(i'm worried) it will always be you

Chapter 18 - Your graduation

** a/n: the symbol ' ~ ' in the story refers to a switch in centric POV. This chapter flips back an forth between Sapnap and Karl's perspectives **

Friday, May 10th, 2019. Spring semester, Senior year. Graduation day for North Carolina State University undergraduate STEM students.

Four years.

Four years since Sapnap moved to Raleigh, North Carolina for college.

Four years spent living with his best friend, Dream.

Four years of loving Karl Jacobs.

"Are you nervous?"

Sapnap adjusted his gaze in the mirror, focusing on the figure standing behind him in the doorway.

"Me, nervous? Pfft, what do you take me for, some kind of pussy?" Sapnap scoffed with a wide grin, turning around to face him.

"Hmm, maybe I take you for the guy who would rather be caught dead than talk to a crowd of fifteen-hundred of his peers and their families." Karl said with a smile, walking up to where Sapnap had leaned against the vanity in front of the mirror.

"Yeah, maybe you're right about that." Sapnap said with a softer smile, looking up at Karl, while Karl fussed with Sapnap's tie.

"Your speech is all typed up- I even put it in that ugly font you like." Karl smoothed out Sapnap's graduation robe over his shoulders after handing him the paper, giggling under his breath when Sapnap gawked in offense.

"Arial font is not ugly! You're just a journalist who has an unhealthy attachment to Times New Roman." Sapnap rolled his eyes, putting in little effort to push Karl away when he leaned fully against his chest.

"If I say I'm sorry for calling Arial font ugly, can I get a kiss?" Karl smiled brightly, wiggling his eyebrows at Sapnap until he relented. Sapnap tilted his chin up with the intention of only giving Karl an affectionless peck, but he should've known that wasn't something he was capable of.

Sapnap could've kept kissing Karl until he missed his entire graduation ceremony, but Karl broke the kiss with a laugh.

"What?" Sapnap asked with an annoyed whine, leaning his head back into Karl's hands, which were tangled in his curls. He frowned when Karl pulled his hands away, missing the calming feeling of Karl holding up all his heavy thoughts for him immediately.

Sapnap unwrapped one of his arms from around Karl's waist to touch his hair, trying to smooth down any spots Karl may have messed up. It had some kind of product in it he'd never used before. It felt disgusting, but he'd be lying if he said he hated the result.

"Nothing, just- you are such a simp. I didn't even say the font's not ugly and you still kissed me!" Karl continued to laugh, hugging Sapnap tighter when he actually tried to get Karl away from him.

"Hey, get your filthy little hands out of my work of art."

"Gina-" Sapnap sighed, pulling his hand out of his hair and resting his forehead in his palm instead.

"Hi, sweetheart. Congratulations!" Gina said with a bright smile, enveloping Karl in a tight embrace. Karl hugged her back just as fiercely, laughing at Sapnap's blatant disapproval- or maybe just jealousy.

"Don't congratulate me yet, my graduation isn't until tomorrow. Who knows, maybe the school will-"

"Stop it with the nonsense. Congratulations to both my babies." Gina interrupted with the wave of her hand, letting go of Karl to approach Sapnap.

"Thank you, Gina. For everything." Sapnap said with a small smile, his voice falling more genuine than either of them expected. He could see the prideful tears welling in her eyes from the sentiment alone.