Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sapnap groaned, back aching as he scrubbed down the countertops of his college’s off-campus boba shop for what felt like the thousandth time that day. His ears rang as the timer for the boba on the stove rang again- it seemed to never turn off. His mind was clouded with thoughts of his upcoming finals, picking up extra shifts, the lectures he's missed-

He jumped when he felt a hand touch his shoulder.

“Woah Sap, you good?” His coworker asked, genuine concern etched across his face.

“Yeah Schlatt, sorry. Just a,” he paused for a second, gesturing to his head, “a headache. It won’t go away.”

Schlatt nodded, a grim look on his face. “How much longer is your shift?” He asked, voice filled with pity.

Sapnap winced. “I started like an hour ago, and I told Alyssa I would cover her shift. She’s with her boyfriend,” he explained, and Schlatt shook his head.

“Good luck,” Schlatt pat Sapnap on his back, pushing past him to finish a few mobile orders that had just come in.

He glanced at the clock, internally screaming at it to magically speed up so he could go home and take a nap until next year. He straightened as he heard the door open and the bell jingle, pushing a fake, customer service smile onto his face.

He looked up from the register to welcome the patron walking in, greeting dying on his lips as he took note of who had just walked in.

Two men had entered, but it was the shorter one that caught Sapnap’s eye. It seemed like he was exuding pure joy, the obnoxiously bright green and red sweater that he must have been wearing for the holiday season surprisingly not making Sapnap groan internally like ugly sweaters normally do. He was gripping his friend’s arm, vaguely resembling a koala (or a puppy, Sapnap thought). Sapnap stood frozen, infatuated with the mystery man.

“Could I get a rose milk tea with tapioca pearls, fifty percent sweetness and less ice?”

Sapnap was jolted out of his thoughts, clearing his throat as he realized the pair had made it to the register. He nodded, hastily punching in the order. “Anything else for you guys today?” He asked, eyes darting every now and then to the one he really wanted to talk to.

“Karl, do you want anything?” The first man nudged him. Karl, Sapnap noted with a small smile.

“Do you guys have mango green tea?” He asked, and holy shit, his voice sounded like heaven to Sapnap’s ears.

“Uh, yeah, we do,” he clarified, stumbling over his words slightly.

Karl shot him a toothy smile. “Great! Can I get a mango green tea with one hundred percent sweetness, less ice, and lychee jelly?” He asked, and Sapnap nodded as he typed in the request.

“That’ll be $8.43,” he recited. “Can I get a name with the order?”

“Jimmy,” Karl’s friend replied, handing Sapnap a ten and telling him to keep the change.

“Alright, your drink will be ready in about five minutes,” the barista announced, trying not to blush at the beaming grin Karl gave him. 

He turned to make the drinks, humming along to the basic pop music the shop was playing around this time of day. He let his mind drift, hands on autopilot as he topped off the cups with boba and lychee jelly, the same way he’s done a thousand times before.

He caught sight of the Sharpie he had used to scribble Jimmy’s name onto the cups, and he smiled as a thought overtook him. He picked it up, drawing a small snowman onto Karl’s drink, accompanied by a little smiley face. 

He picked up the two cups and spun around, sliding them across the counter to the two waiting there. He waved them off with a smile, taking note of the way Karl’s face lit up at the sight of the doodle. He laughed quietly at how eagerly he shoved it in Jimmy’s face, almost tripping over himself as he pointed to the drawings.

Sapnap turned, resting his back against the counter. He looked up, only to be met with Schlatt’s teasing grin.

“Don’t fall in love, Sippycup,” he threw over his shoulder as he headed to the kitchen. A loud, “ow!” followed as Sapnap hit him with a towel.

And suddenly, Sapnap found him wishing that Karl would come back everyday, that he would stumble into him in the hallways of his dorm, that he would meet him at a party… that stupid little brown haired boy had managed to worm his way into every second of Sapnap’s thoughts from a thirty second interaction. So when Karl shouldered his way into the shop on a cold Friday afternoon, Sapnap did a double take.

Karl looked tired, donning an oversized sweater and a pair of sweatpants. Sapnap took note of his mismatched fuzzy socks paired with, were those Crocs? and dark circles under his eyes.

“Karl, right?” Sapnap found himself saying, as the patron approached the counter, and Karl raised a brow.

“Yeah, Karl,” he confirmed, bouncing up and down slightly, not even pausing to question how he knew his name. “Could I get a mango green tea-”

“With less ice, one hundred percent sugar, and lychee jelly?” Sapnap interrupted, and Karl giggled. He felt himself go red.

“Took the words right out of my mouth,” Karl laughed. Sapnap offered a sheepish smile.

“I pegged you for more of an espresso guy,” Sapnap said, attempting to initiate a conversation as he took his order.

“You would be right,” was Karl’s reply, shrugging slightly. “My friends told me I had to lay off the caffeine though, so they introduced me to boba,” he explained. Sapnap grinned.

“Are you a student here?” He asked, dipping his head towards the campus east of the boba shop.

Karl nodded with a grimace. “Yep, a senior in digital editing and videography,” he replied, and Sapnap winced.

“I’m a sophomore,” he offered. “Computer science, though.”

“Oh, so you’re smart?” Karl asked casually, catching Sapnap off guard.

“Well- I- not really-” He was saved from his stuttering by Karl waving his hand, laughing.

“All jokes. Seriously though, props to you. I know it’s a hard major,” he stated, a smile remaining on his face. Sapnap couldn’t help but smile back.

“Finals are rough,” he acknowledged the… interesting outfit Karl had on, and the man groaned, rolling his eyes.

