Work Text:
Being a student was hard. Staying up all night studying for a midterm that never ended up being the material studied, trying to maintain a social life, all while being broke the entire time wasn’t something Sapnap enjoyed. Maybe that’s why when he was offered a job as a teacher’s assistant, he took it happily not asking many questions. He wasn’t worried about who he got put with, for the most part all the profs in his program have been nothing but wonderful.
He might have wanted to ask more questions.
Walking into his apartment, Sapnap sat on the couch and opened his laptop to an email about his classes for the semester. Nothing interesting, early classes with large reading lists and assignments that seemed complicated enough but, that wasn’t out of the ordinary. Sapnap was a fourth year Media Journalism student, there was always going to be massive reading lists he would probably end up skimming for the most part.
As he was about to close the tab, a message came through from the managing staff for all the teaching assistants.
Good afternoon Mr. Armstrong,
Welcome back for another wonderful year at the University of North Carolina! I hope that you have had a great summer and are ready to start your TA work alongside your degree.
I am contacting you to let you know that your teaching assistant position has been assigned to MEJR 2070: The Dawn of Social Media Journalists. You will be working alongside Mr. Jacobs this semester to aid him in class work and helping students. MEJR 2070 takes place in Hussman, Hall C- Room 46. Class will begin at 1pm on Tuesday’s and will span 3 hours, whether Mr. Jacobs takes the class to full time or if he wants you there for the entirety of class is something you must discuss with him as I will not be able to make that decision for you both. Mr. Jacobs had recently joined our staff so I hope as a star student, you will be more than willing to help him as needed and make him feel welcome as we know how stressful it can be to change schools, both work and learning wise. The class syllabus is attached in this email for you to familiarize yourself with the content and maybe get your own copy of the required readings (this is optional but, sometimes it’s a good idea so you know what students are asking about). If you have any questions or problems, feel free to contact me at this email.
Have a good day,
B.B Halo
As excited as Sapnap was, he couldn’t help but dread being in this profs class, working with him. In the three years the raven had been at this school he had never heard of this class nor has he heard of this prof. It was probably a new course and it sounded interesting enough but, nothing was worse than dealing with new profs.
Mr. Jacobs sounds like he was either going to be really chill or a complete hard-ass and knowing Sapnap’s luck, he’s going to hate him within the first class.
See, Sap wasn’t a bad student, he was a great one even, it was just that he didn’t often like sitting in class. It was boring, he couldn’t bring his attention span to just listen to a prof lecture for hours on end and he didn’t even have to truly listen, he just had to have some common sense. This course didn’t seem like it was going to be hard in general, nor did it seem like it was going to be hard for Sapnap to follow enough to be able to help others unless the prof hated him that is.
Once classes started, Sapnap’s anxiety grew, more worried about the job than reading the syllabus for his courses. Tuesday approached quickly enough, and there Sapnap was, 20 minutes early to the class, setting down his things near the side desk at the front of the room. Nobody else was in the room yet, the raven assumed nobody would be, except maybe the prof but alas he wasn’t here either.
Sapnap pulled his laptop out onto the table, turning it on to see a slew of messages from his best friend, Dream.
Dre:) 12:38pm
Bro, your prof probably won’t be that bad
/UNLESS/ he is… which then rip
Guess you’ll be sucking old dude dick to keep this job LMAO
jk, but for real if we want to get that place together next year we need all the money we can get so don’t get fired please<3
Okay, love you have fun;)
Sap:D 12:43pm
I hate you idiot
leave me alone, I don’t wanna live with you anymore
You suck
At least I don’t have to wear a hairnet, Cafeteria boy LOL
Okay, love you, I’ll let you know how it goes
Shaking his head with a smile, he switched to Twitter, scrolling it mindlessly as he waited for the prof to show up. Students had already started coming in when Sapnap noticed the Mr.Jacobs was still not in yet. He was only mildly worried about him, hoping the man wasn’t too lost seeing as the school was fairly big and he probably wasn’t given an entire tour.
“Hi, uh is this Media Journalism 2070?” Sapnap was drawn from his thoughts by a saccharine voice.
As he turned his head, his eyes were met with a tall, lanky, young man. Grey-ish eyes with fluffy brown hair, coupled by freckles and a nervous smile. The boy was holding an over-the-shoulder bag, probably for his laptop, overtop an oversized sweater that covered his hands cutely.
Wow, he’s cute…I think I found my favourite already
A sly smile crept on Sapnap’s face as he looked the man in front of him up and down once more.
“Yeah, it is, profs not here yet though. You’re fine sweetie, I’m just the TA. You can just sit anywhere” He crossed his arms gently, watching as a blush found its way to the boy’s face.
“Oh, yeah? Do you know anything about him? I heard he was new this year” The brunet’s eyes shone brightly, blush reflecting in them.
“Nah, otherwise I’d tell you if you had to be scared or not. All I know is he’s new and considering its 5 minutes to 1, he might be lost. I don’t have any contact with him yet so who knows. He could be an asshole old guy for all I know, guess we find out together” He shrugged as the boy giggled in front of him.
A pretty sound. It was soft but loud, his body folding in on himself cutely, as the blush that Sapnap caused darkened.
“Damn, that’s sad, he must be really lost, what do we do if he doesn’t show at 1?” Grey eyes questioned.
“I’d say wait probably 20 minutes and then you guys could probably leave, I’d have to stay back in case he showed up but I wouldn’t keep you all. Probably just tell him that you guys left, and to send out a mass email. Oh god what if he doesn’t use email because he’s so old and decrepit” Both of the men laugh contently.
Sapnap liked this boy already. He would have to ask him for his number or something, seeing as the boy is seemingly enjoying this conversation as much as he is. The raven would quickly get used to hearing that angelic laugh, as the clock hit 1pm and the boy claimed he was going to take his seat.
As Sapnap bid him a goodbye, the boy turned around and walked towards the front desk, setting his things down and opening his laptop to the syllabus.
Are you fucking kidding me? This has to be a joke.
A smile flashes towards Sapnap from the man he thought was a student.
