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No one knew the real reason he stayed at the fountain almost daily, simply just sitting there and watching the clouds go by. The reasons why his room was spotless than it ever was before- completely cleaned of crumpled papers, food wrappers, game discs. The reason why he rushes to the bathroom often, too often, once he begins to have his daily coughing fits.
Nagito was worried for his well-being. His best friend barely talks anymore, and avoids almost every question asking about how he's been doing. The brunet is usually locked up in his room for several hours, or maybe even days. If he wasn't, he's silently sitting at the edge of the fountain, doing absolutely nothing.
Nagito wasn't stupid. All Hinata's excuses were quickly made up on the spot, clearly lies. He wanted to know what he was hiding. Weren't they best friends? Don't they tell each other everything?
It was likely best to just let it be for now, though. The other wouldn't hide something unless he had good reason for it, so it's better to wait and see.
Letting out a sigh, Nagito had realized he entered the classroom, with more than half of the class already inside. Chaos was beginning to ensue as usual; Hiyoko insulting Mikan, Souda doing his best to impress Sonia, Gundam being Gundam, and Akane punching her desk due to "severe" hunger. Aside from that, there was his best friend, trying his hardest not to pass out as he tiredly waved at him.
"Good morning, Hinata-kun!" the white haired teen smiled lightly as he slid next to Hinata. The shorter sent back a small smile in response, resting his elbows on his desk.
"G'morning, Komaeda," he echoed back, leaning down to settle his head on his hands. "You're earlier than usual, huh?"
"I wanted a change of pace," Nagito quipped, shrugging his shoulders as he twisted his chair to face his friend. The teen noticed some stray strands of hair covering the brunette's warm green gaze, so he raised a hand to brush it away in a nonchalant way. He added, after a few moments, "I also wanted to hang out with you."
With that, the other seemed to brighten up a little, responding with a cheery tone decorating his voice, "Me too. But- uh- sorry if I sound really tired and inaudible, I slept really late last time."
"No, that's fine! You wouldn't want hang out with someone like me, anyway-"
"Komaeda, we've talked about this," Hinata cut him off, sighing. Nagito opened his mouth to protest, but realized. He’s improved on avoiding self-deprecating comments, but occasionally he continues to subconsciously utter them out. He knew that the habit worried Hinata a lot.
“Ah, sorry, Hinata-kun,” he chuckled sheepishly, letting out a small sigh as he leaned back on his chair. It didn’t take long before the rest of the class had arrived, along with their cheerful advisor. Again, it was going to be a long day.
--
“Tsumiki-san? Are you busy?”
“A-ah! Komaeda-kun!” the nurse yelped, almost knocking over a tray full of ointments and medication. Nagito chuckled lightly at her clumsiness, sending her a smile. She quickly gained her composure back, and replied, “No, n-not at the moment. D-do you n-need anything?”
“Oh, yes, if you don’t mind,” he murmured as he leaned against one of the lab desks. “I was just wondering if you have any information about Hinata-kun? He’s been a little pale recently, and he’s dodged every question related to both his health and his well-being.”
Something flashed in Tsumiki’s eyes, and immediately the white-haired teen knew that she knew something regarding his best friend. However, she didn’t share the complete story.
“He’s just h-had lots of coughing f-fits l-lately. I’ve t-told him to take some c-cough medicine, and if it w-worsens, ask Seiko-senpai. S-so far, h-he’s doing f-fine…!”
Nagito knew very well she was hiding something from him. Her stutter was more evident than it was before, and her body language just stood out as too jittery. But, if it involved Hinata, as mentioned before, there must be an important reason why he couldn’t know. So, nevertheless, he thanked Tsumiki and proceeded back to his dorm.
As he walked back, curiosity nipped at him as he kept thinking back to whatever his classmate was hiding from him. It was actually distracting him from his other thoughts. Why would Hinata hide something? Does he have a terminal illness? Was he having an affair with Tsumiki or something?
(It was only a few moments later that he remembered that his best friend was gay, so he concluded that scenario was impossible.)
Lost in his thoughts, it was only broken when the monitor directly above him sprung to life, the familiar static ringing through his ears before the announcement for Night Time was made.
