Tw: swearing, weapons, blood, zombies, mild anxiety
"Who fucking hurt you?" Quackity demands the second George is out of earshot. "I'll beat their ass."
Karl's smile wavers, even as he tries to keep it in place. "No one, dude. I'm fine."
Quackity gives him a look that says it won't be as easy to trick him as it was to trick George. Karl pushes a hand through his hair, then rubs his jaw, remembering how, only the night before, Nick's lips had traced the skin there.
Quackity's eyes widen. "No. Don't tell me it's that guy."
Karl feels jittery, like he always does when something's set him on edge. He drums his fingers against his leg, craving a soda despite the weirdness of his situation. "You're gonna have to be more specific, Q."
"That asshole in the ripped jeans and the bomber jacket! The guy who thinks he's cool cause he has a shotgun."
Karl snorts a laugh, despite himself. "Why is that so accurate?"
"What happened?" Q asks, and Karl's heart jolts at the question.
He's not entirely sure what happened, and that's what scares him the most. Maybe Sapnap had only been drunk, but he'd kissed him like he meant it, and then left just as suddenly. Karl knows enough about people to know that Sapnap is doing his best to avoid him. He just has no idea why.
So Karl just shrugs and hopes that Q won't press him. A second of silence passes and Quackity gives a long-suffering sigh. "Fine, don't tell me, dick. It'll just make me hate him more if I'm imagining the worst about him anyway."
Karl's finger drumming intensifies along with the rapid beating of his heart. Some instinct makes him want to contradict Quackity and defend Sapnap, but that's stupid. Maybe Sapnap deserves a bit of Q's anger.
Then, an evil smile spreads over Quackity's face. "How about I help you get your revenge?" Quackity says, putting on an accent halfway between his regular voice and a posh British person. An accent that always makes Karl laugh.
Now, giddy excitement fills him even though he knows it's not completely fair to Sapnap. Although, if he's being fair, Sapnap hasn't really been fair to him either. "I'm not even gonna lie, I'm so down," he says between giggles. "What should we do?"
Quackity rubs his hands together. "Oh, Karlos, I have so many ideas."
And he explains them. Each one worse than the next, yet Karl can't help but feel a shiver of satisfaction pass through him. After all, he's agreed to much worse before and he's never been all that good at controlling himself.
"Let's do it," he says, a grin spreading over his face.
Quackity's grin matches his. "Okay, okay, we have to make it convincing though. He might be a dumbass but he's not that much of a dumbass."
"Wow, Q, was that a compliment?" Karl asks and Quackity pulls a face at him.
Karl follows Quackity through the hall and down the stairwell. They peek their heads into the first floor, Quackity's broomstick pointed into the hall in case any zombies show up.
"Coast is clear," Karl says in his best Chad voice.
He and Quackity position themselves at the end of a hallway and lean against the wall, waiting for Sapnap.
Quackity had explained everything before. "So Techno wants to meet with George, Sapnap, and Bad today. Sapnap will be on his way there when we 'get attacked,'" Quackity says, making air quotes with his fingers. "That's when you scream for help and I show up to take out the zombies. Then, you're all like 'you're my hero' and Sapnap will get jealous."
Karl had decided not to point out how bad that plan was and instead agreed to it. Even if Sapnap didn't believe them, he'd still be upset with Karl for putting himself in unnecessary danger. And a part of Karl - the same one that turned to alcohol to numb his mind and that had made friends with the wrong people just for the rush of adrenaline it gave him - really wants to see Sapnap get mad.
Everything about the plan is stupid and Karl wants to throw his arms around Quackity for suggesting it.
A growl sounds at the other end of the hallway, chilling Karl's blood. Quackity grips his broomstick tighter. "Wait for it."
The door to the stairwell opens again and Sapnap steps out, his shotgun slung over his shoulder, combat boots loud on the tiles. At the same time, a zombie bursts out from one of the classrooms, dangerously close to Karl. It makes a swipe for his arm and Karl just manages to duck away before it can scratch him.
His shriek is very real. And when Sapnap turns and makes eye contact with him, the worry there seems just as real.
"Karl!" he shouts, rushing toward them, unstrapping his shotgun.
"Karl, I got you!" Quackity calls at the same time. He reaches the zombie first and whacks it in the side of the head with his broomstick. The wood pierces its brain, blood spurts, and Karl's heart drops. For a moment, he wonders if the zombie will stay standing and keep attacking them. But the horrible thing falls, eyes glassy, on the tiled floor.
Sapnap is slack-jawed. Quackity rushes to Karl's side, eyes worried. Karl would almost believe him if it wasn't for the mischievous gleam hidden behind his concern.
"Karl, are you alright?"
He puts an arm around Karl's shoulders and Karl realises he's shaking. It's not an act either. "I'm okay," he manages. He meets Quackity's gaze. "Thanks, dude. I could have died."