“Hi everyone, I’m Professor Jacobs, my first name is Karl, please feel free to call me that instead. It feels weird being professor to you guys considering I’m at most four years older than you all. I recently transferred from the University of Ohio, where I was co-teaching a very similar course with my friend. I called him Foosh but Professor Brown would hate that I’ve told you all that, so I guess just don’t go to Ohio anytime soon. Not that anyone would ever want to but, don’t tell him anyways. I hope this will be a good semester for all of us, this class is new for the university and so am I so you guys don’t really have much to go off of but, I promise with my ADHD, we’re going to have some fun. I don’t really want to just lecture to you guys, seeing as this course is a smaller head count, I’m hoping to learn everyone’s names very quickly and we’ll be able to have proper conversations in here not me just throwing information at you. The midterm won’t be terribly hard, neither will the final, so long as you can talk about the work and defend your opinion on things well, this will be a piece of cake! We have a TA with us for the semester, sitting at the table off to the side of the front so feel free to bother him with questions too. I’m sure he’s smart, they wouldn’t have put him here otherwise. Uh, Mr. Armstrong why don’t you introduce yourself for us?” Karl spoke cheerfully, watching as the blush that he once adorned attached itself to Sapnap’s face.
“Uhm, you can call me Sap or Sapnap, I’m in my fourth year of media journalism. I’m specializing in social media, and news distribution which I’m assuming is why they put me in here so I can probably answer questions you have. If you want to even ask about different paths to take with this degree, I can always chat with you after class or something. I’m hoping we have a good time and we all welcome Mr. Jacobs – I mean Karl, to the school.” Sapnap smiled half-heartedly to the class before his eyes drew back to Karl.
He remained fixated on the man for the rest of class, which ended after an hour and a half. Karl was sure to reassure the class a lot of classes would finish at the halfway point or just after because he didn’t want to overwhelm the students with information or something. Sapnap wasn’t really paying attention to a single word that left Karl’s lips. They looked soft, and sweet; almost kissable. It was hard to know what the brunet had said but, it wasn’t like Sapnap had to really listen. The only time he did pay any sort of attention however was when that laugh came out time and time again.
It had a chokehold on Sapnap for some reason. Just the way the man was so open about it, laughing loud and joyous, like he’s never been hurt. Part of Sapnap hoped the man had never been hurt, but at the same time he knew that even perfection was subtly imperfect. Karl had to not be so angelic, and Sapnap would spend the next 4 months they had together trying to figure it out.
As the last student left, Sapnap got up, walking over to the professor desk, Karl sitting on it with his phone out.
“Hey, uh Karl. I wanted to apologize about earlier, I didn’t mean to mistake you for a student, they didn’t tell me you would be s—” Karl’s smile appeared once more, meeting emerald eyes in greys.
“Don’t worry, I know I’m young and if anything, it was cute to watch you talk about the ‘mystery’ prof like that. I’m sure we’ll have a good time together, or uh wait. That sounded kind of bad, I mean that I think we will work well this semester and it won’t be miserable for you” A low chuckle left Sapnap as roses bloomed on Karl’s cheeks.
“Well, I’m sure we can get through this together. I’ll see you on Tuesday Karl” Sap smiled.
“Yeah! Okay, I’ll see you next week for the first proper class!” Karl stood, smiling brightly back.
As Sapnap started walking away, he stopped. Sighing, he turned around, walking back to the brunet, and pulling out his phone.
“I need your number or email or something”
“Wow Sapnap, I mean I know I’m cute but I’m still a professor, you can’t just hit on me like that” Karl crossed his arms in fake annoyance.
“Oh, uh no! I just mean—uh I meant that like, I need – Mr. Halo said I needed to be able to contact you and uh, you aren’t wrong but like that’s not what I meant” Sapnap stuttered, embarrassment crawling through him.
“I know, it’s fun to make you nervous though” Karl giggled, taking Sapnap’s phone, giving him his contact information, slipping the phone back into the raven’s hand before he even noticed.
“This is definitely going to be a fun semester. Bye Karl” Sapnap, flustered, rushing out of the room and started for Dream’s dorm room.
The walk was nice enough, Dream chose to stay on campus for another year but, Sapnap couldn’t do it. It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford it, it was just that he wanted his own space and if he stayed in the dorms he would have a roommate, that probably wasn’t going to be Dream. Instead, he made Dream get a roommate and he lived off campus on his own, even if Dream planned on staying over all the time anyways.
His roommate seemed nice enough, he was also a tall blond like Dream. His name’s Luke but he preferred being called Punz. It wasn’t uncommon for people to adopt nicknames they liked better, Christ Dream and Sapnap don’t tell people their real names anymore for the most part, it’s just easier to call them their nicknames and move on. Profs even eventually started doing it, they didn’t want to argue. By fourth year, the professors had started knowing the students with the smaller class sizes anyways.
Upon getting into the room, the boys sank back into a pair of beanbag chairs, turning the xbox on and starting up a game. It had been their routine right from back in high school when Dream was in Florida and Sapnap was in Texas. They chose the same university by accident but, were happy to be physically next to each other for the first time. Nonetheless, as Sapnap had promised, he told Dream all about the infamous Mr.Jacobs. He didn’t hold back at gushing to his best friend at how attractive this man was even if Dream faked disgust next to him.
“Dude, maybe he’s trying to fuck, go get it, at least he isn’t old like we thought, less wrinkles” Dream laughed, paying more attention to the game in front of him.
“I’m sure it was just innocent teasing, probably meant nothing by it. Plus, I can’t just jump on him, I would get fired immediately and probably banned from the school. He’d get fired most likely and then what? I’m homeless and without a degree? He’s jobless and would hate me? No thanks, no dick is worth that” Sapnap chimed back, equally as invested in the video game.
“I don’t know, could be hot. Bend him over his desk n shit – OW asshole” Sapnap had slapped the blond’s arm halfway through the sentence, causing him to pout and recoil.
Sapnap just laughed and continued their game, conversation about Mr. Jacobs coming to a halt.
The next few days, Karl and Sapnap texted about course content, and general things about the school. Turned out that nobody gave Karl a tour at all so Sapnap offered himself and Dream to do it. It wasn’t long and they didn’t say much except the essentials, but it was nice. Karl seemed a lot more confident with where he had to go and Sapnap was happy Dream got to see the hot new professor on campus.
Walking back into Dream’s dorm after their goodbyes to Karl, Dream looked to Sapnap, mouth agape. The raven looked to him weirdly, complaining a small ‘what’ as the blond giggled.
“You are trying to fuck that prof, 100% dude. You can’t tell me otherwise” The blond snickered as a blush crept up Sapnap’s face.
“I’m not? I’m being nice to him because I don’t want him to hate me the entire semester. Not trying to fuck him, fuck off” Sap rolled his eyes, walking past Dream and grabbing water from the fridge.
“Well, if you aren’t I am” Dream laughs, sitting down on the bean bag chairs once more.
---
The first month went by smoothly enough. Sapnap and Karl had gotten along really well, they were even teaching portions of material together. The first half of the semester was simple enough to teach, it was mainly introducing the material which Karl was more than happy to let Sapnap throw his own thoughts and information in as he chatted along. The raven was happy with it, Karl seemed to be as well.
