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Leonard stared at the back of Klein as the man got further and further away. “A-aren’t you returning to the Church?”
Klein didn’t turn around as he wore his silk top hat and headed for another exit of the square. After a few steps, he paused and replied to Leonard with his back facing him, “I can’t return anymore…”
And then, he was gone.
‘Can’t return anymore…’ Leonard let out a broken laugh as tears streamed down his face.
Klein had left him once again.
Ma’am Daly was dead, the Old Man was weakened and asleep, and Klein had left him. All that was left in Leonard was this aching hollowness. Everything seemed so futile now. He kept laughing, hollow and broken. Because what could he possibly do now? What future was there left for him? Klein clearly didn’t need him anymore.
Why should he keep living in a world where he had no purpose in, where the only one he’d ever loved had left him behind once more?
Suddenly, a heaving cough broke from Leonard and that hollow laugh turned into a fit of coughing and wheezing.
And then blood splattered all over his clothes.
He kept coughing up blood, staining his ruined clothes even further.
He sat there for minutes. It hurt to move. It hurt to cough but he couldn’t stop. Finally, he managed to dislodge something from his throat and he stopped coughing. His throat was raw and it hurt. He looked down at what he just coughed up.
A singular yellow petal that was stained with blood.
He had learned about this a few years ago. A sickness only Beyonders can get and one no doctor could ever heal.
Hanahaki disease.
The disease that was caused by unrequited love that made one cough up flowers until the flowers choked them to death or they confessed their love. They’d start as petals until slowly, they would cough up flowers and leaves and stems until their bodies were overtaken entirely.
He knew this, because it was a disease Ma’am Daly was afflicted with since a year ago. The target of her love was their old Captain, Dunn Smith.
The Church knew they couldn’t force her to confess, but as she was a valuable asset, they made sure she got the best health potions and treatment to slow the spread as best as they could.
A coworker told Leonard this when he became a Red Glove. About how one day, Ma’am Daly was in another fit of coughs. Their team knew about her ailments and knew it had yet to become serious and to just let her be to get all of the petals out of her system.
But she kept coughing. And coughing. And eventually, there was nothing else left to cough up. Not like she was choking on them, but they just kept coming. The health potions didn’t help her, they simply made it worse as more petals, flowers, and entire stems were coughed out.
The blood-covered flowers went from vibrant to wilted. Until finally, the last sad petal fell from her lips and wilted to dust before her eyes.
That was how Ma’am Daly learned Captain Dunn had died.
“Heh, Ma’am Daly, Captain Dunn, Old Neil, Kenley…” Leonard whispered, voice hoarse. “I’ll be seeing you all soon. I… have a lot to tell you guys about.”
Footsteps rapidly approached. It was the Church of Evernight. And like a switch was flipped, Leonard let himself rest. His head flopped over, completely exhausted and he immediately blacked out.
—————
Leonard woke up in the Church’s hospital beds and hardly had a moment to rest.
First, Crestet Cesimir, Saint Anthony and Captain Soest were there. They were discussing Klein, and Saint Anthony even suggested Klein was the Blessed of Evernight!
As soon as they left, a red light enveloped him and he was brought to the divine kingdom of Mr. Fool. Somehow, he had joined Mr. Fool’s secret gathering and learned that the parasite inside of him was actually an Angel.
Finally, he was let back into the real world and slumped against the bed.
At least he would be seeing Klein more often at the Tarot gatherings…
The mere thought of Klein sent him into another coughing fit, blood splattering all over his white bandages. Another petal fell from his lips.
Suddenly, the door to his hospital room opened and two of his colleagues, Bob and Cindy, walked in. They froze upon seeing Leonard’s state, seeing the petal he just coughed out. Leonard weakly waved at them.
“Leonard, you…” Bob began.
“So, this workaholic actually has someone he loves?” Cindy said in an attempt to tease but her face was worried and her voice shaky. They all knew the high fatality rate of this disease.
Leonard let out a weak laugh. “Rest assured, it won’t be this disease that kills me.”
Bob and Cindy exchanged a glance. They knew how stubborn Leonard was. How he constantly worked whenever he had free time and never backed down on a case until he solved it.
This time would be no different.
Leonard was dead set on living with this disease and not confessing. There was nothing the two of them could do about it.