10 PM already, huh. It felt like only an hour since he woke up.
As soon as he was about to head towards his room, Nagito noticed that one of the doors were slightly opened, a soft chill passing through the tight space. The room directly in front of his own. It seemed like no one was inside, which was odd, since the owner of this room usually slept really early.
It was none other than Hinata Hajime’s room.
Naturally, being concerned for the brunet’s well-being and curious about what he’s hiding, he nonchalantly swung open the door and went inside.
The room was… clean. Way too clean. It was as if a perfectionist that was definitely not Hinata had just swept the whole place clean. Everything was neatly tucked away, organized in a pleasing manner, all crevices and corners dust-free.
Because of that, the number of petals scattered all over the floor were standing out, as if calling out to Nagito: “Hey! We’re not supposed to be here!”
They were small and had a vibrant violet color. Despite the number of petals, the actual flowers, or the bouquet, were nowhere to be found. It was as if it was nonexistent.
Why would there be petals in Hinata’s room? Was it possible that someone had a romantic interest in him, and just gave him flowers?
Nagito felt a heart-wrenching feeling stir up inside him. No, this was not the time to get jealous. Just because he had feelings for his best friend did not mean others were not allowed to possess those feelings as well- he knew that.
Huffing quietly, he gingerly picked up the petals and examined them closely. There seemed to be traces of dried… saliva. They were completely dry of the substance as of now. It also seemed as if they were fresh, as if the flower it came from had just bloomed.
He couldn’t be too sure, though. He wasn’t exactly the Ultimate Botanist, or something.
Saliva didn’t really connect with anything. Maybe Hinata just accidentally, or willing slept with the bouquet and he drooled on some of the petals, hence the stains. It was best to not dwell too much on the fact, however, since flowers weren’t related to his friend’s health whatsoever.
Disappointed with his lack of more further evidence, he decided to leave. He made sure everything was back to the way it was, and headed back to his room to sleep.
--
Nagito couldn’t sleep.
He still couldn’t get his mind off the flowers. If it really were a romantic gift, wouldn’t it be a bouquet of roses instead? Maybe the person who gave it was unique, but it’s still unusual. Such a specific flower.
Because of that, he made the decision to research on the actual flower. He needed to know the reason. His mind was filled with useless possibilities because of it.
A morning glory can be used to represent good luck, love, mortality or love in vain. It is the flower of duality. It is indigenous to South America and are now either cultivated through United States and most parts of the world...
The petals were from a flower called the morning glory, and it represents these values. Luck? Why would someone give flowers that represent good luck to someone in a romantic way? That… didn’t make sense.
He knew that to actually solve this mystery, he’d either have to face Hinata directly, or ask Kirigiri and Saihara’s help, since they were detectives, after all.
The latter had to be chosen, since Hinata avoided questions about himself lately. There wasn’t exactly a choice.
Nagito sighed, unsatisfied with his discoveries. Everything was jumbled up and confusing, and he didn’t have enough energy to try build up everything together. The best thing to do now was get some rest- it was already 3AM, after all.
In his mind, he made a small little to-do list to achieve once he wakes up, and closed his eyes.
--
“Komaeda, you there? Earth to Ko?” Hinata hummed, waving a hand in front of the dazed teen’s face. His expression was unfazed, gray-green eyes still staring at… nothing. The white-haired teen could hear the other sigh in frustration, but he paid no attention to it. His thoughts were running wild. Flowers. Hinata’s health. Saliva on petals? Mikan being secretive?
A sharp nudge on the shoulder shook Nagito away from his train of thoughts, causing him to instantly glance at Hinata. The shorter male definitely looked irritated, lips pressed together. Nagito chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck as he shuffled closer to his best friend.
“Sorry, I had a lot in my mind,” he hastily apologized, casually wrapping an arm around Hinata’s shoulders. The other accepted the embrace, leaning further into him, the brunet’s warm presence calming Nagito.
“S’fine,” he whispered, a small, soft sigh escaping his lips. “I understand.”
This seemed like it wasn’t entirely a platonic action, but for them this was completely normal. They were always pretty touchy anytime they’re together- although, despite how many times they’ve cuddled, Nagito’s head still hasn’t stopped screaming and hyperventilating inside.
