Hanahaki Disease
A disease in which one facing a one sided love will cough/throw up flower petals. As the flower blossoms in the chest of the individual, he/she will choke on the petals and die. Though the plant can be surgically removed, the feelings harbored will disappear and the individual will forget his/her love.
Kuroko read the passage with immense curiosity in the library. The new found disease had been spreading all around the world. His university was no exception. Students were slowly disappearing and some came back with gaping holes in their memories. The blue haired boy was in his fourth year and was a medical major. He spent most of his days in the library reading books or on one of the library computers reading articles. The recent disease had no books but Kuroko was definitely able to dig up some clues.
Kuroko has a favorite flower. Flowers in general were such beautiful, delicate, and fragile things but the blue haired boy always loved geraniums. They looked so peaceful and the beauty of such a small flower made Kuroko appreciate the life he lived. The blue haired boy loved lightly brushing his fingers against the petals and enjoying its softness. The blue haired boy simply loved geraniums.
Akashi was a first year as a medical major and hearing about a disease that revolved around flowers, the redhead was most intrigued; or at least just as intrigued as Kuroko. While the redhead read book after book on flowers and trying to figure out how the disease came to be, the blue haired boy sat two tables away reading similar books.
"Hey Akashicchi!" A voice called out.
The blond boy was shushed by many students in the library. Kise made his way to his friend and when Akashi looked up to meet his friend, his eyes fell upon the most beautiful flower by chance.
The blue haired boy. The redhead couldn't take his eyes off of him. His long, slender fingers resembling that of the stem of the flower and his pale skin resembling the color of gorgeous white petals. Kuroko's striking blue eyes which looked like pools made Akashi want to crawl into them and swim.
"Akashicchi?" The blond said, trying to get his attention.
The redhead snapped back to reality and smiled at Kise. "Hey, what brings you here? You never come to the library."
"Ah...well Aominecchi told me to come and get you. You're going to be late for basketball practice."
Akashi checked his watch and then frantically started putting his things away when he noticed he was going to be late.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I'll be ready in a second."
With one last glance at the breathtaking blue haired boy, Akashi left in a haste.
Kuroko's favorite flower covered most of his apartment. Different colored geraniums sat by every window and the blue haired boy was more than happy to water the flowers and nourish them. The blue haired boy was always kind and gentle. He loved to help people and tried to see the good in everyone no matter who he met. But sometimes there were just people who were flat out annoying, like Kise.
"Kise-kun, will you please stop touching my hair?"
"Ahh but Kurokocchi, you're so tiny and cute."
Kuroko brushed the blond's hand off of his head and asked, "What brings you to the library? It's a rare sight to see you here."
"Well, I'm looking for a friend of mine. He's been sticking around the library for the past few days. God knows why though..." The blond said with a shrug.
Kuroko chuckled, "Well, what's his name? Maybe I can help you find him."
"Akashi Seijuro. He has red hair and a bad attitude."
The blue haired boy tilted his head in curiosity at the sound of the boy's name. It sounded familiar.
They searched the library for the red haired boy and when Kuroko saw a redhead standing on a stool to reach a book, the blue haired boy called out, "Uh... Akashi-san?"
The redhead turned at the sound of his name and fell with a yelp in panic when he saw his beautiful flower standing in front of him. Akashi, unfortunately, fell right on top of the blue haired boy.
Kuroko groaned under the weight of the boy and saw a bright red blush form on Akashi's cheeks.
"Ah, I'm so sorry! You surprised me and I just...well, I fell." The redhead exclaimed as he pushed himself up onto his hands. Only then did Akashi realize how tempting the scene looked. Kuroko was lying down underneath him, his knee in between his legs and his clothes slightly crinkled. The redhead's eyes widened and he quickly got up.
Akashi helped the blue haired boy to his feet and apologized again.
"It's alright. Um, Kise-kun is looking for you." Kuroko responded awkwardly.
The blond found them and tackled Akashi, "You have to stop hiding from me, Akashicchi! You're going to be kicked off the basketball team if you don't show up! How many times do I have to tell you that?"
The redhead simply brushed Kise off and kept stealing glances at the blue haired boy who stood there with no expression.
As if noticing the awkwardness, Kise quickly introduced the two of them.
"Ah, so you're my senpai." Akashi muttered, "Kuroko-senpai...?"
"There's no need to call me senpai." The blue haired boy said as he walked back to his desk.
Akashi watched Kuroko walk off and couldn't help but stare at how gorgeous he looked. He was so calm and composed yet glowed with passion and intelligence. The blond glanced between the blue haired boy and the redhead and smirked.
"Ah I see. You like him!" Kiss exclaimed.
Akashi quickly slapped a hand over the blond's mouth and dragged him to the gym. The redhead's cheeks burned as he denied his feelings for someone he hasn't even had a full conversation with yet.
Kise grinned and nudged the redhead's side, "Why don't you invite him out for coffee?"
