Chapter Text
Waking was slow. There was a body on top of him, sleep-warm and limp. But there was no familiar second presence around him. To be fair, George only laid on top of him like this when Dream wasn't there to lay in between them, usually with his wings wrapped around them both protectively. But Sapnap could smell something cooking and forced his eyes open, only slightly worried about who might be in the house.
But it was just Karl in the kitchen and the brunet smiled at him when he saw that Sapnap was awake. "Hey, good morning, sleepyhead. Bad and Q had to go work but I figured you might want someone around and to help with George." Karl explained and Sapnap frowned. He was still tired and his brain was struggling to draw the connection to George.
"With George? What's wrong with George?" Sapnap sat up as he looked George over but there wasn't anything wrong as far as he could tell. The brunet was just sleeping, breathing deep and unhindered, peaceful like he wasn't even dreaming.
"Oh, no, he's fine. He just went into a Hibernation last night." Karl quickly reassured, but Sapnap slumped in disappointment. He was grateful nothing was wrong but a Hibernation meant George would be sleeping for the next few weeks, especially since he'd gone so long without doing so. This has only happened once before since they started living together and that had been a brief Hibernation. Not to mention he’d had Dream.
Sapnap sighed and gently ran his fingers through George's hair before he stood up. "I actually could use your help. Do you think you could open a portal Dream created? I don't think we ever planned for him not to be here so I don’t think I can." Sapnap requested and Karl nodded.
"I'm sure I can. But you should eat first. Bad left like two dozen muffins and you two never ate last night." Karl insisted so Sapnap carefully laid George down in the nest, the brunet unconsciously reaching for him as he pulled away. Sapnap placed a kiss on his head before he stood and joined Karl at the counter.
Karl put a plate in front of him with two large muffins, a variety of freshly cut fruit, and a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Abruptly Sapnap was starving and all but devoured the food. Thankfully Karl simply laughed and offered him another muffin once his plate was cleared, which Sapnap tried to savor instead of inhale with only mild success. With food in his stomach he felt far more awake and smiled at Karl.
"Thanks." He said and the Angel of Portals beamed at him.
"Now, let's see about getting that portal open. I assume it's linked to a pocket space?" Karl asked and Sapnap nodded as he stepped back to George and scooped the Angel of Slumber up from the ground. George, even in his slumber, nestled against him and Sapnap held him the littlest bit tighter.
"Yeah, Dream made it. Only the three of us are supposed to be able to get in and it has a Cradle for George. It’s meant to be a safe space for him to Hibernate in." Sapnap explained and Karl nodded along as he led the way through their home to the unassuming wood door near the stairs. If he were to open it now it would simply lead to a small closet space.
"I would tease him and call him paranoid but given what happened yesterday he clearly had a reason to be." Karl answered and there was something about his tone that made Sapnap wonder if the Time Traveler had seen something connected to this, or at least thought he did.
Sapnap nodded at the door and Karl stepped closer, examining the very subtle runes carved into the wood near the top. George's weight was growing heavier in his arms but Sapnap refused to put the brunet down. It was a few minutes before Karl pulled back. "Well, if you were worried about anyone else getting in, don't be. I can open it, Dream even added a rune specifically so I could, but I'm afraid to try entering."
"What do you mean?" Sapnap asked and Karl gave him a smile though it wasn't his usually bright one. He looked a little scared but in an almost playful way.
"Let's just say that anyone who isn't you, Dream, or George who enters that pocket space is going to regret it and no amount of rune or magic cancellers is going to help." Karl offered before he reached up and tapped one of the runes in the center of the door before running his fingers down. His green and purple wings pulsed with waves of light.
There was a white light leaking around the door that hadn't been there before. Karl stepped back and nodded at the door, the swirling green and purple slowly fading from his eyes as the waves of light faded from his wings. Sapnap opened it and was blind for a moment stepping inside, but he felt when the floor changed from wood to soft, bouncy cloud.
It took no time for his eyes to adjust to the brightness, given that as an Angel of Ember light fell into his domain. Or perhaps the room dulled and adjusted to him; that was also possible. The room was fairly small, just big enough to hold a custom made Cradle that was littered with Dream's runes. Sapnap gently laid George down inside and the brunet curled up, nestling into the fabric covered gel that surrounded him on every side but the top.
