it was you on that early morning || karlnap fanfiction

monday

On this Monday morning the only visitors Karl had were the nurses and doctors.
He had a talk with his surgeon, about his fear of surgery and got some pain killers from a nurse called Luan.

The rest of the time he was on his phone, waiting for his friends and family.
His mum was the first to visit, bringing him a set of fresh clothes and keeping him company for about an hour.
He told her about his surgery appointment tomorrow morning and about Nick, who Karl had been very grateful to have with him.

"Nick is a really nice young man. I'm glad you found someone who is there for you when we can't be.", she said, before placing a hand on his shoulder, "Take good care of him too. Friends like that are rare."

"With him it doesn't feel the way it does with other friends.", Karl confessed, "I don't know what it is, but it feels more... intense? Does that make sense?"

She looked at him with a soft smile.
"Yes, that makes sense. Maybe you're developing feelings for him, the romantic kind.", she took a small break, before continuing, "Sometimes you just meet people and you just know somehow."

"But he's a guy too. I don't think I'm gay."
"You don't necessarily need to be gay, there is bi and pan and stuff like that. You'll figure it out and just know Dad and I would support you either way. And if you introduce Nick as your boyfriend someday, that's absolutely okay."

He hugged her.
"Thank you."
She ran her thumb over his cheek, looking at her son lovingly.
"There is nothing to thank me for."

Soon after she left and Karl was by himself again.

He thought about her words and he realized that she could be right.
Maybe he was in love or at least very close to falling.
Maybe his friends we're right when they said he'd fall for Nick, if he wouldn't stop thinking about him.

And suddenly he was longing for Nick to be here, he missed him.
He needed to hug him.

But it was still one and a half hours till Nick would have his last class.
So he was stuck with his thoughts and confusion.

He thought of the last days.
How he talked to Nick for the first time in the supermarket, how Nick helped him after the accident in biology, how they met at McDonald's and he got flustered at the idea of wearing Nicks jersey.

He thought of the night when they had texted for hours, the game, when Alex took the picture of them that Karl had loved for second one, thought of the pancake spot and their sleep over.

He thought of them cuddling, of the way Nick was so careful and soft with him, when he fell down the stairs and how he kept him company yesterday.

He thought about them singing, about how Nick grounded him, after Wills idea for the late audition made him anxious and how happy he had looked when Karl told him that he made him feel safe.

They had a pretty little story, Karl thought.
His heart agreed with him, beating faster when he remembered the feeling he had when Nick had sang Flynn Riders part in
I see the light yesterday.

He had looked so pretty.
He always looked pretty in Karls eyes, even after he had nearly hit him with the football.

Hypothetically, Karl thought, would I want to kiss him?
He came up with a scenario; their schools team just won the last game of the season and Karl ran onto the field.
He fell into Nicks arms, cupping his face softly, before leaning into a kiss.