Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The question echoes in his ears. So when can I come to Florida? It’s not that he doesn’t want Karl to come to Florida—he’d love more than anything for the brunet to hang out with the Dream Team. It’s just… he has a dilemma. 

“Sapnap?” Karl calls, trying to catch the amber-haired man’s attention again. “Is something the matter?” 

Sapnap tears his gaze away from his studio door to look back at the monitor. His green eyes meet Karl’s pixelated blue one’s and he lets out a sigh. “Dream’s sick right now,” he lies. 

Dream is perfectly healthy. His real problem resides in the room down the hall, where his ten month old baby sleeps. His biggest secret that only Dream and George (and Sapnap and Dream’s families) know. Dream was the one to provide them the most help, he helped buy the crib and baby supplies—practically raised her with Sapnap. George had to be informed due to his plans to move to Florida, if he hadn’t moved, he’d still be left unknowing of Sapnap’s real life. 

Sapnap knows he has to tell Karl about his baby; he’s just worried, of course. It’s his own fault, he knows that too, but he did it to protect her. The younger one groans and drops his head back against the headrest. Karl frowns immediately. “You still want me to come, though?” the brunet questions.

Sapnap curses under his breath—Karl knows him all too well. He nods slowly, then sighs again, “Okay, look. Let me go talk to them, see if it’s okay with Dream. Maybe he’ll be better tomorrow and you can come this weekend? Either way, I want you here.” 

“I’m okay with getting sick if it means I get to see you,” Karl confesses. The corners of Sapnap’s lips tug upwards into a smile. He shakes his head gently. He suspires, “Okay, let me go talk to them. See you, K.” 

“See you, Sap. Love you,” the older one mumbles quickly. Sapnap chuckles, “Love you too.” 

He hangs up the discord call and pushes himself away from his desk, not forgetting to grab the baby monitor from his desk before he exits the studio. He jogs down the steps and walks to Dream’s bedroom, then knocks on the door. The blond calls for him to come in and Sapnap immediately does so. He notices George laying behind him in the bed with a look of annoyance written on his face. Sapnap rolls his eyes, knowing George is watching him. He explains after, “Hey, sorry for the interruption. Can I speak to you two in the living room? Serious talk I need to have.”

He turns and walks out the door, leaving it open behind him. He makes his way to the living room and hisses at his bare feet on the tile that forces him to rush to sit down onto the couch. He waits for Dream and George to enter the room and sit down before he starts talking. 

“Karl wants to come to Florida,” he starts. Brown and green eyes stare at him intently, listening carefully as he speaks. They know what he’s going to say next before he even says it, and Dream says it with him, “…haven’t told Karl about Idalia.” 

“Yeah, how am I going to tell him? I need to do it in person, but I don’t want to spring it on him. Oh God, what am I going to do?” Sapnap presses his head into his hands. George simply shrugs. “He’s one of your best friends, right? I’m sure he’d handle it like I did.” 

George was almost ecstatic when he heard about Idalia. A little part of him was upset, but then Sapnap explained and he understood the man just wanted to protect his daughter. He knew Sapnap must have had it rough starting out, especially with being a single parent. Sapnap hopes that’s how it goes with Karl. 

“Yeah, I’m sure you’re right. It’s not like he’d ditch me for having a daughter. He wouldn’t, would he?” Sapnap questions, worry laced in his voice. Dream shakes his head. “He wouldn’t. He loves you, Sapnap,” the blond says. 

“Okay. I’ve got this, I just need to come up with a plan. He’s coming this weekend, I told him I’d talk to you two about it. I could do it in the driveway, or take him out somewhere and then like to the park or something. Ease into it, maybe ask him what he’d think if I was a dad,” Sapnap suggests, then he tilts his head sideways as he asks, “Would that be too suspicious?” The other two men stare at him with concern etched into their features. George shrugs again and waves his hand out as he speaks, “Maybe you could say you have baby fever if he asks? Or you come clean about it? He has to know before he gets here, so it’s your choice. I like the park idea.” 

“Okay, so park it is. I could take him to get something to eat too. I’ve got this,” Sapnap states, more so sounding like he’s trying to convince himself. Dream and George nod, agreeing with him. Sapnap stands and pulls his phone out of his pocket. Dream reassures him, “I know you’re not doing it now, but he’ll accept it. I know so, it’s Karl. He’s not going to let this ruin you two.” 

Sapnap nods his head firmly, then jogs up the stairs and into Idalia’s room. He goes through his phone until he finds Karl’s contact and presses the call button. He puts the phone up to his ear and leans over her crib, cradling the phone so it doesn’t fall and hit her. He admires her fluffy amber hair, button nose, and chubby cheeks while the phone rings. On the second ring, Karl picks up. “Hey, Sap!” he beams. 

“Hey, Karl! I talked to them,” he begins, stepping away from the crib in case Idalia coos. “They said you can come this weekend and stay however long you want. Dream’s feeling better today, so he should be fine by the time you’re here.” 

“Sweet! I’ll book the tickets right now,” Karl says, his voice slightly becoming muffled because of the phone. Sapnap sways, his eyes never leaving his baby in the crib. He waits patiently until Karl finally exclaims, “Okay, they’re booked! I’m coming to Florida!” 

“Great, I’ll see you… when?” Sapnap questions, stepping out of Idalia’s bedroom. He walks down the stairs while Karl answers him, “Friday.” 

“Okay. See you Friday, K. I’ll text you, and don’t forget to give me updates,” Sapnap reminds firmly. He picks up the baby monitor from the coffee table. “Sir, yes, sir!” Karl yells playfully before he ends the call. 

Sapnap inhales until his lungs are full and then he sighs, exhaling carbon dioxide. He plops down onto the couch and throws his head back as he groans. He should’ve never kept Idalia a secret, but she’s his baby. He’d do anything to protect her. It’s better to keep everyone at a distance rather than let them in and leave, just like her mother did. 

The baby monitor sounding off with loud cries jolts him up off of the couch. He sprints up the stairs and to Idalia’s room, careful in opening the door so he doesn’t startle the baby. He leans over the crib and scoops her up by her neck and butt, then moves her to his chest. He bounces her up and down while he checks his watch for the time, then he whispers, “Aw, baby, need a bottle? Let’s go get you one.”

He walks out of the room and down the stairs to the kitchen, sends a smile to George who stands at the fridge. The brunet stares down at Idalia in his arms and smiles with a slight pout. “Look at that cutie. Need any help?” George says, his voice light and kind. 

“No, I’ve got it. Thank you, though,” Sapnap answers, sliding past George to grab a bottle. He does everything with one hand; pours 6 ounces of purified water into the bottle and scoops the correct amount of formula into it. He shakes the bottle, places it into the microwave for 15 seconds, and takes it out when he knows it’s the right temperature. He lowers the bottle down to her mouth and she hits her hands against it, then slowly begins to drink. George waves at them before he exits the kitchen, leaving Sapnap and Idalia alone. Sapnap takes a deep breath, his strong demeanor falling now that he’s alone with his thoughts. He stares down at the baby girl in his arms and chews on his bottom lip. He sighs, “Karl’s going to love you, Lia. How could he not? You’re the most perfect girl in the world.”

He can’t control his mind from wandering. But is Karl going to love him after this?  

He shakes his head as a way to clear his thoughts, then focuses back on his daughter. “I’ll just shove you in his face if he’s upset. Think that’ll work?” he chuckles, but it fizzles out into a sigh, “Oh, what am I going to do, baby girl?”

—

Sapnap still remembers how it felt to tell George and Dream. It’s all still vivid in his memory as he lies awake in bed, unable to sleep.

He sat down at his computer and wiped his hands on his shorts, but the action didn’t help at all with the sweat on his palms. Before he even entered his room, he had texted George about needing to have a serious talk. George answered immediately, informing him he’d be able to call in a few minutes. Sapnap sat at the desk, his leg bouncing uncontrollably until George called him on Discord. The brunet laughed, “What’s so important? You got a crush on me?”

“You wish,” Sapnap mumbled into the microphone. He could sense George’s eye roll as he chuckled. The amber-haired man fiddled with his hoodie strings and wiped his hands on his shorts again. The brunet was growing impatient. “Seriously, what is it?”

