Chapter Text
“Okay, hear me out,”
A chuckle, “that’s the only thing I can do, babe.”
Sapnap pouted, not bothered by the fact that his boyfriend couldn’t even see it.
“Don’t be like that, Karl! Just listen,” he whined. He watched as Karl pressed his finger onto a certain part in his book of braille, keeping a mark on his spot to continue later. Sapnap made sure to note to himself where exactly he left off, in case Karl accidently moved his finger.
Karl sighed, a light smile on his face. “Fine, go ahead”
Sapnap beamed, “So, I know you said you didn’t want me spending money all willy nilly anymore buuut,” he drew out the last word, digging a hand into his pocket. It was a little awkward to do since he was sitting on the couch in their living room-- and Karl had his feet laying on his lap-- but it didn’t matter once he got out the two slips of paper. “You remember that opera you said you wanted to go to a while ago? I got us some tickets for tomorrow!”
The silence that followed had the smile slowly slipping from Sapnap’s face. He looked over at his boyfriend, studying his face, and found it oddly blank.
Oh shit, Sapnap thought, is he mad? Panic started seeping into his bones. He hated upsetting his lover.
“Um, but don’t worry, they were on sale for like half the price! And there was that bonus I got from work last week, so I didn’t use any of our budget money--”
“Sap,” Karl cut off his rambling. He used his free hand to reach out to Sapnap, opening and closing his fist in a silent demand for Sapnap’s hand. When the younger laced their fingers, Karl pulled their hands towards his mouth, gently pressed his lips to the back of Sapnap’s hands.
Sapnap’s ears warmed as Karl looked incredulously at him-- or at least towards him. His eyes, cloudy and unseeing yet bright with fondness, were simply staring straight ahead of him at nothing.
“Sap, honey, I hadn't even remembered about that ol' thing. I mentioned it once like, what, two months ago? Honk, I forgot about it. And you-- Sapnap, come're"
Karl closed his book, ignoring Sapnap’s noise of confusion since they both knew he'd just lost his spot among all the braille, and pushed his legs off the younger's hip, sitting up. His now free hand traveled up Sapnap’s arm until it was caressing his cheek, feeling out the structure of his face like he loves to do.
He may have never been able to actually see what Sapnap looks like, but being able to feel out his face sort of made up for it, giving him an idea of how utterly gorgeous the boy must look.
He let go of Sapnap’s hand to get a hold on his face, pulling the younger's head towards him so he could place another sickeningly sweet kiss to his forehead, and then nose, and finally his lips. Karl’s fingers had traced along his face to make sure he was touching the right places.
Prime knows how many times he's accidently shoved his nose into Sapnap’s eye.
"I love you, you know that?" Karl mutters, pulling him into a hug.
Sapnap sighs and wraps his arms around the slim boy tightly, loving the way Karl buried his face in the crook of his neck and inhaled slowly, deeply.
"You remind me several times a day,” Sapnap laughs, and Karl is unable to resist joining in with the infectious sound. “I love you”
“Yeah, yeah, I know.”
Karl lets himself be gently pushed away, just a short distance so that he could still feel the heat radiating from Sapnap’s face and the puff of air from his mouth. He could feel the younger’s eyes roaming over his own face and tried not to feel self-conscious, even though Sapnap’s told him countless times about how beautiful he looked.
“So, I’m guessing you do wanna go to that opera?” Sapnap checked, pulling Karl back into his embrace and running his fingers through the back of his newly trimmed hair. Karl groaned softly at the feeling; he always loved when Sap did that.
Instead of answering, he just nodded and moved so that he was sitting completely on Sapnap’s lap, legs folded on either side.
Sapnap laughs as he shifts on the couch a little to accommodate his boyfriend’s full weight. He slid a hand under Karl’s butt, the other wrapped tightly around his waist, and pressed him even closer to his chest. “Baby if you really wanna go, we’re gonna have to start packing now.”
The whine that rose in Karl’s throat vibrated pleasantly against Sapnap’s collarbones. “Whyy?”
“It’s a 3-hour drive there and the show itself is like 6 hours long.” Sapnap explains, slowly becoming increasingly reluctant to get up the more Karl’s body sunk further into his own. “So, I’m gonna book a hotel to stay at for a night, plus I don't wanna drive on the highway when it’s dark anyway. So, we need to. . . pack overnight clothes and stuff.”
Now he was just mumbling; his face was too squished against Karl’s head for him to form coherent words.
There was this serene atmosphere around them, one that’s just been there since Sapnap plopped onto the couch next to his boyfriend 2 hours ago. The air was just so calm and warm that neither of them realized they’d fallen asleep until Sapnap’s eyes snapped wide open to the shrill whistle of their broken doorbell.
Damn he really needed to get that thing fixed soon.
Looking down, Sapnap took a second to admire the older boy still laying in his arms. Karl’s mouth was open as he snored, and there was drool threatening to stain his cheek; his skin was a little pink with warmth from constantly being pressed against the personal heater that was Sapnap’s body, and both of his fists were clenched tightly around Sapnap’s t-shirt.
It took a damn lot of effort to get out from under Karl without waking him up. Although Sapnap knew he was typically a heavy sleeper, he still didn’t want to risk rousing him when he looked so peaceful. Probably a solid few minutes later and he’d finally made it off the couch and started towards the door, where the person was surprisingly still ringing the doorbell.
The persistence made him think of some fool trying to scam him into buying something again like what’d happened last month. A young woman almost scammed poor Karl out of $400,000 when he thought she was there to take their house.
The bitch told him that her company would be taking their house unless he paid them the property value, she wasn’t even wearing convincing clothes and her car was old and run down and missing a license plate. But of course, Karl couldn’t see that and fell for the way her voice sounded strong and professional.
Thankfully Sapnap had gotten home from work just in time to stop him from giving her his social security number, but their credit card info was already fucked. After threatening the woman and her grandma, Sapnap made a quick phone call to their bank to make sure nothing leaves their account.
Several days and bank visits later and Karl had a new card number and everything. The info that that woman would try to use wouldn’t get her a dime.
Now, don’t get thr wrong idea, Karl isn’t necessarily. . . naive. He’s just optimistic and will jump on every opportunity there is to avoid a problem. Hence, his willingness to do what that woman said to ‘stop them from losing their house’.
The memory put a scowl on Sapnap’s face as he opened the door, mouth opening to start telling off some bast-
"Uh, hi- hello, can I sell you some girl scout cookies?”
Sapnap’s eyes widened as he took in the tiny little boy standing in front of him. He was maybe 7 or 8 and wore a blue and green scout uniform littered with buttons and patches. A glance behind him revealed a van parked on the curb and who was probably the kid’s mother sitting in the driver’s seat.
Sapnap smiled kindly. Fuck his diet.
He clapped his hands, “Sure buddy! Whatcha got?”
“Oh!” The little boy’s face lit up, almost as if he didn’t expect him to say yes, and Sapnap wondered if he’d even sold anything today. “W-well I have thin mints, samoas, lemon-ups. . .”
He ended up buying a box of each flavor- 12 boxes in total. Sapnap could already practically hear Karl nagging about how Sap always complains about his diet but then he goes and eats junk food, only to start complaining again. At this point, Sapnap was pretty sure he was doing it just to irritate him. And an annoyed Karl was pretty fun to mess with.
When the little boy left and Sapnap closed the door behind him, he wasn’t too surprised that their talking hadn’t woken Karl up. Sighing, he threw the boxes of cookies in the freezer and headed upstairs to start packing their bags for their trip tomorrow.
By the time he finished he could hear Karl messing around with their turntable, probably trying to find a certain record if the large thump of their record holder hitting the wall had anything to say about it.
“Sapnap! Where’d you go? I need help finding that dolphin song!”
Sapnap grinned. Of course that’s what he was looking for. “Hold on, I'm coming!” He yelled back. He heard Karl hum as he pulled their bags downstairs, setting them by the front door so they’d be easy to find the next morning.
Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Karl jump at the loud thud the bags made when they dropped to the floor. “Jeez,” Karl huffed, “what’s in there? Rocks?”
“No,” Sapnap laughed, walking over to him to press a kiss to his cheek. “I’ve made the last-minute decision that we’ll be staying at the hotel for an extra few days, I won’t tell you why though. That’s a surprise.”
