Komaeda sits on his usual spot.
It's a quiet spot. An undisturbed place underneath one of the school's sakura trees. Nagito Komaeda thinks it's a sight to behold, especially in the spring when the petals are in full bloom, casting a rosy, peaceful glow around the area. The bench underneath, chock-full of pink. It's definitely peaceful enough, with people barely passing by the place since it's a ways off the students' frequented spots around the school fountain.
It's a surprise that he was even able to come across the place at all. As usual, his luck is to blame. Who knew that getting pelted by a ruthless unrelenting hailstorm one unfortunate day would somehow lead him stumbling blindly to this relatively remote location? In the end, he didn't complain even though he sustained bruises that covered his body for numerous days long after the hail left. He deserved that. But more importantly, he can be alone here as if he wasn't alone enough. As much as he wants to interact and get to know his fellow classmates, he knows deep in his heart he is not worthy to be in any of their presence. They do not deserve to be associated with someone like him. No one really bothered to try, and he wasn't about to bother them either. So, he settles comfortably on the sturdy wooden bench and eats his lunch in comfortable silence, the occasional pigeons as his only companions while he watches everyone else with admiration. From afar, as usual.
He does not mind.
_____
Komaeda started the day like any other.
His lunch sits beside him, long forgotten, as Komaeda slowly gets absorbed by a book he's currently reading. Still like a statue, he consumes the words on the pages he's swiftly flying by, not noticing the pigeons taking shelter on his shoulders. Everything is quiet and tranquil, as per usual.
He does not mind. He has gotten used to the silence.
But the illusion of calm is suddenly broken when someone tumbles through the bushes and into in his periphery, causing a loud enough ruckus to upset the birds perched his on shoulders and making them fly away. Totally unfazed, Komaeda slowly tears his gaze from the book he was so absorbed in mere seconds ago and throws a glance toward the stranger who decided to unintentionally intrude in on his quiet moments.
In front of him stands a boy, thin and small, brushing off leaves stuck to his black blazer and green hoodie (A hoodie under his uniform? wonders Komaeda, questioning the strangers fashion sense, but really, who is he to judge?) and when the boy realizes he's not alone, he whips his head up toward Komaeda and Komaeda sees eyes so green—earnestly wide and shockingly dazzling—that he unconsciously takes a sharp intake of breath. But what's a bit more attention-getting is that in the middle of his mess of a brown hair, there resides a tuft of it, seemingly defying all laws of gravity. It is also pointy. Intriguingly so. (Should Komaeda be alarmed?) Either way, Komaeda certainly hasn't seen him before. Maybe the newcomer is a freshman?
As an introduction, the boy hastily apologizes for disturbing him and proceeds to tell his name. “My name's Makoto Naegi! Nice to meet you,” he says politely with a chipper voice, a voice Komaeda scarily thought was similar to his own if it weren't so...joyful sounding. Makoto Naegi is apparently late for something and maybe kind of got lost. And if it isn't a bother, perhaps Komaeda may tell him where to go? Komaeda raises his brows in mild bewilderment at this boy who abruptly came crashing into his far-off spot and is now talking to him as if they haven’t just met. Nonetheless, Komaeda nods in understanding (Hope’s Peak Academy is immense, in its status and territory and one can easily get lost in it) and happily provides him directions, glad to help a fellow Ultimate student, and Naegi nods along to his directions, taking them to heart. Barely finishing his instructions, the bell rings interrupting him and signaling the end of their break, making Naegi jump up in surprise and spring himself to a sprint. He dashes away, spouting an apology for suddenly leaving all the while. “Thank you very much! I'll make it up to you somehow,” he shouts. And with the way he says it, it sounded like a promise.
Cute, Komaeda thinks, as he watches him go, a blur of brown and black fading into a tiny speck.
Oh, I never got to introduce myself... he realizes later. (But why should he? He's just a nobody.)
_____
Komaeda thought he wouldn't see much of Makoto Naegi after that. After all, how would anyone find his spot? They’d have to be really lucky to find this secluded place again. (Komaeda snorts at such an idea.) Would they even make an effort to find it? To find him? Unlikely.
But it seems like his luck had other plans.
Before the week had even ended, he sees Makoto Naegi again and the boy is now comfortably sitting on the wooden bench amongst the sakura petals, (some of them even landing on his hair crowing him with a soft glow) and somehow, Komaeda thinks, he... fits. He fits with the sakuras and the spring and the pigeons flocking around him. Makoto Naegi looks like he's part of a beautiful painting that Komaeda, for some reason, can’t tear his eyes away from. (He loves pretty things, maybe that’s why.) The serene smile certainly doesn't help. It's all sunshine and sunflowers and sweets and everything Komaeda doesn't deserve. And when Naegi takes notice of him, waving him to come over and somehow smiling even more if that’s even possible while enthusiastically showing him the extra bento he's brought, Komaeda thinks he's a goner.
