Chapter Text
Chapter 1 | You were a dream.
It was another hot sticky night, fairly standard weather for him. But, that didn't change the fact that it made it hard to fall asleep some nights. His clothes clinged to his body with sweat, and his fan whirred in the background. His eyes were closed, with visions of splashes of color through the backs of his eyelids. Each breath eventually got deeper leading to an eventual sleep state based on pure exhaustion.
His opened his eyes once again this time to something purely unknown, a void of midnight, void of everything but a boy who rested softly in his arms.
"What the-" he mumbled slightly. "Who-"
He took the boy's face in his hands, tilting it up to face him, and studied it for a second. He had a mop of fluffly hair, soft features, and petal pink lips. He was awful pretty. For a dream boy, anyways.
"What is all this..?"
He tore his eyes away from the boy to study the expansive midnight that engulfed them. There was nothing for as far as the eyes could see, just the two of them, in empty space.
He looked back down to find the boy peering right back up at him with wide curious grey eyes. By instinct Nick flinched away slightly.
"Who.." He cleared his throat slightly, and stopped short.
The boy opened his mouth to speak then closed it shortly after then followed to say, "Who are you..?"
"Me?" Nick replied.
Only now with taken notice to the fact that his hand was intertwined with the boy's and neither had acted to release. It felt oddly real, for a dream. His hands were warm against the contrast of the grey eyed one's chill pale hands.
Pushing this thought from his head he quickly stammered, "uh..Nick.. my name is Nick"
"Nick." The other repeated, "well, Nick, I'm Karl", he finished with a burst of giggles that left him like bubbles from his throat soft and floating.
"Sorry- this is all just pretty strange-" Karl said with a small smile, looking up at him.
"Yeah.." Nick pulled away slightly and the chill left his hand and the comfort of everything that was left him, and he floated slightly out into the void.
He continued to float outwards and fear struck his eyes slightly, of being taken away by space. He desperately reached out grabbing for Karl. Looking up to find Karl doing the same with wide eyes. Nick reached Karls hand and pulled himself in close, with a short sigh of relief.
"God- is this a dream or a nightmare-" He shuddered to himself.
Nick glanced at Karl, who was silent and holding tightly onto his hands.
"This is actual dog water." Karl finally managed, with a nervous laugh, "I actually hate this."
Nick chuckled in response. Karl was awful real, for a dream boy.
"What do we even do now?" Nick said softly with a sigh. "Whatever we do, just don't let go-" Karl responded, "I think the worst thing to do right now would be to spend our time in this void drifting aimlessly alone."
Nick looked down at the hand that gripped his own, pale with multicolored nails. "Agreed," He said with a small smile of his own. "From here on out, you're my center of gravity, alright? Don't go letting go on me either."
"I swear it." Karl grinned.
"So do I." Nick chuckled.
The two floated in the void, eyes on eachother and hands intertwined, when finally Karl finally broke the silence.
"So.. what's up with the scratches on your face..?" He raised an eyebrow at Nick.
Nick raised his free hand and touched a scratch on his face, "Oh? These? I got them from skating, I was trying to learn a new trick on my board." He smiled sheepishly.
"You skate too?" Karl's eyes lit up.
Nick's eyes matched in brightness, "Too bad we're floating in the void right now, otherwise, I'd definitely show you, and then I could see what you can do too" He laughed slightly.
Nick went silent and looked around for a second. Nothing happened.
"Fuuuuucccckkkkkk, I really thought that would've worked." He grumbled.
Karl giggled slightly, "What?"
"There's always weird logic with things like this, thought that it might appear in thin air." Nick said. Thinking to himself, 'I guess it isn't a lucid dream.'
Karl looked around for a second more, then looked back at Nick with a grin. "Well, since your magic trick didn't work, i want to try something." He took Nick's other hand and started to spin both of them slightly, with time they picked up speed and were going around marginally fast.
"wOah" Nick sputtered and then laughed looking Karl in the eyes.
Nick watched as giggles erupted from Karl paired sweetly with the widest grin. All this aided into making Nick grin brighter with him. Eventually the two came to a slow and were just staring at eachother with bright eyed smiles.
"I think I've decided." Nick finally said.
"On?" Karl asked with a short laugh.
"This, it's a dream not a nightmare, " He began to explain, "I mean, I feel like if it was a nightmare, I'd be floating out here alone, but instead I'm here with you, and I've been smiling a little too much for this to be a nightmare." he chuckled.
"Well that makes-" Karl began, but stopped short as the darkness seemingly closed in.
The void engulfed them, clouding their vision and filling their lungs. All that was, returned to nothing.
A beam of sunlight peeked through the blinds and rested on Nick's eyes. A soft smile rested on his face, as his eyes slowly opened.
That was such a nice dream.
But, what was it about..?