A/N: Hello, this is another fic from me. Idk I just felt the need to put this note here because it felt awkward to drop my readers right into the fic. This scene is set right after the fight between Karma and Nagisa between the Civil War Arc, where they talk about dropping honorifics with each other.

What Came Easy

"It's about time we drop the honorifics, don't you think, Nagisa?"

Nagisa looked up at the redhead in surprise before looking at the hand offered to him as the exhilarated smile wore off his face. He almost reached out his hand to it before he paused.

Then something hard passed in his eyes, the blue shining like the sharp edge of glass under the glare of the sun overhead. "No."

Karma looked taken aback.

"Nagisa?"

The bluenette looked up at the redhead before shaking his head. His eyes were still glinting crystalline shards, sharp enough to cut oneself on.

The redhead took a step back unconsciously. There was a heavy oppressive feeling being directed at him. He could almost feel it, coiling around him slowly, aiming for the best position to finish him in one hit. Strangling his attempts to fight back with a single look.

There it was again, that bloodlust he'd always felt deep down within his tiny harmless looking friend. It felt like having a knife pressed up right against each and every vital spot of his body, never knowing which one would be the one struck. Which one blow would end his life.

Nagisa turned his head away and the pressure was gone. Slowly, the other boy stood up, dusting himself off. "Not again, Karma-kun. I'm not doing this- again."

... Nagisa's voice broke at the end.

The redhead was still shaken from the pressure of the shorter boy's bloodlust, having forgotten to breath for a moment under that terrifyingly controlled killer intent. But he still heard it.

"What do you mean, again?!"

Something in Nagisa's face flickered and then his face smoothed itself out into a blank expression.

The bluenette turned around and started combing through the grass, searching for his paint knives that he'd dropped during the fight, "I mean this, Karma-kun. This friendship. Or whatever this is between us because I can't even tell if we're friends. Or when we're friends for that matter. Whatever it is, I can't do it again. I can't wait around, always being on the edge, worrying when you'll get sick of me and just drop me. Again."

His voice was completely calm, smooth and even. It still hit Karma like a punch in the gut.

Oh. So that's what this was about, was it?

Karma took two steps forward, grabbing the bluenette's arm and spun him around to face him.

Something inside him wanted to flinch away at the almost vacant look in Nagisa's eyes. Nagisa stayed on his feet but the look he gave the redhead wasn't one of irritation or even anger.

No, Karma would've much preferred that. Or even anger. But this blank emotionless doll almost made an ugly something inside his chest rear up in reflex. It made him want to break something.

But he saw the almost resigned manner in which Nagisa held himself and that feeling withered away into ashes.

He grit his teeth, shaking the shorter boy's arm, "You think I got bored with you? Is that really what you think, Nagisa?"

Surprise flickered in those azure orbs before disappearing, brutally suppressed. But that one look was enough to answer Karma's question. He let out a curse and stepped back.

"Fuck Nagisa, that wasn't- that wasn't it at all. You weren't a toy to me to just discard you out of boredom. You were my friend, someone I felt comfortable with and trusted. Do you really not see that, you fucking idiot?"

The bluenette flinched at the sheer vehemence in his words. He'd always thought that the intensely talented redhead had just grown bored of him. Of him and his mediocrity and decided to just move on.

To hear this now... There was no way he could doubt the truth in his words, not with that much sheer raw emotion bleeding into the redhead's face.

Part of him was almost afraid to ask the question on his lips but Nagisa knew he needed to hear this. He had asked himself for months, and it'd only get worse after this if he didn't ask Karma now.

"Then why did you become so distant, if that wasn't it? You stopped hanging out and even avoided me sometimes."

Karma froze and for an instant, he looked like a deer caught in headlights. Nagisa would've found it almost comical in any other situation but at this point, he was wound too tight to even laugh.

The redhead then let out a deep breath and ran his fingers through his crimson locks as he walked past Nagisa to pick up his discarded P.E. jacket.

"Because I'm an idiot, that's what."

The bluenette blinked, before whirling around to face his friend. That was definitely not on the list of responses he'd been expecting.

Not even close to it.

Before he could ask for an explanation the redhead spoke up, "You know, Nagisa, the reason I initially became friends with you was because you were small and harmless. Like a tiny animal. And I felt I could trust you. I didn't have to put up any walls or pretences with you."

The other male's wide blue eyes were gazing at him intently, studying his broad back as he quietly listened to his words.

"Being friends with you was so easy too. We liked a lot of the same things and you're easy to talk to. You didn't judge my violence and pranks but you never encouraged them either. But sometimes... Sometimes, I felt this strange heavy atmosphere with you. Like I could be killed in an instant without even knowing it."

