He wanted to know how Nagisa was doing in school. As his father, he needed to know everything about his child. However, it wasn't easy to fuss over him without being obvious about it, especially when that same child was infuriatingly perceptive for his age. Was he always so sharp?

Nagisa wasn't against him meeting his teachers. If anything, he appeared amused. Haruka tried to understand his son's disconcerting grin and seemingly random facts about octopi. Other than that strange reaction, Haruka received a nod of approval and a casual hug. In the past he did not usually partake in these kinds of gestures. He didn't like being touched. Hiromi was an exception and the first one he allowed into his personal bubble. Back then, she was warm, understanding and trusting. Despite her strict upbringing, Haruka found himself drawn into Hiromi's easy laugh and carefree smile. Whatever happened to that? Arguing with her those few nights ago made him realise how his leave damaged her even further. Behind that kind façade, Hiromi was sad, so very sad.

She was desperate for a chance to live a life that was forced from her. Before they had Nagisa, she expressed none of these selfish desires. But months after Nagisa's birth, she grew an unhealthy distorted view of their only son. She didn't see him as her son; she saw him as herself. She was convinced that this was her chance to dress up and enjoy the feminine luxuries that she was deprived of. She denied Nagisa's true gender in order to satisfy this fantasy. Frankly, Haruka was disgusted.

Shaking out of his thoughts, he watched Nagisa cook breakfast with practised ease. He insisted that he wanted Haruka to rest as much as possible even though his vision wasn't blurred anymore but Nagisa wasn't having any of his excuses, so Haruka meekly conceded. He had a feeling this had something to do with his first and final attempt at cooking salad for them.

When Nagisa was finished with breakfast and ready to go to school, Haruka ruffled his son's newly cut hair. "Have fun out there."

His heart ached at Nagisa's returning grin.

As soon as the door was closed, Haruka retreated to the living room and sunk into the couch. How had this escalated so quickly? Meeting his son weekly was his initial intention, not taking custody over him.

He took a glance at the clock. Fortunately, he didn't need to go back to the garage for another three hours. Perhaps now he can finally get started on rereading that 'Parenting for Dummies' book while waiting.


They were sparring again.

By the tree that Karma had recently used as a hiding spot from Irina-sensei, Nagisa rapidly approached the red-head with a raised fist for the third time. It was deftly redirected and Karma countered with a strong hook, which narrowly missed his foe's jaw. But that didn't deter him. In a graceful maneuver, he shifted his weight backwards, twisted his body and aimed for a high kick. Poor Nagisa took the hit and was sent across the clearing with a quiet grunt.

"Dammit, Karma-kun. I'll have you know I need this face!"

Karma shrugged unrepentantly before resuming his offensive attacks. Many of his hits didn't connect, though, not with the way Nagisa smoothly guided the attacks off course by mere centimetres. At one point, Karma left an opening, causing Nagisa to take the advantage. His punch to the nose lacked power, but it was enough to stun Karma and lose his balance. Not about to go down on his own, Karma grabbed the next incoming fist and pulled it as he let himself fall. Just before landing, he rotated his body and reversed their positions so that he came out on top, pinning the blue haired boy with a rubbery knife held against his neck.

They stayed there, panting heavily. Nagisa pouted at his loss while Karma smirked smugly at him.

"I win again, Nagisa." Karma stated teasingly, getting off of the younger boy and helping him up.

"It's hardly a match when my opponent is a powerhouse."

"Shush. You're not as cute when you scowl like that."

"Forgive me, dear, I'll endeavour to perpetually smile adorably in your presence whether I win or lose." Nagisa retorted, fluttering his eyelashes. "If it pleases you?"

"You're mad, Nagisa."

"I know, it's part of my charm."

"Actually, I believe it's your-"

"Please, lovebirds, save it for the bedroom. I think I'm going to puke."

The duo snapped their attention to the two newcomers at the other side of the clearing.

"Maehara-san, Isogai-san. Good afternoon!" Nagisa greeted cheerfully, completely filtering out Maehara's comment and dispelling it from his mind.

Karma nodded in acknowledgement at them, sending a knowing smirk at Nagisa, who stuck his tongue out at him. "What's up? And if your answer is 'the sky' then I will systematically maul you, Maehara."

Judging by the brown haired boy's sheepish grin, Maehara quickly mended his intended reply. "Karaoke. Tomorrow afternoon. Kayano, Kanzaki and some of the others will be there. You guys coming?"

Isogai sent a playfully pleading look at the sparring partners. "I may need your help; I don't think I'll be able to handle him on my own. He's like a puppy desperate for attention."

Dismissing Maehara's cry of outrage ("I'll have you know girls fight for my attention!"), Nagisa sent a questioning glance at Karma, who nodded back.

"Sounds good. Where's it going to be?"


Haruka peered at the Black Limousine that sputtered to a stop from his place behind a blue Honda Civic. Smoke rushed out as a man in a black suit opened the bonnet of the expensive vehicle. The grey-haired mechanic winced at the man's startled cough and futile attempts to wave the smoke away. By the way the man's shoulders drooped when the smoke cleared was enough for Haruka to abandon his current project and walk over to the unfortunate man.

