A Gladiolus Heart

Chapter 2

Here's the next chapter of the story. Please enjoy <3

Fubuki woke up with a splitting headache.

Perhaps it was because he slept too late after overthinking and cleaning the night before. Or perhaps it was also because he woke up later than usual and was startled by the loud knocking on his door.

"Fubuki-kun!" Came Aki's voice, "Breakfast is ready! Today's the match against America, you need to eat up and prepare!"

Her voice was quite soft and her knocking was loud enough to be heard but not too loud that it was disturbing however, for some reason, Fubuki's senses were quite sensitive today. The sound was too sharp for his ears and when he opened his eyes, the light from his window was too bright and it stung.

Fubuki woke up with a splitting headache.

He wondered, perhaps this was because of his recently discovered disease. The flower blooming in his heart was limiting his oxygen. Every breath he took; he could feel the petals by his throat threatening to spill. Every beat of his heart was constricted by the flowers growing around it and it hurts.

Fubuki wondered what kind of flower grew within him. The orange petals he coughed up were unfamiliar to him. It was probably some flower that never grew in Hokkaido. He could vaguely remember the fact told to him that Hanahaki flowers growing inside you were a representation of your loved one. He wondered what flower Gouenji represented—what flower the flame striker unknowingly planted in his heart.

His train of thought was halted when he was once again called by Aki. Then when his muddled mind had finally processed Aki's words—that today was the match—he bolted up too quickly and the room swirled in his vision.

He held his head and groaned. His breathing was ragged and he could feel the petals rising up and threatening to spill. The urge to cough it up and puke were so strong but he held back, knowing he could be heard by one of their managers.

"Fubuki-kun?" Aki's worried voice brought his attention back to the situation at hand and he realized, even more, the gravity of his situation. He can't let them worry or else they might realize his secret. He opened his mouth to speak but that had been a huge mistake. For the petals came out uncontrollably and he was coughing up like there was no tomorrow.

It sounded painful. And it was truly as painful, perhaps even more than how it sounds. He could hear Aki's worried voice growing louder behind the door and in his panic, he tried to stand up. Bad idea. He lost his balance and fell down with a loud thump.

The sound seemed to have alerted Aki as she said, "Don't worry. Just wait a moment, Fubuki-kun, " she said, trying to sound as assuring as possible despite the obvious panic in her voice, "I'll get the keys and come back for you."

He could hear her frantic footsteps run down the halls, probably to get his room's key and alert the coach. This was bad. This was really really bad. He needed to do something or else his secret would be short-lived and he knew damn well that there would be hell to pay. Both by the coach's consequences and by the confrontation he'd have to face with the team and most scarily, with Gouenji.

He knew him well. He knew that the other won't give up on him until he would be fine. He knew by experience with the Aliea fiasco. The team would be all over him again, his Captain would be stuck by his side, Kidou would be keeping an eye on him and Gouenji—Gouenji would stop at nothing to help him in his own—albeit harsh—ways.

He'd unravel his secrets and Fubuki would have to lay himself bare. Just like how he told him about the avalanche and Atsuya. He'd come crashing to him like a force with eyes like embers then leave him with a gentle caress and a kind smile. Just like before.