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Nagisa’s eyes narrowed as he finally spied his target, leaning forward as casually as possible and watching as the man entered the hotel, his arm wrapped loosely around a girl that the young assassin knew he’d only just met and he cursed under his breath, using language that Karma had taught him. He had been following the target for a week, getting used to the man’s routine and then on a whim the man had suddenly decided to change his usual after work pattern and of course he had to wait till the night that Nagisa had decided to finish the job. He gritted his teeth in irritation as he considered his options, knowing that the most sensible idea would be to back off for the night and hope the man resumed his usual schedule the next evening. The main problem with that idea would be that it would mean being here for at least one more day if not more, and he desperately wanted to be home by tomorrow night.
It was their anniversary and so far, he had never once missed, no matter how busy he was with jobs and he knew that Karma had already taken the next couple of days off so that they could make the most of their time together before work called. Logically he knew that whilst Karma would be disappointed, he would understand the delay, after all they had the same training and Nagisa had shared everything he’d learnt since then, wanting to make sure that the red-head was able to defend himself when he wasn’t around to do it. Not that Karma particularly needed any help on that score as he’d never let his skills deteriorate. Still, even if his partner would understand why he missed their anniversary, Nagisa didn’t want to be late home, he missed Karma whenever he was away on a job, and this one had already involved him being away for over a week.
He hesitated for a long moment, his fingers sliding gently over the hilt of the knife hidden at his back, a gift from Karma the day that he’d finally decided that he did want to be an assassin. He could still remember the pride in the golden eyes when he had shared his decision, and the small smile that lacked any of Karma’s usual teasing when he had presented him with the knife. It was that memory which made up his mind, and Nagisa rose smoothly to his feet. He would finish the job tonight and be back home with Karma in time to celebrate tomorrow, his thoughts briefly drifting to the present currently buried in the bottom of his bag.
Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself before checking that all his weapons were in their correct places, knowing that everything else needed to be perfect if he was going to adapt to this change in his target’s schedule, but he wasn’t overly worried. After all it wasn’t the first time he’d had to do this on a job, even if it wasn’t his preferred method. Once he was satisfied that he was as prepared as he could be he headed out of his room, easily joining the flow of guests heading down towards the dining room, pleasantly greeting the few he recognised from previous meals as though there was nothing dark lurking in his thoughts.
***
Ducking down behind a wall Nagisa hissed as he gripped his shoulder, biting his lip to stop himself from crying out as he gingerly probed the wound even as he cursed his luck. Thankfully it seemed that the bullet had merely gouged out a bit of skin, and whilst the wound was bleeding heavily it wasn’t as serious as he’d thought it might be. Moving as quietly as possible he tore a strip off the bottom of his shirt, wrapping it tightly around the wound in the hopes of at least slowing the bleeding.
Mumbling expletives under his breath he shifted his attention to the stolen gun in his hand, his hands steady despite the pain and adrenaline coursing through his body as he checked how much ammo he had, even as he contemplated his situation. He should have been more suspicious of the sudden change of schedule, even his client had said that the target never varied from his routine, and he cursed himself for making such a rookie mistake just because he wanted to go home. The ‘girl’ had turned out to be another assassin, only she had been hired to protect the target, which meant that either Nagisa had been clocked over the past week or someone had found out that the man was being targeted. It didn’t really matter which, because either way he hadn’t expected to come up against an experienced assassin on a low-level job such as this and he could just imagine his old teachers scolding him for thinking like that.
The brief glimpse he’d got of her face suggested that she was only a little older than him, and whilst she had speed and accuracy there had been a slight hesitation to her movements that suggested a lack of experience. It was only that hesitation that had allowed him to dodge the worst of her shots, although he was furious with himself for letting her even a single shot through his guard, and worse he knew that Karma was going to be furious with him to. For the most part the redhead didn’t mind the dangers that he faced with his work, but there was always something dark and dangerous in his eyes whenever Nagisa returned injured even if it was as minor as cuts and bruises.
Suddenly aware of the sound of soft footsteps heading towards him Nagisa tensed, cursing himself for getting distracted. He was usually able to stay much more focused than this and he had no idea why his thoughts were wandering more than usual today. Tightening his hold on the gun, he slipped his other hand down to draw his knife as he readied himself. The fact that he had heard her coming meant that she was either being overconfident or was once again showing her lack of experience, which gave him hope that he could end this quickly. He wasn’t too concerned about tracking down his main target again afterwards, knowing that the man was the kind to wait for his victory to be handed to him on a plate, and he let a blood-thirsty smile onto his lips as he heard her falter for a second.
