Chapter Text
The snow falls in steady streams coating the area under its blanketed gaze.
Dream grumbles to himself when for the not second, nor third, but fourth time a snowflake lands directly in his eye. Tears come forth from the onslaught.
As he opens his mouth to complain that they really should stop doing this, this is growing ridiculous, an elegant finger presses against his lips silencing him.
Dream’s irritated eye raises to look at the finger’s owner. George’s eyes are the only part of his face visible. A heavy hood covers his dark brown hair and a black ski mask hides away his mouth and rests over the bridge of his nose.
George isn’t even looking at him.
He’s too busy looking past the rows of stupid jagged rocks they’re hiding behind to get a good look at the coast less than a hundred feet away from them. The coast that is covered in layers of snow growing thick and the horizon painted hazy with the sea full of chunks and chunks of ice as the background.
But it’s still visible.
Dream feels the finger withdraw from his lips as they both stare at the target.
Dream berates himself silently, George’s target, this is not his world. Just unfortunately by association. This was not in the terms when Dream carved the engagement necklace…
The Fire Nation Vessel sits heavy and imposing. Marring the churning canvas of the waters that seems to lap at it in challenge. Like the sea is itching to take out its wraph on the ship that carries plans that could end with thousands choking on ash and livelihoods going up in flames.
Or so they’ve been told.
This target isn’t like the ones they’ve been assigned in the past. No, all those were military vessels. This one is civilian.
Dream’s eyes narrow as he watches George raise a set of binoculars. They’d gotten intel that this was the personal ship of a high ranking military official but the sources were unable to pinpoint what specific official it was, just for certain an important one that would have lots of information.
The directions were simple. Board the ship. Steal all military information possible. And, Dream swallows thickly, kill the enemy. Interrogation would be futile and only open up the possibilities for a message to be sent out for help and as a report of the incident.
George has always taken care of…that aspect of the job. After all he’s the assassin. But that doesn’t mean Dream likes watching it. He’s just waiting for the day it begins to weigh on George but, as George lowers the binoculars and Dream catches the ice chilled in those eyes, he knows the day is not today.
George pockets the binoculars onto the backpack slung over his shoulders. A pack preparing to harness deadly information.
He adjusts his pouch containing water from across his chest.
Dream silently watches George bend the water out of the pouch and twirls it in a circle around his fingers until seemingly satisfied and returns it gently as if it never left in the first place.
Dream watches enchanted. As an earth bender there’s just…there’s something so beautiful about water bending. While earth bending is all harsh movements water bending is like well, liquid. A constant flow mirroring a dance. Only more enchanting when the one doing it is the love of his life.
The love of his life who nudges his head towards the ship.
Dream pouts behind his own mask, “Do we have to?”
It’s never too late to turn back, right? Sure the head of the organization might lose their shit and Dream and George may be kicked out and seen as disgraces but is that really so bad?
George’s eyes narrow as they sharpen into pure dagger shards. The chill air seems to somehow manage to drop several degrees lower as the snow flakes suddenly slow their descent around Dream and George like a bubble.
Dream doesn’t need the words spoken aloud to understand what George is conveying.
His shoulders slump in defeat, “You know I’m not going to let you go alone.”
He looks to the ship in all its jagged lines and plumes of ash emitting from its engines.
He swears he can taste the ash on his tongue. He looks back to George who waits not so patiently for Dream’s decision.
Dream’s fingers clench into a fist, this is their last mission for a while after this they’ll be able to relax, kick back, “Alright, let’s make this quick.”
And just like that the snowflakes around them fall back to their normal pace.
George says nothing as he tosses himself over a jagged rock and lands swiftly on the snow covered peebles littering the beach.
Dream doesn’t bother trying to imitate the move. While George is the equivalent of an agile hawk he’s closer to a blind fumbling mole.
George looks at the length of the ship counting the windows to determine which part of the ship their target is residing in. To remain undetected until desired to would be key.
George shows no reaction as his eyes lock onto the window at the same time Dream lands next to him, flailing his arms non eloquently nearly face planting into the snow.
He strides towards the hull of the ship quickly. The lapping and crashing of the waves lulls and invigorates his soul at the same time. This is his territory, something they’re about to swiftly learn once and for all.
Dream and George stare at each other silently as they look between the deck of the ship at least thirty feet above them to the lapping sea. Normally they’d use a grabbling hook but even that could possibly be heard over the sea.
Dream’s shoulders slump even further as he acknowledges they’re going with ancient methods. He wads into the ice cold sea cursing out his heart. He steels himself as the water slowly teems around him. As it wraps around his legs he allows himself to go slack. He closes his eyes momentarily as George lifts his arms and creates an arm of water that extends and drops Dream down onto the deck.
He lands with a minimal thud. There’s furniture out on the deck which is an incredibly strange sight in Dream’s opinion. Chairs gathered around a small coffee table.
Dream blinks as he takes a step closer, is that a tea kettle still on it?
His head whips to the side as he more senses than hears George land beside him. George takes one look at him before reaching out a hand.
Dream watches entranced as large drops of water are extracted from his clothes and tossed over board.
He nods his head in thanks, a small smile gracing his features.
George doesn’t notice as he’s too busy counting how far left through the ship they’ll have to go.
The first lock is nothing. Because there is no lock. Dream and George blink in confusion at each other as no lock decorates the door to below deck.
