Candy Rings

Forever and Always

The last breath of summer was beginning to fade and their last year of college was upon them.
Eleven years of memories whisked right before their eyes and soon they would graduate for the final time. But for now, Karl and his friends were back at the lake house once more.
Well not just his friends anymore, no. Sapnap was his boyfriend now. His boyfriend.

Last year's ring glowed bright green in the setting sun, the memories of last Christmas still fresh on his mind.
Never in a million years would Karl have thought he would finally have Sapnap as his. Though, if he sat and thought about it, Sapnap was always his.
The ring pop sealed a future for them, whether they knew that at the time or not.
What they were was destiny. They were destined to be together. They knew that now.

Their lives were finally coming together and this final ride had a lot in store.

Karl was sitting in between Sapnap's legs on the lake shore with Dream and George in the same position next to them. They were all content with how life was going. No fights, no pretending like the world was ending, no hiding from who and what they love. They were happy.
Everything was finally in their favor.

This last summer made everything so real, feel so real, and there was no going back to who they once were.

"I can't believe we're here." George says as he watches the sun dip its last yellow glow behind the horizon.
"What do you mean by that, Georgie?" Dream asks, running a hand through George's brunette curls that were overgrown, one being pushed behind George's ear by a slow movement of Dream's fingers.
Summer brought a lot of growth and it wasn't just George's hair.

"I mean, look where we are. I never thought I'd get to be with you and Karl and Sapnap are finally together after all these years of silly engagements. It's crazy."

"Yeah, when are you two actually getting engaged?" Dream asked, looking over at them.

Karl giggled, but Sapnap sat there with a blank expression on his face.
Sapnap knew exactly when they were getting engaged. He had already bought the ring months prior. He was preparing himself for when September came and he would pop the question. It was like he could feel the ring box burning in his hand just like he had when he went to pick it out.
He tightened his fist and let it go slowly to shake that feeling away.

He looked to see everyone was still laughing over such a silly question, so they didn't see him blank.

Or so he thought.

Later that night when the moon and stars were out, Sapnap had walked back out to the lake while Karl was asleep in their bed in the lake house that seemed so far from him now.
He stared out into the lake until he heard the crunching of leaves behind him. He turned around to see Dream walking up to him.

"Can't sleep either?" Dream asked, standing next to Sapnap.

"No." Sapnap responded, still looking out into the sparkling water.

The moon's reflection shifted throughout the water, casting an eerie glow fitting for Sapnap's mood.

"You already bought the ring, didn't you?" Dream asked.
Sapnap opened his mouth but no words came out. He was going to deny what Dream had said but there was no point.

"How'd you know?" Sapnap answered with another question.

"The look on your face was telling, just be glad George and Karl were giggling like two idiots to even notice." Dream chuckled.

Sapnap attempted a small smile but his heart felt stuck in his stomach. He wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do, to ask your best friend to be yours forever.