Let’s end this.
****
The next evening:
Karma hummed softly to himself as he padded around the kitchen, his usual smirk replaced by a soft smile as he glanced briefly across at the small dining table that was currently set for two. Back in school he could never have imagined doing stuff like this, not even when he’d first realised that he liked Nagisa and it had been a learning curve to say the least, but Nagisa was endlessly patient with him and with time it had become almost second nature. Briefly he glanced up at the clock, noticing that it had already past six and his eyes narrowed as he realised that Nagisa was running later than he’d said the last time they’d spoken but he shrugged it off after a moment, as it wasn’t late enough to be concerned about just yet and he knew that the traffic had been bad earlier.
Satisfied that the table was set he turned his attention back to dinner, letting out a yelp as he realised one of the pots was overflowing and dashing across to it with a curse, knowing that Nagisa would never let him live it down if he burnt dinner. As he hastily turned down the heat and checked that he didn’t need to salvage too much he heard a faint mew from behind him, and he briefly turned his head to gaze at the pet carrier hidden beneath the table, pulling a face at the little kitten peering up at him with wide blue eyes.
“Hush you,” he scolded it in a gentler voice than he’d intended, sighing when instead it mewed even louder now that it had his attention. “You’ll ruin the surprise,” he added sternly glaring it down for a moment before turning his attention back to dinner, his earlier smile reappearing as he imagined what Nagisa’s reaction was going to be to his surprise.
**
It was nearly half an hour later when he finally heard the front door going, and he let out a soft huff of relief at the sound, realising that he had been more concerned than he’d thought.
“Nagisa? Is that you?” He called hopefully, not that anyone else should’ve been waltzing into their apartment and hearing a faint noise of acknowledgement he added cheerfully. “I’m in the kitchen!” He turned his attention back to the hob, turning everything off so that nothing else could burn before he frowned as he heard unusually heavy steps heading towards the kitchen. Normally Nagisa was as quiet as a mouse in his approach, and Karma had lost track of the number of times that he’d nearly had a heart attack because Nagisa had managed to sneak up on him and he was already turning to check on the other when Nagisa spoke softly.
“Karma…”
“Yes…?” Karma responded before freezing as his gaze landed on Nagisa, and for a moment all he could do was blink in shock. The shorter man was leaning heavily on the door frame, his face pale and sweaty and his eyes overly bright with pain and there was a hint of desperation in his gaze as he met Karma’s stunned eyes. “Nagisa! What the hell happened?” He demanded, dinner completely forgotten as he darted forwards just as Nagisa toppled forwards as all the strength seemed to drain out of him and the red-head was only just able to catch him before he could hit the ground.
With a gentleness that not many would think he was capable of he lowered them both the rest of the way to the ground, shifting Nagisa until he was laid with his head resting his lap, one of Karma’s hands gently carding through sweat-drenched blue hair even as Nagisa lent slightly into the soothing touch.
“I screwed up…”
“Screwed up?” Karma demanded incredulously, certain that he could count on one hand the number of times that Nagisa had screwed up on a job and he wondered what could have happened to make it happen this time, but his curiosity could wait. He knew that these symptoms and this behaviour meant that Nagisa was injured and given that he’d just collapsed, hurt badly, and he gritted his teeth at the thought that someone had managed to hurt his partner. His expression darkening as he let his eyes rove over his partner, but the jacket he was wearing made it impossible to determine where he was injured, and his voice was sharp with worry as he demanded. “Where are you injured?”
“Shoulder and side,” Nagisa replied after a moment, a faint smile on his lips at the protective expression on Karma’s face, although it rapidly faded as Karma gently peeled away his jacket to reveal the bloodstained shirt underneath and he knew even without the way that Karma had paled that it was bad. “Damn it Nagisa why didn’t you go straight to the hospital!” Karma demanded, his hands hovering helplessly over Nagisa’s chest, wanting to help but worried that he might make it worse. He knew basic first aid, they had all been made to learn it back in school after all and he had learned more since, simply to try and help Nagisa, but he knew that was nowhere near skilled enough to deal with this.
