"The Case Of The Fire Inside."

Every winter, i think back to what we used to be 15

"You need to sleep at some point," Dream called out from behind him, Sapnap huffing as he tightened another bolt

"I'll sleep when you've finally abandoned us," He said haughtily, not even sparing his best friend a look. He could feel Dream's presence at his side, leaning against the hull as Sapnap worked.

"I'm not abandoning you," Dream said, exasperated. They've had this conversation many times before. "It's one little trip. You and George are just fucking dramatic"

"Or maybe you're just a dick," Sapnap said aggressively, a stinging hurt spreading through his chest. Dream was silent for a long moment, and Sapnap didn't need to turn his head to know his friend was staring at him like he was some kind of puzzle that needed to be solved.

"You're upset with me," Dream said slowly. "More than I thought. Why?"

Sapnap stared at the ground, grinding his teeth together. How could he explain it to Dream? To the man who seemed to care but never quite understood what he meant? How could he explain it all to the man who barely was able to comprehend just what he meant to him?

Sapnap's never really been anyone special.

That's not to say he wasn't good at what he did, just that not a lot of people really cared when he did. He excelled decently in school and sports, climbing the social ladder easily as he grew up. He had a ton of friends, people falling over each other to get closer to him, to boost their own social status.

But he was never the first choice. Not anything past a quick thought. He was invited to parties not because anyone really wanted to spend time with him but because he was considered the cool kid in school, the popular jock, the surprisingly smart asshole who sat at the front and bantered with the teacher while also somehow acing all his tests.

It wasn't the worst, since he had excelled through school and sports and was never bored on a weekend, but it was kind of lonely being no one's first choice.

Or at least he wasn't until Dream came around. Sapnap had seen him in the halls constantly, some weird loner kid who was too smart for his own good. Something about him had intrigued Sapnap, so he introduced himself and they had clicked easily. Within a week they were inseparable and Sapnap wouldn't trade their friendship for the world.

Dream saw him as something more than the obnoxious popular kid, saw past the cocky grins and loud words to the boy who wanted to be so much more. For the first time in his life Sapnap didn't have to be the person he was expected to be and instead just could be himself.

He could be the boy who looked at machines as if they were an extension of himself, the boy whose ambitions pushed him forwards towards the sea and who could solve math problems and equations as easily as he could read.

Dream put him first, Dream always thought of him first. They were best friends, partners in crime, brothers. It was nice. Sapnap was a loyal person to a fault, and within months he knew that he would do anything for Dream.

The first year of their friendship was a ride, full of nights sneaking off to the docks to watch the ships, sneaking onto fishing boats and only revealing themselves when they were too far out to turn back. It was studying in the early hours of the morning, where they spent more time arguing or discussing other topics than doing actual work.

It was Sapnap forcing Dream to sleep when he spent the entire night studying, Dream pulling the tools from his hands when Sapnap's fingers started to cramp from trying to figure out his most recent contraption. It was supporting each other when things got bad, bruised knuckles and black eyes when someone else dared to comment something rude about the other.