Under My Control {Karma x Asano}

11

Asano saw the familiar boy shoot out of the window and onto the road. His eyes grew with alarm as the burning building exploded into a thousand pieces of debris.

"Call emergency services! Hurry!"

"Someone fell from the window! Is he okay?"

"Help!!"

Asano covered his face with his arm and ran in, coughing. He had seen Karma stare straight at the building just as it exploded, and if he didn't move fast enough, he was a goner.

"Karma!" Asano looked around with squinted eyes, looking for the red hair. He dodged big pieces of the building, and made sure to not hurt himself.

When the dust cleared and the building stopped crumbling like Jenga pieces, Asano came face to face with a frozen Karma.

"Karma!" He ran up to the redhead and fell to his knees. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Karma tried to say something...ANYTHING. His lips trembled, but his voice caught at the back of his throat, refusing to let itself out.

We were...she was finally...she smiled at...me...

Only one thought released his voice.

Asano felt Karma grasp his arms tightly, and stared at his face. "What happened here?"

"Asano-kun..." Karma shook his head as tears fell from his eyes. "It...It wasn't me..."

"What...?" Asano had never seen Karma as broken as this. It felt like Karma would shatter if he so much as touched him. "What do you mean?"

"Mom..." Karma's cries broke, and he hugged Asano. "I didn't kill her...I didn't do it...S-So...please don't leave me..."

Asano understood immediately. He hesitantly hugged the shaking Karma, and nodded. "A-Alright, Karma...Ok, I believe you...I understand..."

"Don't leave me too...I didn't do it, okay? She just...She just...!"

"I get it, Karma. But we need to get out of here. It's not safe."

Karma felt like his heart was ripping in two. The usual smell of Asano's clothing, with the additional smell of debris, didn't comfort him like it used to. It didn't calm his shaking nerves.

Asano held the shaking figure of Karma as he cried for his mother for the first time in over 10 years.

. . .

"Karma...let go." Asano said, clearly embarrassed. "You need to treat your wounds before they get infected."

Karma gripped his hands, squeezing the other's hands as well. He didn't reply.

The two were moved from the area once the police and fire department arrived. Karma hadn't let Asano's hand go for the past 3 hours. Now they sat in front of the police station.

"Karma."

"I'm scared..." Karma whispered, closing his eyes. "I'm scared you might leave...me..."

"I told you, I won't."

Closing his eyes didn't help with Karma's hectic emotions. All he saw was his mother's last smile, and his fear came onto him even stronger.

Karma pulled Asano into a rib-crushing hug, pondering whether he should close his eyes or not. It was probably the most minor detail he should've worried about, but that was his brain's way of distracting him from reality.

"You're getting blood all over me."

"Why can't you come with me?"

"Because I'm not a patient, and you were the only witness of what was happening in the building." Asano said, placing his chin on Karma's shoulder to make himself a bit more comfortable.

The redhead didn't want to let go. "Please don't leave me..."

"Didn't I tell you that I won't?"

"But...But then why won't you come with me?"

Asano sighed, twitching his jaw. He knew it was no use talking any sense into the redhead, especially considering what had happened.

"Karma." Asano pushed him off gently and looked him in the eyes. For once, they didn't show any signs of calmness, or mockery. This wasn't Karma's usual eyes, and Asano knew it.

And it tore through him.

"You'll see me once you've done your part in this investigation."

"But...But— Mph." Karma closed his eyes immediately, kissing him back. Asano smelled blood and dust, but that didn't matter at the moment.

"There. Will that convince you?" Asano asked, clearing his throat. Karma stared at his face, before hugging him again.

"Ok...I'll go..." Karma muttered. "But-But I'm gonna go see you as soon as I'm done, ok?"

"Alright then."

Karma kissed Asano's cheek one more time for reassurance, before walking into the station.

Asano watched with his arms crossed, as Karma twitched every time they touched a wound. At times, they made eye contact, to which Karma breathed a sigh of relief.

. . .

"Asano-kun!" Karma launched himself onto Asano, who caught him. "I missed you..."

"Is that so."

Karma rubbed his head onto Asano's shoulder. "It hurts..."

"What?"

"They were putting ointment on my wounds earlier and it hurt...I have burns all over my body..."

Asano closed his eyes, sighing. The evening wind blew past, ruffling their hair.

After a brief, bliss silence, Asano spoke up. "Will you be hosting a funeral for your mother?"

He felt the other tense. Karma released him and sat down on the seat next to him. Asano sneaked a glance at Karma's face to see him biting his lip and clench his fists.

"Alright, I won't mention it."

"Mm."

Asano looked up into the sky, his arms crossed. "A lot has happened."

"...Yeah."

"How are you?"

Karma scrunched up his eyebrows like he was going to cry. His shoulders slightly lifted into a halfhearted shrug.

"I...don't know..."

"Do you feel like crying?" A glint passed Karma's eyes, before he broke down into sobs. "...I see."

Karma tried covering up his face, embarrassed that someone saw his younger self. But the amount of...guilt, anger, sadness...

He covered his mouth, trying to suppress his cries. His body shook, unable to contain his pain.

"Don't cover it." Asano said, pulling Karma's hands away. He pushed the redhead's head into his chest. "Cry as loud as you want to."

Karma heard Asano's heartbeat, and started to sob like a baby. His coughs and gasps vibrated against Asano's chest as he slowly patted his shoulder. He closed his eyes, feeling his face burn against the cool wind.

"Ah geez...you've really pulled me in, haven't you?"