“Hinata-senpai! Komaeda-senpai!” a cheerful voice suddenly called out from behind the two, breaking their peaceful demeanor. There, at a distance, was the 78th Class’ Ultimate Luckster, alongside the Ultimate Detective.
Coincidentally, they were the people that could help him find out what Hinata’s secret is.
It was only then that Nagito remembered that his best friend was leaning against him, and gently nudged him off so he could greet the younger students properly. The brunet didn’t seem to budge, however, clinging tightly onto his right arm.
Fuck, it was cute.
No, now wasn’t the time to appreciate his best friend and crush’s cuteness at the moment- he had to focus on his...investigation? He guessed it technically was one- he is finding a mystery, or rather a secret, after all.
“Hinata-kun,” he murmured, glancing at the tired teen beside him. Maybe whispering his name wasn’t the best decision, as he cuddled even closer. Nagito almost forgot to breathe.
In some miracle, however, the other’s warm eyes gazed up at him, blinking in a slow manner. “Ah- oh- sorry,” he drawled softly, his grip on his arm loosening just enough so the cloudy-haired male could stand up to talk to the two not too far from where they were.
He did so, but not without a little goodbye to his best friend before he rushed up to Naegi and Kirigiri.
“H…hey there…” the pale teen panted, placing a hand on his chest as he tried to catch his breath. He could hear Naegi’s quiet chuckle as he struggled to steady his breath, eyes looking up at the two.
“Sorry if we interrupted anything!” Naegi quipped sheepishly, leaning his head back against his folded arms behind him. “You seem frantic. You need anything?”
“Have you also seen Saihara? I’m supposed to be helping him with his skills today,” Kirigiri asked, her tone calm and collected, as usual. Ah, so the young detective was taking lessons from the older one.
“I do need something- and Saihara-kun could help with it as well,” he explained, his tone now suddenly growing into something more serious. “Hinata-kun’s been hiding something lately, and it has something to do with his health. He seems sicker than usual and he avoids every question involving it. Tsumiki-san seems to be associated with this, and hiding something as well.”
“...This could provide the opportunity to test Saihara. Alright, sure,” the female accepted fairly quickly, her eyes now averting toward Naegi. He had a curious expression, as if he also wanted to know what Hinata was hiding.
“Sure! But, no invading his privacy, okay? Especially since he’s your best friend,” he told him with a merry tone once more, but it was clear that he got his point across. Nagito nodded, making it clear to not investigate his friend’s room again. “I’ll respect his boundaries.”
With that, the shorter male smiled lightly. “Maybe you should go back to Hinata-senpai. Sorry for the interruption again, heh.”
“It’s fine, and alright then,” the white haired teen replied, sending a grateful nod before turning around.
Oh. The bench was empty. Instead of Hajime’s figure draped across the seat, the same type of petals from before were in his place.
God damn it. The flowers again?
He hastily approached the bench to examine the petals, and almost immediately he noticed some were stained with large streaks of red, contrasting against its royal violet color.
Flowers, with blood on them. This wasn’t a case of romantic attraction. All possibilities of Hinata possibly just carrying flowers around were flushed down the drain. Out of all the things, blood was on the petals.
He considered a scenario in which it was possible the brunet was just bleeding, and he tried to wipe the blood off. However, despite that seemingly logical reasoning, the way the blood coated the flowers didn’t seem like it was wiped on. Rather, it was literally almost covered in the substance. It was… unusual.
Letting out a confused, frustrated sigh, Nagito decided to go look for Hinata instead. He’d been missing out on hanging out with him, and he desperately needed catching up.
--
You see, putting effort into walking were words that were not in Nagito’s vocabulary. So, of course, the moment he entered his room, he crashed into his bed and fell asleep.
That didn’t mean he didn’t find Hinata though. They chatted for a bit, talking about how the practical test is pretty near and everyone’s going to be stressing about it soon. He did act suspicious again, immediately excusing himself to the bathroom the moment the shorter began coughing.
Nagito was sincerely worried- really. He was just too tired to react. He had looked blindly through the whole Reserve Department building before remembering that Hinata was in their class, and looked through the whole facility as well. Unfortunately, he chose the dormitories as the last place to look, and surprise! Hinata was there, casually scrolling through Tumblr on his phone.