“Hey, you know, Albert is going to advance to Sequence 6 soon,” Bob brought up, attempting to change the subject.
Beyonders are guardians, but also a bunch of miserable wretches that are constantly fighting against dangers and madness. So the least they could do was keep each other company in this miserable existence.
—————
It had only been a day when Leonard had been enveloped by the red light once again.
There were other members with him this time and his first meeting at the Tarot Club began. But seriously, the things they were talking about were just… absolutely crazy. Even Ms. Judgement didn’t look shocked!
When he returned back to the physical world, a voice suddenly sounded inside of his mind. “Whose dream did you enter a moment ago?”
Ah, the Old Man had woken up. Speaking of, he just learned the Old Man was an Angel.
Mr. Fool had permitted him to share the information with the Old Man, so he didn’t hide anything. After he finished talking, the Old Man stayed silent for a beat.
“You… For your old colleague?” He asked with a tinge of… pity?
Leonard was confused for a moment before he remembered that the Old Man probably saw the Hanahaki growing in his body. He nodded, “Yeah, a real shame, isn’t it? You’re going to have to find a new host soon…”
The Old Man let out a grunt. “You won’t die that easily, boy. The Church will stop it for as long as possible and I can also ‘steal’ some of the effects.”
“You act so uncaring but you really do care,” Leonard said with a sad smile. “At least… I want to be useful to Klein before I die.”
Without any external influence, someone with Hanahaki usually died after two years. Health potions could prolong that to three to five, but with an Angel helping him, Leonard reckoned he could survive for a few more years longer than that. Of course, the growth of Hanahaki also depended on how often you thought of that person.
Leonard laughed self-deprecatingly. “Heh, I’m really sorry, Klein…”
—————
It wasn’t easy, living with this disease.
Especially when everything reminded Leonard of Klein. Pallez had gotten used to immediately stealing the damage after every Tarot meeting.
A few months later, Klein had somehow gotten trapped in the Land of the Forsaken Gods. His humanity began to weaken and under the constant threat of Amon looming over him, Klein began to crack.
So he went to Leonard.
Oh, the elation Leonard felt when Klein had explained how talking to Leonard restored his humanity.
How desperately he wanted to confess his love right there and then.
But that thought was so utterly selfish. Klein was under the constant threat of drying every second, so how could Leonard even consider burdening the man with such thoughts?
Perhaps his love couldn’t be considered ‘pure’. Perhaps Leonard was still stuck in the past, in Tingen where every moment spent with Klein was filled with thrill and happiness.
Even so, he loved Klein so much.
So much so that even if he had to choke down those feelings that sprung roots around his heart and made petals fill his lungs, he’d do so.
All to keep Klein in his life, even if just as friends.
—————
It was a year later, when Klein left him for the third time. And he didn’t even say goodbye.
All that he gave Leonard was a gold coin that was apparently special, according to the Old Man.
And Leonard?
He could tell if he didn’t do something, he was going to die soon. He was vomiting up entire flowers and stems daily now. Even the Old Man couldn’t do much as even after using Theft, more flowers would grow shortly after.
His colleagues looked at him with pity. Cindy and Bob were especially worried about him. They had watched Leonard go from a quiet and determined Red Glove to a more cheerful and experienced Captain, now back to a man who hardly talked anymore.
It simply hurt too much to do so.
The pain from speaking reminded him that he was cursed with an unrequited love for Klein. And then more flowers would grow, because his thoughts always circled back to Klein.
Eventually, it seemed the Tarot Club members had enough.
During one of their monthly meetings a year or two after Mr. Fool’s slumber, Miss Justice had addressed it outright. Now that Mr. Fool was gone, the fog had lifted over their faces and everyone began to be a little less formal with each other. It was awkward at first without Mr. Fool there, but slowly, they got their usual rhythm back.
“Leonard, what’s going on?” She asked. “You act as if you’re going to die soon and you do nothing about it.” Miss Justice was of the Spectator pathway and couldn’t tell what ailment Leonard had, but she could see how resigned he was to living.
Mr. Moon chimed in next. “Yes, I can see your health has been rapidly deteriorating. Some kind of slow acting disease?”