“I didn’t want to miss…tonight,” Nagisa admitted breathlessly a sheepish expression on his face as he knew that there was no way that answer was going to go down well. He tried his best to patch up the injuries as soon as he’d escaped from the hotel, and the rough bindings had done the trick until he’d managed to get here, but he’d known even as he struggled up the stairs to their apartment that it hadn’t been enough.
“You idiot,” Karma scolded, unable to find it in himself to become truly angry at the response although he would certainly be having stronger words with Nagisa when he wasn’t laid on their kitchen floor slowly bleeding out.
“Karma…” Nagisa whispered as the room began to spin around him, reaching up to bury trembling hands in Karma’s shirt in an attempt to ground himself but he knew that it wouldn’t work for long. Dazedly he glanced around the room, his expression falling as it fell on the table that had obviously been set for dinner. He had managed to make it home just in time, but the evening was still ruined, and he opened his mouth to apologize when Karma cut him off.
“Come on you need the hospital,” he said calmly, only the storm in his eyes showing just how rattled he was and although he knew that Karma was correct Nagisa couldn’t help but protest, there was nothing romantic about spending their anniversary at the hospital and he had a feeling he would wind up stuck there for a while. And if there was one thing he really, truly hated it was being stuck in the hospital.
“But…”
“Everything else can wait!” Karma allowed a little of his inner panic and anger to slip through and Nagisa immediately fell silent, recognising the tone from the few arguments that he’d failed to win in the past and truthfully, he was finding it hard to remain awake let alone continue an argument he wasn’t really interested in winning anymore. Accepting his silence as agreement, Karma carefully gathered him against his chest before climbing cautiously to his feet, the movement draining the last of the colour from Nagisa’s face and the smaller hastily hid his face against Karma’s chest. For a moment Karma’s arms tightened around him, and Nagisa knew it was a silent apology and he gently squeezed his fingers where he had grasped Karma’s shirt again to steady himself to acknowledge the gesture. He was vaguely aware of Karma carrying him out of the door, but before they were even part way out of the building he had drifted off, secure in the knowledge that the red-head would take care of him.
****
Karma paced anxiously back and forth in the emergency room, resolutely ignoring the irritated looks he was getting from the other people around him who were also waiting for news or waiting to be seen, unable to focus on anything beyond the fact that Nagisa had been rushed away into emergency surgery. It wasn’t the first time this had happened, but it didn’t make it any easier and he hadn’t liked the worried expressions on the faces of the nurses that had rushed his partner away from him. He clenched his fists at his side, his worry and fear threatening to overwhelm him now that he didn’t need to stay calm for Nagisa’s sake.
What the hell had happened on this job? Nagisa had told him that it was a relatively simple job, and he knew that Nagisa was always spot on with his assessments of a jobs difficulty. It was one of the only reasons he could sit back and allow his partner to go on the more difficult ones, because he knew that Nagisa knew the risks and would take every precaution and yet…. I screwed up. Nagisa’s quiet admission echoed in his mind and abruptly he dropped into an empty seat, burying his head in his hands.
What the hell does that mean?
**
By the time someone finally came to bring him news about his partner he had been joined by Kayano, having called her to ask her to go and take care of the apartment as he had no memory of locking the door, and the kitten that he had been planning to surprise Nagisa with this evening needed checking on as well. She had immediately agreed but had insisted on stopping by the hospital first and he hadn’t been able to deny her, she was one of the few classmates that they were still regularly in contact with, and he knew that Nagisa considered her to be his closest friend. Thankfully she had taken one look at his face upon arrival before silently settling into the seat next to him, not speaking as they waited, and Karma was unbelievably grateful for that fact not sure that he could have held a coherent conversation in that moment.
It was Kayano that first noticed the doctor that was approaching them, urgently nudging Karma in the side and making him look up with hopeful eyes. The long wait without news had been nearly unbearable and he was close losing his admittedly limited patience, and he surged to his feet as his eyes landed on the doctor.
“Nagisa?!”
“You’re the one that brought him in?” The doctor asked taking a step backwards at the shouted question, and Karma froze for a second before restraining himself and giving a tight nod.
