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George used to love Valentienes Day.
He loved the way everyone went out of their way to be extra sweet to each other, giving flowers and candy, paper valentines with poems and pictures of puppies and kittens. And then there were the hugs. George had always been an affectionate person for as long as he could remember, and Valentines Day was the one day that it became acceptable to hug anyone he wanted.
The whole world was filled with love, and it made George happier than he'd ever been.
Until the year after he turned ten.
Now he hated Valentines Day.
After handing out carefully selected valentines to every kid in his class at school, George sat down and peered in the contstruction paper envelope on his desk. He hoped to see lots of tiny envelopes with his name on them.
There were only three.
One from the teacher, one from Angie, the shy girl with blonde pigtails who was nice to everyone, even if they were mean to her, and the one he'd accidentally written for himself.
That was it.
George looked around at the other students, wondering if they were still handing out their valentines, but every boy and girl was sitting at their desk, looking through the large pile of valentines they'd recieved.
So when the bell rang at the end of the day, George trudged out of the room, leaving his three valentines behind.
He should have known. Oh the first day of 4th grade, it became obvious that his classmates werent't the same as they had been the year before. Girls clustered in small groups at recess, whispering to each other and growing quiet the moment he approached them. And the boys - they seemed more interested in playing american football, a sport George didn't really care for. Which meant that on the first day of school, and every day after, he spent recess alone.
Sometimes that one girl – Angie – would walk over to say hi, or ask if he wanted to go on the swings. But then one day the other girls teased her for it, and her little visits stopped.
True, he had a valentine from her, but she'd probably given it to him out of pity.
Shoulders slumped, George grabbed his backpack, walked out of the school and turned onto the sidewalk to head home. He just wanted today to be over.
He'd barely made it past the entrance to the school playground, though, when a familiar voice calling his name made him look up.
Immediately he smiled.
Dream.
The boy smiled and waved, and more than anything, George wished Dream didn't go to a different school. But at least he got to see Dream now.
"How was school?" Dream rode his bike up to him, then turned around, climbed off the bike and walked it alongside George.
George rolled his eyes. "Don't ask."
"Oh," Dream's smile fell a bit, but he offered what George assumed was an encouraging smile. "Wanna come over? My sister is out on a date or something, so we can play Mario and Duck Hunt without her bugging us."
George couldn't help the smile that turned up the corners of his mouth at Dream's offer.
"Yeah, I'd like that," he said, his heart already feeling lighter. An afternoon at Dream's house was just what he needed - having fun with his best friend, playing video games, eating dunkaroos and drinking strawberry lemonade.
"So," Dream said after a few minutes of silence. "If it's about Valentines Day, I didn't have the best day either."
"You too, huh?" George chuckled a little. "I swear, it's like my class turned into invasion of the body snatchers or something. I used to get valentines from everyone, but today I only got two."
"Same," Dream replied. "Too bad we don't go to the same school, or we couldv'e… wait!" He stopped walking and turned to face George, an excited smile on his face. "I have an idea, for when we get to my house, if you're up for it."
George smiled and gave Dream a nudge. "Of course I'm up for it. Race ya?"
"Sure, not really fair though." Dream gestured to his bike.
"Then I'll get a head start," George grinned, and took off running.
He coudln't wait to see what Dream had planned.
Turned out, Dream's plan was exactly what George needed today. A pile of construction paper, scissors, markers, and glue made a mess of Drram's kitchen table, but after a half hour, they each had a Valentine to give to each other. The kids at school would probably laugh at them or call them names, but George didn't care. Dream was his best friend, always had been and always would be.
Anyone who had a problem with that was probably just jealous.
"Okay," Dream held his paper heart against his chest to hide what he'd written on it, just as George was doing. "On the count of three, we exchange our Valentines."
George nodded. "One…
"Two," Dream said.
"Three!" They both said together, then set their paper hearts on the table beside each other.
And started laughing.
"No way," Dream stood up from his chair and walked closer to George's to get a better look at what he'd made. A somewhat messy picture of a duck, with "I'm so ducky to be your friend" written underneath it.
Just like Dream's.
"And you weren't peeking?" Dream asked.
"Nope," George replied through excited giggles. "We really made the same Valentines for each other."
"Well you know what that means." Dream gave George a little nudge. "We're like, soulmates or something."
George's face flushed red and his breath caught in his throat. Dream didn't really mean that, did he? Best friends was one thing, but soulmates implied something completely different. Something more than just friendship. Something that George had felt inklings of in the past few months, but pushed them aside the moment they surfaced.