“Don’t judge me!” He whined, and Sapnap chuckled slightly. “I’ve been up for,” his eyes drifted to the clock on the wall behind him, “like thirty-six hours straight working on this stupid project. I didn’t even procrastinate this time!” He complained, and Sapnap nodded in agreement.

“I feel you,” he found himself replying. “Our comp sci finals are… wack, for lack of a better term. I have no idea what’s happening during half the lectures- I’m just lucky to have a friend who took these classes last year,” he confessed. Karl let out a sound of affirmation, and Sapnap refocused his attention onto the small screen in front of him.

He told Karl his total and finished the transaction, turning to start making the drink. Without thinking, he found himself grabbing the Sharpie and drawing on the plastic once more- this time, it was a small cat playing with a mouse.

He pushed the finished drink towards Karl, and waited with a bated breath as he took in the drawing. Sapnap exhaled with relief when he, once again, broke out in a beaming grin.

“I love cats,” he gushed, thanking Sapnap profusely before spinning and pushing out of the building, not before letting out a quick “good luck on your exams!” that Sapnap waved off with a smile.

A sound next to him caused him to turn around, only to be met with his coworker’s knowing grin.

“Sippynipple has a crush,” Schlatt laughed in Sapnap’s ear, this time running away before he could be hit with anything within an arm’s length of the flushed (and slightly embarrassed) man.

“Piss off!” He yelled after him, opting to pull out his phone and text his best friend instead. There was no one in the shop and his manager wasn’t in today, so there was nothing for him to do to stay busy and no one to scold him for getting distracted.

Hardened clay

Sippycup: dream

Sippycup: dream

Sippycup: dream

Sippycup: DREAM

Hardened clay: literally what the fuck do you want bitch

Sippycup: wow someone’s in a bad mood today

Hardened clay: you always put me in a bad mood <3

Sippycup: ouch

Sippycup: anyways karl came back in today and we had a conversation

Hardened clay: wow they grow up so fast :,)

Sippycup: i will literally deck you the next time I see you

Hardened clay: okay? you’re literally half my height but go off i guess

Sippycup: what i lack in height i make up for with my charming personality and good looks

Hardened clay: well karl obviously thinks so

Hardened clay: if i were him i wouldnt go for you but to each their own

Sippycup: can you shut up for one second omg

Hardened clay: i live to annoy you

Sippycup: you sound like tommy

Hardened clay: take that back right now.

Sippycup: not until you apologize

Sippycup: if you were gay you would totally go for me and you know that

Hardened clay: 1) i literally am gay are you stupid

Hardened clay: 2) my boyfriend george would say otherwise

Sippycup: boyfriend is a bit of a stretch

Sippycup: try “ive been friends with him for six years and ive been in love with him for two thirds of that time and i know hes in love with me too but we’re both pussies so we’re just going to make every room and situation we’re in together intensely awkward and filled with sexual tension until everyone besides us makes excuses to leave because they feel like they’re dying”

Hardened clay: youre being dramatic

Sippycup: im really not

Hardened clay: arent you at work? leave me alone

Sippycup: fine i’ll see u tonight

Hardened clay: might fuck around and cancel on you

Sippycup: wait please dont

Hardened clay: i guess

read 4:00 pm

Hardened clay: i hate you you’re the scum of the earth how dare you leave me on read literally go fuck yourself bitch

read 4:01 pm

Sapnap laughed at Dream’s last message, shaking his head slightly. He slid his phone back into his apron pocket, deciding to take his break.

“Hey Schlatt!” He called, getting a “yeah?” in response. “I’m taking my break, I’ll be back in twenty,” he yelled, not bothering to listen for an affirmation before he was untying his apron and leaving.

Too late, long after he had set out onto the sidewalk, Sapnap realized his phone was still in the boba shop, tucked into his apron. He cursed, turning around from his walk to the nearest cheap cafe and heading back to his work.

He groaned as he pulled the door open, his gaze falling to the floor. He felt himself growing to hate the always present smell of sickly sweet tea. His head snapped up at the sound of a familiar voice.

“Are you sure you don't know when he's coming back? Or where he went?”

Sapnap’s eyes widened at the sight of Karl standing in front of the register, looking upset enough to have Sapnap worried and gesturing with his hands. He was talking to a slightly exasperated Schlatt, who was trying to explain something that Sapnap couldn't make out.

Schlatt looked towards the door, instant relief flooding his face at the sight of Sapnap standing in the doorway.

“Well, if you really want to know, he’s right there,” Schlatt gestured towards Sapnap’s direction, and Karl turned.

If Sapnap was only able to take one picture in his life, it would be in that moment. The pure joy splitting through Karl’s face filled him with a kind of pride. He made Karl that happy.

“Hi!” Karl exclaimed breathlessly, and Sapnap practically giggled back.

“Hello!” He replied happily.

Suddenly, Karl seemed to grow extremely shy, curling in on himself. He began to ramble.

“I really didn’t want to do this right now, but Jimmy and Chandler and Chris told me to, and I wasn’t going to see you for like a month so I agreed with them and I walked in but you weren’t here, but your coworker behind us was helpful, not really though he was kinda mean, and then I wanted to chicken out but I know that my friends would yell at me, and then your coworker told me you were there, and I turned around and you were there, and now I realized I’ve been talking for too long and I’m going to shut up now,” Karl finished breathlessly.

“Hey Karl?”

“Yeah?”

“How did you manage to say so much yet nothing at the same time?”

At this, Karl laughed. “I don’t know, it’s a talent honestly,” he giggled. Then, shy Karl made an appearance once more. “I guess what I was trying to say was,” he hesitated, before mumbling something Sapnap couldn’t quite understand.

