wanted Aaron to move on and be happy with his life, but as the days went on, he realized he didn't want Dream to leave.

It started out small, Dream giving him flowers every now and again when Aaron would think about doing so. He gave a little notes to, scribbles on paper that the redhead had written out in a hurry.

Then it progressed.

The progression was usually when George was lying in bed and Dream would climb on top of him, giving him the cuddles Aaron was thinking about. Then it went to little forehead kisses, then cheek kisses, then lip pecks that would eventually be drawn out.

It was so, so selfish for George to do all these things, but he needed the feeling that Dream gave him. The happiness that ran through his body whenever Dream appeared, which was often, and the butterflies he got as the other pushed his mask up slightly to kiss him.

George still had never seen the blond's eyes, and he wasn't sure he wanted to. This was dangerous ground, and he felt so guilty because he wanted Aaron to move on. He wanted Aaron to be happy. The only thing holding him back from acting on that impulse was Dream.

His wheezy kettle laugh, the way his hands curl around things or flex when he's upset, even his voice was enough to make George feel again. It hurt knowing that one day, he'd have to let him go.

He hadn't decided the day that he'd get Aaron to move on, it just kind of, occurred in a sense. A particular moment in time when Dream wasn't anywhere to be seen, he called Aaron.

The other boy had answered almost immediately and they began talking to each other about how they were doing and such.

Then George brought him up.

"Aaron... do you remember your imaginary friend when you were little..?" This causes the ginger to pause for a moment, thinking it over before nodding. "And you know what happens when two people break up right?" Fear flashed on Aaron's face, causing George to tense up again.

"Hey, it's okay! I promise that you're fine, I just wanted to um-" George noticed Dream standing by his desk, "-talk to you about it." Aaron listened, biting his nails out of nervous habit. "You need to move on Aaron, I don't want you to be unhappy and to be held back by me-" "I'm not unhappy!" "Yes you are Aaron! You think Dream hasn't given me the things you think about giving me?"

Silence from the other line was so sharp, it cut George in the heart. "You think he hasn't pushed me onto the bed and kissed me senseless like how you did? You think he hasn't given me flowers and notes like you did? You think he hasn't cuddled me and held my in his arms like you did?"

On the other end of the room, Dream was standing quietly in shock. He didn't want to leave. George was the only person he had gotten to see in thirteen long years. "Please Aaron." George whispered into his phone, tears threatening to crowd his vision.

"Fine, I will." Then Aaron hung up.

•••

It had been a week and George had started to notice Dream's deterioration. It scared him at first, watching as the boy he loved faded day by day in front of his eyes. It was painful to watch, extremely painful.

Especially when Dream would ask him why.

Ask him why he wanted to get rid of him, ask him why he wasn't enough, ask him why he didn't care. George did care, he cared a whole lot.

He had to explain it to the broken figment, watching as the ghostly figure broke down and just took the words.

•••

Two weeks was all it had taken, and now George was holding a sobbing Dream as parts of him began to flake off. "George, George I don't want to leave you... please, please don't make me go.."

His body was grief stricken as George tried to calm him, stroking his hair and softly pressing gentle kisses to the top of his head. But he knew Dream's time with him had come to an end, and at least Aaron would be happy.

"I'm sorry Dream, but this is what Aaron needs. Trust me, I would keep you here if I could." He whispered, listening as the sobs that raked Dream's frame didn't lighten up for a moment. The blond was crumbling faster, causing the shorter to panic slightly.

He whispered sweet things to him, hoping to calm him as he disappeared. It also relaxed him a bit, but he would never admit that. "George?" "Hm?"

"I love you."

And like that, Dream was gone.

George never even got the chance to say it back.

He never got the chance to say goodbye.