The Red Strings Of Fate //✔️//

12 | The Overturn

"Reese, do you have Hanahaki disease?"

"Yes."

Asher wasn't expecting that: for Reese to be so honest right away. It surprises the older, causes him to take a step back and attempt to collect his thoughts. Asher takes a struggled breath.

"How long?" Asher doesn't have to specify, Reese already knows what he's asking.

"I don't know," Reese's mind is spinning, and she can't think. Asher gives Reese a pointed look, "I'm being honest! I really don't know." Reese sighs, defeated.

"You can, can't you? See your colors? You've already found your soulmate?"

"Yes, I can see them. And yes, I found my soulmate."

"Who is it?"

"I promised him I wouldn't tell." Asher scoffs, stomps his foot. Reese is not quite sure where he got that idea from. Pulled it straight out of his ass? Probably. Reese watches Asher turn back to face him, eyes slightly darker with irritation.

"You have Hanahaki disease."

"Yes."

"You're dying."

"Yes."

"And your soulmate doesn't love you, is the reason for all of your pain, yet you still respect him enough to keep his damn secrets?" Asher sounds angry, and Reese feels herself shrinking in. The last thing she wanted was to anger anyone, even though it was to be expected.

"You don't understand, I--"

"No, I don't understand. You're dying, Reese!" It seems to click with Asher then, that Reese is dying and won't be around much longer. Asher looks up and down at her, takes in the younger's sickly figure, and Asher's eyes gloss over. Reese had been sick for a while, and Asher feels like absolute shit.

How on Earth did he not see it? Asher is smart, he knows a lot of things about a lot of things, diseases being one of them. How did he not see that Reese had Hanahaki disease? Maybe he just didn't want to believe it. Not Reese, not someone so innocent, quiet, and kind. Not someone who has been dragged through the mud a few times, then slammed onto concrete. Asher feels himself trembling, inner being berating himself for not seeing and recognizing this sooner. Reese wraps her arms around Asher, and lets the older cry for a little while. Asher feels pathetic, but he has to cry. Even though Reese is the one with Hanahaki, Asher feels like he's just been hit by the emotion train, wants to just hold Reese for a few moment.

While she is still here.

Reese won't lie: it hurts. She sheds a few tears, but doesn't full on cry. Reese didn't expect things to end up like this when she started lying to the others, but it did, and it's nobody's fault but her own.

Asher pulls away, wipes away her tears and takes a few deep breaths. He looks at Reese, truly looks at her, and wonders if there's anything the older can do. Asher runs through all the databases in his mind, through all of the information he's collected over the years from reading and learning, but nothing comes up. The only way to save Reese is if her soulmate would fall in love with her. But Reese won't tell Asher who his soulmate is, so the older can't even speak to this fucker. Or surgery, but that would leave Reese emotionless and unable to love again or there wouldn't be a trustworthy doctor to do the surgery without using her has a lab rat. Either ways, both the options were fucked up.

"We have to tell the others." Asher states, seriously, and Reese looks at him with wide eyes.

"No! We can't tell them, please. They... they won't take it as well as you. Please, you have to promise me you won't tell them. This is my disease, so I should get to decide if I want to tell people or not." Reese panics, and Asher looks defeated. Reese is right, it's her own disease, and if she doesn't want others to know, then Asher has no right to say anything.