“I’m sorry?” Sapnap asked, straining to make out his words.

“Could I…” Karl cleared his throat. “Can I have your number?” He asked, hoping his voice sounded more confident than he felt.

Chapter Text

“Could I…” Karl cleared his throat. “Can I have your number?” He asked, hoping his voice sounded more confident than he felt.

Sapnap paused for a second, waiting for Karl to tell him he was just kidding, that he was only playing with him, anything. However, it never happened.

“Yeah,” Sapnap smiled. “Yeah, you can,” he confirmed.

Karl gave him a wide smile, fumbling to unlock his phone and open the contacts app. He froze as he opened a new contact. “I never got your name,” he murmured, voice filled with surprise and a hint of guilt.

Sapnap laughed, pointing to his nametag. “Well, my name’s Nick, but my friends call me Sapnap,” he explained.

“Well then,” Karl held out a hand, “nice to meet you, Sapnap.” Sapnap reached forward and clasped his hand, making them both break out into giggles. He handed him his phone after creating a contact named “sweater man :D”. After a moment of silence, he spoke up, “Are you heading back home for the holidays?”

Sapnap paused, nodding his head. “Yeah, I am. Back to Texas we go,” he joked, and Karl smiled.

“I should have known you were from Texas,” he laughed, and the other gave him a fake offended glare.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He asked, placing a dramatic hand on his chest and cranking up the acting skills.

Karl giggled at his antics, declaring, “It’s nothing, I swear! It’s just, every time I think a guy’s cute, it turns out he’s from Texas- Chandler and Jimmy make fun of me for it all the time.”

Sapnap froze, a smirk forming on his features. “You think I’m cute, Karl?” He teased, and almost immediately a blush rose to the older man’s cheeks.

“I- no- that’s not what I meant- actually that’s exactly what I meant-” he stumbled over his words, and it was Sapnap’s turn to laugh at him.

“It’s chill dude, don’t worry about it,” he assured him, reaching a hand out and placing it on his shoulder. He pretended not to notice Karl tense slightly at the contact. “Listen, I have to get back to work. I’ll miss you,” he smiled sincerely, and Karl smiled back, pulling him into an unexpected hug. It was brief, but enough to cause Sapnap to flush. If the brown-haired boy noticed, he didn’t say anything.

Then, all too soon, he was leaving. Sapnap stood, watching his sweater-clad back bounce down the sidewalk, towards his car. When he twisted to face the register, he glared at Schlatt who was shaking his head and laughing knowingly.

“Sappitus nappitus has a boyfriend,” he teased, before quickly disappearing to the kitchen so Sapnap couldn’t put him in a headlock.

He rolled his eyes, trying not to let the comment get to him. He quickly got his phone that he had left behind, frowning at the fact that he didn’t have any more time to relax before he had to work again- his break time had been used up. Though, thinking back, he definitely didn’t regret it.

After what felt like ages, Sapnap was finally able to clock out. He made sure to grab his phone before taking off his apron, folding it neatly and sliding it under the counter. He waved to Alyssa, who had come in twenty minutes before his shift ended. He slipped out of the shop, breathing in the biting winter air with a faint smile.

He made his way down the street, heading towards his shared apartment with Dream. As he walked, he looked around, spotting fairy lights strung around the trees decorating the sidewalk. Couples brushed past him holding hands, and he noticed one too many couples going at it - Sapnap quickly looked away every time. He couldn’t help but wish his hand was heavy with the weight of another, his heart warmed by love.

He shook his head. When had he become so sappy?

After a few more minutes, he finally arrived at his apartment door. His numb hands fumbled with the keys slightly, almost dropping them a few times before pushing it into the lock and twisting. A small shove caused the door to swing open, a blast of warmth hitting his face.

He walked in, not seeing Dream present in the apartment. He shrugged, assuming the blond must be out. Sapnap checked the time- 7:15. Him and Dream had agreed to leave for a party at 10; he decides to text Dream if he’s not back by 9:30.

With a sigh, he headed straight to the bathroom, longing for the heated embrace of the showerhead. 

Sapnap walked out of the bathroom, toweling his wet hair, to find Dream strewn across the sofa, covered from head to toe in a blanket, eating chips out of a bowl that was precariously balanced on his stomach.

The raven haired boy laughed at the sight, walking over and grabbing a handful of the chips for himself, much to Dream’s chagrin. The older man whined, swatting Sapnap’s hand out of the bowl and pulling it closer to himself. Sapnap grinned at the mop of hair barely visible from the top of the plush duvet. He leaned down, ruffling it. Dream let out a huff, turning away slightly.

“We still on for tonight?” Sapnap turned away, heading towards his room. A muffled “yeah!” was heard a few seconds later.

He sunk into his desk chair, dreading the amount of work he had to deal with over the weekend. With a groan, Sapnap turned on his computer, and got to work. 

A couple of hours later, he was awoken by the sound of Dream’s voice. Sapnap rose his head groggily, blinking at the lights of his room.

“Hello? Earth to Nick?” Dream waved a hand in front of his face, and the younger man frowned.

“What the fuck do you want?” Sapnap asked, and Dream rolled his eyes.

“The fuck do you mean ‘what do you want’? Get ready, we’re leaving in ten,” he told him, turning to walk out of his room. “It’s a Christmas theme today, don’t forget!”

Sapnap made a noise of complaint, running a hand through his messy hair. Staring at the desk in front of him, he realized he must have fallen asleep a mere few minutes into studying.

