Nothing much happened after that.

The atmosphere in the area soon returned to normal, towels were cleaned up, not a single noise thudded down the hallway, and time passed on and on, but within the small space of the hotel room, events felt as if they played themselves out inside a pocket dimension. Realistically, Yuuji knew that hours were slipping by—the lights were turned dimmer and then brighter, room-service was delivered and dishes set out. But for at least a little while, the hotel room seemed to become their own little world.

They talked. They lounged. Neither Yuuji nor Nagisa felt any urgency towards any one thing, content to just relax in their victory. They dug snacks out from the kitchenette, setting drinks (nonalcoholic, of course) up on the counter. There was light conversation. Even lighter laughter. A light feeling around Yuuji's shoulders that hadn't been there in years. They never bothered to turn on the TV, favoring instead turning to each other with a grin every time there was a new memory they wanted to share, whispering to each other in the dark.

Some other things might have happened, too, in the middle of all that. The two of them had the entire space to themselves, after all. Maybe they found each other drifting closer. Maybe wondering if all that kissing from before could have perhaps been a dream, and needing suddenly to make sure it wasn't. And there was only one bed in the room when the depths of night came, all the better for an excuse to feel close once they finally decided to go to sleep. Maybe they got to know each other a little better, Yuuji learning slowly just where to touch and what he could do, and that, yes, things could be just as good the second time.

Or maybe those things didn't happen.

Either way, morning came. The occupants of the room drifted slowly through the start to a new day. All movements were tethered, unhurried. With the window blinds closed and solid walls all around, it made it impossible to know what exact time it was.

Eventually, the two of them sat around the main table. Nagisa poked at the table's surface with a silver fork while Yuuji listened.

"So yeah, that's pretty much it," Nagisa said. The young man looked sleek in his blue shirt and vest, sleeves folded crisply at the edges. "My assignments come to me from a variety of clients. They're sort of…forwarded, I guess you could say. I get a description, an objective, and a price offer. Usually, since I'm rather top-tier, jobs only come to me as a sort of last resort. I look through the details and then decide whether or not to accept the target."

Yuuji nodded slightly. He watched Nagisa seated there on the other side of the table, the young man's gaze angled down as he thought, a soft smile on his lips as he talked to Yuuji about things regarding his life. Yuuji's heart warmed a little at the sight. He could get used to this…

"But I don't get it," Yuuji heard himself reply. "How do you know? I mean," he swept his hand through the air for a second, at a loss to explain himself. "About whether or not you should take it?"

Nagisa frowned. "Generally, it's a good idea to accept most of the jobs that come my way," he said carefully. "There aren't actually that many in this business. And given how good I can be, I almost feel like it's my duty to accept what assignments people see fit to give me specifically."

"Right, right," Yuuji said. "I just mean, uh…" He struggled for a moment, unsure how to express a thought that he didn't even really understand himself. "How do you know?" he asked. "That you're really doing the right thing?"

Nagisa's response was a blank stare. Immediately, Yuuji felt stupid. That gaze reminded him plainly that this business wasn't really one in which those questions were asked.

"I-I mean," said Yuuji, raising his hands in surrender, "You've been doing this for a while, right? But the Nagisa I knew from back then, he wouldn't just go out and kill people willy-nilly. S-So I guess I just assumed…"

Nagisa was quiet for a moment. "You'd be surprised, Yuuji," he said, his voice holding a little more harshness in it than Yuuji was used to. Nagisa stabbed the tip of his fork down into the polished wood. "Some people deserve to die."

A soft knock sounded throughout the room.

"I'll get it," Yuuji said on automatic, his attention redirected before he could even begin to form a response. He got up to answer the door.

Yuuji reached the entryway in just a few strides, once again finding himself standing in front of the doorknob. "Hello?" he called through the wood, pressing one eye up to the peephole.

There was a man standing outside. From where Yuuji looked out over the top of his head, the man's face seemed to be hidden. He stood at about average height, face tilted slightly downward and his eyes obscured by the ensuing curtain of light-colored hair. Its hue looked almost orange in the hallway light. Yuuji frowned. Was it dyed? Yuuji couldn't tell. The man's hair was long, hanging in wavy strands right down to his ears. He wore a nondescript suit and formal tie. As far as Yuuji could tell he was alone, but that was no reason for Yuuji to drop his guard. As Yuuji watched, the man's mouth dropped open.

