#fellcest

Edge is at the end of his rope with his brother.

The little shit has been moodier than ever, snapping at him for the littlest things and barking expletives more often than not. Honestly if Edge didn't have such impeccable control over his temper, he'd have lost his shit a while ago. It's a miracle he hasn't tackled Red into the ground yet and…

Well. Better not to think about that.

Edge clears his throat as he chases the vivid images from his mind. He doesn't want to have yet another coughing fit right here in the kitchen while he's washing the dishes.

He instead wonders about what's gotten his brother to act up like that. While Red has always been a little hot headed, not that Edge is much better, his current outbursts are a recent development. That's not what has Edge concerned.

No, what he's worried about is that Red seems to be specifically upset at him. His boss and little brother and only family.

Honestly it hurts. Especially when Edge's feelings for his brother are far from the tough and uncaring facade he usually puts up to deter anyone from digging deeper into the brothers' relationship. Yes he looks and acts violent toward Red when they're out and about, but it's a matter of survival. At home he's much more pleasant.

Red used to welcome that dichotomy. He'd bark back at Edge when they were out, but did not hesitate to cuddle in the evening in front of the TV. Not that the cuddles were ever inappropriate, of course. But now Edge will consider himself lucky if Red doesn't leave the room within 5 minutes of him entering it. Red is obviously doing his best to avoid Edge, and it's not right.

Edge's throat burns from a repressed coughing fit as he puts away the last plate. He needs a new distraction from all these thoughts, and wanders to the living room only to stop in his tracks when he sees his brother lazily sprawled on the couch. Red is playing on his phone, paying him no mind.

The temptation is too strong. Without a word, Edge makes his way to the couch and plops himself down right next to his brother's skull.

"boss, what the fuck?!" Red roars, quickly sitting up so he's not at risk of being crushed to death by a (nice and tight) bony butt.

"WHAT?" Edge asks, finding the perfect combination between smug and annoyed. "I JUST WANT TO WATCH TV. MAYBE NEXT TIME YOU'LL THINK TWICE BEFORE ACTING LIKE THE COUCH IS YOUR PERSONAL BED."

Red couldn't possibly roll his eyelights any higher. "yeah well fuck you."

Edge grabs the remote and turns the TV on. He doesn't care about what program he lands on, all his attention focused on his brother next to him. Red looks a little grumpy still, but just like Edge he has a permanent resting bitch face so nothing alarming. Foolish hope blossoms in Edge's chest, and he allows himself to get more comfortable on the couch.

"DO YOU WANT TO WATCH A MOVIE WITH ME?" He asks as casually as he can, even though his magic is whirling inside. To try and cover it, he plops his feet on the coffee table and throws a nonchalant arm around his brother's shoulders.

He waits to see if Red will squirm away, but when the silence between them stretches for too long, he decides it's his cue to start the movie. After all that effort, he's not getting back up to find something he'd actually want to watch, so whatever's still in the movie player will have to do.

Unfortunately for him, his life is a joke. There is no DVD in the player. Of course there isn't, and he should have known. He's the one who always insists on putting the DVDs away when they're done watching.

And so all the TV shows is fucking gray static. Edge wants to throw the remote at the screen, but it won't help.

All he wanted to do was watch a movie with his brother, why does it have to be so complicated?

"hey uhh… i'm gonna go," Red breaks the silence, looking anywhere but Edge. "i got stuff to do."

Edge can't think of anything that would keep his brother here on the couch with him without giving himself away, so he just watches sullenly as Red sits up and makes his way out the door. Well, at least he didn't rush to teleport away. That's a good thing, right?

Edge wants to jump and run after him. Grab his jacket and pull Red into his arms. Tell him to stay, spend the afternoon at home, in front of a movie or in bed or anywhere.

He wants to tell Red not to go outside, not to leave him alone.

He wants to tell Red how much he needs him.

Loves him.

But he doesn't.

He stays there on the couch, bending over from the force of the incoming coughing fit. It takes all of his willpower to not collapse here like a weakling and instead run upstairs and lock himself in his room.

Finally he can let go. He falls to his knees and coughs and hacks and retches all he can, his feelings literally pouring out of his mouth. His vision turns an acidic shade of yellow as flower petals tumble out of his mouth with each cough. They're small and delicate as they dance into the stale air of his bedroom, covering the floor and furniture in a blanket of buttercup-scented yellow fluff.

