the flowers bloom, just like my love

⇨ ᏚᎢᎪᏩᎬ ᎢᎻᎡᎬᎬ

the first petal greeted you in the morning over coffee. scorching, just like the liquid you had occasionally sipped from as the sun slowly hung higher in the sky.

there had been no previous indication that you were ill. at least, none that you had caught sight of. everything had been so normal. abnormally so. the only thing out of the ordinary had been the soft ache in your chest, which you had previously deemed as a side effect of the heartache from several nights before.

the cup shattered by your feet when the uncomfortable feeling in your throat flared, catching you off guard mid stride. you dropped to your knees, feeling weak in your limbs as your fingers began to claw at your skin. desperately, as if it would relieve the pressure continuing to build within your throat.

you lost count of how long you coughed, tears streaming down your cheeks as you silently begged for the pain to pass. gasping and choking. nails digging painfully into your skin. by the end of the session your throat was hoarse and several petals lay in your hands, blood staining the snow white color.

the truth was painstakingly obvious, the evidence prominent in your hands. what you had chosen to ignore within the last several weeks had built into the beautiful flower in your palms, the same bouquet given to you weeks prior. yet the only thing you did was shake your head in disbelief, before a broken wail echoed through the otherwise silent house.

-

"chocolate or vanilla?"

kuina's thoughtful hum crackled through the speaker, your own rustling sounds sure to emit the same tune on her end. a whisk lay discarded in a metal bowl in front of you, several ingredients placed neatly onto the table. it was early on a saturday morning, spring time now well into the season. warm weather and blooming flowers. a perfect scene for kuina's birthday.

"why not both?" you released a chuckle at her suggestion, putting in the necessary ingredients to get started on the cake batter.

"marble cake it is."

as you cracked eggs and poured flour into the bowl kuina began to ramble on about the preparation for her birthday party later on in the day. there was no set theme, but she did want you to dress nice. 'like you're going to a club!' she had said when you asked, your cheeks growing red at the thought of wearing anything meant for something other than a day at the bakery.

"do you have your outfit planned already?" kuina asked, excitement rising in her tone. the sound of butter falling into the bowl filled the silence as you pondered over how to answer her question.

"well..." you trailed off, thinking of a particular article of clothing hidden in the back of your closet. it was quite perfect for the occasion, but you weren't sure if you'd be comfortable wearing it in front of so many people. kuina was a social butterfly, and her house was definitely big enough to hold enough of her friends for a proper party.

"(name)!" she spoke firmly, and you could practically imagine the pout on her lips.

you sighed, deciding to spare the girl some trouble. it was just one night. you could loosen up for a couple of hours, "i have it all planned. down to the earrings i'll wear."

"perfect!" you heard rustling on her end, her next words coming out a little breathy, "i can't wait to see the look on chishiya's face when he sees you."

you dropped the whisk in your hand, unable to comprehend if the words you heard from your phone was real or a trick of your mind. you snapped out of your daze when kuina repeatedly called your name, swallowing down the tightness in your throat, "chishiya?"

"yeah! don't you see? this is your chance!"

you didnt tell your friend about your current predicament. you hadn't told anyone. you figured you had only found out yourself recently, and you could schedule the surgery and simply push it all away without anyone having to worry. but to see chishiya so soon? the thought of him already had your throat tightening uncomfortably so.