Nick was in the mood, the mood for getting high and kissing, maybe a little bit for sex too, when he pulled out his phone. He had to admit that when he thought about it, he had an even greater desire for all things at the same time. And it was very easy to do. After all, he had been seeing a very pretty brunette for some time now, whom he met at a party where he shared his joint with her and they cuddled in the corner of the room for half the night. Karla was really pretty. Out of Nick's league pretty. Even Dream gave her a longer look than he should have, for which George literally kicked his shin so hard that the blond had a cramp. Punz, on the other hand, went straight to whistling at Nick, who was escorting the girl to the exit door after their night together. So yes, Karla was a really hot piece, and Nick somehow managed to get her and have sex with her whenever he wanted. Karla was willing, he was delighted, and everyone was happy.

So it wasn't anything strange for him to pull out his phone to write a message while sitting with Clay, who was making sandwiches.

Nick: wanna get stoned&make out like crazy? come to mine asap im waiting pretty

"And then my mom said she wouldn't send me any extra cash this month because she doesn't want to support my addiction, which is insane because I certainly don't have an addiction" Dream finished his story, Nick was somewhat distracted by it.

"Oh yeah? That sucks" he muttered, clicking on the slot to choose the recipient of his message.

k..

"She'll send it to you anyway, you know your mom always ends up helping you with your stupid nerdy stuff" Nick added calmly.

ka..

"This isn't stupid stuff. It's an technology fair. It'll be cool" the blond guy protested.

kar..

Nick quickly clicked on the first number that appeared and sent the message without thinking, just to look at one of his roommates.

"You're such a nerd, oh my God. Get some bitches," Nick asked pointedly, putting his locked phone on the counter and grabbing a sandwich.

"Hey! Make your own" Clay grumbled, still unhappy. "And you get some. I have a boyfriend, thank you very much."

"Yeah, and you're going to the fair with him. You're such nerds," Nick laughed. "When are you going to start coding something together again? It sounds like a romantic date."

"Get lost. Just because for you a romantic date consists of getting high and mid-tier sex doesn't mean it's our problem," the guy said.

"For one, these aren't dates. For two, my sex is never mid-tier," Nick assured him, offended. "You're mid-tier, you asshole."

"These aren't dates? Yeah, keep living in denial. Punz saw you two kissing in front of the chemistry department the other day," Clay said meaningfully. "And you went for coffee together."

"No, we just happened to run into each other at the café," he corrected him. "It would just be weird if we completely ignored each other."

"Mhm, you're so into her it makes me sick," his friend laughed shortly. "And she's into you too. You're literally a couple, you just don't want to make it official."

"Shut up, it's not like such a chick would actually want to date me," Nick said, shrugging, and Clay sighed dramatically.

"She's literally here at least once a week, walking around half-naked like she owns the place, and you're telling me she wouldn't want to be with you? I don't know what she sees in such a dumbass like you, but somehow you managed" the blonde laughed. "Don't think about it too much."

"I'm not," Nick snapped shortly and looked at his phone. "But she'll probably come today."

"Ew" his roommate replied.

"Luke went to a party, I needed someone to smoke with," he shrugged carelessly.

"Maybe I'll just go to George's instead," he muttered. "It sounds safer. But please go to your room."

"Don't make me remind you of how George and you--"

"I didn't ask you to," Dream cut him off with a deadpan expression. "I'm going to George's."

"Have a nice visit. Don't do anything nasty" Nick joked, winking at his friend.

After that, they both went to their rooms. Dream finished his sandwiches and got ready to leave, and Nick twisted the remnants of the weed he still had into a joint.

He was already skilled at it, so it didn't take him long to gently grind it up and finish the perfect joint when he heard the door slam, presumably indicating that Dream had actually left the apartment. Sapnap smiled to himself, happy that they wouldn't have to be as quiet as usual. He rolled up two more joints and only then moved to the living room, turning on music to drown out the silence around him. Now he just needed someone to keep him company. Nick knew it could take a while before she appeared. However, she usually seemed to show up within an hour of his message. Nick, therefore, without much interest, just lit up one joint and decided to prepare himself and relax a bit. He wasn't in a hurry, giving himself time for each puff and sat with his head resting on a pillow, finally feeling light and good. Just the thought that he would feel a little better soon sent a shiver down his spine. It was a mesmerizing feeling, waiting for something like this.

