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"Flowers are sweet, I really like yellow tulips. If I remember correctly, I think they mean hopeless love. That's hella cute. What about you guys?"
Akaashi and Konoha's eyes meet and the latter lets out a snort, which makes the former huff in amusement.
"Oi Bokuto, since when have you been a nerd for flowers?", Konoha asks, and he watches the bi-colour haired boy flush, pouting in embarrassment.
"I'm not a nerd! I just read something online about it and I thought it was cool. Ah— oi! Akaashi, stop laughing at me! Konoha not you too— AHHH! STOP!"
Bokuto gets even more flustered, hands immediately going to Akaashi's arms covering his face. Konoha tries to ignore the way his heart dropped at the sight before him.
Weeks pass, and Konoha thinks of buying yellow tulips for Bokuto's birthday. It was the last one they'd get to spend in Fukurodani, and he wanted to be as extra as he can get. On the way home, he coughs out a single yellow petal.
Konoha's train of thought stopped as his breath hitched. Silky petals blocked his throat off once more, and he hurled on the toilet again, filling it with more petals of various colours. Most were yellow, apart from a few purples and pinks.
He feels a hand on his back and sees a water bottle be positioned in front of his face. The green haired boy exhaustedly takes a few sips, effectively pausing his tiring sobs.
When he eyes the person beside him— of course it being Akaashi— he glances away with guilt. He didn't know if the second year knew what his flowers meant, but with his situation being discovered and with Bokuto's current flower obsession, he wouldn't be surprised if Akaashi figured out the meaning of each petal he'd been coughing out.
It was ironic really, he had been on the way home from school thinking about buying flowers for Bokuto when he coughs out his first petal. He was immediately disgusted with himself, rushing home to tell his mom about his floral problem.
When their family doctor confirms that he was on the early stages of the hanahaki disease, his mom had furiously apologized for not informing him. The last case of the disease was almost 13 generations ago, and she thought that her Akinori would be skipped as well.
But that's not how genetics work, is it?
Not only did he start developing a rare genetic disease, which caused his lungs to literally get pierced in the late stages, he also had to get his heart broken with each passing day.
He had told his volleyball team that he was going to play the sport a little less frequently, stating that he wasn't allowed to tire himself out much anymore. And whilst one of the advices was also to avoid the person of your affections, he simply couldn't do that one.
No, he couldn't avoid his best friend like that.
But dear fucking god did it hurt everytime he had to watch Bokuto and Akaashi slowly but surely fall in love with each other.
The whole team had predicted that one (or both) of them would eventually catch feelings for the other. It started with Sarukui finding middle school Akaashi watching Bokuto play, as if the first year was a star. He was also the first to notice that Bokuto's interest had immediately been piqued when Akaashi introduced himself.
When the brunette pointed it out, they noticed it more and more. It was as if there was an invisible magnet pulling the two together.
Konoha had joked about Akaashi getting tired of the ace, but when he had defended Bokuto, his heart had clenched with suspicion.
And when Haruki had teased Bokuto by asking if he had a crush on Akaashi, he definitely didn't miss the voice crack and the blush their captain sported as he dodged the question.
Honestly, Konoha was foolish to think— to hope— that Bokuto wouldn't fall in love with Akaashi.
But he thinks it was even more foolish of him to hope that Akaashi didn't have feelings for him as well, just so that a brokenhearted Bokuto can come find comfort in the warmth of Konoha's arms.
When Bokuto found out about Konoha having the hanahaki disease, he doesn't pry. He only smiles at Konoha and tell him that he will always be there for him.
He considers telling Bokuto about his feelings.
But before he could even confess, the world crashed around him in just 5 words.
"KEIJI AND I ARE DATING!", Bokuto announces. His setter— boyfriend— blushes, muttering something about "waiting it out for a bit" to Bokuto.
Whilst the others were congratulating the new couple, Konoha had started hacking before he could even say a word. A metallic and bitter taste fills his mouth, as he coughs out the flower bud.
It was a yellow rose.
