"Lily? Can I tell you something? It's really important."
The blue-haired girl turned around and noticed her best friend staring at the ground. "Um, sure."
Fio took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his racing heart.This is it. You're gonna tell Lily you love her. This has to be perfect.
"I'm in love with you."
Lily's eyes widened at this response.What should I tell him? He's my best friend, but I'm not sure if I love him in that way…
I should be honest with him. I can't lead Fio on by pretending to be in love with him.
"I'm sorry, but I don't feel the same way."
The fairy's smile turned into a frown as the realization sunk in.I knew this was a stupid idea. I shouldn't have told her in the first place-
"Fio? Are you okay?"
"Uh-huh. I understand. Can we still be friends?"
"Sure."
It had been two weeks since Fio had tried to confess his love.
Fortunately, his friendship with Lily remained intact, albeit with some awkwardness. He tried to avoid thinking about the whole ordeal, instead focusing on maintaining the garden and going about his day-to-day life.
The fairy got out of bed, put on his clothes and went to get breakfast. He got some pancakes with maple syrup before sitting down.
"Good morning, Lils."
"Good morning, Fio."
The two friends ate in silence, trying to avoid each other's gaze. Lily was picking at her waffles and staring down at her lap.
He's still sad over my rejection. He won't look me in the eyes, and he hasn't smiled since that day.
Just then, Fio began to cough. "Um, excuse me. I'm gonna head to the bathroom."
He was able to shut the door just in time for a violent coughing fit to take over his body. His chest throbbed in agony as he continued to gag, blood spilling onto the floor.
And then, something soft tumbled out of Fio's mouth. It was a single white lily petal, but it was stained with blood.
What…what the hell is this?
Fio picked up the petal, gazing it at in bewilderment.Is this some kind of disease only fairies get? I need to get rid of this, and fast.If the others found out, they'd lose their goddamn minds!
Problem is, I don't know any other fairies. Maybe there's information about this online. I mean, angels, demons and humanoid black holes exist in this world. It wouldn't be too far-fetched…
"Fio? Is everything okay?" Lily asked nervously.
"Oh! Um, yeah! Everything's fine!"
The fairy hastily wiped the blood off the floor and stuffed the petal in his pocket, rushing out the door in a hurry. He pulled out his phone and searched for diseases that made the victim cough up flowers.
And it didn't take long for him to discover a page about Hanahaki disease.
Great. Just great. Now I can either suffocate on flowers or lose my memories of Lily. Or hope that she somehow falls in love with me, even though she's made it clear I'm just a friend to her.
He began to cough again, tears streaming down his face from the sharp pain in his chest. Three blood-soaked petals fell from his mouth as he gasped for air.
Yeah…I'm definitely gonna die.
The fairy stood up and went to check on the flowers, trying to ignore the throbbing ache in his chest.
"Wassup, Fio?"
"Oh. Hi, Luis. Just lookin' out for the lavenders!"
Luis blankly stared at the fairy, before shrugging and walking away.
"So, when are you gonna ask the fairy guy out, Lils?" Alec asked his sister.
"Come again?"
"You heard me. It's obvious you like him," Alec snickered.
"What? Of course not! He's just a friend!" Lily insisted.
"Then why does your face turn red when he touches your shoulder? And why are you already sharing a house with him?"
"I-I don't know! It just felt nice to feel his soft, gentle skin on my…Hey! Stop laughing!"
"I'm just sayin' you should give him a chance." Then Alec was gone.
I mean, we've been friends for a while. It's normal for friends to share everything, right? And I just like how gentle he always is when touching me, and the way he looks at me with those bright, shining eyes…
What-What am I thinking?! I can't be in love with him!
Suddenly, Fio ran past her, stopping to catch his breath. "Sup, Lily."
"Hi, Fio! I think it's time for lunch! Wanna eat those leftovers from last night?"
"Sure."
After lunch, Fio decided to feed the ducks. Carrying a pouch of rice with him, he made his way towards the pond.