"Class E," the man said, his voice muffled by the barrier.

Yuuji blinked, body stock-still with suspicion. "What?"

"Class E," the man repeated. He sounded slightly annoyed, as if urging the listener to just hurry up already.

There was a light clatter from behind Yuuji. He turned to see Nagisa rising from his chair. "Who is that?" the young man asked.

Yuuji's mouth moved empty around syllables for a moment. "I… Some guy." He made a useless gesture towards the door and squinted back through the looking glass. "Weird blonde hair?"

"Did he say Class E?"

Yuuji frowned at Nagisa. "Uhh, yeah."

Nagisa's blue eyes were clear as he gazed back. "Let him in."

Still feeling a bit off-kilter somewhere deep inside, Yuuji undid the locks and opened the door. The blonde man entered, giving Yuuji a single polite nod as he passed.

The stranger's face lit up once he saw Nagisa. "Hey, Shoreline!" he called out, his voice far more upbeat and charismatic than Yuuji would have guessed at. A grin flitted across the man's lips. "Heard you had another great showing tonight. Honestly, you ever think of leaving some of those jobs for the other guys?"

Nagisa dipped his head in a nod. "Maehara," he greeted politely.

Yuuji's face creased with confusion. His gaze flicked to this Maehara person, then to Nagisa, and then back. Was Nagisa expecting someone? Had they made some sort of pre-arranged agreement to meet here? Even after everything that had just happened? Yuuji cast a glance over at Nagisa. He never told Yuuji that…

Nagisa looked up and smiled at him. "Yuuji, you might want to make sure that door is locked."

Yuuji rushed to do as he said, moving on automatic. Once he turned back around, the other men were sitting down at the table, Maehara relaxing deep into his seat and setting his feet up on the chair beside him. After a moment's hesitation, Yuuji joined them.

"So, Maehara," Nagisa began. "I assume you're here with it?"

"Of course," Maehara sighed, his posture indicating that he had no desire whatsoever to rush through this conversation. "Geez. Put on this uncomfortable suit, flirted my way past security, hung out doing nothing until now, all to make the final delivery. You know how hard it is being a runner for you guys? Bringing you cash, information, whatever you need… It isn't easy charming my way into every place." His voice pitched up to a whine. "Hell, I don't even have the time to pick up girls anymore!"

Nagisa brought a wry smile to his face. "That must be so hard for you."

"Shut it," Maehara replied, although his tone was similarly lighthearted. "But good job on this one. You've earned the reward a few times over." He winked at Nagisa knowingly, indicating the room around them with one finger. "Almost screwed up on the landing, but eh, the deed got done."

Maehara continued to boast. "With that guy's career in shambles, all those donations he used to give to shady channels will almost certainly dry up. I bet the anti-human-trafficking organizations would thank you for it. Uh, if they knew, that is."

"Human-" Yuuji's eyes widened. That was worse than Yuuji had thought. So this mission hadn't been just a politically-blocking move—there was more to it. Nagisa hadn't mentioned anything about that part.

But Nagisa didn't look at him. The young man's gaze stayed focused on Maehara. "And?"

Maehara shrugged. "And nothing," he replied. "The terms of contract were satisfied. Given the state you left that guy in, I doubt he'll be bothering anyone ever again. Anyway…"

Maehara's tone became serious for once, the man reaching and pawing around inside a pocket hidden somewhere on the inside of his jacket. When he withdrew his hand, it was holding a thick roll of 10,000 yen bills. "Here it is. The reward."

He handed it over to Nagisa, Nagisa stretching out one hand to meet him in the middle. "You made a killing again, today. Impressive."

Nagisa accepted the bundle without a word. He set the bills on the table, flipping through them quickly but methodically, counting them with a pace that spoke of having done this dozens of times before.

