Vagabonds // a DreamNotNap fanfiction

Vagabonds

Author's note: This story depicts characters with sexually transmitted diseases. It is intended to convey a message about self-acceptance, empathy, stigma, and the importance of viewing the world from different perspectives. It is not intended to portray the actual lives of the content creators or to romanticize sexually transmitted diseases!

I'm tired of reading stories where the characters always seem to be STD-free because that is not always realistic, and I want to ensure that readers who do live with STDs feel represented, too!

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Sometimes Sapnap's neighbors ask if he lives alone because they never see anyone else entering or exiting his apartment unit. Whenever someone asks, Sapnap usually tells them that his roommate George Navy is "a little shy". That explanation is satisfactory enough for Sapnap's neighbors... but ironically, not for him.

Unlike the other student residents of the university's apartment complex, Sapnap was required to sign an extra waiver when he moved in two months ago. The document's purpose was to inform him that his roommate George Navy suffered from some sort of medical condition, but this did not bother Sapnap. Convinced that he had better things to do with his time than to read pages of legal jargon, he flipped swiftly through the document before signing his name at the bottom of the last page. Both he and George were adults in their last year of university, so Sapnap assumed that both of them were mature enough to discuss the medical condition further if necessary.

However, Sapnap and George did not discuss anything. On the first day, the roommates met in the main living area of their two-bedroom apartment to exchange phone numbers. After brief introductions of their names and majors, Sapnap began unpacking and George returned to his bedroom.

Since that first day two months ago, the roommates have never spoken to each other for more than five minutes. Usually George secludes himself in his bedroom whenever Sapnap is present. No hangouts, no lengthy conversations, and definitely no physical contact.

This afternoon, Sapnap's smartphone buzzes with a notification. Glancing away from the laptop on his desk, he lifts the device to see a message from his roommate.

George: Groceries please
George: 3 bags
George: Thank you

Saving the work on his laptop, Sapnap stands and stretches. Simultaneously his smartphone buzzes a second time, notifying him that his bank account just received a deposit of $5.

Sapnap and George's entire friendship as roommates depends upon favors and paid requests like this. Sapnap fetches his roommate's mail, groceries, and other deliveries from the apartment complex's postage room, and George pays him in return.

Exiting his bedroom, Sapnap puts on his athletic shoes and grabs his key ring before approaching the apartment's front door. He does not bother to check George's bedroom door because it is always closed.

Outside, Sapnap performs his usual journey along the hallway, down the stairs, and across the central courtyard to the postage room.

"Hello again, Sapnap!" The receptionist greets him warmly when he steps through the door.

"Hi, Dream," Sapnap responds. "I'm here for groceries?"

"Oh, yeah, the delivery person put them there." Without standing from his swiveling office chair behind the reception desk, Dream points across the room. Just like Sapnap's roommate described, three bulging plastic bags wait on a table.

"Great, thanks." Gathering the bags into his arms, Sapnap approaches the door to leave the postage room.

"Have a good day!" The receptionist waves. "I love your denim jacket!"