THE MOON KNOWS | karl jacobs x reader

IV

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all," —Oscar Wilde.

I think it's important to note that nothing lasts forever.  As much as we may want to hold out a moment for as long as possible, we can't.  All good things must come to an end, whether we like it or not.  I know that I can't stay with Karl all night, but God knows I want to.  I want to stay with him.  I want to stay for as long as I can.  Being with him makes me feel safe.  

But I can't stay.  I have to go home to Scooter, I have to finish my classes, I have to do my job.  I have so much to do that I know I can't stay.  But just because I can't stay doesn't mean I have to let go of him.  I can still keep that feeling of safety, just not in this very second.  So I take a moment to gather my confidence, and I speak.

     "So,"  I say slowly.  My words are shaky and I begin feeling unsure of myself.  I want to continue but I let my nerves get the better of me.
     "So."  He responds while looking over at me.  In his eyes, I can see the reflection of the stars.  And it is breathtakingly beautiful.  I take a breath and let myself speak.
     "Can I have your number?"  He takes a second to process my request, and when he does his cheeks flush.  He nods and I hand him my phone, screen opened to edit a new contact.  He hands me back my phone and I notice that he typed his contact name as 'karl :]'.  And I cannot lie, it is incredibly adorable.   

While my phone is unlocked, I notice the time.  12:07.

     "Shit!  It's past twelve, I've got to head home,"  I turn to him, sympathy evident in my tone.  His face fell in response, but only slightly.  It would've gone unnoticed unless you were paying close attention to how he coveys emotion with his body language.  Watching the change in his expression triggers a sudden boldness to strike me, and in turn I lean over to him and place a soft kiss on his cheek.

I pull away and allow myself to take in the look on his face.  His lips are slightly parted, his eyes are wide, his cheeks are still flushed, and the tips of his ears are a bright red.  He doesn't seem afraid or frightened, just shock with a hint of bashfulness.  

He doesn't move an inch so I take that as my cue to speak.

     "I'll text you later, Karl,"  I smile at him while standing up, accidentally letting a giggle slip out in regards to his expression.  He swallows and takes himself out of his mini trance, his eyes dart around, as if he's trying to determine if that had actually happened or if he had imagined it.  When he seemingly came to his conclusion and began to process his surroundings, he stood up as well.  He mumbles a quiet 'goodbye,' his words are almost a whisper as he fiddles with the hem of his hoodie.  A tiny smile begins to grow on his face.  By this point, his cheeks are blushing a bright rosy red as I begin to walk down the pier.  I turn back and he's still there, a bit goofy smile engulfing his tomato red face.  I giggle to myself and start the journey home.

When I reach my apartment, I open the door and belly flop onto the couch.  I pull out my phone and open to Karl's contact.  I smile at the emoticon he wrote in and I start a new message.

karl :]

hi :)

I press send and turn off my phone, plugging it in to charge as I get ready for bed.  I wrap my bed's duvet around me and Scooter snuggles against my legs.  As I drift off, I can't help but think about Karl's face when he blushes.  There's something so incredibly soft and endearing about him and I can't seem to get him off my mind.

Not that I'd even want to, however.