Now, though, Nagito deserved his rest. Especially after all that… exercise. (What a terrible concept.)
The next morning, he somehow woke up just on time and just casually prepared for class. Of course, his objective today was to investigate further into what Hinata was hiding with the other top students of deduction, and also actually hang out with his best friend. He’s been neglecting that lately, and usually they would be by each other’s side the whole day.
With a huff, he grabbed his bag and headed for the homeroom. A few others, such as Sonia and Hiyoko, were heading for class as well, and they were just simply making conversation with each other.
It was… a rare pair, but Hiyoko has been friendlier ever since she began dating Mahiru, so it wasn’t too unusual.
Since Nagito had ears, it was really hard not to eavesdrop on their conversation. Sonia looked worried, and her expression grew as the dancer continued speaking about something. Focusing more, he could now clearly hear what they were saying.
“Tch, it’s a stupid disease. Even Tsumiki can’t cure it, neither can Seiko-senpai. It is pretty fatal though, especially when the one you love is dating someone else, and showing literally no affection to you at all,” the short blonde explained, stretching her arms. The princess beside her bit her lip.
“Hanahaki, correct? Oh dear, that sounds horrible. I’m sorry you had to go through that,” she apologized, a frown forming on her face. “Does it hurt?”
“It can clog your windpipe, choking you to death. That hurts. Also, the flowers do squeeze your lungs sometimes, so, yes, that hurts too.”
Hanahaki? Flowers? Flowers associated with effectively killing someone?
Nagito panicked mentally, immediately speeding up his pace to avoid the conversation. There was no way. Absolutely no way Hinata had that disease…
...right?
But… the flowers. Flowers with blood on them. They all click into place. To be sure, though, he needed information. Lots of it. He made sure to ask Tsumiki about it later.
--
“T-The cause of Hanahaki is unrequited love,” Tsumiki explained, her stutter conveniently lessened compared to the last time the two talked. “The victim is either oblivious to the other’s feelings, or the other truly possesses no feelings f-for the other.”
“Does that mean ones who catch the disease can die because the one they love hasn’t confessed to them?” the thin male asked as he scrolled through the countless results. The two decided to find a reliable source of Hanahaki, due to it’s very recent discovery. So far, it has always been a disease traced all the way to the Middle Ages- it’s just that there was never a name for it. It was only encountered and properly named by a former Ultimate Doctor.
“Y-Yes. Some p-people are just devastatingly o-oblivious… oh! Choose that site- that’s w-where I base most of my r-research on.” The nurse pointed towards the link on the screen as Nagito clicked it, a professional formatted site popping up. They quickly searched up Hanahaki and found a couple of paragraphs about it.
“Symptoms of Hanahaki include the coughing up of flower petals. The severity may grow into the point of blood being coughed up as well- blood usually coats these flower petals- and coughing up whole flowers,” Nagito read aloud, more dread filling him the more he continued to read the passage. “Because of the flowers rooted into the victim’s stomach, the windpipe maybe clogged up, causing the victim to c-choke to death.”
“Y-Yeah. This information seems to be accurate,” Tsumiki confirmed, twiddling her thumbs.
It made sense. Too much sense. Petals in Hinata’s room, traces of dried saliva streaked across their surfaces. Petals covered in blood scattering the bench as soon as he turned around, without a trace of where Hinata went.
It all connected in his head, no matter how much he didn’t want it to.
But- no. There were too many unspecified details. He had to be truly secure with his discovery.
“Oh- Tsumiki-san,” he began, hastily closing the search bar before he turned to face his shy classmate. She looked oddly nerved about something, eyes straying off to the side a bit.
“Uh- mm? Yes, Komaeda-kun?” she suddenly asked, gaze immediately focused on him. Nagito hummed, resting his arm against the desk. “Do you know if the type of flower signifies something? It isn’t mentioned in the passages.”
With that, Tsumiki nodded confidently. “Hiyoko-chan, w-who once caught Hanahaki f-for Mahiru-chan, described t-the flowers as pink roses, which r-represent gentleness and k-kindness. It’s possible t-that the kind of flower represents the one they love.”