However, when they weren’t doing a lecture together, Sapnap found it hard to focus. He claimed it was the flickering light in the room but, that light got fixed rather quickly not that he would tell Dream that. The blond wouldn’t know, even if he bought the flickering light lie. It was Karl. The man truly was gorgeous; his laugh was contagious, a smile that could blind you, his sense of style sent Sapnap to the grave. He had never seen a prof dress as casual but professional as Karl, and it worked so well with him. Dress pants that hugged the man’s thighs, a slightly oversized sweater with a button down underneath, rings and chains, everything was perfect.
Now if you asked Sapnap, he didn’t have a crush on Karl. He’d say they’re essentially coworkers, that he just thinks Karl is cool, nothing more. He wasn’t drooling over the way thundercloud eyes met forests, or how rose petals danced against freckled cheeks when Karl looked at him. Not at all, Karl was a nice man but, Sapnap wouldn’t say he wanted to kiss soft curls while when Karl lays against his chest or anything. He was the professor for a class Sapnap TA’s, not someone to dream about into the late hours of night.
Even if it may be Karl that was distracting, it wasn’t Sapnap’s fault. The brunet often went on tangents and rants about other things in life; from telling facts he knows about other subjects to telling stories from his personal life, Karl was an open book. For the most part, Sapnap had never seen a professor like Karl; not only was he young but, he took an interest in what others had to say and he openly talked about himself.
One day in particular, Karl came into the class humming along to a beat in his headphones that Sapnap knew as the Adventure time theme song. It was kind of cute to hear Karl so cheery, bouncing along to his desk. Sapnap was happy to leave the man be with it, hoping to see the brunet do so again but, a student had been watching him too.
“Karl, are you listening to adventure time?” A student Sapnap came to know as Kendall chimed out.
“I am! I like it, it’s cute. You know the first time I watched Adventure Time; I was with an old friend of mine named Chris. We were…”
Karl continued the story about how Chris and he had watched the show for the first time, giggling to each other under fleece blankets and bellies filled with hot cocoa. He eventually rambled on about how he even met Chris, and then tangents continued from there. That entire class was wasted time for the students, Karl opting to put slides and information on the class page instead of shifting it to the coming week, but Sapnap loved it. He liked watching Karl’s eyes flicker with fireworks of joy as he so passionately spoke about favorite things in life. The brunet was a bundle of joy, a ball of light the raven hoped would never burn out.
Class became harder and harder for Sapnap to focus, often just staring at the professor the entire time. He would daydream about seeing Karl outside of class, what he would be like and if Karl would even want that. Of course, the pair texted from time to time, or even sent the occasional email but, it wasn’t anything more than professional banter. Even if Sapnap had wanted it to be more, his anxiety was too strong, holding him back from responding to fast or even responding at all.
As midterms came and went, Sapnap held onto Karl more and more. He noticed the small things about the man. How his freckles made constellations from his collarbones to the highs of his cheeks, how one of them sat right in the crook of his neck.
Right where Sap wished he could be
Karl was a gorgeous man. The raven knew this, it wasn’t uncommon knowledge, Christ even Dream would comment on it from time to time. But Dream didn’t get to see the way Karl ruffled his own hair subconsciously, or how he squinted trying to read from a small distance. He didn’t see things the way Sapnap did, like how Karl’s giggles called to the birds, or how his little dances he did when he got excited could clear a stormy sky. When Karl was focused, he would stick his tongue out slightly, biting down gently. That face alone could make a royal guard turn soft.
Even if Sapnap wouldn’t admit it, he had a crush on the young professor. He was a wonderful, unattainable man and of course that is exactly who Sap wanted. It wasn’t easy, let alone even plausible so it only made sense that the raven would crave the presence of teddy bear curls and ring clad hands.
Alas, he kept it to himself. He didn’t flirt after the first interaction; he was friendly but tried to not stray from platonic as to not make Karl uncomfortable. This went on the entire semester, Sapnap would catch himself watching Karl’s lips as he spoke to the raven or thinking indecent thoughts late into the night about dainty fingers and plush lips pressed against his own. He tried to leave these thoughts behind, but they rushed to the forefront every moment they could. Karl was always on his mind, and he couldn’t stop it.
Karl, however, wasn’t subtle in the ways he admired Sapnap. He watched as the man would talk to a student, explaining some term Karl didn’t care to listen to. He sat at the edge of his desk as students left the room and Sapnap stayed behind to finish whatever he was doing on his laptop. Karl initiated texts that weren’t always just professional, they were investigative. The brunet wanted to know how Sapnap took his coffee, what kind of music he listened to, what he watched or even who he hung out with other than his friend Dream. Karl wanted, no, needed to know about strong arms and viridian eyes.
Throughout the semester, Karl noticed how Sapnap was when people weren’t watching. Late nights trying to plan over the phone to the time after class doing the same thing gave Karl time to watch how his TA acted. Sapnap was a gentle soul until he was riled up, often it was Dream getting him going. He wore hats as often as he could, hoodies following suit. He dressed comfy-casual, something Karl thought fit the mans vibe really well. Sapnap felt like he would be the type of boyfriend to cuddle up with his partner and fall asleep running his hands through their hair. Not that Karl thought about it often or anything. That would be weird.
It wasn’t like Karl watched as Sapnap’s eyes crinkled when he laughed, or how he nibbled on his lip when he was nervous. The brunet was unsure if it was a normal thing for Sap to be anxious but, he would often bite on his lip when Karl was around. Part of Karl hoped it was a butterflied nervousness that he gave Sapnap, nobody else. Was it likely? Probably not but, God did he want to be the reason.
He noticed how Sapnap watched him in class, often his head tilting to the side in what could only be described as a puppy love curiosity. Karl soaked it up, rambling on about whatever he could as to not end the class early. He wanted Sapnap to stay in the room with him as long as possible. He carried this on the entire semester, even opting to have Sapnap and him sit down in his office to mark midterms together. That day Karl found out a little bit more about Sapnap than he thought he would get to.
“Sometimes I wonder if the class is even paying attention or if I’m just not cut out to teach this course” Karl sighed frustrated.
“They haven’t been that bad. I’ve found a few that may be paying attention to you but not your words, other than those I think it would be safe to assume you’re doing good as a prof” Sapnap smiled gently, offering Karl a glance.
“I don’t know Sap; I don’t know how much I’ve actually taught them. It seems like they like you more than me, asking for you to help them every chance they get. I’m ramble too much sometimes; I know I do. I just get excited about certain topics, you know? I just worry they don’t like me like I want them to” Sweatered hands drop the pen from their grasp, fiddling with the corner of test paper.
