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To be frank, George didn't have a great day. Not even a good one. People were getting too close to him, overstepping all of the boundaries he had in his mind. Sure, no one else could see those imaginary lines, but he could, so it bothered him a bit more than usual. He would take a step back only for them to take two steps forward. It was like they didn't understand how personal space worked or something. Maybe they simply didn't care. Either way, he wasn't enjoying it. Not one bit. On top of that, a lady yelled at him over the phone for not properly filing away information relating back to an order she had placed. It wasn't his fault that happened. He wasn't even in charge of that section of things. The call definitely set him back causing him to spend lunch sulking in the corner by himself. He didn't touch the peanut butter and jelly sandwich (with no crust) that Kandice had prepared for him that morning. The thought of it made him sick to his stomach. To tie this shitshow together, George had to stay later than intended. One of his co-workers had to leave early, so he was left to complete what she had started. This wouldn't benefit him in any way, but he didn't have the heart to say no. He was way too nice for his own good.
Things really hit the fan when George realised he had the options of either taking an Uber home or the public bus. He had totally spaced the thought that the girls didn't work today. Val had dropped him off but never really talked about picking him back up. They were both a little forgetful from time to time. It's not a big deal, he told himself. The ten-minute drive with a stranger would be fine. Right? Nothing can get worse if you're already feeling as if you're at rock bottom. George waited outside once his Uber was ordered, headphones in. Harry Styles' honeyed voice came through the little speakers, soothing the brunette into a state of okay-ness. He wasn't feeling any less anxious but he could try. Kandice would be all over him the second he was home, asking a million personal questions, and he didn't want that right now. Peace and quiet would be good.
Arriving home had never felt more off-putting. As the Uber pulled up, he noticed an unfamiliar car outside of the house. Actually, it was his car. The one he shared with Dream. If he was in a more upbeat mood, he would've loved to see his boyfriend right now. With all of the excessive anxiety built up in his head and stomach, he didn't particularly know if he could handle what could possibly be happening. It would feel off, more so than usual. He politely thanked his driver before getting out of the car, slowly stalking up to the front door. Did he even have to go inside? George paused on the porch only to stare at the door handle. He expected it to be unlocked. Behind the door, he heard voices belonging to a multitude of people. Off the top of his head, he could recognise Kandice and Val's, but also Sapnap and Dream. George reached out and gently twisted the knob which made the talking fall flat. It was like they didn't want George to overhear what was being said.
"I'm home," He called out hesitantly, toeing off his shoes, "And... I'm going to go lay down. My head hurts." George knew everyone was sitting in the living room. He wanted to avoid that as much as possible right now.
A voice sighed before speaking. It was Val. "George, come here for a second. We need to talk." Those words made his stomach twist up further. Not today. He couldn't do this right now.
"Val, I really don't feel good," He said, voice trembling, "I don't... I want to just lay down. Okay?"
"George, get in here," She spoke with a more demanding tone. It made him jump. Reluctantly, George shrugged off his coat and carefully hung it up along with his purse. He clutched his phone in his nervous hand before shuffling off to the living room. He took his sweet time. Maybe today could get worse. It was appearing that it could. Conversation picked up once more but it was quiet, like they were forcing the subject. George gradually emerged into the living room with delay, almost tripping over his own feet. Everyone's heads turned to offer him a sheepish smile. This was a set-up.
"Come sit down," Kandice said, speaking softly. She patted the free spot next to her on the loveseat. He nodded silently and crossed the room to sit, crossing his legs comfortably. He ran his fingers through his hair, cautiously pushing pieces out of his face. Kandice winded an arm around his waist to pull him closer. He automatically was moving out of her grip when given the chance. George didn't want to be touched right now. It made the girl frown a bit, along with everyone who was watching.
Everyone was sharing glances like they all knew something George didn't; He wasn't enjoying that whatsoever. Out of the small group, Sapnap was the first to strike up the conversation. It was a little out of place for him since he wasn't the closest to George by any means but he was still a concerned friend. Since meeting the brunette, he had picked up on his unusual traits and the things he said/did. Automatically, he assumed the boy was a bit insecure, judging by the significant amount of makeup he wore even when he was simply lounging around the house. His body movements added to that, too. He was typically so shut off and quiet. Everyone wishes he spoke more. George had good things to add to conversation the majority of the time.
