Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Karma-kun.”

Class 3-E’s heads simultaneously raised at the call, their slumped spines snapping straight, turning from where they stood surrounding (worshipping, Karma would correct) Ritsu and her glorious AC to the door. To the door where vibrant red hair and a charming grin supported by lanky limbs stood. 

“Nagisa-kun, why is your boyfriend here?” Nakamura simpered in barely concealed annoyance. A loud twack resounded amidst the hums of the blasting cold air from the fans. Another twack sounded as the anti-sensei knife uselessly bounced against the floor. It’s target grinned, brushing back strands of red hair. Karma side-stepped another incoming knife, walking to where Nagisa stood in front of the board, in the middle of the classroom. “Now, now, Nakamura-chan,” he tsked, as if talking to the aggressive wine-colored cat he occasionally saw at the front of the school gates that always seemed to have a trail of suitors, “I just missed my wonderful boyfriend.” Karma leaned against Nagisa, innocently smiling as the rest of the class sighed and/or glared at him. A few, (Terasaka, Itona, Muramatsu and damnit Nakamura will you stop-) once more threw knives. Satisfied, even though they all missed- Karma had a reputation to uphold- they all turned back to the AC, huddling closer as if the redhead had sucked all the coldness out. 

“Nagisa~” Karma whined. After looking around and ensuring there were no enemy clumps in sight- although the board was suspicious; recently cleaned with streaks still present- but as there were no flirting particles through the air that he could see, he ruffled the shorter male’s already messy hair, “What terrible classmates you have.” He slumped unto the sighing Nagisa, slinging his arms over the blunette’s shoulders and smushing his cheek against the soft- seriously how was it softer than the 1500 thread count duvet Karma owned, strands, wrinkling his nose to ease a sudden itch. 

“Nagisaaa,” he mumbled, h- ACHOO! ”

“Karma,” Nagisa flailed around, the plastic duster falling to the floor with a quiet clatter when his grip loosened to hold Karma. He pushed Karma away as far he could without letting go, “are you-”

'Betrayed by my own boyfriend...Ah, you win this round stupid duster.'“ aH- ACHOO !" 

Everyone had turned to look at the duo, inching away as Karma sneezed, even though they were across the classroom and nowhere in his vicinity. The second time he sneezed, Hara and Isogai moved forward, brandishing tissues and a perfectly crisply, clean handkerchief, respectively. 

By the tenth sniffle, third sneeze, Karma was near the door, his hand protectively covering his nose. His other hand waved lazily across the air as if trying to dissipate a nasty smell. However, with the way his wrist began to increasingly slap back and forth, he looked like a crazed man ready to swing his hand out. 

Sniffling once more, Karma rubbed his nose, slowly breathing in and out as if to check he wouldn't sneeze again. He dropped his hands, a lazy grin comfortably stretching across his face in hopes to hide his flushed cheeks. "Well," he swung the hand that was not previously being shaken like a leaf in a tornado backwards, "that was quite-" 

His hand knocked against a dustpan, sending it clattering to the floor. Everyone stared, hands on their knives because all their hand work of patiently, oh so lovingly in the penetrating heat, sweeping every finicky atom of dust into a dustpan was on the floor. Innocently scattered about. 

At least the wind wasn't- 

A strong gust of wind blew, sweeping and scattering the dust rather magnificently around the classroom. Thankfully, most of the dust was properly covered in the dustbin…but the damned devil-

"Karma-" 

The boy was already gone, his steps quiet, barely there against the wooden floors of the 3-E building. 

"Nagisa, your boyfriend's weird," Sugino muttered, walking to his frozen, ha ironic, friend. Recognizing the rather scary but perceptive, I-know-all-your-secrets smile of Nagisa, Sugino sighed. "No wonder you’re boyfriends. I'll take care of the duster, you can go." 

Nagisa turned, gratefully smiling at Sugino, uttering a bright thank you. He waved goodbye to the others, promising to make up for his abrupt leaving as he grabbed his bag. 

A chorus of "see you next time", "it's okay" and the rather loud "go after your lover" sounded from everyone. Waving once more, Nagisa followed where he knew Karma would be. He had questions and now answers to said questions, but confirmation- that was for Karma to validate. 

Nagisa stepped into the clearing of the natural pool, fondly smiling as he saw Karma with his feet dangling in the water and laid out on the ground as sunlight draped over him. 

"Gonna keep looking or are you gonna say something?" Karma teased, closing his eyes as a light breeze softly tousled his hair. 

Nagisa walked forward, footfalls silent upon the grass. He bent over the other, comfortably kneeling at the side of Karma's head, his pigtails lazily waving back and forth above fond, golden eyes. "Allergy?" 