“Is there anyone that represents good luck or duality in this school? Morning glories seem to represent those virtues.”
As soon as those words slipped out of his mouth, the noirette simply glanced at Nagito. Somehow, her nervous expression seemed to fade away as she deadpanned at him, her gaze eyeing him up and down.
She looked… calm. Calmer than he thought she was capable of.
It was scary.
“Komaeda,” she began, her usually nervous, stuttering voice now taken over by an emotionless, monotone one, “ever considered looking at the Ultimate Lucksters? Not to mention- duality? The only Lucky Student that can easily snap because of one little virtue called hope …”
Oh. Oh. He… never considered that.
Ever.
Him? Hinata likes- no, loves him?
No. There’s…
“...not enough evidence,” the pale teen whispered under his breath. He glanced back up at Tsumiki, who was suddenly back to her usual shy self, limbs twitching and fidgeting. Oh, she’s back to normal.
“Gah! S-sorry! Was m-my r-realization wrong? I-I’m sorry! I t-tend to d-do that a lot-”
“No, Tsumiki-san!” Nagito cut her off, placing a hand gently on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down. “You were a great help. Thank you for making that connection- it was something I overlooked.”
“O-Oh…! W-well, th-th-thank you!” she squeaked, a sheepish smile worming its way onto her face. “I h-hope you find out w-what’s wrong with y-your friend!”
The white-haired male nodded, eyes gleaming gratefully, before he ultimately fled to look for solid evidence.
Hinata couldn’t be in love with someone like him… right?
And Hinata couldn’t have caught a disease such as this one…
God, everything was just too overwhelming.
--
“I’ve managed to… uh, let’s say visit Hinata-san’s room,” Saihara began, shoving one of his hands into his slingbag. “I’ve investigated his room thoroughly, and I found these.”
He took out his phone, and a small plastic bag full of bloodied petals. Specifically, morning glory petals. Moreover, shown on his phone’s screen were photos of bedsheets stained with drops of blood, and the sink running to attempt in washing off the blood.
“Whatever this blood and petals are, it certainly seemed like he was in a rush,” he commented, handing out the clues to Nagito. The older teen muttered a thank you, carefully examining the pieces of evidence in his hands.
“Blood on the petals seem fresh,” Nagito hummed, narrowing his eyes as he moved onto the pictures. “The blood on the sheets looks like it's old, though. Or possibly he attempted to wipe it off, but it still left a stain.”
“Mhm,” Kirigiri hummed, suddenly appearing behind the two of them. Saihara let out a startled noise, quickly snapping his head toward the older detective to glare at her. She simply smirked.
“Sorry about that,” she chuckled, leaning against a nearby wall. “Were you two discussing evidence? Because I found a crucial piece, and I believe it’s the answer.”
The thin male glanced at his underclassman, cokcing his head as he perked up in curiosity, and anticipation. “The answer, you say?”
Kirigiri nodded, and opened her phone to present some… pictures of a phone screen. Specifically, pictures of text messages.
“Is that Hinata-san’s messages?” Saihara asked, eyeing the photos closely. Nagito narrowed his eyes, swallowing quietly. How…?
“Look at them, Nagito.”
tsumikitty : are you sure hinata?
tsumikitty : hed be really worried about you.
ahogay : its fine.
ahogay : if he finds out hes the reason im… hurting, who knows what he’ll do
tsumikitty : can’t you just take surgery??
tsumikitty : if this keeps going with no treatment, you’ll die, hinata!
ahogay : do you think i’d want to completely forget about my best friend’s existence?
ahogay : i’d literally rather die than forget everything we had
ahogay : im sorry tsumiki but im choosing to wait and see
ahogay : and im sorry if all your efforts were wasted in the end
tsumikitty : dont say that.
tsumikitty : just at least tell him
tsumikitty : he needs to know
ahogay : no.
ahogay : ive decided.
ahogay : he cant know.
Nagito couldn’t breathe.
He was the sole reason Hinata was sick.
He was the sole reason Hinata was dying .