Karl pouted and held out his hand to find him. Sapnap immediately grabbed it with a gentleness he’d only ever reserved for him. “I wanna ask why but I can already tell you made up your mind.” Karl mumbled. Sapnap grins at him and picks out the record that he was looking for, placing it carefully on the turntable and letting it play. The way Karl lights up at the song made him smile, and he pulls the older boy closer and grabs his other hand,
“Dance with me, love.”
“Wait, what?” Karl laughed, letting out a startled sound as he was suddenly jostled into a (rather poor) dip. He wheezed when he was pulled back up, “That was so bad.”
For once, Sapnap was glad Karl couldn’t see his face, or the way his ears got red. “Oh shut up, it was great.”
They twirled around each other for a good few minutes, completely lost in each other’s presence and Crystal Dolphin. Karl’s giggles and Sapnap’s fond chuckles rang through the air, plus the occasional stumbles, and the atmosphere was so warm and lovely, it felt like someone threw a fuckin anchor at them when Sapnap’s phone alarm started screaming like the iphone it is.
He sighed and reluctantly let go of his boyfriend to go turn it off, knowing that it was time for them to start getting on the road before it gets dark. They could have left later but he wanted to leave in time for them to get good rooms at the hotel. They all get booked out pretty quickly for the weekend. Sapnap grins as he turns back to Karl.
“You ready babe? It’s time to go.”
Karl lets out a half-hearted whine as Sapnap takes his hand and starts leading him outside to the car. “Already? But what about that one podcast? A new episode comes out today!”
“We can always listen to it in the car, Karl. Don’t worry about it.” Sapnap shakes his head as he helps Karl into the passenger seat. Once he’s made sure Karl’s buckled in properly, he leans over him to turn on the radio so he had something to listen to while Sapnap went and packed all their things into the trunk.
Sapnap listened to Karl hum as he carried all their things to the car, smiling to himself. He had finished putting their suitcases in the trunk and started putting the smaller bags in the backseat when Karl suddenly spoke up again.
“Where exactly is the opera again? I forgot.”
Sapnap winced at that last bit but refused to acknowledge it. "It's in Las Nevadas, babe."
He could instantly hear the excitement in Karl’s voice as he spoke, the man practically vibrating in his seat. “Does that mean we’ll get to see Q? It’s been forever since-"
"Love, you know he's still in the middle of that business meeting of his. That's the whole reason he hasn't been home, remember?"
Sapnap looked up in time to see Karl visibly deflate, slouching a bit. “Oh, right.” He muttered. Sighing, Sapnap put down the bag he was holding and went to press a kiss to his forehead.
"I'm sorry babe." He murmured, he himself feeling a little down at the disappointment in Karl's face. As if realizing this, Karl quickly smiled and shook his head reassuringly, lifting his hands to grab Sapnap's face before it could move away and pulling him forward so their lips could meet.
"Thanks for packing all the things. I feel kinda bad for not helping but I know you wouldn't let me anyway." Karl said once they pulled away. Sapnap grinned and turned his head so he could kiss the palm of one of the hands holding his face. He made sure to linger so Karl could feel the way Sapnap was smiling.
"Damn right. Now you just keep sitting 'ere and lookin pretty while I finish up." Sapnap smirked, faking a southern accent.
Karl scowled and threw a hand out to swat at him, "Idiot."
"Love you, too." Sapnap laughed. But the smile slowly melted from his face as he went back to packing. He missed Quackity. So damn much . Probably more than Karl did, and that said a lot.
But Quackity was a businessman- a very good one, mind you- and he often had to attend important meetings with other powerful people. Meetings that would take weeks, sometimes months at a time. They all hated it but it was crucial to his business and their income. More than half of it came solely from Quackity’s casinos (as stupid as that was).
He was Karl and Sapnap’s third, the three of them having been in a relationship for four- running on five- years now; and they'd been living together for three years. They loved each other dearly. Hell, Karl could probably say that he loved Quackity and Sapnap more than life itself.
But he absolutely hated it when Quackity had to go on these long trips. Yeah, because he just genuinely missed the man like a normal lover would, but also because of his stupid poor memory- he often forgot things about their lover while he was gone. And he’d never realize that he’s forgotten something until someone- most likely Sapnap- reminds him. Then he loses that bright smile of his and mulls over the fact that he’s forgotten something about his boyfriend.
And nobody wants a sad Karl.
Which is why, before he left two weeks ago, Quackity had promised that this business trip would be the last for a very long time.
Sapnap could tell that Karl was already getting impatient.
Once he finished packing everything, he ran through the house to make sure everything was turned off and unplugged (the electricity bill can be a bitch even when you’re not home) before turning their house alarm on, locking the door behind him and starting the car.
He hummed along to Karl, who'd started singing, as they backed out the driveway and started their journey to Las Nevadas.
There were still a bunch of cars on the way there, considering it was still daylight outside. Most people were just now getting off work or starting their own weekend vacation. Thankfully the number of cars got fewer and fewer the farther they got from the main city area and towards the long stretches of road that go through the rural areas.
About an hour into the drive, Karl suddenly pauses the podcast with a loud gasp and moves his head towards Sapnap’s direction, eyes wide. “Have we told Q that we were going to the opera?”
Sapnap smiled, knowing that Karl wouldn’t be able to see it, before letting out his own gasp to match his boyfriend's energy. “Oh shit, we gotta do that. Here, let’s call him.” And he took his foot off the gas so the car slowed down as he dug his phone out of his pocket, telling Siri to call “Q-Baby” on facetime.
He glanced over at Karl and grabbed his hand so he could give him the phone. Karl grips it tightly in excitement. They hadn’t talked to Quackity since their last call two days ago and that was pretty damn long, if you asked Karl.
Quackity picks up after the third ring, sounding slightly winded- almost exhausted- but extremely happy to answer. “Hello?”
Karl smiles brightly, trying to hold the phone up like he remembered Sapnap teaching him.
Hold your arm out, phone raised up to face level, phone should be straight up and down, so we can see your beautiful face.
“Hi, Q!” He giggles, almost giddy. “I miss you.”
A pause, then Quackity laughs, “Mi amor. . . The phone is upside down, my love.”
Karl makes a confused noise and Sapnap glances over at the phone. He let out a loud laugh when he realized that Karl was, in fact, holding the phone upside down, so the camera could only see his purple and green hoodie.
“He’s right, babe. It’s upside down.” Sapnap chuckles, right before scowling and honking at a car that swerved in front of them with no turn signal.
Karl blushed and quickly corrected the phone, waiting for Sapnap to reach over and move his hand so that the camera could actually catch his face the right way. He smiled bashfully.
Quackity cooed at him, “I miss you too, corazón. And Sap, too. I’m assuming he’s driving?”
Karl nods and does his best to turn the phone in Sapnap’s direction so Quackity could see him. Realizing the camera was pointed his way, Sapnap sends Quackity a quick wave, “I miss you too, Q. We’re on the road- probably will be for a while.”
“Oh?” Quackity goes, “Where are you headed to?”
At this Karl brightens and brings the phone back his way with a large grin, “We’re on our way to Las Nevadas for an opera.”
Quackity makes a noise of surprise, knowing Karl wouldn’t be able to see it on his face. “What the hell, really? Maybe I could try to make some time to come see you guys, but I’m not 100% sure I’ll be able to.”
“I know,” Karl sighed. “Sapnap already told me, but that’s alright ‘cause once that meeting is over, we can get all the Q time we want.”
“You know it.” Quackity laughs fondly, right before a voice from somewhere in the background calls for him, saying that his supervision was needed. Karl pouts as Quackity clicks his tongue and says he’s got to go. “I love you both, mi amados. Drive safe and don’t die or I’ll kill you myself, got it?”
Sapnap rolled his eyes from his spot in the driver’s seat. “Yeah, yeah. We will. Love you too, Q.”
“Love you!” Karl added. Then the call ended, and they were left with just the sound of the rain hitting the windshields. Karl huffs as he puts the phone in his lap, mumbling. “'S so stupid how busy he is. I wish he could just take a break early.”
Sapnap pressed play on their podcast. “Me too. But he loves his job, and he’ll do anything to keep it running smoothly.”
But he’d never prioritize it over our relationship, he thought to himself, smiling. He couldn’t wait for this opera.
The drive to Las Nevadas felt like forever. They had to stop twice because Sapnap’s truck felt like it had to eat up the gas like it was the last time it would ever be refilled again, and Karl’s legs kept cramping up from sitting for too long.