Pushing the thought of his missing classwork aside, he stood, getting ready to leave. He pulled on an ugly sweater that was just a touch too itchy and a pair of jeans that he deemed clean enough to wear, slipping on a pair of sneakers before leaving the comfort of his room.

Within a few minutes, Sapnap and Dream were stepping out of the door, the blond managing to wear an even uglier ugly Christmas sweater. It was a quick drive to the frat house, and the pair were being jostled through the door before they knew it.

Almost immediately, Dream gripped Sapnap’s wrist and steered them through the crowds, people automatically parting for the 6’3 man. This was the frat they visited the most often- so often that they had a designated corner with a sofa where they got high or drank every time they came.

As expected, George sat on the sofa, a blunt in between his thin fingers and a grin resting on his lips. This time, however, he wasn’t alone. Sapnap recognized Karl’s friend (Johnny? James? Jimmy?) sitting beside him, along with-

Sapnap froze. Karl sat next to him, and his vision tunneled. Everything stopped, and all Sapnap could see was brown hair and a playful smile.

The air hung heavy with smoke, and he felt like he was suffocating. The dim lights somehow seemed to glow brighter as he gazed at the sweater-clad man. He dimly registered Literal Legend playing in the background, Karl’s soft lips moving along to the lyrics as he sang along with George.

Then, reality caught back up to him, and he was being dragged forwards by Dream once more. He found himself sitting down next to Karl as the blond made his way to his not-yet-boyfriend.

“Sapnap!” Karl exclaimed excitedly. “Wanna hit?” He waved the blunt he had just been passed by Jimmy in front of Sapnap, the smoke leaving a thin trail in the air. He shook his head, offering a regretful smile.

“Someone’s gotta take these dipshits home,” he snickered slightly, gesturing towards Dream and George, the latter of which had somehow ended up in the former’s lap.

“Twenty bucks they fuck by the end of tonight,” Karl stumbled slightly over his words.

Sapnap whipped his head around to stare at the brown haired boy, surprised at the language leaving his lips. Taking in his red rimmed eyes and his loopy grin, he scoffed with a small smile and shook his head. Mans was blazed , and the party had just started.

“Nah, they’ve been pining for too long. It’ll take a little while longer,” Sapnap rolled his eyes at the thought of his two lovestruck best friends, oblivious to the point where it was getting slightly concerning. Seriously, how do you ignore things that much ?

He was pulled out of his thoughts at the sight of Karl laughing at Jimmy’s expression after he had blown smoke in his face. Sapnap’s gaze traced his soft jawline, traveling over his cheeks, nose, and finally resting on his eyes. Those beautiful, goddamn eyes.

They were stormy gray, briefly reminding him of the clouds back in Texas right before it rained. They felt safe, warm, happy. He could get lost in them forever.

He was jolted back to reality when he felt Karl slump onto his shoulder. Sapnap looked down at him, only to be met with the fluffy haired boy already staring at him with a dopey, stupid little grin.

“Hiii Nick. Wait, Sapnap? You said your friends call you Sapnap. Am I your friend?” He asked, and Sapnap chuckled at him, adjusting so Karl was now laying with his head in his lap and Sapnap was slumped against the arm of the shitty old sofa.

He reached down, carding his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, you’re my friend,” he confirms, and Karl giggles at him.

“I wanna be more,” he mumbled. Sapnap felt like his heart stopped beating, his hands stilling in their movements.

He cleared his throat. “You- you what?”

Karl twisted to look at him. “I want more,” he gestured towards the practically gone joint in his hand. Sapnap tried to even out his breathing as he plucked it out of his fingers, leaning forward to stub out the last of it. Karl whined in protest. He needed to get his head straight- it was probably the smoke in the air affecting him. Karl didn’t mean anything besides wanting more weed. Right?

“It’s time for you to stop, babe,” Sapnap laughed to play his panic off, the pet name slipping through without him realizing. Looking down, he noticed Karl’s rapidly reddening cheeks. “Babe? You like that?” He asked, curiosity and the knowledge that Karl was intoxicated fueling his boldness.

The older man whined, shifting against Sapnap’s body. Karl’s head resting on his stomach, Sapnap grinned at him, knowing the answer to his question.

Looking past the mop of hair, Sapnap noticed that Dream and George had disappeared. He whistled lowly under his breath. “You might be $20 richer tomorrow, babe,” he commented, and Karl sat up to see that the pair was gone.

“I told you,” he replied. “They’re lucky- I wanna get laid too,” Karl grumbled, and Sapnap sucked in a sharp breath. Thankfully, Karl didn’t seem to notice.

Another sound from his lower vision pulled Sapnap’s attention to the other. “I wanna go home, Sap,” Karl murmured, and his expression softened. He shifted slightly to pull his phone out of his pocket, noticing a text from Dream explaining that he and George had Ubered to George’s house. He replied with a “dont forget protection”, before sliding his phone away again.

“Hey, Jimmy,” Sapnap called, getting his attention. “I’m taking Karl back to my place, okay?”

Jimmy nodded, waving them off.

He grabbed his keys, gripping them in his palm as he tried to maneuver around Karl so that he could stand up. Once standing, Sapnap stuck out his hand, waiting for him to latch onto it. Sure enough, Karl gripped onto the limb with a surprising firmness, pushing himself to his feet.

He stumbled over his feet, and Sapnap tried to balance him out. It didn’t work however, and Karl plopped back onto the sofa, leaning into Sapnap’s body, clinging to him with his arms wrapped around his torso tightly. For what felt like the millionth time that day, Sapnap froze.

