4 rules | karlnap

chapter 6

Ok, ok, fine, Sapnap may buy Karl the occasional Monster, but only when he is getting everyone else a drink too, and only when it's all four of them. Karl doesn't read into it at all, he promises.

As they return from winter break, the workload begins again, and Karl finds himself falling into the same rabbit hole he did earlier in the year, where he procrastinates and overstresses every single thing, where he ends up with three hours of sleep every night, and he has to drink three monsters a day to stay awake for all of his classes.

He, George, Dream, and Sapnap don't hang out as much, but Karl can almost feel their concern, well at least Dream and George's, and he continues to overwork himself day and day again.

It's a Friday, and Karl finds himself cramming in a two-thousand-word essay in one night, and he stumbles over to the fridge in an exhaustive state, groaning when he sees there aren't any more energy drinks. He wants to cry, honestly, that's so desperate he is. Reasonably, he knows he should go asleep, but he needs to get this essay done tonight.

Groggily, he reaches for his phone, and texts the first contact he taps, which is regrettably, Sapnap. Karl remembers texting him some insult a few days ago that honestly, is too cringey to repeat.

"CAn you gran me a mnster rq? I'll pay you bak?" Karl types, and groans at the spelling mistakes. He leans his head against the coffee table he is supposed to be working at and allows his eyes to close gently for a moment.

Apparently, it's longer than a moment, because Sapnap is knocking on his door, and Karl stumbles up to open it. He finds Sapnap with a white Monster in his hand, but when Karl holds his hand out for it, Sapnap shakes his head and walks in. "Before you can have this I need you to tell me how many you've had today."

"Sap," Karl whines, and Karl a few weeks ago would be horrified at how he was acting to his nemesis, but present Karl simply could not care less.

"Tell me," Sapnap says firmly as Karl struggles to stand on two feet.

"Mmmmm, I don't know? Three? Four?" Karl yawns again and stumbles slightly.

Sapnap quickly moves to steady him, putting the drink into the empty Walmart bag and pointedly setting it on the ground. "Ok, No. You need to get some sleep, Karl."

"I'm fine," Karl protests, but he is sure that if Sapnap let go right now, he would collapse. "I need to finish this essay tonight."

"When's it due?" Sapnap asks, but when Karl doesn't respond, he sighs. "C'mon Karl. You need to sleep."

"I'm fine," Karl groans, letting go of Sapnap to try and grab the monster can. He doesn't get the chance, his legs giving out in exhaustion before he can reach the can.

"You're not fine," Sapnap says firmly, as he leads Karl over to the couch. "Lay down," He whispers gently, "You deserve some rest."

"Mmm, my essay..."

"Finish it tomorrow, you'll be able to work better with a clearer mind." Sapnap gently lowers Karl onto the couch, closing his laptop firmly after checking that everything is saved.

Karl doesn't let go, so Sapnap sits on the floor next to him, allowing himself to be clung to as Karl fights to keep his eyes open.

"Sap?" He murmurs, and Sapnap can tell Karl is already half asleep.

"Yeah, Karl?"

"Wanna know what I wish more than anything in the whole wide world?"

Apparently, when drowsy, Karl Jacobs can make some pretty stupid decisions.

Sapnap stops running his fingers tentatively through Karl's hair and looks at the small, content expression on his face as his eyes flutter close.

"Sure, Karl," Sapnap whispers.

"Me wish you didn't hate me so much, I don't hate you, but you hate me. It's not fair," Karl drifts off to sleep as his breathes even out and Sapnap is left with those words as he allows himself to lean against the couch and permit Karl to pull them closer.

Sapnap doesn't hate Karl right? Does Karl even remember what happened?

When they wake up, the coffee table is pushed forward and they are tangled together on the hard wooden floor, with sore backs and shoulders, but Karl feels much more rested, which is better than he can say for the past two weeks, even if he has to deal with the awkwardness waking up in Sapnap's arms brings.

Karl realizes, after last night, that maybe Sapnap is nice as well, which, as horrifying as it sounds, would check the last requirement on Karl's forgotten list.