Inexplicable Dream Team one-shots

The Awesome Wrath of My Stuffed Animals // SapNotFound

| romantic |

[2063 words]

Sapnap does not keep many secrets from his husband, so there was little that surprised George after they married and moved in together last month. George recognized Sapnap's strengths and accepted his flaws, so he should not be worried now. Nevertheless, Sapnap fears how George might react upon discovering Sapnap's last secret: one that he has guarded closely since he was a child.

For most of the time, Sapnap hides his secret under his bed's mattress and beneath its steel frame. Only during the short occasions when George leaves for a day or two does Sapnap allow his secret to escape the confines of its prison... or rather, their prison.

One day, however, Sapnap miscalculates. George wrote on their house's shared calendar in the kitchen that he would be gone for a three-day-long business trip. After sending his husband off on his journey with a kiss of good luck, Sapnap waits for an entire hour in case his husband forgets something and must return home. When George does not return, the tension in his chest relaxes.

Only the muffled hum of the kitchen refrigerator accompanies Sapnap as he crosses the house and kneels down beside his bed with a grunt. He crawls upon his hands and knees, then he lifts the duvet that shields the secret collection from view.

"Hey, guys," Sapnap whispers a loving greeting. Balancing upon one arm and two knees, he uses his free hand to reach under the bed and pull out his beloved companions.

Stuffed animals. Seventy-eight of them. Every stuffed animal possesses a name, a "favorite" place to sit in the house, and a fluffy coat that their owner cleans periodically.

Copying the same arrangement that he creates every time he is home alone, Sapnap decorates the entire house with stuffed animals. Just to be cautious, he plans to put them back in their hiding place under his bed at least twelve hours before George is supposed to return.

Although Sapnap tells himself that he could be collecting many worse things, like drugs or felonies, he cannot handle the idea of George learning his secret. I'm a grown man who collects stuffed animals: kids' toys! His collection attracted harsh criticism during his early teenage years, so he does not intend for George to learn about it, too.

Unfortunately for the collector, however, his husband will discover the secret anyway.

Actually George's business trip was not supposed to last for three days. It was only scheduled to last for two days, but he decided to come home early to surprise his husband on the third day. Therefore, only two days after he left, George returns unexpectedly early.

Carrying a gift for Sapnap , a box of nougat truffles from the chocolate shop near his business conference's building, George stops before the house's front door. Balancing the box of chocolates on one splayed palm, he rummages through his back pocket with his other hand.

After parking his car against the concrete curb near the sidewalk to avoid alerting Sapnap, George does not intend to sabotage the surprise. Carefully he unlocks the front door, pushes it open, peeks into the house's main living area, and releases his held breath in a relieved exhale. Slipping inside undetected, George removes his shoes and tiptoes to the kitchen, where he places the box of chocolate truffles on the marble countertop. Time to find Sapnap.

He does not need to search for long. His ears detect faint whispers emanating through the house's office, so he creeps toward the half-closed door and peers into the cracked opening.

Sapnap is not whispering to himself. He is talking to a horde of stuffed animals which crowd around the computer monitor. Dozens of fluffy creatures sit on the desk, facing George's husband as he watches an episode of his favorite baking show.