"You're probably wondering why we're all here," He stated simply. Oh God. This sounded like an intervention. George nodded a little bit, staring at his hands which were folded across his lap. Sapnap continued as he watched his movements, "Well... We're worried about you. Health wise, at least. We know this breakup stuff hasn't been easy but this is about more than that. Things have been going on way before that."
George's heart dropped into his stomach as Sapnap spoke. All four of them knew a bit too much about him and his personal life. He nodded slowly, mouth growing dry. This had to be his worst nightmare. All eyes were on him, and they were expecting him to speak on the situation. He didn't want to add to this, nor did he want to hear what they had to say. Out of habit, he pulled his knees into his chest as he tried to breath normally. The positioning wouldn't help, but he stayed like that, anyway. Kandice was giving him the side eye, slightly concerned. She didn't want this to frighten him. They were merely trying to help.
Val, wanting to cut to the chase, was the next to speak, "George, we know that you don't take care of yourself. It may or may not be on purpose, but it's a concern. Dream and I talked about you, about your health. I know you say that you're trying but we know you might need a little more support. You're either at 150 or under that. That's underweight for you, for someone like you."
An uncomfortable silence fell over the room. Kandice shot her girlfriend a look that wasn't so pleasant. He knew this was coming and knew it wouldn't be pretty. Everyone was so concerned about him and honestly, he desperately wanted that to stop. George was trying so hard to be independent. He set his own alarms, tried to prepare his own meals (when the girls weren't cooking), and even had sticky-notes around the bedroom as a reminder to take his medicine every morning. While it was hard to adjust to such a lifestyle, he was doing pretty well with it. Some day's he struggled with specific tasks but either he would put himself back on track after calming down, or have a chat with Val. She was skilled when it came to bringing him back down to earth and pointing out some sort of solace in the situation. To him, she was a lifesaver. A bright light during bleak times.
When George looked in the mirror, he occasionally saw something he didn't care for. His mouth seemed too wide, nose too prominent. He would run his fingertips across his bare stomach, pinching at the pale skin and frowning. Back in the day, his stomach was rather flat but since dating Dream, he added a bit of chub to that area. While he tried not to mind it, sometimes it bothered him to a certain degree that he grew uncomfortable. No one should be so self-conscious. It was a curse. During rather grim times, he avoided looking at his reflection. He had himself trained to be able to do his makeup without a mirror, which was sad to admit, but it was legitimate. No matter how many people called him pretty or said he was cute; George felt repulsive. In his head, it was embarrassing that people had to look at him. Maybe he used his fashion sense to try and act confident, which was foolproof half of the time, except when people saw right through him. Both Dream and Val were good at that by now. They could notice his change in attitude and personality; he'd fall quiet and nervous, unable to complete sentences or properly maintain eye contact.
"You're beautiful, you know," Dream said softly, eyes dragging down George's entire body. He's seen him in a bunch of different positions and situations. Every single time, he looked gorgeous. "It's normal to have rolls. Everyone has them, whether standing or sitting. I have them, Cal has them, the girls have them... It's okay if you do, too. All that matters is that you're healthy, and babe, this isn't healthy anymore."
"I thought it was nothing at first," Kandice added, "That you were just, I don't know, forgetful? I got more worried when you started missing out on chances to eat, by saying you weren't hungry or simply had an upset stomach. None of us can make you eat, but we can help you build a better relationship with food and yourself... I think we all know about your therapist, she helps, hm?"
He nodded slowly, rolling his bottom lip between his teeth. Mandy was a rather delightful woman. She was sweet, caring, helpful. All of the traits you needed to be a therapist, really. She took George's emergency calls and appointments, always finding ways to help when he felt helpless. He had a deep appreciation for her and all of the support she has given him since starting to see her. Without seeing a therapist, George would probably still be stuck at square one. Kandice reached over and grasped one of George's hands in her own, rubbing soothing circles against his palm. Right now, he couldn't find the exact words to adequately explain how he felt. There were thoughts of negativity swirling around in his head, but that wasn't because of his friends.
"I want to get help," He muttered eventually, squeezing Kandice's hand tightly as he did so. Those words never exactly left his mouth. He would think about expressing these concerns to someone, anyone, but he didn't want to be a bother. Everyone else had their lives to live and he did not need to ruin that. George wasn't that important, or so he thought. Dream would be quick to shut that down.
