Blood Stains and Marigolds

》TWO《

Dipper felt a bit better when he got home, though he pain in his chest still persisted.

As he walked through the doors of the Mystery Shack, Stan looked at him from a newspaper he was reading while sitting behind the counter.

"What's with you kid?" Stan asked.

"Just not feeling well. I'm sure it's nothing though." Dipper replied. Stan raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"You? Not feeling well?" Stan doubted. He then set his newspaper down.

"Alright kid, what's his name?" Stan asked.

"What do you mean?" Dipper said confused.

"I know you kid, you don't get sick." Stan began, "So either you're getting bullied, or there's a guy you like at school that you're avoiding. Regardless, what's his name. If it's a bully I'm going to pay them a visit, if it's a boy you like, well, it's a different kind of visit."

Dipper was somewhat thankful that Stan didn't give him any trouble as far as him being gay. He always treated Dipper the same as anyone else, which Dipper appreciated.

"Neither! Geez, please don't beat anyone up or whatever it is you would do if it was a boy I liked!" Dipper said quickly.

"Hmph. Well, if I find out you're lying to me kid...well I probably won't do anything, but I'll have words with Mabel after the latest episode of duck-tective." Stan said.

Dipper groaned. Mabel was always so worked up after a new episode of duck-tective.

"I promise it's nothing. Just a bad cough, made it hard to focus. I'll ask Mabel to pick up some cough medicine on her way home and I'll be back at school tomorrow." Dipper insisted.

He wasn't sure why he wasn't being completely honest with Stan, something in his gut told him to hide the truth.

Stan just nodded and went back to his newspaper, flipping up his eyepatch that had fallen down while he was talking.

"Ford should be home next week by the way. I got a call from him this morning." Stan said, over his newspaper.

"Good, he's been gone for too long." Dipper said, before retreating to his bedroom.

Ford, Stan's twin brother and Dipper's other Great Uncle, left town often for work, sometimes not coming back for months at a time. It had been nearly 3 months since Dipper had last seen him. Dipper was excited for his return, as the two got along well.

Dipper threw his backpack down as soon as he got home, going for his laptop.

He wasn't sure what exactly was going on with him, but he needed answers. Throwing up petals wasn't normal.

After several strange internet searches yielding little results:

Throwing up blood and leaves?

Coughing flowers?

Coughing up petals and blood?

Why does my chest hurt?

How to get the boy I like to like me back?

Why am I coughing up petals and blood?

Dipper finally found an article that wasn't a link to a fanfiction.

Hanahaki Diesease

An illness in which a person bearing an unrequited love coughs up flower petals until they die or their feelings are reciprocated.