He looked comfortable and Sapnap smiled, running his fingers through George's hair before he tapped one of the runes in the side of the Cradle. The top of it became encased in a clear material almost like glass and Sapnap touched another rune. This time his fingers lingered. The room dulled until it looked like night, the floor softly glowing while the roof and walls turned into a star-ridden sky, a swirling spiral galaxy adorning one wall while the roof had become an Aurora Borealis.
Sapnap shuddered slightly as the warmth from the light that had filled the room passed through him and melted into the Cradle. It would keep George plenty warm for however long he needed to sleep. They hadn’t needed to do it this way, especially since it drained Sapnap’s energy a bit. But Dream had done so much to make this room and the Cradle into the best possible space and Sapnap had wanted to do something for George too.
George would be comfortable and safe here. He and Dream had worked so hard to make sure this space would be warm and soft and beautiful, and George untouchable. Even if someone got into the pocket and stayed long enough to reach the Cradle it was unbreakable and protected by both Dream's runes and Sapnap's fire.
"Sleep well, George. I promise to find a way to Dream before you wake up, but I won’t go without you." Sapnap promised quietly. Despite the fact this was a good thing for George, and entirely normal for Angels of Slumber, Sapnap's heart hurt. He was alone. There were three parts to his heart and two of them were now absent.
He left the pocket space feeling dazed and Karl cooed when he entered the house. It didn't even really feel like their house anymore. The portal vanished as he shut the door but he cared far more about Karl's arms as he was pulled into a tight hug. "It'll be okay, Sappy. George is safe, Dream is resilient, and you have all of us." Karl promised and Sapnap clung to him as the chills from the rune wracked his body.
Warming the Cradle always drained his energy at first and it meant that he was finally properly feeling the chills from Dream’s rune. It did seem a little better than how unbearably icy he’d felt when Dream had fallen. That had overpowered every part of his body and left him so cold he thought his inner fire had gone out. George felt it far stronger and Sapnap envied that he had a better judge of when Dream was in trouble, but was grateful not to constantly be feeling those chills. Even now he was really only feeling it because of the energy drain.
“He’s doing better.” Sapnap whispered and Karl made a confused noise. “Dream. He’s in less danger now, just a little.”
“How do you know?” Karl asked and Sapnap remembered that none of their friends knew about the runes. When Dream had first proposed the idea they’d decided together not to risk telling others in case this exact scenario happened. There was no point in hiding it now.
“Dream created a rune. We each bear it. It links us so we know when the others are in danger. That’s the rune Dream said was the love spell.” Sapnap added.
“Can I see it?” Karl asked gently and Sapnap nodded. He pulled back from the hug and moved his clothes out of the way so Karl could see the mark on his hip.
“Oh.” Karl knelt to get a closer look, his fingers hovering like he half wanted to touch it. “It’s so beautiful, Sap. I know Dream is one of the best Rune Angels but this is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The details and care he put into this is just…” Karl trailed off while Sapnap blushed.
He remembered when Dream had done it. It had been the three of them, seated on their bed in the early morning hours when it was still pitch black outside. Dream, with a pot of black ink, a very small paintbrush, and dark circles under his eyes from the many long days he’d spent perfecting the rune. Sapnap had burned all the scratch work after the runes were done and there had been so much of it. But in that moment all he had been focused on was them.
They were all shirtless. Dream’s rune was already there, having been inked over his heart with a less steady hand than usual. Sapnap could only assume Dream had done it in a mirror. He did George’s first and it had taken over an hour for him to paint and enchant it, his wings shimmering like emeralds the entire time. They’d been giggly and Sapnap kept playfully trying to make George wiggle despite Dream insisting he stay still.
And then it had been Sapnap’s turn and the mood had been much softer. Everyone had fallen quiet. George studied Dream’s brush strokes as the blond focused only on his work. Sapnap had spent it studying them, studying every curve and freckle on their faces like he didn’t already know them inside and out. The ink had been cold and the paintbrush ever so slightly tickled him but when it was done he could only be amazed at the detail.
Then Dream had them all link hands so he could complete the magic. The room had lit up with the vibrant bright colors of their wings and for a moment they hadn’t been individuals, but one united soul. Hot and cold and tingly and nothing and everything and at peace. He’d felt whole. And then the moment ended and he’d been himself again but the feeling had never faded entirely. Sapnap was terrified of the idea it one day might.