When they finally arrived, Sapnap wished more than anything that Karl wasn’t blind. Not that he’d love him any less for his lack of vision. He just wished he could share the beauty that was Las Nevadas with him, let him take in all the bright signs and building lights, all the little night clubs filled with blissful people and the little food trucks selling fatty foods that can put you in a food coma with a single bite. Sapnap always loved going to Las Nevadas, solely for the visuals if not for their boyfriend.
It took a little bit of driving before they got to the 5-star hotel they would be staying at, since it was in the heart of the city. It was half past eight at night and people were already starting the file into the lobby.
Anybody could tell just from glancing through the windows that there were way too many people waiting in line for the reception desk; Sapnap started to think that they didn’t get there in time to get one of the good rooms.
After half an hour looking for a parking spot and then screaming in frustration after watching someone taking the spot they were going to take, right in front of their face, Sapnap finally found a spot near the front and he helped Karl on their way to get in line.
They had to wait a good few minutes before it was finally their turn to book a room.
The receptionist, a small blond lady with big round glasses (she reminded Sapnap of Niki) and an obviously contoured nose, looked up at them and smiled, asking what they were here for.
“We would like a deluxe room, please.” Sapnap asked, returning her smile.
The lady- Carmen, her badge read- looks down at her computer, typing in a few things, before her smile drops into a small frown. Dread stirs in Sapnap. He chuckles nervously.
“Any floor is fine.” He adds.
Carmen pursed her lips before shaking her head, looking up at him with sympathy, “I’m sorry, we’ve just booked the last deluxe room.”
Of course. Sapnap knew he was pushing his luck with how late they got here, he shouldn’t be too surprised to hear this. “Do you have any more suites left? Any kind?”
She shakes her head, her eyes scanning something on her computer. “We only have regular rooms with two beds and a bathroom available. We’re running out of rooms very quickly.”
Sapnap looks over at Karl. Sweet, loving Karl who deserves the world and so much more. Then he looks back at the receptionist, eyes pleading.
“Are you sure?”
She nods her head regretfully. At least she had the decency to look remorseful, Sapnap thought. He’d encountered a lot of receptionists who would deny you of whatever room you traveled hundreds of miles for and then laugh at your face.
Sapnap startled a little when Karl suddenly squeezed his hand. He turned to his boyfriend, who was smiling appreciatively.
“It’s alright, Sap, I don’t need a fancy hotel room, anyway. As long as I’m with you, I’ll be happy.” He said softly. They both ignored the awes from whatever couple was standing in line directly behind them.
Sapnap looked at him for a moment, his heart squeezing both in regret and in adoration. He sighed and turned back to the lady.
“We’ll just take a regular room, then.”
Carmen smiled and nodded, typing something into her computer. “Name?”
“Sapnap Halo.”
She nods and starts putting the name in when the other receptionist that was taking another line suddenly stops her with a hand on her arm. He looks at them with a frown.
“What were your names again? Both of you?” The man asks. Sapnap furrowed his brows but answered anyway, listing off his and Karl’s full names.
“Halo and Jacobs, Halo and Jacobs. . .” The man echoes, narrowing his eyes as if trying to remember something. Carmen opens her mouth to say something but then the man’s eyes fly open wide and he snaps his fingers. “Oh! Halo and Jacobs! Carmen, remember? These two are who the boss had reserved the penthouse for!”
Sapnap watches as Carmen pauses, then brightens up in recognition. “That’s right!”
She happily opens her desk drawer and pulls out an envelope, taking out a photo and two keys. When she hands it over to Sapnap, he can’t help the automatic grin that stretches his face. It’s a picture of when Karl, Sapnap, and Quackity had their second date at the beach. Karl had on regular clothes and sunglasses because the sun could still damage his eyes even when he couldn't see, Quackity had his arms over his shoulders and a stupid grin on his face, and Sapnap was off to the side staring at them like the dumb lovesick sucker he was, his phone in his hand. He remembered that date like it was just yesterday.
On the back of the photo was a sticky note with his and Karl’s names written on it, and instructions to ‘give them the penthouse, payments already made’.
Carmen gives the keys to Sapnap and calls for a porter to help get their luggage to the top floor penthouse.
Karl sputters, “Top floor penthouse??” He exclaims. “What happened to the regular room we were gonna have? I spaced out a bit.” Sapnap laughed at him and kissed his cheek.
“Q saved us the penthouse.”
“Of course he did. That simp.” Karl rolled his eyes fondly.
They wait for the porter, a tall burly man with an amazing beard, to arrive before Sapnap takes Karl’s hand and follows him to their room. He wanted to go there first so that Karl didn’t have to walk around more than necessary and risk bumping into the many people still crowding the lobby. He could just rest and wait in their room.
They ride one of the three elevators all the way up to the 12th floor, the highest in the building which they couldn’t access without one of the keys Carmen had given Sapnap, and he couldn’t help but gasp at the beauty of the penthouse the moment the doors opened.
Karl let out a noise of confusion and Sapnap felt horrible since he couldn’t see any of it.
“The room looks beautiful, that’s all.” He explains, rubbing Karl’s palm with his thumb. “Wish you could see it, too.”
Karl smiled. “I’m sure it’s not as beautiful as you.”
“Shut up.” Sapnap said immediately, and Karl laughed because he knew he was blushing.
Sapnap leads Karl over to the bedroom while the porter waits by the elevator doors, helping him get settled and seated on the bed. “I’m gonna go help the porter guy with our luggage.” He said, helping Karl take off his sweater. Karl hums and leans in a bit to press his face against Sapnap’s collarbone. Sapnap chuckles. “I’ll be right back, love, I promise.”
He turns to turn on the flatscreen TV hanging on the wall, scrolling through the channels until he lands on the music channel. Once he’s made sure Karl’s comfy, he leans back down to pull him in for a kiss.
It starts off innocent at first, just a simple see-you-in-a-bit sort of kiss. Then one of them- neither of them could tell who, not that they cared- deepened the kiss and there was suddenly a familiar heat spreading between the two of them.
Karl gasped as Sapnap’s tongue massaged his own sensitive one, bringing his arms up to grip at his shirt, pulling him closer. But then Sapnap’s suddenly pulling away and Karl didn’t even try to stop the whine that left his mouth as Sapnap gently removed his hands from where they were latched onto his shirt.
He laughed, kissing his forehead. Karl enjoyed the way his voice rumbled in his chest, “We can finish this later.”
Then Sapnap left with the porter with a ding of a bell as the elevator doors closed and lowered.
It takes a while for them to bring up all their stuff to the room, having to take multiple trips, but Karl waits patiently. He’s just sat on their bed listening to the music that was playing on the TV. Not that he was really listening to it when he was distracted by the raging arousal giving him a hard-on.
At first he chose to try to ignore it. Try to focus on the nice, sweet melody of the piano and the percussion playing together in the background, harmonizing well with the singer’s voice. ‘Cause he knows that if he constantly thinks about it he won’t be able to wait.
But then his mind kept drifting back to the kiss and he suddenly remembered that it’s been two weeks since they did anything more than that. They hadn’t made out, much less had sex, since Quackity left. Not that it was a surprise, they often did that whenever one of them wasn't here.
The more he thought about it the more Karl realized just how horny he was. You can’t really blame him for giving in and laying on his back, sticking his hand down his pants. He jerked when his fingers grazed against his cock, suddenly remembering how sensitive it was.
He held his breath as he wrapped his fingers around it, shivering. He was already hard and they had barely done much of anything. Fuck, he missed having sex. Karl twitched at the thought.
Karl bit back a moan as he dragged his hand up and then back down again, slowly, sighing at the pleasure that ran through his nerves-
Sapnap huffs as he steps back in the room and closes the door behind him, slightly sweaty from all the heavy lifting. He didn’t even notice the scene on his bed until the sound of the door closing startled Karl into quickly yanking his hand out and fixing his pants.
“Wh-who’s- who is that? Who’s there?” Karl stuttered, eyes wide in fright. Sapnap doesn’t answer him though, just grins wickedly and watches as he squirms on the bed as he starts walking closer with deliberately heavy footsteps. Karl scoots back a bit, “Hey, h-hold on. What are you doing? Can you please say something?”
Sapnap pauses, realizing how shitty of him it would be to keep this up. “It’s just me.” He murmurs, and Karl relaxes instantly, sighing. He watches as Karl scoots back forward to the edge of the bed and sits up, reaching for him. He didn’t even hesitate to take his hands, kissing both of his palms as he kneels between his legs. “Sorry about that.”
