Chapter Text
(February 5)
The sun was hiding behind the clouds when you arrived home from your appointment with the doctor. Your case was special, a rare disease that science still couldn't explain. Between your hands it was a blue folder with all the information the doctor compiled about your poisonous petals trapped in your lungs. Hanahaki, they called it. A dramatic and overwhelming disease with no cure.
As you lie on the sofa you start coughing and some silky pink petals end up in your hands mixed with blood. Every day it passed the symptoms were worse and according to the doctors only a miracle could save you. Well, if you can call Kuroo Tetsuro a miracle. He was the poison and the cure. The only one who could save you
“According to all the research in this area, which is still so unknown to science, only the person who caused this can solve it. I know it’s ambivalent, but I can't do more for you” in doctors says.
“The best you can do at this point is go to tell that person what you feel and what’s happening to you. Maybe someone hears you from heaven and makes a miracle so he’s also in love with you. But it’s your decision, I only can give you some recommendations, the rest is up to you ”
Reading the papers you reached the conclusion that there was no salvation, there was no other option but mutual love. After all these years of friendship he only sees me as a friend, it isn’t his fault. He is what it was meant to be, the only one who has fucked it up are you by catching feelings.
But honestly, how could you not? He’s charming, funny, has a good sense of humour, and let's not start talking about how handsome he is. He had always been here when you needed someone, ready to lend you a hand and say something sweet to reassure you.
At this point, you couldn't get rid of your feelings for him. It was all or nothing, life or death. And you were slowly preparing yourself for whatever the future had in store for you.
Speaking of the devil, he called you, when you were reading all the papers, just to tell you that he was on his way from his office to your apartment with the excuse that he had had a very bad day and needed to see a cheerful person or he would go insane. Again, how could someone not resist his smile and stupid jokes? You laugh at his dramatic statements and respond that if he comes he will be the one making dinner. He agreed.
Before listening to the doorbell rings you hide the blue folder in the back of the wardrobe, he couldn't know a word about the hanahaki affair, he will blame himself for not noticing your feelings and that will only hurt both of you and mess up everything. You will mourn the secret with you, or that was your intention at least, you were realist, when the day comes, he would find out the reason for your death, but by then you would not have to look him in the face.
Notwithstanding, you will enjoy his presence as much as you could, even if it aggravates the symptoms.
Before you knew it, the doorbell rang and you heard his voice on the intercom. His face was blurred through the camera in the doorway, but you could see he was wearing a grey suit with a red tie he wore to work. You opened the door.
“Here you are, come here, I need to see the face of an actual human being, because the people at the office are absolute devils” he shouts while he wraps you in his arms. You feel his warm hands around your back and the only thing you could think about was that I wouldn't mind dying in those arms, embraced by that warm intimacy.
As you were wandering in your thoughts, as quickly as he hugged you he let you go, leaving a veil of warmth.
“The kitchen is over there Kuroo, you know what's the price for annoying me at these hours” you said with a little smile.
“Yes, m’am, I will make the best tacos that tongue of yours will ever taste” he says with his distinctive smirk.
"Of course you will, ‘cause…” Before you could end the phase you started coughing abruptly . With great discretion you turned yourself before he noticed, so he couldn’t see the oleander petals escaping your mouth.
When you looked back he was staring at you without that precious smirk, instead, a concerned expression was printed on his features.
You smiled “Come on Kuroo, you’d never catch a cold? how lucky” the tissue you had coughed in, strategically hidden in your back pocket.
He relaxed his temple “Maybe, I’m almost a god, but you should go to the doctor, I don’t want to become your nurse, you are scary when sick”
“Don’t worry, it will pass soon, you know that the freezing cold doesn't suit me, bloody winter.”
The joke worked better than you thought it would, because without giving much more importance he opened the fridge looking for ingredients, not saying anything more. While he was machinating the dinner you ran to the bathroom to take off some petals stuck at the palate.
The bathroom mirror gave you the image of a girl desperately in love with no chance of recovery. It was terrifying that your immune system could mess up so much to the point of killing yourself for love. For his love.
“Come here kitchen girl, I need some help with the tacos”. Damn Kuroo.
By the time you finished dinner, it was already dark outside. Lying on the sofa under a blanket, you watched a film, something about a murder. To be honest, you weren't paying attention anymore; your eyes were drawn to that obsidian-black hair and those honey coloured eyes. You stared at his features, the marked jawline, the way the previous perfectly attached tie rested loosened and a lot of more details only noticeable from a short distance.
You felt his warmth next to you, it was torture how close he was, how blind he was.
“I think the cousin is the murderer, the protagonist can’t be, she is almost as sweet as you are, and the rest of the family are an absolute bunch of idiots, what do you think?” he opined. You nodded, without really processing the words, sometimes he liked to tease you implying those types of pick up lines or whatever his machiavelic mind could think of.
Almost a minute later you reacted “what do you mean with almost as sweet as you, Tetsurō? don’t mess with me, stupid twit” you felt the petals grow in your throat, you swallowed hard to avoid coughing again. You knew it was pure tease.
“Wow, now a man can’t compliment a friend without getting scratched? What a pity world” he replied teasingly. That smirk again, at this point you were just praying for the movie to end and for him to leave your house, even though the smell of his cologne would not go away so easily.
Those constant jokes, his way of teasing you and some more little details were the guilty of you falling for him. Small things he does that seem innocent but makes big differences for you.
You curled up on the sofa, muttering something about the murderous cousin in the movie. He looked at you for a moment, with those eyes that seemed like a puddle of syrup. Then, he stared at the TV again, calling you sassy as he put an arm around you, trying to chill your fiery temper, which he actually loved.
Finally the end came. He was right, the cousin was the murderer, he won’t shout up about that in a long time. He stood up pushing the blanket aside and towering over you, sometimes you forgot how tall he was. He stretched his arms and began clearing the dishes while showing off his detective skills like a parrot. You helped him with the plates.
Prior to his leave, Kuroo reiterated that you should take better care of yourself, after that he hugged you and left waving his hand.
Only if he knew how oblivious he was. You were alone again, with the smell of him all over your apartment and a violent dry heave you had been holding back all night. How beautiful were those petals that would end up choking you.