“Yes,” his voice was tight as he struggled to make himself ask politely for answers. “Is he, all right?” He knew that Kayano had caught the waver in his voice at that question, but he couldn’t bring himself to care or look at her, all that mattered was that Nagisa would be okay. Because I don’t know what I’ll do if he isn’t…
“He’s stable,” the Doctor replied, and Karma felt himself relax ever so slightly at the immediate reply, as it meant that no matter what else was happening Nagisa was still with him. He hadn’t lost him yet, and he felt the world stabilising around him at that realisation. “He’d lost a lot of blood, and the wound on his side has cracked his ribs.” Karma felt himself tensing all over again, even though he had expected that it wouldn’t be as simple as that it still wasn’t pleasant to have it confirmed, and his voice was tense as he asked.
“But he’ll be alright?”
“Yes, as long as there are no complications,” the confidence and reassurance in the doctor’s voice soothed his rattled nerves and feeling Kayano laying a supportive hand on his shoulder he found himself calming down. “He’ll need to stay in the hospital for a few days, and then need further rest at home.” That Karma could handle, although he knew that once Nagisa was awake and feeling better it would be a battle to make him rest, but he would make sure that his partner did it.
“Can I see him?” He asked hopefully, wanting to confirm what the doctor was saying with his own eyes, the feeling of Nagisa lying limply in his arms still haunting him.
“He’s just being settled in a room at the moment,” the doctor replied glancing at his clipboard, but he smiled slightly as he caught the worry in Karma’s eyes before adding kindly. “I’ll send one of the nurses to fetch you when you can go in.”
“Thank you,” Karma murmured bowing slightly to the man, and with a nod of acknowledgement the doctor turned and headed back into the wards.
“Thank heavens,” Kayano was muttering beside him and when he glanced at her he realised that her eyes were bright with unshed tears, and without thinking about it he opened his arms, and she darted into them wrapping her arms tightly around him. “I was really scared…”
“So was I,” Karma admitted after a pause, knowing that in the past he would never have been able to admit that to anyone but Nagisa, but his partner had well and truly managed to tear through all the barriers he’d set between himself and the world and he found himself letting more people into his life. His arms tightened around her though as he realised just how true those word were. I could have lost Nagisa. Somehow it hadn’t truly registered until he knew the other man was okay, and he felt himself trembling slightly at the realisation that it could’ve been so much worse. “So was I…” he repeated helplessly, finding himself clinging to her just as tightly as she was holding onto him.
**
They were still stood like that ten minutes later when as promised when of the nurses came to fetch him, and it was Kayano who broke the embrace first, giving him a gentle shove towards the nurse when he made no move to follow the woman.
“Go ahead,” Kayano encouraged him with a wan smile as she caught his hesitation, inclining her head towards the door as she added softly. “I’ll go and take care of everything for you.” It was clear that she was just as keen to see Nagisa as he was, but he couldn’t help but be relieved that she wasn’t forcing her way in. It was selfish, but he wanted Nagisa all to himself for the time being.
“Thank you.”
“Tell him he’s an idiot for worrying you like this,” she told him sternly, and he knew that she meant that Nagisa had scared her as well and his lips quirked at that. Back in high school she had always been the one to worry about Nagisa’s wellbeing, whilst he had been the one leading the other into mischief and he couldn’t help but wonder when all that had changed. “And that I’ll be by to visit.” He managed a proper grin at that, easily able to imagine the scolding that she was going to heap on his partner’s head.
“I will do,” he promised, knowing that Nagisa would also be expecting a scolding and hoping that he would be able to use it to his advantage to get him to behave whilst he recovered. “Thanks again,” he added before hurrying after the nurse, keen to see Nagisa.
**
Nagisa looked hopelessly small in the hospital bed, his skin pale enough to match the sheets and for a moment all Karma could do was hesitate at the end of the bed. His partner looked as though the slightest touch would break him at the moment, something so at odds with how Nagisa normally was that he found himself floundering. Eventually though he couldn’t bring himself to stay away and longer, and slowly he made his way to the chair that had been set beside the bed, dropping heavily into it before cautiously reaching out to grasp Nagisa’s hand relieved to feel its warmth.
“You really scared me this time,” he whispered trying to sound scolding but knowing that he had failed miserably and knowing that he would have to do better when Nagisa was awake to hear him. Lifting the limp hand, he pressed a soft kiss to the back of it, before gently resting his chin against it as he murmured softly. “Don’t keep me waiting too long Nagisa.”
