I Spy a Liar

Chapter 2: Safe House

Tw: mentions of overworking

Thomas Watson was a tall, blond haired 18-year-old with a lot of energy. Karl knew the factual information from his file that he'd read on the way up to the house. The energy component was unfortunately based on personal experiences from the twenty minutes the three boys had been in his presence in the car on the way to the safe house.

The house wasn't a house in reality, more a group of apartments set close together in the complex to allow easier training. Each house assigned to a team had two floors, one used as a living space, the other designated for training and for holding unhostile hostages. Any who could do serious harm to someone was put in a more strict location and the mission was co-ordinated with the police.

Their 'house' was a larger one, designed for 8 people, or 10 people and two couples. They had one.

Flicking on the lights around the place, the house bathed itself in a newfound warmth. Karl lead the others through the place, down the corridors, past the bedrooms lined up beside each other, and travelling down the elbow of the hall to the technology room, where he let the others have a quick peak at and marvel in its awe.

It was quite lovely really, a desk with many monitors and screens perfect for camera watching was Dreams place of interest, whistling softly to himself as he brushed tanned fingers across the wooden table.

Two work areas were set up in the corner of the room, placed close to the other as three monitors fit snugly on its surface. A black desk chair was set up in front of all of them, Tubbo sitting in one and twirling on it joyfully, letting out a surprisingly harmonic version of the lyrics to 'You Spin me Right Round'. Tommy cheered him on with laughter, Ranboo helping him walk when the spinning came to a stop and the dizziness set in.

The end of the L-shaped corridor led to the kitchen and living room, both in close proximity to the other. The group crowded around the space, chatting happily amongst each other, although the distinction between the teens who'd recently joined and those already apart of the team who were already familiar with each other was obvious to Karl.

He quietly breathed in an anxious breath and prepared himself for this mission. He'd been leader of missions before, but not one with so much at stake and unrest between members. When he'd first joined this team, most of them were already close and knew each other, so getting along was only an issue for himself.

So he not only had to unite a group of untrusting teenagers with significant trauma issues (according to the evidence on their files) with a group of judging adults who care only for each other, though they rarely show it, but he also had to become leader for 8 other humans going after a mafia that put their own leader (Schlatt, not Karl. He hadn't had the undesirable pleasure to meet any of the members yet) through hell.

Sapnap had always had an impeccable ability to sense his uncomfortableness, it not being let down in that moment. His hand planted itself on Karl's shoulder gently, giving him a soft look, providing Karl with an unwanted amount of comfort. "You okay?" A whispered confession of concern was muttered in his ears, sending a shiver down his spine at the familiarity of the action.

He scoffed and brushed the hand off, ignoring his stomachs drop of loss as it left.

It wasn't like he was denying the disregarded feelings he had for the other, knowing they were still present due to the month he'd had to get over it being spent plunging himself into work and pretending feelings didn't matter. He just wished to ignore the heat on his cheeks and the unrest in his stomach whenever the ravenette was in a close proximity, preferring to stick to the physical training that admittedly made the others worried for him.

It wasn't the best coping method, as he frequently returned to the room he was staying in, at one of the supplied accommodations for spies-without-homes, sweaty and ready to drop from exhaustion.

But it worked nonetheless, his ex-lover completely removed from his mind as he trained and studied for upcoming mission he would no doubt be forced into, such as this one.

He clapped his hands to bring himself out of his daze and to collect the others attention. They all turned to him with varying levels of interest; Bad engaged in what he would inevitably say, Tommy whispering to Tubbo about he reckons Sapnap, who was still standing close to his back, and Karl were dating.

Karl rolled his eyes at the comment, gesturing for everyone to sit on the cream couches in front of him. They all moved to sit, Sapnap joining George and Dream on the couch left of Karl, Bad and Skeppy across from him and Tubbo, Ranboo and Tommy squabbling over where to sit on the one to his right.

All eyes trained to him, and with a nervous gulp, he smiled weakly and began to talk. "Hi everyone! As you all know, I am Karl, and I will be the leader for this mission with my partner Sapnap." Most of them offered a wave to both Sapnap and Karl.

"This house we are staying in has two floors, this one designed to be a typical living space, the other I think Skeppy is very excited to show you all." The brunette nodded his head eagerly at being mentioned, seeming pleased to be mentioned. "There are four rooms in this house, two king bed bedrooms, one room with two single beds and the final one with two bunk beds."

"Dibs sharing with Ranboo and Tubbo and on top bunk!" Tommy exclaimed clambering over the other two with a fierce eagerness. Karl nodded, mentally crossing off the list of rooms on the to-do list in his mind.

"Bad and Skeppy will obviously be sharing one of the king bed rooms, and George and I don't mind taking the other." Dream offered gesturing to the blushing brunette beside him. Said boy gave Karl a hopeless stare of desperation to be taken out of that situation, Karl giving a wicked smile in response. He knew of the fellow brunettes crush on the blonde and was eager to nudge them in the direction of more than friends.

"Great! Sapnap and I will take the final room. Feel free to go into your rooms and unpack, meet me out here in an hour to go over the mission brief."

As much as he dreaded to share a room with the raven-hair, he respected his wishes to keep what they had a secret, even among their friends and co-workers. So, he allowed the two to share a room as if nothing had ever happened.

But he suspected Sapnap got the hint to not try anything when glares were sent his way with no regard for whether he saw or not.
~~~
Hello amazing readers!

I am currently staying somewhere very cold but oh well.

I'm on school holidays at the moment, so there is a possibility of more frequent updates for the next two weeks, but this is all for now!

Hope your days have been well and that your enjoying the book thus far!

Love Skye ☁️💜