Karl hums and Sapnap takes that as his forgiveness because the next second he’s pushing their hands down to his waistband and moving Sapnap’s fingers so that they start working on the zipper.
A grin made its way on his face as Sapnap pushed Karl backward so he was laying down again and took his waistband in his hands, pulling his pants and boxers down and off in one fluid motion. Karl gasps at the cold air that hits his dick the moment it’s exposed.
It was already hard and starting to strain against his belly, slick and glistening with precum in a way that looked staged for a porno.
He hears Sapnap snicker from where he was kneeling at the edge of the bed. “Why is it pretty? I know I always say this but it’s so fucking dumb how perfect you are.”
Karl blushes, he really did always say that. But it never left him any less flustered. He inhales sharply at the feeling of Sapnap's fingers wrapping around the base, warm air suddenly being blown on the tip. Crap, he forgot how sensitive he was. Before he could even think of asking to take it slow Sapnap takes the whole thing in his mouth, and Karl lets out a high-pitched moan, quickly bringing a hand up to muffle the sound.
He'd rather not let the whole building know what they were doing. Last time they vacayed at a hotel he wanted to curl up and die when people whispered about how loud he was as they left.
Sapnap growls and Karl whimpers at the vibrations, wiggling as Sapnap reaches up to take his hand away from his mouth. “Let it out, babe. The room is soundproof.”
“W-what? How do you-”
“I asked the porter on the elevator.” He smirked. Karl rolled his eyes because of course he did. He was considerate in the dumbest ways sometimes. Karl couldn't help the small giggle that left his lips, his smile softening when Sapnap joined him.
Letting out a shaky breath he keeps his hands down, fingers curling around the bedsheets under him when Sapnap’s warm mouth engulfs him again, his head starting to bob up and down carefully, tongue swirling expertly along the tip.
Karl choked on a cry and clutched at Sapnap’s hair, hips stuttering up desperately as heat began building up at the pit of his belly.
And then the cycle started.
His toes would curl as he cried and moaned and whined, then Sapnap would flex his throat around him and stop, mouth completely stilling whenever he could tell Karl was about to come. Karl would let out a pitiful whine that Sapnap would ignore until he wasn't on the edge anymore and then he’d start all over again.
It felt so good and torturous at the same time Karl could feel tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.
Sapnap kept going until he was a shaky mess of sweat and tears, barely able to keep his grip on Sapnap’s hair.
“A-ah, no, why - Please?” Karl whimpered miserably as he pulled off with a lewd popping sound.
Sapnap grinned, licking his lips. “No~" He sang as he started pulling away.
He chuckled when Karl practically wailed and tried to sit up, reaching out for him. There was no way he was actually gonna leave him like this, he might actually combust.
Sapnap gently shushed him and pushed on his chest to get him to lay back down, taking both of his wrists in one hand and moving them so that they were above his head against the pillows.
“But- I’m s-so close-” he hiccupped but he was cut off by Sapnap pressing a finger to his lips.
“You can wait, gorgeous. I know you can. Just let me enjoy the view for a little bit.”
Karl sniffed but stayed where he was, knowing that if he moved from how his boyfriend put him, he wouldn't get to come. He shivered at the memories of him having to learn that the hard way.
Sapnap stood at the head of the bed and admired his boyfriend, eyes trailing the way sweat glistened along his hairline and the inside of his thighs, the way precum was dripping steadily down his dick, throbbing angrily. Despite how lewd it all was, Karl still looked painfully pretty. Sapnap didn't understand it.
Sighing, he slipped his phone out of his back pocket and took a photo, not even bothering to turn off the shutter sound. It’s not like he was trying to be sneaky anyway.
He snickered when Karl paused. “W-what was that?”
“Oh, that? Nothing. Just sending our beloved a little present.”
Oh.
Karl groaned, long and a little high-pitched, his face heating up in embarrassment.
Now, this wasn’t a new thing- Sapnap sending Quackity pictures whenever they were in the middle of sex or whatever. In fact, he did it pretty often. Karl was, of course, okay with it (Sapnap wouldn’t be doing it if he wasn't) but it never got any less embarrassing. He didn’t even know what he looked like, just that he was in some kind of compromising position, and that alone was enough to bring all the blood to the surface of his cheeks.
He was so caught up in being flustered that he didn’t hear when Sapnap put his phone away, throwing it on the bed. He didn’t notice until there was suddenly the weight of a pair of hands on either side of his hips and a scorching heat enveloping his dick again.
He screamed as Sapnap hungrily sucked and swallowed around his cock as if it were his last meal and started begging again, feeling the pleasure shoot through his body like fireworks. His stomach coiled tightly, the unbearable need to come becoming increasingly overwhelming.
“Ah! W-wai- I can’t hold i-it- I-” Karl sobbed, his body trembling so badly Sapnap had to hold him down. “ Sap- ”
His voice kept breaking off, face scrunched up in pleasure and body alight at the way it was starting to become too much. He wrapped his thighs around his boyfriend’s head, holding back from lowering his hands to pull at his hair, until Sapnap finally tapped his left hip twice and Karl came hard.
He let out a strangled moan as his back arched off the bed, fingers clenching so tightly around the pillowcases he was afraid he’d tear them. The tears that had been gathering in his eyes finally fell as Sapnap kept swallowing around his dick, not letting a single drop of come go to waste. Karl bit his lip at the thought of what he must look like, slurping down all his cum like it was just a drink.
Sapnap kept licking at it, and Karl whimpered at the slightly unpleasant liquid fire burning his veins as he started feeling overstimulated.
Sapnap pulled off gently, climbing up his body so that they were face to face again. He grinned as he slotted their lips together. Karl moaned at the taste of himself.
"More?"
Karl whimpered but nodded. He didn't think he'd be completely sated when he still felt so painfully empty. "Please."
Sapnap grinned. "Good."
Karl shuttered. He could already feel himself grow hard again.
He felt Sapnap start peppering kisses all over his collarbones as his hands trailed down to take his own pants off. He chuckled at the sound of a bottle cap being flipped open.
“You brought the lube?” Karl breathed, smiling.
“Well duh, how am I supposed to enjoy our vacation without enjoying you?” Sapnap’s voice tickled his ear as it deepened. Karl’s breath hitched when he moaned, and he knew that he was lathering himself in the lube.
He knew what would happen next when he felt Sapnap lift his legs, yet he still jumped at the feeling of something wet and long prodding at his entrance, slowly sliding in until it was submerged all the way to the knuckle.
Karl moaned as the finger became two and started moving in a scissoring motion.
“Good?” Sapnap nipped at his ear to distract him from whatever discomfort he may be feeling. Karl felt warm at the thought. He sighed and lifted a hand to run his fingers through his hair.
“Mhm, it- it feels really -.” His voice broke off with a loud moan when Sapnap curled his fingers upward, pressing deep into that spot that sent a rush of fire straight to his groin. “ There !”
Sapnap chuckled and started viciously attacking the small nub, biting hickeys into his shoulder as Karl’s moans grew louder, his thighs trembling with the effort to keep them up and open.
“ Sap - stop, I’m-” Karl’s toes curled as the fingers pelted the small bundle of nerve relentlessly. His entire body was shaking now. “ Fuck!”
Almost immediately the fingers were retreating and Karl whimpered, not knowing if he was relieved or wanted more. He panted as Sapnap laughed softly in his ear. Then he blushed furiously.
“You-! You did that just to make me swear, didn’t you!” Karl huffed when all he got in reply was the shaking of Sapnap’s shoulders as he laughed, half-heartedly pushing him away. “You’re so annoying,”
Sapnap was full-on cackling now. He kissed the spot under his ear that made Karl moan, running his hands up and down his torso before resting them on his hips. “Love you, too, babe~”
Karl grumbled in return. He tensed at the feeling of the head of his cock pressing against his entrance, then immediately remembered to relax.
He felt Sapnap moan against his skin as he pushed in slowly, gasping at the stretch. They both groaned as he bottomed out. “You’re doing amazing for me, Karl. So perfect.”
His head was beginning to feel light-headed with each word. “Oh,”
“Hands above your head.” Sapnap ordered, hips moving slowly. Karl obeyed almost immediately, anything to get him to go faster. Sapnap smiled. “ Good .”