"That's a good place to start," Sapnap said first, "Professional help is always okay... Especially when dealing with something like this. It is not easy. We're going to be here for you, always. Throughout all of this. As friends, we will always be here to talk if you're feeling down. We have some questions, though. Can we go around and talk?" He asked. The question was pointed towards George more than anything because it was up to him. No one wanted to see him in tears even though it was bound to happen. It was never malicious when people assumed he would cry, that is just who he is. George was soft, he was sensitive, but he was 101% himself. No matter what.
"Sure," He replied shortly. Kandice's hand had snuck its way onto his back, now rubbing circles against it. She was trying to be helpful. Being touchy-feely was one of the only ways she knew to help and wouldn't know what to do if told otherwise. Her mind could be very one tracked sometimes, which was okay, but not always so useful. Not when it came to George.
Dream started first since he knew the extent of the problems George was facing internally. A lot of self-consciousness, guilt, and sadness. He didn't know how one could store so much negativity like that and not express it all of the time. Even though he was conditioned to keep to himself when feeling down, George was different than him. George grew up in a loving household where his parents didn't yell at him just for fun. He was able to express his emotions and femininity without judgement from them. One could say he was a little jealous of his boyfriend, which wasn't pretty. With a faint sigh, he rubbed his hands together, trying not to get too upset right off of the bat.
"What made you think that... What started this?" He asked. The question was loaded. Realistically, there were lots of things contributing to the fact that George didn't find himself as pretty as he was. Ranging from his ex to the people around him. He always caught his head comparing himself to others, which was unfair. Everyone was different. He wasn't at a disadvantage with anyone since he was so unique. No one could compare.
George was shaking underneath Kandice's touch but she decided not to bring it up. This was hard enough as is. She didn't need him thinking about anything other than this. It took him a few minutes to formulate a response that made sense. "I, uh... Well, my ex started a lot of it. I guess... He, he didn't really say the nicest things to me. I was always too heavy for him, or uh, I had to put makeup on before leaving the house with him. Whenever we were around his friends, all they did was sexualise me. Which didn't necessarily help. They said things too, and he never told them to knock it off." Since he spoke so softly, everyone basically had to hold their breath to hear him. It was hard to make out a few sentences but they really tried their best.
Not everyone was as well informed on George's abusive ex-boyfriend as he wanted them to be. While it was a rather deep subject, much like what they were discussing currently, it was a topic for another night. Bringing both things into play for inspection would only bring up extreme trauma. That was not the goal of tonight. They just needed to find a place to start with proper treatment. Therapy could only go so far. If George was to have support from all four of them, it would be a little bit easier to deal with every day. No matter how independent he strived to be, this was one of those things no one could go through alone. There were going to be days that he relapsed, causing him great discomfort and sadness, but there would also be a day where he reached a week clean. That would only happen if he kept up with eating everyday, not skipping meals, or avoiding looking at himself.
This was his one body and he needed to take care of it. No matter how hard it got.
"Like Dream said, G, you're so attractive... I am worried about you. I guess I always have been but it's been getting more concerning as the months pass. When is the last time you went to the doctors?" Val asked. She was sat in the armchair with Daisy in her lap, sleeping peacefully. Oh how George wished that Bella was curled up with him. She was probably so confused as to why he wasn't lying down in bed right now.
"Um... When I got my appendix removed, uh, back before Christmas, I guess. That's like, four months ago. Basically."
Sapnap frowned deeply, "You're supposed to go every three months or such, I think. At least that's what my mom tells me... As mentioned, you have a therapist. I'm sure she helps a great deal but have you ever looked into support groups? Or has she recommended that at all?"
"Yeah, guess so. I don't... We don't spend a lot of time dwelling on this subject because I lead the sessions, most of the time. We talk about what I want to talk about. Which means I sort of waste sessions unless I'm dying to talk about something." He explained. George knew it was a bad habit. There were people who would love to see a therapist biweekly and be able to rant, but he wasted some days purely to talk about pointless subjects with no end. Even when Mandy tried to focus him on something underlying, he would push that off and bring up the weather again. For the fifth time in twenty minutes.
"You need to bring it up more with her," Kandice urged, "She'll really know what to do, from a professional point of view. We're just your friends and we don't have any training with this. We are almost as lost as you are, but you're actually dealing with this... I want to help, we all do. Please, just let us in."