Best to rip off the bandaid, he decided. He took a deep breath and exhaled shakily. “I have a daughter.”

George laughed. The younger one’s eyes widened and his eyebrows furrowed. “I’m serious, George,” he said firmly. 

“No way. How do you have a kid?” George questioned, his British accent thick. Sapnap could hear his voice lowering, and he knew George was getting upset at the realization that Sapnap was being serious. “I got someone pregnant, that’s how,” Sapnap groaned. 

George adjusted himself in his chair. The microphone picked up his sigh. “What happened?”

Sapnap explained everything to him then and there. He explained how the surprise pregnancy happened, how her mom left them, and how he was protective of her and himself. George understood and tossed his hurt away. He stumbled over his words as he asked, “Uh, c-can I see her? How old is she? What’s her name?”

“Oh, yeah. She’s three months old. Her name is Idalia, it has greek origins,” Sapnap chuckled, “it also means ‘behold the sun.’” George had let out an “aw” so loud it made Sapnap wince. The older one was practically swooning. “I’m an uncle,” he whispered, but the mic picked up on it. 

“You’re an uncle, George. Let me go get her,” he said, turning on his camera. He ignored seeing himself on the Discord screen and got up to leave the room, grabbed Idalia and came back to the desk. As he approached the chair, he felt his stomach churn. He stepped forward until she was in view of the camera and tilted her to show George her face. He crooned, “She looks just like you. She’s prettier, though.” 

“Shut up.” Sapnap rolled his eyes. He gently picked up her tiny hand to wave at the camera, to wave at George. George awed again and waved back. “I think I’m in love with her, Sapnap,” the brunet confessed, staring intently at her. Sapnap laughed wetly. 

Unfortunately, Dream’s reaction was much different. The confrontation was after several months of Sapnap leaving the house with no answer of where he was going or what he was doing. Dream had gotten tired of it and ended up stopping him in the middle of him leaving one day, and yelled at him about the secrecy. Sapnap broke down and confessed to everything; to going to doctor’s appointments, to new parent classes, about becoming a father. Dream was hesitant, but he had stopped yelling after seeing Sapnap break down. He wrapped his arms around him and made a promise to him. “It’s okay, everything is going to be okay, I promise.”

“How do you know that? She doesn’t even want the baby,” Sapnap sobbed into his arms. Dream rubbed his back as they slid to the cold tile floor. He shushed him, “I am here. It’s okay. I’m here. We can handle this together.”

“I love you, Dream. I’m so sorry,” Sapnap cried harshly as he held on tight to Dream’s arms. “I love you, Sapnap. You’re going to be okay.”

Sapnap takes a deep breath as he rolls over in bed. He knows Karl's reaction can go either way, or a completely new way altogether. He’s unsure of what reaction he wants from Karl, concerned he won’t be able to handle it. He wipes the tears from his eyes, now upset that he has remembered Dream’s reaction and worried about Karl’s even more. He glances at the baby monitor on his bedside table and frowns. “It’s going to be okay,” he reassures himself, then he closes his eyes. 

He falls asleep that night with tears dried on his cheeks. 

—

“So, Karl arrives tomorrow. Are you ready?” Dream questions, stepping into the living room with Idalia in his arms. Sapnap beams at the sight of his daughter, a bright grin splitting across his face. He extends his arms out as a way to ask Dream for her, and Dream obliges. He hands her over carefully and once she’s in her dad’s arms, Sapnap answers him, “As ready as I’ll ever be. I had the idea that if he’s upset, I could just show him her. No one can get mad around this little girl, isn’t that right, baby?”

He bounces her in his arms and whispers sweet nothings to her. Dream sighs, “Pictures or the real her? What are you going to do, race back to the house to force her into his arms? Sapnap, you have to think logically.”

Sapnap glares at the blond until George walks into the room with her bottle. He offers it to Sapnap. “This is what she had left, think she’ll take it now that she’s in your arms?” George asks, a small smile on his lips. 

“I’m not sure. It’s worth a shot,” Sapnap hums, pressing the bottle to her mouth. She squirms for a moment before accepting it. Sapnap smiles and cheers victoriously. George and Dream join him in sitting down on the furniture, cheesy grins on their faces. He feeds her the rest of her bottle and sets it down on the coffee table when it’s empty. The amber-haired man picks her up and plops her on his shoulder, then proceeds to pat her back in order to burp her. He meets Dream’s green eyes and sighs. “I’ll figure it out, Dream. We’ll be okay.”

“I just worry about you because you and Karl have always had a special bond. It’s different from how ours is,” Dream explains. Sapnap can see the worry in his eyes, almost glossy from how sympathetic he is. He checks Idalia’s face to make sure she’s not smothering herself and casts his gaze to Dream again. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

“Nothing you already don’t know,” Dream answers. That catches Sapnap off guard, hitting him like a freight train. What does Sapnap already know? All he knows is he and Karl care for each other greatly, and would take a bullet for each other. Karl’s said he’s a ride or die friend. They have each other’s backs, so surely, Karl would have his back on being a dad. That’s not what Dream means, though. Sapnap tilts his head, zoning off into his own thoughts. He’s afraid to ask—the nausea fills his gut too soon as he worries. He shakes his head, choosing to ignore the blond. He focuses back onto the baby on his chest and moves to rock her. Patches jumps onto the couch and inches closer to Idalia, her nose scrunching and unscrunching as she sniffs her onesie and hands. Idalia’s tiny hands twitch and reach out for the cat, and she almost grabs onto the colorful fluff in front of her. She kicks a leg, startling Patches, forcing her to run off. The three of them laugh wholeheartedly. Sapnap suspires, “I’ve got us. That’s what matters. It’s going to be okay.”

He leans down and rubs his nose against his daughter’s face.When he pulls away, he catches Dream and George sharing a look. Dream bites his bottom lip. He sighs, but then George speaks for him, “Karl will be here too. He’s not going anywhere, Sap.”

The amber-haired man exhales carbon dioxide. He picks up Idalia and holds her out in front of him, then blows on her clothed stomach. She giggles, begins to mumble random sounds. She reaches her arms out for him as she laughs loudly. “You wanna meet, Karl, baby girl?” 

“Dada,” she gurgles. Sapnap grins ear-to-ear. He laughs with her, “Yeah, you wanna meet Karl?” 

He moves her up and down gently, bouncing her in the air. All she does is giggle with a bright smile on her face. Dream and George stare at them in adoration. Dream chuckles, “Yeah, just show her. He can’t resist that.” 

“What? Sapnap being a dad? Is Karl into dads?” George questions, looking at Dream for an answer. Sapnap scoffs, “What do you mean is Karl into dads? He’s not going to… he’s not. No. Shut up.”

Dream holds his hands out in front of him, his lips pressed into a thin line. He shakes his head and smiles. “See?” he says to George. 

George laughs and nods his head, both of them leaving Sapnap in the dark. He presses Idalia to his side and she reaches up to tug at his beard. He winces and tries to pull away, but she coos and he lets her play with it. George stands up quickly. “I’ll go find a toy.” 

“Thank you,” Sapnap says, watching George search around the room. Dream clicks his tongue as a way to get Sapnap to look at him. It works and Sapnap stares at him in confusion. “You really don’t know?”

The younger one’s eyebrows furrow. He shakes his head. “What am I supposed to know?” he questions. 

“Nothing, Sapnap. Nothing. We need to clean up before Karl comes.” Dream stands from the couch and begins to clean up the coffee table. Sapnap pouts, but he stands and helps with one hand. 

The question resides in his brain—it feels impossible for it to escape him. Is Karl into dads? He doesn't know why he ponders the question so much. It eats him alive. Is Karl into dads?

For some reason, Sapnap hopes he is. 

—

The idea of Karl won’t leave Sapnap’s mind, especially the thought of him interacting with Idalia. He’s fixated on the brunet, can’t get the image of pale skin and bright blue eyes moving as he’d examine or caress her curly hair to leave the backs of his eyelids. Every nice image is accompanied by a negative one—Idalia staring up at Karl is followed by the scenario of Karl leaving Florida abruptly. Every bad scenario stabs his heart, draining the blood and his ability to live properly.