Everyone turned to look at Leonard with varying levels of concern and shock that one of their members was actively dying.
“Ahem, well…” Leonard began. “It’s just, well, I have Hanahaki.” He decided there was no use hiding it in front of a group of powerful Beyonders and there’d be no point in hiding it anyways.
The table was silent, until Little Sun spoke up. “That’s the lovesick disease, right? Why don’t you confess to who you love, then?”
“Well, if the person doesn’t reciprocate that love, it is very likely that you die,” Mr. Hanged Man replied.
“I’m sure Leonard could woo them…” Ms. Magician said. Though she was concerned, she was very obviously curious. She’d probably use this plot for her novel. “No one would turn down your good looks, especially if you tried to win them over.”
“Ah, well…” Leonard began. “You see, this person… Is Mr. World.”
Ms. Magician suddenly looked as pale as a ghost, Ms. Judgement patting her comfortingly on the shoulder.
“I’m sure you all know I have quite the history with him,” Leonard said. “I’m going to die soon. It’s a shame I won’t be there by the time he wakes up, but…”
Ms. Hermit spoke up. “How long has it been since you contracted Hanahaki?”
“Hmm… About two or three years,” Leonard replied.
“It shouldn’t be killing you this fast, then. With the support of the Church and Mr. Zororast, you should be living for at least two more years.”
Leonard sighed self-deprecatingly. “I guess this proves how deeply I feel for him.”
The table fell into an awkward silence for a beat until Little Sun broke it. “We can do something about it, can’t we? Like slow the disease until Mr. World wakes up!”
“If you don’t mind…” Miss Justice spoke up. “I could implement a Psychological Cue within you. It’ll make you think less about Mr. World, though it won’t stop such thoughts entirely.”
Immediately, Leonard opened his mouth to oppose before he stopped himself. Not thinking about Klein anymore felt so wrong. But… Even though he knows his feelings will never be reciprocated, would it be so selfish to want to survive until Klein wakes up? Would it be selfish to want to see Klein once more before he dies?
“Please, Mr. Star. None of us want you to die,” Miss Justice spoke again. She was gentle with her words and as a Spectator, she knew what Leonard was feeling.
“… Alright,” Leonard replied after a beat of silence.
Mr. Moon frowned. “I too am not keen on letting a member of our Tarot Club die so easily. I will concoct some highly potent potions that should slow the effects down enough that you will witness the reawakening of Mr. World.”
Leonard looked at him with surprise. “Really?”
“Hey, don’t look so surprised!” Mr. Moon grumbled. “As a noble Sanguine, it is only right I help those in need.”
After the meeting, Leonard and Audrey stayed behind.
“I’ll be implementing a Psychological Cue inside your mind, now,” Audrey said. “I’ll have to enter your Body of Heart and Mind to do so.” Mr. Star nodded and let her do her thing.
Audrey already knew that the effect of the Psychological Cue would be dampened by the fact that Leonard was a demigod now and he had a long history with Mr. World.
But really, even as Mr. World’s therapist, Mr. Star’s view of Mr. World was really quite shocking!
She knew Mr. World wore a thick mask and the scary adventure was merely a facade, but in Mr. Star’s eyes, he was so kind and gentle. And even worse, it seemed like everything reminded Mr. Star of Mr. World! At this rate, Audrey wasn’t sure if the Psychological Cue would work at all! Regardless, she couldn’t just let the man die… With that, she resolved herself to do the best she could.
Afterwards, she sighed. “I’ve done the best I could. Mr. Star, how are you feeling?”
Leonard felt… off. Something was missing and he couldn’t quite tell what. He was sure he could remember what it was if he tried, but something was telling him that this was nothing to be concerned about and he had agreed to this.
That didn’t make the sinking feeling that something was wrong stop.
“Yes… Thank you Miss. Justice,” Leonard said. It was clear he was lying, but Audrey knew she couldn’t do anything more to help him. Thus, they ended the meeting there.
For the first time in a while, Leonard returned to the physical world without coughing up any petals. Yet something still felt… off.
—————
It was a strange feeling, to be coughing up petals and not knowing why. Occasionally, he’d remember a man with brown hair wearing a top hat. He knew this man meant everything to him. Afterwards, he’d vomit out more petals and flowers. Shortly after, he’d forget once more.
