(i'm worried) it will always be you

Chapter 3 - We swapped our smiles

They were sickening these days- constantly making eyes at each other and whispering little jokes that only they understood. It would be one thing if they just got in a relationship already, but they both adamantly denied there being anything deeper whenever they were confronted about it.

"Oh, I think that's them." Quackity nodded, and Sapnap turned to see two girls approaching. One was a slightly taller brunette with her bangs left out of her braids and the other was a bit shorter with bright blonde hair.

"Hey, sorry we're late." The brunette said with a smile and a wave, walking over to give a couple people hugs. The blonde seemed a bit quieter, heading straight to George and Tina's side.

"Karl, what's going on? Are you okay?" She asked, her voice heavy with concern, when Karl hardly reciprocated her hug.

Sapnap perked up, turning his music off completely. It seemed like maybe he was finally going to get some insight as to what happened to make those gray eyes look a little more down-turned.

"Karl, is something wrong?" George asked, leaning forward to look around the blonde.

Everyone's eyes seemed to be on Karl, which was usually the case anyway. For once, it seemed like that attention wasn't what he wanted. In fact, it looked like it might be the last thing Karl wanted.

His cheeks and nose had gone a little pink, which Sapnap guessed wasn't caused by the autumn breeze.

"I'm fine, uh, really." Karl deflected, trying to muster up a laugh. No one in the group seemed satisfied with his answer and it didn't even take anyone else chiming in for Karl to continue.

"My Nonna died last night." He essentially blurted out, like if he didn't say it in that second, there was no chance of him saying it at all.

Sapnap closed his eyes, his mind instantly going back to what he said that made Karl practically run away from him.

'Like, not making you stay for work when you're dead.'

"Karl, I'm so sorry." A few people said at once.

Sapnap was already trying to think of an excuse to not go to lunch now, realizing he was probably the last person Karl wanted to be around after he put his foot in his mouth like that earlier.

Just as Sapnap opened his eyes, ready to see if he could slip away without being noticed, Karl was walking up to him with a few tears rolling down his cheeks.

His eyes widened when Karl leaned down, hugging himself tightly against Sapnap's chest, and started crying into his shoulder.

Sapnap looked around the group silently, finding each person to be giving him an equally confused look. Quackity and George looked the most surprised, seeing that if Karl needed a shoulder to cry on, everyone would've assumed it'd be one of them.

Sapnap gave them a somewhat panicked look before they both darted their eyes at Karl and then back to him, silently screaming, do something!

"Hey, shhh." Sapnap murmured quietly into Karl's ear, hoping that no one else in the group heard him.

It had taken more than a few seconds, but Sapnap finally began to slowly wrap his arms around Karl's back. Karl only melted more into the embrace, his frame shaking with how hard he was crying.

"You guys, uh, go. We'll catch up later or something." Sapnap said to the group, looking around awkwardly at everyone staring at them. After a few more confused glances, Dream was the one to initiate ushering everyone inside.

Once they were alone- well, not quite alone, since there were still some stray students walking by- Sapnap tried to pull away.

"Don't. Please." Karl mumbled into his shoulder, his voice cracking between the two words.