Sapnap dropped his own pen, turning more towards Karl in the quaint office space. Resting papers on the desk in front of him, he looks to Karl once more. The brunet’s nerves took over as blush crept up his cheeks. Sap reached out to grasp one of the professors’ hands, taking one in both of his and rubbing the back softly.
“They love you; you are smart, bubbly, and approachable. The only reason they ask me things is because that’s what I’m there to do. I’m meant to be easier to talk to than the prof, like asking your buddy if they know what’s going on because you zoned out for 45 minutes and now the prof is talking about something completely different. I’m there to be approachable in a simpler way than you. They want to impress you; everyone does so they don’t want to ask something dumb and make you think less of them. Me on the other hand? They don’t care about what they ask me because I’m a student just like them. Once you get the first year in, I’m sure your rep as a chill professor will spread and people will be more willing to ask the dumb questions, or have you ramble about something you enjoy to them. You’re doing a great job Karl, don’t stress yourself just because you’re new here. I read up on your time over in Ohio, they adored you sir. People will do the same as the years pass, you are doing exactly as you’re supposed to be. Just be yourself and enjoy what you do in class. That’s what counts the most”
Sapnap was a soft person with a hard exterior. He played like nobody was to know the man inside was a caring and kind soul, intent on making others feel good. The raven gifted Karl the knowledge of knowing the real him, the sweet Texan man that wanted everyone to know they were loved and needed. Karl liked that about Sapnap. He hoped Sap would show more of this as they got closer the rest of the semester.
That was the moment Karl truly knew how he felt about Sapnap. He knew that this man could make his worst days brighter, he could make soured anxiety feel like fresh daisies. Sapnap was a breath of fresh air to the brunet, he wanted to breath him in every second he could.
The closer the pair got, the more Sapnap came to know how Karl expressed his love for people. He was a physically affectionate person, small touches at the start of the year becoming soft curls resting on stoic but plush shoulders. Close to the end of the year, Karl was fully throwing his legs over Sapnap when they worked together on the small couch in his office.
Sapnap wasn’t big on physical touch. Sure, he enjoyed when Dream and he cuddled but, physical contact was never more than that. They didn’t hug often, they sat apart from each other. Past relationships got mad about Sapnap not holding their hand or kissing them in public, he just didn’t like the idea of being so intertwined with someone all the time. That changed when he met Karl. Suddenly he craved the proximity. As school carried on, Sapnap found himself missing the feeling of Karl next to him. The way he rested himself against Sap, or how he would place his hands on his shoulders when standing behind him. Sapnap hated only seeing Karl when he had something to discuss, or they had class. If it were up to the raven, he would see Karl everyday, Christ he would probably never leave the bubbly man’s side.
Okay so maybe Sapnap would finally admit to himself he had a crush on Karl. Maybe Dream pulled it out of him just after midterms when they were at Sap’s apartment drinking. Maybe Sapnap whined about missing Karl whilst on reading break, and maybe Dream threatened to call Karl himself if Sapnap wouldn’t admit it. But that was neither here nor there, Sapnap couldn’t do anything about his crush on the professor, it would be unprofessional; Sap knew that. It didn’t hurt to daydream about the man though, nobody would know.
---
Sapnap watches as Karl helps a student on their final exam, walking up and down the sea of students frantically writing their lives away. It was kind of funny to the raven, seeing as he was doing the same thing hours prior for his own classes. Sap was walking around collecting finished exams at abandoned desks as he and Karl bumped into each other.
“Sorry” Karl giggled lightly, trying to not disrupt the students.
Rose petals covered both men’s cheeks as they parted ways, onto the next soul in need of help.
Everything remained fairly calm throughout the exam. Nobody had any major issues and Sapnap was happy. He knew Karl worried about not being a good enough prof to teach this on his own so seeing that students were okay writing the exam, not asking for more than clarification in most cases, was good. He hoped Karl saw the greatness he gave to the class, the energy he spread amongst every student he spoke with during the semester and even now. The students writing was frantic but, they seemed relaxed as Karl’s presence loomed over them. Sapnap liked that about Karl. He was relaxing to be around even in his most hyperactive states.
Soon the time wrapped up and the pair watched as the last student handed in their exam. As they picked up their bag and left, Karl placed the paper on his desk and smiled to Sapnap, walking over to him and hugging the man tightly.
“We did it! They’re done, and I don’t think anyone can fail with the marks they went in with! We really did it!” He beamed with content.
As Karl let go, he looked into Sapnap’s eyes dissecting the flecks of green that laid overtop one another.
“No Karl, you did it. You’re the prof, I just sat here and answered questions they were too scared to ask you. This was all you, I told you at midterms, you are great at your job. It’s nice to see a prof like you care so much about the students and love what you teach. You did it, I was at most barely a hel—”
“I won’t let you stand here and say you didn’t do anything. Maybe you just answered dumb questions but, those are things they wouldn’t have asked me anyways. You being there made them calmer, and it made me feel better too. I had a partner – uh a co-teacher in a way. It feels better that way. We did it.” Karl cut Sap off, quickly rejecting all the credit.
“Fine, it was team effort but, you were the leader of it all.” Sapnap chuckled, raising his hands in defeat.
As the pair cleaned up the room and placed all the exams in a box to go to Karl’s office, they chatted. It was nothing of substance, more to fill the void of quiet that danced around them.
“What’re you up to tonight?” Karl chimed.
“Uhm, I don’t really know. This was the last exam I had until break so I should be partying but, I might just go back to my apartment and watch a movie. What’re you up to tonight professor?” The raven admitted, giggling at Karl’s face scrunching up when Sap called him professor.
Dream tried to get him to go out already, nearly begging the man to come to a party, but Sapnap declined. He didn’t want to go get drunk with Dream all for them both to pass out on a couch or in his bed once they stumbled into the apartment. Sap was more of a homebody than Dream, of course he liked going out from time to time but, not every night. Tonight, wasn’t the right vibe, as he put it to the blond. Dream wasn’t happy about it but, he carried on Punz happy to join him instead.
“Stop calling me that, I wasn’t even your prof” Karl groaned, throwing himself into the desks chair dramatically.
“Never”
“That’s it. I know what I’m doing tonight” Karl smiled devilishly.
“What might that be Mr. Jacobs?” Sapnap approached the desk, sitting on the edge closest to Karl.
“Do you want to go for a drink with me? Nothing too serious, just a chill bar. No parties, no blaring music, just a nice thank you for the great semester?” Karl’s eyes shone with the same hope they did on the first day the pair met.
“I wouldn’t want to keep you from your friends Karl, this class was nothing for me to help with, you did such great work with them” Worried a tipsier version of himself would expose unrequited feelings, Sapnap politely declined.
