Who: Will and Spencer When: Mid May Where: Cafe What: Dream chatting Rating/Warnings: Low/None Status: Complete
When Will had gotten a message from Spencer about meeting up for coffee he’d readily agreed, college work had been a killer the last couple of weeks with finals looming ever closer and taking time out with a friend sounded good to him. He wanted to know if she’d had any new dreams lately, they intrigued him. It was like a mystery he wanted to solve.
Entering the cafe, they’d decided off campus would give them both a break, he placed an order and took a seat to wait for Spencer.
Spencer loved having someone to talk to about her crazy Dreams. Someone who had them too, so didn’t think she was crazy, and helped her sort through all the Rosewood crap she had rattling around in her head. The biggest concern today, though, were the feelings. Dream Bleedover feelings that she felt for Toby. She was head over heels in love with him in her Dreams, and she was worried that what she felt for him in this world was a product of her Dreams, not her true emotions. Hopefully Will wouldn’t mind listening to her babble and help her figure out what to do.
She showed up and waved to Will, then stepped up to the register to place her order, too. Then she headed to his table. “Hey,” she said, pulling her bag off her shoulder to take a seat. “Have you been waiting long? I’m not late, am I?”
“Not late at all, I’m just ridiculously punctual” he told her smoothly before adding a wink, “Comes with being so perfect” he sighed like it was a burden placed upon him before laughing.
“So how have you been? Any new developments?” And of course that could be interpreted as either here or in the dreams, whichever she wished.
That brought a smirk to Spencer’s features. She was ridiculously punctual, too, but had never phrased it like that. She’d have to add it to the act. “Hey, I can’t argue with that.” And then she bit her lower lip, thinking. “...so, the girl in my Dreams is in love.” Meaning, Spencer was in love. The Dream!Spencer, anyway.
Will was always willing to help out someone else with their bolshy possibly somewhat arrogant camouflage, it had always worked well for him. “Ooo, is the person she is in love with here? Have you met them?” he asked, curious and wondering if it could be the reason for her call.
“The person she’s in love with is the guy I’m dating. Toby. You haven’t met Toby yet, have you?” Spencer asked, wrapping both hands around the cup in front of her. The warmth was comforting. “He’s… well, he’s amazing. Really amazing. But I just… I don’t know if what I’m feeling for him is because I really like him… or because she does.”
Will shook his head, “Not yet. But now I have to” he told her with a raise of his eyebrow. “Did you start dating him before you knew your dream self was in love with him?” he asked her more seriously, he could tell she was conflicted.
“Yes.” Spencer nodded. “We’ve been taking things really slow. We’d only gone on a couple of dates by the time I started Dreaming. And then he started Dreaming, too. We haven’t talked all that much about it… sometimes it comes up, but not all that often.” Spencer lifted the cup to sip her coffee, thoughtfully.
“Well there was obviously an attraction there before the dreams which is good” Will said, “I’d met and was interested in Tessa and Jem before we all started dating and dreaming. The way I try and think of the dreams is that while it’s a version of me it isn’t me, like the things I’ve experienced here and made me who I am are different to the things dream me has experienced. I’m a similar person to dream me but I’m not defined by him. Does that make sense?”
“There was definitely an attraction before the Dreams, but… how do I know if the way I feel now is from that feeling, or is from the Dreams? And… even if it is from the Dreams, does that make a difference?” She sighed, leaning back in her chair. “It does make sense. I’m definitely not the girl from my Dreams. I’m older, wiser, maybe stronger? I don’t know, but I’m different from her.”
“I think you need to trust in the differences” Will said, “I don’t think you’d wake up completely in love one day just because the dream you was. There are a few people here who are in love with someone in their dreams but with somebody else in their waking life or even know the person and are just friends here. There’s no reason to think it would be any different for you just because you happen to be with the person in your dreams”
Spencer nodded. It was a little insulting, she supposed, to assume that because her Dream self was in love with someone she would be, too. She had more self control than that. Right? She’d just assumed that the feelings would be out of her control. But acting on them was a completely different story. If she didn’t want to be with Toby, she wouldn’t be. Regardless as to what her Dream self did.
“You know, you’re right.” She said after a moment of consideration. “Toby’s a wonderful guy, and I’m crazy about him. It doesn’t matter what my Dreams are about. Right?”
“Right” Will agreed, “I find the dreams fascinating and it’s interesting that we share them with others but they shouldn’t worry you too much. I try not to let them follow me into my waking world as much as possible”
“I don’t know how you do it. I wake up absolutely obsessed,” Spencer admitted it almost sheepishly as she ran her hands over her hair. “I really wish I wasn’t. But it feels like the emotions are so thick… I’m not sure how to let them go. Or if I even can.”
Will chuckled, “I was at first but I guess it’s easier for me, my dreams are in Victorian London, Victorian me is a rebel but still somewhat of a gentleman” he grinned, “Try finding the differences when you wake up, instead of focusing on the emotions and whatever think about the things that happened that you’d never do or you didn’t agree with, that kind of thing”
Spencer nodded at that. Dreaming of a different time or place would definitely help to separate the person from the memories and the emotions. “I’m Dreaming about a small town on the east coast. Rosewood. I suppose reminding myself that I’m a few years older than my Dream Self and that I live in California… that might really help.”
“Anything you can use to center yourself on the here and now” he said, “It’s gotta be worth a try at least” He wasn’t an expert but it made sense to him.
After a moment, Spencer made her decision. She nodded into her coffee cup. “I’m gonna try it. Now. Tell me how you’re doing. I’ve spent all this time talking about me, I feel bad for making you listen to all my crap.”
“Oh never feel bad for that. It’s what friends are for and as good as I am at talking I’m not bad at listening” he told her with a smile, “I’m doing alright. Got finals coming up soon but I’m not too worried. I feel oddly prepared”
“Oddly?” Spencer asked, finally breaking into a grin. “Are you normally not prepared?” She asked, setting her cup down. She wanted to eat as much chocolate as she could.
“I’m always prepared” he automatically replied with a smirk before shrugging, “I don’t know, it just feels like I should be more worried you know? I mean this is my last year, most people I know are panicking but I’m not. Of course it could just be that I know I’m awesome and that’s keeping me in the right headspace” Thankfully Spencer had gotten to know him well enough to know he was joking and wasn’t actually that big headed.
Spencer chuckled. She knew he was joking, and she appreciated it. It was a great part of his personality. “I feel like senioritis is a real thing.” She said. “You’ve been working at it for long enough that it’s become old hat.” Spencer was feeling that way now, even though she had a couple of years left. “Especially if you know what you’re going to be doing after you finish with school.”
Will nodded, “Yeah, that makes sense. I’ve already enrolled to the teaching scheme that starts in September so after that I’ll be looking for a job in a school or college. I want to show kids how rewarding literature can be” he admitted in a moment of seriousness.
Spencer nodded. The conversation had taken a slightly serious turn. Things were weird with teachers and students in her Dreams, but Spencer was a big fan of literature both here and there. She could absolutely appreciate someone having a love for literature. “That’s really amazing! I know you’ll be a fantastic teacher.”
“I’ll try my best” he said, before smiling cheekily, “And of course I’ll already be the hot teacher everybody has a crush on”
Oh man. It was like he could read her mind. Spencer gave a laugh, and shook her head. “Don’t get yourself in trouble now.” She lifted her cup in a cheers, then sipped a toast to his success.