Now, tears were starting to pool in the corner of George's dull eyes. They looked a lot less darker than usual. He never expected the conversation to steer into something like this. Honestly, he already wanted this to be over, and they had barely scraped the surface. This went deeper than just being self-conscious and coping with the after effects of a heavily violent relationship. George was traumatised, and he didn't know how to undo all of the damage done. The built-up anxiety in his body was making him shake. It had no other way to get out of his being. He inevitably brought his hands up to his face to rub at his wet eyes, wanting the tears to go away. Everyone watching him cry would be the death of him.
"Let me lay down, please," He plead as he started standing up. This was too much for him. Why did they have to do this today, out of all days? The same day his friends confronted him about his ED just had to be the same day he already felt like throwing up. Wonderful. Perfect timing. It's not like he could blame them, though, they didn't know.
Dream frowned, growing a little frustrated. All they were requesting was for George to let them in completely. They weren't going to judge him, nor guilt trip him or make him feel bad by any means. This was all about aiding him through a hard time. No matter how much he protested, George wouldn't be able to go through this with a towel over his eyes.
"Babe, no. You can't... We really need to have this talk. As your friends, we cannot avoid this anymore. This- This can all lead to things worse than just not eating. I want you to get better. We don't want you going through this alone, so please, sit back down. As soon as we figure something out, you can rest. I promise."
Reluctantly, George sat back down. He felt defeated, ill, and increasingly anxious. He propped his head against Kandice's shoulder with a broken sigh, letting his eyes fall shut for now. The tears silently flowed down his already reddened cheeks. No noises were coming out because he refused to cause a scene in front of everyone. The girl to his right stroked his back as the room fell silent once more. No one wanted to speak, or move, or even breathe too loudly. As a group, though, they needed to make a plan to guarantee George got the support he needed. Both within their friend group and with his therapist. Mandy would be able to help with the treatment aspect of things, while his friends could offer support and love.
"Okay," He whispered eventually, breaking the uncomfortable silence. There was no use in fighting anymore. They all knew what George was like and they only wanted to help. If he continued to shut everyone out, things would only get worse as days passed by. He wanted to get better but it felt as if he was stuck in the sand. Soft smiles brought out across the room. Everyone was ecstatic to gain some compliance.
"Thank you," Kandice whispered, pressing a kiss to the crown of the boy's head.
Eventually, conversation picked up again and it was a lot mellower now. People were exchanging their ideas and concerns, trying to suggest ways to help even when things were muddy. All of the individual ideas were piecing together well. As a group, they were coming up with a plan for George. Since Kandice and Val were the ones he lived with, they came up with the thought of a chart on the fridge, at least for a little while. He would have to make check marks for when he ate, including snacks in-between meals. No one could force him to eat, but with some encouragement, they could get there. Sapnap and Dream took over the roles providing emotional support when George wasn't feeling too good about himself. Both boys have seen George without clothes and knew he was gorgeous. If they couldn't convince him then who could? Dream had more of a chance to convince George to do something over everyone, since he was his boyfriend and the closest, but it would still be hard to deal with sometimes. After lengthy explanations and key factors written down in the brunettes phone notes, it felt as if everyone had a bit more clarity. With all four of them putting their heads together, they were able to draw up a plan. For now and for the future. George pinky promised Kandice he would bring this into Mandy at his upcoming appointment.
This was the step in the right direction.
"Um... Now that, uh, everyone is here. Everyone that's important to me is here... And it's been briefly talked about, I want to discuss my ex-boyfriend, who hurt me. A lot." George sounded rather scared by the idea of talking about it in full, but it was needed. Hopefully it would shed light on something they were all wondering about collectively. They looked around at each other before nodding, silently telling him to continue. He took in a deep breath before deflating again. This would be good for him.
"I need you guys to listen so please, don't interrupt me... I think, a part of me is ready to realise that none of it was my fault but another part of me holds onto what happened, so maybe one day I can figure out why it was my fault. I haven't been in contact with him in years, but I suffered underneath him for a long time. To this day, I uh, still feel the need to protect myself in every which way. I hate yelling, slamming doors, and arguments... Already sorta mentioned that he, you know, wasn't so nice to me. He would call me names, degrade me and let his friends do the same. I don't get that. Why? Why did he fucking do that?"
The discussion was going to get rather heated. Behind all of the lying, deception and emotional manipulation was a lot of pent up negative thoughts. He was growing more confident with the idea that nothing he did caused the abuse. His ex consciously decided to do these things, whether or not George was acting out. Even if he was being a bit hard to handle, that doesn't give anyone the right to hit him. That's unjust. With a weak sigh, he continued to speak once more, this time a bit softer.