“I have nothing to do for the entire weekend, besides you did help. I want to thank you, please Sap? Let me buy you one drink at the very least” Karl pleaded, sitting up and clasping his hands together.
How could I say no?
This is how Sapnap ended up at a small, but sweet bar with the brunet. They sat at a booth further in the corner, away from most of the crowd that was here.
“This place is cute” Sapnap smiled.
“I love it here, sometimes I just come to work. Just feels nice in here, I like the vibe” Karl confesses, taking a sip of his vodka cranberry.
Sapnap smiles and nods, taking in the room and people around him. It seemed to mostly be younger men which was kind of nice. Sapnap always expected a bar to either be packed with sweaty barely legal students or old men that want to drink their sorrows, not this. This felt nice, like Sapnap could see himself coming here to wind down with someone and hang out.
The time went on smoothly, the pair talking about how Karl planned on changing certain elements about the course, what Sapnap was doing after he graduated and such. More small talk than anything, even if something seemed to loom behind both of them from time to time. If felt as though they both had something they wanted to talk about, or something they would rather be doing but, neither would take the chance to throw it out there as a topic of conversation. It wasn’t something that could just be brought up, it was more of a confession only more drinks could bring up.
So, the pair drank.
By midnight, they were both a little bit more gone than they had thought as they began to dance, swaying to the music on the dancefloor. More people had come in since they arrived at 9pm but, not nearly as many as wherever Dream and Punz were. It was a populated place but, neither man was stepping on someone or each other. The place remained a nice, subdued vibe, very fitting for their energies.
The more the pair danced, the closer they got. Karl opting to sway closer to Sap every chance he got. It was innocent for the most part, just wanting to be close to familiarity but, the undertones of desire shone through. Sapnap, however, was the first one to make the first move of the night, pulling Karl in by his slender waist. The raven’s hand engulfed Karl’s side, warmth spreading through the brunet’s body. It was no more than Sapnap’s own wanting to be close to the man, but Karl’s blush burning his cheeks revealed much more.
“Did you want to crash at my place? It might be better, I’m just up the street from here so you can leave your car here for the night” Sapnap pulled Karl flush to him, and leaned into his ear, low sultry voice sending shivers down the brunet’s spine.
“I can just call an uber, I don’t want to put you out, thank you though!” Karl was nervous, this is the first time they had been out together without it being related to the class and they were close enough to push him over the edge already.
“You wouldn’t be putting me out at all, it’s the least I can do, you’ve paid for every drink tonight. It’ll be quieter so we can talk or watch something too, maybe order food?” Sapnap pushed Karl gently as to not scare him off, knowing the man was being polite.
“Are you sure? It was no big deal, you’re a lightweight” Karl giggled, keeping himself pressed to Sapnap, hands finding their way to the man’s chest.
“Yeah of course, do you want to go back now?” Sapnap rolled his eyes teasingly, offering a hand for Karl to take.
Karl nodded, grasping the larger hand, allowing himself to be pulled along between chairs and the flow of people. Sapnap stopped halfway through the bar, turning to Karl, and pulling him close.
“Also, I’m not a lightweight Jacobs” Sapnap growled lightly in Karl’s ear, blush re-emerging in full force.
A stuttered breath was all Karl could manage, Sap smiling to himself as he started to walk once again, the brunet dazed but in tow.
The walk wasn’t far, only a street over just like Sapnap had said. They wait quietly in the elevator before walking towards Sapnap’s front door, Karl bouncing on his feet lightly. Nerves ran through both men, not knowing what was coming next.
“Welcome to my place, it’s not a lot but, I like it. I’ll give you a tour tomorrow if you want one” Sapnap speaks contently as they enter the apartment, taking his shoes off and throwing them to the side.
Removing his shoes, Karl walks over to the couch and immediately sits, patting the spot beside him for Sap to sit down. Shaking his head, Sap listens to the brunet, taking his spot on the couch next to the beautiful man before him. The pair was quick to throw a random movie on, not really interested in it as it was more for background noise to their conversation.
“So, what was your first impression of me?” Karl questioned, wiggling his eyebrows at Sap.
“Do you want me to be honest here?” Sap bit at his lip, nerves setting in as he realised that he may speak unforgivable truths.
“Of course, I’ll tell you mine of you, but you have to go first” Karl’s eyes were bright greys, hints of blue shining through.
“Okay, I thought you were a student obviously. You don’t look like the stereotypical professor, not one I’m used to anyways. You were cute, all dressed up, nervous, and looking slightly lost. I could almost describe you a precious, no, I would describe you as precious. Then it turned out you were a dirty liar, still cute though” Sapnap’s cheeks burned bright with fire as he avoided eye contact with the brunet.
Karl however, had other plans. Sitting up slightly, the brunet grasped the larger hand in front of him smiling as he examined the raven’s face for a sign of a joke. He smiled brightly once more when he found no signs of a lie.
“I’m glad that’s what you thought of me. I tried really hard to look good that day, heard I had someone to impress from Mr. Halo” Karl giggled, playing with Sapnap’s hand, keeping his eyes low as to not look into Sap’s.
“You always look good Jacobs” Forest eyes flicker between the small, slender hands playing with his own and a face of winter and cranberries before him.
“I’ll be honest I was nervous and slightly lost that day but, that day isn’t exactly my first impression of you” Karl’s eyes checked viridian once more before continuing.
Slight confusion wrote itself across Sapnap’s face, large hands squeezing smaller ones softly. He wanted to know more, no, he needed to know what the angel he managed to bring home thought of him.
“A few weeks before classes had started, I was bringing some stuff into my office when I saw you. You were walking into Mr. Halo’s office, and you looked gorgeous. Maybe this is the alcohol talking but, you looked like a Greek God, just absolutely stunning. I got nervous so I went into my office and needed to take a minute but, I wanted to get your number then. I don’t know why I thought you were a teacher yourself but, I was going to ask you for it anyways. I would’ve taken you out if you wanted, of course but, I couldn’t do it off the bat, you caught me off guard. I just, I don’t know, I wanted to get to know you, I guess. When I walked back out, you were already gone so I felt like I lost my chance but, then when I walked into my class, there you were. You were my TA and well as much as I liked getting to look at you every class, I wanted to just – ugh nevermind, it’s getting a little weird” Karl stopped himself, hoping the conversation would die quickly and his rambling would be forgotten.
“Just what Jacobs?” Sapnap pushed, moving himself slightly closer to Karl, bringing his free hand to the brunet’s thigh.
“I just, uh. Do you still think I’m cute or has that died since we’ve been working together?” Hope bounced through Karl, eyes locking on the hand holding him in place.
