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Karl was… tired, to put it lightly.
It wasn’t tiredness, so much as bone-deep exhaustion that pulsed through his veins and seeped into everything he tried to do. They hadn’t felt this bad since middle school, and that was saying something.
He just wanted to curl up under his blankets, hug his stuffed dinosaur to his chest, and stare at the wall for the rest of eternity. Was that really too much to ask for?
Apparently it was, because instead of being in bed where he desperately craved to be, he was on the set of a Mr. Beast video, sitting with his head between his knees in the hallway outside their current filming location.
He let out a shaky sigh and ran a nervous hand through his hair. Everything was just… too much.
He desperately wanted to talk to Nick, or Chris, or Dream, or someone. He wanted to curl up in one of their laps with his cheek pressed against their shoulder and his arms wrapped around them and just talk about everything that was bothering him. He wanted someone else to initiate the contact for once, and he wanted contact that wasn’t just a fleeting touch that made him yearn for more. He just wanted to be held and told that everything would be alright.
But no. Instead, he’s sitting outside a set, trying his best to choke back their tears like a loser.
He hung his head even more, letting out a dry, shuddery sob.
“Karl?”
Karl’s head snapped up, looking at whoever decided to crash his pity party. He reflexively wiped at his eyes, though he wasn’t surprised when his hand came back bone-dry.
“Yeah?”
Chris shuffled awkwardly. “Uh- Jimmy wants you inside, we’re almost ready to start filming.”
“Oh. Yeah, sure, tell him I’ll be right in.”
Chris paused, looking a bit uncomfortable. “You good?”
“Yeah,” he nodded, standing up and bracing himself against the cool brick wall with his hand.
“You sure?”
“Mhm. Just got a bit overwhelmed, that’s all.”
“If you’re sure, man.”
“Positive.”
“Alright.” Chris reached out and patted his shoulder a few times. “I’ll meet you in there.”
“Yeah.”
Karl watched as Chris went back into the filming room, hand drooping down a bit as his arm went slightly limp. Once the door shut, he let himself relax with a shuddering sigh, and told himself it’d get better someday.