King Magnus and his Bumble Bee (Karlnap)

~Chapter 28~

No One's P.O.V

Sapnap rounded the large tower on the outskirts of the castle, feverishly heading for the tree line. Karl, heading for the same place, burst out of the servant door just in time to catch him.

They made eye contact, and karl quickly bolted. Sapnap walked to him and stopped just as karl crashed into him. The simultaneous relief was indescribable as their fear and anxieties dissipated in the others embrace. Karl buried his face into sapnaps shoulder, and sapnap held him tightly, bringing a hand up to his neck. Neither of them said anything: they just stood still, feeling their arms around the other. Sapnap's guilt for what he'd done, what he'd let happen, made him feel sick to the point he wondered if he'd die from it. However, holding karl in that moment, he felt at peace, that as long as they were together he could protect him from anything, and they'd be ok. Karl felt the same: he felt most protected and safe with sapnap around. Despite everything going on around them, just knowing that sapnap was ok and there with him was all that mattered.

They stayed like that for a while, but as karl came down from his panic, sapnap could hear him muttering something.

It's all my fault...I'm so sorry, I didn't meant to

"What's wrong?" sapnap spoke softly

"She knows it's you" he responded, still choking back tears

Sapnap tensed up at the ominous answer, and pulled away. He looked to see karl's pink tinted eyes as they peered up at him. 

"My mom: she asked me more about the key. I told her it was in the forge, but she tried to get me in trouble because I'm not allowed and I-" he paused, "I panicked and told her that you were the one to find it first and that I found out about after the fact. I didn't want to get you in trouble, but I just....but she-"

Sapnap put his hand on karls cheek, "It's ok: it's the truth. I found it, and I lost it. It's my fault....I'm sorry" Sapnap apologized, brushing karls hair behind his ear.

"but it's not just that: she suspects the forge workers have something to do with the key being stolen in the first place. I told her that you had nothing to do with it, and you found it by accident and that this was a big misunderstanding, but she was so adamant I...it scared me. I don't know what's going on, but I worry you'll get caught up in something that wasn't your fault" karls voiced tapered off, shaky

Sapnap P.O.V

I felt hot and sick, I wanted to throw up. This was getting too out of hand. Why did I have to take that key, why did I snoop in her desk. None of them had anything to do with this, this is all my fault. I would have never done it if I knew it would be this bad.

No One's P.O.V

Sapnap sighed deeply.

"There is no reason to get worried just yet. This is messy, but we'll figure it out, together" sapnap took karls hands in his, placing them together "ok?" his eyes almost pleading

Karl smiled with sweet relief; "ok" he nodded. Karl's eyes gazed up at sapnap, but slowly looked away as his expression turned to that of epiphany.

"What if it wasn't the workers who stole the key?" he thought out loud

Sapnap could only look at karl with question, still sick to his stomach.

"You know, now that I think about it doesn't make sense. I don't think any of them would have the skill or means to get away with stealing the key from my mom completely undetected; and even if they somehow did, how could they lose it so easily? Like you're telling me that it was in the forge, out in the open for you to find and take, and no one cared or questioned it at all?"