The fairy could feel something soft rising up in his throat and his chest throb with pain.Shit! Not again…
Another lily petal tumbled from his mouth, and he stuffed it into his pocket. Once he reached the pond, he tossed the rice at the birds, who ate it with rapture.
Dinner that night was pasta with breadsticks. Fortunately, he didn't cough a single petal while eating.
That night, Fio spent several hours staring at the ceiling before finally falling asleep.How long am I gonna have to live with this?
The next morning, Lily went to talk to Fio. "Do you want to help me with the vegetables?"
"Um…okay?"
The friends awkwardly tended to the vegetables, Fio occasionally excusing himself to cough. And whenever he did, he always had to shove two or three more petals into his pockets.
"Fio? Is something wrong? You've been coughing a lot…"
"Maybe it's a cold or the flu!"
"But it isn't flu season," Lily pointed out.
"I'm sure it'll go away eventually!" Fio assured her.
There was a pause. Then Lily spoke up. "I heard there's a carnival in town! Wanna go there?"
Fio hesitantly nodded, wincing in pain as more flowers prepared to spill from his throat.
Cheerful music and laughter filled the air as the friends walked into the carnival. "Where do you think we should go first, Fio?"
"Honestly, I don't really care. Just pick a ride or a game or something."
"Well, if you say so…"
Before Fio knew it, he was holding a green plastic ring in his hand. The woman behind the stand declared, "Welcome to the Ring Toss! Your job is to get as many rings around your assigned peg as you can! Whoever wins gets to take home a refreshing bottle of lemonade!"
Here goes nothing…
Fio hurled his plastic rings at the green peg, watching as his score slowly but surely went up.
And then those all too familiar chest pains returned.
He'd tried to ignore them at first, focusing on the game. Until his head began to spin and his vision became cloudy. Fio tried his best to toss the ring in his hand, hoping that it wouldn't miss.
"Game over! The winner is the gentleman with the blue wings! Enjoy your prize!"
Fio took a small sip of lemonade and sat down on the nearby bench, praying that he wouldn't collapse. The ache in his chest came back with a vengeance as blood spewed from his mouth. Three petals fell into the trash can.
Dumping the petals from yesterday into the garbage bin, he opened his phone and texted Lily.
just won a ring toss game
im next to the cotton candy stand
It didn't take long before Lily had come to fetch Fio. She was holding a lollipop and a panda plushie. "Hi! I won you a cute little panda!"
"Oh! Erm, thanks. I appreciate it."I should definitely get her a plushie…
The fairy began glancing around him in the hopes of catching a glimpse of a toy.Aha! She'll love the unicorn!
A man no older than 26 declared, "Welcome to the Rope Ladder Climb! The first to reach the top and ring the bell wins a prize of their choosing!"
I can do this. I've already won the ring toss. As long as I don't start coughing up petals, this shouldn't be too hard.
Right?
Fio gripped the ropes as he began to ascend the ladder as fast as he could.Almost there…
Once he reached the top, Fio rung the bell and could hear the man announce, "And the winner is the fairy boy!"
By the time Lily and Fio returned home, the sun was setting and the carnival was closed. "Apparently the carnival is leaving in a week. Wanna go back tomorrow?"
Lily turned away from Fio, adding with a smile and a faint blush, "I really enjoyed spending time with you there."
"Well, if it makes you happy. I enjoyed spending time with you too."
These are gonna be some of her last weeks with me. I wanna make the most of the time I have left.
Fio woke up to a petal and bloodstain on his pillow. He groaned and tossed the petal in the trash can.
"Fio? Are you okay?"
"I'm-akh-fine! Wanna head to-akh-the carnival?"
"I think we shouldn't go if you're sick," said Lily.
"What? I'm not-AKH-sick! We can still go if-AKH AKH-you want!" Fio called, leaning over a trash can as petals fell from his mouth.
Lily's face fell as she watched Fio cough into the garbage bin. "It's okay. We can go tomorrow once you're feeling better. But you need to rest today."
She picked up the fairy and tucked him into bed, stroking his forehead. "Get better soon, Fio." Then she left, closing the door behind her.
"What's up, Lils?" Alec asked, tilting his head to the right.
