Violent Streak (Karmagisa)

Chapter XLV

"I'm... I don't know how possible that would be."

Nagisa's voice was small, timid and unstable, wavering in pitch and volume with every other letter. Even Karasuma's firm back rubs weren't enough to aid Nagisa's hand in their quest not to quiver, however even though those were a near constant at this point the man still delivered an unreadable gaze to the pallid skin on Nagisa's face. His tone was bland and monotonous as he spoke.

"Why ever not?"

Now the shaking and the fidgeting was worse and tears choked Nagisa's answer, making it chopped and on the verge of incoherence, "I... we need to talk about things- some things. That I've decided without consulting him."

There was a brief interlude where Karasuma leant in and nodded for Nagisa to continue, however the bluenette stayed quiet. It was only when Karasuma opened his mouth to speak that the words left Nagisa like a gunshot. They were loud, brief and echoed through the chamber, leaving without warning.

"I'm going to work at Kunugigoaka!"

Karasuma considered Nagisa for a moment, "Gakuho?" When there was no response, "Did he threaten you?"

At this, Nagisa shook his head and whimpered low in his throat. "Blackmail. And... he gave me a choice. To either work for the school or... him, personally... and- I couldn't do that to Karma! I couldn't-"

He was a second from breaking down in tears. Voice hoarse and stuttering, body trembling with anxiety and helplessness. Feeling the furnace of comfort and warmth move away, he whined and curled into a loose ball, vision finally being blurred with moisture as his body betrayed him, hiccuping sobs racking his body.

It had been so long since he had cried like this; in fact, the last time he had, he was a child, a child terrified, utterly petrified, with a rubbery knife in his hands pointed at the one who had loved the most, who cared for him more than any other being. As if sensing this, an image passed through this head. A yellow blob with beady eyes and a Cheshire cat grin, a tiny black hat sat upon the ball that formed a head. They were laughing, giggling so hard that their body was morphing, changing shape, melting into a puddle and then reforming. Tears ran harder as more memories came to mind. He almost choked out a laugh as he recalled how the yellow was confined with a latex black strap, puffy ends of wriggling tentacles flipping through glossy pages, rose dusting where the cheeks would have been on a human.

When Karasuma returned, he took Nagisa's hand in his, and looked into his red-rimmed cerulean eyes with a rare smile. He pushed a phone into his hand and nodded.

Karma was pacing the sitting room, wearing the carpet down with his repetitive motions and walking off the calluses on his feet, however he didn't seem to notice, too enveloped in his racing thoughts. He had done all he could without upsetting Nagisa further. All he could do at this point was pray and hope that whoever he had called would find and help Nagisa, and that he would soon come home safe so that he could be smothered in affection, apologies and kisses.

There was an underlying pressure of bitterness and anger that he suppressed with logical thought, replacing it with regret and concern. It was none of his business, instead of turning to the media he should have just asked Nagisa about it and explained that he overheard him. Instead here he was, waiting for any sort of contact from anyone telling him that Nagisa was safe, after he stormed out because he had thrown Nagisa's privacy onto the ground and smashed it into thousands of pieces.

Periodically pausing to glare at his phone, as if he poured enough regret and anguish into it then it would ring, before continuing to do lengths and widths of the room, suppressing the burn in the back of his eyes.

Almost before the phone began to even vibrate, or ring, Karma pounced on it, answering swiftly and holding it to his ear.

"Hello? Hello, yes? Hi?"

"Karma," came the response, and soon as it was spoken he seemed to deflate with a sigh, relief rushing through his veins.

"Oh, Nagi, Nagi, are you okay? I'm so sorry, I never- I should have asked you about it first, I'm so sorry! Are you safe? Please come home!"

There was a breathy laugh from the other end followed by a muffled cry, and then Nagisa's shaky voice crackled over, "I- okay. Okay. I... I'll come home. And when we do, we need to talk. We need to- we have a lot to discuss."

Karma felt that he could almost faint with how much his body was relaxing, knees buckling as he fell to the floor, so much so that he didn't even pick up on how they both referred to his place as home. It felt so natural to say, sending euphoric shivers throughout this body, like electricity.

However at the same time hot dread shot through his body, especially once he began to contemplate what they would talk about. Talk could mean so many different things. They would need to address Nagisa's past, and Karma's behaviour, and boundaries, but what if that wasn't what Nagisa meant. He could just be giving up. He could be coming back to say 'no thanks' and pack. But if they had any chance, they needed to. It was inevitable.

"Yes, yes, definitely. What- what were you planning on..."

The question was lost in Nagisa's sniffles and Karma's ever decreasing volume as he grew more timid and afraid, both a stark contrast to their usual personalities.

"Nothing bad, I promise. Just... we need to talk. I have to tell you something and... explain properly what you read about."

"Okay, okay... just, be quick? I'm going insane without you."

Karma swore he heard a giggle from over the phone, and felt a bought of affection and pride in his chest.

"Swift as the wind. I... I love you, bye!"

And then Nagisa hung up, leaving Karma stranded, and in shock, and so undeniably happy.