Antonio awoke the next morning to the sight of Afonso, stood at the foot of his bed, with a steaming mug of sweet tea in his hands.
"I'm sorry that Arthur freaked out on you," the ponytailed boy said gently, handing the tea to Antonio, "How are you feeling?"
"I don't know," was all that Antonio could think to say. It wasn't like he blamed Arthur for what had happened, but...
Afonso sat on the bed, turning his face to the ground. "I bet Arthur's told you a lot about Kiku, hasn't he?"
"All I know is his name, and that he's dead," Antonio answered, "And that Arthur must've really loved him..."
Afonso couldn't help but chuckle at Antonio's ignorance. "Loved him? You don't know the half of it," he snorted, "On the day we lost Kiku, we might as well have lost Arthur as well. It's been a year now, and he hasn't been the same since."
The Spaniard shifted forward, and softly begged, "Tell me, then. I want to know everything about what happened."
"And what would be the point of that?" Afonso replied, "Antonio, I appreciate what you've done for Arthur, really, I do. You've made a valiant effort to get inside his heart, and I really believed that you could do it, but it was all for nought. I don't know if he can love anymore, after what happened..."
"I still want you to tell me everything," Antonio insisted, "Because...I'm not ready to give up on Arthur just yet! I want to understand all of his pain!"
Shocked, the Portuguese boy inhaled deeply, facing Antonio for just a second. Those eager eyes were filled with a determination he'd never seen in any of Kiku's other replacements...
"I hate to drag another person into this story, but," Afonso's eyes fell, to look at the bare floor, "If you insist, then suit yourself."
"So, you'll really tell me everything?" Antonio questioned.
"Every last detail. It was about two years ago now, when Arthur and I were third years...We were given the task of helping a new student settle in...
"Why did we have to get stuck with the new boy?! On a Saturday, no less!" Arthur whined, as he and his room-mate, Afonso, made their way to the main office.
"It's our job, Arthur," Afonso snapped, "We're the presidents of the student council, so we must make sure that this Kiku Honda kid gets the welcome that he deserves."
Arthur mockingly imitated Afonso, under his breath. His room-mate was so boring, always going on about responsibility and duty...
"There's no need to make such a fuss, Arthur! Besides, Kiku's exactly your type. I'm sure that you two will get along just fine!"
"Sure we will," Arthur snorted.
Gilbert and Ludwig, the student council presidents of St Spica's, were already in the office when Arthur and Afonso arrived, along with Alfred and Matthew, the student council presidents of St Lulim's.
"Look, Kiku! You can see that cathedral from here!" Alfred chirruped, to a small boy, sat in a chair by the window.
"Yes. It's very pretty," the boy replied.
Afonso closed the door discreetly, motioning for Arthur to go forward.
"We're Arthur and Afonso, the student council presidents of St Miator's"—
The instant that Kiku turned around, and his eyes met Arthur's, it was like magic. Arthur's heart began to pound as he looked into the eyes of this beautiful creature, transfixed by his soft brown eyes...
"Kiku Honda," the boy said, getting up from his chair, "It's nice to meet you."
And that marked the start of Arthur and Kiku's relationship.
Thigs were great for the pair, at first. Midnight tea parties in Afonso's dorm (With a strange blend of tea that only Kiku seemed to like), kisses behind the classroom, a dance under a starry sky, lit up with shooting stars. The honeymoon phase.
A confession behind the gym. Stealing glances at one another during morning prayers. Sneaking out late at night to make love. Arthur and Kiku couldn't have wanted anything more, than each other, and those little things that they did together.
But one night, as Arthur was taking Kiku out for a midnight picnic, the boy collapsed, out of breath from the simple action of running.
A little later, Kiku was sent to a nearby hospital, where it was concluded that he would need a lung transplant. Arthur held his hand and promised him that he'd be ok, because they'd find him a donor, wouldn't they? And then Kiku would get better...Right?
Kiku was allowed back to St Miator's, for a bit. But even then, he found it difficult to enjoy his time with Arthur anymore. All he ever really did when Arthur wasn't with him was anxiously check his phone, or his emails, in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, his mother had contacted him to say that they'd found him a match.