______
Komaeda supposes Makoto Naegi is like the sun.
Bright and constant—unbearably so (for his poor heart)—Naegi regularly visits him on his spot now and they talk about all kinds of things. Ridiculous things—like how they have the same talent (and of course they do, of course, Komaeda says to himself) and how their luck can be such a pain sometimes. (“Not really, if you look at the bright side of things, Naegi-kun!” he says, and he hears the hint of a laugh. A laugh ringing loud and true like its owner. Then a beat of silence. “I suppose.”) Or deep things—like hope and what it means to both of them. On this topic, they differ. The way Naegi strongly refutes his statements of how talent is hope—"Because hope is so much more than talent Komaeda-kun!"—sends something in him aching (hoping that Naegi's wrong? ...that he's right?) and when he tells Komaeda how everyone deserves hope and that everyone has the capacity to carry it, Naegi looks at him with those green eyes as if he's trying to pierce and unravel his very mind and soul, and Komaeda tries to stifle his amusement and horror because, of course, Makoto Naegi knows. Nothing escapes those sharp yet gentle eyes always yearning for the truth.
Sometimes Komaeda's amazed by how they are similar yet different at the same time.
_____
Komaeda does not doubt that Makoto Naegi is the sun.
His entire being radiates light in waves. Huge amounts of it. From the way he smiles, all bright and comforting and a tiny bit blinding, to the way he acts, always so cheerful and helpful and nice. Of course one cannot forget the utter determination and hope that oozes off him. It's no wonder why people are naturally attracted to him, like moths to a flame.
And Komaeda feels absolutely selfish. Selfish for keeping this sun to himself in these quiet moments of the afternoon.
He thinks he should stop this before his luck causes them more trouble (although he has a sneaking suspicion Naegi's luck cancels out his own and that's another thing he's selfish about). He knows Naegi has people he really cares about, people deserving of the light he carries.
Today, he learns that Naegi has a little sister and two doting parents he dearly loves, clearly seen from the way he flushes in excitement when he talks about them and scratches his cheek in that very endearing way of his when he notices how energetic he's become.
Naegi even tells him he had a dog once. It died long ago. (Victim of a hit-and-run, perhaps? Komaeda quickly crushes the thought.)
And in the middle of his rambles, Komaeda just blurts, “Why?” Why talk to me? Why trust me? Why me? Why why why—It's such a broad question. Broad, unspecific, and stupid. (He definitely feels stupid, that’s for sure.) But Naegi takes one good look at him and understands anyways.
Naegi just smiles that gentle smile—Komaeda swears that smile will be the end of him one day—green eyes serious and sincere, then answers, “Because you're my friend, Komaeda-kun.”
Fast, short and simple. Like it's a fact. Like there's no other correct answer except for what he just said.
(Komaeda ignores how his stupid heart absolutely fumbles and fails to keep his pulse steady when he has processed Naegi's response and thanks his luck that he didn't immediately die then and there. If that dazzling smile wouldn’t end him, Naegi's unwavering sincerity might.)
Komaeda ponders later how the sun shines its light on everything it touches, without fail. And it is a happy thought.
_____
Komaeda's quiet spot is not-so-quiet anymore. Recently, it's filled with chatters and sighs and laughter and everything else in between.
Komaeda does not mind. He does not mind one bit.
_____
Additional Details
Summary:
When Nagito Komaeda met Makoto Naegi he wasn't prepared for the blinding light that came along with him.
(Hope's Peak No despair AU)
Rating: General Audiences
Category: M/M
Fandom: Danganronpa
Relationship: Komaeda Nagito/Naegi Makoto
Language: English
Tags: Fluff, My First Fanfic , Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa) , Pre-Despair (Dangan Ronpa) , Time Skips , Light Angst If You Squint , sun imagery for naegi , Fluff without Plot , i use their surnames names more than their given names , Do Not Repost
Originally posted at 2019-08-04
Chapters: 1/1
Additional Tags: just fluff, im weak for them, So Many Time Skips, i cant write, theres barely a plot, i just want them both to be happy, be happy together, really on the nose sun imagery, naegi is literally the sun
Notes:
i really love this ship and i was struck by an urge to write and so the product is this bumbling mess of words
my first fanfic and its a danganronpa one. it was somewhat of a rarepair too when i first started shipping komaegi. oh the misery, smh.
i know its cringe but i cant bring myself to truly hate this one since it is the first ever fic i posted and komaegi is the ship that finally made me snap and gave me enough brainrot to actually write something. i just wanted them to interact in an environment where the threat of death and despair isnt looming on their heads and i simply wanted them to find happiness in each other :( like man, why do i fall in love with ships that are tragic
Originally posted on AO3