Sapnap doesn’t know why he’s worrying so much; it’s Karl. Karl isn’t one to act irrationally angry, he holds this light with him wherever he goes, casts sunshine on everyone he nears. Then again, that’s exactly why Sapnap’s worrying. He doesn’t want to lose the one person who radiates happiness, who drags him out of his comfort zone just because he wants the man there. Who would Sapnap be without Karl? He’d become a shell of a person, hollowed out due to the loss of his ability to feel. 

Sapnap feels lethargic now as he enters the bathroom. He casts a glance at the mirror and ignores his tired eyes, too focused on his job of being a dad to care for himself right now. He grabs the seat for Idalia to sit in when she’s in the bath and sets it up, then starts the water and exits after checking if the water is the right temperature. The amber-haired man steps into his daughter’s butterfly themed nursery and winces at the spit up on her, then scoops her up out of the crib and moves her to the changing table. He undresses her, then picks her back up and walks back to the bathroom. He places her into the seat and cuts the water off, and begins to scoop water up in a plastic cup and dump it carefully onto her. “Let’s get you clean, little one,” Sapnap mumbles.

Then, the idea of Karl doing this with her—with Sapnap—enters his brain. A jolt travels through him, imaginative electricity sparking in him at the idea. 

He focuses on his daughter, lathers baby shampoo on her until he’s got every crevice and has cleaned the dried spit up off of her. Then, he rinses her off and starts on washing her hair while more images of Karl pop into his brain. This time, they’re even more scenarios of Karl abandoning him. They fill his mind all at once, the different ways he could react and leave playing in his head at the same time. Tears build in his eyes, blurring his vision as he stares down at Idalia. He pauses and looks up at the ceiling, trying to force his tears to stay in his eyes. They slide down his cheeks anyway, another part of life not on his side. He blinks down at Idalia and lets out a sob, “Look, I promise you, Karl is going to love you. He’s going to make you laugh so hard and cheer you up on the toughest days. We will call him all the time so he can watch you grow, or I’ll force him out here just so you can get your Karl time in. Either way, you two are going to be best friends. I promise, Lia. Dada promises you this.”

—

Sapnap sways, clutching a small whiteboard to his torso. He scans the crowd, searching for the familiar mop of brown hair. He shuffles from side-to-side, checks his watch, then shoves his free hand into his pocket. After a few minutes, he stands on his tiptoes and spots the tall, blue-eyed man coming towards him. He calls his name and waves him over, then flashes his white board that has Karl!! written on it. The brunet walks up to him with a bright smile on his face. “Sapnap! I made it!” Karl cheers. 

“You made it! Welcome to Florida, K,” Sapnap exclaims, pulling the man into his chest. Karl’s arms wrap around the amber-haired man’s neck, and his head falls into the crook of his neck. They sigh into each other’s arms and both inhale, taking in the other’s scent. Sapnap clears his throat as they pull away, “I have places to take you, are you ready?”

“Oh, where are you taking me?” Karl questions, grabbing his suitcase. He walks beside Sapnap as they exit the airport and make their way to Sapnap’s matte black Tesla. Sapnap helps Karl load his bags into the trunk and opens the passenger door for him. A wine red flush appears on the taller one’s cheeks as he ducks down to get into the car. Sapnap doesn’t notice until he slides in on the other side. He flashes his top set of teeth as he glances at the man beside him. A wave of adoration rushes over him as he stares at the brunet. A weird feeling fills his gut, making his stomach feel like it’s floating, but not in a way that he’ll be sick. He almost feels as if there are tiny insects in his gut, fluttering their wings and flying all over the place. He focuses back onto the steering wheel and cuts on the ignition, then follows the road to exit the airport parking lot. He glances at Karl for a moment, then back at the road. “So, what do you want to eat? Chick-fil-A?”

“Mhm, the homophobic restaurant, that sounds nice,” Karl answers, yawning. Sapnap scoffs, “What? Didn’t sleep enough on the plane?” 

“Bro, there was this kid on the plane that just wouldn’t fucking shut up. I couldn’t get a wink of sleep even if I tried,” Karl groans, tossing his head back against the headrest. Sapnap’s eyes widen immediately, his brain falling into panic mode. He focuses on the road and repeats the directions to Chick-fil-A in his head, then remembers he’s supposed to respond when people speak to him. His voice quavers as he mumbles, “Oh, I’m sorry, dude.”

Soon, they pull into Chick-fil-A and Sapnap goes through the drive through, orders them both chicken nuggets and a cookies and cream milkshake. He hands Karl his meal and milkshake, then starts to drive to the next location: the park. The younger one tries his best to sip his milkshake, but he doesn’t succeed as nothing comes out of the straw. Karl notices his struggle and takes out Sapnap’s spoon, then scoops up some and offers it to the amber-haired man. He giggles, “Here comes the airplane!”

Sapnap opens his mouth and lets Karl feed him, humming after he swallows. On the way to the park, Karl continues to feed him his milkshake—he can handle his chicken nuggets—and takes care of his own milkshake and food. Once they arrive, Karl furrows his eyebrows. “What are we doing at a park?” Karl questions, squinting as he stares at his surroundings.

“It’s a pretty day. You deserve to bask in the sunlight in a beautiful location,” Sapnap answers. He gets out of the car with his food and walks around the car to Karl’s side. He lifts his hand with his milkshake to cover the sun in his eyes. Karl steps around the side of the car and beams at Sapnap, practically skipping as they walk to a bench. They sit down together and eat the rest of their food. Karl sighs and speaks with his mouth full, “I wish we had duck food. I would feed them.”

“Next time,” Sapnap promises, hoping there will be a next time. He finishes his food and waits for Karl to finish, then grabs their trash and gets up to throw it away. He turns around and stares at the brunet, feels his stomach clench and churn. He has to get it over with, then he can deal with the outcome. Sapnap takes a deep breath and sits back down on the bench. “Karl, I need to talk to you,” he announces.

“What is it, Sap?” Karl questions, turning to face the man. His bright blue irises stare into Sapnap’s green one’s intently. Sapnap swears he has him all figured out, those soft blue eyes holding the world in them. It clicks in his brain; the world. Karl means the world to him, or he might just be the world—his world, along with Idalia. Sweat clings to his palms, he wipes them on his jeans. He exhales shakily, “I- I. I can’t.”

“What? Sapnap, you just said you needed to talk to me. What is it? I’m listening,” Karl reassures, rubbing his shoulder gently. The movement reminds him of his own daughter, how he rubs her back when she’s laying on his chest, tired and cranky. His heart is racing and he’s losing control of his breathing. He can’t tell him. “Sapnap, breathe with me. It’s okay. Tell me, It’s okay.”

Sapnap clings onto the older one’s shirt as he gasps for air. Karl stares at him, concern etched into his features. He moves his hands to caress Sapnap’s face, forcing their eyes to lock. Sapnap finally catches his breath and with one single exhale, he confesses, “I’m a dad.” 

“What?” Karl scoffs, clearly taken aback. He smiles and lets go of Sapnap’s face to scratch his nose. Sapnap nods. “I’m a dad. I have a baby.”

Karl falls silent, his face scrunching up as he thinks over what Sapnap just admitted. He prepares for the worst.

Chapter Text

Silence continues to fill the air, neither knowing what to say. The brunet blinks a few times as he stares off into the sky. Sapnap squeezes his eyes shut and clenches his fist. He wishes for Karl to break his heart already. “Are you going to say anything?” he sighs, opening his eyes.

“Dream’s not really sick, is he? How old is your baby?” Karl asks, casting his gaze down at the grass. Sapnap gulps, swallowing harshly. He fiddles with his fingers and answers, “No, he’s not. She’s ten months old.” 

Sapnap swears he can hear Karl's heart shatter. He watches Karl squeeze his eyes shut this time and tuck his arms into his chest. His bottom lip quivers. 