He ignored the two detectives’ attempts to console, as he scrolled through more screenshots for more evidence.
ahogay : hanahaki cant be cured unless with surgery right tsumiki
tsumikitty : unfortunately yes
tsumikitty : but if the love is returned the disease blows off
ahogay : ah ok
ahogay : also could i get some throat medicine later
tsumikitty : oh yeah sure!!
tsumikitty : also i know ive been pestering you about this a lot but its really important
ahogay : yea
tsumikitty : are you going to tell komaeda about your feelings?
tsumikitty : or at least your hanahaki?
tsumikitty : he might figure it out soon knowing him and youll never know whatd he do if he found out you were hiding something
ahogay : he already knows im hiding something
ahogay : just please dont tell him anything okay
ahogay : i can deal with this on my own
tsumikitty : are you sure you can take the pain?
ahogay : definitely.
Fuck.
He needed to see Hinata. Right now.
“Komaeda-san, wait-!” Saihara tried to stop him from rushing away, grabbing at his sleeves as the older tried to struggle away from his grip. He could feel Kirigiri restraining him as well, a frustrated noise escaping his lips.
“I need to fucking see him!” Nagito hissed.
“Don’t you think seeing you absolutely mad would worsen his condition?” the violet-haired student snapped, her tone stern. Nagito’s gaze sharply averted towards the detective. She was definitely trying to get her point across. “He’d be even more nervous and try to run away. Calm down first.”
“This is exactly the way Koizumi-san acted when she found out Saionji-san had the same disease,” the youngest out of all of them mumbled, loosening his grip as Nagito’s nerves seemed to fade away. “Because of that, Saionji-san coughed up whole flowers out of shock and couldn’t speak for hours.”
Nagito heard a hum of agreement from the other female, and sighed, giving up. He didn’t want to put Hinata in anymore pain than he currently was experiencing. He did notice one thing though. The mental image of Sonia and Saionji chatting about Hanahaki clicked in his mind.
“So,” he began, his expression now completely calm and collected, “Saionji-san experienced Hanahaki as well?”
“Yeah. It was the reason why Seiko-san and Tsumiki-san were paranoid and couldn’t heal people properly for a week,” Kirigiri added, letting out a quiet sigh as she crossed her arms. “It’s best you confront him in a calm but assertive way. Don’t pressure him. Pressure may make him cough severely.”
The pale teen sighed in defeat, feeling Saihara completely letting go of his sleeves, allowing him to move freely. He just nodded, knowing his best friend.
“Alright. If it’s alright, I’ll ask him about it tonight.”
“Good luck.”
--
The sun had already fallen, only the moon taking its place. It was already time. He had been waiting for the day to end just so he could finally know the real truth straight out from Hinata’s mouth.
If Nagito were to be completely honest, he was actually scared. Scared that his assumptions were right, but also wrong, and there was no hope of saving his best friend from pain and… inevitable death. Nagito knew. He knew that everyone dies eventually.
But he was selfish, and didn’t want the brunet to die this early. He didn’t want to lose his soothing, yet fun presence.
He wasn’t ready for a life without Hinata Hajime.
As the teen traversed through the halls, he chuckled quietly to himself. Maybe he was over-exaggerating a bit. It wasn’t as if Hinata was going to die today- he didn’t need to be too worried. There’s just that tiny shred of hope left inside of him that everything will be resolved in the end.
It’s just wishful thinking, but knowing Nagito, it might just end up coming true.
Snapping out of his thoughts, he noticed Nanami against the wall with her usual neutral expression, pressing (more like slamming) multiple buttons on her game console as she was completely focused. She looked like she hadn’t slept properly for months.
“Nanami-san?” he asked, lightly tapping her shoulder to receive her attention. Surprisingly, she glanced at him immediately, humming in question, “Yeah, Komaeda-kun?”
“Do you know where Hinata-kun is?” he asked once more, hoping for a helpful answer. With that, the gamer nodded, closing her console and shoving it deep into her bag before she turned to face him properly.
“He’s likely at the fountain. Have fun with meeting him or whatever you’re going to do with him.”
“Thank you Nanami-san!” Nagito nodded and a faint grateful smile before quickly dashing off. There was no time to waste. He was waiting for a while now and he couldn’t believe he forgot that his own best friend, whom of which he’s known for almost a year now, was probably going to be in the fountain.
