Stealth. (FtM Karl)

Safe?

"You alright, Karl? What did he say? I swear if he did anything-"
"Nono, I'm fine, Miss Sally, really. Thank you." He thanked, she had just saved him a whole lot of public yelling.
He still felt frustrated, he had gotten all worked up over it and now that Miss had stepped in, it's like he had nowhere to dispense the built up anger.

"That's good. Will you be alright going home on your own?" She asked, still worried about Karl. The emotions she could spot on his face were a confusing collection, all blended together.
She could only imagine what kind of emotions were welling around in his brain.
He looked so angry, yet so sad and confused. He almost looked more disappointed.

But more than anything.
He looked scared.

He gulped, seeming to drift in and out of reality. It seemed at though he was starting to calm down a bit, but he just felt distorted, a little bit out of it, "yeah. Yeah I'll be fine." He stated, "thanks again" he muttered before walking in the direction of Bad's house.

Sometimes, during the walk, he would stop for a moment and look around. He was overthinking his every move, every step, every breath seemed to end up being timed as he prepared to run for it. It was very unlikely that his father would be waiting for him somewhere discreet, watching and patiently awaiting his moment to strike.
Steal him back.
He seemed desperate.

But not once during those forty minutes, did he even catch the slightest glimpse of his father or his car.
It was then that he finally took a real, relaxing, long, deep breath. It felt like his exhale stole a bit of that anxiety, and it just flowed out of him nicely.
But only a little bit.

His hands shook as he fumbled with his keys only to realise the door was already unlocked. He quietly entered, assuming from the lack of the usual friendly greeting that whoever was home was busy, he quickly made his way up the stairs and into his room.

"Karl?" A voice called from down the hall.

The brunette ignored it, he didn't want to speak to anyone right now. The only thing he felt like doing was just laying in bed and slowly disappearing.
He had never gotten that angry before, at anyone, he never saw the point. But he especially never imagined speaking like that to his father.
That's what scared him the most.

He lay down in bed, but not after throwing his bag across the room first.
He lay on his front, crossing his arms beneath his pillow as some kind of head support as he dug his face into the soft centre of the cushioning fabrics.

Now that he was indoors and wasn't busy panicking about his father returning, his mind was no longer distracted. He could really think now.
But the only thing he could think about was the argument.

What he said, what his father said, how it ended.

One word rang through his head, over and over and over again, unbearable amounts. It just kept popping up in his head no matter how hard to tried to distract his preoccupied mind.

"Kira"

His fathers voice from earlier saying that very word that brought him so much pain repeated like a broken record.
He hadn't heard that name in weeks, he almost forgot it even existed.
It just did feel right to hear, it didn't feel like it was his name at all yet he knew he had a personal history with it.

Because it wasn't his name at all.

"Karl?" The voice repeated, closer to the door now. Said boy didn't respond again, keeping his head tucked away.

A soft knock echoed through the quiet, seemingly vacant room. The lights were off and no sound was being made.

"Karl? You home?" He asked.
As Karl thought more about the boy at the door, he started to doubt his own reasoning, telling himself it was rude to not answer, no matter how much he told himself he had every right since he wasn't feeling up to chatting.

Though his thoughts felt longer, his response was quick enough to be heard before the teen at the door disappeared.
He turned his head so his mouth was no longer restricted by the pillow and grumbled a "no" finding the response rather humerus in his head, and also hoping it would add to his tone and hint that he currently didn't want to socialise.

"What a shame" Dream sighed, "guess he won't get to ever hear the song we recorded today. Wow. Truly disappointing, Sapnap really-"

Within seconds, Karl was already at the door. He had been waiting to hear those words for days now. Somehow, unbelievably, it's one of the only things he could've been told in that moment to encourage him to open the door.

Dream was a bit surprised by the fact it had actually worked, flinching back slightly as the door flew open to reveal Karl.
"Well, hello there" he teased.
"Shut up and show me the song." The brunette demanded, holding his hand out for the phone.

Dream chuckled at passed him his phone with the recording on it. Pressing play, Karl's eyes instantly lit up at the sound.

As they both listened to it and talked, they were completely unaware to whats as just occurred outside the front of their home.

Karl had been so worried that his father may be ahead and waiting to strike.

That he didn't think about the fact he could be behind.
Following discretely, planning his next moves.

After writing down the address of the home he had followed his "daughter" to, he turned around and started to walk back to his car.
He knew where Karl was.