Work Text:
“I want to cut you open.”
The words startled Nagisa the moment they hit his ears. He flinched away from Kira who was examining his arm from across the table at the family restaurant. Long fingers chased after his retreating limb.
“Y—you're joking,” Nagisa tried to confirm as his arm was once more caressed by curious hands.
From the fold of his elbow, two fingers traced down his forearm. Blunt fingernails scratched against his skin, pulling goose bumps in their wake.
“Obviously,” Kira said, his tone serious and unfazed. Nagisa sighed as Kira repeated his touch on his arm. The two fingers slipped against his wrist, holding his pulse point.
“Your heart rate is elevated,” Kira stated. He looked up at Nagisa, copper eyes peeking through his lashes, ”nervous?”
Nagisa felt his brow crease, trying his best to glare disapproval at his friend.
“You're threatening to bleed me like a pig in the middle of the restaurant,” he accused, trying to match Kira's serious tone.
Kira flipped his hand over. Meticulously, he took his time to palpate each bone of his hand. He pressed his thumbs together, the thin skin on the top of Nagisa's hand bunched together in a pinch before he allowed it to relax.
“I wouldn't do it here, far too unsanitary,” Kira pointed out.
Kira set Nagisa's arm on the table as he shoved his hands into his labcoat pockets. For a reason that escaped him, Nagisa stayed still as he watched frustration settle on Kira's face.
“Relax, please,” Kira instructed as he reached out to shake Nagisa's wrist. Trying to do as he was told, Nagisa let the tension out of his shoulders, the slack in his muscles traveling down his arms to his wrists. Kira finally pulled a small, rubber hammer from his pockets.
He tapped the rubber hammer on a spot under Nagisa's thumb. Reflexively, Nagisa watched his first two fingers jump. In his relaxed grip, Kira nestled his own finger in Nagisa's palm. He tapped his own fingers. Nagisa didn't notice a reflex with this tap, and Kira seemed dissatisfied. He motioned for Nagisa's other hand and repeated the test.
“What's wrong?” Nagisa asked; now he was nervous.
“When was the last time you drank water?” Kira asked as he continued to examine Nagisa's hand. He pressed his nail into Nagisa's nail bed, his frown only deepening with each new test.
Nagisa let out a sigh as he tried to think about it. He had gone into Mementos with his Phantom Thieves after school, and had his shift at the flower shop after where he helped with the delivery. Then he came to the restaurant to meet Kira.
“Lunch time, probably,” he admitted as he stared into his fizzy craft soda.
“Thank you for your honesty,” Kira said as pressed into the nail again, “do you see how long they stay white? You're very dehydrated.”
Nagisa finally took his hand back as Kira tapped the bell on the table to request the waitress. Nagisa pressed down on his nail, watching how slowly his nailbeds took to turn back to pink.
“I had no idea.”
“The weather is starting to heat up, please try to be more conscious of your water intake,” Kira said in a matter-of-fact medical tone.
“I will,” Nagisa agreed as he took the glass of water from the waitress with a thank you.
“I can't fix heat exhaustion with surgery. So please be careful.”
Nagisa took a long drink of his water. Kira's face was deadly serious, no hint of a joke hanging between them. Copper gaze was strong, Nagisa felt it impossible to look away. He swallowed his water and set the empty cup down on the table.
“O—of course.”