He kept going- he skidded through slippery floors, jumped over random obstacles, knocked over a few students (he was in a hurry, okay) until he finally reached outside, hastily racing over toward the fountain. It was a miracle Nagito was willingly running this much, but everything related to Hinata was always an exception to his preferences or beliefs, so this was expected.
He himself didn’t even realize he was running so fast, too absorbed in Hinatahinatahinatahinata hinatahinatahinatahinatahinata -
“Hinata-kun!” the white-haired male called out when he saw the familiar spiky brown hair from a distance, not even bothering to use the pathway as he leapt over the bushes-
And ungracefully fell.
“Komaeda!” He heard his best friend cry out in worry, footsteps rushing toward him in a quick manner.
Before Hinata could actually help him, Nagito suddenly grabbed his shoulders, pulling them both further into the bush. A surprised cry escaped the younger’s lips as they toppled, twigs digging into both of their backs and leaves getting tangled in their hair. “Ko- what the hell-”
“I know this is an inconvenient situation for you but I need answers,” the pale teen began, lessening the distance between the two of their faces as he stared directly into the brunet’s gaze. There was a gleam of worry in his eyes, hidden in clouds of confusion.
“Answers? For wha-” He was cut off again when he was suddenly pulled closer, their position suddenly becoming… suggestive. Hinata was now straddling his lap, distance barely present between them. His best friend quickly turned bright red, looking away as he pressed his hands against Nagito’s chest. He, however, was completely unfazed, too absorbed in prying Hinata’s secrets open.
“G...get off-” he began, but-
“Why didn’t you tell me about your Hanahaki?”
Silence.
The air around them, the awkward tension suddenly forgotten. It was replaced with anticipation. Nagito watched as the realization dawned upon the other, as he recoiled his arms and forced them to his sides. He could see the… uncertainty, and fear clouding his usually bright, happy gaze. Did he ask too fast? Was the question too overwhelming? There was one thing for certain though.
Nagito’s suspicions were right. The look in his friend’s eyes… there was no doubt it. He did have Hanahaki.
“I’m right, aren’t I?”
Hinata let out a shaky breath, hesitantly looking up into the older’s gaze. He opened his mouth to speak, but quickly bit his lip. With bated breath, the white-haired teen continued to stare directly into his eyes, waiting for him to speak up.
“...How did you know?” he finally spoke up, after a few moments. “I… did Tsumiki-”
“I’m sorry for saying something like this, but I’m not stupid, Hinata-kun,” Nagito huffed, his tone deep and calm, letting the other know he was completely serious. “I know the difference between genuine excuses and bullshit.”
“I-I know. I should’ve known you would…” he sighed, lowering his head and looking down. “You figured it out, didn’t you? On your own?”
“I’ve acquired a little help. But-” the pale student sighed, letting go of one of Hinata’s shoulders and running it through his hair to calm himself down. “Why did you keep me from knowing? You didn’t even have to tell me that I-I was the reasons you were in pain.”
“I was scared,” he admitted. His voice was shaky, figure trembling, and Nagito could tell he was struggling not to cry. Should he comfort him? “Y-You would’ve found out eventually, knowing your p-persistence. You’d find out that m-me, someone like me, actually loves you and you’d either h-hate me or do everything in y-your power to-”
He was cut off as Nagito suddenly pulled him into a hug, arms wrapping tightly around him as he buried his face into his shoulder. The older could feel his best friend shivering, clinging onto him as if his life depended on it.
“M’sorry…” he muttered, his apology muffled through the other’s jacket. “M’so sorry… I should’ve… I’m sorry…”
“It’s alright,” Nagito cooed gently, hugging him tighter and cradling him closer. Hinata lightly shook as he stifled his sobs, hugging back just as tight. “I’d never hate you, Hinata-kun.”
They continued to quietly hold each other, the anticipation in the air gradually dissipating. Nagito soaked in the brunet’s warmth, breathing in his scent. He smelled of the morning glory flowers, and… sunshine. He knew sunshine wasn’t a smell, but…
Before they could comprehend what happened next, Hinata immediately pulled away, hands covering his mouth as he leaned forward. Violent coughs erupted from his throat, releasing his mouth as whole flowers fell, covered in large amounts of blood. The tall teen could only watch as the coughing continued, up until a whole plant actually fell down with the rest. Nagito instinctively shuffled back to avoid the quick spreading of the pool of blood.