Dirty rag cloth still in hand, Haruka called out; "Need some help?"

The brown haired man nodded mournfully. "I am but a chauffeur."

Haruka raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Would your passenger mind if I take a look at it?"

At that moment, a well-dressed auburn-haired man stepped out of the vehicle. They assessed each other for a moment before Haruka grinned and placed his hands on his hips.

"Well well well, fancy seeing you here, Mr Perfect."

'Mr Perfect' returned the grin with a smirk of his own. "I would have thought ten years was ample time for growth. I stand corrected."

Disregarding Haruka's dirty hands, he offered a handshake, which was easily accepted. Gakusho, much like Nagisa, had changed drastically over time. His once friendly violet eyes were replaced with strained, coldly professional ones. The tell-tale signs of his age, suggested by the almost visible wrinkles and stray strands of grey hair, stood out starkly and made him look older than he was.

As they exchanged pleasantries, Gakusho's seemingly indifferent face softened to genuine friendliness, much to Haruka's relief and the chauffeur's utter confusion.


"Hey, Gakusho."

Haruka jogged lightly up to the principal, who was just leaving the school building.

"Good evening, Haruka. I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

"Me neither. Is your limo behaving well?"

"Thanks to you." Gakusho smiled pleasantly. "So, what brings you here?"

"I want to speak with Nagisa's teachers but I can't find classroom 3-E."

Gakusho's warm smile faltered for half a second. "That is because it is not in the main building. If you're up for a short hike, I can show you the way."

...

Haruka liked to think that he was fit. Being a mechanic, he had gained some muscle to accommodate the heavy tools he often had to work with. That, and he made an effort to hit the gym at least four times a week.

But that mountain was a killer. And that arrogant little grin on his childhood friend's face didn't make the burning in his lungs any better.

"The building is right over there. I'm sure you can manage on your own." He teased. "Will you survive long enough for coffee tomorrow afternoon?"

Haruka thought he was hearing things. Damn lungs must be using up all of his brain's energy.

"Coffee? I'm not hallucinating am I? Aren't you busy?"

"I wouldn't have asked you if I was. I can spare an hour."

Haruka restrained the urge to gap. "Alright, then. We have a lot to catch up on."

"Please. I'm just dying to hear about your travels gallivanting in the wilderness and charming anything that moves."

"Goodbye, Gakusho!"

And no, Haruka wasn't jealous of how easily the older man almost skipped down the stairs like it was no problem.

Some things never change. The bastard.

With an exasperated sigh, he dragged his feet over to the wooden building where his son and his teachers were waiting.


"You made it, Tou-san." Nagisa greeted from the front of the teachers' office. Behind him were his three – very different – teachers.

One was a stunning beauty, with long flowing hair and pretty aquamarine eyes. Though, clothes that offered more coverage would have been much appreciated. Was she really a teacher here?

The second teacher seemed like a boring businessman. His face was set in an expression that would have made a rock green with envy. Admittedly, he supposed he was quite handsome and undoubtedly popular with the females, if the blonde haired woman's sneaking glances on his physique was any indication.

The last teacher was…unique. He had a large build, and a round face. He wore an impossibly wide smile and black academic robes.

"Ah, this must be your father, Nagisa-kun." The large man mused. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Koro-sensei. This stern man is Karasuma-sensei, our physical education teacher, and Irina-sensei is our English teacher."

Haruka's eyes lingered on Irina in consideration for a second longer before dipping into a formal bow. "My name is Haruka and I thank you for teaching my son."

Koro-sensei nodded approvingly. "I should be thanking you for having such a well-mannered boy. He's a pleasure to teach."

At the corner of his eye, Haruka spotted a red hue sweep across Nagisa's face.

"I'll see you later, son."

"I won't keep your father too long, Nagisa-kun."

When the blue-haired student left, Haruka immediately turned to Irina. "You must be an excellent teacher, Irina-sensei. I have never heard Nagisa speak as confidently as he does now."

The Serbian beauty flushed at the praise. "Why, thank you. But Nagisa has always had an affinity for English. All I needed to do was push him in the right direction. Everything else he did on his own."


When he saw his father walk out of the teacher's office at a sedate pace, Nagisa grabbed Karma's wrist and dragged him over to the man.

"Tou-san, Tou-san, I want you to meet Karma-kun."

Haruka offered him a friendly smile. "Hello, young man. You can call me Haruka."

"Good evening, Haruka-san. Did you know that Nagisa already hero-worships you? He kisses the ground you walk on when you're not looking."

"Karma-kun!" Nagisa cried, his face quickly turning red. "Tou-san, don't listen to him. He's a liar."

"Oh, it hurts so much!" Karma, ever the drama queen, stumbled towards the wall of the building and leaned heavily against it. "I don't think I can go on any longer. Please, Nagisa, ask your dad to fly me to the hospital. I think my heart is breaking into a million pieces!"

