AS PETALS BURST FORTH. ❀ stingue

afar

in which rogue is worried.

"Rogue-kun!" Lector screamed with all his might, almost knocking Frosch over to the ground in his hasty landing. The Shadow Mage whipped around in surprise, the book he was originally reading falling to the ground.

"Lector-"

"We have no time! Sting-kun is-! Sting-kun is--" the maroon exceed burst into tears as the words he was going to say got forgotten, his small, brown vest getting soaked and his paws covering his furry face.

"Lector, what happened?" Rogue's voice was quiet and full of concern, walking over to the windowsill were the two Exceeds were located. Frosch patted Lector's head in an attempt to comfort him.

The cat's shaking momentarily ceased so his mouth could utter a messy string of words. "Sting-kun got rushed - hospital - life and death," were all Rogue heard. They were all Rogue needed to understand.

"Lector, where is he?" Rogue asked, grabbing his cape from the couch and throwing it over his body and buttoning it up. Lector sobbed, wiping his face free of tears.

"Th-The hospital a few miles away from the g-guild," the Exceed sniffled.

And without another word, Rogue dissolved into the shadows, leaving Frosch with Lector.

<○~●>

The moment Rogue materialized into the hospital causing a few Healers to shriek in surprise, he immediately stormed up to the person behind a counter.

"Where's Sting?" He said calmly, but his hands were shaking. He couldn't think of any reason why Sting would be rushed into the hospital, he was in perfect health just the day before...

"Mr. Eucliffe is being operated on right now," the magenta-haired nurse said calmly, sorting through a few papers. "He came in an less than an hour ago, he should be done in a few more hours."

"Operated? Why is he being operated? Can I see him after?" Rogue pleaded, clenching his fist. The nurse raised a magenta eyebrow.

"Only immediate family is allowed to see him," she explained, tapping her manicured fingers upon the cool marble of the counter.

Rogue shot her a glare. "I am immediate family."

The nurse seemed to shrink in intimidation. "Y-Yes, of course," she replied, sitting up straight.

"Why is he being operated?" Rogue repeated his question.

The nurse seemed to sadden at the question. When she looked up at Rogue, her face held pure sympathy, her brown eyes looking at him intensely. "Sir, Mr. Eucliffe has been rushed in because flower petals were filling up his lungs and clogging his breathing.

"...He has been diagnosed with the Hanahaki Disease."

The world seemed to stop turning.

<○~●>

Seconds turned to minutes, which turned into hours as Rogue bit his lip and waited at the hospital lounge. He was worried sick; how come Sting had never told him about his condition?

Usually, the symptoms of Hanahaki Disease first appear when a person starts to feel hopelessness and sympathy for themselves. It starts when the one they love show no signs of loving them back, or start loving another person. The basic symptoms include loss of breath and increase of heart beats.

Once a person starts spitting out flowers, they have a few more months to live. The only cure is either getting their love requited, or surgically removing the flowers. The latter has a tragic consequence; their feelings, their emotions, every single drop of affection they feel for the one they love romantically, will disappear.

It was a beautifully devastating disease.

The front entrance doors of the hospital swung open, and in came two people. Minerva, with her long, raven hair swishing behind her, Yukino, who was twirling a strand of her own light-blue hair nervously, and finally the two Exceeds, Lector and Frosch.

"Rogue-sama-" Yukino started to say once her eyes spotted the Shadow Slayer, but he heard none of it as he calmly walked up to her.

"It's you, isn't it?" He hissed lowly, clenching his fists at his sides. Yukino's eyes widened.

"Wh-What?" She stuttered, a flush rising to her cheeks before Minerva swooped in to the rescue.

"Now, Rogue, it won't do to assume. We don't know who Sting loves, unless he plans to tell us," she said, calmly placing a hand on Yukino's shoulder to pull her back. Rogue grudgingly walked back to his seat and plopped back down.

"How did you know he was even here in the first place?" Rogue asked, crossing his arms. Lector raised a trembling arm. His eyes were still red at the edges, he must have cried a lot.

"W-We rushed to the guild after you left, hai," he said, looking down. Frosch climbed the chair beside Rogue, immediately cuddling up to him and sniffling lightly.

"I-If Rogue is sad, Fro is sad too," the green Exceed said.

Rogue struggled to smile. "Hey, Frosch... we'll be okay, alright?"

Frosch buried their head deeper into Rogue's sweater. "B-But if Sting-kun isn't fine, Rogue isn't fine either...!"

Rogue hugged Frosch tighter.

He didn't want to admit it, but it was true. Everything felt wrong in the world without Sting.