His Protector | DreamNotFound

Chapter 30

TW: fainting

Warm fingers slipped into his own. A smile appeared on his face. It was still cold, but most of the snow had disappeared now. The grey February sky was cloudy and dull, yet it didn't match his emotions. For a very long time, he had been in a dark place, keeping his friend from acting stupid and keeping him in place. Don't get him wrong, he loved Dream, but sometimes it would take its toll.

Karl, on the other hand, was a little spot of light in a universe of darkness. And with every touch, every moment they made eye contact, every time the boy randomly hugged him, that little bit of light grew. Half-melted snow lay at the sides of the road he had been on several times but had never really taken in. Street lanterns were lit as it became darker, the cozy light spread across the stone-cold bricks. Karl and he walked in sync.

'Do you think she's mad?' He looked to his right, meeting Karl's worried eyes. He smiled, shaking his head.

'I just think she's worried about you,' he calmed the boy, 'no one could ever be mad with you.' He squeezed his hand assuringly, receiving a gentle one back. A chilly wind passed, causing Karl to shiver next to him.

'Do you want my coat?' He looked at him questioningly. Karl shook his head lightly.

Far in the distance, a loud rumble of lightning distributed through the air. A drop of rain hit the middle of his nose and slid down at a steady pace until it was hanging at the tip. Before he could remove it, another one caused both of them to fall to the ground and merge with the rain that had now began to pour down heavier. Karl grabbed his hand in a hurry and pulled him across the road. Both of their heads were now covered by the water from a stretched roof, leading all the way to Karl's home. Multiple people were holding all sorts of things above their heads to keep themselves dry, but nothing worked. He smiled; he'd never thought he'd enjoy the rain with a human, yet the warm and cozy feeling of their intertwined fingers made him feel like he was in a fairytale, running from a possible death to their happy ending. He was very sure vampires didn't occur in those happy stories, but at the moment he didn't feel like one. To him, he was an ordinary guy who had fallen in love with a breathtaking cheery prince, on their way to escape the kingdom and go to a far unknown place.

He blinked when he heard three knocks on a door, registering that they were on the doorstep of Karl's house. He felt the boy's heartbeat from his wrist speeding up, probably because he was scared of his mother's reaction. Karl had promised her to keep in touch, but forgotten it for a solid two weeks. Sapnap couldn't imagine the guilt he was going through, especially since his mother seemed to be just as kind and loving as her son was.

Immediately after the third knock, the lock opened and a woman with dark circles beneath her eyes stared down at them. She put a hand across her mouth, sobs of happiness and relief spilling when she hugged her son.

'I'm so, so sorry mom-' Karl apologized, biting his lip to stop the tears from flooding. Sapnap stood on their front lane, watching

'I was so caught up in stuff-'

'Shhh,' Karl's mother shushed him, 'it's okay. All I care about is your safety.' Sapnap smiled at the two. He could see every way they were related; their sweetness, the way both of them talked-, even most of their features were alike.

When the woman noticed the other still standing in their doorway, she let go of her son and signed for both of them to come in. He stepped through the small doorway

Inside the house, it was a lot warmer, not that that mattered to him, but it was nice. The strong smell of freshly-baked apple pie made him a little dizzy; now he understood where Karl's huge passion for baking came from. Even though the two types of food were different, the same type of enjoyment and scent hung in every corner of the house. He wondered how many things the boy had baked in his life.