That's why the doorbell was a heavenly sound for him.

Nick stopped in front of the mirror in the hallway and adjusted his hair a bit, but quickly abandoned the idea. After all, his hair was about to be completely destroyed by the other person's hands in a moment.

Nick smiled as he opened the door. However, he was about to be surprised.

Because on the other side, it wasn't the beautiful brunette with long hair, but none other than...

"Karl?" Nick muttered disoriented.

Jacobs stood in a very shy pose. He held his hands and his embarrassed gaze shifted to the floor for a moment.

"Hey Nick"

Karl was wearing white pants, a white turtleneck, and a soft sweater in thick violet stripes with a tiny moon on his chest. He looked like he really wanted to impress. Sapnap wanted to know what he was doing here and why he was blushing like crazy looking at him.

"Uhm," Karl muttered and giggled, rubbing one hand on his neck and shyly tucking his hair behind his ear. He was really nervous. Nick noticed his pastel-colored nails, each one in a different color. "So... I never- um, never smoked weed before."

Nick blinked, still not understanding what was going on. "Okay? Do you want to?"

Maybe he came to Nick because he knew he would know who would sell him some herb?

Karl bit his lip, his cheeks taking on a deeper shade of red. Nick could even smell his sweet perfume from the distance they were at.

"Well, I thought we could just go straight to making out," he said with a gentle smile, looking straight into Nick's eyes, who wanted to shout, 'what?!' "And I also think you're very pretty. I know I'm a bit... stressed, but I really can't believe you like me too."

Nick was so shocked that he regretted smoking that joint before. He should have had a clear mind to process this kind of information.

"You like me?" Nick mumbled, still staring at the boy. He felt like a fish out of water.

"Well... yeah. I wouldn't have come from the other side of town just to reject you. I was just really surprised by your message, but... but it's the best thing that could have happened, really," he said with a slightly more confident tone. "Can I come in?"

"Uhm, yeah," Nick whispered, finally stepping away from the door so Karl could come inside.

Sapnap didn't understand any of this. What message? And how come he didn't realize that his friend had a crush on him?

The younger one led Karl a bit further inside and offered him to sit in the living room, which he gladly did, wrinkling his nose at the ubiquitous smell of weed.

"Would you like something to drink?" Nick asked gently, needing to escape for a moment. "I don't know, maybe water, we also have apple juice, Pepsi, Fanta, Dr. Pepper?"

"Fanta will be fine," he replied with a radiant smile, sitting on the couch and getting more comfortable.

Nick disappeared within a second, and as soon as he stood in the kitchen, he grabbed his phone. He went to his recent messages, and oh my god. He really sent a message to Karl, asking him to come for a wild make-out session. And Karl actually came to do it. This is the end.

The boy immediately opened a chat with Dream, checking twice to make sure he was messaging the right person.

Nick: SOS FUCKING SOS

Nick: Please come back home and save me quickly!!!!!! I'll pay you, please help

He didn't wait for a response. He quickly grabbed a can of soda from the fridge and headed to the living room, where Karl was waiting for him with a pillow pressed against his stomach and one leg on the couch.

"Sorry it took so long. I couldn't find the soda," Nick said awkwardly, handing him the can, which Karl took, touching his fingers in the process, and Sapnap wasn't stupid, he knew he did it on purpose.

"Don't worry about it, sit down. This is probably a little stressful for both of us," Karl admitted and chuckled, running his finger over the edge of the can.

"Yeah, no shit," Nick muttered, swallowing and sitting at a safe distance. "I definitely didn't expect to see you behind the door."

"To be honest, I was a little surprised that you were so direct, but I think it suits you, in principle. You're always so brave and confident. Besides... who would refuse you?" Karl looked at him, causing the brunette to force a smile. He wanted to disappear.