Karl felt it like a heat being added to the flame coursing through his body. He was so full he felt suffocated, but in the best way possible. His hips wiggled in an attempt to meet his thrusts, gasping. Fuck, it felt so good but it still wasn’t enough. He whimpered, “faster. Please.”
“Only because you asked so nicely.” Sapnap breathed, he took his leg and brought it up so it could rest on his shoulder, and started pistoning his hips. Karl moaned loudly and gripped at the pillowcases again, head thrown back. The lewd sounds of wet skin slapping together echoed around the room. Karl shuttered.
“ Sapnap -” he cried, hips struggling to meet his. His stomach burned. His fingers itched to dig into his shoulders. “Oh prime, oh- faster ”
“Shit, Karl ,” Sapnap gasped, pounding into him harder.
He moved Karl’s leg to get a better angle, a deeper angle, and Karl started drooling when he kept hitting that spot, again and again until his body was absolutely singing.
Karl’s toes curled as the heat in his belly started to become too much to bear. He rolled his hips desperately, clenching, eliciting loud cries from his boyfriend.
“Fuck! That’s-” Sapnap broke off with a hiss, hips stuttering. “Keep doing that, baby.”
So he did. And it drove Sapnap crazy .
He yelped when they were suddenly flipped over so that Sapnap was the one below him. He felt the grip on his waists tighten almost painfully.
“Ride me.”
Karl gasped and didn’t waste any time, bracing his hands against his chest for purchase as he started bouncing with earnest, moaning loudly. Electricity burned his veins.
“Fuck, if only you could see yourself, love.” Sapnap groaned, bucking up into his heat desperately. “So beautiful.”
Karl whined as he grinded down, filthy squelches filling the air. “I’m going to-”
“ Hold it. ” Sapnap growled. Karl choked as Sapnap held onto his hips to keep him still and started pounding up into him. His legs almost gave out under him. He couldn’t hold it.
“But- I can’t, I can’t,”
“You will. You’ll wait.” Sapnap shifted him so that he was hitting that spot dead on again and Karl swore he could see colors for a second. “Just a little longer.”
“ Sapnap,” it was becoming too much, too quickly. His dick throbbed against his stomach, aching for a release. He almost fell when Sapnap suddenly removed one of the hands on his hips, groaning when he heard the familiar ping of a video being taken.
“So pretty,” Sapnap gasped. Karl mewled when he thrusted particularly hard before the missing hand was suddenly on his dick, thumb grounding into the slit. “Go ahead, love .”
Karl’s mouth fell open in a silent scream as he came for the second time, almost violently. His eyes were squeezed tightly shut as his entire body convulsed, nails digging into the pecs below him. His voice was hoarse as he hung his head forward and let out a weak moan when he felt Sapnap pumping into him further as he came.
He didn’t bother trying to stop the drool that fell from his lips, too focused on trying to calm his harsh breathing as warmth started to fill him.
“Fuuck me, Karl.” Sapnap hissed when he clenched down around him. Karl whimpered as his body shook with the aftershocks, completely losing whatever strength in his body he had left. He collapsed forward, laying on top of Sapnap with his arms squished between them as his body subconsciously sought out comfort. They both moaned when the movement made Sapnap’s dick move inside him.
Sapnap peeled his fingers from where there’d probably be bruises on his hips in the morning and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him flush against his chest. Karl let out a stuttering sigh against his skin, body kept trembling. He felt his breath hitch as Sapnap gently pulled out.
“You okay?” Sapnap whispered into his hair, pressing a kiss to his temple.
“Yeah.” Karl hummed. He snuggled further into his chest. “Great.”
“Mm.” Sapnap waited a few moments before he reached down and suddenly he was slipping two fingers inside again. Karl immediately started wiggling uncomfortably trying to get away from the touch
“Noo, 's too sensitive." He whined "No more.”
Sapnap chuckled as his fingers curled. “Don’t worry, love- we’re done. Jus' cleaning you out”
His other hand rubbed soothingly up and down his back as he started scooping out the cum, apologizing whenever he’d accidentally brush his prostate and send sparks of unwanted pleasure up his spine. He would just leave it be but he knew how much Karl hated it when they let it dry inside him. It would have been a far messier cleanup and nobody liked that.
It didn’t take too long to get it all out but by the time he finished Karl was half asleep. Sapnap wiped his fingers on the bedsheets and tapped lightly on Karl’s hips .
“Hmm?” Karl stirred, lifting his head off his chest. Sapnap cooed at the completely blissful look Karl wore as he titled his head up, mouth hanging open. He did that, he made him feel this good.
Sapnap swiped his thumb against Karl’s lip when he spotted some drool, cupping his cheek and pulling him forward so their lips melded into one another like puzzle pieces. Their tongues danced lazily with each other.
They stay like that for a while, just sharing each other’s air and basking in that nice afterglow that their sex always seemed to have. Eventually, Sapnap gets tired of feeling all sweaty and icky and Karl laughs at him as he reluctantly peels them apart and stumbles over to the bathroom.
When he goes to start a bath he makes a noise of approval at the size of the bathtub. It was like an indoor mini pool! And the bathroom itself looked to be the size of a whole nother bedroom, the floors and walls dark marble and the cabinets a warm oak color. There were three sinks, a separate walk-in shower, and wall-length mirrors that gave them the best view of the city below. Sapnap once again cursed whatever being decided it would be best to have Karl lose his sight as a baby. He would’ve loved to see this.
Sapnap flicked on the faucet and waited for the water to get warm before letting it fill the tub. He turned it back off when the tub was over halfway full and went back to the bedroom, ignoring his boyfriend’s whines of protest as he gathered Karl against his chest and carried him into the bathtub with him.
They end up sitting in the warm water in silence, save for the low violin music playing in the distance. Sapnap had left the TV on since Karl hated it when it was completely quiet.
Karl sat with his back against Sapnap’s chest, his head laid back against his shoulders as Sapnap ran a soapy lofa along his chest. Karl sighed as he inhaled deeply, loving the way lavender filled his senses entirely. He started humming when a familiar song started playing and tapped his fingers on the edge of the tub to the rhythm.
Sapnap just watched him with a fond expression, messaging shampoo into his hair. Karl moaned in delight, a completely innocent act that went straight to Sapnap’s groin. He would’ve pointed it out to Karl just to tease him but considering he just finished fucking up his insides, he ignored it for now.
“I wish Q was here with us.” Karl suddenly spoke. Sapnap paused for a second, and then continued his ministrations with his lover’s hair, to let him know he could continue. “I mean, I love being with you of course; you make me feel complete. I just never feel. . . completely complete without Quackity, you know? Like, I’ll always feel like there’s something missing.”
Of course Sapnap understood. The pure want he feels for their boyfriend is so strong he’s surprised he didn’t force them to drive to Las Nevadas sooner, but for the sole purpose of seeing Quackity.
Sapnap pressed the most gentle kiss to his forehead and Karl smiled up at him. Then the smile turned a little less pure as he whispered, “I also miss his ass.”
He laughed loudly when Sapnap groaned.
“You ruined the moment.” Sapnap whined but Karl just kept cackling. Sapnap couldn’t help but join his contagious laughter. “I agree though, Q’s ass is pretty fucking great.”
“I know right? Like have you felt those melons? I could squeeze them all day.”
They eventually get out of the bathtub after a few minutes. Sapnap had them dry off quickly instead of taking their time like they usually do. He remembered seeing this store he saw on their drive to the hotel and wanted to take him there, knowing Karl would like it.
“What kind of store?” Karl inquired. Sapnap grinned.
“You’ll find out.”
. . .Okay, Karl was kinda getting tired of this. But he’d endure it if it meant a lot to Sapnap.
He sighed, “Oh yay, another surprise to look forward to.”
They get dressed quickly and Sapnap fetches their wallets and the car keys before they head down to the lobby floor. Sapnap didn’t bother holding in his snickers when he noticed Karl limping slightly.
Thankfully, it didn’t look like anybody else noticed, but all the staff that they passed by on the way out greeted them and wished for their safe return. It left the two of them extremely confused so when they got to the front door, Sapnap stopped to ask the doorman why everyone was treating them this way.
“Like, I know this is a 5-star hotel and all, but I didn’t think the treatment was this special.” Sapnap said, bewildered.
The doorman, a tall gentleman clearly still in his mid-thirties, laughed in amusement. “That's just because our boss gave us orders to treat the two of you as if you were him- with the utmost respect and loyalty at all times, no exceptions.”