As soon as he says those words, Karl sneaks a look at Sapnap. Sapnap, whose eyes are stormy, his knuckles white on his shotgun.
A shiver runs through Karl that has nothing to do with the zombie.
Quackity squeezes Karl's shoulder reassuringly, but Karl's eyes are only on Sapnap. Nick looks torn, half of him angry enough to stomp off and the other half of him worried enough to start yelling. Either way, his revenge worked.
Karl turns to Quackity and, on complete impulse, kisses him on the cheek.
Sapnap lets out a shocked breath. Quackity eyes go wide and questioning, a blush darkening his cheeks. Karl's heart feels ready to drum out of his chest.
"Karl?" Quackity asks, then Sapnap moves, grabbing him by the arm.
"Get the fuck off of him," Sapnap growls and Quackity stumbles away, clutching his broomstick. But Q meets Karl's gaze and nods at him. Karl's filled with gratitude for a second, before Sapnap's face blocks him from view.
Karl tries to act casual, but his whole body feels jittery, adrenaline rushing through his blood. "Hey, Sapnap."
He doesn't miss the flicker that crosses Sapnap's features, the pain Karl caused by not using his real name. Guilt stabs shards through him as some of the adrenaline ebbs away.
Karl's made stupid mistakes before and they were always the same: a crazy rush of adrenaline followed by the realization that he shouldn't of done what he did. Sapnap might have started it, and Quackity might have helped him, but Karl's the one who agreed to it.
The pain vanishes from Sapnap's eyes. "What the fuck were you doing doing here? You could have died, nimrod."
The realization thuds into Karl's chest, almost knocking him back physically. He could have died, and all to get some stupid revenge. "I'm sorry," he whispers, even though Sapnap should apologize too.
Sapnap's hands moving to settle on Karl's shoulders, his voice rough. "Just be more careful, Karl. I still haven't taught you how to fight."
"Didn't think you were going to," Karl shoots back, despite himself. "You left."
Those are the words he's been avoiding, the words that Sapnap doesn't realize mean so much. Karl surrounds himself with people for a reason: to avoid the emptiness of being left alone.
He should tell Sapnap that, but he can't form the words.
Sapnap's green eyes are shadowed. "That's why you did this, dumbass?"
Karl shrugs a shoulder. "Can you blame me?"
Sapnap mutters a "yes" under his breath, but his eyes soften a fraction. "I didn't mean to hurt you by leaving, nimrod. I'm... sorry." He swallows. "I was being selfish. I didn't want to stay, cause then I would be admitting I've fallen for you. And then I'd be too distracted to protect you and the others. That's why I left."
Karl's brows shoot up, guilt stabbing at him again. "Are you serious? You should have just told me."
Sapnap casts a glare back at Quackity. "And you should have told me before you plotted your stupid revenge that could have gotten both of you killed."
A small smile tugs at Karl's lips. "Wouldn't be the dumbest thing I've done."
"That's... concerning," Sapnap says and Karl's grin widens.
"So we agree to tell each other everything," Karl says, sticking out his pinky finger. "Promise."
Sapnap stares at him. "I didn't say I forgive you. Or him," he adds, glaring at Quackity.
"Remember how I said you'd fall for me soon?" Karl says. "Yeah, that happened. Pretty sure you'll forgive me soon, too. I even apologized."
Sapnap makes show of rolling his eyes, but he sticks out his own pinky. "Fine. As long as you never kiss Quackity again."
"Wait, I didn't agree to this," Quackity intrudes, but Sapnap interrupts him.
"Hold up, I've been meaning to ask. Why a fucking broomstick?"
Quackity glares at him. "Why the fuck not, asshole?"
"Okay, wait," Karl cuts in. "I won't pinky promise unless you two try to get along."
"That's..." Sapnap starts, but Karl interlocks their pinkies before he can finish.
"Perfect. Now we can all be friends."
"What the fuck?" Quackity and Sapnap say at the same time, and Karl bursts into giggles. And if they still sound a little hysterical, he hopes no one notices.
"Make me another promise," Sapnap says. "Stay safe. I don't care if that means you're locked in a classroom until you learn how to protect yourself. Or how to stop rushing into danger."
After everything that's happened, Karl's more than happy to agree to such an easy deal. But he pecks Sapnap on the lips first, relishing his surprised blush. "Sure. Whatever you say, big guy."
"I think I'm gonna be sick," Quackity mutters and Sapnap's eyes glitter as he claps Karl on the shoulder.
As Karl heads back up to the second floor, Quackity at his side, he decides that some stupid mistakes are worth it.
(1763 words)
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I love writing in Karl's perspective so much and this is the first chapter in his pov! I'll definitely write more in his pov soon especially to explain some of his backstory so I hope you enjoyed it <3<3