“She? You have a daughter. You’ve had a daughter for ten months. You’ve had a daughter and you didn’t tell me. You’ve had a daughter and you went to fucking Antarctica? You’ve gone so many places and you’re a father, Sapnap,” Karl rambles, his voice wavering. Sapnap winces, picking at the skin around his fingernails. “All in good hands. We have Dream’s family and I have family in Texas when they’re able to,” he assures.

“You didn’t mention her mother,” Karl notes. Sapnap nods, sighing. “The last few times I saw her was when she gave birth and when she signed all the rights over to me.” 

“Oh,” Karl breathes, “You’re a single dad?” He blinks his blue eyes at him. Sapnap manages a soft smile. “Yeah, I am, but I have Dream and George. Family here and there,” Sapnap says.

Karl places a gentle hand on Sapnap’s thigh. He massages the muscle there, eliciting a hum out of Sapnap. The older one sits back and stares up at the sky, then glances at the amber-haired man beside him. Karl clears his throat, “Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“I’m overprotective of her. That, and uh, I,” Sapnap sniffles, rubbing the bridge of his nose, “I’m afraid to let people in.” 

“You’re worried they’ll leave like her mom did,” Karl mentions, having figured him out. Sapnap looks away to hide his wet eyes. “Yeah, I am,” he confirms. 

“I’m not going anywhere, Sapnap. Can I, uh, can I meet her?” Karl questions, standing up from the bench. He offers his hand out to Sapnap who accepts it. They intertwine their fingers as they walk to the car. 

“Don’t you want to know her name?” Sapnap asks once they get into the Tesla. Karl shakes his head. “I’m waiting until I meet her. I’m all for formal introductions,” Karl jokes, making Sapnap chuckle.

He starts the car and drives them back to the Dream Team house. Sapnap hesitates as he opens the door, but they step into the house and it’s like they’re moving in slow motion. Dream and George sit on the couch with Idalia, right in view of the front door. Karl’s eyes soften when he sees her. They walk over to them and Sapnap scoops her out of George’s arms. 

“Karl, this is Idalia,” he introduces her, waving her tiny little hand at him. Karl’s lips form a downturned smile as he stares at her, and slowly, he caresses her arm. At the sight of them, Sapnap feels his stomach take a dive and fill up with that fluttery feeling again. “That’s Greek, isn’t it?” Karl asks, his face full of excitement. 

“It is,” Sapnap responds, a grin plastered on his face, “How did you know?” Karl shrugs, his eyes glistening as he stares at Idalia. “Lucky guess.”

“She looks just like you, my God. I don’t think I can handle this,” Karl says softly, loud enough for everyone to hear. Sapnap watches him rub his finger back and forth on her exposed arm with a fond look written on his face. He looks up to catch Dream and George whispering to each other, but he chooses to ignore them and focus on the breathtaking sight in front of him: Karl and Idalia. Tachycardia takes over his chest, becoming the only important part of his body. A soft smile forms on his lips and tears build in his eyes.

“Thank you, K,” he cries, wiping his tears so they don’t spill onto Idalia. Karl glances up at him with furrowed brows. He flashes a grin and chuckles, “I love her, Sap.”

Sapnap’s heart somehow races even faster and his mind reels. The fluttery feeling fills his stomach and this time, he knows it’s butterflies batting their pretty wings. Karl lets go of Idalia to wipe Sapnap’s tears. The amber-haired man can’t control himself. “I love you,” he confesses.

“I love you too, Sap. I’m so proud of you,” Karl says, staring into green eyes. Sapnap’s eyes send a message Karl’s blue eyes can't read, a message of true, irrevocable love. 

—

Sapnap sits in the rocking chair inside of Idalia’a room, her in his arms as he rocks back and forth to soothe her to sleep. He sings nursery rhymes softly, unbeknownst to the brunet with blue eyes standing behind the door, listening intently. He slows down and begins to hum until the door creaks open gently. Green eyes glance up to meet the intruder, and they quickly soften at the sight of Karl. A worried look is planted on his face and he scratches the back of his head, then asks, “Is she still asleep?” 

“Yes, you’re okay, K. Don’t know how long she’ll be out though,” Sapnap mentions, standing up carefully to place her into the crib. Karl steps into the room, dodging the colorful butterflies that hang from the ceiling. Sapnap notices and laughs, “Sorry about that. I hung them.” 

“Shorty,” Karl jokes, ruffling Sapnap’s hair since it’s free from a cap. The younger scrunches his face up as his hair is played with. Karl quickly moves his hand away and begins to examine the room. He admires the several butterfly decorations, sky and flower wall decals, and varied animal plushies. Sapnap watches a smile form on his lips. He turns to him and says, “I never thought you’d be a dad.” 

“Not even in the future?” Sapnap questions, crossing his arms. Karl hums in thought. “Well, I-” He falls silent for a moment before he continues, “Of course, in the future. You’ve always been Sapnap, the attractive guy who everyone wants. I just could never see you with a kid so soon. No offense.” 

“None taken. You find me attractive?” Sapnap beams, his face lighting up. He leans onto one leg and unfolds his arms. Karl rolls his eyes. “That’s not important, but yes, I do.” 

Sapnap basks in the small victory before he decides to provide Karl with the answers he craves. He clears his throat, “It’s not like the ladies flocked to me. Lia wasn’t created like that.” 

“Created? Are you modding Minecraft?” Karl laughs, but it fizzles out for him to ask another question, “So, you and her mom were… dating? Why did you two break up?” Sapnap chuckles and nods. He adjusts himself so he’s resting all of his weight on his other leg. “If I’m being honest, it was because of our disagreement over Idalia. I wanted her, she didn’t. We slowly drifted apart until I snapped one day, told her I didn’t love her anymore. She said the same,” Sapnap explains. 

“You were in love?” Karl breathes. Sapnap nods hesitantly. “That was the past, though. I’m over her, and I have this little one now.” 

A smile slowly appears on the brunet’s lips. He follows Sapnap’s gaze to stare down at the ten month old in the crib. Sapnap eyes Karl, switching his glance between Idalia and him. He clears his throat, “Do you want to hold her?” 

“I don’t want to wake her up,” Karl states, crossing his arms, but Sapnap’s already moving to pick her up. Idalia gurgles and coos, but doesn’t let out a single cry. She squirms in Sapnap’s arms as he carefully hands her over to Karl. The older one supports his head and body, then lifts her slightly to get closer to her. A grin splits across his face as he whispers to her, “Hi, Lia. I’m Karl. I hope you love me as much as I love you.” 

Sapnap watches them, nothing but love and adoration written on his face. There’s something different about watching Karl interact with Idalia, different from when Dream and George hold and talk to her. Every time Karl interacts with her, Sapnap is filled with butterflies in his stomach. He now knows it’s because of the love he has for the man, but there’s something else that’s different. He replays Karl’s words in his brain, overanalyzes them. The realization dawns on him, causing his heart to skip a beat. He’s just Karl. Not uncle Karl. Karl said it himself, he’s Karl. A sense of hope forms in his chest, along with the butterflies occupying his stomach, fluttering around like crazy. Could Karl love him the way he loves him? Does every thought revolve around him like it does for Sapnap? 

“Do you think you’ll be able to love again?” Karl catches him off guard. The amber-haired man stares up at him in confusion. He’s already in love, what a silly question. Still, he has his worries. “I think so, but I need someone who accepts me. Who understands and supports me in raising my daughter.” 

Doesn’t Karl already do that, though? He met Idalia and fell in love with her, and he inserts himself when Sapnap is taking care of her. But does he want a baby, or more importantly, does he want to raise a baby alongside Sapnap? 

He furrows his eyebrows and blinks a few times. Then, he adds, “I need someone who wants to be a parent as well.”

Karl’s eyes soften, his mouth falling open slightly. “Oh,” he breathes. 

Sapnap nods and smiles softly. Karl focuses back onto the baby in his hands, and swings her side to side gently. She makes quiet sounds until she falls asleep in his arms. A bright smile appears on Karl’s face, his eyes crinkling at the sides. “I never want to let her go,” Karl admits. 

Sapnap never wants to let this go. He decides then and there, this is what he wants for the rest of his life; him, Karl, and Idalia. 