Karl sighed and smiled fondly. Of course Quackity would still try to spoil them even when he wasn’t there. “That makes sense. Thanks.”
“No, thank you.” The man grinned, bowing slightly. “And please, make a safe return.”
Sapnap pulled him along gently as they made their way to their car and drove them just a few streets down before stopping again, this time at a small little shop that Karl could smell from inside the car when they parked. He perked up almost instantly.
“Are we at a candle store?” His voice was high-pitched with excitement. Sapnap laughed and hummed in confirmation.
One could not tell you how much Karl loved candles. He almost loved them as much as music, and that said a lot.
Karl was practically bouncing on his heels as soon as they got out of the car and Sapnap laughed at him as he led them inside.
The moment he opened the door Karl was a child again.
Lips splitting in an unshakably wide grin, Karl’s senses were instantly overwhelmed. The smells of the different varieties of candles were so strong that they almost plugged his nose, and somewhere in the distance he could hear the soft melody of an Ibrahim song playing. He loved Ibrahim.
Karl started humming along to the song as Sapnap laced their fingers together and took him down an aisle, raising candle after candle to his nose to see if he liked them.
Sapnap had a lot of fun trying to prank him by giving him the same candle twice to see if Karl noticed, and each time Karl would click his tongue at him and pinch the skin on the back of Sapnap’s hand.
By the time they got through all the aisles, it was 10pm and the store was closing. They had at least 20 different scents (four of which they had picked out for Quackity to keep in his office), Sapnap’s hand was red, and Karl had absolutely fallen in love with this establishment. He just loved the atmosphere and the scents and the owner’s choice of music.
When they paid for the candles, the cashier gave them a coupon for a restaurant that was supposed to be just down the street. Sapnap waited until they got back in the car to tell him that that was the exact restaurant that he was planning on taking Karl.
Karl giggled. “Ooh, a restaurant? What kind?”
Sapnap gave him a deadpan look, knowing he wouldn’t be able to see it. “Really, Karl? I thought you’d know by now- it’s a secret. ”
“Is this the surprise you were talking about before we left?”
“Nope.” Sapnap popped the ‘p’, grinning. “That surprise is much more special than just taking you out to dinner.”
Karl sighed. “Fine. You know, I’m really starting to hate surprises.”
The laugh Sapnap let out made Karl's lips pull up as well.
When they got back to the hotel, they were greeted by the staff again, all kind faces and respectful smiles. Then the moment they stepped back into the penthouse Sapnap’s phone beeped with an incoming facetime.
Karl carefully moved around the room to find the couch and plopped down on it as Sapnap answered.
“Hello-?”
“Sapnap!” Quackity yelled, face flushed with embarrassment. Or maybe anger. He couldn't really tell with the bad camera quality. Either way, Sapnap was instantly worried. Did something happen at the meeting?
“Q? What’s-”
“You can’t send shit like that while I’m at my meetings, Sapnap, I almost got a fucking boner in the middle of my lecture!” Quackity whined.
. . . Oh.
Sapnap chuckled. He totally forgot about the scandalous picture and short little video of Karl he’d sent to their boyfriend earlier, knowing he’d appreciate it. His voice dropped slightly. “I’m not gonna apologize, ‘cause I know you liked it.”
Quackity didn’t say anything for a second. Karl, who had been listening, shuffles in his seat a little anxiously. Then Quackity let out an airy chuckle.
“Yeah, I loved it.” He breathed. “Our Karl looked so damn gorgeous; you have no clue how much I wish I was there.”
Karl blushed furiously and stuck up his middle finger, to which Sapnap turned the camera so that Q could actually see it. Quackity laughed.
“I can’t wait to see you again, corazón, it’s been forever since I've had any action.”
Sapnap quickly turned the camera back to him and glared light heartedly. “You better not have.”
Quackity laughed. “Of course not, mi amor. My dick only rises for you two.”
“Quackity!” Karl blushed.
And then they talk for a few minutes, falling into their usual banter, before Quackity is called back to his meeting and he has to go, just like how their calls always ended.
They say their goodbyes and Sapnap hangs up so Quackity doesn’t have to.
He sighs and bends down to look at Karl. His boyfriend's eyes were droopy (more than his usual puppy dog eyes droop) and he was almost completely limp in the way he was leaning back on the couch. He looked three minutes from falling asleep.
“You ready for bed, love?” Sapnap asks gently, and when Karl nods sleepily he pulls him up by his hand so that he could follow Sapnap to the bed. Normally, Sapnap would have just carried Karl but Sapnap was also pretty tired himself and he didn’t want to risk accidentally dropping his boyfriend just because he wasn’t at 100%.
They both climb into bed, Karl instantly curling into Sapnap the moment he lays on his side and offers an arm for Karl to rest his head on, wrapping the other arm around his waist tightly. They fall asleep within seconds, just a mess of warm skin and tangled limbs.
The next day is the day of the opera, so they have to leave somewhat early to get a good parking spot (they'd learned from their mistakes the first time).
Sapnap wakes up first, having set the fancy timer lights to turn on at 8am. Karl’s face is buried in his chest, mouth open as he snored lightly. He looked far too peaceful that Sapnap almost didn’t wake him up in favor of not wanting to ruin such a lovely look on his boyfriend’s face. But he knew that Karl would be mad if they were late for no real reason and woke him up.
Once they got up, they showered, made out a little, scarfed down a quick breakfast which was left by the front door- probably by one of the hotel staff members- and then got dressed. Karl wouldn’t stop making pleased noises the entire time they ate, and Sapnap had to remind himself to ask about the chef before they left this place because he was going to get these recipes no matter what.
Sapnap helped Karl into his suit so he wouldn’t accidentally tear it before putting on his own and heading downstairs.
Just like yesterday, the staff greeted them and hoped they would enjoy the show, and Karl mumbled about reminding him to have Quackity give them all a raise.
There was a car waiting for them at the hotel entrance, which they almost completely missed (they hadn’t even asked for a ride, they had their own car). But right before Sapnap could lead them around the car and head to his truck, the chauffeur stops them and opens the door in invitation.
“You’re ride, sirs.” The man spoke, voice seeming to curl just as much as his mustache did. “It was requested by my superior, exclusively. Please, have a seat.”
And just like that, Sapnap and Karl were pressed together in the back of a limousine on their way to the opera house. Karl was incredibly grateful when the man decided to put on some soft music instead of driving in silence. It helped calm his nerves as he rested his head on Sapnap’s shoulders and squeezed his hand. Sapnap pressed a kiss to his forehead in response.
When they got to the opera house- what a giant fucking thing it was- there weren’t a lot of people there yet, thank prime, and the chauffeur pulls up to the front entrance, handing Sapnap a card as he helps him and Karl out the back.
“I will come back when the show is finished.” The man said, gloved hands clasped together in front of him. On the card was a number and a name, the chauffeur’s probably. “If you wish to leave early for any reason, simply call this number and I will be here right away.”
Karl smiled, positioning himself to face where he figured the man was by his voice. “Thanks a bunch. We really appreciate it.”
The man simply smiles back before getting back into his car, driving away once he was sure the duo didn’t need anything.
As soon as the car was no longer in sight Sapnap led them over to where the entrance to the opera house was. The building itself seemed ancient, or at least very old compared to the other buildings around it. It looked like it was made differently than the others and it carried this special sort of air to it.
As they got closer to the entrance doors Sapnap narrowed his eyes at the man standing there, waiting. Was it just him or did that man look familiar? He would have asked Karl but we all know why that would’ve been the stupidest thing ever. He ran through names in his head as he stared.
The man was tall, with brown hair and glasses and why the hell was he so damn familiar-?
“Charlie!” Sapnap finally grinned in recognition.
Charlie smiled widely, his glasses shifting slightly at the stretch of his face. “Sapnap! Karl!”
Sapnap met him with a small hug before stepping back so Charlie could hug Karl, too.
“Are you guys here for the show?” Charlie asked, his eyes bright. Then he stopped short and laughed. “Wait, of course you’re here for the show! Can I see your tickets? Gotta follow protocol.”
He handed over their tickets and waited for Charlie to look them over, taking Karl’s hand again.
Charlie was a good friend of theirs; one of the few people that Quackity said he'd actually trust to take over his business if ever needed be. And of course, whoever Quackity trusted, Sapnap and Karl trusted as well. Besides, Charlie was a good guy, it wasn’t that hard to get along with him.
After making sure the tickets were correct, Charlie motioned to another guy just past the entrance door and grinned at them.
