Work Text:
Hanahaki disease. A disease where flowers fill your lungs once you face unrequited love. Some say that there are ways to combat it such as them loving you back or getting a surgery that never lets you love again.
Fay read these words on her computer screen. A few strands of hair fell onto her face as she closed the tab. She put her headphones on her wavy blonde hair and put her glasses back on over her brown amber eyes. She was wearing a blue sweater and black sweatpants that hid her hips. Fay then transferred to a live streaming tab and started her stream.
"Hello chat! How is everyone feeling today?" She asked the 'chat' which were the watchers. She loved them dearly and honestly thought they supported her more than most people in the world. They were always respecting her boundaries. Well, somewhat. Everything except the... NSFW things they created of her.
Someone in the chat asked what games she was playing as of late. She responded with the game she has been playing on her phone like no tomorrow, Cookie Run Kingdom. For some reason, she always loved the game. Maybe it was the thrill of pulling for characters or the many different themes you can decorate your kingdom with. Who knows?
She started the screen recording and started to play the game. She checked in her guild, notifications, fountain, bounties, and even her markets. She started making more of them when she started to get a call on Discord from her best friend, Bella.
The two were best friends since elementary school or more specifically first grade. The two had grown close after Bella had been forced to sit on the "Brenda Buddy Bench" which was a place where you had to sit on the bench until you had a friend to play with at recess. For some reason, someone never wanted to play with her until Fay had come along. The two both loved to play games like Flappy Bird or Temple Run Three and had bonded over games.
Eventually, middle school approached them and Fay went into advanced classes while Bella was in regular classes so they rarely saw each other except for lunch, art class, social studies, and science. Fay always had math first period while Bella had English first so they always saw each other in between classes. Luckily, they both shared the same art class and period so they sat next to each other there too. Bella did band while Fay did choir.
High school is when they got more distant. Not because they lost interest in their friendship but because Fay had to move to California to help out a grandparent who couldn't take care of themselves. They could still talk on the phone and via Discord which is what they did. Fay became a streamer to help earn some money for her family who was trying to find jobs available. She did earn enough money to support her family through her streaming and started to play games to increase views. She still had a love for gaming and her friend. They would often call each other a lot and even sometimes on stream. No matter what type of things happened on stream, she would always make room for her online school, streaming, and friends plus family.
But after talking for a while with her best friend, she started to feel a fuzzy feeling whenever they talked. Whenever she laughed her laugh of the angels, smiling like a gleaming light from above, the beautiful voice which sounded like an angel. After a while, she started to realize what it was; love. She was in love. Love sounds like a weird word to her; unfamiliar. She has never truly been in love. She always thought she never would be.
The late-night calls and countless conversations left a warm feeling in her heart at all times. She could never ask for more. The only thing she could ask for is for her feelings of love to be requited. She longed for the person of her dreams but soon turned to want. Wanting to always be there for her during the dark and bright times. Getting married or moving in together. She couldn't think of anything better.
At some point recently, her crush told her indirectly that they wouldn't be able to date each other. She had gotten a boyfriend. After that, Fey knew there was no chance between the two. Why would there be? Why bother when there is a person in the way?
Someone in chat donated with a TTS message asking if she was okay because she just stopped everything in thought. She responded with her usual, "Don't worry about me chat." but was that true? No. It wasn't ever going to be true.
After the stream had ended a few hours later, she felt a bad cough come up and started to almost hack. When looking at her hand, she was faced with bloody flowers. The true color was barely visible, but she did notice a bit of blue. All she could think of was what she had read before the stream. Hanahaki Disease... what that what it was? She thought it was nothing and fake. Was it? How long does it take until you would get it? After a heartbreak? How often can it occur?
These questions whirled in her head in the way a tornado would. She couldn't think of anything else. She didn't hear when her mother called her downstairs for dinner or when her father went to her room to talk to her. She couldn't feel anything almost. All she could feel is the blood in her throat and the fear that she wouldn't be able to make it in the next few months.
Something she could think of is how she needs to be there for her family so she can help support them. She can't waste her money on surgery until she knows they are stable enough. But the price might increase or her chances of survival might decrease before she can get this. All she wanted to do now was hide everything from the world.
After doing a bit of research, she discovers she only has anywhere from one week to four to make up her decision before she is suffocated from these deadly petals. She felt like throwing up and crying. She never wanted this. All she wanted was to be with her lover but she wouldn't like her back. Maybe it will all go away if I just confess to her? She had thought to herself. At this point, anything is worth the risk. But, they live in different time zones and Bella is sleeping right now. It would be best to tell her while not on stream and not over text. It would seem as genuine as it truly is.
