Cupid (DNF + Karlnap)

Chapter 74: Dinner

Dream POV.

"Just letting you know Techno, dinner is ready." My hand knocked firmly against the surface of the door. I waited a second, expecting my friend to open the door or to call out that he was on his way down. I mean I hoped that he would do that, sometimes after having a bad day he'd get sulky and stay in his room, I hoped it wasn't a repeat of that.

"Techno?" I asked once more before deciding to tentatively push the door open and look inside. The sight that was on the bed though was shocking, something which I didn't know how to react to. "Techno? What's wrong?" I repeated, taking in the sight.

He was sitting on the bed, head lowered with his pink hair masking his face from me. Clutched tightly in his fingers was the contract that his father had left for him, the touch strong enough to mark up the pristine paper. Every few seconds I could hear a shuddered, annoyed breath falling from his lips.

It was sad to see him sitting there with all of his glory, his pride, seemingly withered away into a heap on the sheets, seeping away under the covers and leaving him there alone. I did not say anything, there was nothing that I could think to say. All that I did was absorb the pity, turning my gaze away to show some sign of respect.

We lingered in silence for a few moments, although it felt like it could have been much longer. He didn't move at all and I was beginning to worry that he was perhaps a statue, that he had frozen in his shame. "I'll... bring up your food." I managed a smile at him after a moment, since the burger and fries were getting cold downstairs.

"No." He was quick to cut me off, head snapping over to look in my direction before I walked out of the room. "I'll come down soon, don't worry."
"Are you sure?" I didn't want to pressure him to socialise if he didn't want to, since I believed that he could get quite... violent if he wasn't in the mood to interact.

He didn't say anything, but he did stand up and he did walk towards me. I took a few steps back to allow him to pass me without us coming into contact with one another. When he moved down the stairs I took my time to study him curiously, still wondering what it was that he had gone through, what he had suffered through in his mind from his bedroom.

"Hope you're hungry, Techno." Sapnap managed to smile, yet it was clear how he was also worried under the surface about what was going on for our friend.
"It smells quite good." Karl added on with a similar smile.

All of them were watching him, studying the pink haired man like he was a creature that belonged in a zoo. Although Techno did study all of the meals he was waiting patiently for us to take all of ours before taking his own, since he didn't know what we had ordered for ourselves and for him.

"Are you still upset about your Dad?" George asked, before I elbowed him, earning a gasp from my soulmate. He moved to clutch the arm, which I had hit with enough force to bruise. "What was that for?" He asked quietly with a hiss.
"You are being rude." I reminded him.

Techno's eyes slid over coldly to look towards the brunette, yet he didn't say anything else and I reached forward to grab the food that I had ordered for myself without looking towards him. The air felt silent, more silent than it had been throughout most of the day.

"Do you guys... want to watch a movie or something?" Karl tentatively offered, yet his gaze was solely focused on Techno once again. "There were many different human movies I was interested in, perhaps you could tell me which ones would be best. You have lived here for a while, after all."

"I don't really want to watch a movie." Techno spoke in a bland, monotone voice. His hands moved to grab the two remaining bag of food to take for himself.
"Board game then?" No acknowledgement. "TV show?" Still nothing. "Music? Podcast? A book?" He was desperate for an ounce of acknowledgement to make sure the pinkette was fine.

When he didn't say anything Sapnap moved to comfort his soulmate. "Don't worry." I overheard the whisper from the ravenette. "It's not your fault."
"I know but... I just feel so guilty." His face moved to press against Sapnap's shoulder. Techno looked over at their interaction but he still said nothing.

In between every small block of speech, there was more silence. It was awkward, and I wanted to just return to my room in order to avoid it. But I couldn't do that. Techno was going through something, and he was one of my best friends, so I wouldn't retreat to my room and leave him out here alone. I'd stay here for support.

"Perhaps after dinner we could get a game of Bedwars going." I also added on, another offer to attempt to get the pink haired man involved in something and out of the slump that was developing. "I don't believe Sapnap and Karl know how to play, you could teach 'em."
"Yeah, that could be fun." Karl nodded quickly.

He finally looked over at me. The dark red of his eyes seemed to seep out my blood from my body, in some kind of vampiric way. "No thanks." I saw the way his fingers gripped more firmly at the box at the suggestion, as though the mere idea of teaching them how to play a minecraft game offended him.

"You just found you have a soulmate Dream." He explained to me, continuing with a monotone voice. "You and him should be spending some time together."
"But-" he turned and headed upstairs before I could say anything. I sighed and lowered my head down, continuing to feel pity for my friend.

"I feel so bad." Karl let out a whimper-like sound. "He seems so upset and it is our fault. We told Philza that he was here. It is our fault that he is upset, and our fault that he has that weird contract." He sighed. "I want to find a way to apologise."

"You won't be able to apologise if he is in this kind of slump. He'll know you're sorry abd just start cheering up on his own" I confessed to the Cupids, something which George nodded in agreement with. Obviously my words didn't comfort him as he let out a whimpered 'oh-no' and curled more into his soulmate.
"We'll figure it out." Sapnap assured lovingly.

I nodded, hoping that that was possible.
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