Karma sighed, leaning on his elbows and wiggling upwards to plop onto Nagisa's lap. Automatically, deft fingers began to comb through red strands. "Just sensitive," he mumbled, whispering the words quieter and quieter. He stayed still, awaiting the inevitable questions. 

Nagisa hummed, leaning down to press a butterfly light kiss to the tip of Karma’s nose. Karma hummed in response, contentedly leaning into the fingers that continued to drag through his hair, bleeding tension slacking his body from a firm grasp to a loose hold. 

Some time after, through a hazy, sleep induced mind, Karma recognized and understood Nagisa's second question. His cheeks flushed pink remembering the scene, but he was Karma Akabane! He was not going to be defeated by a silly question of "Is that why you said 'I do' when I walked out of your shower? After using your soap?" by his way too observant boyfriend- it was a part of the charm that made Karma fall deeper and deeper in love every single day and moment he spent with the other. But back to Karma's reputation! "I never said 'I do'," he denied. 

Nagisa hummed, continuing his ministrations of combing through Karm's fluffy hair. 

Now that wouldn't do! A little shark grin stretched across Karma's cheeks,  the perfect way to steal and flip the knife on this situation, forming as he went. "Are you that eager to marry me, Nagisa-chan? Wishing that I propose?" It was perfect! Cue his wonderful, bushing boyfriend with the prettiest pink staining his cheeks in 3, 2-

Nagisa once again hummed, rubbing Karma's head, creating a bird's nest of his hair- then he resumed stroking his fingers through it. "I could also propose," he said, smiling with a glint in his eyes as he looked at his blushing sweetheart whose cheeks began to blend into his hair. 

“Nagisa…” Karma grumbled, turning and pressing his heated face into the soft sweater clad stomach. Once he felt the heat from his cheeks settle- and he did not blush at the ears, Nagisa, stop it, stop poking my ears- Karma rolled back to his original position. 

'Ah, how cute.' Nagisa bent over, pressing a chaste kiss to Karma's parted lips. He patted Karma’s chest, grinning at the stunned expression Karma didn't even try to hide. "I'm going to help if there's anything to do!" Nagisa giggled, escaping Karma's grabby hands. "I'll see you later!" He bent once more, pressing a light kiss against Karma’s forehead.

"Tease! See ya,"Karma waved, smiling as he heard the rustle of grass and bushes as Nagisa returned to class. 'I'll get cookies as an apology,' Karma nodded to himself, drifting off to images of him and Nagisa waltzing through a paradise of theirs- ah, Nagisa embracing his inner troublemaker! Glorious! 

Chapter Text

“Thanks for letting me stay, Karma,” Nagisa smiled, entering the rather large and lonely house. He had come to terms with it- his boyfriend’s parents were never home, and other than the occasional cleaner paid to, Karma was really the only occupant of the home- was it even? But still, his heart ached for the other. 

Precious spice bottles that always dotted the kitchen cabinets, pristine, and the occasional letter or call… 

Nagisa sighed, it would do no good to worry about things out of his control. He was here to spend time alone, where the public’s eyes didn’t make him anxious and wary of his every breath, with Karma, with his darling boyfriend who couldn’t hide the extra moments he wanted with Nagisa- alone, just them. And Nagisa, Nagisa was willing to give everything to hear genuine mirth bleed through teases instead of bland teases with the sole intention of overcompensating and loud to hide behind. 

“Plotting mass destruction or judging my decor?” Karma mused, placing his chin on Nagisa’s hair. “Hmm, I wonder what my boyfriend is thinking?” 

It was a conversation they had many times, but now...it really wasn’t the time. Instead, focusing on the present was nice, being held by the always warm hands that never ever seemed cold, Nagisa grinned. “Maybe, I’m thinking of how hungry I am. I was promised sushi, Karma! Sushi!” He whined, smacking Karma’s arm when the other lifted him up bridal style. “Karma!”

“Be calm, my child.”

“That’d be gross, Karma,” Nagisa reminded him, wiggling about to find a comfortable position as he looped his arms around Karma’s neck, “plus, I’m not that tiny.”

“You’d fit right in with the little kids,” Karma teased, jostling the other when Nagisa opened his mouth to refute, grinning at the resulting squeal of surprise as he walked up the stairs to his room. 

Nagisa lightly smacked Karma’s neck, pouting. “You’re terrible,” he finally settled on, eyes soft as he looked at Karma. “Really, really terrible,” he snuggled closer, smiling as Karma pulled him closer as he dangled his feet over Karma’s arm. 

“You know where everything is?” 