Mr. Moon, or Emlyn, would often visit him in the real world. He’d bring special potions designed to slow Hanahaki. They were much more effective than the Church’s health potions, but they cost more as well. Not that Leonard minded. He hardly spent his money anyways.
But the Apocalypse was coming. And the Mother Tree of Desire had noticed his ailment. ‘She’ had authority over love, and suddenly, the lovesickness inside of him became ten times worse.
One moment, he was fighting with his scythe. And the next, he had fallen to the ground and began coughing out petals violently.
Entire roots ravaged his mouth as petals choked him. The Psychological Cue placed by Miss Justice wore off.
He kneeled on the ground, practically vomiting out his guts. It was only thanks to Emlyn’s potion and his team that had protected Leonard while he was down that he didn’t die entirely.
‘Klein… I wonder if I’ll be able to see you again.’
—————
Leonard survived long enough to witness the end of the apocalypse. To learn that Klein was actually Mr. Fool all along. And that he was from a time long before the Epochs. Perhaps this is what drove Klein to advance the Sequences so fast, to get back home.
Now they knew Klein couldn’t. And even so, Klein chose to save this world.
Now, Leonard was going to die.
Back then, Leonard had certainly said that it’d be a Beyonder that took his life, and not the Hanahaki. But as the roots encircled his heart and petals filled his lungs, he really regretted not saying goodbye to his team.
Surrounding him were the bodies of dead Beyonders, some even being Angels.
And the one who had done such a feat and killed all of them, sat collapsed on the ground, the flowers slowly choking him to death. Wasn’t this just the most poetic ending for a poet such as he? Perhaps he never realized he’d live that long.
And that despite how long it had been, his feelings for Klein had only grown.
He couldn’t speak anymore and his eyes were heavy. ‘Ah… Klein, I really wanted to see you again…’
Then, footsteps sounded in front of him. Weakly, Leonard raised his head. ‘Someone must be coming to finish me off.’
Instead, he saw a familiar man with soft brown hair and a formal suit and a top hat
Klein.
Leonard’s eyes widened and he began wheezing once more. Petals, flowers, blood, it all came out. But even as the roots encircled tighter around his heart, Leonard smiled. Pained and bloodied, but he felt truly at peace.
‘I’m sorry you have to see me in such a state.’
Klein watched Leonard’s ruined state and how he began to cough up violently once more upon seeing him. His face turned horrified and he ran over, crouching down in front of Leonard.
Leonard watched the realization on Klein’s face. He expected Klein to ignore it. To look repulsed. Or even to leave. But instead, Klein looked at him with so much guilt and relief at the same time.
“You idiot…” Klein whispered, hand gently caressing his face. “If Miss Justice hadn’t told me- Hah, that’s not important.”
“Leonard,” came the gentle voice of the one person he’s only ever loved. “I love you, Leonard.”
Suddenly, Leonard’s heart stilled. The sinking feeling in his chest, the weight in his lungs, it all seemed to disappear all at once.
And then, he began desperately gasping for air.
For the first time in years, he could breathe.
Klein tilted Leonard’s head to look at him. Leonard’s tearful eyes stared at him with so much adoration. “My Dear Poet… I’m sorry I left you for so long.”
With a sob, Leonard hugged Klein tightly. “Kl-Klein…”
Leonard coughed a few more times, splattering the remaining blood-soaked petals onto Klein’s suit. Leonard looked apologetic, but Klein didn’t care.
Gently, he picked Leonard up. “Rest now, my Dear Poet. I’ll take care of everything else.”
Klein was here. Klein loved him. Leonard smiled and let himself fall asleep.
—————
Klein’s goal had always been to return home.
Because of this, he made sure not to get too close with anyone. In that sense, it was sort of a blessing that Klein Moretti died. That way, he could leave and it wouldn’t have affected his siblings.
But he failed to take in count the man known as Leonard Mitchell.
The man was a terribly handsome man and an even more terrible poet. He never turned down the chance to tease Klein and even after his death, kept on chasing after him.
And even though Klein didn’t want to admit it, he truly cared for the man.
Which is why it hurt so much to see him still so grief-stricken over his and Captain Dunn’s deaths. He wanted Leonard to move on and be happy, but when Leonard refused, and kept chasing after him, it only hurt even more.