"Fio is sick, but he insists on returning to the carnival."
"Now that you mention it, I saw him clutching his chest and limping yesterday. Almost as if he was in pain…" Luis pointed out.
Lily's eyes widened in fear. "Should we take him to a doctor?"
"Well, we can take care of him for a bit and call a doctor if he doesn't get better," Luis suggested as he was preparing some cough medicine.
Alec carried the medicine up the stairs, opening the door. "Hey, Fio. Luis made you this weird pink water and told me it's medicine. Probably tastes like shit, so you might as well drink it up."
"Oh. Um, sure. Thanks. And tell Lily not to worry about me. I'm sure I'll be better tomorrow! I mean, fairies do heal quickly…" Fio croaked.
"If you say so," Alec said with a shrug before placing the medicine on the bedside table and leaving.
Fio struggled for air, trying to be as quiet as possible. Petals and leaves fell from his mouth and into the garbage bin. I don't have much time left. And now the others could find out…
"Fio?" Lily asked, knocking on the door.
"Come in!" Fio called, shoving the garbage bin under the bed before she walked in.
The girl sat on the bed, holding Fio's hand. Both friends avoided each other's gaze, Lily trying to hide her blush.
"Once you get better, do you want to see a movie?"
"Huh?"
"Oh! Nothing! I just asked you if you wanna go back to the carnival," Lily chuckled.
"Sure! At least, once I'm better," Fio replied with a smile.
"Tell us if you need anything." And then Lily was gone.
"You okay, Lils?" Rosamie asked her younger cousin.
"I'm worried about Fio," Lily sighed.
"We all are. Hopefully he's fine once he gets enough rest."
Fio reached for his phone, opened a search engine and typed:how long does it take to die of hanahaki disease
Looks like I still have four months. Thank God for that.
"Hey, Fio. Are you feeling better?" Lily asked.
"Yeah. I think the cough medicine's working. I should be right as rain tomorrow!"
"That's a relief. Anyways, a new Astro Wars movie came out yesterday. Do you wanna see it with me?"
"I'd love to! Maybe we could dress up as Koda and Carina!" Fio chirped.As long as I can stay quiet while coughing during the movie, it should be fine.
"So, what do you think, Fio?" Lily asked, smoothing out her sapphire blue dress and adjusting her silver tiara.
God help me…she's so pretty…
"It looks good on you! Especially the t-tiara," Fio stammered, picking at his off-white tunic.
Just then, Alec kicked the door open, swinging a plastic kusarigama. "Hell yeah! Let's get this show on the road!"
"Alec! Stop swinging that around!" Luis snapped, grabbing Alec by the arm.
"Is everyone ready?" Aureo asked.
"Y-Yup!" Fio blurted out, his chest tightening with pain.
"Do you think Koda and Carina will have their first kiss?" Lily whispered.
"M-Maybe. It is the last movie in the sequel trilogy," Fio noted.
"Hey! Move it before we watch it without you!" Alec hollered.
Lily reached out and took Fio's hand, gently rubbing his fingers. Huh?
"Can I sit next to you while we watch the movie, Fio?" Lily asked.
"I'd love that!" Fio chirped.
Don't cough, don't cough, don't cough…
Suddenly, the fairy violently wretched as a thorn-covered stem climbed up his throat. Fio slammed on a button, the rushing wind covering up his coughs. A blood-soaked rose fell onto the road, stem and all.
No…I should have four months left!
"Fio! Are you okay?!" Luis shouted.
"Y-Yeah! I'm good," Fio lied, wiping the blood around his mouth. Thank God I brought napkins.
As the car rolled into the parking lot, Fio rushed to the nearest trash can. Two more roses tumbled out of the fairy's mouth, followed by drops of blood.
"Fio? Where are you?" Aureo called.
"Coming!"