Haruka huffed out a hearty laugh as his son covered his bright red face with his hands. Why was Karma such a sadist?

After more teasing from his father and traitorous friend, the red-head was invited for dinner, which he cheerfully agreed to. The trio made their way down the precarious slope.

Karma pretended to admire the foliage as Haruka coolly pulled his son into a side hug.


When Karma left their apartment with a full stomach, father and son sat down, each with a cup of their preferred drinks.

Haruka enjoyed this. He could certainly get used to being a father at this rate. Learning more and more about Nagisa lessened the guilt like a wildfire; burning away all negative thoughts in one fell swoop. Simply knowing that Nagisa was doing 'well' from a distance wasn't good enough. Experiencing his son's happiness was. Being there was different from watching from the sidelines. This decision was something he had no regrets in.

Now, how to break the news about Gakusho…?

"I won't be here tomorrow afternoon, just so you know." Nagisa averted his attention from his cup to look at his father enquiringly.

"I also won't be here tomorrow afternoon. Karaoke with friends." Nagisa stated, lowering his cup. "What are you busy with?"

Haruka shrugged nonchalantly.

"Meeting with someone."

"With whom?"

"Must you be so nosy?"

"Must you answer my question with a question? It's bad form, Tou-san." Nagisa tsked.

"It's nothing special, well, that depends on what your reaction to coffee is."

"Touch my coffee and there will be consequences." He replied in a warning tone. "But I'm more interested in this mystery person. Is his or her identity that bad?"

"No, no. I wouldn't say his reputation is bad, just…what's the word… infamous?"

"How does 'infamous' make his reputation seem anything less than bad?"

Haruka sighed petulantly. "I suppose my son has the right to know that his principal has invited me for coffee."

Nagisa stilled. What in the world?

"You're friends with him? Tou-san, when did that happen?"

"Years before you were born. I bumped into him at work this morning."

Nagisa copied his father's petulant sigh. "Aren't you full of surprises?"

Haruka grinned back at him. "I could say the same for you. Which brings me to another topic."

He settled back in his chair and took a sip of his earl grey. He ignored Nagisa's muttering. He managed to hear 'coward' at one point.

"Koro-sensei informed me of your career choice."

His son stopped his muttering and raised uncertain eyes at him. "Hm?"

"I asked him what compelled you to make such a choice. Let's say I now understand what you mean by yellow octopi."

Nagisa chuckled weakly as he sat across from his father, nursing his precious strong black coffee.

"Do you approve?"

Haruka smiled warmly at his son. "If your teachers hadn't informed me of your aptitude for assassination, I would have said 'over my dead body'. I wouldn't want you to lose your innocence so quickly, nor would I want you to partake in a mentally taxing job where your life is constantly in danger. Be that as it may, I support whatever you decide to do with your life; don't let your old man stop you."

He reached over and ruffled his son's hair, much like this morning. "Though, there is one condition you must uphold before I let you go through with this."

Nagisa grimaced but nodded. "As long as it doesn't involve whatever is going on between you and your 'childhood friend', I'm all ears."

Haruka banished the rising flush before it had time to spread. "Don't think I didn't notice how close you were with that 'Karma-kun' of yours." He countered without missing a beat.

It was Nagisa's turn to fight down his blush. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't as successful as his father.

"Here's what I propose; I watch you train for three weeks. Then I will ask your teachers to run a simulation so I can see how you'll be working under pressure in a real mission. If you succeed, then you have my full support."

Haruka leaned in and looked at Nagisa seriously. "Fail and you will have to either consider another job or repeat the test in another three weeks. Because I'll be damned if I let my only son walk into a life of killing unprepared. Now don't get me wrong, I won't prevent you from being an assassin; I'll just make it harder for you to become one until I feel you're absolutely ready."

He held out his hand over the kitchen table. "Is this a fair deal?"

Nagisa didn't even hesitate. "Deal. I will succeed, Tou-san."


Nagisa ran through the conversation he had earlier with his father as he robotically reached for his usual shampoo. Warm water lightly pelted his back, causing his muscles to involuntarily relax at the contact.

He had never felt so driven to prove himself. He wanted to show his father that he was capable for the job and that his thoroughly thought-out choice was not an impulse. His father didn't know about the rush of excitement he got from stalking his target in the shadows, the moment prior to catching his target off guard, nor the feeling of satisfaction he got when he deceived Takaoka with his 'sweet' demeanour. What would have made that assassination better was if he was allowed to draw blood from that oaf's neck…

Alas, it was the shocked silence that permeated the training ground that prevented him from actually attempting to slit the man's throat. His mind quickly found an escape route from the uncertain scrutiny of his classmates.

He acted like he normally did. Naïve, modest and disgustingly innocuous.

Nagisa nodded resolutely to himself. He will pass the test the first time. His classmates' opinion of him be damned.

He savoured the times whenever he had the chance to practice his gift on Karasuma during training. The look on the man's face always caused him to giggle in content- in private of course.

It would be a shame to cease these experiences.