So, in the hopes of distracting Kiku, from the search for a donor, Arthur suggested that they put their names into the Etoile election. Kiku and Arthur both adored the greenhouse, and if they won the election, they'd have free reign of it! And that would make Kiku happy, at least for a bit, or so Arthur hoped...
Kiku's condition continued to get worse, though. Some days, he could stand up, and walk around his room for a bit, but on other days, he could barely even sit up in bed.
One day before the Etoile election, Arthur and Afonso paid him a visit, and found him coughing, barely sat up in his bed.
"How are you doing today?" Arthur enquired.
"I feel fine," Kiku wheezed, "At least, better than I did yesterday..."
Arthur and Afonso went to run a bath for Kiku, knowing that he probably hadn't had the strength to run one himself...
"If he's really this sick, then shouldn't we take him back to the hospital?" Afonso questioned, his arms deep in the water.
Arthur shook his head. "He doesn't want to die there. It's been six months, and the doctors still haven't found a donor for Kiku. They said that if one doesn't come up soon, then..."
Afonso's eyes widened as he turned to glare at Arthur, "No... And to think...To think that you're dragging him into the Etoile election with you!" he yelled, his voice breaking bit by bit, "Why?! Why did you have to place such a burden on him, when he's like this?!"
"We decided together that I would become the Etoile," Arthur said knowingly, "I promised Kiku that I would do everything that he couldn't."
"You will become the Etoile," Afonso confirmed, "All you have to do is get up on that stage."
Afonso forced a smile, to hide his grim expression as his buttoned Kiku's shirt for him.
"OK, I'm done."
"Thank you, Afonso-kun," Kiku rasped, admiring his outfit in the mirror. It was customary for the Etoile candidates to dress up for when the results were announced, and Kiku had wanted to obey this custom in spite of his condition.
Kiku and Afonso walked out onto the stage together, Afonso steadying Kiku with his arm as he handed him over to his Etoile partner, Arthur.
"This year's Etoile will be from St Miator's Boys' Academy, Arthur Kirkland and Kiku Honda!"
Kiku's face lit up as he was given a small, silver pendant, with a red teardrop, while Arthur was given one with a blue teardrop...
That was the last happy memory that Arthur would ever have with Kiku.
Day by day, Kiku grew weaker. The boy who'd so loved the red spider-lilies in the greenhouse could only dream of seeing them now, as he lay, confined to his bed, unresponsive even to Arthur's hand on his.
Arthur refused to let himself cry when Kiku was carried away in a body bag, even though he could hear the wails of his mother outside the dorms. He wasn't sure what was troubling her more; the fact that she faced the terrible task of burying her own child, or the fact that she had been so busy with work, that she hadn't even thought to pay a visit to her son in his final days.
Arthur kept it together at the funeral, somehow. St Spica's choir sang. Afonso was given the task of placing flowers on top of Kiku's little white coffin. And then there was a terrible speech by Sister Bernadette. Arthur was forced to cover his ears as she went on and on about how Kiku was in a better place now, up in the arms of the angels. Kiku didn't belong with the angels, damn it, he belonged here, with Arthur.
And on the day that Kiku's room was to be cleared out, Arthur lost it. Kiku had always been facing death, but never did he show any fear, never had he cried, or been resentful in any way about his condition...
Arthur didn't possess any such strength.
Bare walls. Bare mattress. And a bare desk, where Kiku had once kept all of his medicines and tea and favourite books...
Arthur just couldn't stand the sight of that room anymore.
Great, frame-shaking wails erupted one-by-one from Arthur, as he clutched all that remained of the boy he'd loved; that little red Etoile pendant.
"And that's...Everything I know," Afonso finished, "I've watched him try to fill the hole in his heart countless times with other boys, but..."
Afonso froze, when he felt Antonio's hands brush against his back.
"That's...too awful!" Antonio whimpered, "Too awful!"
All Afonso could do was cry with Antonio, holding him in his arms as they grieved over Kiku's miserable end...