"No! What if he says he's not interested?"
"What if he says he is?" The blond said cheerfully, "You'll never know unless you try."
Akashi sighed, his nerves were shooting through the roof as he thought about Kuroko. The redhead felt that he simply wasn't good enough for someone as beautiful and amazing like the blue haired boy. When he saw Kuroko in the library the next day, he smiled at him and bravely asked,
"Would you like to go get coffee?"
The blue haired boy closed the book he was reading and said, "Well... I wouldn't want you to be late for basketball."
"Oh! I don't have practice today." The redhead said, blushing slightly.
Kuroko smiled gently and nodded, "Then, I would love to go out for coffee."
They talked and talked and talked. They discussed school and what they want to do in the future. Akashi was nervous but all his nerves faded away once they started talking. The redhead didn't even realize he was falling in love with a beautiful flower.
They spent the rest of the day together since Kuroko didn't have any classes and Akashi already finished his first class in the morning. The redhead wished the day would never end. When they walked side by side, their hands would brush against each other and Akashi couldn't help but want to grasp the blue haired boy's delicate hand in his own.
The redhead walked Kuroko to his apartment and then returned to his dorm with a bright smile on his face. Kise (his roommate), noticed the brightness coming off of Akashi and smirked.
"You totally love Kurokocchi."
The redhead curled on his side, ignored the blond and thought about the blue haired boy and how it was probably impossible for them to be together.
The next morning, Akashi woke up with a tickle at the back of his throat. He figured he had probably gotten a cold but when he coughed, he noticed a few white petals coming out of his mouth.
The redhead froze and simply stared at them in shock. He knew what it was and he knew who those petals were for. Akashi caressed the petals as of they were diamonds and cried. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he realized he would most likely die from the hanahaki disease.
Akashi decided to hide it. He made sure to flush the petals down the toilet so Kise wouldn't see and tried his best to suppress his coughs wherever he went. He knew he could always surgically remove the flower but with every passing day he spent with Kuroko, the more he felt that it would be worse to forget such a beautiful person.
I'm not good enough... Akashi thought to himself as he stared at the blue haired boy who was trying to teach him some math concepts, he's so much more accomplished than I will ever be. He deserves someone better.
"Akashi-kun?"
"Oh, sorry. What did you say, Kuroko-senpai?" The redhead said as he snapped out of his thoughts.
"I asked if you understood the concept. Akashi-kun, you look pale. Are you alright? If you're not feeling well we can continue some other time." The blue haired boy said as he lightly pressed his forehead against Akashi's to check for a fever.
Suddenly, the redhead felt the urge to cough or possibly throw up. Akashi ran out of the library and into the closest washroom. He coughed uncontrollably and threw up. When he stared into the toilet, he saw the beautiful white petals now tainted pink with his blood. The redhead sobbed and rested his head against the cold wall.
A few minutes passed until he finally heard a small voice.
"Akashi-kun...? Are you okay?" Kuroko called out.
"Go away!" The redhead yelled.
The blue haired boy flinched back and muttered, "I'm sorry if I offended you in some way...I hope I didn't do anything to make you angry."
Akashi felt guilty. But he knew he had to do something, anything to push the blue haired boy away
"I don't want to see you ever again. Get out of here." The redhead spat out, the words burning his throat and heart.
"I'm sorry." Kuroko said quietly before leaving.
Akashi stayed in the washroom until he was sure the blue haired boy was gone. When he returned to his room, he saw Kise sitting on his bed with his arms crossed.
"Akashicchi, care to explain this white petal I found in the washroom?"
"I...it's nothing." The redhead mumbled.
Kise's expression softened, "They're for Kuroko, right?"
Akashi nodded glumly and let the pink petals fall from his lips as he coughed. The blonde watched in horror as he saw the slow death his friend was going through.
"Are... are you going to tell him? Or...are you going to remove it? What are you going to do Akashicchi?"
The redhead sighed as he gathered up the flower petals, "I don't know."
Kuroko's geraniums had started to wilt. The beautiful flowers he loved so much slowly died since all the blue haired boy did was lie in bed and wonder what could have happened to Akashi. Kuroko was fond of him. He was shy sometimes and a gentle person. He was a bright student and understood people very well. But he didn't understand what had gone wrong. He hasn't seen the redhead in over two days and he felt lonely.
When Kuroko did see the redhead again, he was completely ignored. Akashi didn't even look at him when they walked by each other in the library. Kise watched as they both stole glances at each other when the other wasn't looking and as much as he knew he shouldn't play cupid, he also didn't want to see Akashi die.
"Kurokocchi!" The blond called out when he saw the blue haired boy struggling to reach a book on a high shelf.
"What is it, Kise-kun?"
Kise helped Kuroko reach the book and then said, "There's going to be a basketball this Thursday at 6pm. I was wondering if you would like to come and watch."
The blue haired boy thought for a minute and the nodded slightly, "I'll drop by if I can."