Edge used to love the perfume of flowers, but now it only makes him nauseated.

Exausted, his magic depleted by the yellow blooms, Edge crawls to his petals covered bed and collapes on it. He closes his eyesockets so no bud can poke him in uncomfortable places, and thinks back to the cause of his predicament: Red.

It's been a few months since he's realized that his feelings for his brothers were more than platonic. He suspects he's been feeling this way for much longer but had no good point of comparison. After all, Red is the most precious monster in his life, he'd give anything to protect him and keep him happy. All he wants, all he can think about, day and night, is Red, his smile, his health, his qualities and his flaws, everything.

Realizing that he was in love with Red led to another unfortunate discovery: there is no way for Edge to let Red know about his feelings. He must conceal them, keep them buried deep inside his SOUL. He cannot allow himself to voice that weakness out, it's too risky. It's a matter of survival.

If the world learns of his feelings for Red, it will only put yet another target on the small skeleton's back. Red is already on thin ice just for being related to Edge because of his status as second in command of the Royal Guard, there is no need for more incentive to kidnap him. It's a good thing that Red is such a capable monster under all those fake layers of laziness, or he'd already be dust.

But keeping his feelings quiet from the public isn't what got Edge in his flowery predicament. After all, the brothers know perfectly well how to be sneaky and keep secrets. They could be in a secret relationship and nobody would ever know.

The reason why Edge can't bring himself to confess is simple. He's scared.

Scared that Red will reject him, mock him for reading into what never was, and even leave him for good. Edge would rather endure hacking out a thousand thorns than be separated from his brother.

Hanahaki, the name of this disease is. Edge looked it up when he first started puking petals. Looking back, he's glad that his first reflex was to hide the symptoms from his captain, otherwise Undyne might've discovered the truth and who knows what would've happened then.

Edge shudders just thinking about it.

Going to the Royal Scientist wouldn't have led to better results. If anything, it would've made things worse. Alphys is the biggest gossip in the Underground, and being all chummy with Undyne, even though they think they're being discreet, Edge's captain would've discovered the truth anyway. If Undyne can keep secrets, Edge is positive the same can't be said about Alphys, who would've relentlessly teased Red about it, until Red and his short temper had blown a fuse and demanded to be let in on Edge's secret.

And then he would have left Edge.

Edge's chest tightens around his frustrated SOUL, more petals leaving his mouth as he pitifully mumbles, "don't leave me…" to himself.

Even though it's Red these words are for.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's two weeks later and the situation hasn't improved. If anything, it's gotten worse.

Red must've picked up on Edge's tries to mend that unexplainable gap between them, and his reactions to Edge's efforts have ranged from tentative reciprocation to a feral cat's hiss to completely shutting Edge out. It's maddening to say the least.

What's worrying Edge the most is that now, he is the one avoiding his brother. He has no choice, the coughing fits are stronger and last longer every day. His room has turned into the most beautiful and sickening meadow to ever exist. Edge has started to get triggered by the color yellow, afraid that he's let one of his petals slip. He's been skipping work too.

Avoiding Red is the only way to keep his feelings a secret, even though it's precisely what makes the symptoms worse.

It doesn't help that Red has started to worry about Edge's odd behavior. It doesn't make him any less abrasive when they talk, but Edge can see his brother glancing at him from the corner of his eyesockets. He hates making Red worry like that. Edge should be the one to take care of him, protect him, make it so that he can live his life as carefree as he deserves. Sure, Red is technically the older brother, but he's a mess without Edge to look after him. To have their dynamic reversed is putting yet another strain on Edge's already weakened resolve to keep his feelings for Red a secret.

Sometimes he thinks he might as well just come clean. Red pushing him away would be a relief at this point. Only his selfish desire for his brother's presence is stopping him.

Edge feels a wave of nausea as he represses the affection. He can't afford to start coughing right here in the middle of the living room while his brother's upstairs, doing who knows what. Red would hear the commotion and he'd rush to check on Edge, only to find him puking fucking yellow flowers.

So Edge swallows his feelings and the petals that threaten to out him, feeling thorns of agony sinking deeper into his SOUL. Yeah, he's got a whole fucking plant growing onto the core of his being now. If coughing petals wasn't scary enough, now he's also got to worry about his SOUL being strangled to death by a bush.