—

“When did she learn how to hold onto things?” Karl asks from where he sits on the couch, Idalia in his arms. He moves his hand closer to her and her fingers wrap around his pointer finger. Sapnap chuckles, “Practically when she was a baby. She held my finger like that in the Hospital. Was the cutest sight I’d ever seen. Now that she’s older, she just had a better grip on things like her bottle or my beard. Hurts like a bitch.” 

She lets go of him and Karl covers one of her ears with his hand. He brings her closer to cover her other eat by putting it against his chest. “Oh, jeez. I’m sorry, Lia. Your daddy has a foul mouth,” he apologizes, glaring at Sapnap. 

Sapnap chuckles and rolls his eyes. Dream and George step into the living room and sit down with them. Karl flashes a toothy grin their way, then switches his gaze between Sapnap and Idalia. He asks another question, “What was her first word?”

“She made a ‘juh’ sound, so I think she was trying to say my name. But then her stupid ‘dada’ stole the show,” George answers, squinting his eyes at Sapnap. The amber-haired man throws his hands up in defense, a bright smile on his face. Karl matches his smile before he inquires, “Does she know any other words?”

“Well, I’m happy to announce that she doesn’t know ‘mama,’ but I think she’s getting close to ‘gogy.’ She’ll know everyone’s name in no time,” Sapnap boasts, watching the two closely. The smile doesn’t leave Karl’s face, he is too intrigued to know everything about Idalia. “I hope she can learn her k’s, so she can say my name,” he sighs. 

Idalia smiles up at him open-mouthed. Karl giggles, “When did she first smile?”

“When I first held her. I have a photo, here,” Sapnap says, then he pulls out his phone and stands up to walk over to Karl. He finds the picture and shows it to Karl, who admires the top-down view picture of Idalia and reads the date the picture was taken. “June eighteenth? That’s the day she was born?” Karl questions, almost astonishment written on his features. 

“Sorry I didn’t tell you,” Sapnap apologizes, nodding his head before he moves to sit back down. Karl shrugs and looks down at the baby in his hands. He whispers to her, “Just another month and a day and we could’ve been birthday twins. You should’ve held on.”

Idalia starts to babble random beginnings of words like ‘da’ and ‘ba.’ Karl’s eyes widen and he laughs wholeheartedly. “Hi, baby, can you say ‘Karl?’ C’mon, I know you can do it,” Karl encourages.

Sapnap’s heart melts at the interaction. His eyes soften as he stares at his entire world—Karl and Idalia. His eyes shift over to Dream and George, who have this knowing look on their faces. George points at him and pretends to laugh. Sapnap sends him a death glare and mouths ‘shut up!’ 

After no progress on Idalia saying Karl’s name, Karl decides to continue his questions. “So, she can reach and hold objects? Can I see her in action?”

The younger quickly stands and exits the room, then comes back with a playmat and gym. He sets it up and motions for Karl to come over. Slowly, Karl stands with Idalia and places her on his hip, then he walks over with her and hands her to Sapnap since he’s unsure of himself. Sapnap laughs and places her down onto the mat. He hits one of the dangling toys and adjusts the mirror at the top so she can see herself, then she begins to squirm. She kicks her legs around and reaches up for the toys, latching onto them to try and pull herself up. The blue-eyed man gasps, “Woah, look at her go!” 

Sapnap nods and sits down on the floor. Karl follows him. “Wanna have tummy time with her? Warning, she may cry.”

Karl nods eagerly, excited to experience the moment with Idalia and Sapnap. Sapnap carefully flips her over and she immediately starts to cry at the loss of her toys. Karl frowns, his bottom lip sticking out. “What can we do?”

“Wait till she crawls. She knows how, the little stinker. She just loves to be held and play with her toys,” Sapnap answers, picking her back up to adjust her hands. When she comes down, she lands on her hands and knees. Her crying stops as she moves forward, on her way off of the mat and to Karl. She stumbles into his knees and sits down on her own, placing her tiny hands on his thighs. Karl beams, “How could you keep her from me, Sap? She’s everything to me.”

“I’ll spend the rest of my years making it up to you,” Sapnap mentions, his heart set out on a platter for Karl. The brunet glances up at him, his eyes oh, so bright. He smiles with soft eyes. “I already forgive you. Thank you for allowing me to experience this.” 

Sapnap furrows his eyebrows. How could Karl forgive him so quickly for keeping something so huge so secret? His heart skips a beat where it rests out in the open air, waiting for Karl to accept it. He never does, never gives a sign that he is the keeper of Sapnap’s heart, but somehow, Karl still keeps it locked up safe and sound. 

—

“Dude, are you ready?” Sapnap questions, waiting for Karl to adjust himself in his seat. He stretches, extending his arms to the ceiling before he nods. Sapnap presses the ‘go live’ button. Chatters pile in, spamming the chat until it has to be put in slow mode. Karl and Sapnap wave to the camera and greet the audience. Sapnap speaks up first, “Hi, chat. Today we are going to play Fifa as you can see from the title! Oh, and Karl’s here!”

“Wow. I’m offended. Yeah, I’m here in Florida!” Karl cheers. The amber-haired man loads up the game, selecting a new save instead of the one he played with George. He pauses it and focuses back on chat. Karl squints at the monitor, trying his best to read what the people are saying. “How long have I been here? A few days, we are just spending time together, I’m hanging with the boys!”

“Yeah, chat, I get him all to myself!” Sapnap boasts, but Karl quickly shoots him down. “No, no. I’m pretty sure everyone has been hanging out with me. They all love me, chat.” 

“Oh, shut up. Let’s play the game, turn on donos,” Sapnap demands, starting the game. The brunet does as he says and enables donations, then grabs his controller to play. They start the game and begin their strategies, Sapnap ends up winning the first game. “My finger slipped!” Karl exclaims immediately. 

The younger one rolls his eyes and snorts, “Sure it did.” 

“It did! I swear! Watch this game, I’ll win,” Karl defends himself. He wins the next round. A donation slides through, any stories from LA? Sapnap laughs, “Well, there was this one person that came up to us and embarrassed the shit out of themselves. If you’re watching, know we love you and it’s okay. But I’m going to tell the story now. So, they come up and they fucking… they call me George! How does that happen?” 

“Maybe they were just super nervous, dude. Cut them some slack,” Karl says, squinting at the monitor again as he focuses on winning. Sapnap looks away from the screen to glance at Karl. “It was chill, we laughed it off,” Sapnap replies. 

He looks Karl up and down before he watches the screen again. Somehow, he manages to score. He cheers as the next dono comes through, Karl, you look good! Karl’s eyes widen and he pauses the game to stand up. He spins around, showing off his almost sheer button up. He flashes his rings and chain around his neck, and Sapnap’s eyes don’t leave him. He gulps. “Damn, Karl. You do look really good,” he compliments. 

Karl flushes red as he sits back down. They start the game again and Karl responds with, “Thank you.”

Sapnap side-eyes chat, preparing for the worst. He watches the spam of ‘simp’ roll through the chat and he chooses to ignore them. He clears his throat as Karl scores. “Hah! You suck!” Karl screams, jumping out of his chair slightly. 

“Oh, really? What do I suck?” Sapnap replies immediately. Karl’s jaw drops as a carmine red fluster appears on his cheeks and nose. He covers his face and shakes his head. “I am not answering that. You set me up for failure with that one.”

Sapnap laughs loudly and begins to try hard at the game. He leans forward and focuses his movements in order to score. The next donation comes through, did you see the rockets game last night? Sapnap scoffs, “Yes, I fucking did. I’m so pissed off, it would’ve been an easy dub, but no. If they hadn’t missed that last three pointer, I swear-”

Karl stares at him with a blank expression. He laughs shortly, “Dude… No one fucking asked, bozo!”

Sapnap blinks, glancing at the brunet. He sighs and drops the controller, then takes off his headset and stands up to walk out of the room. Karl laughs so hard he can’t breathe. Sapnap comes back with his hands on his head. “What the fuck?” Sapnap says with thin lips. 

