#maeka

“Karma-” Maehara stopped himself for a moment, trying to swallow back the choked noise he nearly made. Now was definitely not the time to cry, of all things. “Are you...are you being honest?”

Karma’s gaze snapped up in an instant, with the briefest flash of anger. “Have I ever lied to you before?” His voice was level, barely raising in volume. But the edge it held could put the sharpest knife to shame.

Maehara leaned against the tree, feeling his legs close to giving out. He closed his eyes for a moment, finding solace in the shade that the towering tree offered. The slight coolness calmed him down, away from the overwhelming warm hues that surrounded them. And best of all, it could hide his welled up gaze from his now-former lover.

“I meant, to yourself,” he clarified, tiredly. “Is this what you want? Is this really how you feel?”

In the span of a second, Karma was a couple feet in front of him. Maehara startled at their sudden proximity and nearly jumped back in alarm. Until he saw Karma’s eyes.

The usually reserved golden orbs were now swimming with emotion. His eyes were heated and alight like a flame, rather than the coolness that Maehara had gotten used to. What was most surprising were the tears that were pooling at the corner of Karma’s eyes.

“This isn’t what I want,” Karma spoke, his voice low. “You think I want to leave to the other side of the world for my financial program? You think I want to leave everything I know? You think I want to leave you?!”

His tone rose with each new question, and all Maehara could do was stare.

Silence sat between them, resting heavily in the air. 

After what felt like a century, Karma backed away with another step, carding his hand through his hair. “It’s just better this way,” he whispered, mostly to himself. “It’s better to just...end this...before we get hurt anymore.”

THIS! This is hurting me the most! Maehara resisted the urge to yell. Instead he nodded slowly, feeling hollow inside. 

“If that’s how you feel, I respect that.”

“...Thank you.”