Having a flower take over his SOUL can only mean one thing: the hanahaki disease has progressed to the next step.

Edge already knows what it means. Soon his entire body will start sprouting flowers, and there'll be no hiding that from Red.

He doesn't want to think about the step after that.

So he knows he has to tell his brother the truth. It's a matter of survival.

He lets out a weak laugh at the irony. Survival, his ass.

"what's so funny?" Red's raspy voice startles him.

Edge must've spaced out, he didn't notice Red joining him on the couch. Distantly he's glad he called in sick today. Spacing out on the couch is better than doing so during sparring training.

Edge wants to lie and say that everything's fine, but he can feel the petals stuck in his throat. So he raises a dismissive hand instead.

Red only stares at him suspiciously.

"hey are you… okay?"

The question leaves Edge speechless. Literally.

He wants to say no. But he can't say yes.

All he can do is lift adoring eyelights to his beloved brother who, despite their currently sour relationship, cares about Edge's well-being.

The need to wrap his arms around Red is stronger than ever. A few more seconds of silence and Edge's resolve would've probably crumbled, if Red didn't break the spell by suddenly turning away from Edge.

"nevermind," he mumbles.

He's leaving.

Red is leaving and Edge is about to let him, but something pink and delicate catches his eyelight.

Right there, stuck between Red's vertebrae and the collar of his wornout sweater, Edge spots a little, baby pink petal.

His arm moves on its own, his hand grabs Red's arm roughly, stopping him in his tracks. Red turns around and sends him a disconcerted look while Edge's free hand lifts to his brother's neck. Red pulls back because who likes to have someone else's hand coming right at their face? He looks confused, slightly offended even, until his ruby eyelights spot the tiny petal Edge just plucked out of his neck.

Red's sockets go darker than the void.

There's a beat of silence between then, before Red thrashes violently in Edge's grasp. But Edge is stronger, and in his stupefaction, his grip tightens. Red is going nowhere.

"let me fucking go!" Red growls and hisses like a feral cat, trying his damnest best to evade Edge's questioning gaze. In his frenzy, he doesn't realize that Edge has nothing but hopeful confusion in his eyelights. "it's not what you think! i-it's not mine! you don't even know what it is! let me go!! i don't… fucking let me go!!!"

Red keeps grunting and wriggling while Edge stays silent, too fascinated by the soft shade of pink of his brother's petal. It's soft to the touch, and so delicate Edge is craddling it almost tenderly. His brother's cussing barely registers in his blank mind.

"So yours are pink, huh?" He muses, barely above a whisper.

Through his frenzy, Red hears him and that shuts him up. He lifts puzzled eyelights to Edge's face, not immediately understanding his words. He blinks furiously as realization hits him.

"you… too?"

Edge gives him a lopsided smile as he lets go of Red's arm to pull out the yellow petals he keeps in his pockets. He picks them up throughout the day and his pockets are full of them. Edge places a handful of them in Red's palm, before lifting the pink petal next to his brother's hand for comparison. He distantly notices how that pink and that yellow look very good together. He's used to black and red, but he can't help finding that combination very nice to look at.

It's only logical, he supposes. He's not a moron, he knows who those pink petals are for.

Red is slower than him though. Edge watches his as brother carefully runs his fingers through the yellow flowers in his hand, looking as forlorn as can be.

"you have someone like that too… do i…?"

He wants to ask if he knows this monster Edge's SOUL beats for, but he's interrupted by more petals tumbling out of his mouth. Edge thought that coughing petals was painful but it's nothing compared to seeing his brother's small body jerk from the force of his floral onslaught.

He needs to do something, but what can he do?

Red's coughing fit subsides, and he lifts wet eyelights to Edge. "uhh… sorry about that… boss, i… it's not what you think-"

As soon as the words are out, he's bending over himself again, more flowers cascading out of him.

What an idiot. He doesn't want Edge to realize the pink petals are for him, yet he's making it so obvious. Still, knowing that his feelings are returned makes affection swell up in Edge's chest, and he doesn't hesitate when he cups Red's cheeks and turns his face up.

Edge closes his eyesockets and makes contact with Red's mouth.

