As quickly as Christmas came to the people inhabiting the lands, it was gone just as quickly. How quickly time was flying by seemed to leave everybody in distaste, especially the Dream Team, if they're even considered that anymore.
Dream has gotten worse, effectively worse. He's become a power hungry psychopath. He's manipulating Sapnap and George and Quackity. He's especially manipulating Karl.
Dream has been saying awful things to the innocent man. Karl used to go to Sapnap about it, sometimes George or Quackity, but after a while of Dream lying to everyone it just looked like Karl was the "boy who cried wolf".
This put a big strain on Karl and Sapnap's unlabeled relationship. The pair started arguing more and yelling became a frequent task in the shared household. While arguing became normal, they never went to bed without one in the other's arms. All tension seemed to slip away once they were holding one another, giving hope to each that this would pass at some point.
"Karl, You here?" Sapnap asked, walking into his eerily dark and quiet home. That was until he heard a thump in his room. He quickly paced to his room and walked in. The sight left him utterly speechless and guilty.
"He doesn't even like you, let alone love you." Dream spat angrily.
"I think you should leave." Sapnap grumbled. Karl looked up at the younger, face red and tears in his eyes.
"Karl-"
"No, Dream, you should fucking go." Dream immediately froze, he hadn't seen Sapnap this angry in a long time.
"Sap, Sap calm-"
"Don't you dare tell me what to do in my house." Sapnap spat, anger fueling his every word and action. He raised his eyes enough for Dream to see them.
Sapnap's eyes, once a dark blue, were now almost completely black with a red fiery ring around the inside, nearest to the pupil. Dream hadn't seen this look since George killed one of his pets and they had simply laughed at him for getting emotional; that was almost five years ago now.
"I'll be leaving then." Dream said, shouldering Sapnap on his way out. Sapnap knew his boundaries as did Dream, in the moment. Dream crossed a line today, well many days ago Sapnap was just too oblivious to realize what Karl was saying, was indeed the truth.
"Sap..." Karl said softly, snapping Sapnap out of his trans. He needed to leave before he hurt Karl, so that's what he did. Sapnap left the house with no further words spoken or actions taken.
Karl was left not only alone, but confused and scared. He ended up walking to Quackity's house in fear of being taken advantage of again.
There was a small cut on his cheek where Dream had threatened him with his enchanted netherite sword. Karl was powerless against the man in a green hoodie, Dream fed off of the fact that Karl was so utterly powerless without Sapnap, his protector.
While Karl went to Quackity's, Sapnap went outside of the lands. On his way he passed a big prison; he didn't notice though, too wrapped up in his anger and guilt to even pay attention to his surroundings. He quickly made it to a snow biome and just laid in the snow.
The body heat of the angered boy lowered slightly due to the cold. He didn't completely understand why he was as angry as he was. He didn't even hear what dream said besides what he did hear, and even then Dream could've been talking about anyone.
Sapnap tried to figure out why his anger was as bad as it was, he narrowed it down to Karl being traumatized and his own recent urges to go back to the nether.
Sapnap laid down for a few more minutes before stamding up and going back to his home to take care of Karl. He was praying Karl went to Quackity's since he'd abruptly left.
As far as Sapnap knew, him and Quackity were the only ones to know that Karl could time travel. While quackity has never been there when he woke up from time traveling, he was one of the pairs closest friends and they felt he should know as well.
Little did either of them know, Dream and Sam were making a prison for the time traveler. Karl knew they were, Dream had threatened to lock him up in it so many times that it became less and less scary to him and more of an accepted fate.
Sapnap walked into a quiet home. His prayers were answered as Karl did indeed go to Quackity's abode for the night. Sapnap laid down in his bed, his worry for his partner growing with every passing minute. Sapnap was lucky enough to fall asleep after a few hours of trying with no luck.
Karl walked inside the home, praying Sapnap had come back.
"Sap? Sap you home?" He asked timidly within the house. His voice echoed from wall to wall as the house was a bit empty. No response was heard from the younger, but Karl had a feeling he really had made it home safely.
His thoughts were deemed correct once he saw Sapnap curled in a ball with one of Karl's hoodies on. Karl smiled as his fear and anxiety washed away with one look at Sapnap.
The older sat on the bed carefully so he wouldn't wake the sleeping raven haired boy. He truly cared for the boy, which is why he tolerates the tortures of the man in a green hoodie.
"Karl?" Sapnap asked, gripping onto Karl's sweater paw tightly. "You're okay..."
