𝕂𝕒𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕘𝕚𝕤𝕒 𝕆𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕥𝕤

Wordless

Words never failed Nagisa.

Or at least that's what Nagisa believed.

"Won't you say it?"

Nagisa blinks, for once — or twice in a lifetime wordless.

Karma stares back, crouched beside where Nagisa is seated on his talons, unforgiving but gentle.

He's always so gentle with Nagisa— with his presence by Nagisa's side for most of the three years they've passed on Kunugigaoka. With his interest whenever Nagisa talks about something even when he doesn't understand it fully. With smiles whenever Nagisa gets bashful and blushing at praises during their training or in general. With his gaze whenever Nagisa catches his eye in the crowd and grins at him.

With his lips when he grazed them across Nagisa's cheek and to the center of his mouth about a week and a half ago, when he suddenly confessed his feelings towards Nagisa.

I like you, he muttered, I've liked you for a while.

Nagisa had blinked the same way he's doing right now, taken aback by the admission, because he always thought Karma was know for being mischievous and quite cunning  the same way Nagisa himself was known for his observations.

Turns out Karma Akabane had only been gentle towards Nagisa, and no one knew he had a side so soft and tender, so interlaced with feelings Nagisa didn't understand.

Or didn't want to understand.

Nagisa didn't want to ruin their friendship — their whole relationship.

He knows some people keep being best friends with their significant other. But what if it's not their case? What if Nagisa ruins it in any way and now he can't have Karma as his romantic partner nor as his closest friend?

He wants to disregard his feelings, his own heart skipping beats with Karma's presence.

"Kar-" he tries, but words fail him again. Or rather the other way around.

"Nagisa," Karma pronounces, leaning closer, and Nagisa doesn't know if he wants to run away, "say how you feel about me."

It's an order. A gentle one. Karma had asked him the same when they first kissed, but Nagisa had been stupid enough to mumble a 'I don't know.'

Karma gave him a sad look, but not because of possible rejection — it felt more like he was feeling sorry towards Nagisa.

That's how Karma gave him more time to think about it, to muse his words and practice them if it was necessary.

But all the time in the world wouldn't have prepared Nagisa for this kind of thing.

"I don't-"

"You do."

Nagisa mouths, voice lost in his throat, and then he sways a bit, forcing him to put his hand down and flinching when it lands on Karma's on the floor.

He doesn't dare to move, and Karma looks rather pleased with the contact to pull away.

"You do," Karma repeats, mercury-colored gaze falling to Nagisa's mouth for half a second. It makes the thin skin of his lips tingle in the reminder of the first kiss. "You do, Nagisa."

Nagisa looks down at Karma's mouth, inches away from his. The kiss had been a quick thing — just as Karma closed the distance to kiss Nagisa's lips, he pulled away, too fast for Nagisa's understanding and too soft for Nagisa to follow without thinking.

It had haunted Nagisa days and nights, and right now the only thing blaring in his mind is to have a second one.

He feels lost, drifting away from his self-awareness, and before he can lean closer, there's a fingertip to his mouth.

"No kissing until you say it," Karma conditions, finger rubbing absentmindedly to the corner of Nagisa's lips, "Until you're honest with both of us."

Nagisa blinks. No words come out.

"Nagisa-"

"I can't."

Karma frowns, more from confusion than actual anger.

"What?"

"I can't," Nagisa says again, shaking his head a little. He feels lightheaded, "I- I don't know if- what if- and you don't-"

Karma's eyes widen when Nagisa gasps, out of words and breath, and then his hand is cupping Nagisa's head, tilting a little to kiss his cheek.

Nagisa flinches and tries to find Karma's lips with his. But Karma pulls away again and Nagisa whines.

"Say it," Karma requests to his ear, nuzzling his hair, gentle as always, "Tell me."

To Nagisa's shock, the words he's been meaning to silence bubble up his throat.

"I like you," he whispers, eyes fluttering close and feeling his face hot, "I like you so much, Karma-kun."

There's a smile to his temple, followed by a peck, and then Karma is leaning down to him, kissing him once more.

"Nagi," Karma murmurs against Nagisa's mouth.

Nagisa realizes right there, right then, that the fear pricking inside his heart wasn't for their relationship, but from losing Karma's gentleness he's grown so smitten for.

He's in love with him — with the sides he shows to everybody and the sides that are only for Nagisa.