"I was... Hit, screamed at, taken advantage of. I couldn't see my friends, my family. Everything that I once enjoyed was no longer available. He'd belittle me and make me feel like I was the dumbest person ever for asking simple questions. I got good at covering up bruises with makeup because I had to every time I wanted to leave our apartment. Repeatedly, I was told not to talk about it or let anyone know. I was silenced and threatened. He said that if I ever told anyone, I was going to regret it. He would cheat on me and tell me it was my fault, because I wasn't good enough. Just — Fuck, guys! This is stupid as hell!"
Everyone visibly shrunk when George started to amplify his voice and curse. This wasn't like him at all. His voice cracked as new tears tracked down his face. He turned his head to bury his face in the crook of Kandice's neck. She looked emotionless as she mindlessly wrapped her arms around his shaking figure. Now, the silence was a lot more deafening. No one exactly feared that George would snap at them, but they had to take this at his pace, they couldn't force anything out of him. To Dream, this was another step in a promising direction. He was ill informed about the situation himself, so this was beneficial for the whole group. Sapnap and Dream glanced at one another, evident concern illustrated across their features. Val was practically invisible. She wasn't going to be saying anything until later.
"I don't want to be scared of you, or you," He said, pointing a shaky finger at Sapnap before pointing to Dream. "I was petrified of men for months, because I thought everyone I came into contact with was out to get me. There is only so much I could do to feel safe. I moved back in with my best friend and slept on his couch. He couldn't touch me without me crying. I used to hurt myself because I felt so shitty all of the time and the scars are still there. I have to be reminded of that every single time I take my jeans off. The amount of cracked ribs I encountered, along with fractured wrists. So much shit. I say that I am getting better but there are days I take the biggest step back where it feels as if I'm back where I started. The worst part is, I couldn't have sex with Dream until we were months into our relationship purely because I was scared and it wasn't even his fault! None of this is under my control anymore."
His voice cracked and his body shrivelled up. Thankfully, this conversation was being held in the girls' house rather than the apartment. George was getting loud. No one has ever heard his voice get this loud. Before anyone could say anything, he was pushing himself off of Kandice and standing up. He couldn't get himself to talk about this anymore. The damage was done, his friends were concerned, and his head was throbbing. For once, he experienced a sense of closure while talking about this. That wasn't a familiar feeling when it came to his ex; this hasn't happened since talking to Alex about it all those months ago. After a long time, George was realising this wasn't his fault, and he was in a safer, more comfortable environment. He was given the chance to bloom into something beautiful. Hot and heavy tears fell down his face, collecting at his chin before dripping onto his shirt. His makeup from the day was running. This wasn't a wonderful sight.
"I'm- I'm going to bed," He stated, "Thank you... For listening to me, and talking, and wanting to help. Right now, I don't want your pity. I have had people worrying about me constantly since we broke up all those years ago. So please, under my request, do not feel bad for me. Sympathy, sure, but not pity. Goodnight." There was a look of seriousness behind his eyes and no one wanted to push it. Any questions they had about his ex could be saved for another day. It was obvious George was over talking about it and he was absolutely exhausted, both mentally and physically. They all watched as he exited the living room and started the trip up the stairs. The room fell silent and it was uncomfortable. George was going to need them all again in the morning.
Once everyone took in the information given to them, it felt odd, almost like they knew something they weren't supposed to know about. They all stared at each other in complete silence. Val was the first one to speak, since she had an idea. It would be good for George, in the long run.
"So... I think you guys should spend the night." She stated, "You can sleep on the couches, or make beds on the floor. Whatever you'd like, but for George's sake, I think it'll be good for everyone to still be here in the morning. He doesn't work tomorrow which is great. He is going to need a bit to recover... We talked about a lot of heavy things today and he seemed genuinely upset towards the end. I'm glad we got him to talk, but at what cost? Jesus. If he lets one of you sleep in his room, take that opportunity. I know he gets nightmares and he'll definitely get one tonight. He's going to be lucky if he sleeps more than six hours."