****
It was gone midday the next day when Nagisa finally began to stir, startling Karma out of the semi-doze he had slipped into at some point after having spent the night in the uncomfortable hospital chair. Sitting up he glanced around in confusion for a moment, before another slight movement on the bed drew his attention and his eyes widened as he watched Nagisa’s nose screw up slightly and despite the situation he felt a smile creeping onto his face. That was the same expression Nagisa wore whenever he was dragged out of sleep on a day when he didn’t have to be up, and it often had the unfortunate effect of causing Karma to just clamber back into bed with him.
“Nagisa?” He called softly as he reclaimed Nagisa’s hand, realising that he must have dropped it at some point whilst he was dozing, squeezing it softly as he watched Nagisa’s eyelids beginning to flicker. “Come on Nagisa it’s time to wake up,” he encouraged, reaching up to brush his fingers against a pale cheek and smiling softly when he was rewarded by a sliver of blue a moment later. Seeing that he was still having difficulty opening them all the way, Karma kept up a constant stream of encouragement, feeling Nagisa’s fingers curling softly around his as he drifted closer to full consciousness.
“Karma…” it was hoarse and barely above a whisper, but to Karma it felt like it was the most beautiful sound he had heard in a long time and he could feel how moist his eyes were as he squeezed Nagisa’s hand again, watching with relief as blue eyes managed to inch open fully this time.
“Hey...” He greeted softly, watching as Nagisa’s eyes drifted around the room slowly taking in the fact that they weren’t at home and he saw the moment that Nagisa remembered what had happened the previous evening, reaching out to lay a quieting finger over his lips when he opened his mouth to speak. “Let me get you some water first and get the doctors to check you over and then we can talk. Okay?” It was clear from the weak scowl he received that Nagisa wasn’t entirely happy with the plan, but he nodded all the same and Karma smiled before reached to press the call button before grabbing the cup of water that had been set there for when Nagisa woke. “Small sips,” he cautioned, reluctantly letting go of Nagisa’s hand so he could help him sit up enough to drink. By the time Nagisa had taken a few sips the doctor had appeared, and Karma found himself being gently shooed out of the room for a few minutes, so they could examine his partner.
**
By the time he was finally allowed back into the room, he was unsurprised but disappointed to discover that Nagisa had dozed off again and with a sigh he settled back in his seat to wait for him to wake up again. Thankfully the news from the doctor had been good, there was no sign of infection and the fact that his memories and everything were still intact meant that the prognosis looked good and all being well he would be able to take Nagisa home in a few more days. That combined with the fact that Nagisa had woken at least briefly was enough to loosen the knot of fear in his chest, and he felt himself breathing easier as he reclaimed Nagisa’s hand. As soon as his fingers had wrapped around Nagisa’s there was a soft grumble from the bed, and he blinked as he found himself staring into sleepy blue eyes and he smiled warmly at the sight.
“You came back,” Nagisa’s voice was heavy with sleep, but it sounded less hoarse than before and Karma felt himself relaxing even further. You’re going to be alright…
“Of course,” he replied with an arched eyebrow, a little bit offended by the surprise he could hear in the other’s voice although he had a good idea why Nagisa was surprised. “You’re not get rid of me that easily.” Nagisa blinked at his choice of words, remembering when he ‘d had to use those exact words on Karma when the red-head had got it into his head that it would be better if they weren’t involved back before they both ended up in E-class, back when Nagisa had still had a good reputation in the school. However, Nagisa had been having none of it, trailing after Karma and repeating that argument until the red-head finally had to give in.
“But…”
“You screwed up?” Karma finished for him, not allowing any emotion to seep into his voice as he knew that they needed to deal with this if Nagisa was going to get better. “So?”
“So…?” It was clear that Nagisa didn’t understand what he meant, and Karma had to fight the urge to roll his eyes at the confused expression his partner was wearing. Whilst part of him knew it was the pain medication, pain and weariness confusing him, he also knew that Nagisa tended to overthink certain things anyway, especially when it came to their relationship.
“What does it matter if you screwed up?” Karma demanded, making sure to meet and hold Nagisa’s gaze so that he could make sure that the other man didn’t miss anything that he was saying. “You came home, that’s all that matters.” As long as you always come home to me, I can cope with anything else that happens…
“But, I nearly didn’t…”
“It’s happened before,” Karma pointed out calmly, forcing himself not to focus on how many times that had happened knowing that he would lose all semblance of calmness if he did. “And no doubt it’ll happen again. It’s part of what you do, and I accepted that a long time ago.” That was harder to say, as part of him wanted nothing more than to wrap Nagisa up and keep him at home, safe from any potential danger that might target him, but that wasn’t the life Nagisa wanted, and in all honesty, he wouldn’t be the Nagisa that he loved if wasn’t out there doing what he did.