“If anything, it’s only gotten stronger angel” Letting go of Karl’s hand Sapnap reached out, lightly resting it on the brunet’s cheek.
He looked at Karl fondly, thumb softly against delicate skin. A smile creeping up on both men’s faces.
“I wanted to just kiss you. All the time, like more than anything” Sapnap immediately pulled forwards, connecting their lips in a feverish kiss, spilling delayed need.
Sapnap is quickly pulled onto Karl’s lap, slender hands finding their way to his hips. The brunet’s thumbs massaged taut skin, working light moans from Sapnap as they kissed. As they pulled away, Sapnap was quick to grind his hips down against Karl, whimpering as he felt heat build in his stomach. Karl watched as Sapnap moved, eye’s tracing over saccharine collarbones. Licking his lips, Karl finds himself kissing down the man’s neck, biting as he reaches Sap’s clavicle.
Moans fill the room as Sapnap feels his pants growing tighter by the second, hands find their way into Karl’s hair pulling softly with every nip and mark left. Crimson and mulberry cover Sapnap’s neck, Karl sitting back slightly to admire his work. Sap groaned as he began to feel Karl beneath him. He leaned forwards, hiding his face into the crook of Karl’s neck, kissing, and biting at alabaster. Karl was quick to push himself upwards, against Sapnap’s ass, earning pleasured whimpers.
“Fuck, please Karl” Still kissing at newly bruised skin, Sapnap moaned loudly.
“Get up baby, be good for me” Karl helped Sapnap off his lap.
The brunet was quick to undo his pants and boxers, sliding them off his thighs, losing them on the floor. Sapnap’s mouth opened, eyes wide as he watched Karl stroke himself slowly, looking up with a smirk. Soon enough, the raven sank to his knees, hands finding their ways back to Karl’s thighs. He rubbed up and down against soft skin, nearly drooling at the sight before him.
“Want it puppy?” Karl’s words dripped in desire, and Sapnap wanted nothing more than to lick every drop.
The raven nodded feverishly before moving forwards. He looks up into Karl’s eyes once more before taking the tip into his mouth, closing his eyes. A loud moan is heard through the apartment as Sapnap starts to suck and circle his tongue around Karl’s cock, hands finding their way to dark hair.
Pulling off for a moment, Sapnap spits into his hand, smiling as Karl watches intensely needy breath escaping from him. As Sap wraps plush lips around the tip, his hand finds its way around Karl’s shaft, slowly starting to pump him. Sapnap listens as Karl whimpers and whines underneath him, mumbling praises with every time Sap’s hand meets his lips.
“So good baby, just like that” Breathless, Karl whines, causing Sapnap to moan around him.
Karl’s hips stutter at that, pleasure ripping through him. Sapnap gags slightly as Karl hits the back of his throat. Tears well in Sap’s eyes, threatening to fall against rosed cheeks.
“Sorry, just feels so good, like you were meant for this” Sapnap moans again, Karl quickly noting the need for praise.
Feeling himself near the edge, Karl pulls Sapnap off him, smirking as the raven whines, spit-covered lips pouting. Guiding Sapnap to stand once more, Karl moves forwards on the couch, looking up Sapnap before smiling. He reaches forwards, undoing Sap’s pants and pulling them off, to meet with his own clothes lost somewhere around. Karl takes a minute before his hands roam unclothed thighs, drooling as he squeezes them. A moan pulls from Sapnap as Karl marvels his legs, tip leaking precum through his boxers.
“You’re gorgeous, you know that? Like fuck, the number of times I’ve wanted to mark these thighs up, fuck” Karl bites his lip, looking up for permission.
Sapnap was quick to nod, Karl soon attaching himself to the fats of Sap’s thighs. Thumbs massage themselves into the flesh, causing the raven’s cock to jump, needing to be touched. Karl marked him in cranberry and plum, making sure every mark would be visible to anyone else that got to touch him. Not that Sapnap intended on having anyone else when he’s been pining for the professor the entire semester.
“Please Sir” Sapnap’s moans sounded like a symphony to Karl, dancing around the room of lust.
“Words honey, I need words” Karl knew what he wanted, he just wanted to hear Sapnap whine for him again.
“Need you, need your mouth, your hands, your cock…anything sir please”
Karl hummed before standing to meet Sapnap’s eyes once more. Looking down at the man’s lips, he kissed Sap slowly, grinding his bare hips against stained boxers. Karl moaned himself, before pulling away, hand working its way down to Sap’s aching cock. He rubbed the man through his boxers, making Sapnap’s body shiver, pleasure pushing him into overdrive.
“I need you now professor please” Karl lost himself in that moment.
It was never that Karl didn’t like being called professor, in fact, he rather enjoyed having the title. It was just different when students called him it compared to Sapnap. The word dripped off his lips like honey, making Karl want him more and more. The man often found himself late into the night imagining Sapnap moaning it for him, begging for the young prof to teach him everything about what it takes to please him. Not that Sap would need it, he was perfect at everything in Karl’s eyes. Having nearly sent him over the edge just from his mouth, Karl knew Sapnap was dangerous for him, but he loved the thrill. The perfect T.A and the perfect lover.
“Sap, be good, call me that again and you’re going to start something” Karl warned.
“But professor, I know you like it. I see the way your eyes go wide when I would say it in class or tease you with it. So, what’re you going to do? Teach me a lesson?” Sapnap teased back, pushing himself closer to Karl.
“Where’s your room, want you on the bed” Karl demanded, Sapnap quick to point to the closed door by the kitchen.
Karl grabbed one of Sapnap’s wrists tightly, walking towards the room. Sapnap was dazed at the sight of being pulled to his own room, as he wasn’t the submissive often. The door creaked open, Karl pushing him onto the bed before pulling Sap’s boxers off.
He licked his lips before bending down, taking the angry cock into his mouth sucking slowly. Sapnap’s cock wasn’t small by any means, he was long and thick. Knowing anyone he’s been with hasn’t bee able to take all of him, he keens as Karl seems to do it with ease. He picked up speed soon after, learning what Sapnap liked, as large hands found chocolate curls once more. Sap’s hips buck and he hits the back of Karl’s throat. The raven goes to sheepishly apologize to the man only to find out Karl didn’t gag. He moans at the thought of Karl being able to take his size without fail, watching as the brunet continues to suck him happily.
Pulling off, Karl’s hand wraps around Sapnap sliding up and down to keep the man’s pleasure. Caging Sapnap in with one hand, Karl pushes himself down to connect their chests, kissing the raven deeply. Karl soon takes both of them into his hand, struggling to wrap around both, the sound of desire ringing in the darkened room. Moonlight was the only thing illuminating the pair as the stole touches from each other.