"Definitely a lot of people," Sapnap replied, again causing the quiet laughter of the brunette. His finger still wandered around the round edge.

"Well, those would be people who really can't see how amazing you are. Not everyone has good taste," the man shrugged calmly.

"Thank you?" Nick's uncertainty could be heard from miles away.

"I don't think I've seen you so stressed," Karl noted. "You shouldn't be so tense. I told you I didn't come to reject you."

Oh if Karl only knew.

"I just really didn't expect you to come," Nick replied.

"I don't think I was that subtle that you couldn't notice the huge crush I've had on you since forever," the boy said, taking a deep breath and pulling out a can. "Could you open it? I don't want to ruin my nails."

So Nick fulfilled his request, feeling weak at the confession. He wasn't sure how he could have noticed his crush. He never did anything- well, looking back, he couldn't help but notice some small things. Like maybe the fact that Karl really liked spending cosmic amounts of time skating with him and always seemed to be available when he wanted to do that, and maybe he taught him how to do an ollie, and even once put a unicorn band-aid on his scraped knee, but it was just for fun. Nick always brushed it off as just friendly gestures. It was just as purely friendly when they went to 7/11 to buy something to drink and then sat on the curb watching the sunset and talking about nothing in particular, Nick sipping on his zero-calorie cola and Karl with a white Monster in his hand.

So okay, maybe Nick was blind, but he always thought of them as purely skatepark friends who sometimes spent too much time together because they could talk for hours. But Nick got along just as well with Dream and he never ended up crushing on him.

"Thank you," Karl said softly, taking the can and taking a small sip. "So, uh.."

"Did you really have a crush on me all this time?" Nick blurted out, not even wanting to know what the other was trying to get at.

"Well, you could say that. When I first saw you, of course, I thought you were completely handsome, but- but I didn't think at the time that someone so pretty could have such a great character. But as soon as you introduced yourself and asked for help.. well, you know. I fell for you."

"Uh, okay," he murmured, feeling his cheeks warming up.

"Mhm, but I always thought you knew..," he muttered, putting the can on the table and leaning gracefully. Nick watched him so carefully that he felt like he was about to come off as a psychopath. "And that I wouldn't really stand a chance, so I never admitted it. I wasn't even sure if guys were an option for you, you know, always doing all the typical things that straight guys do, who would rather push me out of their way."

Maybe because Nick was never interested in guys in his life and was always pretty sure of his sexuality. He never ruled out that if there was an option, he might be tempted and try it out, but he always ended up with girls, so he was almost certain he was straight.

"But how could I have guessed? What straight guy wears rolled-up pants?" Karl threw a meaningful look. "But I didn't want to judge you so superficially because you give off a bisexual vibe."

What the actual fuck?

"I should have asked earlier. Maybe we would have already passed that first stressful moment of confessing our feelings," Karl chuckled.

"So, about that message from me..."

"Don't worry that it was so direct," Karl interrupted. "It's actually quite... cute."

Nick wanted to die.

"Maybe even... hot" Jacobs admitted, causing a fire to ignite on the younger boy's face. "Oh my God, I can't believe you, of all people, are blushing like this. You literally sent me that message knowing I would see it."

"Well. I guess I'm shy," Nick muttered evasively and suddenly felt a hand on his. Karl's long fingers awkwardly grasped his and he moved a bit closer.

"You don't have to be with me," he reassured him slowly. "It's okay if you don't want it to be too...committing right away. Maybe we should really start with a nice date, but... if you want to start from making out like crazy then I don't see anything against it."

Nick felt his heart pounding and Karl moved closer to him again, albeit slightly.

"Do you want to go on a date?" Nick muttered, slightly shocked.

"Uh, and you?" Karl replied, evidently stressed.

Both were silent.

"We can start with what you suggested in the message," Karl finally reassured gently, and he seemed to lean in, so Nick immediately turned his head.

"It's stuffy in here. Maybe I'll open the window," he blurted out and got up from the couch.