Now though, something about that word – soulmates – made George wonder if maybe those little inklings of feelings were something Dream felt too. And sure, maybe they were scary, but they didn't need to be, not with Dream by his side.
"S-soulmates?" George said, testing the waters with the lightest touch to barely ripple the surface. "W-what do you mean by that?"
"I dunno," Dream shrugged. "I mean, I've heard my sister talk about it on the phone with her friends, about boys she likes."
"Yes?" a flicker of hope lit in George's heart and he leaned forward.
Dream paused for a few seconds, then looked down. He started to chew on his lower lip, the same way he did when he was trying to figure out a math problem that George would eventually help him with. Or when he was really nervous about something. When Dream looked up, his cheeks were flushed and there was an odd sort of look in his eyes. A look George had only seen once, between his parents.
Which meant…
Dream looked down again, and the flicker in George's chest grew while he waited for Dream to say something. Anything.
Dream took a deep breath, and when he glanced up, that look that was in his eyes earlier was gone. "I mean, that's what she thinks soulmates are," he explained. "But she's older."
"Um, yeah, of course," George replied, trying to hide the disappointment he didn't expect to feel. "So, what about for us then?"
Dream's lips curved up in an easy smile. "We're best friend soulmates. Which means that no matter what, even if one of us has to move away or gets a girlfriend when we're older, no matter what, we'll be best friends. Forever."
"I like that," George replied honestly. "Hopefully that first thing doesn't happen though. I don't know what I'd do if one of us had to move away."
Dream stood up and placed a hand on George's shoulder. "If I have anything to say about it, it won't. I'll just follow you. Even if it takes a long time, I'll find my way back to you, because we're best friends, forever, and nothing can separate us."
"Yeah," George smiled. "Thanks, Dream. This was fun."
"Yeah, it was." Dream reached an arm around George and pulled him in for a quick side hug. One that George quickly reciprocated, turning to wrap both of his arms around his best friend.
And then Dream hugged him back, today became the best Valentine's Day ever.
"So," Dream pulled away and gestured towards the living room. "Wanna go play Duck Hunt? I've been practicing, and I think I can beat you this time."
"Yeah, right," George replied. "We both know I'm the Duck Hunt expert. The only way you can beat me is if I have to leave to go home for dinner."
"Actually," Dream walked away, then paused in the doorway. "Since it's a Friday, you can sleep over, if you want, and if your mom says it's okay. My mom is making spaghetti and she always has more than enough. And cupcakes too."
"Ooh, yummy," George smiled. "Yeah, I'd like that. I'll call my mom while you set up the game, see if she can bring over my clothes, toothbrush and pillow."
"Got it!" Dream nodded, then ran into the living room.
Before George walked over to the phone hanging on the wall, he paused, picked up the valentine Dream had made for him, and carefully folded it before slipping it into his pocket, a reminder that no matter what, Dream would always be his best friend.
His soulmate.
Fifteen years later…
George opened his eyes, instinctively looking over in the bed and frowning at the emptiness that greeted him. He knew he shouldn't be surprised by it anymore, but he couldn't help it, especially today.
After all, today he was leaving for that weekend trip to Paris for Skeppy's wedding, or commitment ceremony, or whatever it was. Joey was supposed to go with him. They'd planned it months ago, back when their three-year relationship was on solid ground.
Before the earthquake came in the form of another man that took George's boyfriend away from him.
In hindsight, George saw the signs. They were as obvious as Big Ben or the London Eye. It was just easier to live in disbelief than to live with a broken heart.
No time for that, though. He had a plane to catch in six hours and he still needed to pack. After stretching his arms out over his head, George stood and walked over to the closet, where his suitcase lay on the top shelf, covered with a thin layer of dust.
He really needed to start traveling more.
Joey had never been big on traveling. Always complaining about motion sickness and how everything he could ever need was in London so why go anywhere else?
Now, though, George could travel. Surely Skeppy wouldn't mind if he took an extended vacation after the Paris trip. After Skeppy got back from his honeymoon, of course. George's mind swam with all the possibilities of places he could travel to as he tugged on the handle of the suitcase to take it off the shelf.
Spain. Germany. Hell, maybe even Iceland.
When the suitcase finally slipped free, a folder fell off the shelf with it, and George's breath caught in his throat at the small,folded piece of red paper that fluttered to the floor. He set the suitcase down, hit with a wave of nostalgia when he picked up the paper and unfolded it.
Fifteen years.
Thirteen since they'd last seen each other. Since they'd promised forever. Since Dream broke that promise. Since they both did.
But maybe it wasn't too late.
George smiled and slipped the valentine into his pocket.
After Paris, Florida would be a good place to start.