Before You Lose Me (Boyf Riends fanfic)

Three

(Oh yeah, Jake's legs are supposed to be broken. Because... the fire.
Eh, fuck it.)

Michael's heart nearly stopped.

"What? What are you talking about?" He asked, trying his best to sound confused.

"Hanahaki disease, Michael! When were you going to tell us?" Jenna shouted again.

"Tell you what?" Michael asked.

"THAT YOU-" Jenna stopped as a teacher on he other end told her to quiet down. "-That you have Hanahaki disease? You and Rich?"

"Never? What's it to you, anyways? A way to-" Michael stopped himself, realizing he was getting too defensive. "Sorry. But why do you care?"

"Because its it's not rare at all for Hanahaki disease to be fatal! You know that, right?" Jenna snapped. "One of you, or both of you, could die!"

Michael started to reply, then saw Jenna around a corner. She grinned sheepishly and waved, then ran up to the two boys.

"Why don't you want anyone knowing?" She asked.
"Because if Jake knows..." Rich's voice trailed off and he began coughing, bloody petals spilling from the cracks in his hand. Knowing Rich wouldn't finish his sentence, she turned to Michael.

"What about you?"

"Jeremy can't know I'm in love with him. I know that if he knew I loved him, I'd lose him forever." Michael didn't make eye contact with her.

"You know there's a surgery you could get to cure Hanahaki, right?" Jenna asked. "Granted, it would mean you wouldn't be in love with Jeremy-"

"And there's a chance I'd end up losing all of my emotions." Michael interjected. "I'd rather die than live like that. If he doesn't love me, that's fine. But I'd rather die because of it than lose who I am and everything I feel."

Jenna and Rich went silent.

"Fine. I won't tell and I won't try to convince you guys to get surgery for it." Jenna said. "But it doesn't mean I'm going to act like its it's nothing."

Michael and Jenna headed back, and Rich stayed for a few minutes. He looked around the corner to make sure nobody was there, and saw Jake and Chloe kissing. He wasn't all that surprised, considering he knew they were dating, but it didn't mean it hurt any less. He covered his mouth to hold in a pained scream as fully bloomed irises, covered in blood, came out of his mouth as he choked on the flowers and leaves.

Jake and Chloe talked for a minute, but the only thing Rich could understand was Jake saying "No, I understand. It's fine."

Across the hall was Brooke, who was looking at Chloe and Jake as well, but she kept putting her hand over her mouth and looking at, as though expecting something. After a she realized whatever she was expecting wasn't happening, and looked directly at Chloe, hopeful.

Rich screamed in pain suddenly and collapsed, causing Jake to come running. Chloe and Brooke followed. The four of them stood in shock, as Rich choked and coughed, throwing up pale red irises and blood, with the occasional dark green leaves. Jake sat down next to him, trying to process what was happening.

"Jakey," Rich sobbed, desperate, "Jake, I don't want to die. Not like this... Please, I can't... I can't die like this... Please... I don't want to die... Please..."

Jake pulled Rich into a hug, choking back tears as Rich cried and mumbled incoherently into Jake's shoulders.

"Jake... Please, you can't let me die..." His voice dropped to barely louder than a whisper. "I love you, Jake..."

Jake pulled away from Rich, pushed Rich's messy hair out of his face, and gave him a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"I love you too, Rich."

(Fun fact: Rich was originally supposed to die. The idea was that this scene would happen, minus Chloe and Jake's implied breakup, but Rich wouldn't say that he loved Jake. He would later go missing, only for Jeremy and Michael and Jake to find him dead in the school bathroom. I kind of grew emotionally attached to Rich, more so than I already was, so I decided not to be an asshole. There's another reason, too, but I won't say why.)