Work Text:
"Karl!" the greeting instantly cleared his head of the worries of a madman and was enveloped by familiar arms, he looks up and meets eyes of fire that burn his heart with warmth he never knew he needed until then
They stay, heartbeat to heartbeat, letting their sounds create a song- a symphony
.
.
.
"You're back" the other chuckles bitterly, he releases Karl and puts distance "how-"
"Long will I stay?" Karl finishes for him. His eyes glimmer with the threat of tears cascading down rapidly so he watches for a reaction, a response, but nothing came
"Sapnap," Karl calls to him, he reaches for his hand but the other pulls away before he could do so. He falters yet continues with what he plans to do, he pulls out a book and quill and writes right then and there a poem, a story- a letter?
He hands the other the book which the other sets aside quickly, locking eyes with the one who had given it to him. Karl freezes, he's unsure what goes through the mind of his lover. "Karl" he tenses, it's not the same he thinks
"Where'd you hide the portal?" He shook, trembling but stood his ground. He can't let them know, he won't let them destroy it. He'd hidden it away so no one could stop him from going back in time... so no one could stop him from leaving everyone behind
"I'm not telling" is what he says. The other takes a step forward, notices how he takes a step back, and places a hand on his cheeck. "Karl" it's not the same he tells himself
This is different
"Where's the portal?" the other's eyes sets his skin ablaze with a simple stare, it's enough to burn he thinks. He points a finger towards east of where they were, the other's gaze follows and returns quickly to him "Liar"
He felt his knees buckle, his breathing unstable. I can't lie to him He catches the other's eyes with his that has seen beauty never enough when compared to what they have, or rather... what they had
He opens his mouth to protest but nothing came out, it seemed as though the words abandoned him on the last second. He tries to separate the hand holding his cheek, gentle and warm and oh so painfully tempting him to stay- here -with them, everyone, him
He pulls away, walking past the other and towards the forests. He runs and runs and runs and finally he arrives, stone walls covered in lush vines with a familiar whirring sound coming from the lit obsidian frame. It was at the very center, in plain sight, but never found due to his carefully crafted maze of identical trees and bushes and plants grown with bonemeal of plenty. A sanctuary
He gathers his things, steps into the frame and lets it spiral and engulf his body, transporting him to another time- another world that needs him to fix everything.
He looks up from the ground and finds eyes with flickering hope, nothing but a dying spark left in them. He sees him shaking his head, mouthing the words stay, don't go
But he can't. It's too late. He watches as the vision becomes blurry and he feels dizzy
.
.
.
He plays by the swings, nothing but the a single heartbeat filling the air of silence that surrounds him. He wanders through quartz walls and winds up in a room, a book and quill lay on the floor. It's pages torn and burnt, the cover barely keeping itself together.
He opens it:
'I used to hear a simple song, that was until you came along...
Now in its place is something new,
I hear it when I look at you
With simple songs I wanted more, perfection is so quick to bore
You are my beautiful, by far. Our flaws are who we really are
I used to hear a simple song, that was until you came along
You took my broken melody,
And now, I hear a symphony.'
.
.
.
"Karl?"