His breath catches in his throat, and he sobs suddenly before he begins to cough.
“Hey!” Duo calls from somewhere behind him, but he can’t be bothered to acknowledge him at the moment. The coughing is getting worse, and he’s had to stop walking and use his free hand to brace himself against the nearest wall. He can feel an obstruction in his throat, lodged deep and stubborn.
“Hey! Are you okay?” Duo again, and this time his voice is accompanied by his footsteps, cautious at first and then hurried.
Wufei doesn’t know exactly when he decided to abandon his coffee, but he does watch the cup soundlessly bounce when it hits the ground, splashing hot liquid over the toe of his boot. With that hand now free, he brings it to his mouth, coughing hard into his palm. His eyes are wide and watering by the time Duo ducks under his arm and pulls him away from the wall, offering his body as support instead.
When his legs start to give, Duo goes with him and they kneel on the colony street together.
“We should get you to a doc – ” Duo starts, but he doesn’t get to finish.
Wufei retches suddenly, and the thing inside his throat finally dislodges, escaping through his mouth. The coughing stops, and Wufei slowly pulls his shaking hand away from his face. There, in his palm, slick with blood and saliva, is the whole ruined head of a red peony.
“Oh,” Duo says, looking at the flower and then slowly toward Wufei’s face. He’s flushed from exertion and, if Duo had to guess, some embarrassment.
---
a comm I got back from @starxdroplet today! an illustration to go with my fic, flowers for the dead.
you can read flowers for the dead here!
