Title: Mending a Broken Bond
Rated: T, might change to M in future chapters
Genre: Angst/Romance/Hurt & Comfort
Pairing: Karma x Nagisa
Warning: Self-harm, Depression, self-blame, triggers, bad grammar, language, might also have lemon in the future, AU, OOC, and lots and lots of tears.
Full Summary: "You were RED. You liked me because I was BLUE. You touched me and suddenly, I was a LILAC sky. And you decided PURPLE, Just wasn't for you…. Karma-kun…" When Karma distanced himself from Nagisa, he didn't know what happen to his best friend. When Nagisa thought Karma was bored of him, he thought he could handle it, he was wrong it was getting worse and worse each day. When they met again, they weren't classmates, but they weren't also best friend like they use to be, they were just friends. When Karma planned to give Nagisa his notebook that he forgot to give him earlier, he didn't expect to hear Nagisa's mom shouting. Nor did he expect to see the remainders of what happen when he left Nagisa all those years ago during their classroom war. And Karma regretted everything…
"We Drifted…Karma-kun…."
"But! I'M going to MEND IT! I'm not going to lose you Nagisa!"
…
"Nagisa! Don't you dare to –!"
"Sayonara…Karma-kun… I love you…"
"NAGISA!"
Legends:
"Talking"
'Thinking'
'Flashback/Dream'
"Angry/Emphasizing"
Chapter 1: Follow
Karma's POV
Months had passed since I distanced myself from Nagisa. But even though I distanced myself from him, I can't help but glance at him when we're in the same room or when his in the school ground, while I'm standing near the window of our room. I'm such a hypocrite, even though it was me who distanced from him, I can't help but try to go near him, be with him or take care of him. I always hate it and I didn't notice it before but I saw how our 'classmates' or 'friends' back stab him and made fun of him.
At the beginning of our second year, I noticed that the people are laughing or giggling at something. When I saw what they were pointing at, I saw him sitting at his seat near the window with some boys surrounding him calling him a girl and insulting him or to bluntly put it, bullying him. I barely manage to control my anger at them for hurting him, but then I stop when I then realize that I also hurt him. A second or two when I realize it, a sad expression appeared in my face before it was gone and proceeded to my chair. I'm such a fool, I didn't even realize that he was bullied and then I went and left him, alone.
And then it seems to get worse. There are times that I go home, just few minutes after he left the room, I saw him being bullied behind the school building. I saw them trap him in the wall, while he merely look down and let them took his bag before they throw it to the ground, his things scattering on the ground, laughing at him before turning around to leave at the opposite direction from where I'm standing. I glared at their backs before looking at him and saw him picking his things from the ground. When he was about to pick his notebook, he pause and began to shiver. I gasp and was about to reveal myself to him, to comfort him, when I heard him sobbed. He then covers his mouth and cried.
I didn't then waste a second the moment he cried. No, I didn't went towards him. I… ran away from him. Ran away from the person who sees me as a person, running away from him like a coward I am. Later that night I felt guilty, silently apologizing to Nagisa, knowing it won't reach him. And then the next day, I went to school early, a lot early than my normal schedule, because today… I need to do something.
At Kunugigaoka
I leaned at the gates of my school, waiting for some people, while trying to calm myself down. After a while I heard two voices that I heard from yesterday which made me smirk and opens my eyes to look at them and…
Bingo!
I found them, the bullies who hurt Nagisa yesterday, walking towards the school gate, laughing at something.
"Hello my dearest classmate~" I sing out, satisfied with how they flinch and look at me fearfully.
"A-akabane!" they stuttered fearfully and I walk slowly towards them, like how a predator would walk to his prey, as a prey they also step back and before they knew it, they're in the alley with me still in front of them.
"I saw what you did to him yesterday…" I said to them and they flinch.
"H-him? who's… who's him?" the skinny one with a glasses asked. Which made me snarl at them, before kicking the dumpster beside me, startling them.
"You exactly know who I'm talking about…" I then took another step towards them, immediately grabbing the collar of the small yet fat boy. "Listen here… if I ever saw or hear about you hurting Nagisa-kun… both of you will pay for it with your life… understand?" I growled, they then nodded their head before I let them go and walk away, leaving them there, scared. But when I went out of the alley and proceeds to the gate, I never expect to bump into his shoulder and I may or may not heard him hiss in pain.
