Work Text:
dream wants to cry.
he's curled on his bed, dressed in his softest clothing, no seams or tags itching his skin or cloying heat scorching his veins. he's done everything he can to make himself comfortable, noise-cancelling headset fitted over his ears and soft music playing through them. he's got blankets layered over him, weighted blankets and soft, fluffy ones that smell like his boyfriends.
and he still wants to cry. he's prickling under his skin, burning up and restless and he can't seem to settle.
everything feels too loud. the air conditioning, the lights, the silence. he can't tell if he wants his boyfriends there, their touch, warmth, soft words, can't tell if it'd be too much.
grey walls, grey roof, too bright from the late afternoon light seeping through the blinds. he wants to go close the blackout curtains, blanket himself in pure darkness and try to fall asleep, but he can't seem to find the energy to pull himself up.
so he sits, curled under layered blankets and piling expectations and wishes he wasn't alone right now.
he doesn't know how much time passes before the door opens softly and karl's fluffy hair peeks through, followed by the rest of him. he's dressed in his little space clothing, obviously regressed smaller than usual judging by the purple pacifier tucked in his mouth. he blinks curiously up at dream.
he smiles down at the boy and holds up one end of the blanket as an invitation. karl smiles behind his paci and toddles over slowly, clambering awkwardly under the covers. immediately, warm hands reach for him and dream tenses momentarily before accepting the touch, melting into it. karl curls up beside him, wild locks brushing dreams chin.
it's grounding. the warm weight of karl in his arms, tucked up against his body. the boy is breathing softly, soft and solid and so very here in dream's arms.
he shuts his eyes and lets the tears slip. he hadn't realized how lonely he was, how he needed that touch, the grounding weight of his boyfriend’s hands on his skin. his eyes are tired but he doesn't close them, just hums softly, letting himself stim quietly, still holding karl close.
the room grows dimmer, slowly fading to a muted light, warm sunset spilling lazily through the slats of his blinds.
sapnap joins them soon after, pushing the door open cautiously and smiling when he sees them there together. he mouths a ‘hi’ and dream smiles back tiredly and holds a hand out for sapnap to let him know he's invited in with them.
the younger boy takes the invitation easily, sliding in on the other side of the bed, careful so as not to wake karl, who's snoozing softly against dream's chest.
sapnap is warm, and dream finds himself craving it, melting into the soft heat when sapnap curls around him, pulls him to his chest. dream lets his eyes close. he doesn't want to take off his headphones yet, but he feels more settled in his body now. sapnap's hand cups his cheek, thumb stroking soft lines into the skin and dream leans into it easily, humming contentedly.
sapnap's lips press against his hair cautiously, testing the water. he hums again, reaching up to squeeze sapnap's hand in affirmation. it feels good. he doesn't want sapnap to stop.
and he doesn't. sapnap noses into his hair, presses soft kisses to his scalp, wraps dream in his arms and laces their fingers together.
dream falls asleep.