All too quickly, however, he learned that he could never return home.
His mind felt like it was on the verge of collapse, yet throughout it all, Leonard stayed. Constant in his life and always worried about Klein, Leonard didn’t hesitate to do anything for Klein.
It was then, above the grey fog, when Klein was still trapped in the Forsaken Land of the Gods that Klein realized it.
He was in love with Leonard. And far too soon, he found out he had to enter a slumber to fend off the Celestial Worthy’s influence. But to protect the people he cared about, to protect Leonard, he didn’t think twice.
‘My Dear Poet, I hope you’ll still wait for me when I wake up.’
It was chaos once he woke up. Wars with Outer Deities and so many people to worry about. He hoped Leonard was okay, the man was an Angel, so surely…
However, that’s when he heard a prayer. “Mr. Fool, I believe you should go see Mr. Star,” the voice of Miss Justice prayed to him. “… He’s dying. I believe you’ll understand when you see him.”
Leonard… was dying?
The thought stabbed daggers into his heart as he immediately rushed to see Leonard’s location through a prayer star. If Miss Justice had to pray to him, it must’ve been serious.
And that’s when he saw Leonard, collapsed on the ground, clothes stained in blood. He was weakly coughing up… petals?
Oh.
‘Leonard, he…’ But Klein didn’t hesitate. Immediately, he teleported to where Leonard was and watched as Leonard weakly looked up at him, and his face changed.
Klein wasn’t an idiot. He could hear Leonard’s prayers throughout his slumber. And the way Leonard looked him with so much relief and adoration…
Leonard loved him.
He always had.
‘How long?’ Klein wondered. But that didn’t matter, when the man he loved was dying in front of him. “You idiot…” Klein whispered, hand gently caressing the bloodied and wounded face that was still so handsome despite everything he went through. “If Miss Justice hadn’t told me- Hah, that’s not important. Leonard.” He looked directly into Leonard’s eyes. “I love you, Leonard.”
Leonard stared at him with wide eyes as it seemed the world stilled for a moment. Then, he gasped like he hadn’t breathed in years.
Klein tilted Leonard’s head to look at him. Those adoring tearful eyes…
They still had a lot of things to talk about and plenty of things to be done. But Klein had Leonard now. His Dear Poet needed rest, and that was all that mattered.
—————
Leonard awoke in his own bedroom, groggily opening his eyes.
“You’re awake,” Klein smiled. “How are you feeling? I gave you a health potion to heal your throat while you were asleep, but…”
“Klein. You’re here still,” Leonard said.
“What, did you think yesterday was a dream? I’m still here, and I still love you,” Klein laughed.
‘He loves me…’ A surge of giddiness rose through Leonard, but the doubt still lingered. He still could hardly believe that Klein actually loved him. “You aren’t lying, right? To make me feel better?”
Klein sighed fondly and sat on the bed next to Leonard. “I’m not lying,” he said, cupping Leonard’s face. “I’ve loved you since… Well, I probably realized it while I was stuck in the Forsaken Land of the Gods… Point is, I really do love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
After a beat of silence, Leonard said, “We should buy a house together.”
“We already have this one, we don’t need anything fancy.”
Leonard was grinning like an idiot again. He and Klein were planning their future together. Klein really did want him. “Yeah, but we should move closer to your siblings. Did you know you have a niece now? Wouldn’t you want to spend time with her?”
“My siblings…” Klein said.
“I met them a few times. I think… I think Melissa knows about your whole… The Fool thing.”
Klein laughed. “Of course she did. She was always so smart…”
Leonard hugged Klein tightly, forcing the man to lay down next to him. Klein softly patted Leonard’s head. “Rest now, my Dear Poet. We can figure everything out later.”
“I just woke up…” Leonard complained, but he did feel oddly tired.
“You just exhausted all of your spirituality and recovered from the Mother Tree of Desire’s corruption,” Klein insisted.
Leonard relented, relaxing into Klein’s warm embrace.
“I love you, Leonard.” A kiss was pressed onto his forehead. “Sleep now, I’ll be here when you wake up.”
Leonard complied easily.
After all, he would do anything for his god, his best friend, his Klein.