DISCLAIMER: I don't own RWBY. It belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth.
title: Petales de Rose d'Or
by: The Rose in Death's Garden
written for: Lamia's Title Competition
prompt: title must be in a foreign language (Golden Rose Petals in French)
pairings: implied onesided Lancaster, implied onesided Arkos
"I must be getting a cold," Jaune said with a weak laugh.
The rest of Team JNPR stared at the golden petal that was caught between the fingers of the hand he'd used to cover his mouth while he coughed.
"We're taking you to the infirmary," Ren said in a tone that brooked no argument.
After a quick examination, the medical staff proclaimed: "Hanahaki Disease. It seems Mr. Arc has been carrying it for a while now, since sometime around the start of the school term."
"But I haven't felt sick at all this whole time!" Jaune protested. "I didn't even start coughing until a few days ago! How can you be sure that petal even came out of me?"
His outburst was followed by a coughing fit, during which three more petals, identical to the first and lightly flecked with blood, fell from his mouth and drifted to the floor.
His teammates stared at him accusingly.
"I'm not even in love with anyone, though," Jaune said.
"Hmm," said the medical staff. "Not being properly aware of your own feelings might be the reason the disease has progressed so slowly in you until now. You should be aware, however, that once the flowers grow enough for you to start coughing up petals, your life is on the line unless your love is returned. The plants in your lungs will keep growing until you suffocate. The only other way to get rid of the disease is have the flowers surgically removed." To the rest of team JNPR, he said, "He'll be in real danger once he starts coughing up entire blooms."
"I'm not even in love with anyone," Jaune repeated as he left the infirmary with his team.
"Still in denial?" Nora asked incredulously. "You LITERALLY have the Unrequited Love Disease that is going to drown you in flowers if you don't do something about it!"
"How can I do something about it when I don't even know who I'm supposedly in love with?" Jaune asked. "Besides have them surgically removed. I don't like the sound of that."
"Well," Ren said. "Obviously figuring out who you're in love with would be the first step."
Jaune sighed. "How do I do that, though?"
Pyrrha, who had been silent this whole time, finally had something to add to the conversation: "The flowers should provide a clue."
"They're gold. Maybe it's Yang!" Nora suggested excitedly.
Jaune cringed at the idea.
"I don't think so. She scares me."
"They're rose petals," Ren said thoughtfully. "Maybe it's Ruby."
"But would it really be that obvious? Isn't it usually more symbolic?" Pyrrha asked. Not that she thought the lemon blossoms she'd been secretly coughing up held any particular meaning pertaining to the person who unknowingly held her heart.