“After being kidnapped, I’ve been left to fend for myself,” Nagisa sighed, keeping his arms locked behind Karma's neck. “Oh! How cruel-”

“Bitch-sensei?” 

“Was it obvious?”

Karma chuckled, lowering Nagisa onto the bed. “Maybe, you can show me what else she’s been teaching you?”

“Mn, or,” Nagisa rolled out of Karma’s hold, “I can enjoy your shower!”

“Defeated by my own shower! Oh, how-”

Nagisa pulled away before Karma could grab him, “I’ll shower first, then you and then we eat, hm?” 

“And if I showered with you?”

“KARMA!” Nagisa screeched, cheeks instantaneously flushing red as Karma’s words sunk in. He, in a flurry of movements, shut the bathroom door, internally bemoaning his flushed reaction. It would only spur the other on. But that, that’s one of the reasons he loved Karma so much- ah he really might be masochistic…

There, in Karma’s bathroom stood a plethora of bottles of all sizes, all in various states of openness on a shelf filling possibly half the wall. Standing in the hot water as it steamed the bathroom walls, Nagisa contemplated which to use. For the few times he used the bathroom, and asked, Karma always responded with variations of “pranks”, “I’m starting a collection” and a recent “I wanted to seduce you but now I have an obsession”. Nagisa really didn’t know, and after a while, he honestly enjoyed the rather calm to deranged rambling answers.

 In a corner, was a bottle almost hidden away. Nagisa sniffed it, delighting at the subtle spiciness of… spice that had undertones of, he looked at the bottle, squinting through the steam to read what was written, berries and jasmine black tea with honey. A rather odd scent that seemed as if everything was trying to overpower anything and everything, but in the steam of the bath, it mingled and dispersed into a gentle, almost phantom kiss. 

The scent had him immediately picturing the first time Karma had kissed him in front of everyone; a hypnotic swirl of spice and sweetness amidst the exhilaration thrumming and deafening him as Karma looked at him, fondness bleeding from shoulders, fingers grazing against Nagisa’s then tangling together as he was pulled in for an excruciatingly soft press of lips after they were all soaked through from a sudden sun shower. 

The bottle seemed to have barely been used, and Nagisa was happy to help with using it. As much as Karma liked creating ‘collections’, he would’ve hated having them all stacked and suffocating the space in the rather open bathroom. 

Turning the water off, he grabbed the ever present fluffy, baby blue towel that was in the bathroom- grabbed his towel and dried his skin. Karma had left, on the little rack near the front of the door, lotion and clothes. 

Humming, Nagisa got dressed, pulling his hair out of its bun and loosening the tangled strands. Padding out in the slippers he always used, he found Karma lying on his bed, freshly showered. Ah, he always forgot there was another shower Karma used, closer to the kitchen downstairs. 

Nagisa flopped onto the bed, rolling onto Karma, hugging and partially squishing him. “Did I take too long?” he asked, whispering in the quiet warmth of the room. Karma grunted, turning and flopping them both on their sides. “Karma…” Nagisa admonished, sitting up instead of laying down. 

Karma followed, wiggling his head onto Nagisa’s lap. “My darl… is that, oh - I do.”

“Karma?” Nagisa watched as Karma’s grin slid from teasing to curious until his face was flushed red to his collarbones and ears. 

Abruptly the other sat up, slumping his head against Nagisa’s shoulder, turning his head to kiss at the nearby pulse point. “You, Shiota Nagisa, are very dangerous for my heart.” A huff of laughter warmed the area as Nagisa flushed pink, knowing Karma felt the jump in his heartbeat. 

“Is the great Akabane Karma admitting defeat?” Nagisa continued, his arms snaking around Karma’s middle to hold him.

Karma chuckled, carefree and soft, “Mhm...I love you, ya know.” 

“Yeah, I know.” Nagisa pressed a kiss to Karma’s cheek, leaving his lips to linger as he said, “I love you too.” 

Neither moved, staying still in their bubble; Karma with his nose near Nagisa’s neck and Nagisa with his cheek atop Karma’s. Until their stomachs rumbled and they noticed the sky dipping into a mix of dark blues and oranges. “I promised sushi, didn't I?” Karma muttered, tone alight with tease.

Nagisa huffed with silent laughter, “I really should demand sushi.”

“Instead, you get rice and whatever else I find.” Karma stuck his tongue out, moving away before Nagisa could poke him.

“Yes yes, Mr. Chef,” Nagisa called, trailing behind the other. 

That night, on the couch, they sat with two bowls of food, Nagisa in Karma’s lap as they rewatched the first Sonic Ninja movie. Throughout the night, and in the morning, Nagisa felt and saw the small, fond smile present on Karma’s face. His face, he knew, also had a small, returning smile.