actions speak louder than words {karlnap}

chapter 8

We pull into the airport parking lot a few moments later. Depression hangs above us like a storm cloud, thundering and raining little drops of sadness every second. And after each drop, it gets worse. 

I help Karl with his suitcases -- which he's borrowing from us -- and we get them tagged and checked in. We thank the attendant who helped us, and walk towards security, hands joined. We walk slowly, like we have all the time in the world, even though we know we don't. There's a clock above our heads, ticking, counting down. 

The big canvas screen that barricades security from the rest of the airport looms in the distance. Karl pulls me to a stop about 150 metres away from it. He faces me, and I face him. I place his duffel bag next to our feet and envelop him in a hug. He, again, buries his face in my shoulder, just like he always does when we hug. The realization that I won't get this for another four months strikes me like the lightning from our shared thundercloud. 

"I really don't wanna fucking go," he whispers. He never swears. 

I hug him tighter. "I know," I murmur. "I don't want you to go either."

"It's only four months, right?" he offers. 

I chuckle. "It'll be over before you know it."

When Karl pulls away, tears are slipping down his face, sliding over his cheeks. I raise my hand and ghost the tears away. He smiles, but more roll down anyways. 

"Hey," I say, cupping his jaw. "We'll be okay. I promise."

"Promise?"

I nod. "And... to keep that promise, I may have gotten you a 'going away' present," I say, heat flooding my cheeks. I pull a small, compact box from my hoodie pocket. Karl eyes it quizically. 

"What is it?" he asks. I smile, and pop open the lid. He gasps quietly, and covers his open mouth with a hand. 

"Promise rings," I answer. I carefully remove a braided silver ring with purple gems embedded in the metal. His eyes well with tears as I stuff the box back in my pocket and take his hand in my own. "Karl Jacobs, do you promise-"

"Yes!" he exclaims, before glancing around and smiling sheepishly. "Yes," he says again, quieter. 

I smile. "You don't know what you're promising to," I say. "I could be making you promise to do something I know you hate."

"Like you?" he asks, smirking and waggling his eyebrows. I roll my eyes, but my cheeks warm. 

"Har har," I say. "Do you promise to love me until you come home, and maybe even longer afterwards if I don't annoy you that much?"

Karl sniffs and wipes his eyes. "I already said yes, you idiot."

I grin, and slip the ring over his pinky finger. He smiles, tears still falling over his red cheeks, and watches at the stones shine in the bright LED lights in the airport. 

I pull out the box again, and hand it to him. "Now you." I press the box into his hands, and he hurriedly opens it to gently extract the second ring -- the same ring, just with orange stones. 

"Nick Snap," he says, "do you promise the same thing I just sold my soul to?"

I laugh. "Yes," I say smiling wider than I have all week. "Of course I do." He slids the ring onto my own pinky. Then we lock our pinkies together in a promise, and kiss our thumbs to seal the deal. 

And then he hugs me again, shoulders shaking with silent sobs. The sadness pours off of him in waves, like the ocean that beats mercilessly at the rocks on shore. It's an angry world out there, I suppose. I feel tears fall down my own cheeks, and I reach around Karl's back to wipe them away. 

"Karl, you have to go," I say, rubbing circles against his shoulder. He doesn't move. "Karl. Love."

He pulls back, eyes and nose red, cheeks wet. I yank my sleeves over my hands and dry his face best I can. 

"I'm so in love with you," he blurts. "I'm so fucking in love with you, it's almost sad. God, why did I even apply to North Carolina?"

I cup his cheeks again, and rest our foreheads together. "I'm in love with you too," I say. "So much so, it -- also -- is sad. But you're going to college, Karl. This is where you meet lifelong friends, make memories that you'll tell our grandchildren-" I give him a flirty smirk, and he giggles "-where you'll be able to become the best version of you. Listen, I love you so much. I'll miss you so much it hurts. We all will. But you have to go, otherwise you'll never get to see how you you can get."

His eyes well up again. 

"I love you too, Nick, so much. So much." He leans away from me and presses the palms of his hands into his eyes. "God, I miss you already."

I lift my hands to move his out of the way. His eyes are sad, but they have a glimmer of excitement in them. I brush my hand through his hair until it reaches the nape of his neck. He grins and wraps his arms around my neck, already leaning in. 

"I promise to keep your name in my heart until you return home," I say, feigning a British accent. "And maybe longer if you get going," I add, my voice returning to it's usual Texan lilt. 

He giggles. I smile and rest our foreheads together once more. "I love you," I whisper. 

I kiss him, and it's nearly enough to make me beg him to stay, to make me jump on the plane with him. 

But he pulls away, lifts his duffel bag, and gives me a sad look. He presses another quick kiss to my lips. "I'll miss you," he says. 

"I already do."

Then he turns, walks into security, and disappears. 

Word Count 1672

~A/N~

I HAVENT UPDATED IN 10 DAYS THATS TOO LONG

school SUCKS

its fine

anyways

karls gone now not to worry it wont be sad and depressing the entire time it gets fun... eventually

i have work all day tomorrow im so mad. 

love you guyssss <333 SLEEP IF YOU NEED IT (you do)