"Na-nagisa-kun?" I stuttered, I saw him clutching his shoulder, before he then turn to look at me. My breath hitched, when my golden red eyes met with dull sky blue eyes. I took in his appearance at that time. I notice that dark circles forming around his eyes, which is red due to crying. His long hair in a ponytail, and finally I then notice how skinny he is. I gulped, and blamed myself for it before opening my mouth and said something opposite to what I plan to say.
"Let's go to class, Nagisa-kun." 'No!' I internally scream, especially when I saw how sad he look right after I said those words. 'That's not what I want to say! I want to be your friend again!' I thought but my body already went and move away from Nagisa, who is walking few feet behind me.
'Are you nuts?! Did you forget about that time when we felt like he could kill us?!' my body seemed to scream, while my mind and heart are encouraging me to talk to him like we did before I distanced from him. When I came to, I'm already in my classroom, sitting at my seat, Nagisa at his. I sighed internally, before glancing at him and noticed that he was scratching his wrist before he stopped and look up. I followed his action and saw the bullies going towards their seat, giving me and my blue haired friend a wary glance before they sat down. Not a minute later the teacher came in. And then our normal day began, or so I thought.
4th Period
Half way towards the end of our fourth period, I then again saw Nagisa scratch his wrist. For a while this made me thought that his red wrist band is a bit tight for his wrist, so I went back to what our professor was talking about. But when I glance at him again, my eyes immediately went to his wrist. What I saw made my eyes widen a bit and then the bell rings, meaning its lunch time. The teacher left and a minute later all of the students, excluding me and Nagisa, stands up and are probably heading to the school cafeteria. On normal occasion, I would be the first to stand up and left, but this time I didn't and so did Nagisa, who always leave the room after everyone left.
I inhaled deeply, before standing up and head towards him.
"Nagisa-kun…" I called out, he then turn to look at me, startled.
"Ka-Karma-kun?" he stuttered, I inhaled deeply before asking if what I saw earlier is really what I thought of.
"Is your wrist bleeding?"
"E-eh?" he seems to be startled at my statement before he went and look at his wrist and saw a small trail of red liquid flowing towards the palm of his hand. He then gasp and covered his wrist, and because I was looking at his palm, I didn't notice the scars on his wrist.
"Did something happen?" I asks, looking at him and saw him shake his head while looking at his desk before he stands up.
"Gomen Karma-kun, but I need to go." He said, before grabbing his bag and ran. I without hesitation ran after him, making sure he won't hurt himself. I followed him outside and saw him heading towards our spot where we usually eat our lunch. I stop by the wall, hiding and saw him on his hands and knees, shivering.
"Calm down, Nagisa…" I heard him say. "Just calm down…"
After saying those I saw him calming down, before he sits down by the tree and grabbed his bento and began to eat. And then the day was normal again. After watching him eat, I followed him towards our classroom, he entered and I followed after him a minute later. I planned to pass by his desk but decided against it. I then sit at my seat and waited for our fifth period to start. When class ended, I, once again followed Nagisa, making sure there are no more bullies today. And after that day I never saw him scratching his wrist, but in return the bullies got worse, which made me more protective and four months away from the end of our school year, the students began to learn to stay away from Nagisa, the demon tamer, which he didn't know he had since we weren't together all the time and he seems to be troubled by something. As the day pass I saw eye bags forming under his beautiful blue eyes and that he got paler and paler every single day. It wasn't a week later after our final terms did I know what was wrong with him. He failed and will be going to the E-class on our third year.
When I heard about it, I was shock. Nagisa may not be clever as me but he wasn't an idiot as well, and then I realize that his grade might be the reason why he almost look like a ghost to me. Or the bullying never stop, and just got worse. But what happen after Nagisa receive the note, was how our classmates or 'his friends' immediately reject him, going as far as removing him from their contact. Sugino, a friend Nagisa made three weeks ago, was going to the E-class as well. I then began to think what will happen to Nagisa if he was in that class. He might be bullied more and then be beaten up.
'No! I can't let that happen!' I thought the moment I saw him stand up and head home. The note was given to him few minutes before our bell rang. I then began to think as I watch him walk away, that Nagisa is so nice to be in E-class, so trusting and so… vulnerable. Before I got too deep in my thoughts, I snapped out of it and immediately went out of the room planning to run after him. When I didn't saw him outside the school building, I immediately went outside the school ground and look around worriedly.