Karl returned to his previous position, his face even redder than a moment ago. Nick could barely open the window.

"Does it bother you that it smells like weed in here?" Nick asked, looking at Karl uncertainly, who held the pillow tighter than before.

"No, it's fine," Karl reassured him with a sweet smile. "You often smell like it. I'm used to it."

They stared at each other for a few more long moments.

"Are you going to stand on the other side of the room like that?" Karl finally asked with a slight amusement. "I won't bite you... yet."

"Karl, I literally had no idea you had that in you," Nick admitted seriously, to which Karl buried his face in his hands, his sweater sleeves creeping up.

"Your presence brings out the silly side of me," he muttered, looking at Nick through his fingers. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Nick replied. "Just... oh my god."

"Yeah, right?" Karl chuckled, and it was a really cute sound, but Nick couldn't stop feeling stressed, and his head wasn't in the best condition.

Nick returned to the couch and scratched his cheek, staring at Karl, who looked completely different than usual. This time, he could see his blush, his slightly glassy eyes, and his dreamy smile. He looked so delicate, as if he was admiring something beautiful. And he was looking at him. Nick felt his breath begin to falter.

"It's new for both of us, don't worry," Karl assured him, trying to bring comfort to the other as if he wasn't experiencing arrhythmia himself. Nevertheless, Jacobs moved closer to him again and reached out tentatively to his hair, brushing it behind his ear and licking his lips, parting them slightly.

Nick could almost feel how impatient he was becoming. He knew what it was like to restrain oneself from touching someone they liked.

"You're so..." Karl murmured very slowly, his hand still in the same place. "So pretty. I've imagined a million times what it would be like if I could..." His hand moved a bit lower, lying flat on his neck, brushing against his hair and playing with the ends. Nick felt trapped. "You have a very fast heartbeat, you know?" Karl smiled when he whispered those words to the boy. "If I knew I had this effect on you, I would have done something about it long ago. It should be illegal for you to steal my heart so easily and live in my head rent-free."

"Oh-uh-"

Nick wasn't even able to form coherent words. His throat was getting dry.

"Can I kiss you? Please," the way Karl said it sounded even more illegal. Nick had no defense against such pleading words. Especially when it came from Karl, who could convince him to do anything without exception.

They stared into each other's eyes up close, and Nick was already on the verge. He was about to open his mouth to say yes when the apartment door chaotically began to open.

"Oh my God, Clay, don't panic," George's muffled voice sounded, and both Nick and Karl moved away from each other embarrassed.

"Sapnap?" Dream called out, heavy footsteps of his friend could be heard. "Sap- oh."

Clay froze, seeing that in the living room with his friend, who sent him some strange messages and then didn't answer any calls, was another boy with red cheeks who looked embarrassed and turned away.

"Hi," the blushing boy muttered.

Clay knew who he was. He often came to hang out with Nick and go skating. Karl Jacobs, 24 years old, Nick's new best friend who couldn't stop talking about how amazing and chill he was.

"Hi," Dream replied, looking at Nick, wanting to murder him for rushing to the alarm when nothing was really happening. However, Nick looked panicked and looked at him with relief.

"Dream, George," Sapnap said, looking at the two.

"Did- did we interrupt something?" Davidson asked uncertainly, staring at how Karl and Nick looked at each other.

"No, no," Nick assured them at the same time Karl was about to confirm.

"That's good," Clay muttered, not entirely convinced, and looked at George, who just poked him in the back meaningfully.

"Um, don't worry, maybe we'll finish in your room?" Karl asked uncertainly, looking at Nick.

"Karl, I'm really sorry, I completely forgot I promised them I'd go out with them," Nick blurted out, trying to sound convincing.

"Oh.. well," he muttered and looked at the two who still stood awkwardly, looking at them. "No problem," he assured and smiled at Nick. "You don't have to apologize. I know what it's like to have a weak memory. Really."

"Uh, yeah, sorry," Nick seemed even more awkward than before.

"Um, we'll wait for you to say goodbye, Nick," George said and smiled uncertainly, looking at Karl, who looked lost.

