A LITTLE LESS SIXTEEN CANDLES; A LITTLE MORE TOUCH ME // Karl Jacobs X Reader

24

After the arcade, the boys spent the rest of the day editing while you and Noah enjoyed the spa. You spent a few hours in a mud bath, and then a masseuse worked all the knots from your shoulders and back. At one point, Noah's back cracked so loudly that the woman massaging her had thought something broke. Noah had cackled even louder than the crack.

By the time you came back to the room, you were more relaxed than you had ever been.

As you walked in, Alex and Karl were still sitting on the sofas where you had left them, laptops and camera equipment scattered around the room. Karl smiled as you walked in, a tinge of pink dusting his cheeks.

"Just as I was finishing up." Alex said happily, closing his laptop.

Noah plopped down on the couch next to him. "Get everything done?"

"Pretty much." Karl said, closing his laptop as well. "There's still rendering and things but for now, it's good."

You slid into the seat next to him, leaning on his shoulder. Karl stiffened slightly, but then relaxed.

Something was off.

"Any plans for dinner tonight?" Noah asked.

"We should try the seafood place." Alex said. "We passed it on the way to the beach yesterday and it looked really good."

"Sounds good to me." Karl said. "Any objections?"

A murmur of no's bounced around the room.

"Cool." Noah said. "I'm going to go change out of this spa robe and then we can be off."

As she walked back to her room, you headed to yours, stripping out of the robe the spa had given you and pulling a few things from your closet. You changed into your dinner wear and rubbed some sweet smelling lotion into your hands.

The events from the common area a few moments ago played through your mind. Karl had been acting strange - he was usually so touchy, yet he had stiffened under you when you had leaned on him. And there had been a slight dusting of pink on his face the whole time. He was nervous.

About what though? Dinner?

Maybe it was something Alex had said while they were editing. He had seemed perfectly fine though.

Strange.

You added the finishing touches to your outfit and pushed it from your mind - it couldn't have anything to do with you, you had been at the spa with Noah all day. You were about to leave and head back into the common area when you spotted Karl on the balcony that joined your rooms together, arms resting on the railing and overlooking the sea.

You opened the sliding door and stepped out, Karl turning to look at you as you came to stand next to him. He was dressed similarly to how he had dressed for dinner yesterday - a pleasantly patterned button down and neatly pressed jeans. It looked just as good on him as it had before.

"Hi." You said smiling, resting your arms on the railing next to him.

"Hi." He smiled. "You look nice."

You smiled, and the conversation fell into companionable silence as you both watched the ocean waves come and go. Next to you, Karl kept curling and uncurling his fingers around the metal rail. You could see the wheels turning in his head.

He was working up to something.

You had opened your mouth to ask what it was when Karl put a hand on your cheek, cradling your face so that he could turn it towards him and press your lips together.

Finally.

You melted into the kiss, turning to face him fully and wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him impossibly closer. His lips were soft against yours, and he kissed with gentle intensity, his other hand falling to grip your hip loosely.

When you pulled back for breath, he was grinning like an idiot.

"Was that what you were thinking so hard about?" You asked.

"In the video Noah said to just go for it." Karl said, a little breathless. "So I just went for it."

You felt your face heat up, having completely forgotten about what you and Noah had been talking about in the arcade. Of course Karl had seen it...

You pressed your face into his shoulder. "That's so embarrassing oh my god-"

"What?" Karl laughed, tipping your chin back so that you had to look at him. "No, I thought it was cute."

You just sighed when he leaned in to kiss you again. It was possibly even better than the first one - relaxed and slow but just as intense and passionate. It felt like you had been waiting for this moment for months - years, maybe - and now it was finally here. You; pressed close and locked in a kiss with Karl, the setting sun and the gentle roll of the sea in the background.

It was perfect.

You pulled back slightly, Karl's lips chasing yours for a moment. "We should probably go back in. Wouldn't want to keep Noah and Alex waiting."

Karl sighed, but let you go. "Yeah."

You walked back inside through the door to the common area, Karl a half step behind you. Inside, Alex was sitting in the couch, changed for dinner, but flushed red and frozen.

"You good bro?" Karl asked.

Alex blinked slowly, like he was coming back down to earth. "Yeah." He breathed.

It was then that you noticed the smudge of dark mauve lipstick next to his mouth. You grinned.

"I didn't know you wore lipstick Alex." You said nonchalantly.

Alex's eyes widened and his clamped his mouth shut. "I, uh-"

Whatever he was about to say was interrupted when the door to Noah's room opened and she stepped out, wearing dark mauve lipstick. "Were you all waiting?" She asked. "Sorry, I had to reapply."

"Not a problem." You said, trading a glance with Karl.

As you headed to the door, Noah paused and turned to Alex.

"You've got a smudge." She said, swiping a thumb over the corner of his mouth.

You caught Noah's eye and winked, causing her to break out into a grin.