Karl laughs even harder, making a smile form on Sapnap’s face. He turns to hide it until he can continue to pretend to be upset. He sits down and gets himself situated to play again, then makes the game go back to the main menu. Karl giggles, falling sideways to prop himself up with Sapnap’s shoulder. Sapnap grins. “We’re playing a different game now.”

“Don’t want to go against me anymore?” Karl questions, putting down the controller. Sapnap rolls his eyes and shakes his head. “Just want to play Roblox now,” he lies. 

Karl leans forward, covering his mouth with his hand to whisper in his ear. Sapnap notices a glint in his eyes and a smirk on his lips before his hand blocks his face. “Afraid of what I can do to you?” Karl whispers. 

Sapnap flushes wine red, the blush covering his face and neck. He turns on roblox Arsenal and slides forward with his chair, choosing to ignore Karl. Karl giggles, “Aw, look how cute, chat. He’s all flustered.”

“Shut up,” Sapnap mumbles. He switches the scene for the stream and starts to play, running around and shooting enemies as a distraction. Sapnap decides to change the topic. “Karl, what did you do last night?” he questions. 

“Your mother,” is Karl’s immediate response, forcing him into another fit of giggles. Sapnap sighs deeply and shakes his head. “Chat, I don’t know what I’m going to do with him. Karl, go back to North Carolina.”

“No, I don’t think I will. You’re stuck with me,” Karl teases, poking his arm. Sapnap shrugs in defeat, but inside, he feels like he’s on fire. The amber-haired man remembers the smirk on his lips and the glint in his eyes. He flushes at the memory of Karl actually flirting with him. He dies in the game and slides away, allowing Karl to take over. He doesn’t hear Karl’s sly comment, too busy freaking out in his mind. Does Karl like him? Should he flirt back? Should he start showing interest? 

He glances at the man in front of him, admires the back of his head. It’s worth a shot, he decides. 

—

Sapnap shuffles nervously, waiting on Karl to finish getting ready. He turns back to face Dream, who holds Idalia on his hip. The blond sends him a thumbs up. Sapnap sighs, “Are you sure you’ve got her?” 

“Yes, Sap. You deserve to spend some quality time alone, especially with Karl,” he says, winking after. Sapnap shakes his head, a smile planted on his lips. “Thank you for taking care of her. I love you, brother.”

“Love you too, brother.” Dream’s pearly whites flash as he moves his gaze from Sapnap to Idalia. He bounces her and starts mumbling to her in a baby voice. Karl walks up to them with a bright smile on his lips. Sapnap stares him up and down before he turns to open the door. The brunet follows him out and Sapnap opens the passenger door of his matte black Tesla, allowing Karl to slide in. He jogs around the front of the car to get in the driver’s seat. Then, he starts the car and backs out of the driveway. He drives to their first location, the one he decided on last night: a flower shop. 

“What are we doing here?” Karl questions, unbuckling his seatbelt nonetheless. Sapnap hums, a nervous smile planted on his lips. He exits the vehicle and Karl follows him to the front door. “Just going to look around,” Sapnap lies, opening the door and letting Karl walk through. 

Immediately, Karl begins to wander around and smell the various flowers. Sapnap lags behind, keeping a close eye on him to figure out which one’s he loves the most. He sniffs a few himself, winces at the intensity of them, then shakes his head and focuses back onto the brunet. Karl walks around, delicately stroking the petals of all the different flowers. His eyes catch purple tulips and he gasps, running over to point them out to Sapnap. He squeals, “Look how pretty they are, Sap.”

The amber-haired man steps over and scoops up a bouquet, then turns to walk to the counter. Karl’s eyebrows furrow as he watches Sapnap walk away. He questions, “Where are you going?”

Sapnap glances over his right shoulder to look at the brunet. A giant grin spreads across his face at Karl’s soft features; his eyes are like a puppy’s and his lips are parted slightly. Sapnap would kiss him if he was courageous enough to. Instead, he turns back to the counter and showcases the flowers to the cashier. Karl walks up to be beside him while Sapnap pulls out his wallet. He turns and offers the purple tulips to Karl, who accepts them with no question. The shorter one pays with his card and motions Karl out the door. “Your flowers, though? Here!” Karl stammers, holding out the pretty purple tulips for Sapnap. 

“Those are for you,” Sapnap replies, stuffing his hands into his pockets nervously. Karl spins around as they walk back to the car. He’s about to refuse the flowers when he trips from walking backwards. Sapnap luckily catches him with an arm around his waist. The older one blinks up at him slowly, his blue eyes shining in the fading sunlight. Sapnap’s breath hitches and he leans away, pulling Karl up with him. “Be careful, you almost lost your flowers.” 

Karl nods and steps out of Sapnap’s hold so they both can get into the matte black Tesla. The amber-haired man starts the car and this time, he drives to the restaurant he made a reservation at. “Hold on,” he says once they arrive.

Karl watches him carefully as he exits the car and jogs around to the passenger’s side. Sapnap opens the car door for Karl and motions for him to step out. A bright smile flashes across his face and he exits the vehicle. He leaves his flowers on the seat and moves out of the way for Sapnap to close the door for him. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Sapnap responds, quickly turning around to hide his blush. They walk beside each other as they enter the restaurant, their shoulders practically rubbing against each other. Sapnap gives the host his last name and they are taken to their table. Soon, a waitress comes up to them and asks for what they would like to drink. Sapnap orders a pepsi since he is the driver and Karl orders a mojito. “How are you enjoying today, so far?” Sapnap questions. 

“It’s very nice. Thank you for the flowers,” Karl responds, then he asks, “How are you? Worried about Idalia?” The younger one freezes, Karl reminding him that his daughter is away from her father. He nervously plays with a napkin the waitress laid on the table. He clears his throat before he answers, “I’m okay. Yes, worried, but Dream and George have got this. I’m here to spend time with you.”

“You went to events and left her with family or with Dream, right? How’d you get the courage to do that?” Karl asks. Sapnap shrugs and lets go of the napkin. The waitress arrives with their drinks and he quickly takes a nervous sip of his pepsi. They order their meals and once the waitress leaves, Karl chuckles and raises his glass. “Let’s make a toast.”

“To what?” Sapnap questions, bewildered. He glances up at Karl through his lashes, his head angled down to sip his drink without using his hands. Karl moves his mojito closer to him and answers, “To you. For being an excellent father.”

“I wouldn’t say-” Sapnap starts, but Karl interrupts him. “Sap, yes, you are. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”

The amber-haired man smiles sheepishly and brings his pepsi up to clink their glasses together gently. He laughs after, a warm and light laugh. It makes Karl giggles and sends a blush to Sapnap’s cheeks and nose. The air feels different to Sapnap. It’s filled with something as warm and sweet as honey. It gives a push to Sapnap, gives him the courage to ask, “Is this a date?”

Karl almost spits out his mojito. He splutters, immediately wiping his mouth with a napkin. “What? N-no,” he pauses, then, “Do you want it to be?”

“What? No, I was just…” he trails off, voice falling quiet. Karl’s mouth opens and closes like a fish’s. He falls silent as well, then changes the subject to continue their conversation. “How do you really feel about having a baby?”

Sapnap frowns at his question. However, he answers honestly. He rambles about how terrifying and time-consuming being a father is until their food arrives, all while Karl listens to him intently and butts in with random questions. Karl learns stuff he’s already dreaded about fatherhood, and he discovers secrets Sapnap hasn’t ever told Dream and George. Sapnap’s whole being is exposed for Karl, and he accepts it without realizing. 

They eat and make small talk, then Sapnap pays and leaves the tip on the card. He opens the door for Karl again, who grabs his flowers and slides into the Tesla easily. He thanks him once again, and Sapnap walks to the driver’s side completely happy. He starts the car, flashes a grin at Karl, then drives them back to the Dream Team house. Once they arrive, Karl says, “I need to put these in a vase.”

“I’ll get you one. C’mon,” Sapnap replies, cutting off the Tesla and exiting. Karl hops out of the car and follows him into the house and to the kitchen. The shorter man searches the cabinets until he finds one, then he places it on the island and Karl sets the purple tulips into it. He claps his hands excitedly, then turns to Sapnap. “Thank you for today.”