It was a collective agreement that they would be spending the night. Kandice was already up and grabbing extra blankets from the linen closet. She set down a stack on the chair for the boys to pick from when it came time to laying down. Everyone moved in total silence. It would feel uncomfortable to talk at this point. They were all caught up on the same thought. Even though George basically told them not to worry, they were worrying. It was hard not to. Eventually, Val made her way upstairs to check on the brunette and then go to bed herself. It was a long day for everyone at this point. She cracked open the door to reveal George tucked into bed with Bella by his side; it appeared like he was already passed out. Her head was resting on his shoulder almost like she was trying to protect him. Silently, she pulled the door shut and tiptoed off to her own room. Kandice had a water bottle on the counter to bring upstairs for George when she went to bed.
"Okay," She said softly as the boys sorted out their sleeping situations on the couches, "Thank you guys for staying... It'll mean a lot to George. I'm going to get to bed now. Um, if you're going to stay up, maybe check on George every hour? To see if he's still asleep... I don't want him to feel as if he's alone right now."
Sapnap nodded quickly, "Of course, Kandice. We want to be there for him as much as you do. Go get some rest. We'll handle him tonight, alright?" He wouldn't be able to sleep easy after tonight. It would be almost impossible. No matter how hard he tried. He had so many unanswered questions floating around in his head.
Dream agreed with Sapnap, "We will keep an eye on him until we fall asleep ourselves... He is going to need to sleep in if he doesn't sleep well tonight. I got this, Sap, too."
Kandice came by and pressed a kiss to both of their foreheads. She was so grateful for the two of them, specifically during a time like this. There wouldn't be any easier way to do this, honestly. Quietly, she thanked them again before grabbing the water bottle from the counter before going upstairs. She left it on his bedside table with a little note. Without disturbing him, she kissed his head a few times and whispered an "I love you.". By the time she was changed and laying against her girlfriends side, she was out like a light. She only hoped it was that easy for George.
By midnight, the boys still weren't asleep and were instead wide awake. Sapnap turned his head to look at Dream who was laid across the smaller couch. He was thinking way too much to even consider resting his eyes. Blowing out a soft sigh, he mustered up a question to ask. Through the darkness, he spoke, "Dream... Does George still, uh, hurt himself?" He asked with hesitation.
He paused, "I don't think so. Last time he changed in front of me, I saw nothing new... I worry about that, though. I especially did after we got in that big fight because uh, he was acting really off and I don't know how to confront him when it comes to that type of stuff."
He nodded stiffly, "Okay. I'm just wondering because like, when I saw him changing at our place, I saw the scars but I didn't know if I was supposed to say anything. Um. I hope he isn't. I don't think he is... I- I worry about him, man. I really do. It seems like we made a breakthrough, though. With his ED stuff, on top of his trauma."
"I'm glad he finally talked about it, with all of us... It still wasn't in full detail, which is totally fine, but one day I want him to be able to talk about it without feeling disgusting. George deserves the world."
"He does. I know... I wish someone was able to give it to him."
Dream nodded but kept quiet. He wanted to sleep so bad, but he knew that if George needed something or someone, he wanted to be the one to help. Sure, Sapnap was great and all, but he would feel a sense of sadness if he wasn't fully available for the boy. In his mind, he still owed him so much. He would never be able to forget all of the things George's done for him in times of need. The least he could do was stay up for a little bit. Despite telling himself he was going to stay up, he was knocked out by 2 AM. Sapnap had rolled over to see if he was still conscious but it was visible he wasn't, which was fine. He checked on George one final time before trying to get some sleep himself. They couldn't all be useless tomorrow when he actually woke up. When he looked, the brunette was curled up with his dog, some of the water from the bottle missing. At least he was getting some sleep. He stared a bit at his sleeping form. Something about him seemed so tranquil. Even now. It was hard to imagine someone would ever want to hurt a living angel.
"No one is ever going to hurt you again," Sapnap whispered as he shut the door for the last time. If he couldn't keep George out of harm's way, then he was going to have to figure something else out. All he knew was that the next person to lay a finger on him in a negative way was going to get doxed. That was the one thing he could completely control. If the day ever came, he would want to be the one to do the dirty work, maybe even with the help of Dream. The whole house would be there to defend George until they couldn't anymore. He was surrounded by caring individuals that would do anything to see him happy. If only he knew how loved he was twenty-four seven. Once he came to terms with that, then everything else would follow. He had a plan to get better and now all he needed to do was ask for help when he needed it and let people in.
One day at a time, one foot in front of the other. Every day was going to be different but eventually, George would get to where he needed to be.