A week goes by and her plan hasn't even come close to action. She started another job to help support the family even more and even save up some money in case it all went south and her last option was the surgery. Many people would jump at the chance for the surgery but not Fay. She wanted to see what her plausible options were. Perhaps Bella does like her back and just hasn't accepted it yet.
Scratch that. Fay knows that there is no other option because of work today. She works at a library near her school so if she has a shift after school, it would be very close by. When she was reorganizing the bookshelf after some...unique kids had messed them up, she notices familiar laughter that always warmed her heart and the same long, strawberry blonde hair that was recently dyed to stand out from popular kids with the same color as her. That was Bella. Fay had guessed that she went to go visit the area. Bella was all she could think about until she noticed that she was with her boyfriend. The same man who said that they would be together forever.
Unfortunately, the man in question, Micheal, had spotted the somewhat third wheel on their date and pulled her aside.
"Hey, Fay! Long time no see! So, can I ask you a question?" he asked rather politely. Fay didn't see an issue with any question. After all, she was tasked with answering questions when asked during work.
"Yeah sure. What's up Mic?" Mic was a nickname she soon called him because he always thought Micheal was too formal.
"I wanted to propose to Bella tonight but I just don't know where. Do you know any place she loved a lot? Or even just visited a lot?" What. Soon, a coughing fit had started and Bella immediately ran over, concerned for her best friend.
"Oh gosh, Fay! Are you alright? Are you sick? Do you need to be brought home? Do your parents know you are hacking up blood? Do you need to go to the ER-" Bella was worrying a lot as per usual but a certain part stuck out to her as if it was awkwardly glued cardboard in the wrong place in the wrong direction.
Do your parents know you are hacking up blood? Did Bella notice that?
"I'll be fine. I just guess it was a very strong cough, ya know?" She tried to reassure her friend but it was no use. Bella already pulled out her phone to dial 911. Micheal was running to the bathroom to try and clean up as much blood as possible. All the while Fay was still reassuring her friend that everything was fine.
"But you seem hurt and- WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!" Bella yelled after her best friend. Fay had run off to the bathroom to clean herself off. Then she went to clock out, leaving the other person by themselves. Luckily it was time for her shift to end.
She ran home and didn't stop until she reached her room. She was seriously considering telling her parents. If she didn't it could be a horrible instance and her parents would cry. If she did, a lot of money would be lost. She had made up her mind and headed downstairs...
A week had passed but Fay wasn't heard from anyone after the second day she was missing. Bella was worried and tried to contact her constantly. No matter who she talked to, she wouldn't get a response. Even Fay's parents didn't hear anything from her. All Bella could think of was all the things that could happen. Did she get hurt, kidnapped, or even...
"Miss Bella? Hello. This is the hospital Lucan Delta. Are you associated with Fay Cooper?" The person on the other end of the phone asked. Bella had gotten a call from them and was confused, to say the least, but still happy that her best friend was okay.
"Yes. I am her best friend. Is everything okay with her I haven't heard from her in a few weeks?" Bella asked worriedly but also excitedly.
"Sadly, no. She had come in for surgery and she wasn't able to wake up afterward... Her parents found out that she had a dangerous disease named Hanahaki disease. It is when you have flowers fill up your lungs until you get them surgically removed or they aren't dealing with unrequited love anymore. We tried everything we could to save her but... she wasn't able to wake up again. We are sorry for your loss..." Bella was ready to cry. Her best friend had died? From a disease that she hid from everyone. But who was it? I mean she had been acting weird towards Bella... Oh. Oh no...
Fay had liked Bella but she never reciprocated the feelings. There was nothing that she could've done but supported her. Why did she not realize it before? Gosh, she was stupid. She could've possibly saved her but she didn't.
The next few months were full of tears and a lot of coping unhealthily. She had started to do things that people under 21 shouldn't like drinking. Her ex-boyfriend as of now didn't like the fact she cared so much. He was a total dick for that but still. It was a painful time for her. At some point, she had considered doing something unbelievable.
She had gotten her rope, chair, and a note is written out. She was going to do it. She didn't care where she would be going. Just anywhere where she had to live with the guilt of not helping her friend. She set everything up and then made her final jump...
She woke up. A bright light filled her vision until a ghost-like figure appeared in front of her. She had lovely blonde hair, gorgeous brown eyes, and an hourglass figure with hip dips. Fay looked lovely despite the bloody blue flowers and blood all over her. Fay had held her hand and the two talked. At least they were reunited and maybe, just maybe, they could talk about what happened.