'If Nagisa will be an E-class student in our third year, the other students might already know about it and hurt him.' I thought and at the corner of my left eye I saw a hand waving panicky and it disappeared behind the wall of a building across our school and a bit to the left. Without any hesitation, I immediately run towards the alley where I saw it disappeared. My eyes then widen when I saw Nagisa being slam at the wall of the building by his hair. I heard him screamed in pain, followed by laughter. Then I notice that there are 3 male students from the 3-A class surrounding him.
"Does that hurt, future E-class student?" one of them mocked him, and then another one grab his hair, which made his hair tie to snapped and him scream in pain.
"You know… you could pass as a girl if you let that beautiful hair of yours down… maybe we should treat you as a girl?" the third one leered at him, but before he could take a step towards my best friend, I ran towards them and punch him in the face, giving the one who is holding Nagisa by the hair a roundhouse kick making him flew away to the other side. The guy who mocked Nagisa, ran towards me lifting his fist to punch, but me being the cool delinquent I am, merely grab it and twisted his arm but not enough to twist in a weird angle, just enough for him to knee and screamed in pain. And without hesitation I began to punch his face ten times before going to the second, the one grabs Nagisa and is now leaning at the wall and kneed his stomach five times, less than the first guy but more powerful than my punches.
I immediately let go of the guy when I heard a scream and grunt in pain, and then I turn around I saw Nagisa on his stomach and the third guy straddling him, one of his is holding Nagisa's hair pulling it towards him, making Nagisa to stretch his neck and grunt in pain and the other hand was around the front of Nagisa's throat. While the guy did that, I saw how much damage they give to Nagisa. The side of his mouth had a trail of blood, busted lip, bruise cheeks, and a wound at his forehead.
"Ka-Karma-kun!" Nagisa cried out and I look at him and noticed that tears are flowing from his eyes which is begging for me to save him. But when the guy heard my name from his lip, he seems to let go of Nagisa's head, letting it drop to the ground with thud knocking Nagisa out which made me to snarl.
"K-ka-Karma? Akabane… Karma?" he slowly asked me, which made me to smirk darkly and slowly walk towards him.
"You know me…?" I asks slowly and then I heard clothes rustling behind which made me to turn and look at the two guys behind.
"Akabane Karma… the 2-D demon…" the first guy stated fearfully, while the second was holding his stomach and looks like he was about to piss himself.
"Ho… then maybe you heard of the demon tamer?" I smirked at their pale face.
"The person who you protected from the bullies and seems to tamed every time he saw you being violent." I smirk at how correct he is. I probably didn't mentioned this earlier, but even though Nagisa and I had a distance between us, he was always there to stop me from being more violent to the others by merely shouting my name, one of the reason why he is called the demon tamer.
"Then I'm sure with how clever you are… you wouldn't be surprised that if I punish you more right… after all you hurt my tamer…" I grinned at them sadistically, and it wasn't long before they realize that the tamer I mentioned is the boy they hurt.
"Wa…wait…!" they all stuttered, the third guy ran towards his friends.
"Gomen ne, my friends… but I never let anyone who hurt my tamer," 'Best Friend' "Go unscathed." And before they knew it I was already behind them and hit the backs of their head. I punch the third guy in the face then at his stomach. I've been punching this guys until they were about to lose consciousness which means I've been punching them for a whole ten minutes.
"No one will know about this…." I growled at them and saw them nodded, whimpered and pissed their pants, which made me to scrunch my nose and stand up from straddling them and head towards Nagisa and carried him bridal style and head towards my home.
Karma's home
The moment I put Nagisa down at my bed, he began to stir and flutter his eyes open.
"Karma-kun…?" he asks, looking confuse, which is cute and it made me smile.
"Yes Nagisa-kun… it's me." I told him and pets his hair.
"Where am I?"
"In my room, I took you here to treat your wounds that you receive from the bullies earlier." As I told him that I stood up and went to the bathroom connected to my room and grab the first aid kit from the cabinet below the sink before heading back inside and saw him looking around.
"Sorry about the mess." I smiled sheepishly, which made him look at me and smile and looks at the floor where books, clothes and magazines of Sonic Ninja are scattered.
"I never expected you to be such a messy person, Karma-kun." He smiled at me, to which I scoff.
"Please don't forget that I'm a delinquent, Nagisa-chan." I smirk at him as he bristled, when I use the suffix used for a female friend.
"I hate you." He mumble and I chuckled.