Kuroko was actually fidgeting for Thursday to come sooner. He was becoming impatient because he wanted to see the redhead so when Thursday finally came, he bolted out of the library at 5:30 and made his way to the gymnasium.
The blue haired boy sat in the bleachers with a bunch of other girls who were screaming and giggling over how attractive the "generation of miracles" were. Kuroko had no clue what they were talking about but the moment he saw Akashi step onto the court, he didn't really care anymore. The blue haired boy understood the basics of basketball but he never really got the full rules of it. All he was able to do was follow the redhead with his eyes and clap when scores were made.
Akashi was focused. He was always focused when it came to basketball. But when he saw Kuroko sitting in the bleachers, he felt a surge of emotion rush through him. Then, he coughed uncontrollably, falling to his knees on the court, petal falling from his mouth. Petals surrounded him as he fell and he couldn't help but think,
He can't know that it's because of him...
Akashi saw his teammates surround him and saw the blue haired boy running down, pushing people out of the way and stepping onto the court towards him with tears in his eyes.
Why are you crying, Kuroko-senpai?
When Akashi woke up, the first thing he saw was blond tuffs of hair. Kise smiled warmly and welcomed him back to the living.
"Where is everyone?" The redhead asked, his voice hoarse from the coughing.
"Midorimacchi took the others out because they wouldn't stop worrying about you. I decided to stop by and check on you. Kurokocchi...well...he hasn't left your side ever since."
At those words, Akashi became aware of the weight on his torso and looked down to see the blue haired boy sleeping by the bed with a book in his hand about flowers. The redhead smiled softly and lightly brushed his fingers through Kuroko's hair.
"Akashicchi...what are you going to do?" The blond whispered.
The redhead simply shrugged, "He's worth dying for."
Akashi started a coughing fit which shook Kuroko awake. The blue haired boy stared horrified at the petals which were now slowly turning red as they became more and more saturated with Akashi's blood.
"Akashi-kun, are you alright?" Kuroko asked, his eyes wide with fear.
The redhead nodded as he collected the petals and threw them out. The blue haired boy held Akashi's hands and muttered, "There's something I need to tell you. Kise-kun, could you please give us a moment?"
The blond nodded and left the room. Kuroko sat up and squeezed Akashi's hands.
"I don't know who the petals are for. But I wanted you to know that I like you. A lot. I think you're a smart and wonderful person. I really like you."
The redhead stared, completely shocked. But he just couldn't believe it. He wouldn't believe that such a perfect person like Kuroko could like someone as messed up as himself. It was a lie, out of pity. There was no way Kuroko would like him.
"You..." Akashi started, "you're lying. How could you like someone like me? You deserve so much more that I can't give. Why are you lying to me?"
The blue haired boy shook his head and opened his mouth to say something but the redhead called for the nurse and Kuroko was escorted out.
It was only weeks later that the blue haired boy regained his memories completely by chance. Then, he began to try to heal the redhead. Kuroko said that he loved Akashi at least twice a day and he went to the redhead's apartment to drop of food. Akashi, on the other hand, continued to die because he didn't believe in the blue haired boy's words.
Kuroko got his tattoo and asked Kise to convince the redhead to get a tattoo. Akashi shrugged and agreed to getting his tattoo without even having his memories.
It was a warm night in the summer, Akashi had called the blue haired boy out to a patch of grass near the river which was by their university. When Akashi saw Kuroko, he fell to his knees as his coughing fit took over.
He couldn't breathe. Kuroko ran forward and cradled the redhead in his arms. Tears fell from the blue haired boy's eyes as he whispered loving remarks to Akashi.
The petals that fell from his lips were bright red and Kuroko couldn't help but sob when he classified them as geranium petals.
The redhead gasped for air but only coughed more.
"Tetsuya...can I call you that?"
Kuroko nodded frantically as he lightly stroked Akashi's face.
The redhead smiled, "Why...geraniums?"
The blue haired boy let out a small laugh and said, "A scarlet geranium means comfort."
Akashi sighed as he lifted his hand to Kuroko's cheek and said, "I love you."
The redhead's memories came back but it was far too late to fix everything. The blue haired boy held Akashi close as he breathed his last. The red geranium petals flying in the air around them and floating down the river.
Kuroko let out a cry in pain as he held Akashi's dead body through the night.
Kuroko had a favorite flower.
It was a slow recovery but eventually the blue haired boy got back on his feet and took care of the field of geraniums which now grew by the river. He studied hard, knowing that the redhead was simply waiting for him and he wasn't truly gone.
It was only three years later that the blue haired boy was hit by a drunk driver and was hospitalized. Kise visited him often in his critical condition and left a pot of scarlet geraniums by the window sill.
As his heartbeat faded, Kuroko couldn't help but chuckle as he stared at the flowers.
I forgot to tell Seijuro that scarlet geraniums could mean stupidity too.