Inexplicable Dream Team one-shots

Love Wins // SapNotFound

| romantic |

[3137 words]

Author's note: As an afab (assigned-female-at-birth) person, I have had plenty of negative experiences with walking around at night. Sometimes it can be hard to know whether men are walking behind me by accident or on purpose, so this story is intended to make me feel a little bit better! Please enjoy!

***

The city streets are mostly empty so late at night, so Sapnap and George use low voices. After several weeks of being busy with work and other commitments, the two men have spent hours exchanging stories about their current lives over plates of sushi at George's favorite restaurant. George usually chooses where the pair eats dinner when they meet, but this never bothers Sapnap.

Beneath an overcast night sky and glowing street lamps, Sapnap feels completely content. Whenever he is with George, he feels like there is no other place where he would rather be... and he hopes that George feels the same way.

"Are we going back to your place now?" Sapnap asks, interrupting the brief silence that has fallen between the pair.

"Yeah," George confirms. His breath billows in the cool night air. Pulling one hand from his jacket's pocket, he gestures toward the row of darkened windows along the sidewalk ahead. "I'm cold and tired. Also, all of the shops are closed by now, anyway."

Despite Sapnap's disappointment that his meeting with George will end soon, he is sure that they will be able to hang out again sometime in the future. Where does the time go when I'm with you? he wonders. Even when he and George spend hours just sitting and talking, time seems to pass so quickly.

As the men continue their journey through the city streets, Sapnap hopes that they will disprove George's claim by discovering a cafe or bakery that is open. He is still full from the sushi dinner, but he will accept any excuse to spend more time with George. Plus, he loves the way that his friend's deep umber eyes shine with glee when he smells pastries baking -

"Hey, Sapnap?" George's whisper pulls Sapnap from his trance. The other man's tone has shifted from casual to cautious.

Anxiously Sapnap follows George's distracted gaze to see something new. A lone woman walks barefoot along the sidewalk ahead. Except for the two men in their dark, heavy jackets, she is the only person in sight. She carries a pair of high heels in one hand, with a small purse in her other hand. She walks slower than Sapnap and George, but when she hears their footsteps, her head snaps over her shoulder to look. Her expression fills with apprehension when she realizes that both men were already looking at her.

"Oh. Oh no." Feeling guilty, Sapnap wonders if he and George should slow their pace so the woman will feel more comfortable. "Maybe we should -"

Before he can finish his suggestion, the woman deviates from her original path. Lurching sideways, she hurries to the edge of the sidewalk. Quickly she looks both ways, then she sprints across the empty street. Once she finishes crossing, she hops onto the sidewalk on the other side of the street and glances back to ensure that Sapnap and George have not crossed, too. Apparently satisfied, the woman turns away and continues walking forward.

For several seconds, Sapnap and George do not say anything to each other. They do not really know what to say. Eventually Sapnap breaks the silence.

"It's really sad that women have to be afraid like that all the time." Suddenly self-conscious about his tall, heavily-built, and potentially intimidating figure, Sapnap asks, "Am I scary, George? I mean, I'm a big guy, you know? I don't want to scare anyone."