“How far do you want to go baby boy?” Karl questioned, pulling away from Sapnap’s lips.
“Sir please, I want you in me, please” Sapnap cried out, grasping at Karl to come back to him.
“If you want to stop at any point just tap me or the headboard, okay?” Sapnap shot back a ‘yes’ before nodding and kissing at Karl once more.
The pair pulled off their shirts, getting them lost in the dark room. Karl was sure he could find it tomorrow, or if not, seeing Sapnap in his clothes might just be even better.
Karl pulled Sapnap closer to the edge of the bed, earning a whine once more from the raven. Soon he went to his knees, pushing Sapnap’s legs up by his thighs. His hands rubbed round ass cheeks, spreading them further. If Karl moaned at the sight, he wouldn’t tell you. Slender fingers ran over Sap’s rim, watching as it fluttered.
“Where’s your lube puppy?” Sapnap pointed to his bedside table before whining once more.
“Need you” Sapnap sobbed as he felt the warmth of Karl’s hands leave him.
Opening the drawer, Karl was met with not only the lube but other toys he was sure they could get use out of eventually. He settled on grabbing the lube and rope from the drawer, closing it with a smirk.
“Seems like you have some fun here” Karl laughed low, showing off the red rope he had found.
Sapnap’s face turns bright red as he realises what Karl must have seen, stuttering out an excuse before Karl thinks the worst of him. However, Karl smiles, simply kissing the man beneath him and pulling his hands above his head. Wrapping the rope with practiced ease, Sapnap watches in a lul, thinking about how often Karl has done this.
“You must do this a lot, I’ve never been tied so well” Karl only smiles, petting Sapnap gently before retuning to his knees on the floor.
Karl pops the cap open, pouring lube onto his hand and closing the cap once more. He bites his lip again, fingers circling Sapnap’s rim before pushing one in. Sapnap whimpers, adjusting to the feeling as Karl waits for him to be able to move. A nod from the raven allows Karl to pull his finger almost completely out then pushing back in faster than the first time. He continues this, slowly getting faster until Sapnap groans out begging for more.
Karl smiles before leaning forwards and biting bruised thigh, pushing a second finger into the man. Sapnap whimpers and whines happily at the intrusion, pushing his hips down to feel Karl inside him even more.
A third finger is soon added, along with more crimson marks decorating Sapnap’s ass and thighs. Karl pumps his fingers quickly, listening to the way Sapnap cries for him.
“’m ready please Sir, please please please” Sapnap can no longer think straight, he only wants to think of Karl.
If it hadn’t already been obvious, Karl could say the same thing for himself. The only thought on his mind was pleasing the God-like man in front of him, anything, and everything he wanted. Spending the last four months with Sapnap made Karl realise how bad he wanted the man; from a simple crush based in lust to a mix of complicated emotions all winding down to wanting Sapnap in any way he’d allow. Karl was not a weak man, he was confident and knew where to put his foot down but, the minute the raven asked for anything he was nothing but a mere puppy following commands. In a way, both liked this relationship they had formed, a push and pull of power they got to play with even in daily life. Karl was the boss in most scenarios, whether that was in class or working on something together but, the minute Karl was no longer ‘professor’, he was merely a student learning all about the raven in his glory, following him like a messiah.
“Anything for you angel, doing so well for me” Karl groaned watching pleasure take physical form on Sapnap’s face.
Sapnap babbled praise back, only to whimper and immediately pout when Karl pulls his fingers out. Karl picks up the lube, throwing it onto the bed next to Sapnap before standing. He leans forwards and kisses Sapnap again but didn’t stop at his lips. He spreads kisses along the man’s jawline, down his neck and to his collarbones. Leaving little bites on them, he smiles as he hears Sapnap’s breathing hitch. Karl moves along, down to Sap’s nipples, licking and sucking gently on them, only to hear rope shuffle against bedsheets. Struggled moans leave the raven’s lips, wanting to touch Karl and feel the man that’s pleasing him.
“Want to touch you Sir” Karl merely shakes his head at him, continuing down Sapnap’s chest to his hips.
Sapnap thrashes against the bedsheets, as Karl nips and sucks at evident hip bones, moans spilling from bitten lips. He leaves marks on them, having already lightly bruised them with his thumbs prior. Looking back up at Sapnap, Karl smirks before standing, using one hand to rub Sap’s thighs once more and the other to stroke his own cock.
Deepened whines leave Sapnap as he feels Karl reach for the lube once more. Watching as the man uncaps the bottle and spreads lube on his long shaft, Sapnap’s tip drips precum once more. Just the sight of Karl getting ready was enough to send him over the edge but, he relented the fiery pit in his stomach.
“Are you sure this is okay honey? I want to be certain” Karl didn’t stop stroking his cock, knowing Sapnap wanted this just as bad as he did.
“Please Sir, I want this, please” A lust-filled smile appeared on Karl’s face before he lined himself up to the raven’s rim.
Looking into Sapnap’s eyes, Karl begins to push past the ring of muscle, moaning as he feels the tightness surround him. The raven follows suit, tears welling in his eyes once more as he begs and whines for Karl to push more. So, Karl does. He pushes himself in deeper, allowing Sapnap to adjust as needed.
He bottoms out and his hips meet the plush backs of Sapnap’s thighs, earning a moan from both. Breathless, Karl rubs his hands on crimson thighs, massaging gently as he threatens to move slightly. Sapnap nods his head as he groans, tugging at the rope around his wrists once more.
Karl pulls himself out almost entirely before snapping his hips back in, making Sapnap squeal. The brunet bites his lip as he watches Sapnap’s face melt into pleasure once more, each thrust getting more and more noise from him. As Karl keeps up a steady pace, he leans forwards, caging the raven in.
Karl looks down in awe as bitten and spit-covered lips shine in the moonlight. He smiles as he leans down, just enough to touch Sapnap’s lips but not kiss him.
“Feel so good sweetheart, taking all of me so well” Sapnap leaned up, connecting their lips as tears fell from puddled eyes.
He sobs into the kiss, letting out moans and keens as Karl’s pace doesn’t relent. Babbling on his own words, Sapnap feels the brink of ecstasy before him, moments away. Karl could tell by the way Sapnap’s eyes darkened; what used to be green apples now shone in the same moonlight as rich emeralds, praying for release.
Karl pulls away, adjusting his hips slightly before thrusting himself back in, hitting directly onto the bundle of nerves inside Sapnap. The raven screams in pleasure, begging for his release that only Karl could grant him, whimpering and breathing heavily.