Karl is hugging me Karl is hugging me Karl is hugging me , was the only thought running through Sapnap’s head. His mind felt like it was exploding at the sudden feeling of warmth wrapped around his middle, Karl’s ugly Christmas sweater covered arms pulling him against his body. After a second, the blood rushed back to Sapnap’s brain and he reciprocated, wrapping his own arms around the others’ midsection (it was more like Karl’s shoulders, Karl’s head rested a couple of inches higher than Sapnap’s navel). He tucked his head into his chest, and Sapnap could feel his own heartbeat speeding up.

He tentatively brought a hand up to the nape of Karl’s neck, cradling his head slightly. He let out a pleased sound, pushing his face further into Sapnap’s body, as if trying to disappear fully.

“You’re warm,” Karl commented, and Sapnap chuckled.

“You are too,” he laughed. Karl squeezed his midriff, and he sucked in at the feeling of closeness with the other man.

After a second, he let himself get comfortable in the embrace, and he dropped his hand to Karl’s back, rubbing it up and down soothingly. He let himself get lost in the small shapes Karl was drawing onto his side, trying not to get overwhelmed by the soft sensations.

“Hey love,” he murmured a minute or two later, Karl responding with a small “yeah?”. “Do you think you’re ready to go?” Sapnap asked, pulling away slightly so that he could see the other’s face. He thought for a second, before nodding a firm yes and attempting to stand up again.

Sapnap pulled him up once more, making sure to be gentle. He guided him out to his car, pushing past the crowds of piss-drunk college students. Opening the passenger side door for Karl, he helped him inside and made sure he was comfortable and secured with the seat belt. Sapnap slipped in from the other side, asking Karl once more if he was okay with heading back to his house- he was met with another nod.

“Words please, darling,” Sapnap whispered, lifting Karl’s chin with a single finger so that their gazes were level and meeting each other. He pretended to not notice the gulp that the brown haired boy let out.

“I’m okay with going back to your house,” he murmured, and Sapnap smiled at him.

“Thank you,” he replied, moving his hands to start the car.

Before long, Sapnap was pulling up to his apartment driveway. It was a little bit of a struggle to get him up the stairs, and a brief thought that Karl might be cross-faded crossed his mind. After a moment of fumbling with the keys, he pushed the door open and helped him inside. Shutting the door, he led Karl to the nearest sofa in the living room.

Sapnap brought him a glass of water that he eagerly chugged, before showing him to his room. The brown haired man unceremoniously collapsed onto Sapnap’s bed.

“Do you want a change of clothes?” He called over his shoulder, digging through his unorganized wardrobe. Karl let out a small affirmative sound, and Sapnap found a pair of plaid pants and a hoodie to give to him. 

He disappeared into the bathroom for a little bit, reappearing wearing them. Sapnap had to brace himself against his desk, because holy shit , he did not realize Karl would look this good wearing his clothes. To make matters worse, Karl had buried his nose into the sweater paws he had created, muttering a small, “it smells like you”. Sapnap could feel himself melting.

“You can sleep in my bed,” he opted to tell him instead, smiling gently at him. In the time it took Sapnap to grab an extra blanket for him in case he got cold during the night, Karl had fallen asleep, curled into the pillow with the comforter wrapped around him.

Sapnap hesitated, slowly walking forward and placing a tentative kiss on his forehead. “Goodnight,” he whispered against the soft skin, treasuring the warmth of his body. He made sure to leave two Advils and a glass of water on the bedside table, flicking off the lights as he left the room.

Taking the extra blanket and a spare pillow from the hallway closet, Sapnap made himself comfortable on the sofa.

That night, Karl Jacobs followed Sapnap through dream after dream, until all he could think of was a brown haired boy with a stupidly adorable smile.

Chapter Text

The morning light filtered in through the kitchen window, the rays falling on the pan of eggs quietly sizzling away. Sapnap hummed a quiet tune to himself, some stupid song that Dream had played on repeat for two hours straight just to spite him ( “I’m listening to it!” “No you’re fucking not it’s been on loop for TWO HOURS DREAM-” ). It was quiet, but he rather liked the alone time. It was like the peace before the storm.

“Hey.”

A raspy voice caused Sapnap to turn around from his food, making eye contact with a messy-haired Karl. His knees felt weak at the sight of him wearing his clothes.

"Good morning," he hummed, his attention shifting back to the pan in front of him. "I'm making some scrambled eggs, want any?" He asked, desperately trying to keep a semblance of his composure.

There was a moment of silence before Karl spoke again.

"Yeah, eggs would be great," another beat of nothingness, "thank you."

Sapnap just nodded, scared his voice would give him away.

"I- uh, I don't remember much from last night," Karl confessed as Sapnap finished up breakfast for the both of them, sliding the eggs onto two pieces of toast.

"So you were cross-faded?" He asked, pushing one plate in front of the brown-haired boy.

Karl winced, offering an apologetic grin. "Yeah, I had a couple Smirnoff chasers before Jimmy gave me a bowl," he muttered, rubbing his forehead. Sapnap let out a low whistle, pity evident.

"Did you take the painkillers I left out?" He asked, concern lacing his features. Karl looked up, a look of gratitude present on his face.

"Yeah, I did. Thank you for those. And this," he gestured towards the food in front of him, "and letting me stay over, and giving me these clothes, and driving me— everything. Thank you for everything," Karl said, and Sapnap could have practically melted through the floor.

"It's no problem, I promise. You kinda, uh, refused to let me go last night, so I didn't have much of a choice," Sapnap admitted, and Karl turned bright red.

"I'm sorry, I've been told I get clingy when high. Or drunk. Or tired— you get the point," he giggled, and the other joined in on the laughter.