“But, this time it was my fault,” Nagisa murmured softly, refusing to let in what Karma was saying until he had explained exactly what had happened, almost certain that Karma wouldn’t be so understanding when he knew the truth. “I rushed in even though I knew something was wrong. I wanted to come home for our anniversary, and instead I ruined it. It was a stupid, rookie mistake…” Karma blinked as he contemplated what Nagisa had told him, a small part of him wanting to scold him harshly for taking such a risk for something as daft as that. Yet part of him acknowledged that he would probably have done the same, after all they had never spent their anniversary apart and he knew from their brief calls over the previous week just how much Nagisa had been missing him.
“You made a mistake,” Karma agreed after a moment, bracing himself as he added quietly. “I’ll admit it was a stupid one.” At once Nagisa’s expression fell and he glanced away, and Karma had to force himself to not immediately lean forwards to comfort him, knowing that he needed to finish what he was trying to say. “But, I think that if I was in the same boat I would probably have done the same.”
“Really?” Nagisa asked hopefully, his gaze darting back to meet Karma’s as he realised that he wasn’t being yelled at for his stupidity like he had been expecting.
“Really,” Karma confirmed, grinning as he added brightly. “You’re still an idiot, but you’re my idiot and that’s not going to change so get that thought out of your head.” For a moment Nagisa looked like he didn’t know whether to be offended or not, but in the end, he settled for giving Karma a small, slightly hesitant smile.
“I…” He had to pause for a moment, swallowing hard before he managed to finish. “I’m still sorry I ruined our evening.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Karma shook his head slightly, realising that he really didn’t need or want that apology. As far as he was concerned it was enough that Nagisa had come home, and that he was now on the mend even if it would take a while for him to get back to normal. “We’ll do something when you get home. Besides we did get to spend the night together.” There was a mischievous grin on his face as he added the last bit.
“In a hospital?” Nagisa asked, arching his eyebrow as he studied Karma for a moment before laughing slightly, only a slight tenseness around his eyes indicating that the action had pained him, and his tone was light as he teased softly. “Really romantic Karma…”
“I try,” Karma retorted with a small bow in his chair, before his expression turned slightly more serious as he asked quietly. “So, no more silly thoughts?”
“No more silly thoughts,” Nagisa added after only the slightest hesitation, and Karma grinned, his smile brighter and warmer than ever and Nagisa finally felt himself relaxing fully.
“Good,” Karma whispered rising enough so that he could lean over the bed, golden eyes soft with liquid warmth as he bent down and pressed a chaste kiss to Nagisa’s lips before pulling back and ordering softly. “Now get some more rest, so that we can get you home sooner.” Blinking at the kiss and order Nagisa gave a small nod, and Karma settled back in his chair with a satisfied expression, watching with amusement at how quickly Nagisa’s eyes drooped as he settled back into a light sleep.
Welcome back Nagisa.
****
Four days later:
Nagisa had managed to convince the doctors to release him into Karma’s care, having had more than enough of the hospital and whilst Karma had been a bit worried that he was rushing it, he couldn’t deny that he wanted Nagisa home with him as well. Although he already knew that he was going to have a fight on his hands as he had caught the pout that had appeared when Nagisa was told that he needed bedrest for a while longer, and that going back to work. Not that the doctors had any clue about what he really did, was out until he was completely healed. Neither of which had gone over well with the stubborn assassin but catching Karma’s glare he had held his peace probably guessing that Karma would keep him in the hospital if he didn’t.
Still he hadn’t protested when Karma had slung his arm over his shoulders, helping him carefully up to their apartment and that told the red-head that Nagisa wasn’t as strong as he had been pretending to be in the hospital. Kayano had been waiting for them by the door when they finally reached it, winking at Karma to let him know that his surprise was ready to go before turning and smiling brightly at Nagisa who was blinking at her in surprise.
“Kayano? Why are you here?”