"Im okay, bub." Karl said, a smile growing on his face. The older slipped off his shoes and climbed under the comforters with his best friend. Sapnap immediately laid his head on Karl's chest, weakly wrapping his arms around him. His body was weak from the amount of anger he had. When his anger gets like that his body overworks itself and he usually is tired and achey for a few days following.
"Thank you, Karl. Im sorry i didn't believe you. Im so sorry he's been hurting you. I'll try and talk to him." Sapnap explained, slowly dozing off into a more peaceful sleep. Karl smiled with a nod and fell asleep holding his loved one.
| time skip |
Sapnap woke up with a major headache and his muscles were incredibly sore. He could feel Karl's fingers running through his hair gently and grazing his scalp which left a tingling sensation in its path. He nuzzled further into Karl's abdomen, gripping his white shirt lightly.
"Good morning, Sappitus." Karl greeted making Sapnap smile. "It's New Years Eve!" Karl said happily.
"Don't we have to help Quackity set up for a party or something?" Sapnap asked, looking up at Karl slightly.
"Yes, i think we do. We don't have to be there for another few hours though so lets just stay put." Karl suggested to which Sapnap had no problems agreeing.
They cuddled in silence for a good hour and a half before they decided to get up and get ready for the party set up.
Dream, George, Bad, Skeppy, Sapnap, Karl, and Quackity would be attending. Only Karl and Sapnap were helping though. They didn't mind, they enjoyed spending time together just the three of them.
Once the party was completely set up the sun had started to fall and the darkness started to consume the sky.
The three of them sat on Quackity's roof to watch. Quackity's head was placed on Sapnap's shoulder and Karl was in between Sapnap's legs, resting his bac against the younger's chest. The trio felt safe when they were with each other. Sapnap has always thought of Quackity like family and when he brought Karl to Quackity, Quackity acted no different to Karl than he did Sapnap. Quackity always felt like an outcast or not truly fitting in with one group or another so having Karl and Sapnap made him feel loved and welcomed.
Sapnap watched as Dream and George walked inside the building from above. His anger towards Dream bubbling, especially when he saw George stray so far behind him instead of directly next to him like usual. He couldn't let his anger show though, no not yet.
The party wasn't a huge grand thing, just a small get together to hang out. A tension lingered in the air around everyone, though, making it hard to completely upkeep a conversation without feeling awkward.
Dream kept an eye on Karl and Sapnap, talking and laughing in the corner. Quackity kept handing out bottles of water and some food every now and again. Bad and Skeppy were too engrossed in a debate to realize any tension. George had sensed it quite quickly though. He knew Sapnap was furious at Dream whenever they'd made eye contact. When George saw the fights getting bad or Sapnap's anger rising rapidly, he knew to stay out of it entirely, so that is exactly what he did.
He talked to Quackity most of the time. Dealing with Dream would be far too upsetting and awkward. Intervening on Karl and Sapnap's conversation or Bad and Skeppy's would be intruding on something he did not feel comfortable intruding on.
Quackity kept George entertained and happy. Whenever George's gaze landed on Dream for too long Quackity quickly averted his attention by doing something stupid or loud or embarrassing.
Quackity had always been like that, always putting others before himself. If someone had been feeling uncomfortable with something he'd try to fill the awkwardness with a fun type of vibe. Some people thought he was childish but he was okay with it as long as his friends were happy and safe. This is one of the many things his friends loved about him.
"It's almost midnight!" Quackity yelled.
"Karl Jacobs?" Sapnap whispered softly to the other. Karl hummed into the man's neck. Sapnap was leaning against the wall, his arms wrapped tightly around the older's waist. Karl's arms were laced softly around Sapnap's torso, gripping the white t-shirt softly as his face was dug into his neck.
"Could i kiss you when the clock hits 12am?" Sapnap whispered. He could feel Karl's face go hot as he smiled and nodded.
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Quackity yelled. Sapnap met Dream's eyes once he looked up. Dream looked away as he opened the door and left.
"Karl will you be my boyfriend, like officially?" Sapnap said quietly due to the loud setting of people yelling and cussing and Bad yelling at everyone for cussing.
"Really?" Karl asked, pulling away from the younger slightly.
"Yeah, really." Sapnap smiled. Karl nodded his head vigorously in excitement. Sapnap leaned in and pressed his lips to Karl's gently.
While Karl and Sapnap kissed quietly in the corner, away from everyone else, Quackity chased George around the house cussing; Skeppy had to keep Bad from ripping Quackity a new one. George was just yelling at Quackity stop as he screamed like a girl. Dream was watching from outside, finally listening to the voices in his head telling him to cut off every last tie with the boys he'd grown up with, tears sliding down his face in result of it.
This night was definitely to be remembered by everyone.