'I miss this.' I thought before inwardly blinking and realize that the two of us are teasing each other like we used to before I made the biggest mistake. I inhaled deeply, thinking that this maybe my only chance to fix things with him.
'Yes to that!' my mind and heart shouted, while my body argued.
'No! He'll hurt you! Don't forget about what you felt last year Karma!'
'Then I'll fix and be close to him while making sure I still put a distance between us.' I concluded and then sat down at the bed beside Nagisa and began to tend his wounds. When I was about to dab a cotton, which I poured with alcohol, to Nagisa's mouth he grab my wrist.
"What?" I asks confuse and he smiled.
"Arigato Karma-kun." And then he let me tend his wounds.
"Your welcome." I mumbled. I wiped the blood, patch the bruise on his cheek before checking his forehead and sighed in relief when the cut isn't too deep before patching it. We stayed silent for a while before I decided to break it.
"So… you're going to the E-class?" he heard rather than saw Nagisa gulped.
"I… have no choice… my grades aren't good enough to be in the D-class." He told me and I shake my head.
"No. You're clever enough to stay Nagisa-kun…"
"My grades says otherwise…"
"So… your just gonna let your grade decide it for you…? Is that it?" When I didn't receive any sort of response from him, I nearly growled. "You do know what will happen right? Nagisa… the students in higher classes might hurt you!"
"Karma-kun!" he shout out, which startled me. "I know already from the very beginning of the Final term that I will never be in the A-class to D-class. But…" he paused before looking at me and I saw tears forming in his eyes. "You do better than this… so for me… please… stay above me and…" when I saw him bit his lower lip and look away, I already know the words he didn't want to say.
Forget about me.
I gulped before hugging him and he slowly hugs me back before we both let go. Without any other word I let him left my house with a small 'thank you' and a 'you're welcome' from me. I watch him walk farther and farther until I no longer saw him.
One week before the end of our school year as 2nd years. I did something that shocked Nagisa. The two of us were on our way home from school, and yes the two if us are together heading home. Ever since the incident where he was nearly beaten up and probably more, I make sure to go home together with him but I never spend more time with him other than that. When the two of us head out of the convenient store where we bought our ice cream, we heard some crying and skin hitting skin.
"Karma-kun…" Nagisa gasp, looking at the alley on his right with wide eyes and mouth gaping. When I saw his expression it made me also look at what he saw, and then my eyes widen when I saw a student from higher classes of our school beating somebody up and bullying him.
"That person… is a 3-E student." I heard Nagisa whispered fearfully, and I know that at that time he think that it will also happen to him which of course I won't allow and without any hesitation I throw my bag towards Nagisa before running towards the bullies. Laughing and beating them up and probably broke a bone or two.
"KARMA-KUN!" My best friend shouted, which made me stop and I then realize that I was already holding the guy by his face against the wall before looking at the 3-E student while trying to listen at Nagisa's footstep.
"Are you all right, Senpai?" I asks him.
"Wh-why did you h-h-help me? I'm from 3-E." he sobbed out. Although I already know what class he was I act naïve and said.
"3-E? You mean that 3-E? how awful it must be to have you fate decided in such a way." I said, just in time for Nagisa to stand beside me and flinch, when he remember that I also said almost the same thing at him a week ago.
"Huh? I'm in the right here. What's wrong with saving a bullied student?" I told them, Nagisa shake his head at me while smiling and give the guy his handkerchief.
"Don't cry anymore ne, Senpai?" he smiled, and the guy thank us before leaving the alley and only then did I let go of the student who was bullying the 3-E student.
"Karma-kun… the teacher might…" Nagisa started before I cut him and said.
"Don't worry Nagisa-kun." I grab my bag from him, put my right arm around his shoulder and leave him out of the alley. "Like I said, I'm in the right here. Besides one of the teacher there said that I'm right."
"Is that how he said it? The math teacher?" he asks, I blink at him. "I saw how he praised you every time you manage to answer his math problems. So I'm guessing he was the one who told you that."
"Your right." I smiled and then remember what the teacher told me.
Flashback
"Akabane, you right." The teacher said to me, walking towards me and pat my back. "Though you are somewhat combative, and you have your share of behavioral issues… as long as you're in the right, I'll be on you side!" and I smiled, realizing that it was not only Nagisa who understands me.
End of flashback
"So he said that." Nagisa said , both of us standing at the pillar waiting for our train.
"Yep. And there's nothing wrong with protecting someone who is bullied." I reassured him, to which he hummed.
