"you do realize she's going to find out who you are right"
"well, when in rome."
"we're in new york but okay."
i refer to everyone (aside from people who, to my knowledge, have spoken up about their discomfort with it) as their real names.
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__________ JUDE POV
i have a terrible sleep schedule. i always have and i always will. if i do get to sleep at a reasonable time i end up waking up a few hours later. just like tonight.
i shift to my left under the arms of both niki and minx to check the clock next to my bed. 3:16 am.
i sigh softly, quickly and quietly moving from the middle of minx and niki to get out of the bed. my pajamas are a large shirt and small shorts so i know ill most likely be cold but i carry on anyways.
at the end of the hallway outside of our apartments theres a balcony. the only way i can explain is it looks like the one in friends and there's on on each flor instead of every apartment.
as soon as i step outside of my apartment i'm greeted with a rough looking karl.
he's sat on the floor against the wall outside his apartment.
"couldn't sleep?" i'm unable to stop myself from asking making his head snap up to look at me.
he shakes his head no.
i look down for a moment before sighing. "come with me for a second."
i hold my hand out to him to pull him up only for him to pull me down in a hug.
i hug back immediately, listening to his breathing slow down from a fast pace when he finally starts to speak.
"there was an emergency with tommys family so he, wilbur, and tubbo are leaving in two days. and schlatt, techno, and bad all have to get back home pretty soon too. plus sapnap, george, and clay are trying to get a house in florida together so they leave in a week to look for that. so it will just be me, alex, and the girls by the time it's christmas." he explains with a sad tone in his voice as it cracks, that + the fact that he's obviously tired makes his voice come off raspy and slightly deeper.
"i'm sorry i know how much it meant to you all to be here." by now we are in a position where he is sitting on the floor and im laid in his lap as his head is in the crook of my neck.
"and it just fucking sucks you know? because dr- clay didn't realize they had to leave in a week in order to get the house. and will and tubbo would never let tommy travel alone. oh and bad, techno, and schlatt? bad's dogsitter canceled and both schlatt and techno have super important things to do for their ch- businesses." as karl further explains everything to me i listen as best as i can.
it's hard to focus when i can hear his voice so close to my ear and he's straddling my waist but i manage to recover enough of what he said to form a response.
"well you at least still have tomorrow and tomorrow night with everyone right? we better make the most of it." i slowly turn to look at him with a wavering smile, breath hitching at how close he is to me face.
"then can we stay inside?" he whispers.
"whatever you want." i whisper back.
he mouths a thank you before looking down at my lips.
he closes his eyes and starts to lean in but i jolt up to my feet with a dazed smile. it's way too fast no matter how cute he is.
"let's take your mind off it." i look down at him.
he stands up too and i turn to start walking when i feel him press against my back as he mumbles in my ear. "i can think of a way."
i flush immediately and jokingly shove his arm at his extremely uncharacteristic flirting.
"yeah ok." i pause before chuckling. "but no seriously the view is really pretty at night." i say pulling his arm to the balcony only for him to stop me from opening the door.
"take this," he tells me taking off his sweatshirt. "i don't want you to get sick."
he shrugs bashfully when he finishes talking.
wow. mood swings much?
i put it on because let's be honest girls in fanfiction and movies refuse it too much like girl just except it. and also because it's a cute guy offering me his sweatshirt, what am i gonna do say no?
i'm a little taller than niki but still shorter than him and his sweatshirt, which is definitely too big for him, goes over my legs almost down to my knees.
i give him another smile before pushing open the door and immediately getting hit with a waft of cold air.
none the less i drag karl over to the spot i always sit or stand at and point out at the other tall buildings and the falling snow.
"look. isn't it pretty?"
"beautiful." he responds and i turn to see him looking at me.
i playfully roll my eyes "so flirty tonight."
he cheekily smiles back at me. "you're just worth flirting with."
i smile before rolling my eyes once again as i go on to explain what buildings are what.
karl pulls me closer to him, wrapping his arms around my body, making my heart jump as i continue explaining why the view is what i love about living in new york.
his warmth makes me stutter on a few of my words before i go back to speaking, trying desperately to ignore his mouth near my neck for the second time that night.
(a/n: hehe im writing ahead. THIS CHAPTER MAKES ME 🥺🥺 AND IM SO SORRY TO SEPARATE THE GROUP TO JUST THOSE FOUR BUT THIS ISNT A MEETUP BOOK AND YOU WILL GET AT LEAST TWO CHAPTER OF EVERYONE TOGETHER I PROMISE!! the girls are just the dynamic i love the best and obviously its alexs apartment so hes staying. written 1-23-21. bee, out)
