Completely forgot about this yesterday, but here's your dnf beach day drabble, a day late:
For nearly three years, George had been begging Dream to take him to the beach. After all, what was more quintessentially Florida than a long expanse of white sand, ocean waves crashing on his feet while seagulls soared overhead?
Now, thanks to the mold making their house practically unlivable, Dream finally relented. Excited, George packed up the car with everything they'd need - sunblock, two of his big floppy fishing hats, towels, a blanket, a cooler filled with ice and assorted beverages, and a dusty oversized umbrella he'd found in the garage. When he came back in the house, George was surprised to see Dream awake, already dressed in his swimming trunks and white T-shirt, making smoothies in the kitchen.
"You're up early," George stepped behind Dream, stood on his tiptoes and peered over his shoulder at the pink concoction in the blender. "Strawberry banana?"
"Strawberry mango," Dream replied, then pulsed the blender a few more times before pouring it into two reusable cups with lids and straws. "And I added a little bit of pineapple too. I know how much you like it."
"Mmm," George reached around him and snatched one, took a sip and smacked his lips a few times. "It's good. Could use a little banana, but it's not bad."
Dream chuckled and rolled his eyes as he picked up his own smoothie, then turned and leaned back against the countertop. "So are you ready then?"
"Been read for three fucking years," George took another sip of his smoothie.
After saying goodbye to Patches and Sapnap (the latter mumbling a half-assed goodbye before falling back asleep), they were on the road, the bright Florida sun leading the way. Excitement simmered under George's skin as he drove them to the beach Dream's mom recommended. She said it was one they'd been to often as a family when Dream was younger, so George knew it would be perfect.
So what if the drive was longer than he expected? And the morning sun was incredibly hot on his lap. And he'd realized after arriving there mid-morning that not only were Florida beaches extremely crowded in the summer but they had to park nearly a kilometer away and carry everything in one trip. With Dream's help, he managed, and soon they'd staked their claim on a small patch of sand in front of the main umbrella line.
"Don't forget your sunblock," Dream held out the bottle to him. "I can get your back if you'd like. I got mine already but I know you're not as flexible as me."
"I'm fine," George accepted the sunblock and squirted a liberal amount into his palm - probably too much. It smelled like coconut, which he supposed made up for the sticky feeling of it on his skin.
"Oh my God, George," Dream laughed, then took the bottle away and snapped the cap back on. "You look like a ghost."
"It's not my fault this stupid sunblock isn't soaking in," George continued rubbing it into his arms.
"Here, let me," Dream set the sunblock down and reached over to scrape a blob of lotion off George's shoulder. "Now turn around."
"Dream, I told you, I can get - oh!" George tensed a little, face flushed as Dream started rubbing sunblock into his back. This had to look weird, right? Dudes didn't usually rub sunblock into each other's backs. They just haphazardly did it themselves or wore t-shirts.
Still, this felt kind of... nice.
Dream's touch was firm as he rubbed the sunblock into George's back, careful not to miss any spots that would leave awkward burns later.
George sighed into the touch. He could really get used to this, to the feel of Dream's hands massaging coconut-scented lotion into George's back, shoulders and waist. Dream lingered there a little, just as George figured he would, and then his fingertips swiped briefly under the waistband of his swimming trunks.
"So you don't get a line," Dream whispered into his ear, just before pressing a quick kiss to his neck.
George flushed again, goosebumps rising on his skin that Dream's touch smoothed away.
Just when George was really starting to relax into it, Dream pulled his hands away. "There, I think I got it all. And your arms look better now."
George opened his eyes, clearing his throat while he settled himself on the blanket under the umbrella. He reached into the cooler for two bottles of lemonade and handed one to Dream.
"To our first beach day," George clinked his bottle against Dream's. "Took us long enough, but I'm glad we're here."
"Me too," Dream smiled, warm and fond as the bottles clinked against each other. "I'm glad you suggested this. It's been too long since we did something together, just us."
"It has," George replied, unable to keep the softness out of his own as he opened his bottle. "Thank goodness for the mold, right."
"Yeah," Dream chuckled, nudging George in the side a bit before unscrewing the cap on his lemonade and taking a sip. "You know, my parents have a beach house not far from here, if you wanted to extend this a bit."
George paused mid-sip, eyes wide as Dream raised one brow and gave him a little smirk.
So, it was going to be that kind of beach day.
George didn't object. He'd never object to more time with Dream. Especially time alone in a beach house, cuddled together on the sofa or in bed, pressing lazy kisses to sun-warmed skin until they both fell asleep.
"If you think your mom won't mind," George looked over the top of his bottle, then swallowed and returned Dream's smirk with one of his own.
"Oh, she won't," Dream replied. "I may have texted her about it on the way here."
George took another long sip of lemonade, pink tinging his cheeks while he turned his gaze towards the horizon.
So what if it was much warmer here than he expected? And after hearing nearby children complain about jellyfish, he didn't know if he'd go anywhere near the ocean.
But sitting here next to Dream, drinking lemonade together under their rainbow striped umbrella with the promise of so much more tonight, there was no place he'd rather be.