Meanwhile Yuuji watched from the side of the table farthest away from them both. He couldn't seem to stop staring. It wasn't the most amount of money Yuuji had ever seen in one place, but still, even for him, it was up there. Cash for kills, the sudden phrase floated through Yuuji's mind. Cash for kills. Trading paper for human life. A twist ran through his stomach.

Yuuji grit his teeth. Stupid. There probably hadn't been any human life snuffed out yesterday. Although—a jolt ran through Yuuji as he thought—given the blonde's words, Yuuji realized that he couldn't be sure. Yuuji sat there, a tangling sensation squirming in his gut. Why was he feeling like this? He hadn't been conflicted over things earlier. Not when he first heard about Nagisa's job, not when he had first processed what being an assassin would mean, and not when they were young, either! So why… What had changed?

At last, Nagisa tapped the bills together against the table, all of them together in one big stack. "Everything's here," he said, "not that I doubted."

Maehara nodded at the confirmation of delivery. He stretched his arms above his head and then stood, pushing his chair out behind him. "Welp, I'd better go," he sighed. "I've got a date later."

Nagisa nodded in recognition. "Thank you, Maehara," Nagisa said, his voice holding genuine goodwill. "I appreciate you doing this, as always."

Maehara shrugged and gave a grin. "Eh, it's a lucrative part-time job. And hey, who could you trust more than a member of our very own E Class?" He winked. With one last passing look at Yuuji, Maehara turned to leave.

Once in the doorway, Maehara paused. "Oh. Almost forgot."

He turned back to look at the two of them. "You've got another visitor coming. He's very much looking forward to seeing you, so don't leave quite yet."

Yuuji felt his confusion grow deeper. He shot a glance at Nagisa, and wasn't sure whether he was relieved or frightened to find a puzzled frown on the other man's face as well.

With that, Maehara left, throwing a jaunty wave behind him.

Yuuji blinked, staring at the person who had just walked in through the door, feeling the slow, maroon wave of self-loathing and understanding wash over him. Oh. Of course. He should have known.

"Yo, Nagisa," said Karma Akabane, his hair a dark crimson, lips pulled up into a sneer, his posture curved like a panther's. "I see you're just as short as ever."

Karma was an intimidating sight after all these years, Yuuji realized. His hair was the same shade of red, although now cut short and styled in a way that reminded Yuuji almost of a pinwheel. Even so, it still came off as something calculated, professional. His amber eyes glinted, but it wasn't the color so much as the feeling behind them that made memories stir in the back of Yuuji's mind. They were sharp, intelligent, and every bit as dangerous as when he had first seen them. Karma was also taller now—taller than Yuuji, taller than most people by far. It didn't seem to make any difference to the man, but as far as Yuuji could tell, he had grown into it. Karma's shoulders were dropped, holding himself at the ready, every inch of him broadcasting confidence underneath a thin veneer of holding back for the other party's sake. The man wore a plain black suit. Somehow, the sight of such a wild personality contained within that corporate getup made Yuuji feel even more on edge.

While Karma's clothing spoke of professionalism, the look on his face screamed mischief. When he grinned too wide, Yuuji could see the edges of pointed teeth poking out from beneath his top lip, like barely-hidden fangs. He wondered if Karma was aware of that. Knowing Karma, he probably was.

Yuuji fought to suppress an instinctive gasp of breath when Karma's gaze swept to him. "Oh, hey," Karma addressed him. "It's been a while. Yuuji, right? I see he's made every effort to include his dear boyfriend, as usual."

Yuuji's face colored slightly, and he opened his mouth to sputter out a denial but then closed it as he realized that he couldn't. He and Nagisa were officially in a relationship now, so 'boyfriends' was technically what they were. He hated having to bow down to Karma on any issue, but in this case it was true.

"Karma," Nagisa greeted their new arrival. "This is a surprise." The blue-haired man frowned as if another thought just occurred to him. "And I'm not short."

"Uh-huh. Is that why you look so much different from way up here?" Karma replied, voice crackling with dry wit.

Nagisa pouted, adopting a haughty expression and turning up his nose. "And how might the weather be up there, may I ask? I'm sure it's very different, seeing as you seem to be entering an entirely different dimension."