Fio quickly soaked his napkin in water and cleaned himself up, trying to swallow down the blood in his throat. "There you are! They have special slushies!" Alec chirped, rushing to the slushie machine, which read as follows:
SPECIAL FLAVOR FOR ASTRO WARS III: ASTRO PUNCH
The fairy poured an Astro Punch-flavored slushie and sucked on his galaxy-patterned straw, the metallic taste of blood replaced with the sweetness of blue raspberry and grape. "Excuse me, sir. Do you work here?" Fio whispered, tapping a uniformed man on the shoulder.
"Yeah. What do you need?"
"I might need a vomit bag. Just in case."
"Wait here. I'll get it for you."
"Fio! There you are! The ads are already playing!" Luis called.
"Uh, I just remembered I need to go to the bathroom! I'll be there lickety-split!" Fio chuckled.
"You wanted a vomit bag, right? Here you go," the uniformed man panted, holding out a plastic bag.
"Thanks!" Fio chirped.
As the fairy walked into the auditorium, Lily turned to her best friend and waved, motioning to a seat next to her. Lily rested her head on Fio's shoulder and reached for his hand.
And the chest pains returned once more.Of all the times-!
Three bloodstained roses and several drops of blood tumbled from Fio's mouth into the vomit bag. The brunet took another swig from his slushie, the sweetened ice soothing his throat as the opening music began playing.
Lily slowly rubbed Fio's knuckles and leaned into the brunet's touch."I heard a new French restaurant opened on Aspen Avenue. Do you wanna eat there someday?"It would be the perfect place for a date.
"I'd love to-" Fio started, before another rose climbed up his throat.
Is this what having a crush on someone is like?"Um, Fio? Remember what happened a few weeks ago?"
All of a sudden, Fio felt his head pulsing. He violently wretched, a cascade of flowers and blood pouring from his mouth. "Holy shit! FIO!" Lily screamed.
"There is an emergency at Topaz Theater on Silver Lime Street! We need an ambulance right away!" Luis shouted, holding his phone to his ear.
"Oh my fucking God…" Alec muttered, rushing to Fio's side.
"What are these? Are these…flowers?" Rosamie whispered, gingerly touching a blood-soaked lily.
"Fio, have you been suffering from Hanahaki this whole time?" Aureo asked, moving strands of hair out of the fairy's eyes.
"I'm sorry…I didn't want Lily…to feel bad…" Fio wheezed. So dizzy…everything…spinning…
"Fio? FIO! WAKE UP! I'M SORRY!" Lily sobbed.
"The patient is over there. Please, take care of him," Luis told a woman dressed in black and neon yellow, gesturing to the unconscious fairy.
As Fio was lifted onto the stretcher, Lily whispered, "Is he going to survive?"
"I promise you, we'll do everything we can to keep him alive," assured the woman, before carrying Fio out on the stretcher.
"Come on. We're following them to the hospital," Aureo said, pulling the car keys from his pocket.
"This is all my fault! If I didn't reject him, none of this would be happening!" Lily sobbed.
"Don't say things like that, Lils. You couldn't have known this would happen," Rosamie pointed out.
"But right now, we need to make sure Fio survives the night," Aureo reminded the group.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"His condition should be stable for now, but he will most likely need surgery. This might be one of the most aggressive cases of Hanahaki I've seen in some time," said a doctor. He had short blonde hair, sea green eyes and a name tag that read Dr. William Dyer.
"When is he gonna wake up?" Lily asked, picking at her dress.
"We don't know. Why'd you ask?"
"There's something I need to tell him when he wakes up."
"L-Lily? Is that you?" Fio whimpered. At the sound of his voice, Lily bolted into his room and knelt next to his bed.
"Yes. How are you feeling, Fio?" Lily asked.
"My chest and throat hurt. I'm sorry for not telling you about this. I didn't think it would get this bad…"
"No, Fio. I'm sorry for what happened two weeks ago. At the movies, I realized that I have a crush on you. I guess I didn't realize it sooner."
She…loves me back?
"I love you too, Lils," Fio whispered, slowly caressing her cheek.
"Excuse me, miss. We're going to have to run some tests on Fio. You can visit tomorrow," said Dr. Dyer.
"I understand. See you tomorrow, Fio," Lily sighed, gently kissing the fairy's cheek before walking out the door.