Karl focused on eating again, while Sapnap focused on— well, Karl's face. For the second time in the last twenty-four hours, he found his eyes tracing his features. His soft, red cheeks, his delicate but defined jawline, his stormy eyes that were staring right at him— wait. At him?

Sapnap blushed as Karl caught him staring, though a mischievous smirk rested on his lips.

"Like what you see?" He teased, and if possible, Sapnap grew even more flushed. He quickly averted eye contact, looking down at his own practically untouched plate of food.

The atmosphere wasn't quite... tense, but a touch more uncomfortable than either of them would have hoped for.

"The food is really good," Karl hummed, and Sapnap glanced up at him to find a soft smile on the other's face.

"Thank you," the raven-haired boy replied happily. "Dream likes to shit on me all the time for not cooking but that fucker can't make food for the life of him," he laughed. "Speaking of, where is he?" He asked, but Karl just shrugged.

He pulled out his phone, shooting off a quick text to Dream and George, asking if they were planning on coming back to the apartment or if they were "too busy getting busy". George replied quickly, scolding him for his language but explaining that Dream was asleep and they would probably come back at some point.

Sapnap relayed the information to Karl, and he scoffed quietly.

"I owe you twenty bucks," Sapnap muttered dejectedly. Karl threw him a confused look, to which he explained, "you bet me a twenty that they would hook up by the end of the night."

The older man threw his head back in a laugh, shaking his head slightly. "I'm- uh, I'm really sorry if I did anything last night that you weren't comfortable with. Under the influence Karl doesn't really think properly before clinging onto people," he murmured apologetically.

Sapnap shook his head quickly, stopping him. "You were fine, I promise. It was... actually really cute," he confessed, hearing a splutter come from across the table. Karl's face flushed red, and he giggled.

After breakfast, the two of them sat down on the sofa and scrolled through channels in hopes of finding something decent to watch . Sapnap tried to still his rapidly beating heart when Karl scooted impossibly closer, carefully laying a head on his shoulder, as if testing the waters. When no objection fell through the lips of the younger, he relaxed into it, grabbing Sapnap's left arm to cling onto and play with.

Sapnap sucked in a breath as he felt Karl begin to mess with his fingers. He crossed and uncrossed his hands, inspecting his palm and gripping his knuckles slightly. The younger felt a quiet affection blooming in his chest, and he bit his lip to hide a small smile.

After a while, Karl seemed to calm down, content with simply intertwining his right hand with Sapnap's left, holding onto his arm as he leaned against the other's side. Sapnap brought his other hand up, messing with his hair. Karl whined, and his breath hitched slightly.

He felt delicate against his skin, like he would break if Sapnap so much as shifted. The gentle rise and fall of Karl’s chest calmed him, and he found himself paying more attention to the man laying on him than the show in front of him.

Somehow, they managed to fall asleep on each other. It wasn't a comfortable position by any means but neither of them seemed to mind if it meant being as close to each other as humanly possible.

Karl practically drank in Sapnap's warmth and comfort, body relaxing as he pressed into the other. Sapnap gave everything to Karl— he was sure that if he asked, he would run a marathon to the moon for him.

Sapnap was rudely awoken by the sound of the door opening, loud voices echoing in the hallway before making an appearance in the living room. The voices quieted down immediately at the sight in front of them, taking in the boys, bodies molded to the shape of each other.

"The fuck happened with you guys last night?" Dream found his voice before George, though he was grinning wildly. Sapnap let out an indignant noise.

"Fuck off , what happened with you guys last night?" He raised his eyebrows, pointedly staring at Dream and George's intertwined hands. They quickly let go, faces turning red as George cleared his throat. He crossed his arms.

"It's none of your business," George declared decisively, and Sapnap couldn't help but bark out a laugh.

"None of my business ? Then please enlighten me on why for the past six fucking years Dream has been ranting to me about how much he wants to kiss you and hold you and-"

"Okay!" Dream clapped loudly, glaring at Sapnap with a look that said I'll tear you apart you fucking fucker we are so talking about this when George isn't here . Sapnap just snickered. "I think we're getting a little off track here," he announced, grabbing George's hand once again to drag him across the room. "We had to stop by so I could get my notes to do homework. Please don't have sex on the sofa!" He called as the pair disappeared into Dream's bedroom, reappearing a moment later with a stack of notebooks in the blond's hand. They left the apartment just as fast.

A beat of silence passed, the slamming of the front door causing Sapnap to jump slightly. He shook his head at the two— he would never understand what was going through their minds, ever .

"Pay up," Karl murmured into his ear, and Sapnap looked down.

His face softened as he took note of the tiredness that seemed to creep up in Karl's eyes. "I didn't know you were awake," he hummed, "I should have been quieter, I'm sorry."

Karl shook his head, burying his face into the space where Sapnap's shoulder met his neck. "It's okay, I've been awake for a little bit," he whispered into his skin, and for what seemed like the thousandth time, the younger felt his heart skip a beat.

He felt arms come up and loop around his neck, warmth flooding his senses until all he could feel was Karl, Karl, Karl . Sapnap found himself letting out a tiny whine, and Karl's grip tightened around his body.

"Are you okay?" The brown-haired boy questioned quietly, wanting to make sure the other was still comfortable.

Sapnap took a second to find his voice again. He spoke shakily, hoping his vocal cords wouldn't fail him. "Yeah," he mumbled, head tipped back to lean against the sofa.

The same as the night before, he felt Karl begin to trace tiny shapes into his body— this time, it was his back. He focused on the sensation, attempting to distinguish between the different patterns. A small grin worked its way onto his face as he realized Karl was repeatedly outlining hearts into the pale skin.

