Work Text:
Karl. A lovely name for a lovely boy. It means "free man", fit for someone like him. For someone with a carefree but gentle spirit, excited to explore the world around him.
The one who he had been in love with since their sophomore year of high school, which was 4 years ago. They were in their second year of college, Karl majoring in zoology, and Sapnap in literature. The two often had to write research papers for their classes, although Sapnap's were for books and Karl's were about different animals and their environments. Every weekend, without fail, the two got together to work on their projects. For some reason or the other, the two functioned better when in the other's company.
Those get-togethers were where Sapnap's feeling's thrived. But even without them, they would be strong enough to take down a building.
It was spring break, and given that they both were a flight away from their parents, they decided to just stay in their dorms and spend time with each other.
karl:
sapnaaaaaaap
csn i foem over :p
i can brimg cluedo :D
Me:
ooh
sure
we can watch a movie and stuff too
bring ur pajamas and stay over
karl:
lets watfh a scary horror mocie
like truth kr datr
Me:
your texting is atrocious
but sure
anything for u
:))
karl:
do u want m3 to brign popcorn
Me:
yes pls
thank you :D
-
There they were, sitting on Sapnap's bed, playing Cluedo. Sapnap had taken Chef White, and Karl had taken Miss Scarlet. Sapnap sort of knew how the murder had happened, but Karl kept proclaiming how close he was, and he was oh-so-adorable when he won. His eyes lit up, and his smile was huge. Sapnap had made 3 suggestions to lead Karl to the answer, and finally, Karl made the winning accusation. The predicted smile lit up his face, making all of the internal suffering worth it.
-
Both boys had changed into their pajamas and were leaning against each other. Truth or Dare was playing on the TV, and all of the eery smiles were directed at the main character. Karl was lying on Sapnap's chest, holding onto his shirt, paying close attention to the movie. Sapnap's arm circled his shoulders, and he was staring at Karl. Sapnap had never seen anyone able to watch a horror movie unflinchingly, except for Karl. He looked so focused, so relaxed. He was so beautiful in this state.
-
The credits started rolling, and the two came out of their haze.
"Sapnap, let's play truth or dare!" Karl was grinning up at him from his chest.
Sapnap, thoroughly spooked by the movie, wasn't too thrilled about the idea of playing truth or dare, the game the whole movie was based on. "I don't know, Karl…"
"Oh, come on, Sap, even if the game was real we would need to head to that location and stuff. There's no reason to be afraid of it." The reason was sound, but he really wasn't fond of the dare aspect of it. "Okay, you know what-" He took Karl's hands into his own. "-we can play just truth. I will tell you the truth, the whole truth, and only the truth." Karl pouted and twisted his body to face Sapnap.
"But truth without dare is so boring." Karl said with a frown. "Alright, fine, but I'll only pick truth." Karl seemed satisfied with that answer and started the game.
"Truth or dare, Sap." Sapnap gave a low chuckle. "Truth, Karl. I told you, I'm always going to pick truth." Karl sighed. "I know, I just thought you might change your mind. Alright, I'll start out small. Who was the first person you've ever liked?" Sapnap had to think for a second. The only person who had consumed his thoughts for the past few years was Karl. "Uhm, okay… his name was Connor Henderson, I liked him when I was 5, although I didn't really know what liking someone meant at the time. I just dreamt about him sometimes. He was really nice and had blonde hair. That's pretty much all I remember about him. Okay, your turn. Truth or dare?" Karl said dare without any hesitation. Sapnap was hoping that he would pick it, because he had a dare in mind. "I dare you to touch your tongue to your chin."
Karl's expression turned into one of regret, and he started trying after seemingly convincing himself to do it. He looked absolutely adorable, as if he was a puppy. Finally, he gave up. "I quit. Your turn. Have you ever had a crush on a teacher or professor?" Sapnap sucked in a breath. "No, I don't believe I have. Truth or dare, Karl."
"Truth, Sap." Sapnap thought for a second. "Do you have anyone you like or love right now, and if so, who?" Karl's face flushed red, and he seemed to be unable to speak. He moved his gaze to the wall behind Sapnap, the floor, then back to him. "Well, funny story…" He said with an embarrassed laugh. "I like you, Sap. Since senior year of high school. And, forgive me if I'm wrong, but it seems like you like me back." It all looked and sounded very anticlimactic in real life, but to Sapnap, it felt like worlds were colliding. "Sap?.."
"Karl." Sapnap shifted his gaze to him and smiled. "I like you too." Karl exhaled, and a smile appeared on his face. "Does that mean you're willing to try and start a relationship?"
Sapnap hesitated. "Karl, I… I don't think I can do that. I genuinely like you, but I don't want to risk our friendship for that. I… do you get it?" Karl inhaled. "Yeah. I do." He looked at the door and got up suddenly. He grabbed his stuff. "I need to go." He left without another word.
Sapnap inwardly cursed himself. 'Why would I say that to him, after all these years of going after him and thinking my feelings weren't reciprocated, I find out they are and blow up my chance to be with him in one night. What was I thinking?' He needed to make it right.
He hesitated before calling Karl, scared that he would seem desperate. Well, it turned out it didn't matter either way because there was no answer from Karl. It didn't ring, leading him to believe that his phone itself was off. He tried once more half an hour later, but there was still no answer. He decided to leave it for the night, and hope that Karl would talk to him in the morning.
-
It was the next week and he still hadn't heard from Karl. Normally there would at least be good morning or good night texts. It was roughly 2:00 in the afternoon, and Karl's last class of the day had just ended. He was waiting outside of his class. Even though he normally did this every time it was his and Karl's last class, it was much scarier this time.
Right on cue, Karl stepped out of his class and spotted Sapnap. His eyes darted around, seemingly to find an excuse, but supposedly found none and made his way to Sapnap with an obviously fake smile plastered on his face.
"Hey, Sap! What's up!"
'What's up? He never says that. Says it's too simple.'
"Nothing. I need to talk to you. Let's go, yeah?" Karl bit his lip. "Okay."
Sapnap took him to a corner of the courtyard. They sat down on a ledge and faced each other. "What was it you wanted to talk about, Sap?" Karl asked with fake cheeriness. "I wanted to talk about us, Karl." Karl's eyes glazed over. "Did you know that when a male penguin finds and falls in love with a female, he scours the area for the smoothest, most perfect stone, and offers it to her? It's a proposal of sorts." Sapnap was confused and a bit taken aback by the fact. "...No, I… I did not, in fact, know that." Sapnap held Karl's hand. "Karl, yesterday… I was wrong. You are the most beautiful man I've ever met, and I've liked you since sophomore year of high school. Maybe I screwed things up last week, but I can't just let you go like that. I made a mistake." He put his hand on Karl's cheek. Both of them were barely breathing. "Will you give me a chance?" Karl let out a breathy laugh and hugged Sapnap. "Yeah. I will."
-
It had been a month, and the two were lying in Karl's bed.
"Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into one's life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one's side like an old friend through quiet ways; perhaps it revealed itself in seeming prose, until some sudden shaft of illustration flung athwart its pages betrayed the rhythm and the music, perhaps… perhaps… love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a golden-hearted rose slipping from its green sheath."
Karl gave him an odd look. "What?" Sapnap laughed. "It's a quote from Lucy Maud Montgomery. Take its meaning as I love you." Karl smiled the smile that Sapnap thought was the most beautiful in the world and rolled his eyes. Karl grabbed the front of his shirt. "Just shut up and kiss me." Sapnap obliged.