Aesop And His Harem [OneShots]

Cursed Flowers

Eli x Aesop

Hanahaki AU

Tw : Blood, death

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Quiet. That was the way he acted around everyone. Calm and mysterious, saying only a few words on rare occasions. He didn't like to talk to others, or at least felt too anxious to do so, and ended up running away after every brave attempt on his part to try to say what he was thinking. His reserved personality was like the water of a river flowing through the wilderness and mountains, free but destined to dry up one day. It was a kind of vicious circle in which he could not get out. Maybe that's what brought him to his end.

His breathing was always soft and regular, his skin was white as porcelain and these features gave him an untouchable, fragile look, it almost seemed as if his frail figure could break at any moment. He was wrapped in a glass bubble, avoiding contact with the living and preferring the presence of the dead. Then his wish came true, he became what he admired most, a lifeless corpse.

"Why..."

His body rested in the coffin he used every day to try to help his teammates during those matches where death was just an illusory thing. However, apart from that, anything could happen to them and unlike the illogical logic of the matches, they could die in the manor. This is what happened to him, a slow and painful death. A trace of blood was still present on the corner of his lips, his mask had been removed to make him look more serene in his eternal sleep.

A gloved hand reached up to his face to wipe away the red stain, retrieving a yellow petal that was on his cheek in the process. There were more. They were everywhere, yellow rose petals. They were his favorite flower and his deathbed was full of them. They were beautifully and horribly pretty. They were the cause of his death. His one-sided love, his feelings that were unknown to him had killed him.

"Who was it ?"

No response. It's not as if he's in any condition to utter even a single syllable after all. The dead don't speak, they don't feel anything and they don't emit any warmth.

"I wish you were still here..."

A loud cough interrupted his words. He put his hand against his lips to collect the blood that was spurting out. He didn't have much time left, but did it really matter ? The ashen-haired boy was gone, so why go on living ? All he had left behind was a broken heart that would never rest. If only he had arrived sooner, maybe things would have changed and this tragedy would never have happened.

He should have opened his eyes sooner, tried to see something other than his own selfish feelings. Maybe he would have seen that he was suffering too, but it was too late now. He was gone and he couldn't confess anymore in order to make this stabbing pain in his chest go away. Another round of coughing came, more blood coming out of his mouth and some yellow petals.

"I'm pathetic... I could never tell you how I felt... I hope... I could confess to you what's in my heart up there..."

He sketched a pained smile towards the corpse, then towards his owl that was perched on the window sill.

"Sorry. It seems I have to go first... I know the others will take care of you..."

He removed his blindfold for the first time in front of him, even though his eyes were definitely closed and could no longer see him. Then he removed his glove, and leaned over his sleeping face to place a kiss on his forehead. He took his hand in his and lay down on the floor next to his coffin. The cold, hard floor no longer seemed to be a problem for him. No, it was only a short, unpleasant moment before he could join his beloved wherever he might be. He smiled one last time and then slowly closed his eyes, letting Orpheus take hold of him and lead him into the light and an eternal rest.

In a dimly lit room, there was a coffin filled with yellow roses and two bodies holding hands. There was blood on the floor and petals seemed to have fallen out of the coffin but the two men both had serene and peaceful expressions. Perhaps in another life they could be together and happily hold hands while on a walk.