A devilish smile crawls its way onto the brunet’s face, as he leans forwards again but not down. Instead, Karl holds himself up on one hand while the other grabs Sapnap’s wrists from above his head. He pulls up slightly on his wrists as he thrusts causing the raven to cover their chests in pearl white ribbons. Whilst keeping his pace and bringing himself closer to the edge, Karl undoes the knot holding Sapnap’s wrists together, freeing them for the man to use as he pleases.
Immediately, Sapnap’s hands find their way to Karl’s back, nails scratching into porcelain skin. The pair knew for certain they would both be marked up by morning, but Sapnap wanted nothing more than for Karl’s back to be ruined. He wanted to be sure that if anyone saw the brunet’s back, they would know he was someone’s. Even if they weren’t together, Sapnap took claim over Karl, just as Karl did with him. They wanted others to be aware there was someone else they wanted, nobody else could touch just look and admire.
Karl’s hips start to stutter as he dances on the edge of pleasure, waiting for the right moment. Sapnap smiles up at him dazed from the high he was on, pulling the professor over top and kissing him deeply. Karl let out a moan into the raven’s mouth as he came, not stopping himself as he filled Sap with salted need.
The brunet pulled away from Sapnap’s lips, a pout immediate to form on the man’s lips, which worsened as Karl pulled out of him as well.
“Come cuddle” It was said more as a question than a statement but, Karl shook his head.
“I have to clean you up baby, I’ll only be a few minutes, I promise. Then we can sleep” Karl kissed Sapnap’s forehead before leaving the room on a mission to find a cloth.
When he returns, he’s met with a smiling man waiting patiently for his return. Karl smiles back, washing the warm, damp cloth over bruised skin, making sure to be careful in clearly sensitive spots. Maybe he bit or sucked too hard, maybe his hips bruised the man slightly as he fucked into him, Sapnap didn’t seem to mind anyways.
Soon the cloth was forgotten on the floor too, overtop of their shirts from earlier and the pair was in bed, cuddled up together. No words were said, just gentle caressing touches and saccharine kisses planted on each other’s faces. As they drifted to sleep, neither man knew what was to come in the morning, but it didn’t matter in the moment, they had each other and that’s what did.
---
As daylight shined brightly into the room, Sapnap woke up first.
Karl’s arms were wrapped contently around his body, his own hand tugging at tufts of chocolate curl. Something felt right about this moment, but it wasn’t just that he had someone in his bed with him. It was who he was in bed with.
Karl, right from the moment Sapnap met him, was perfection. He was smart and confident, funny, and outgoing, everything the raven could ever want in a partner. His crush may have developed originally because the young professor was attractive without a doubt but, as the time passed and Sapnap got to know him better, he fell in love with the man behind pretty eyes and pouty lips.
Sapnap found himself in love with a man that held his ground yet could turn anything into a joke. He fell for blushed cheeks and cute squealing giggles, the way Karl said Sapnap’s name, the way the man looked for him in a crowded room. He loved the way Karl could speak so passionately about nothing and keep him enthralled the entire time. He found himself looking into older video games and cartoons because that’s what Karl enjoyed. He wanted to make the man laying in his arms happier than anyone else ever could and if Karl would give him the chance, he would jump at it in a heartbeat.
Karl found himself in the same predicament, falling in love with a man that was boisterous and cheery but also quiet and subdued when the time called for it. The sweet but subtle Texan accent that only came out when Sap was excited, or the way Sapnap clung to dumb jokes he knew made Karl laugh. He fell in love with how intelligent Sapnap was, the way he could talk for hours about their same field of study and somehow, he was teaching Karl new things. The way Sapnap intended on making the class a safe space for the students alongside Karl rather than just being there for a paycheque. He loved the way Sapnap cared about those around him, often calling to check on friends when he could because he knew they had gone out for the night. If Karl could spend the rest of his life with one person, he’s almost certain he would choose the man he met four and a half months ago, and never look back.
“Good morning sleepyhead” Sapnap giggles as Karl wakes up slowly.
“I was up before you? I don’t know how you missed that?” Karl laughed silently at his own joke.
Karl stretched his arms, removing them from Sapnap’s body before looking up. His eyes flicker from green eyes to reddened lips, feeling himself be pulled in by strong arms. The kiss is gentle and sweet, much like the ones they fell asleep to.
“Should we talk about this?” Karl begged for the conversation in his dreams, he wanted nothing more than to tell the marked man beneath him that he wanted more than just one night but forever.
“What is there to talk about?” Sapnap smiles back innocently before Karl sits up looking defeated.
“Oh, right” A sigh presses through the brunet.
A saddened noise, fueled by assumptions. He looks away from the raven, hoping he wouldn’t laugh at the disappointment welling in Karl’s eyes. There was a reason Karl left Ohio, this was it. He had a similar situation happen with a professor months prior to him leaving and didn’t want a rerun even if it was likely to happen anyways. The only difference was the Sapnap meant more to Karl in the four and a few months he’d known him than the Ohio professor ever could. Sapnap was meant to be his, he was meant to be Sapnap’s.
“Darlin’ what’re you doing getting up? Lay back down” Confused, Karl turns to the raven before feeling the tears leak from his eyes.
“I just— don’t worry about it, I uh—” Karl couldn’t even form a full sentence before Sapnap pulled him back into his chest, letting the older man cry softly.
“Sweetheart, there’s nothing to talk about because I thought everything was pretty clear. Don’t cry angel please, just tell me what you want, and we can go from there” Sapnap consoled Karl until he was able to breath again, pushing himself up to look at the raven.
“I want to be yours Sap, I want you to be mine. I want the us I’ve been dreaming about for the past four months to happen. I just know that might not be plausible and it sucks, you’re perfect for me an— Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I just think we’re good together is all” Worried expressions fade from Sapnap as he places his hand gently on Karl’s face, wiping away a stray tear.
“My prince, I thought it was evident I want to be yours. I thought that’s how last night kind of started on the couch. If you’re worried about your job or my studies, I promise you nothing will happen. I’m sure Bad won’t even care so long as we aren’t obvious about it. Plus, I only have a semester or so left, so it’s not that bad, I’d be going to a different school in town for my masters anyways. I spent so much time learning about you and falling for you that I could write a novel, maybe several but all that matters is that I have you. I want you; I think it’s obvious by the number of marks I’ve put on you last night, good thing we have winter break, I guess. But Karl? You’re mine and I’m yours, okay?”
A happy squeal escapes Karl’s lips before he beats red, hiding his face into Sapnap’s chest once again. As his face re-emerges, he leans up to kiss his now boyfriend, smiling brighter than ever before. The raven basks as the sun and his sunshine sparkle happily in front of him, bringing light back into the mornings.