Forget-me-not (Klance)

Chapter 14 - Marigold

As the months passed All the vivid colours slowly faded, that rich chocolate brown, his glowing sun-kissed tone, those deep, sparkling, ocean blue orbs, all these once vibrant colours delustered with time.
Keith was finding an excessively growing difficulty in hiding his own condition as the symptoms grew in frequency with each passing day. He was beginning to experience overall difficulty in breathing and would sometimes choke on an influx of petals welling in his throat. It was becoming more and more difficult to visit his beloved and for that his frustration only grew.

Lance had been gradually weakening and eventually lost all functionality in his legs, having to be guided in a wheelchair if he ever wished to travel beyond his hospital room. The energetic beansprout of a boy was now constantly sapped of energy and in the last month he'd undergone a cardiac arrest. Allura spent increasing hours at his side in fear that each one may be his last. His doctor had planned a procedure in hopes that they could extend his life even just briefly. It was early morning, the day before the procedure, that Lance had entered another cardiac arrest. The doctors had managed to restart his heart but his consciousness was wavering.

Allura gripped his hand tight, her vision blurred, keeping pace with the hospital personnel as they transfered him. They'd decided to push up the procedure after the morning's incident. Lance mumbled meekly as he began fading out of consciousness, "Please... Give everyone the letters I wrote them... Tell them I'm sorry... And also... Tell Keith..." the last three words were an inaudible whisper but Allura heard them, her cerulean eyes welled up and overflowed as the weakened boy's hand slipped from hers, dissappearing behind a set of two way doors. Collapsing to her knees the pastel silver haired woman sobbed uncontrollably. She knew that was the last time she'd see the boy she'd considered a younger brother, the last time she'd see her precious baby brother.

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By the time Keith arrived at the hospital that day Lance had already been deemed deceased. He'd experienced another cardiac arrest during the procedure that had taken his life. Upon realising this occurrence Keith's world had finally crumbled to oblivion. When facing his grief head on he'd completely shut off. The pale boy sat silently staring at a spot on the ground as familiar faces passed through, falling victim to mourning for the loss of their dear friend. Towards the end of the day a slender framed woman approached him. She wasn't the polished, confident woman he'd once known. Her pastel silver hair, which was normally pulled neatly into a bun, was haphazardly scattered, undone over her shoulders, she had distinct shadows beneath her swollen, bloodshot eyes, her usual confident demeanor absent as she held her head down, back slightly hunched.

"This is for you," her voice was crackly, she'd clearly put her throat through unnecessary stress from all her crying. Grey eyes gazed at shaky hands. Allura held, in her hand, a small blue envelope sealed with a red star. "It's from Lance," she explained
"Thank you," the pale boy responded meakly. Grasping the blue envelope he turned away again, returning his gaze to its original position.
"Also... Lance wanted me to tell you... He lo-"
"Stop." Keith cut Allura off before she could utter those last few words.
"What?" the dark skinned woman was shocked, her eyes experiencing a familiar burning sensation.
"I don't want... No, I can't hear it..."
"WHY!?"
"I... I just can't..."
At this Allura was enveloped in anger and frustration. Grieving over the loss of one of her few remaining family, appalled by the selfishness of the boy in front of her, the boy who someone precious to her had loved so much and yet that boy now refuses to even listen to Lance's final message.
"You're so selfish! Don't think I never realised! I know you avoided him for a month! You were scared of getting yourself hurt, scared of getting closer to him, because you found out he was going to die! So you left him, abandoned him, to protect yourself! I forgave you for that... But this... Now... Now you won't even listen to his final words! You won't even let me pass on his final message..." the delicate-framed woman fell to her knees as she finished, cradling her face in her hands, crumpling in on herself, she once again broke down in an endless bout of weeping.

Keith broke from his trance at the broken, tortured sounds of Allura's cries. Raising from his seated position he took a step towards her. He knew it was his fault, he knew his wishes were selfish, but all he wanted was to once again drown in Lance's deep ocean eyes and for that he had to remain firm. Fighting against his urge to comfort the woman crumpled on the floor he turned his back to her and began increasing the distance between them.

Allura would never truly forgive him for this. She was an intelligent woman, she'd noticed Keith's behaviour over the past few months, she'd found flower petals in the strangest places and she knew none belonged to the flowers others had bought for Lance. She, of course, realised what Keith's intentions were, she was angered by the selfishness of his decision, but, there was a part of her that empathised with him, a part of her that too wishes she could join with Lance once again regardless of the consequence. It was that part of her that let him get away with his selfish wish.

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Keith had been hacking and coughing violently, hunched over his apartment floor, when he disgorged a large lump from his oesophagus. Drifting to the cold ground, between his two hands flattened against the floor, a relatively large, dome shaped blossom of orange petals, rimmed golden at the edges. Beside it a single droplet of moisture had escaped his lashes and splattered on the floor.

Marigold...

-Grief-