actions speak louder than words {karlnap}

chapter 27

He smiles. "Apparently you aren't the first to ask that," he says, "and I'm sure you won't be the last."

~~

After proper introductions are made -- even though I already knew everyone's names from when Karl talked about them -- we bring our bags in and Karl immediately sets off upstairs. Nick motions for me to follow, and we head into a room with a white bed and cyan walls covered in photos of Nick, Karl, and their friends. Karl is already pulling out things from his suitcase, stuffing them into a closet with a few clothes already there. There's a mattress laying on the floor with a dark blue bedsheet set over top. 

"This was the guest room," Nick says, "but Karl moved in last year. We don't have a free room either, or a pull out, so this is the best we got."

I smile. "That's fine," I say. "I've shared a room with him for four months, I'll live."

Though I'm sure he won't be in here every night. Bets on him sleeping in Nick's room some nights. 

Nick gives us both a smile and leaves to go back downstairs. I wheel my suitcase over to the mattress and tentatively sit down. Karl still bustles around the room, putting things away. 

"You lived here?" I ask, looking around. It does look very... Karl. 

There's little purple, pink, orange, and yellow adorments painted on the walls wherever pictures and paintings aren't. There's portraits, landscapes, and an abstract of a bunch of shapes and splatters. It's very interesting. The bookshelves are lined with books of varying thicknesses, and there's fairy lights -- switched off -- lining where the walls and ceiling meet. On the wall next to his closet, there's a bi flag pinned there with a picture of Nick and Karl holding it up, smiling into the camera, taped above it. I'm not sure if the flag-next-to-the-closet thing was intentional or not, but either way, it's a vibe.

He nods. "Moved in last February," he says, keeping his voice low and quiet so the others won't hear. "Same day my last foster mother got arrested."

He doesn't continue talking, so I don't push it.

(Nick POV)

We all wait downstairs, talking and laughing about nothing, until Karl and Alex come back down. 

Karl immediately sits next to me, curling into my side. I drape an arm over his shoulders, and Alex's eyes flash with a muted hurt. But it goes away as soon as Karl pats the spot next to him, smiling widely. 

"So, Karl," George says, legs dangling off the armrest of the sofa chair Dream is sitting in, George perched on his thighs. "Fill us in; how was North Carolina? Sapnap made us all subscribe to that MrBeast guy."

Karl smiles, sitting up a bit. He opens and closes his hands a few times, something he does when he's going to sign a lot. 

It's been actually really good, he signs. Favourite class is definitely queer studies, but the others are good too. Alex has been making me teach him about his major, and the job has been good. Made some new friends there, and they're even letting me be in the next video since a lot of people like me apparently.

Alex huffs from next to him. "Listen, law is the worst."

"Don't you choose your major?" Ranboo points out. 

Tommy nods. "Yeah, that's kind of on you, big man."

Tubbo also nods. "Yeah, it is on you."

I roll my eyes playfully at them. They always do that. 

Alex narrows his eyes at them. "I do choose my major, but that doesn't mean it's easy," he says. "It sucks ass."

"Metaphorically or literally?" Skeppy jokes. "'Cause if it's literally..." He makes the f-boy face.

As we all giggle, Bad whoops him in the face with his pillow, making us laugh harder. 

Seriously, a few weeks ago, Alex made me explain a whole section of the topic he was working on, Karl continues. I had no idea what was happening.

Alex scoffs, crossing his arms over his chest. "Okay, but it helped," he mutters. "I aced the next test, that should be what matters."

Karl slow claps. Yes, outstanding job, he signs, giving him a sarcastic look. 

"I might just go back to Mexico," he says, glaring at him. Karl gives him a challenging look, but his eyes gleam because he knows Alex would never do that. 

George giggles like a maniac. "Sapnap, keep him around," he tells me. "I like this one."

I frown. "How do I have any control over that?"

He waves his hand dismissively. "Figure it out."

I snort. Karl curls his nose and smiles widely. Alex just looks concerned. 

Word Count 1380

~A/N~

why do i feel like i should be making my chapters longer

what do you guys think? chapters shorter or longer?

i think its cuz ive been forcing myself to go over 2000 words for my oneshots and ive just gotten used to that...

anyways. HOW IS CHRISTMAS NEXT WEEK WHAT HAPPENED-

also, tommy was translating karl's ASL to tubbo and ranboo this chapter, i just forgot that they didn't understand it yet and didn't write it. but tommy just tells them what he's saying now

love you <3