Dying to Love You (Kiribaku Hanahaki)

Genesis

A few months ago, every TV channel and newspaper was filled with news that the Hanahaki disease has resurfaced in Japan. The people afflicted with the disease had thorned flowers growing in their lungs. They would cough up these flower petals as the thorns and vines from the plants slowly wrapped around their organs, and if not cured, they typically died within a year. No one knows where the disease came from, but the catalyst is unrequited love.

That's why I didn't worry about whether or not I would get the disease.

I worried about when I would get it.

You see, I've been in love with a certain hot headed blonde for almost a year now, but not only is he in a relationship (with a girl as well), but Bakugou Katsuki is my best friend. It took a long time to break down his walls. It took months for him to trust me and call me his friend. If I were to confess, all of that would be thrown away in an instant.

He can be an asshole but I like that about him. I love everything about him. His stupid smirk when he's making fun of someone. His red glare when something pisses him off. His look of utter confusion when he's lost in class. The way his blonde hair sticks out in every direction, just as stubborn as he is. He's definitely rough around the edges, but he's caring and protective and manly. I'm hopelessly in love with him.

Which is why study dates like the one I'm walking to right now are more scary than exciting nowadays.

I knock on the door, one hand around my backpack strap and the other fiddling with my red hair.

Calm the fuck down Kirishima. You'll be ok.

"Oi who the fuck is it?"

"Aw don't be like that Blasty," I say laughing and opening the door.

"Tch. Whatever fuckface. Just come in and close the goddamn door."

He's already sitting in front of the table, notebooks and binders spread out. He has the adorable habit of chewing on the eraser of his pencil when he starts thinking really hard that makes me melt on the inside.

This... this is going to be a long hour.

I sit across from him and start emptying out my bag. "So what subject do you want to work on first?"

"Whatever the fuck you want, but first I need... help or whatever with something," he says, locking gazes with me. God, I love those ruby eyes.

"Sure thing, Bakugou!" I say, flashing him a grin.

"Tch. So fucking bright," he says rolling his eyes.

This is the moment that things got really fucked up.

"What's up?"

"It's about Uraraka..."

I feel an itch in my throat but ignore it. I've been coughing these past few days and I'm pretty sure I caught a head cold. I ignore the itchy feeling and press on. "Ok... is something going on? You've been together for what 3 months?" I ask.

I know that they've been together for exactly 3 months 2 weeks and 4 days, but I feel like letting him know that I know that seems like not a good idea.

"I think I'm gonna break up with her."

That's the moment I start coughing, probably from choking on my own spit out of shock. I can feel my heart start to speed up from hope but I can't get too ahead of myself. "W-why?!"

"I dunno," he says, looking down and playing with his thumbs in his lap. His cuteness is going to be the end of me. "She's cute and nice and shit but I don't think I like her that way. And because she's so fucking nice I don't want to hurt her feelings or whatever... so do you know how to break up with her?"

I stare at him kinda shocked. "U-um... well," I stumble over my words, trying not to be too excited or too shocked. "I'm not really the best guy to ask about this kinda stuff. Usually I'm the one gettin broken up with ya know?"

"Tch. Dumbass. If I was asking to tell me from personal experience with breaking up with girls, I wouldn't have gone to the gay guy that who's only ever dated two people, now fucking would I?"

"Geez, Baku, way to cut a man deep," I say laughing it off. "Yeah yeah whatever. Honest opinion? Just tell her the truth. Uraraka is pretty smart, so she'll just be offended if you lie to her. Just tell her that the Great Bakugou Katsuki simply doesn't fall in love."

I say that last part in a joking manner, but it honestly makes my chest ache to think about the fact that Bakugou could date someone for 3 months and still not fall in love with them. My situation is truly hopeless.

Bakugou opens his mouth to say something but whatever it is gets drowned out by the hacking that leaves my lips. I feel my chest and my throat start to burn. I keep coughing and coughing until tears drop from eyes because I can't fucking breathe.

I push past a worried Bakugou and practically dash into his bathroom, slamming the door behind me. I feel something crawling up my throat so I learn over the toilet bowl and keep coughing. My throat burns, raw from the harsh rushes of air that keep forcing their way out. Finally I taste something in the back of my mouth and cough it up into the toilet water.

My coughing stopped, my body too exhausted to even open my eyes to see what came out of me. I wipe the tears from the corners of my eyes and steady my breathing before looking into the water.

And I honestly I wish I would've just kept coughing and kept that thing inside of me.

Because I looked into the water and saw a champagne colored flower looking back at me, it's petals still coated in my saliva.

And so it begins.