He runs to the toilet which leads him to his current position with Akaashi right behind him.
Neither of them had spoken, until Akaashi had decided to break the silence.
"Konoha-san… Can you tell me who it is that you love?"
The third year scoffs at the proposition. Why in the ever green fuck would he tell the boyfriend of his person of affection about his feelings? He wasn't an idiot.
"Yellow chrysanthemums, roses, and tulips, purple lilacs, camellias, and daffodils. Do you know your flowers, 'Kaashi?"
He had listed down the flowers he'd been coughing out, as his doctor needed him to keep track of which flowers he'd been vomiting out, just to keep watch of flowers with thorns and the like.
"I… don't know all of them. But I do know that yellow tulips are Koutaro-san's favourites. And yellow roses mean friendship… I think I know who it is."
Konoha replies with another heave, and he vomits out even more petals and buds. Akaashi's hand rubs his back once more, as his eyes get teary.
When he stops and he drinks water again, he glances at Akaashi, who was now biting his lip.
"Are you… are you perhaps in love with Koutaro-san?"
Konoha winces, as he takes a deep (and painful) breath.
"If I was?"
"I… I'd break up with him. Until you get your feelings sorted out—"
Slap.
Akaashi's eyes widen and tears pool at the corner of his eyes. His left cheek had reddened, and Konoha huffs with anger.
"Are you fucking kidding me, Akaashi? Don't you dare pity me. Don't you fucking dare hurt Bokuto either."
The second year purses his lip and looks down, letting the tears fall from his eyes. Konoha pushes the guilt down and lets the anger and jealousy boil up and overflow in him.
"If your feelings for Bokuto are so fucking weak that you'd be willing to let go of him just like that, then yeah, break up with him. Don't fucking lead him on—"
"My feelings aren't weak."
"Then why make that dumb offer?"
Akaashi lets out a shaky sigh, he continues.
"Because I think I'm not good enough for him. He's more perfect than words could ever describe and I'm just… me. You've known him for longer than I have. What if you're better for him?"
"What if I am better for him?"
Konoha stares down at the second year before him.
"That doesn't fucking matter now, does it? Because I'm the one vomiting out flowers. I'm the one with unrequited love here. Are you a fucking idiot, Akaashi? He loves you. Why isn't that good enough for you?"
The third year can't tell when he had started crying as well, but he had. Akaashi lets out a shaky laugh, before breaking down once more, muttering broken strings of "you're right" and "i'm sorry". Konoha lets his tears fall silently.
Minutes passed and their sobs had died down. Konoha flushes the toilet and they laugh at their reflections, eyes puffy and Akaashi's cheek red. They wash their hands and faces, completely disregarding the fact that the two of them had skipped practice.
Silence surrounded them as they headed outside the toilet. They changed their shoes, exiting the campus.
Only to find Bokuto waiting at the gate, his gaze focused on his phone. His bag strap was positioned on his head, two white plastic bags from the nearby convenience store balanced on his right hand.
Konoha and Akaashi look at each other, and he's reminded of the first time they talked about Bokuto's interest in flowers.
He lets out a small scoff, and Akaashi smiles softly. They approach the ace, who grins at them.
"Hey! Y'know practice got cancelled because of you two, but I got you food! I got Konoha's chips and Keiji's Pocky, I even got you two drinks."
"Thank you, Koutaro-san.", Akaashi replies, right hand intertwining with Bokuto's free hand.
"Suspicious, who gave you enough money to treat us?", Konoha jokes, knowing that Bokuto knew how careless he was with money.
"Gah! ...I took some money from my allowance for tomorrow…"
They laugh, and if Bokuto noticed how puffy both of their eyes were, how Akaashi's cheek was now red, and how his boyfriend was a bit more affectionate, he didn't mention any of them.
Konoha slows his steps down, and he watches the couple before them. The sun was setting, casting an oddly angelic glow at the two boys before him, and he let a tired smile take over his lips.
He thinks of finally buying Bokuto and Akaashi their well deserved flowers, and he'll finally ask about surgery procedures for his poor lungs.