“I was just taking care of something for Karma,” Kayano replied lightly, hastily continuing when she caught the spark of curiosity in the blue eyes that were studying her. “You’re looking a lot better!” She had only managed to visit him on the first day, and he had still been incredibly pale and sleepy then and she wasn’t entirely sure that he’d been fully aware that she was there, and she had to admit that it had scared her to see him like that. But now he had colour back in his face, and his eyes were as bright as usual even if it was clear that he was letting Karma take a lot of his weight as he stood there.
“Thank you.”
“He’s still on bed rest though,” Karma interjected firmly, earning himself a sulky look from Nagisa which Kayano struggled to stop herself giggling at. She hadn’t seen that expression since their school days, but even then, it was one that had been solely reserved for Karma.
“But…”
“No buts,” Karma cut across the protest forcefully, his golden eyes fierce as he met Nagisa’s gaze straight on, no sign of give in his expression or voice as he knew that Nagisa would seize upon it if he detected it. “You’re going to rest until the doctors clear you! Do you understand?” Or I’ll take you straight back to the hospital! The threat was unspoken but they could all hear it, and just like that the fight went out of Nagisa and he ducked his head slightly.
“Yes,” he replied resignedly, before lifting his head to look at Kayano, blushing lightly as he realised that she was watching them with amusement. “Are you staying for a bit?” He asked, privately hoping that the answer was no as he wanted to spend some time with Karma that didn’t involve nurses and doctors hovering around them, but not wanting to chase her away if she was visiting.
“I need to get back,” Kayano replied with a warm smile, easily able to read his emotions but not offended in the slightest and she added brightly. “But I’ll be around to visit you.” She wanted to make sure she had fresh memories to override the more recent ones of him in the hospital bed, plus she still owed him a scolding for scaring her so much and she wanted to see what he made of the present Karma had got him.
“Okay.”
“Thanks for the help,” Karma said warmly, aware that she had got into trouble for having skipped out on work over the last couple of days to help them out, although she didn’t seem overly fazed by it when he had asked if she needed help.
“No problem,” Kayano brushed of the thanks, before eying them both sternly as she added warningly with just enough threat in her tone to let them know she was serious. “Just try and stay out of trouble the both of you.”
“We will,” Karma promised for them both, although part of him felt like protesting that for once he hadn’t been the one getting into mischief. However, he didn’t think Nagisa would appreciate that, so he held his tongue, waving as she bounded away down the stairs and leaving them staring after her a long moment.
**
Nagisa sighed with relief as they entered the apartment, the familiar surroundings and sight of all the memories they had made together easing the last of the tension that he had been carrying, and he didn’t complain as Karma guided him straight to the couch. He couldn’t even bring himself to complain as the red-head forced him to lean back against a pile of pillows that Kayano must have left for him, and he was smiling slightly by the time Karma had moved onto tucking a blanket firmly around him even though the room wasn’t cold. It was slightly dangerous to indulge Karma when he was in this mood, but at the moment he couldn’t find it in himself to stop the other from fussing over him.
“Are you feeling alright?” Karma asked when he finally stopped fussing, pausing to glance down at Nagisa and the smaller frowned as he caught the concern lingering in golden eyes. I must have really scared him if he hasn’t bounced back yet. “I can get you…”
“I’m fine,” Nagisa cut across him, just wanting to spend time with Karma now that he was home, and apart from the slight haziness that came from the painkillers he was feeling fine at the moment and he offered Karma a warm smile. “Glad to be home at last.” For a long moment Karma just studied him, clearly searching for the truth of his words and after a moment he sighed and relaxed slightly before returning the smile although there was a hint of mischief in it which made Nagisa slightly nervous.
“Stay here,” Karma ordered sternly, but he was still smiling as he added cheerfully. “I’ve got you a present.”
“Present?” Nagisa asked with a frown, thinking back to the flowers and chocolates he’d received in the hospital. He’d assumed they were his anniversary presents as well as being get well soon presents, but Karma just winked at him before disappearing into the kitchen.
“Close your eyes!” Karma called from the kitchen a moment later and Nagisa frowned, hesitating for a moment before deciding to give in without a fight. He could hear the underlying excitement in his partner’s voice and after the scare he’d given him, he couldn’t bring himself to deny him something as simple as this. There was the sound of footsteps before they hesitated for a moment, and he guessed that the red-head was checking that he’d obeyed, before he heard Karma heading in his direction.
