Work Text:
It was a normal day.
They just finished a normal job,
had their usual banter,
but something was unusual.
Only Lu Guang seemed to notice it, while Cheng Xiaoshi acted the normal way he does.
But Lu Guang had an unusual feeling in his stomach.
“I’ll be back.” Lu Guang excused himself to the restroom as his chest started to hurt.
The unusual.
“Don’t take too long to shit! I’m next!” Xiaoshi hollered cheekily, stuffing his mouth with more noodles, not questioning nor noticing the way Lu Guang clutched his stomach.
Lu Guang’s breathing became uneven by the time he arrived in the washroom.
The disgusting feeling of illness swarmed his instincts, his arms heavily leaned onto the sink as he stared at his reflection in the mirror.
His nose was scrunched up, his eyebrows creased as another wave of pain arrived in his stomach.
Suddenly, his throat felt scratchy, almost as if something was clawing its way to his mouth.
He closed his eyes and coughed.
Lu Guang wasn’t sure if he wanted to open his eyes. What would he see? How many minutes did he spend here already? He looked like a mess right now, he didn’t even want to check the mirror.
What would Xiaoshi say? Lu Guang rarely gets sick, and he barely used his power of eyesight today to call it an excuse.
Last time he was sick Xiaoshi thought he passed out.
Another cough.
A knock on the door. Lu Guang’s eyes shot open.
Red. Yellow. Red.
“Lu Guang! You okay? Don’t tell me you got diarrhea.. I promise I followed the instructions!” Xiaoshi knocked again and shouted from the other side of the door.
Lu Guang’s voice was raspy as hell. He couldn’t say anything.
Not that he could try anyway, he was too shocked to even attempt a reassuring line.
A pool of blood slowly made it’s way to the bottom of the sink, accompanied by yellow spider lilies.
He coughed flowers.
Thankfully, after a few minutes of gurgling water, he was able to pitifully speak through the door and reassure Xiaoshi he was okay.
He was not okay.
He composed himself, and left the washroom where the flowers were shoved down the drain.
He hoped to never see them again, and that this was all a coincidence, an accident, or perhaps even better, a hallucination.
But it wasn’t. The next day, Xiaoshi accidentally fell on him. His clumsy self tripped, and fell straight into Lu Guang. Who was currently staring up at Xiaoshi, caged up within Xiaoshi’s arms.
His chest clenched, his stomach ached, his throat itched. The same phenomenon as yesterday.
He gently shoved Xiaoshi off him, who was still dazed and shocked, and walked straight to the washroom.
He acted composed.
But everything felt like shit.
As soon as he locked the washroom’s door, he puked and coughed into the sink once more.
Even more yellow spider lilies, and probably even more blood. Fuck. Hanahaki disease? Seriously?
The night after yesterday’s incident, he researched for similar illnesses he was currently facing. And the one that most matched up was hanahaki disease. Yet, who did he have unrequited love for? Qiao Ling?
No, that wouldn’t make sense. Something about that screamed ‘It’s not her.’ He knew it wasn’t her.
The only person who he’s close enough to.. the only person who he interacted with before everything started aching, Cheng Xiaoshi.
Wow, how ironic, falling in love with your best friend, your first friend, how stupid this all is.
Only he fits the description. But, love?
What even is that?
Initially, Lu Guang thought it was fluttering butterflies in your stomach that would signify love, or glances stolen and adoration or admiration.
But he didn’t feel any of those.
To him, Cheng Xiaoshi was someone who he couldn’t leave, or ever separate from. They’re a duo, it’s always Xiaoshi and Lu Guang. They’ve been working together ever since they met, they’re practically inseparable.
If that was love… it was unrequited.
Another cough. More flowers, more yellow mocking petals.
Yellow spider lilies represent death and rebirth.
Oh. So that’s how it was.
He was going to die soon.
But he wasn’t scared, he wasn’t sad either.
Nor mad at the world.
He only wondered how much time did he have left?
…
Lu Guang woke up to a familiar feeling in his chest.
But something in his head told him it was the last time.
The panic resurfaced, the anxiousness he thought he could hide away, it came for him.
Death loomed above him, yet suddenly, the all too familiar snoring and shuffling from under him blocked most of the fear away.
Lu Guang knows that he loves Xiaoshi, so it’s okay.
And that it was unrequited, but he didn’t need it any other way.
And that in the end, it didn’t matter.
He was assured and unafraid of losing Xiaoshi, since well, they were bound to be together.
Yellow Spider Lilies represent rebirth, they would meet again, Lu Guang was sure.
Lu Guang silently climbed down the top bunk, clutching his stomach in pain.
He slowly kneeled beside the bottom bunk bed, laid his arms in the space where Xiaoshi didn’t take up, where the one he loved was fast asleep.
Lu guang had one final cough, staining Xiaoshi’s sheets with his blood, making his lastbmark before he left. He held the yellow spider lilies that appeared and laid his head down, as near to Xiaoshi as he possibly could.
He treasured these spider lilies deeply, because they were what reassured him he would see Cheng Xiaoshi again. That he would hear his laugh again, that he would playfully argue with him again, that they would fight and work it out again, that they would hug again, and possibly kiss to seal their love in the future.
Lu Guang never considered love, and maybe that’s because there was no one in this world who he could learn to love, besides Cheng Xiaoshi.
Every life, he would see him. His body and soul was always that way. These flowers held more than stomach pain, sore throats, blood, it held the comfort knowing that he’d never be separated from Xiaoshi, ever again.
The words “I love you.” died in his throat as he smiled through death with no pain, picturing beautiful flowers around Xiaoshi as he too smiled and called his name.
Flowers that hold a promise.
The End.
Art for this fic by my friend :