“This is Kyle, he’ll show you where your seats are. Enjoy!”
“Thank you, Charlie” Karl said as Sapnap led them into the building after Kyle.
The guy didn’t say much. He simply took their tickets from Charlie without a word and gestured for them to follow him. It didn’t bother them or anything, just wasn’t what they were expecting.
Kyle was quick to lead them up a pair of stairs that looked like something out of a vintage movie and into a small room with golden walls, a velvet couch, a queen-sized bed, and a little table covered with goodies.
“This will be your room for if you ever wish to relax somewhere while the show is still going on.” Kyle explained, his voice starkly different from what Sapnap thought it would be like. It was on the higher side of pitches, and it definitely didn’t match his burly, kind of brooding sort of look.
Then Kyle led them past all the stuff and to a door on the other side of the room, opening it to reveal two large, comfy-looking victorian-style chairs sitting on a spacious balcony hanging above the concert hall.
“These are your seats.”
Sapnap gaped.
“Quackity needs to calm the fuck down.” He laughed. Karl made a confused noise and Sapnap shook his head fondly. “We got balcony seats.”
“Oooh, does that mean we got a fancy spot?” Karl asked as Kyle left silently. Then he frowned. “Wait, didn’t you buy the tickets? Why are you surprised?”
“I ordered regular seats on the second floor.” Sapnap explained, looking out over the balcony. “Q must have messed with something again, the simp.”
Karl hummed in agreement. “The Biggest Simp™.”
They sat down in their seats and talked about literally nothing for a few minutes while waiting for the show to start. They had arrived pretty early so it would take a while.
A few minutes in, Sapnap’s phone went off and Karl immediately started scolding him about how rude it was to have his phone that loud in the concert hall. He better be glad the show hadn’t even started yet. People were still filing into their seats.
“Sorry, sorry,” Sapnap rolled his eyes, looking at the caller ID.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me,” Karl hissed lightly. Sapnap jerked in his seat.
“Wait-”
“I may not be able to see but I can sense your sass.”
“Okay, babe, sorry.” He sighed, lips tilted upwards. He stood up as his phone kept ringing. “I’m gonna go answer this inside real quick. I’ll be back before the show starts.”
“Mmk,”
With that Sapnap left and stepped into their little room, gently closing the door behind him.
He answered the phone immediately. “Quackity did you fucking mess with our tickets, you rich bitch.”
A laugh he loved more than the sun rang through the speakers and he couldn't help it when he joined in lightly.
“Well jeez, you’re welcome, Sap. I’m glad you appreciate my efforts of displaying my love.” Sapnap could hear the faux hurt in Quackity’s voice, and it made him roll his eyes.
“Fine.” He cleared his throat. “Oh, dearest Quackity! Thank you very much for your grand display of affection, we appreciate it greatly! Oh, how ever should we repay you?”
“Alright shut the fuck up, annoying bitch, are we still on for the thing?” Quackity laughed. Sapnap laughed with him, but it was a little forced now with the reminder of tonight’s events. Woooo, anxiety!
Let out a shaky breath, Sapnap nodded, even though Quackity couldn’t see it. “Yeah.” He breathed, running a hand down his pants. “Nervous as shit, though. So many things could go wrong.”
“I know, me too.” Quackity sighed. “I got the rings with me now, don’t worry about that.”
“That’s not. . .” Sapnap trailed off. He ran a hand through his hair in mild frustration.
“Oh, you mean. . .”
Sapnap winced. “Yeah.”
“Sap, listen, you don’t- there’s nothing to be nervous about. Karl loves us a lot- poor man’s fucking smitten. He’ll say yes." He paused, "But if he does say no and things go horribly wrong-”
“The hell -?”
“Just know that I’m fine with staying the way we are, you know? Or we could, like, be fiancés but never get married, or something. That sounds nice, too.”
At first Sapnap didn’t say anything, he didn't want to think about what would happen if things went wrong. He literally felt like he'd vomit if he thought too much about it. He swallowed thickly and shook his head.
"Yeah, I guess. Let's just hope for the best though. I can't- Fuck I love him too much Q. I love you so much, I just want-"
"Sapnap, it'll be fine . Shut the fuck up, you're giving even more anxiety." Quackity sighed almost harshly.
"Sorry," He mumbled.
They talked a bit more, mostly making sure they were on the same page, before Sapnap had to hang up when he heard the crowd start clapping from out in the concert hall.
"Okay, love, I'll see you later." Quackity said, his voice sounded a little higher pitched than normal and it made Sapnap want to hug him.
"Kay, bye. Love you."
"Sap, the show's about to start!" Karl poked his head through the door, talking straight into a wall right, as he hung up. “Sap?”
Sapnap's eyes softened fondly. He pocketed his phone and started towards his boyfriend, taking his hand gently. “I’m here, I just finished the call.”
Karl instantly smiled. “Great! Let’s go then.”
They went back out the balcony and sat down just as one of the actors entered the stage, singing.
Throughout the show, Karl kept smiling to himself, leaning his head back against his chair with his eyes closed to really get a feel of the music. Sapnap watched him the entire time, with a little smile of his own. Fuck, he loved Karl so much.
Sometime during the show Sapnap event takes a few pictures of Karl and sends them to Quackity as discreetly as possible, not that he has to try much considering Karl wouldn’t be able to see him if he opened his eyes. Each picture he sent, he added a whole bunch of heart emojis, to which Quackity responds with a selfie of his own and a whole bunch of more heart and diamond ring emojis. Sapnap felt his heart jump when he noticed Quackity’s background. He was just outside the opera house.
Before he could ask him about it, Quackity sent another message.
Q-baby: i know the show doesn’t end for another few hours but i’m here anyway. couldn’t wait. see you in a bit <333333
Sapnap chuckles quietly to himself and turns his attention back to the opera, or more specifically, Karl enjoying the opera.
By the time the show finishes about 2 hours later, Sapnap’s heart is practically racing in his chest.
His breath is a little labored (which was odd considering he’d just been sitting for the past three hours) and it didn’t help that his fingers were trembling slightly when he took Karl’s hand to lead him off back inside.
And of course, Karl instantly noticed the shaking in his lover’s hand and frowned. “Sapnap?” He whispered as they sat down on one of the couches in their little room. “What’s wrong? You’re shaking.”
“I-I’m not sure what you’re talking about, I’m fine.” Sapnap mumbled, sitting down beside him. He knows Karl can smell his bullshit from a mile away but thankfully Karl doesn't say push, just starts messing with Sapnap’s fingers comfortingly.
They wait in the little room for a few minutes in silence, aside from the incessant tapping of Sapnap’s foot.
After ten minutes, Karl sighs. “Sap, please, I’m worried and a little confused, why are we just sitting here? Are you alright? We’re not about to be murdered, are we?”
Sapnap sputters. “What- wait, what? Karl, no. ” He laughed. “Of course we’re not- what gave you that idea?”
Karl shrugged. “I dunno, I was just a bit freaked out by the silence. And the fact that we’re just. . . sitting here. Are we not gonna go home?”
“No, we’re waiting for-”
Sapnap was cut off by his phone ringing and he sighed in relief, smiling. “This. We were waiting for this.”
“Who is it?” Karl asks but Sapnap doesn’t answer, just answers the call. He doesn’t say anything, just listens to whoever was on the other side, and it makes Karl scrunch his face up in distaste.
He tries really hard to listen in to see if he can make out who was on the other side, but he couldn’t hear the caller’s voice; Sapnap probably put the volume on its lowest setting, and Karl didn’t know how to feel about that.
All of a sudden Sapnap hums, sounding strangely serious. “Okay. Bye.” And then the sound of him ending the call.
Karl lets out a nervous laugh. “Sap, I’m really starting to think you’re about to have me murdered or something. I- who was that? Why are we still here-”
“Baby,” Sapnap takes both of his hands in his and rubs his palms. Karl relaxed at the affection in his voice. “I promise I’m not going to murder you.” He laughed lightly. “I don’t know what I’d do with myself if you left me before we could grow old together.”
Karl smiled. “With Quackity.”
“With Q.” He agreed. Then he stood and pulled Karl up with him, letting out a breath. “C’mon, we’re gonna head to the garden real quick.”