“Of course, thank you!” Sapnap responds, accepting the arms Karl wraps around his shoulders. The brunet whispers into his ear, “It definitely was a date.”

Before Sapnap can respond, the bright blue-eyed man has run away to his guest room.

—

Sapnap wakes up to the sun shining through his window and a growl coming from his stomach. He groans and tosses the blanket off of him to the other side of the bed, then he gets up and stretches. A yawn escapes past his lips as he grabs the baby monitor and walks to the door to exit the room. He steps down the stairs carefully and makes his way to the kitchen, where he spots a familiar blue-eyed brunet. “K, what are you doing down here so early?”

“Was hungry. I don’t know where anything is, though,” he answers, placing the carton of eggs he holds down onto the counter. Sapnap steps forward and searches through the cabinets until he finds a frying pan. Karl chuckles, “Don’t know where everything is either?”

“I don’t do the cooking,” the younger one responds, moving to the stove. He places the frying pan on one of the burners and motions Karl over. “Anything else you want to eat?” he asks. 

“Sausage and biscuits,” Karl answers, a cheeky smile on his face. Sapnap rolls his eyes playfully. “You ask for a lot.”

Nonetheless, Sapnap pulls out the package of sausage and bag of biscuits. He places some into the air fryer and starts it after reading the instructions, then grabs another frying pan after putting the leftover biscuits back into the freezer. He walks back to the stove and gives Karl the package of sausage and the frying pan. “Oh, let me turn on some music first,” Karl says, pulling out his phone to turn on his Spotify.

He presses shuffle, then queues up certain songs he wants to hear. Sapnap is unaware of the brunet’s plan. He places his phone onto the counter and opens the package of sausage, then begins to cook a few at once. Sapnap hesitates before he starts cooking. He sighs, “I only know how to scramble eggs.” 

“That’s okay with me. Scrambled eggs are… okay,” Karl laughs, poking Sapnap in the side. The amber-haired man laughs with him and starts to scramble the eggs. He makes enough for two people, then divides them onto plates. Karl finishes up the sausage and cuts the stove off, and that’s when Everything Has Changed (Taylor’s Version) begins to play. Karl gasps and grasps Sapnap’s wrist to tug him into an open area of the kitchen. “But our food?” Sapnap exclaims, trying to step away.

“It can wait, it’s got to cool down anyways. Let’s dance!” Karl giggles, adjusting their hands so they can dance together. Karl shakes their arms up and down, trying to get Sapnap to laugh so he opens up to the idea of dancing. The brunet sways his hips as the pre-chorus plays, and slowly, Sapnap joins him in swaying. Sapnap decides to twirl Karl during the chorus, eliciting giggles out of him. Ed Sheeran’s part begins to play, and it hits Sapnap how well this song captures him and Karl. He took down his walls for Karl, and allowed him to see the truth about his life. Not to mention, the insane amount of butterflies he gets around the older one. 

He hums along to the pre-chorus, making a grin flash across Karl’s face. They spin and he twirls Karl around, dancing wildly to the carefree song. Once the bridge comes on, Sapnap sings along gently. The taller one looks down at him with soft eyes, something Sapnap can't decipher in his eyes. It looks almost as if it’s hope, but what would Karl be hoping for? 

The chorus plays again and Sapnap focuses on spinning Karl. He has a hand wrapped around his waist as the brunet leans back, trusting Sapnap with all his weight. It brings a bright grin to his face and a blush across his nose and cheeks. Soon, the outro ends and Heart To Heart by Mac DeMarco starts playing. Karl’s face brightens and he quickly adjusts their footing and hand placements so that they can slow dance. The amber-haired man bites his own lip and sighs, “Karl, I don’t know how to slow dance.”

“I’ll teach you. Follow my lead, you can look at my feet. When you feel comfortable, look at my face,” Karl reassures, taking a step back. Sapnap follows his lead as they step to the side, backwards, forwards, and repeat. Soon, he lifts his head to meet Karl’s blue eyes. They stare into each other’s gaze, soft smiles on their pink lips. Something draws them closer—whether it be the slow song or themselves. Karl leans down first and Sapnap presses onto his tiptoes to connect their lips together. The younger one lets go of Karl’s hand to wrap it around his neck, deepening the kiss. They gasp for air into each other’s mouths and pull away when they’re desperate to breathe. Their eyes widen immediately and Karl steps backwards, grabbing his phone from the counter to cut off the music. 

“Oh, my god. I’m so sorry. I didn’t…” Karl mumbles before he speed walks out of the kitchen.

Chapter Text

Sock padded feet trot down the stairs, almost slipping on the tile floor. Sapnap freezes once he hears voices coming from the living room and he spots brunet curls. He inches forward, listening in on their conversation. 

“So, Karl, after hanging with us for a few days, who’s your favorite?” Dream questions, bouncing Idalia on his leg. Sapnap furrows his eyebrows at such a silly question, but a part of him burns. Surely, Sapnap is Karl’s favorite, but after last night, can he even dare to argue with the others about it? What if he oversteps?

“Oh, come on, we know it’s me,” George replies, a smirk on his lips. Karl’s mouth opens to speak, but he quickly stops himself. The younger one steps forward, coming to be right behind Karl, and answers for him, “It’s me. Plain and simple.”

His Texan accent slips out as he says it, and he immediately flushes after. Karl jerks his whole body around to look at the man behind him. His eyes are wide as he meets Sapnap’s green eyes. Sapnap gulps, licking his lips, and makes his way to the kitchen as fast but seemingly normal as possible. He grabs a glass from the cabinet and turns on the faucet to pour him a cup of water when someone clears their throat behind him. Sapnap cranes his neck to look at the person—of course, it’s Karl—while he fills up the glass. He starts to speak, but Karl beats him to it with a simple, “Hey.”

“Hey, uhm, how’d you sleep?” Sapnap asks, easing into the conversation. He scratches an invisible itch on the back of his neck with his free hand, then takes a sip as Karl responds. “Oh, uh, good. Good. How about yours? I see you didn’t have to get Idalia up.”

“Oh, it was good too. Yeah, sometimes they do that,” Sapnap replies. He bites his lip and nibbles on it as he tries to think of what else to say. His eyes drift to the floor, but Karl’s stay on him. The amber-haired man decides he should just mention what happened last night so they can get through it. He opens his mouth to speak, but then gapes like a fish. Karl’s eyes widen, his arms folding in on himself. He holds up one hand to point to the living room with his thumb. “Okay, uhm. I’m gonna go,” Karl says, walking out of the room.

Sapnap stands with his glass of water, his eyes locked onto the back of Karl’s skull. He turns and pours out the glass, then walks into the living room. “Hey, uh, I’m going to chill upstairs in my room for a bit. Do you guys have Idalia?” he asks, his eyes wandering from Karl to Dream and George. 

“Yeah, dude. We’ve got her!” Dream answers, showcasing Idalia’s bright smile. Sapnap sends them a thumbs up before walking up the stairs and to his bedroom. As soon as he reaches his door, a hand wraps around his forearm. Green meets blue again as their eyes meet and Sapnap can’t help but frown. Karl mimics him, his eyes sending the younger one a message of don’t give me that look. “What is it?” Sapnap finally asks.

“Can we talk? In your room?” Karl requests, letting go of Sapnap. He stands up straighter and crosses his arms, waiting for Sapnap to answer. The amber-haired man sighs and nods his head, opening the door to let Karl walk through. Hesitantly, Karl sits down on the bed. Sapnap sits down further on the bed so he can rest against the headboard and prop his feet up. He waits for Karl to speak first. After a lot of fiddling with his fingers, Karl apologizes, “I’m sorry for running away, what is it? Three times now?”

“Last night, why did you run away?” They’re both caught off guard with how brave Sapnap is. Karl shifts on the bed, turning to face Sapnap the best he can while not getting onto the bed fully. He takes a deep breath and exhales shakily. “I think… I was scared.”

“Of what?” Sapnap inquires, tilting his head slightly as he stares at the brunet. Karl sighs, picking at the skin beside his fingernails. He licks his lips before answering, “Kissing you means… a lot.”

