Chapter Text
“Why do you keep on getting me drunk whenever we hang out?”
“So you don’t remember my rants”
“Nagisa, are you free tomorrow evening?” he asks, he was feeling a bit frustrated-- mostly at himself and having a drink with a friend seemed like the perfect way to release some of his bottled up feelings.
“Sure, is there anything wrong?” concern drips from his voice, “You only ask to hang out when work’s too stressful,” he added,
He chuckled, “What a horrible accusation, Nagisa; can’t it just be because I miss your presence?” It wasn't a lie, Karma had reminded himself.
The blue-haired male smiled a little at that, “We all know that’s a lie, but I am free tomorrow evening,”
The red-head grinned, “Same time, same place.”
“I’ll see you there.” He ends the call.
“One more round here!” Karma enthusiastically ordered, Nagisa sighed exasperatedly, "Karma, we've been drinking for at least half an hour, are you at least gonna tell me what's bothering you?" he pushed, the red head accepted the new bottles the waitress gave them with a smile, "What do you mean Nagisa?" he started, pouring Nagisa another glass of wine, "I called you out to drink and that's exactly what we're doing, right?" he said, pouring himself a glass.
"So... bottoms up?" he said raising his glass for a toast, although quite reluctant, Nagisa followed suit, "Cheers." they both smiled, chugging down the liquor down.
"So when are you going to confess to him?" Rio had asked, stirring her cup of coffee, one rainy day before, Karma sighed, a cup of coffee in his hand as well, "I don't think I'll be ready if he doesn't feel the same way." he had replied, taking a sip; Rio sighed in reply, "You do know our little blue is a bit naive to aspects of love, we won't really know how he really feels about you if you don't tell him," she frowned.
"I know."
Karma looks at a drunk and half-asleep Nagisa Shiota; notices the way his chest heaves up and down in sync with his breathing, the way his eyelids flutter when he's sleeping, the way his lips part, it felt like an invitation. Karma gulps down the temptation with another swig of wine. Planning how to confess to your best friend have been proved harder than planning an assassination.
"I'm sure Nagisa-kun reciprocates your feelings Karma-kun," the bespectacled woman had told him when they had a chance to have dinner, Karma smiled, the scientist had been a great part of Karma's adulthood, alongside Rio and Nagisa, Manami has also kept in touch with the bureaucrat. "While that is great encouragement Manami-chan, I'm really not sure he feels the same way," he winced at the way he feels like he had rejected himself. She smiled, "Karma, when has that ever stopped you?" she asked, eating a piece of the steak that Karma has made himself, "You're getting good at cooking, once you man up and confess to Nagisa, you should really cook for him." She grinned, Karma smiled at how much she changed.
"I know."
"I hate you, you know?" The red head started, poking his sleeping best friend. "Do you have any idea how hard falling in love with you is?" he asked, blushing all the while, 'Maybe the alcohol's getting to me as well..." he thought. "You... with your beautiful blue hair, and your equally beautiful eyes; your lips that looks really really soft and that body that I've imagined sleeping beside each night and waking to each morning..." he trailed off, opting to lay his head down on the table opposite to the center of all his frustrations.
His hand reached for the soft strands of hair, "Why is it so hard to tell you?" he murmured, "I love you." he breathed, "I love you." he repeated until it felt like a mantra. "Say that you feel the same way too?" he groaned, he was being uncharacteristically not himself; but there was no one else in this room, well the other one was knocked out so it didn't matter.
He always felt so different when he's with Nagisa like this, but that made him hate himself even more. In the presence of alcohol, he can say whatever he'd like to his best friend; with no worries of the consequences. Because when Nagisa was drunk; he was only fooling himself. He frowned, his face, reaching up where he was touching Nagisa's hair a minute ago. Placing a chaste kiss on the back of Nagisa's head. "Good night." Failing to keep his eyes open anymore, the red head had succumbed to sleep.
Nagisa opened his eyes once he heard the steady breathing, indicating that Karma had fallen asleep. As always, he was relieved that Karma had chosen an inn for their get togethers because both of them would have been too drunk to go home by themselves, he was still blushing after hearing Karma's one of a kind confession; Rio's advice of pretending to be drunk had actually payed off, he couldn't believe his best friend had felt the same way about him as well, he smiled while fixing the futons; carrying Karma to one and fixing him up in a comfortable position, he plopped down to his futon, facing Karma's sleeping face. He smiled to himself, "If only you'd always be this peaceful." he mused, brushing up some of Karma's hair from his face. "But then again, if you were; then you wouldn't be my Karma." he yawned, "I love you too," he kissed his forehead before allowing himself to sleep; promising to confess to Karma once they had woke up the next day, telling himself not to chicken out.