Stealth. (FtM Karl)

Adjust

Walking out of the room, each step seemed to feel louder than the last, especially at night.
Floorboards creaked in places I would've never noticed during the day as I tried my hardest to get down the stairs without waking anyone.

I was so glad that I had my phone in my pocket when I was taken to the hospital, regardless of whether or not it had any charge left. Now that it had power, it's light guided me safely down the stairs and through the hall to the kitchen.

After observing each cabinet, I decided to just guess which one contained cups. I ended up opening three before actually revealing the one containing cups.
I grabbed one and placed my phone, torch facing up, on the counter as I turned on the tap, I jumped slightly at the sudden loud noise of gushing water.
I turned the pressure up to fill the glass faster.

I then sat down at the table, I sat the glass down next to me and kept my phone in my hand, turning the light off.
I let my eyes adjust, it wasn't as dark as I thought it was. The street lights outside assisted my ability to see.

I took a sip of water. Cold, fresh, rewarding water.
It felt amazing, it felt so refreshing.

I placed it back down, a small tap against the table was the last sound I heard before complete and utter silence.
Like the water, it was refreshing.
Just silence.
Sometimes the occasional car would drive past, it's headlights creating a satisfying rectangle of light to run across the wall before once again disappearing along with the sound of tires against what sounded like wet gravel.
And then it was silence again.

After how the past few weeks had gone? This is all I had ever wanted, it's all I could've wished for.
Honestly, all my life, this is all I could've ever wished for.
Friends who treat me like family.
The ability to be myself, a guy, without the toxicity of my judgemental parents.
Escaping the place I felt the most trapped.

Trapped.
The word felt so right, describing my past few weeks, months even, years?
Being forced to be someone I'm not and never will be; having to act a certain way, never falling out of line; having the same routine day after day, home, school, home, school home school home schoolhomeschoolhomeschool.
It made me feel claustrophobic.

And now it feels like I can really breath.

I can get used to this.

-time skip 2 hours later-

Third person:

6am. Time to get up and get ready for college once again. All the drama to do with Karl had passed, now everyone including Karl were starting to relax again.
This made Phil happy.
He was glad that Karl seemed to be adjusting to his home well.

He sighed, knowing he would have to wake the others up soon, he was always the first one to wake up. Teenagers just sleep in, especially on a school day. And especially Wilbur.
Phil decided to leave them for a few more minutes, planning to savour the quiet time of the morning where he could just relax without children running around.
Well, Techno wasn't too loud. Very calm kid.
He liked spending time with Techno.

Not that he picked favourite sons or anything... but if he did, it would be Technoblade.

After he had gotten changed he walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. He flicked on the light.
"Karl?" He asked, rather shocked to see the boy, head in his arms, sat at the table.

The sudden presence of noise frightened the boy, he shot awake, almost knocking over the cup of water but catching it. He looked over at the adult.
"Oh, hi Mr Minecraft." He greeted rather formally, he wasn't sure if calling him Phil would be rude since they hardly knew eachother, really they had only met the day he moved in, only hearing rumours of him from Wilbur.

The man had to hold back his laughter, the kid sounded so formal, "please, just call me Phil or Philza." He told him, and he genuinely meant the 'please'. He couldn't handle such formality in this type of home. He couldn't handle one kid calling him "bro" and another calling him "sir" or "mr minecraft", he wouldn't be able to handle it.

Karl nodded, "okay."

"By the way," Phil started, waking over to the ✨coffee✨, oh sweet coffee, the only thing preventing him from stabbing a chi-
"We get a day off today, the school has given you a week to adjust, they said they will send some work over but it's optional." He explained, "and I've asked for a day off of work to take you out shopping."

'Shopping??' Karl thought, he didn't want Phil to spend money on him, but the older noticed the way Karl's eyes gleamed at the word.
He really needed some new clothes.
He'd just been wearing the clothes Dream and Bad had lent him when they lived together, aswell as the few clothes Bad had bought him.

Can't forget the huge diy binder break hoodie Bad had made him. Bad even brought it to the hospital in a little rucksack with a book and phone charger. He even snuck a packet of sweets in there for him.
'I need to remember to thank him for that' he reminded himself.

"Thanks, but I'm okay with the stuff I have already, it's okay" he denied, trying not to sound rude.
"What you have is two bags worth of clothes, toiletries and art supplies," he listed, "I'm taking you shopping and we are going to buy stuff to decorate your room. Not because I feel obliged to, but because I want to, cool?" He smiled, still a little cranky from the current lack of caffeine in his system.

Karl smiled at this, the man genuinely wanted to make him feel as comfortable as possible in his home, he wanted to spend money on him. It was new, but it was a good new.
"Cool."

Phil smiled at this as he finished making his coffee, he took a sip, "good, now go and get changed, the others will get up soon and you're still in your pyjamas" he mentioned, mostly trying to remind him that he had no binder on and wasn't out to anyone else, "we will leave in an hour. Oh and I need to know what size binder you wear, Bad told me the ones you wear are second hand and probably loose." He finished.

"Wait, Bad told you about that?" He asked, confused, he expected a different reaction.

"Hm? Yeah, sorry, when we were coming up with a legal loop hole to get you out, he had to tell me as it was important info" he apologised, realising it was personal and he probably wanted to tell him himself.

But it was the opposite, he was actually glad Bad did it for him, coming out is scary, especially to someone you hardly know but now live with, "no, well, I mean it's fine- just... so, you're like... cool with it then?" He asked cautiously.

Phil raised a brow a little confused, he smirked at him, "yes I'm cool with it? What, did you think I would try and tell you it's not okay or something? It's just who you are, and I honestly have a lot of respect for anyone who's confident enough to be out as trans in this society." He shrugged, Karl was just utterly blown away, he might cry from happiness right there at the kitchen table, "now go upstairs and get changed. Oh, and wake up Wilbur won't you? Tell him to wake the others for me."

Karl got up and ran up the stairs to do just that.

Any previous doubts about this house was obliterated, all he felt was happiness whenever he thought about it.
Not the building, but the people inside it.
He had yet to meet Wilburs brothers, but hopefully they would get along.
He had a feeling he would.
And he couldn't wait for whatever would come next.

There was no calm before the storm this time, he didn't feel that gloomy presence of a future storm, like it was "too easy", the one line in cinematic history no character should ever say.

This time it was all genuine. It was safe to be himself.
He could really be the boy he's always been inside, really live life freely surrounded by others who supported him.
Never be seen at a girl ever again.
He was finally happy.

But for how long?

(Lmao hah u thought)