old fashioned || karl jacobs x reader

16: freaks

We entered the warmth of a higher-end restaurant. It wasn't suit and tie fancy, but I could tell by the warm tone, dimly lit lights, and the blatantly expensive decor that it wasn't exactly cheap. As the night was early, it wasn't too packed so we were able to get a table pretty easily.

I sat between Karl and Chris at a round table with enough chairs for us all. Menus were placed before us by the hostess before our waiter came to our table. Subconsciously, I had scooted my chair an inch closer to Karl so I didn't have to leave the warmth he had blessed me with before. As I skimmed over the menu, I fell upon my usual choice and decided to play it safe with that option.

We ordered our drinks and our food when everyone was ready, leaving us to chat amongst ourselves without any interruptions. Now, there wasn't the pressure of having to talk about work and I could finally engage a little bit more in this conversation.

Jimmy was obviously a pretty charismatic and observant guy, especially given his occupation. Almost as soon as the waiter had walked away from us, he had diverted his attention to me. "So, (Y/n), you're not from here right?" He asked, looking across the table at me.

My eyebrows raised as he caught my attention. I shook my head and replied, "no, I just got here last fall."

"Right, Karl mentioned that. What brought you here?" Genuine curiosity was across his face, a kind tone floating through his voice.

"I got a job offer with the Daily Reflector after I graduated, so I just took it and ran," I answered while trying to keep the mood lighthearted.

Jimmy smiled at that, an amused breath leaving his lips. "At least they waited for you to finish up," he chuckled and gestured over to Karl, "Karl dropped out to come work with me."

I looked over to Karl, seeing him grin as his head turned away from me and to Jimmy. "No, I just stopped going. I only had a couple of weeks left too," a soft giggle followed after his words.

"Oh my god," I laughed a little at him, "you couldn't have waited to get your degree?"

"Jimmy didn't give me much of a choice," he gestured a hand out to the taller man.

"Oh, you love it here, Karl," Chris cooed teasingly.

He looked over to the man on the other side of me, his shaggy hair moving with the motion of his head. "Well, yeah, that's why I haven't left yet."

Soon, our food arrived and the playful banter continued. I began to get more and more comfortable around the Mr. Beast crew as they stayed rather talkative and interested in my life. It seemed as if they had known a little about me already though, judging by the way they would address questions. As the afternoon went on, I began to realize that they already knew I had come from out of town and Jimmy was playing dumb for my sake. Coming upon this realization, I looked over at Karl who looked back immediately. A curious look was across his face, but I never explained to him why I gave him a look. I decided to keep that little thought to myself.

The night drew to a close with all of us finishing our dinner and with Karl insisting on splitting the check to pay for his and my meal. Jimmy, of course, wouldn't allow it and ended up paying for us all. Defeated, he let out a sigh and looked over to me while the waiter took away Jimmy's card.

"There's somewhere I need to stop by. Do you wanna come walk with me?" Karl asked me quietly while the other three spoke amongst themselves.

I smiled a little at the request. "Sure," I hummed.

When the check came back, we all got our things together so we could all go home. Outside, the streetlights were on and the moon was shining on the pavement, bright and full. I threw on my big jackets as we stepped into the cold, shoving my hands into my jeans' pockets before they could get dry again.