Karma bit out a laugh, coming to sit down in one of the comfy living room chairs. "Yeah, it's wacky. I'm starting to get the proportions of my old man… But never mind all that." He gave Nagisa a grin that was half-smile, half-smirk, and all heart. "I heard your mission last night was a success."

Nagisa tried to hide it, but a proud smile lifted the corner of his mouth for one second. "Yes. That's what everybody who has come here has been saying."

Yuuji stared back and forth between the two of them, sitting on a chair to the side. He tried not to become overwhelmed. So many things were happening without him recently. And it seemed as if all of it only had to do with him on the outskirts.

"Anyway," Karma said. The three of them were now gathered together in the living room, taking advantage of the soft armchairs. The atmosphere grew cozy between them, almost like a meeting of old friends. Although, given that Karma and Nagisa made two out of three, that description actually wasn't too far off.

Karma indicated Nagisa with one lazy finger. "What do you mean 'this is a surprise'? Am I not allowed to reconnect with an old classmate? Especially considering that you've been gone for more than a few years by now. I know those chaps overseas are mighty interesting, but honestly, Nagisa, where's your national pride?"

Nagisa smiled back. He knew that Karma was joking. "I was busy," the young man explained. "You knew that I was safe."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean anything," Karma complained. "Weren't you ever planning on sending something more than a postcard? More than a text?"

Nagisa's eyes flicked guiltily over to Yuuji for an invisible second before returning to Karma. "I never sent any postcards."

"It was a figure of speech!"

Their conversation continued on, eventually drawing Yuuji into it too. It was all pleasant talk, catching up and swapping stories, three different lives coming together all in one place and wanting to remark upon it. Yuuji almost didn't notice, but as time went on he drifted ever-closer to the edge of his chair. Nagisa looked as if he would have been perfectly complete with some tea in this moment. And Karma sat relaxed, one foot propped up on opposite knee.

They talked and talked and talked, but like all groups, eventually reached a long-term lull in the conversation.

"So, now what?" Karma said, breaking the silence. "I just came to see you, but believe it or not, for once it's not like I actually have a plan beyond that." He raised an eyebrow at Nagisa. "Although if you think I'm gonna let go of one of my best friends so soon after such a long time, you've got another thought coming."

Karma swept one hand toward the rest of the room. "Also, I'm not sure how much longer your—no, his—room reservation lasts, but we might need to take this someplace else eventually."

"Ah!" Nagisa gasped. Then a sheepish expression rose across his face. "True." Privately, Yuuji thought it was kind of cute. A prick of amusement ran through his heart. How funny it was, to watch an elite assassin be caught off-guard like that. Had Nagisa really not noticed?

Assassin. The word swept cold fingers through the pit of Yuuji's stomach before he could prepare himself.

Karma brushed one hand through his hair. "Well, what should we do?" he asked, voice slightly gruff. "I don't know about you two, but going from one hotel straight to another sounds kinda pathetic to me. And I don't know if there are any parks around here that would be secure enough for an extended conversation. Although I guess the first option's a possibility, if that's what it comes to…"

In the ensuing awkward silence, Yuuji cast a glance around. Some sort of decision felt like it solidified itself in the back of his mind. He cleared his throat, taking a small breath. "I've got an idea," he announced.

Two pairs of eyes turned to him, calming blue and curious amber.

"Why don't you both just come to my place?"

[READ THE SEQUEL AT "FOUND ME AGAIN", LINK ON MY AUTHOR'S PAGE]

Afterword: Thank you all so much for the amazing support throughout this fic, and I hope you all stay interested in the third installment as well!

(Karma's line about his way-too-lanky proportions is a reference to a certain fan-theory about his true parents…and it's a reference to Matsui Yuusei's other most notable work, so if you caught that, congratulations!)

A short playlist for this fic:
When We Were Young – Adele (Madilyn Baily cover)
This Town - Niall Horan (Kurt Hugo Schneider cover)
Undisclosed Desires - Muse
Do You Remem8er Me? – Homestuck vol. 8
Nine Lives One Love – Homestuck vol. Colours and Mayhem
This Love - Taylor Swift
QUESTION – Assassination Classroom Season 2, 1st OP
See You Again – Whiz Kalifa