“Yeah?” Sapnap breathes gently. Karl chuckles, shaking his head. “It means a lot in the sense of liking each other and what that turns into.”

“Like it turning into us dating? Being boyfriends? Is there a problem?” Sapnap questions. 

Karl stares down at the floor as he answers him, “There’s no problem, but you have a whole ass kid, Sapnap. Where does that put me? Do I… what do I become?”

“You don’t have to be anything you don’t want to be right now, K. You can just be my boyfriend,” Sapnap reassures, patting the bed beside him to get Karl to join him further on the bed. The brunet turns to crawl up the bed, but he doesn’t sit beside Sapnap. Instead, he plops himself onto the younger one’s lap. Sapnap tilts his head up to look at him, and his breath hitches. Softly, Karl asks, “So you still want me as your boyfriend?”

“I’ve never known anyone like you,” Sapnap breathes gently before he pulls Karl’s head down to connect their lips. The kiss starts off sweet, a gentle caress of each other’s mouths. Gradually, it builds, the fires  from their bellies burning bright. Butterflies flutter around their stomachs, hitting against the sides, causing them to yearn for more. Tongues dive into mouths to fight and lips swell and turn as bright as their cheeks. Sapnap’s lips drag down to pepper kisses down a smooth, pale neck and across a golden chain near pointy collarbones. Teeth sink into skin, Sapnap claims Karl as his. 

“Sap, you, uh, never answered me,” Karl pants as Sapnap marks every inch of pale skin he can. Sapnap pulls away to press their lips together in another heated kiss. “Do you really not have your answer?” the shorter one asks. 

“Please,” his breath hitches at teeth sinking into a certain spot near his collarbone. Sapnap laughs and pulls away to admire his work, a smirk planted on his lips. 

“Well, you, my boyfriend, look divine.”

—

“I want to go to the zoo,” Karl says once they’re both awake and coherent. Sapnap immediately groans, slapping a hand over his face. Karl’s bottom lip pokes out and his eyes soften as he rolls over to face the amber-haired man. He pokes his arm, signaling for the shorter man to face him. He rolls over, his eyebrow raised. “Why did you groan?” Karl questions. 

“I’m worried about Idalia. What are we going to do about her?” Sapnap replies, a frown planted on his face. Karl hums as he thinks of a solution. After a few minutes of thinking, he gasps, “We could just say she’s family that we are babysitting for the day. We don’t want any pictures posted for her privacy. It’s believable.”

“She looks just like me, K,” Sapnap states, defeated. Karl bites his lip and attempts to shrug. “They’ll take your word over it. C’mon. Please, baby.”

“Fine, let me go talk to Dream and George,” he says, tugging on a random shirt. He grabs the baby monitor and walks out of the room, finds Dream and George to get them on board, then reports back to Karl in his bedroom. “They’re getting ready, I’ll be just a few minutes, then I’ll get Lia ready.”

After 10 minutes, everyone is downstairs in the living room, ready to walk out the door. Dream sets up the carseat in Sapnap’s matte black Tesla, then Sapnap buckles her up in it. They pile into the car—Sapnap driving with Karl in the passenger seat and Dream and George in the backseat with Idalia—and Sapnap drives them to the zoo. Once they’re there, Sapnap parks and immediately gets Idalia out. They pay for their tickets, grab maps, and begin navigating their way through the zoo. They start at the African Birds habitat and make their way to the wishing well. Karl pulls a coin out of his wallet and steps up to the well. “You’re going to make a wish?” Sapnap questions, adjusting Idalia on his hip.

“No,” Karl answers, flipping the coin into the wishing well. Sapnap furrows his eyebrows as he watches Karl get back onto the path. He walks up to be beside the brunet and bumps into him. Karl suspies, “I already have everything I want in life. Got one last night.”

He sends a wink as he says it and Sapnap flushes red. “Hey, there is face painting. Want to get Idalia’s face done?” Dream mentions, pointing over to the area.

Sapnap nods, walking over to the face painting area. They wait in line and then Sapnap sits down and situates Idalia on his lap. The painter paints a butterfly on her cheek while Sapnap tries his best to hold her and her head still. After face painting, they walk down the path to the Barnyard Buddies where the llama, alpacas, and goats are. Idalia points at the fluffy animals and Sapnap helps her feed the goats. They leave Barnyard Buddies to go see the wreathed hornbill and cougar. The path wraps around so they can admire the tortoises, peccaries, and warthogs. 

The group takes a right to see the cheetah. Karl spots the butterfly garden and runs up to it, the others walking to catch up with him. Karl extends his finger out to try and catch one, and somehow by pure luck or the gods gracing him, one lands right on the tip of his finger. He turns slowly as Sapnap steps up to him and Karl gently brings his hand down to put the butterfly on Idalia’s nose, but she giggles and it flies off. Sapnap beams, a loud laugh falling past his lips. Him and Idalia sound almost the same as they laugh together, which brings a bright smile on Karl’s lips. 

They leave to go admire the giraffes and that’s when Sapnap’s stomach growls. “Can we go get something to eat?” he asks, pointing at the restaurant area. 

The rest of the group agrees, so they walk up to the food section. Sapnap glances at Karl, who immediately meets his gaze. “Can you hold her while I get food and eat? You’re not hungry?”

“Yeah, of course, I can. I’m not hungry, no. Go eat,” Karl replies, taking Idalia from the younger one. Everyone except Karl and Idalia eat for a few minutes, and once they’re done, Sapnap doesn’t bother taking Idalia from Karl because he’s giggling at her own light laughter. “Ready to go see the rhinos?” George questions everyone, staring down at his map.

In unison, everyone says, “Yes.” After the rhinos, they head straight to see the lemurs and guenon. They continue down the path to freak out over the North American river otter, then take a right and go to the gazebo that overlooks the dragonfly pond. Dream and George stand together with their arms wrapped around each other as they point out the dragonflies. Karl holds Idalia on his hip and tries his best to show her the dragonflies, but she’s way too giggly to focus on what he’s doing. Sapnap stands back and admires the different pairs, a sense of overwhelming pride filling him. He’s so lucky to have all of them in his life.

Karl turns around to find Sapnap and their eyes lock. Green bleeds into bright blue and once again, Sapnap’s eyes send a message of pure, irrevocable love. This time, however, Karl’s blue eyes part like the ocean as it did for Moses, allowing the message of love to travel through the ocean’s opening and it comes rushing to his head as the seams crash back together. 

Downturned eyes soften and a gentle smile forms on his lips. An I love you is passed between them for only them to know.

—

Sapnap wakes up way too late. He knows immediately from the way the sun shines through his window and glares at him. He rolls over to grasp his phone and look at the time, which reads eight in the morning. He groans and jerks up out of the bed, throws open his bedroom door, and jogs down the hall to Idalia’s room.

Carefully, he opens the door and sneaks in, but he quickly freezes once he notices Karl standing in the middle of the room. His eyebrows furrow as Karl turns to look at who has entered the room, and that’s when he also turns into a statue. He looks down at Idalia, who’s taking a bottle in his arms, then gazes back at the amber-haired man. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. You didn’t wake up and Dream told me what to do. Plus, I’ve seen you do it so many times already. I thought you could use the sleep,” Karl mentions. Sapnap nods, taking a deep breath to analyze the moment. Reality hits him and he smiles softly. Karl raises an eyebrow. “What? You’re okay with me doing this?”

“Yeah, K. It’s completely okay,” he starts, sucking in a deep breath. “You’re her father.”

The brunet’s face falls. Sapnap can see a gloss form over his bright blue eyes and his throat move as he swallows. He furrows his brows, utter confusion and adoration on his face. “I’m her father? Sap, you don’t know how much that means to me.” 

“I’m in love with you,” Sapnap confesses, as if his previous words weren’t enough to express his feelings. He steps forward and wraps an arm around Karl’s waist, pulling him closer to press their lips together. Karl pants as they pull away. He gasps, “You didn’t let me say it back.”

“I already know you do,” Sapnap states, because he does. He once questioned if Karl would love him after this, would love him even after figuring out he has a wonderful daughter named Idalia, but he no longer has to wonder. His family is right here with him.