George slowly opens it. Dream grabs a rock from his pocket at tosses it into the entryway. He silences it before it can fall too harshly against the metal ground.
They both hold their breath waiting for alarms to sound but there’s nothing.
Dream bends the rock back to him and shrugs. It’s odd but not unwelcome. Rich people are cocky.
George doesn’t waste time immediately weaving through the passageway.
And just like that Dream falls into step. Right, left, straight, straight, right.
They pass several doors.
George raises a hand in halt.
Dream nods while remaining silent. The only noise throughout the ship is the crashing of the waves against it.
Dream stands on look out as George carefully scouts out the room.
The ship is eerily quiet and from what Dream is guessing holding a much lower population than it’s capable of. It eases a small part of him. That they’re killing less people this go around.
Dream glances through the door to George who’s stuffing scrolls into his backpack silently.
He can hear George’s words, ‘War is war.’
That, ash fills his vision along with harrowing screams, he clenches his hand turning the rock in his pocket to dust, that he cannot deny.
George exits the room with one shoulder roll. He nods to Dream and gestures to the left.
Last one. They only needed to hit two rooms in this one. The essential ‘office’ and, Dream internally sighs to himself, bed chambers.
Dream hangs back further as he watches George bend out the water to form a dagger. A dagger that slices through the first lock they’ve encountered. George catches the lock before it can fall. He tosses it in the air to Dream who catches it and pockets it himself.
George flattens himself against the wall and shimmies between the door.
Dream’s heart beats anxiously like a jackhammer. It’s one thing to raid an empty room but one with a powerful enemy fire bender sleeping away? Yeah, no. No that’s a
whole other ball game.
Time goes on for so long Dream feels like he’s frozen to the spot. Blood iced over in his veins. Stationary like a statue. Yet his mind screams with a sharp clarity waiting for the moment of reprise. The moment of salvation. The moment they can get the fuck out of here.
And he thinks that’s going to happen. Until his heart
drops as a wave of heat bursts from the seams of the door and light spills into the hallway.
George!
Dream swings the door open. He’s met with the sight of a man frozen against the ships’s wall, Dream winces, in his underwear. Yikes.
George tightens his fist making the ice curl in tighter around the body. The man groans lowly as pain encases his form. He opens his mouth to roar out a flame but all that comes out is a weak wisp.
George grabs onto Dream’s wrist and yanks him down the hallway. Dream’s memory flashes back to the man powerless against the wall multiple times. The guy’s a fire bender. Eventually his body heat will become enough to melt the ice. Dream suspects it was George’s courtesy for not slitting the man’s throat in front of him.
He doesn’t really get the chance to ask as George breaks a window and throws them through it.
The first moments falling through air are invigorating but the moment the sea swallows them is the moment Dream decides his soul should be separated from his body.
It doesn’t last long before George propels them to shore.
Dream heaves, chest rising rapidly from adrenaline. George tosses him the backpack which Dream firmly holds in his arms.
Then George straightens his back. Plants his feet shoulder length apart and lowers his hands. His eyes are piercing and entirely focused. He breathes deeply feeling the air flow from his nose down his throat to expand into his lungs.
Gradually he raises his arms side to side. Back and forth back and forth. Steadied, controlled, while in a constant flow.
Dream watches just amazed as the first time he witnessed it as a wave larger than the entire size of the fire nation ship blasts into the ship throwing it off balance. The waves hit again and again in a constant onslaught. The sea bending to George’s will of vengeance.
It doesn’t take long for the last wave to crash and send the ship carrenning over.
George makes a circular shape with his arms pushing the ship further and further under water.
Dream watches silently as George creates a spear of water and jabs it repeatedly until the metal of the ship’s hull gives.
The beautiful motions that Dream’s adores have left several to a watery grave.
Once it’s clear the ship and its occupants are making no return George rips down his mask.
A dazzling grim graces his lips. Eyes shining with vigor and life. With victory.
They succeeded. They boarded the ship, got what they came for, and ended all those on board.
Dream tosses the backpack over his shoulder as he already anticipates what happens next.
George barrels into Dream nearly knocking him over. He yanks Dream’s collar down so they share a passionate kiss. Dream relishes the moment George's warmth crashes with his frozen form. The kiss is passionate in ways Dream worries is wrong but honestly in the moment he couldn’t care less.
His arms wrap around George’s waist and pull the smaller body closer against his own seeking comfort and touch.
And too soon they’re breaking apart.
Dream with his eyes widened.
George with his eyes bewildered for once.
And innocent blue eyes settled on them accompanied with gurgles.
Dream and George slowly turn to look at the little boy sitting on the snow covered ground, clapping his hands happily. He can’t be older than two. With blond curls that wisp at his ears and large brilliant blue eyes that glimmer at them. The child’s attire is clear in its red colors.
George whispers against Dream’s neck, “Is that a baby?”
Dream stares down in shock as the child claps his hands again, completely focused on the couple. He licks his lips wondering if he hit his head on the way out of the ship, “Looks like it babe, yeah.”
George’s hold tightens around Dream's shoulder as anxiety cascades over him, “I just sank that ship Dream. They’re,” he stutters, “they’re all dead.”
That being, if this baby belonged to the fire nation citizens on the ship well…
Dream chuckles as he feels insanity coil around his neck, “Congrats Georgie, it’s a boy.”
Dream shouts a curse as George socks him in the gut.
The baby giggles happily.