A moment later he felt something soft and warm being pressed into his hands, and his eyes flew open as there was a soft mew and for a moment all he could do was gape at the kitten now sat in his lap.
“I…” He began before trailing off, his fingers lightly brushing over soft white fur before he glanced up with shining eyes to look at Karma who was stood watching them with a soft smile. “You got me a kitten?” He couldn’t quite keep the disbelief out of his voice, as he had been begging Karma for months to let them get a kitten, but the red-head had adamantly refused every time he’d asked, and he wasn’t sure what to make of the sudden change of mind.
“Yep,” Karma grinned at him, before planting his hands on his hips and adopting a stern pose as he explained. “I was going to give her to you the night you got home, but…”
“I kind of blew that…”
“Kayano’s been looking after her for you,” Karma continued, deciding not to comment on Nagisa’s words as he was keen to put their discussion over Nagisa’s recklessness behind them, moving to crouch down beside them before reaching out to gently pet the kitten which had curled up on Nagisa’s stomach and was contently purring away.
“But, I thought you were against the idea?” Nagisa asked in confusion.
“I’m not a cat person,” Karma admitted easily although his eyes were soft as he studied the kitten, and then he shrugged slightly. “But then I spotted her, and I couldn’t resist.” He had been searching all over for a present that he could give Nagisa, not wanting to give him something related to work, but struggling to find the perfect gift but then he’d spotted the notice advertising the kittens and remembering Nagisa’s frequent attempts to convince him to get one he had gone to have a look, fully intending not to actually get one…
As if I could ever really deny him anything…
“Why?” Nagisa asked curiously as he studied the kitten, noting the single black patch on her front paw which the only break in the soft white fur covering her body and blinking slightly as she raised blue eyes to meet his gaze and he already knew the answer to his question before Karma gave it.
“She has your eyes…”
“She’s beautiful,” Nagisa whispered before glancing up and meeting warm golden eyes, smiling up at him as he added softly. “Thank you, Karma.”
“You have to give her a name,” Karma pointed out as he settled on the couch next to Nagisa, patting the kitten one more time before linking his hand with one of Nagisa’s, chuckling when the kitten let out a soft mew of protest before batting softly at their linked hands. Nagisa blinked before gazing thoughtfully down at the latest addition to their family, his brow furrowing in concentration before a couple of minutes later a mischievous grin spread across his face.
“What about…”
*********
Omake:
Nagisa was snuggled under a pile of blankets on the couch, under strict instructions from Karma not to move an inch unless it was to go to the bathroom. Kayano was sat by his feet, having spent the whole afternoon there after arriving to give Nagisa the scolding he had missed out on whilst in the hospital, and she was now keeping him company whilst Karma cooked dinner the three of them. They were chatting quietly, reminiscing about their school days when they heard a startled yelp from the kitchen followed by the clatter of pots hitting the floor. At once Nagisa sat up in alarm, only for Kayano to halt him with a gentle hand on his chest and a stern expression.
“Karma are you alright?” She called once she was certain Nagisa wasn’t going to argue, only to blink when the red-head stomped into the front room a moment later, the front of his apron covered in sauce and a squirming kitten in one hand. Realising what had happened she began to giggle, Nagisa joining her a moment later as he took in the matching affronted expressions on his partner and kitten’s faces.
“Sensei decided to help with dinner,” Karma growled but there was no real heat in his voice, and he was gentle as he dropped the kitten into Nagisa’s lap before heading back to the kitchen, resolutely ignoring the way the kitten mewed after him.
“Nagisa…why is your cat called Sensei?” Kayano asked once she’d finally got her laughter back under control, glancing down at the kitten with a confused expression, which melted into a smile as the kitten turned big blue eyes up at her before rubbing up against her and shamelessly begging for fuss which she happily provided.
“She made me think of Bitch-Sensei with those big blue eyes, and the way she constantly begs for attention,” Nagisa admitted with a laugh, grinning down at the kitten before raising his eyes to Kayano who looked between amusement and despair at his reasoning. “Karma refused to call her that though, so it ended up being Sensei, but it’s funny to hear him calling her that when he’s trying to tell her off.” The mischief in his blue eyes told her that he had known that was going to happen from the start, and she broke into fresh giggles unsurprised when he joined in as well and in the kitchen, Karma smiled softly at the sound.
Nagisa was home, and he was on the mend.