Side Strung

A Messed-Up Process // Nagisa

- Nagisa's POV -

A smile graced my chapped and dried lips, but I felt like curling up into the fetal position and bawling until I fell asleep. Maybe if I convince him to not report my mom, I might be able to reach closer to my desired slumber.

His eyes are covered in absolute horror at the sight of my near naked body covered in injuries I've grown accustomed to. His hair so matched with the liquid falling from my cuts and scratches.

"Nagisa," he called out, kneeling down in an instant to examine my arm with scratches aligning my wrist to elbow in a seemingly straight line. "These aren't, self inflicted right?"

I scoffed, bringing my head back down so my bangs could cover the eyes I needed to avoid for now. "N-No." I held in a cough, feeling like a blood clot was caught in my throat. "I don't even, have the energy to cut. No reason to." My heart was racing, resulting in my disoriented inhaling and exhaling mid-sentence. "D-Don't worry about that."

The hair in my eyes prevented me from seeing his seemingly relieved expression, but there was no way he felt relieved when I'm still sitting practically in a pool of my own blood. It made me feel special, like something worth fighting for. Heh, now I'm acting all greedy.

He clenched his fist, something I realized he does when he's frustrated or holding on something he wants to let out. "We're getting out of here. Now."

"Uh..." My mouth was left ajar, his sudden proclamation to drag me away from this place I called my home finding its way to warm my heart. "O-Okay. I'll go." The way my voice cracked scared me. Someone so weak, and beaten, and overall pathetic was taking an offer he just doesn't deserve. It was a quiet agreement I made, but he heard my whisper.

"I'm glad you're not so reluctant anymore."

"If I said no, you wouldn't take that answer," I hacked a cough. "-would you?"

Karma flinched at my words, his eyes showing that hint of fear. His attempt at covering that up was really nice however. He brought my gaze back up with his hand cupping my cheek, the cold bringing my attention back to the slight red on it. "Boy, we're gonna need a bit more than a bandage to fix you up."

I grabbed a hold of his hand on my face, the warmth around nine slowly fading into the cold surrounding his. "Yeah. Maybe."

"Tomorrow is school, you know."

"I-I know." That was a lie.

"You can't go in this condition. You're, covered in so many fucking cuts and bruises."

I grazed his knuckles, his gaze completely fixated on me. "Will you help me cover it up?"

His finger wiped away a dried stream of tears, only for a new one to overwrite his efforts. "Nagisa-"

"Please. Just for tomorrow. I, I won't ask anymore, for your help. C'mon."

He bit his lip, an agonizing sight it was to see on such an ideal figure like Karma. His eyes weren't meeting mine with absolute confidence anymore, but it was scanning the injuries decorating my body. The bruises, the cuts, the blood, the reddening or violet of some others. They were all in view, and he was taking them in. I don't know what's filling his mind. Anger, fear, derailment, regret, or confusion. But I did know how to extinguish those hesitations.

Ignoring the pain for as long as I could endure, I threw myself onto him, the speedy reflexes he was blessed with placing his hand on the carpetted floor before he made an impact with my weight bringing us down. Our lips were locked once more, his sudden shock giving me a chance to do what I needed to at least try.