A second of comfort passed, and Sapnap angled his face downwards to watch the other man. "Hey, Jacobs?" He asked quietly, and Karl froze.

"You've never called me that before," he responded quietly, resuming his motions.

"Is it okay?" Sapnap probed a little bit, waiting to get the older's approval before proceeding.

"Mhm," he murmured, face flushing as he nuzzled into Sapnap's body once more.

"Good," he whispered. Sapnap found himself turning his head to look down at the mop of brown hair pressed against himself, and his hand itched with the urge to run his fingers through the unruly strands.

He held his breath as he leaned down slowly, pressing a kiss to the top of Karl's head. He reacted instantly, letting out a small whimper and pushing even further into Sapnap's body.

Karl looked up, resting a chin on the other's shoulder. Sapnap met his eyes, gaze steady with affection, and something more that he couldn't quite identify. They stayed like that for a bit, the pair enraptured—drowning in the depths of each other's emotions.

"Jacobs?" Sapnap asked, heart leaping to his throat.

"Yeah?" Karl replied, voice dropping to a whisper.

"I really like you," the younger mumbled.

A moment of stunned silence passed, and he could feel his cheeks heat up with embarrassment and regret. Sapnap opened his mouth quickly to apologize, beginning to pull away from the other's warmth.

He was cut off by the feeling of warm, soft lips pushing against his own.

Chapter Text

Sapnap felt himself sink into the feeling, practically melting against Karl. After what felt like much too short of a moment, the brown-haired boy pulled away to take a breath.

Chests heaving, they both sat silent for a second, minds reeling. Sapnap thought he was going to be sick.

"Did we-"

"Do you-"

The pair fell silent, settling for just staring at each other, stomachs churning.

"I really like you too," Karl whispered, and Sapnap felt like his heart was about to burst out of his chest.

Without missing a beat, the younger reached forward and grabbed a fistful of Karl's hoodie, pulling him forward until their lips were colliding once again. The curly-haired boy let out a noise of surprise against Sapnap's mouth, and he drank it up hungrily.

He felt Karl's hoodie-clad arms wrap around his midsection, adjusting so that the two were even closer together than before. Sapnap grinned against the other's lips, pulling away to cover his face in pecks.

Karl squirmed out of his grip, and the younger halted in his movements.

"Did I do something wrong?" He whispered, eyes raking over the other's face, searching for any signs of fear or panic.

"'M ticklish," Karl murmured quietly, wrapping his arms around himself. He glanced down at his lap, face flushed slightly. The sound of Sapnap's giggle caused him to look back up.

He reached out towards him with both arms, making grabby motions with his hands. Karl rolled his eyes, though the happy smile resting on his slightly swollen lips told an entirely different story. He obliged, scooting into Sapnap's warm body, heart rate speeding up slightly.

Sapnap twisted Karl so that his back pressed against his chest, laughing at how he looked like he was drowning in Sapnap's oversized hoodie. Karl leaned his head back, resting it against the other's shoulder as he turned to gaze at him. He leaned forward slightly, placing light kisses on Sapnap's jaw and neck every couple of seconds.

Sapnap let him, ignoring the intense fluttering of adoration in his stomach. "Why'd you choose my biggest hoodie? It's huge, even on me," he mused, eyes squeezing shut as Karl continued the gentle attack on his pale skin.

"You gave it to me, stupid," he mumbled against Sapnap's neck, and he could feel the vibrations reverberate as the other laughed quietly.

"I guess you're right, it must have slipped my mind," Sapnap said, a little louder as he turned to face Karl, hand coming up to cup the other's jaw with a gentle, but firm grip. "Or maybe, maybe I did it on purpose," he whispered, leaning in so close that Karl could feel his breath fanning his lips. "You look cute in oversized clothes, Jacobs. Especially when they're my clothes," Sapnap remarked, lips ghosting over the shell of Karl's ear, leaving a faint, lingering kiss on the skin. Karl swore he could feel it burning.

He bit his lip, a futile attempt to stop any sounds from slipping out of his mouth. Sapnap tutted slightly in faux disappointment, nibbling the skin under Karl's jaw gently. Karl let out a small gasp. He could feel the other's lips turn into a mischievous grin against his skin, and he felt a groan bubble up in his throat.

"I thought I said not to have sex on the sofa?"

A voice caused the pair to jump, Sapnap's arms instinctively curling around Karl's body, pressing him tighter against him, as if shielding his torso.

Dream grinned down at the two of them with a knowing smile, white teeth glinting with mischief. "Forgot my textbook," he teased, placing his hands on the back of the sofa and leaning onto them. "So, again, what happened last night?" He snorted, and both Karl and Sapnap turned bright red.

Sapnap gave a small whine, nuzzling into his boyfriend's (are they dating?  Sapnap wasn't sure) neck as if to hide from the intrusive gaze aimed at the pair. The older's hand came up instinctively, resting on top of the other's on his stomach.

"Uh- Sapnap and I both like each other, I guess," Karl stumbled over his words slightly, and Dream flashed a cocky grin.

"I can see that, Karl," he taunted. Looking closer, Dream's face morphed into one of surprise and amusement, the strangled sound of a badly held back laugh pushing its way out of his throat. "Is that- is that a hickey, Jacobs?"

Sapnap jolted up suddenly, sitting up and gripping Karl's jaw. He moved it carefully, ignoring Karl's gulp, eyes raking skin to find- oh.

There it was, in all of its bruised red and purple glory. A hickey.

Sapnap gulped, looking up at Dream sheepishly. "Would you believe me if I said Karl burned himself with a curling iron?"

