Some Teacher

(Bonus) Prequel time!

The two boys liked it for the quiet. When hundreds of students were all socializing, eating, shouting, playing sports, it was the only place in the school not filled with noise. Neither really minded noise, but the peace surrounded them like a blanket fort, comfortable and secure. A special place for just them, no one else allowed.

Nagisa sat a step up from Karma so they could talk face to face, and opened the bento box that his mom had put together for him. Karma just stared at Nagisa, stuck in his head, mentally preparing for what he was about to do.

This is it, Karma thought, you've chickened out too many times. It's just one little question, and if he says no... well then just... laugh it off. He won't hold it against you. Karma ran a hand through his scarlet hair with a frustrated sigh. Now or never, dude, have a little backbone.

"Hey Nagisa, you wanna go out for dinner sometime?" Karma asked, his voice casual, mercifully betraying none of his apprehension.

"Sure," Nagisa agreed, just as casually. "It's been a while since we've hung out outside of school."

"No," Karma frowned, "I meant like a date. I'm asking you to go on a date with me." He supposed he should have made it clearer to the bluenette from the get-go.

"Ha!" Nagisa forced a laugh. Heat was billowing up into his cheeks, and he didn't quite understand why. Nor did he understand why he couldn't meet his friend's eyes. He just got asked out, literally five minutes ago, and was completely unfazed. So why was it that now that Karma was doing the asking, he was getting all flustered. "That's funny Karma." It had to be a joke, right? There was no way Karma was actually interested in him like that.

"I'm not kidding." Karma shifted, attempting to meet Nagisa's eyes.

"Well in that case I have to decline," the smaller boy said. It had to be a joke. Karma was always making dumb jokes.

Karma looked down at the cold, concrete step, Nagisa still refusing to meet his eyes. Far from dejected, however, Karma was more determined. He had seen his friend turn away dozens of guys, without the slightest reaction, but the bluenette's blush had not gone unnoticed. That blush was potential, and Karma was going to make something of it.

—

"Hey Nagisa, lets go on a date after school!" suggested Karma casually while they were studying, resting an elbow on his desk. "I found a nice little coffee shop down the street."

Nagisa's heart fluttered. Why was it doing that‽ "Hilarious, but we have a test tomorrow. I have to study, and get to sleep at a reasonable hour, so caffeine isn't such a good idea."

"Alright, fine." Karma sighed.

—

"Hey Nagisa, will you go to the movies with me this Saturday?" Karma asked as they walked to the train station. "I'll buy the popcorn."

"Is this still part of your 'let's go on a date' joke?" Nagisa asked, rolling his eyes. "It's not really all that funny."

Karma stopped them both him their tracks. He placed a hand on Nagisa's shoulder and forced the other boy to meet his eyes. Nagisa's shoulder tingled where his friend's hand touched it, and seemed to exponentially increase in temperature. When their eyes met, Nagisa's heart beat wildly, his ability to control his own wavelength failed him. He couldn't even read Karma's.

"Nagisa, this isn't a joke." Karma searched his friend's eyes for a sign that he had made a mistake, that Nagisa really didn't want him like that. "I'm asking you, seriously, genuinely, please go on a date with me."