"I'll walk you to the exit," Nick said, looking apologetically at Karl.

The two got up from the couch and headed towards the hallway.

"Bye, Karl, it was nice to see you," George said at the end, waving towards him.

"You too, have fun whatever you're planning to do," he wished them and after that they lost sight of them.

Nick was alone with Karl again, but the other guys were still around and their whispers could be heard, although it was impossible to understand what they were saying.

"Hey, I'm really sorry it turned out this way," Nick muttered, still seeing sadness on Karl's face.

"Well, I was hoping the meeting would last longer" Jacobs smiled shyly, "I'm still glad it happened at all. But you know, next time try to make sure no one interrupts us?"

"I'm sorry about them, sometimes they drag me to weird parties because they don't have any other friends," Nick whispered, as if trying to show how much it wasn't his fault. Jacobs chuckled.

"Oh yeah? Look at you being such a good friend and hanging out with them," he murmured with a certain tenderness. Nick wanted to sink into the ground. "Well, we'll get back to what we were interrupted next time."

"Hah," Nick muttered. "Totally."

"Have fun being their chaperone," Karl wished him.

"And you get home safely," Sapnap replied, still not wanting him to have an accident on the way back. "Text me when you get home?"

"As always," he nodded and leaned down, placing a shy kiss on his cheek. "I won't be offended if you send me another message as soon as possible."

This left Nick in a state of complete suspension with red cheeks and shame beyond measure.

"Mhm, see you later," he said goodbye with a trembling voice, which only brought an even bigger smile to Karl's face as he crossed the threshold.

When he finally closed the door behind him, he needed several seconds leaning against the wall to arrange in his head what had actually happened.

When he returned to the living room, George and Clay were still waiting. They now stood closer to the couch.

"Dude, what the hell just happened?" Dream asked seriously, but in response, Nick shook his head and hit his forehead against the wall. "Sapnap? Why did you send me an emergency text and why did you lie to Karl?"

"Because I'm a stupid piece of shit," he muttered with closed eyes. "Literally kill me. I don't want to live anymore."

"Did Karl do something?" George asked, not knowing whether he should start laughing already. "Why was he even here? Weren't you supposed to be on a date?"

"No. It was me. I'm such an idiot, oh my god," Sapnap replied. "Because I didn't look closely at who I was sending the message to. And instead of Karla, I wrote to Karl."

"Oh no," Clay muttered. "You didn't send him an invitation to-"

"Oh my god!" George exclaimed and started laughing. "He came on the invitation?!"

"No shot... right?" Dream asked, looking at the shattered Nick, who looked at him murderously. "But did you tell him?"

"Dude, how was I supposed to tell him?" Nick asked. "I got like a half-hour confession about how much he's always liked me. I thought I was gonna die."

"Nick! You should have told him," Dream laughed. "Oh my god."

"He thinks I'm completely crazy about him and that I admitted my feelings for him through a message, how was I supposed to tell him that I- hate my life."

"Okay, but what now?" George asked pointedly.

"What do you mean, what now? I never plan on showing my face to him again," Nick replied seriously. "I won't risk him trying to kiss me again."

"He tried to kiss you?" Davidson giggled excitedly. "Did he do it?"

"He tried, luckily you guys stopped him," Nick muttered, embarrassed and blushing again. "No way am I ever looking him in the eyes after what he said to me. Nuh uh. No way."

"What did he say to you?" Clay made a slightly horrified face, but his curiosity was eating him up inside.

"I'm not repeating it," Nick assured them. "Like- holy shit. I want to sink into the ground. I never thought such words would come out of Karl's mouth."

"What!" Clay exclaimed and he and George started laughing. "Oh my god, I wish I could see that."

"I'm going to cry, this is the worst day of my life," Nick informed them, walking towards his room.

The couple left the suffering boy alone.

Nick couldn't sleep, thinking about how much he just messed up one of his best friendships he had made in recent years.

***

So we have the first chapter here, hope it's not as bad and you enjoyed reading!

Love y'all, bye