Karl let out a laugh at this, covering his mouth to hide a giggle and turning so that he could smack Sapnap's chest. Dream wheezed in amusement, letting out a "you are so stupid!".

After a few more teasing remarks, Dream grabbed his things before leaving. Once more, he told them to not, in his exact words, "get raw dogged in the living room".

A few more kisses later, Karl fell asleep again, curled into Sapnap's chest, head resting against Sapnap's rapidly beating heart. The soft afternoon sun bathed the pair in gorgeous golden rays, and Sapnap couldn't help but notice as it illuminated all of his partner's best features.

He brought his hand up to run it through Karl's fluffy, unruly hair, and he could swear he heard him let out a quiet noise of contentment in his sleep-riddled state that made his heart melt. Sapnap's fingers nimbly moved and tugged at the locks, detangling strand after strand and smoothing out any misshapen curls.

He found his breathing patterns syncing up to the rise and fall of the other's chest, and a smile of pure joy wormed its way onto Sapnap's face. He adored this man so much it physically hurt . His arms eventually worked their way down to Karl's torso, one hand resting on his hip and the other curled around his midsection. Sapnap's mind shifted in and out of consciousness, eventually drifting off to a dream land that Sapnap would come to not remember when he woke up- mind a few details involving happy grins, the feeling of pure affection blooming in his chest, and promises whispered with only the weak, watery light of a sunrise to bear witness.

A week later, Sapnap finds himself back behind the slightly sticky counters of the local coffee shop, bored out of his mind as he punched in what seemed like the thousandth order from that hour alone.

"Will that be all?" He offered a tight-lipped smile to the elderly woman in front of him, praying that he was properly masking the annoyance he was feeling.

He wasted no time in grabbing her credit card as a frail hand extended the thin piece of plastic towards him, inserting it into his register and waiting impatiently. Sapnap suppressed a groan as an error popped up on the monitor, reading "card declined" in bold, red letters.

"I'm so sorry ma'am, but your card has been declined," he relayed to her, the twinge of annoyance he was feeling making the statement sound much harsher than he had intended.

"Oh!" The lady seemed surprised, looking back down at her wallet at a speed that rivaled a turtle. Sapnap stifled a groan, settling for a small eye roll that he hoped she didn't notice. His attention snapped back to her when she let out a laugh, shaking her head. "I'm so sorry! I gave you the wrong card. Here you go," she smiled kindly at Sapnap, and for a second he almost felt bad for cursing at her so much in his head. Almost.

Again, he quickly snatched the card from her shaking fingers, sliding it into the machine and drumming his fingers against the faux marble countertops restlessly. Sapnap breathed in a sigh of relief when the register let him know that the transaction finally went through, and he finished the rest of the payment process rather quickly.

He turned to begin making the drink, mind wandering as his fingers worked their way through the same mind-numbing motions he had done thousands of times before. Sapnap smiled at Alyssa, who had walked by to get the order of a customer who was standing at the order station with a kind smile.

He pushed the now completed drink across the counter, watching as the elder picked it up and grinned at him, uttering a "thank you young man!" before turning and heading out of the store.

"You can take a break if you want!"

A voice caused Sapnap to look up, eyes meeting Alyssa's gaze as she flashed him an understanding smile.

"It's almost one, and you've been working since eight. You have twenty minutes, I'll take your orders until you get back!" She shrugged, turning back to the register as the bell signifying a customer's entrance rung yet again. Sapnap shot her a quick thank you before immediately heading to the backroom to take off his apron and clock out. He looked up at the entrance to see who had just walked in, hands already working on untying the knots pressing into his back. He froze.

"Alyssa! I'll do this last one, then you can take over for me," Sapnap said quickly, and she gave him a slightly confused look.

"If you insist?" Alyssa nodded, stepping away from the counter as he took her spot. Sapnap barely registered the sound of her quietly padding away before beginning to speak.

"What can I get for you today, sir?" Sapnap asked, looking up and into the face of his beloved Karl Jacobs.

"I'm not sure- my nimrod of a boyfriend recommended this place to me, though it looks really dingy if I'm being honest," Karl joked, and Sapnap rolled his eyes at him.

"Well, it sounds like your boyfriend has great taste in coffee shops," he giggled, his lips stretching into a sweet smile. "So, what do you want to try today?"

Karl recited his order, though Sapnap knew it like the back of his hand. He nodded at him politely, letting him know that his drink should be ready in a few minutes in an attempt to behave at least a touch professionally. Karl laughed at him, reciprocating with a giggly, "thank you, kind sir", before making his way over to the waiting area.

Sapnap glanced down, gaze falling onto a black Sharpie that lay next to the monitor. He grinned.

A few minutes later, he found himself pushing the cup across the counter, waiting with bated breath as Karl picked it up. His expression reflected his boyfriend's as he noticed the tiny bees and flowers drawn onto the various empty spaces in the clear cup, pure joy radiating from his features.

Karl looked up, eyes filled with adoration. "I love it," he whispered, and Sapnap smiled happily at him. Karl couldn't help but lean across the counter, and Sapnap rolled his eyes before doing the same. They met somewhere in the middle, Sapnap letting out a quiet sound of content at the sweet kiss. Karl's breath was minty and refreshing- he found himself greedily wanting more.

However, if there was one constant in Sapnap's life, it was his friends interrupting private moments.

"You motherfucker."

He turned to see Schlatt standing next to him, a stack of empty cups that were once in his hand now rolling across the grimy floors.

Sapnap shrugged nonchalantly, though a smug look rested on his face.

"What can I say? I got the guy."