flower boy - klance

ten

keith exited the elevator and walked into the empty hallway that lead to his dorm room. he was the only room on that floor, except for the upper library. he stood there, quietly for just a second, before screaming and punching the wall just next to the door to the library. tears began to flood down his face as he sunk to the ground, gripping his hand where his knuckles began to bleed.

he sobbed, sitting against the wall and looking out into the dark hall. he studied his knuckles as he wept; tears in his skin bleed, and bruises began to form, but the four red scars where those sunflowers had formed ten months ago were just as evident as ever.

he couldn't deal with everything going on at once like it was. his carnation wasn't shrinking, and now shiro was spending the next three weeks in the hospital because of his "disease". he wouldn't tell keith what it was, and neither would any of the nurses or doctors. shiro didn't want keith to worry, but not telling him just made everything worse.

keith sighed heavily, his sobs calming down to a soft cry. his stomach dropped to his feet as heavy footsteps approached; keith shot to his feet and wiped his tears away as fast as he possibly could, but the figure had already seen him.

a large kid, with short brown hair and a stocky build stood directly to keith's right with a worried look on his face. the kid was wearing mostly yellow, even going so far as having a yellow ribbon around his head, keeping his hair out of his face.

"dude, you alright?" he asked kindly, making keith dread not breaking down in his dorm room instead of the hallway.

"i'm fine." keith replied, avoiding eye contact at all costs. "leave me alone." keith felt bad for shutting the kid down so quickly, but keith didn't have time for it. he needed to get back into his apartment so he could continue being a mess in peace.

"sorry, man." the kid replied, holding up his hands in defense. although he apologized for bothering keith, he didn't walk away, and instead inspected keith's carnation.

"what's your deal?" keith asked, getting agitated.

the boy stared with wide eyes for a moment, hesitating. "nothing, but uh, when did you get that carnation?" he asked, ignoring keith's obvious frustration. keith stared back, stunned by the question.

"six months ago." he answered, less hostile this time.

keith began to grow uncomfortable as the boy's eyes got wider. "why?" he asked, glancing at the side of the kids head. he didn't look like he had any scars or marks under that headband.

"uhhh," the boy began to grow nervous, which became obvious to keith as he scratched the back of his neck and stuttered, dancing around his words. "i-i-i'm hunk!" he exclaimed, sticking his hand out.

keith side eyed him as he shook hunk's hand. "keith. why do you want to know so much about my carnation? are you my soulmate?"

hunk laughed. "no, i found my soulmate a couple months ago." he said, digressing. "my roommate got a pretty nasty cut on the same side of his head as your carnation, about six and half months ago."

keith was stunned by hunk's information and how gently and nonchalantly he put it.

"probably just a coincidence though, i can imagine a lot of drunk kids get into the same kind of incident in this building. we live a floor above you." he continued, missing the obvious.

keith stared at him. "yeah." he said, deadpanning.

an uncomfortable silence followed keith's response, but he noticed that hunk seemed to miss it. "well, i hope you feel better!" he said cheerfully, walking away with a spring in his step.

keith watched him walk away. he began to cry again, not because of shiro, but because his soulmate was closer than he thought. he needed him now more than ever, and he lived in the very same building.

it was a comfortable thought.