A startled noise escaped the blue haired boy standing behind him. Karma ignored it and resolutely continued on. He'd already started this, might as well finish it.

"I felt like there was something unknown inside you. A dangerous something lurking just out of sight. I hated it. God, I hated it so much. That there was something unknown, that you could be hiding from me. I wanted to drag it out and destroy it. Destroy this thing that shouldn't have been there, inside you."

Karma let out a bitter chuckle as he pulled on his jacket, fingers fidgeting with the material to keep himself busy, not ready to see the expression on the other's face. "I was an idiot. I should have realized that it was always a part of you. Instead I unconsciously started pulling away. Because there was something hidden from me, I felt uncomfortable." The redhead let out an irritated grunt and pulled his hands away from his jacket. His face was flushed crimson from embarrassment and he reluctantly admitted something he never thought he'd ever say out loud.

"I acted like a petty child."

It wasn't an apology but coming from Karma, it was equivalent to one.

Nagisa didn't know what to say. He'd never even thought of something like this being the reason. That he, Shiota Nagisa, 157 cm tall, tiny and weak, had scared away Akabane Karma, the bad boy genius extraordinaire of their school . Was there something wrong with the universe, he wondered to himself.

Maybe it was his sense of sheer disbelief but he reached an arm out to pinch the redhead's elbow who flinched in response before turning to face him furiously.

"Ouch! Nagisa, what the fu-" Karma's angry tirade cut off when he saw the completely bewildered expression on his friend's face.

With a sigh, he reached over and pinched the shorter boy's arm, getting a yelp in return before his hand was swatted away. "See, this isn't a dream."

The blue eyed boy frowned at him while rubbing his arm with a wince. However his frown fell away and was replaced by a thoughtful look. "Then if this really is the truth... How do I know the same thing won't happen again? That the next time I have a secret or something, you won't just ditch me and run away."

Karma rolled his eyes, "As if. Even I learn from my mistakes, you know. You're my friend, Nagisa. Probably my best friend if I had to choose one. I'm not running away. Not anymore."

The blue haired male froze, surprise and disbelief waging a war in his chest as he looked at the redhead with large vibrant orbs. "Karma, you- Really?"

The other boy clicked his tongue and strode forward, grabbing the other male's arm and dragging him in the direction of the classroom building. He muttered under his breath while they were walking, "I'm not repeating it, you heard me already."

But Nagisa heard him just fine. And somehow, it was okay. Things were still somewhat rough between them. But now, they could start mending the old tears in their friendship. Or maybe they already had started, without realising, in this strange classroom for assassination. Being friends with Karma had always come so easy to him after all.

Ducking his head out of embarrassment as he followed the taller male's lead, he mumbled, "You're my best friend too."

If Karma heard, he didn't respond but his grip loosened. They both continued until they reached the main building and met up with the rest of the class. They found out that the others had been guided away by Koro sensei when the two of them had started talking.

The class decided to discuss the details of the saving mission tomorrow and after hearing Karasuma's condition, they all left to go home for the day. Except for Karma and Nagisa who stayed back for a bit to talk to Korosensei and thank him for steering the others away.

He waved them away and told them that he was just glad that they'd resolved their misunderstandings with that familiar wide grin of his.

They exchanged a secretive grin and thanked him again before heading off for home down the mountain.

Hours later, Korosensei realized that his money pouch felt a little too light and checked it only to fall into despair when he found it completely empty.

-linebreak-

Author's Note: And done! Another little something I wrote for Assassination Classroom amino and am cross posting here. Why do I always end up writing Karmagisa friendship stuff lol. These cute boys are going to be the end of me.

Probably because this friendship really fascinates me. It's such an interesting friendship because they're such complete opposites that have more similarities than they realise. And- okay I'll save my ramblings on this friendship for some other time.

I've had this idea buzzing in my head for quite some time, ever since I read the Civil War arc actually. I was just a smidge unsatisfied with how things in their friendship were resolved with just that fight. I mean, sure they're boys and boys often resolve things with fights but some things have to be talked about, you know?

Also help, I keep writing Karma as a smidge tsundere ish and I can't seem to help it.

As always, I hope you enjoyed it and please tell me if you have any constructive criticism or if you catch any grammar mistakes

There are still parts I feel unsatisfied but oh well, I'm done with this. Maybe some day I'll come back and fix those parts which feel a little sloppy.

Kmsicantwritewhydoikeepdoingitanyways