"Don't worry your mind over it, nothing bad will happen." I pat his head and then when our train arrived the two of us got in and went home, I not knowing what will happen tomorrow.
The next day, Faculty room
"No, Akabane. No matter how you look at it, you're in the wrong!" at that statement I froze, the teacher who told me that he would side, that I was in the right, told me that I was wrong by saving a student. I then saw the student I beat up yesterday standing beside him, his arm in a sling, his using a crutch and his head bandaged.
"Have you lost your mind?!" I saw the teacher cross his arms. "Where do you get off, injuring the best student in year 3?"
'huh? No, wait, Sensei…' I thought, though I tried to say it out loud I couldn't.
"You sided with the E class and hurt someone who still had a bright future. If this affects his exams, it'll be on my head!"
'So much for being on my side.' And then my vision are turning black and my imagination made me see him losing his skin and showed his bones. 'Crap. He's dying.' I thought.
"Your grades are the only thing that's right about you. They're the reason I've always looked the other way. But once you start hurting my career, that's a different story."
In my eyes, this teacher's dying. I narrowed my eyes at his words and then realize that the reason he said because he only wanted my knowledge and have his salary raised.
"I put in for your transfer. Congratulations, Akabane. You'll be starting your third year in the E class." I only saw his skull. He let me down and he's dead to me. With this thoughts I destroyed his desk and throw somethings at the shelves behind him before turning around and walk away with my eyes narrowed in anger.
"Th-that's right! Walk away, Akabane! It's a good thing I will never see you and that worthless Shiota! The two of you will be in the E-class! And that Shiota? He will never last there for a month with how he looks!" he shouted at me and I froze.
'He insulted Nagisa…' I thought before turning around and grab the vase beside me before planning to throw it at him and when I was about to and saw him cowered in fear, I stopped. Not because I felt guilty but because I heard Nagisa called me.
"Karma-kun!" I turned and saw him by the door, shaking his head which made drop the vase and walk towards him. But before he could bow to the teacher, like a polite person he is, I wrap my arm around his shoulder and lead him away from that room, we walk towards our room in silence, I enter and made him stay outside, grab our bags and left the room heading towards the rooftop.
"Karma-kun…" Nagisa said softly, holding my hand and look at my eyes. "What happen?"
"Why are you at the door?" I asks, I saw him smiled.
"The student you beat yesterday was running in the hallway, shouting that the demon had gone mad." He told and it didn't take me a minute to know that he figured that I was the demon that person was screaming of.
"He said I was in the wrong." I told him and his grip in my hand tighten. "He also insulted you."
"I'm fine with being insulted of Karma-kun." He said before kissing the back of my hand and pat it when it twitched in pain. "You hurt your hand, you probably used it to break the table, right?"
"Yea…"
"So what now?"
"I'm in the E-class next year."
"Karma-kun!" he shouted, looking at me startled.
"Don't worry, this way. I'll be able to protect you." I told him and saw him bit his lip before nodding. We were friends again after that, so when I came back from my suspension, I'm already close to him. What I didn't know was that, by me staying beside him, I made it worst. But because I don't know what will happen in the future, I naively thought that I will always follow him and protect him.
Nagisa's POV
'Karma-kun said that he'll protect me... damn it Nagisa! you stupid, useless and worthless child! It's you fault! Look Karma is going to the E-class because of you! He probably punch that guy yesterday, knowing that it will make him go to the E-class. Just how stupid can you be! Cut yourself tonight! Cut yourself 20 times you worthless child!' My mind, that is surprisingly sounded like my mom, scolded and ordered me. And I internally nod without hesitation, after all I can't disobey my mom even if it's my mind that's talking to me.
TBC
Hey guys! I would to thank you all for reading, following, favorite and reviewing this story! I appreciate it! *bows*
Reviews:
Hino1Hyua: I hope you like this chapter and thanks for reviewing!
Moge-Elizabeth 7: here's the chapter where your answer on why Nagi-chan is now in 3-E class and I hope you like this.
Juh2002: of course I will. With the result of this fiction there's no way I'll stop and thanks for reviewing!
MarzDominator: thank you and I hope you like this.
Karma Mama: hey mama! Well in this chapter it seems like Karma fix their relationship with Nagi but there's still a distance between them and Nagisa still didn't know that they were back as friends because of that distance and thanks for reviewing.
C anime: I know ahahaha… but well it kind of fit them XD