He glanced at Hinata, who had grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket and was now wiping his lips clean, breathing heavily as he calmed down. His cheeks were flushed and his voice was raspy and rough.
"Sorry for letting you see that. Uhm," he whispered hesitantly, looking away in embarrassment. Rolling his eyes, Nagito moved forward to capture him in a quick hug. He felt the comforting warmth once more.
It was only a few moments before the two pulled away, goofy smiles on their faces.
“Hinata-kun,” Nagito murmured, leaning down to grab a small, bloodied petal from the ground. The brunet hummed in question, eyes looking back and forth from Nagito himself and the petal in his hands.
“Yeah?”
“These flowers are for me, correct?” he asked, lightly caressing the surface of the petal as he examined it. Hinata looked away, sheepishly chuckling as he bit his lip. “Mmm, yeah.”
“Good."
In one swift movement, Nagito grabbed his tie and pulled him closer, closing the distance between them. Their lips met, pressing against each other, warmth spreading through both of their faces. Holy fuck. Holy fuck . Hinata tasted amazing . His lips tasted sweet, warm, like sunshine. Was sunshine a taste? At the moment, it didn’t matter.
The kiss was short and sweet, the two pulling away to catch their breath. The other looked extremely flustered, cheeks flushed and lips parted. It made him wonder what he looked like to Hinata.
“So,” he began, feeling himself smile like an idiot. “You know tha-”
He was cut off in another hungry kiss, lips pressing desperately against his own as the brunet pulled them impossibly closer together. The taller tasted sunshine once again, sighing into the kiss as he lightly wrapped an arm around the other’s waist. He wanted to taste more . Nagito pressed against his lips more insistently, licking into Hinata’s mouth, coaxing a soft whimper from the other.
God, he sounded beautiful.
The kiss continued at a rougher pace, teeth clashing together and their tongues battling for dominance- in the end, Nagito had won though, too persistent and caught up in the other. Small noises continued to enact out of Hinata’s lips as he tasted every crevice of his sweet mouth, feeling the other’s grip weaken the more he continued.
Once again, they both had to pull away, both disheveled more than ever before. (It was then that Nagito concluded that Hinata was the human embodiment of sunshine.) Nagito tried to regain his breath, staring directly into Hinata’s half-lidded gaze. A large, faint smile played his lips, which earned him a quiet giggle from the brunet.
“W-well, that happened,” Hinata hummed, his face adorably flushed a bright red. He diverted his gaze, looking satisfied but a bit unsure.
“Yep,” Nagito agreed, placing his forehead against Hinata’s, causing him to look back at the pale teen. They both grinned like idiots, just smiling and wallowing in their satisfaction and happiness before they realized it was already Night Time.
--
“Finally! The day of celebration has come!” Nanami announced, extremely loudly, standing up on the teacher’s desk holding up a grape juice box. “The damn idiots finally come into terms with their gayness for each other and are now banging each other!”
“I- we literally just got together yesterday. We are not banging,” Hinata yelled in protest, his volume equally as loud as the class representatives. The gamer just huffed and crossed her arms, muttering something along the lines of “just let me dream you cactus.” In the midst of everyone’s chaos and happiness, Nagito just laughed, rolling his eyes.
“Also, Komaeda, you have no idea how much Hinata has freaked out about you to all of us. Just saying,” Kuzuryuu shrugged, sipping on an orange juice box as he leaned against his desk. “We had actual meetings about you.”
“Why are you my classmates? Why did I choose to join you guys?” the brunet groaned, burying his face in Nagito’s shoulder, seemingly regretting his life choices. The white haired student lightly nudged him, replying, “Because you love us.”
He looked up, a very forced frown now plastered on his boyfriend’s (it felt really good saying that) face, sighing. “Unfortunately, I do.”
“You love Komaeda the most though.”
“Why are you targeting me specifically? Why not Komaeda? Assholes.”