old fashioned || karl jacobs x reader

.5: november

(non-COVID world 🙂)

This was the second time in the two months I had been living in my apartment that I could barely scrounge together rent money. It was the cheapest apartment in the city and yet I basically had to starve myself to make ends meet. It wasn't fair that the living wage frankly wasn't and I could barely keep myself afloat. Sure, my job writing for a local paper paid decently, but not decent enough to live on my own.

I arrived at the office first thing that Monday morning. The despair and hunger were reeking off my body after that horrible weekend where I had been left with virtually nothing in my bank account. Thankfully, there was free coffee available in the lounge, which helped me to, along with pastries. I took two danishes, careful not to be greedy, and fixed my coffee hastily so I could have something in me immediately.

I looked out of the lounge to the opening door, revealing my friend, Ellie, who had wasted no time becoming my friend since I joined the paper. She smiled at me as she made her way over to the coffee pot.

"Good morning," she greeted softly while taking her personal mug and filling it up, "how was your weekend?"

I sighed, leaning against the nearest wall and already feeling the words spilling from my mouth. "Exhausting. I barely made rent," I confessed absentmindedly.

Her head perked up and her usually chipper expression has faltered to a concerned one. She already knew about last month, but I think I was officially worrying her. "Why don't you get a roommate?" She suggested.

"It's a one-bedroom," I reminded her.

"Well, have you tried looking for someone who would want to get a new place with you?"

I rolled my eyes at her idea. "Do you know anyone who would want to live with a twenty-two-year-old fresh out of college? With a hardly stable job?" I mocked while sipping my coffee.

"Well," she paused and smiled a little, "I do actually. He's not officially looking for anyone, but I can put a good word in."

I quirked an eyebrow up curiously. Did the cards finally align right for me? "How big is his place? And is he creepy?"

Ellie laughed a little, shaking her head. "It's an actual house, so it's bigger than what you're dealing with. And he's not, I swear. I've known him since high school."

"I may have to take you up on that, Ellie," I hummed whilst thinking over everything. It wouldn't hurt to meet the guy and walk around. The worst thing that can happen is he is weird and it doesn't work out, which is fine, I'll just have to ration a little while longer.

—

I went to meet him Wednesday during my lunch break. He lived in a nice neighborhood, which made me afraid that I wouldn't meet his standards with my income. The houses down the streets were all tidy with raked yards, and the occasional family sitting outside and enjoying the brisk November morning.

The leaves before his house, however, weren't raked, which wasn't that big of a deal, but it made him stand out. It was a single story, but large, at least from the outside. He must've just moved in before there wasn't even a welcome mat at the front door. Upon arriving, I had to set aside my jitters and bring my fist to knock on the door. Almost immediately, I could hear rustling and chaos behind the door as he frantically made his way to open it.

The door was pulled open to reveal a guy with brown, shaggy hair and crystalline blue eyes. Instantly, he threw a smile onto his already frantic and anxiety-ridden look, which brightened up his face.