Karl gasped, cloudy eyes wide with excitement. “They have a garden here? Oh my gosh, I hope they have the really smelly flowers-”
Sapnap laughed as Karl dived into a rant about which flowers smelt the best and which ones felt like clouds. He had already predicted his reaction, but it was still a delight to actually see it. Karl’s always loved flowers, specifically how they smelt when they were wet with dew and how they felt under his fingertips.
He takes them back downstairs and out to the garden behind the opera house, gently guiding Karl in front of one of the fields of flowers.
“They’re right there, baby, bend down.” Sapnap said softly. Karl happily obeyed, crouching down and reaching out in front of him, letting out a happy sound as he explored the bunch of flowers, even identifying a few of them by the feel of the petals or just how they smelled.
While he was fawning over the flora Sapnap’s phone buzzed. He didn’t even notice it until Sapnap ran a hand through his hair to push it away from his face so he could press a kiss to his forehead.
“I have to do something really quickly, I’ll be right back.” He murmured against his skin.
Karl tilts his head up in his direction, confusion written all over his face. “What? Where are you going?”
“Just wait for me, love. I promise I’ll be right back. Please?”
Karl looked like he wanted to argue but he must have heard the desperation in Sapnap’s voice because he just pursed his lips and nodded reluctantly. “Okay.”
Sapnap sighed and kissed him again, this time on the lips.
“Thank you. I’m leaving now. See you in a bit.”
Karl hummed and wove his fingers through a group of flowers as he listened to Sapnap’s footsteps fade away in the distance. When he couldn’t hear them anymore he sighs, wrapping one of his arms around his knees as he sinks down into a deeper, more comfortable crouch so he could reach the flowers easier.
What felt like hours but was probably only a few minutes went by and he had moved several times, looking for new flowers. He had just started feeling out a flower that felt vaguely like an allium when he suddenly heard footsteps approaching.
He lifts his head up, a complaint on his tongue about how long he’s been waiting, when he notices that the footsteps were different; not the slightly off-beat rhythm of Sapnap’s steps, they were more professional, even and loud, at least to Karl.
Quickly getting to his feet, Karl turns towards where the steps were coming from. “Hello? Who’s there?”
He frowned and clenched his hands when nobody responded. Then he let out a weak laugh. “Hey- uh, listen, I’m blind so I can’t really see you, but I know you’re there. So it’d be nice if you said something. You know, just to be, uh, polite.”
There was still no response but the footsteps had stopped, and Karl absolutely hated that because that meant whoever was there was just standing there, watching him.
Not really knowing what to do, he starts to fiddle with his sweater, wishing desperately that Sapnap would come back soon. Wait,
“Sapnap if that’s you playing a trick on him it’s not funny. Please stop.”
But whoever it was took a few steps closer and Karl refused to back up because that would mean he had to step on those innocent flowers. Where the hell was Sapnap? He better not have been lying when he said he wasn’t going to kill Karl-
All of a sudden Karl could feel the presence of whoever it was standing next to him. He inhaled sharply, stumbling a bit.
“I-I have a boyfriend who’s really good at fighting. And my other boyfriend owns this place. They could- they could ruin your life in a second, I swear. S-so please don’t-”
There was a hand suddenly encasing him, and Karl would have snatched his hand away if he didn’t almost immediately recognize the hands that laced their fingers together.
But that didn’t make sense- he wasn’t supposed to be- wasn’t he busy?
Karl felt his breathing increase, but he had to make sure. Swallowing, he took both of the person’s hands and felt them. Felt out the callouses and the dips, and the way only the left thumb and right pinky nails were chewed down from weeks- no, months of stress. There was no doubt about it.
“Q?” He asked in a small voice.
The person chuckles and Karl practically melts at the sound. “Hi, baby.”
Karl lets out a sound that sounded half like a whoop and half like a squeal, throwing himself at his boyfriend and wrapping his arms around him.
Quackity instantly returns the hug with just as much enthusiasm, maybe more.
“Oh my gosh, I missed you so much, Q.” Karl breathed, voice muffled from where he had his face shoved into his shoulder. He didn’t even care, not with the pure joy thrumming in his veins and the warmth of his boyfriend’s arms heating up his body. “How are you even here? I thought you had a bunch of work to do?”
Quackity laughs and tightens his hold just a bit before pulling away to get a good look at Karl’s face. “Sap and I wanted to surprise you.”
“Well, it worked.” Karl giggled. Then he pouted. “I didn’t appreciate you scaring the crap out of me, though.”
Suddenly there was another hand on his back that Karl instantly recognized as Sapnap’s but he jumped anyway.
Sapnap chuckled sheepishly from behind them. “Yeah, that was my idea, sorry.”
Karl pouts even more and turns around so he could swat at his hand. “You have a thing for giving me heart attacks, huh? You- you left me alone, in this place I’ve never been before- which, I didn’t appreciate at all, thank you very much. And then -”
“Well, I had to go get something!” Sapnap laughed as he defended himself. Karl huffed and crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow.
“And what could that be?”
The way the two of them, both Sapnap and Quackity, fell quiet made Karl instantly nervous. He unfolds his arms, reaching out a hand for reassurance.
“Guys?”
Quackity quickly takes his hand and kisses his palm, making Karl relax a bit. But not completely, because they still weren’t saying anything. He opened his mouth to ask them what was wrong but before he could get a single syllable out there was something placed in the exact spot on his palm that Quackity had just kissed. Something small and metal.
Karl takes them and feels at them-
Wait.
They were small, circular, metal, though the material seemed to have some sort of engravings on them.
Karl didn’t bother stifling his gasp.
“Are these. . ?”
His eyes started to sting as he reached out for his boyfriends. “Guys, are these rings?”
Someone sniffed, and Karl had a feeling it was Sapnap- the crybaby.
“Yeah.” Sapnap whispered.
“Like- like, promise rings, or. . . or engagement rings? Not that I’d be disappointed about one over the other but like-”
“Karl, mi corazón. They’re engagement rings.” Quackity quickly interrupted what they all knew would have been a long ramble. He took one of his hands and rubbed circles into his knuckles while Sapnap took the other and laced their fingers. “If you’ll have them.”
Karl choked. “I-”
“Karl, we love you so fucking much, it’s. . . it’s really bad.” Sapnap laughed, and they laughed with him. “I was so lost before I met you two- a mess, really. And then Quackity went and crashed into my car that one day and you- you, who couldn’t even see what happened, you were just sitting at the bus stop!- you came and helped us and didn’t leave until we were okay and, and since then my life has been so much brighter.”
“You bring light to our lives, Karlos.” Quackity continued. At this point Karl’s cheeks were soaked and he had no doubt that theirs were too. “I’m sure I wouldn’t be where I am without you and Sap; probably still selling machine parts to sketchy people by my abuela’s house, if I’m honest. You gave me a reason to get up and keep trying. I can barely comprehend how I managed to function at all before I met you. And I think I speak for Sapnap too when I say that I cannot think of a life where I grow old without you.”
Sapnap hummed in agreement and Karl whimpered.
“You. . . that’s what you said earlier.” he sniffed. Sapnap laughed.
Quackity, on the other hand, gasped dramatically. “You stole my line already?”
Now Sapnap was cackling. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”
“Wait, you guys had this planned? The speeches?”
“Sort of. We just had major points that we had to get across.” Sapnap said, a smile in his voice.
“Karl, what do you say, amor?” Quackity suddenly said. Karl could clearly hear the anxiety in his voice but he smiled, practically bouncing on his toes.
“Well obviously, yes!”
The next few hours were a blur. Karl remembers Quackity and Sapnap putting on his rings for him, explaining that they each had two, one for each of them. Karl and Quackity both had a black ring for Sapnap, Karl and Sapnap had a gold ring for Quackity, and Quackity and Sapnap had a silver one for Karl. They all had the same engraving on them:
‘In This Life or Another,
I’ll Find My Way Back to You’
He remembers Charlie congratulating them excitedly on their way to the car, and the chauffeur doing the same upon spotting the glistening rings on their fingers.
He remembers Quackity driving them back to the hotel and Karl mentioning to Quackity that he should give the hotel staff a raise as they rode the elevator up to their room.
And he definitely remembers the way Quackity and Sapnap made him scream himself hoarse with pleasure that night, and then the way the focus quickly turned to Quackity since he’d missed so much in the past week.
Karl had thought his life was already great, but now he knew it couldn’t get better than this.
It didn’t matter if he couldn’t see, he still loved everything about his boyfriends- no, fiancés, now. And they loved him no matter what. And that’s all he could ever ask for.
All he could ever need.