... k

It started gradually and didn’t raise any alarms, a tickle at the back of his throat, that on a random Thursday whilst he was on the phone to Buck, erupted into a spluttering convulsion. He apologised to Buck and hung up the phone, cutting off his best friend as he told him about his weekend plans with his boyfriend. If he hadn’t been walking on a semi-busy street, he probably would have noticed it then, the soft white petal stained red with droplets of blood sinking to the floor as he finished the attack from his lungs. He wiped his face with the sleeve of his jacket and immediately felt relief, as if the thing ticking his throat was gone. He shot a quick text to Buck apologising for cutting him off, saying that he’d phone him as soon as he got home. He tabbed into his weather app to check the air quality, wondering if it was something as simple as that. He eventually put the tickle in his throat, and the occasional outburst of coughing down to his career choice, maybe he’d inhaled one too many mouthfuls of smoke without his respirator and it was finally catching up to him.

He didn’t even question it when he found a white petal, browning at the edges, stained with droplets of red, on his living room floor. He had no reason to believe this came out of him, he barely thought twice about its origin as he threw it in the trash and continued vacuuming, assuming maybe a neighbour had been gardening and cut themselves, the stained petal then hitchhiking a ride into the house on a crutch or a shoe.

Hanahaki Disease had never been recorded in Western culture as far as the history books read, until the doctors found branches in Edmundo Diaz’s lungs, that is.

“Hey,” Eddie started before succumbing to a cough rising in his throat, he wiped the sides of his mouth with his sleeve before continuing “Sorry about that.”

“No problem, man” Tommy grabbed Eddie’s hand and pulled him into a ‘bro hug’, patting him on the back a couple times “Evan here yet?”

Eddie shook his head, clearing his throat “No,” she scrunched his face at the tickle in his throat “I mean yeah, he was here, went out to grab some beers, didn’t realize I was out.”

“Should’ve called” Tommy followed Eddie, who coughed again, into the kitchen “I could have picked some up on the way in.”

“Buck figured he knew the neighbourhood better and it would be faster to go himself rather than you getting lost with google maps.”

Tommy cocked his eyebrow “I do not get lost with google maps.”

Eddie laughed as he opened the freezer, pulling out two pizzas. “That’s not what Buck says. Hey, can you grab the pans out? Cupboard beside the sink.”

Tommy nodded and retrieved the pans as Eddie unwrapped the frozen pizzas, passing them off to Fomtm who put them into the pre-heated oven.

“Did Evan tell you I’ll probably only be having one?” Tommy wiped his hands together “Beers that is?” He smiled “I can’t stick around long, I’ve had to pick up a B shift cover starting at 5am so as much as the game is calling to me,” He thought about the NBA match they’d all agreed to watch together “I’m gonna have to play catch-up.”

“No, he didn’t mention,” Eddie frowned a little, he has been looking forward to watching the game with them both, but especially Tommy, who actually understood basketball. “Why’d you have to pick up the shift?”

“Well I didn’t have to.” Tommy smiled “But I wanna take Evan away later this year, we were talking a few weeks back about how he was never a kid that got to go on fun holidays, so I was thinking about surprising him with a trip, no clue where, I’ll need your help there. But yeah, with the economy how it is, I need to save, and the extra shifts help.”

“That sounds great, he really deserves–“ Eddie started coughing again, loud hacking coughs echoing against the walls and cabinets of the kitchen.

“Eddie, man,” Tommy shifted to concern, circling the table and patting his friends back “Have you been to a doctor about this cough? Sounds nasty.”

Eddie shook his head as the sputtering stopped, he drugged Tommys concerned hand off of his shoulder and made his way to the sink, running the faucet and sticking his mouth below it, taking a few big gulps before swishing the water around and spitting into the drain. He cleared his throat before grabbing a towel to dry his face “Nah, it comes and goes. Nothin’ to worry about. Hazards of the job.”

“I dunno,” Tommy shook his head “I’ve been in the job a hell of a lot longer than you, haven't heard many coughs like that.”

Eddie shrugged “It’s not usually this bad, sometimes it disappears for weeks”

“Hmm.” Tommy doesn’t really have time to think or comment more on the subject as the pair hear the front door open.

“Beers flying in!” They hear him call through the house, both men smile softly.

“I’ll see you through there, yeah?” Tommy said to Eddie who nodded

“Yeah, just gonna set a timer for the pizza and grab plates.” Tommy winked at him as he left the room, Eddie’s chest suddenly ached in a way he hadn’t felt for a long time. His throat tickled before he erupted into a series of painful coughs.

“God,” he muttered to himself after the fit passed. “Maybe I should see a doctor.” He muttered pointlessly to himself, to the room, as he grabbed the timer that was magnetised to the fridge and thumbed in ten minutes before placing it back and joining the boys in the living room.

He smiled at the pair, Buck had kicked his shoes off and got comfortable in the centre of the couch, Tommy sat on his left, arm slung leisurely around his boyfriend, his other hand fiddling with the remote as Buck propped his feet onto the coffee table, holding two beers. Eddie noted his beer sat about a foot away on the coffee table, and tried to ignore the encroaching feeling of loneliness that seemed to come out of nowhere as he observed the cold bottle, needlessly wishing it were in Bucks hands.

He hated warm beer, but he was envious that Buck and and Tommy’s had the chance to warm up in the other's hands. It was silly. Eddie shook his head and rounded the table, dropping down on Bucks right and grabbing his beer from the table, the cold bitter taste washing away the thoughts of loneliness and soothing the pain in his throat, if even for a moment.

END

Bonus. the shitty sticky note that started it all!