A Single Flower....

Chapter II

After I told her about what Hanahaki is...

"Wait, if you have hanahaki and you already have a flower... How are you not dead yet?!" she practically screamed in my ear.

"Ha ha... About that..." my voice trails off and sounds very distant to earlier.

"I might or might not be the Geo Archon"

All I see is Hu Tao's mouth drop open to the point it looks like it's almost not even attached. She quickly recovers and proceeds to try and recollect her thoughts.

"How long have you been like this?" she asks with a semi concerned look on her face.

I luckily get interrupted before I have to respond by the secretary coming back in saying that there was someone here to see me.

"He has orange hair, blue eyes and is tall." she says with a calm face, and leaves the room.

"Oooo" smiles Hu Tao and is gone before I can yell at her.

In walks Childe who quickly replaces Hu tao with a worried look as he bends over staring into my eyes trying to see if i'm hurt in any way. His eyes look so full of passion yet so dull at the same time. He proposes a contract.

"I would like to start over. Forget everything that happened,-" he says in an embarrassed tone.

I don't respond, instead simply listening.

"-And take you on a date. If you do not like it in the end very well, but if you wish we have a second date." he continues.

"Very well, I accept." as i say this he perks up almost excited.

"Then I shall see you at 7, dear." he smiles with a wink and whoosh he's gone.

Hu Tao walks in with a smug smile.

"Sooooooo, where ya going at 7?" her smile becomes bigger as she says this.

"Of course you listened to the conversation" she begins to pout, but I simply smile.

Chapter here

At 7pm...

I check everything one last time as I hear someone knocking at the door. I open it to see Childe standing there waiting. We get in the car and start heading towards the restaurant...

Once They Get There...

"Hello, I'll be your waiter today. What would you like?" a young lady says as she tries not to trip on the uniform.

"I'll have the... Jiyuen chili salad and a bottle of red wine." he says to the girl. He looks at me for me to order.

"I'll have the...." I say pondering what to get.

"The Sweet Sticky Chicken with a side of rice, please" the waiter sloppily writes everything down as she hears our orders.

"Oh and couples get a discount, since it's Lantern Rite." she says with a smile.

"O-oh, we're not a couple." I say with a flushed face. The waiter runs back to the kitchen to tell the orders to the chef.

"Hey, I have a question..."

"Well i'm sure i have the answer then.'' I say with a smile.

"What exactly is... Hanahaki?" As soon as the words leave his mouth I freeze. Not being able to do anything, simply frozen. It felt like an ice cold wind had suddenly knocked the air out of me... When I finally manage to muster some words to speak my voice is dry and almost scared.

"Oh. um it's a disease where you have a plant growing inside you.."

After the Meal...

"That was fun and I have thought about it and... I accept a second date," I say smiling.

"Well then you have my number, I shall see you soon." and like that once again he vanishes leaving only me and my thoughts. I head home and flop down on my bed exhausted yet exhilarated.

I very quickly fell asleep and woke up to the feeling, only this time something was different. I didn't throw up. Nothing happened. I get dressed and make myself breakfast. I go to work extremely happy and find Hu Tao waiting there like always.

"Why are you so happy, did something happen?" she says in a shocked voice.

"Yep! I didn't throw up today!" I say beaming.

"What?! It's - I mean that's, that's amazing!" she says, still shocked.

"But unfortunately.." she says her smile slowly fading..

"What? What's unfortunate?" I am scared, as if something bad happened.

"You have to wake up now." she says with a sad smile.

And just like that i'm back in my bed, i get up and run to the bathroom throwing up again.

I guess it really was a dream...

I go to work like normally and see my short reddish-brown haired boss waiting.

"Wow you're actually early for once!" she says sarcastically laughing. I just sigh and head to my desk like usually when something catches my arm... more like someone. I turn my head and see Hu Tao holding my arm.

"I forgot to mention something, I did some research and-" she said, trying to catch her breath from running after me. (Research? What kind of research could she have possibly done?) think to myself as she's talking.

"-And I found out that there is a cure, BUT it's incredibly hard to get it to happe-" she says.

"Cure what is it?"

"Yknow if you let me speak i might be able to tell you it! Anyways... if you meet your soulmate and you fall in love the sickness will go away, it might take some time but it will go away."

"Thanks, I mean not really useful but thanks." I say in a disappointed voice.

Remember stay hydrated and stay safe!

~SC~