Red gasps between Edge's tongue and the flowers, and he's back to wriggling in Edge's hold, unable to comprehend what's happening. Is he still in denial about Edge's feelings? Is he trying to avoid choking his brother with the blooms in his mouth? Edge doesn't know but he doesn't care, he'll keep kissing Red until it gets through his thick skull that yes, Edge is utterly, irremediably, undeniably in love with him.

When the flowers are too much, Edge draws away to inhale, spewing his brother's petals while he's at it. Then he goes back in, plucking the flowers with his teeth and his tongue. Slowly he works his way into cleaning his brother's mouth, until the flowers are almost all gone and Red is clinging to him like he wants to be kissed again, properly this time. Edge indulges.

With no floral obstacle to get in the way, Edge's tongue is finally free to explore Red's mouth properly, meeting his brother's own appendage in the middle. When they touch, Red's arms shoot up to Edge's shoulders, pulling him down and making it known he wants Edge to deepen the kiss. It's all Edge can do not to tackle his brother to the floor and take him right here, but there's something he needs to say first.

Reluctantly, he breaks the kiss.

"I love you, brother."

He's looking straight into Red's ruby eyelights, watching them wobble from emotions. As soon as the words get out, he feels his SOUL lighten. He doesn't need to check it to know that the twisted vines around it are wilting already. For the first time in months his mind is clear and he can breathe again.

He wraps his arms around Red and pulls him close to his chest.

"I love you," he says again, barely above a whisper.

Red clings to him like he doesn't trust his legs to support his weight. He buries his face into Edge's chest. It's clear he feels the same way but he stays silent and that won't do.

"Say the words," Edge tells him, gently, quietly, but his tone leaves no room for debate.

Only once Red says them will he be free of the parasitic blooms.

Red wriggles and Edge loosens the hug to catch a glimpse of Red's stubborn expression. That damn idiot!

"b-boss, i… it's not-"

Edge doesn't let him finish the sentence, knowing that it's just going to end up in another coughing fit. He runs his finger along Red's teeth, ready to pluck away any new petal.

"Don't ruin my work. Now say the words."

Red visibly hesitates for some unknown reason but Edge won't let him go until he's heard the words. He wants to make sure his brother won't get turned into a walking talking giant flower just out of stubbornness. If Edge had already been so far gone that thorns were sprouting around his SOUL, he can't imagine what Red's SOUL is like… Edge hopes it's not too late.

And yeah, maybe, just maybe Edge wants to hear his brother use the L word on him.

Sue him.

"i don't… want things to change between us," Red finally admits, looking at the ground. "i like what we have already, and i don't want you to think that i'm… annoying."

Red makes every effort to evade Edge's gaze, blushing furiously as he looks away. Edge has never been that turned on in his life. Any less control on his impulses and he'd be carrying his brother upstairs to make him blush even more.

Instead he kneels down in front of Red, trying to make himself look less intimidating. He's very aware of their height difference.

"I don't see how I can ever think that you're annoying," Edge says truthfully, before adding with a crooked smile, "besides, you're already such a pain in my coccyx, how worse could it get?" This gets him a chuckle from Red and Edge's SOUL soars in victory. He wraps his arms around Red's middle before speaking up again, his skull now flush with Red's chest. "And I want things to change. I want to hug you, kiss you, touch you, i want to wake up every morning next to you and go to bed with you every night, I want tell you how much i love you every single day so that you never forget and never ever doubt that you're the most important monster in my life."

By the end of his little speech, Edge's cheeks are burning as he tries to hide into his brother's chest. He didn't say anything he doesn't 100% believe, but it still came out cheesy. In his defense, he mostly watches Mettaton's overdramatic shows, so of course his prose will be as over the top as its inspiration.

At least Red seems to appreciate the grand speech, as he starts caressing Edge's skull. He only stops to bend down and kiss the top of it. Oh, Edge could purr.

"i love you."

Edge's hold tightens.

"I love you."

"i love you."

Edge finally lifts his face to look at Red.

"I love you."

Red smiles the most beautiful smile Edge has ever seen.

"i love you."

They both smile at each other as they repeat the words over and over again, until it hits them that they're being a little dumb, standing in the middle of the living room like that. Red is the first to break, a light chuckle bubbling out of his chest. Edge is soon to follow, cackling even while he tries to keep saying the words.

Red eventually calms down and lets himself fall to the floor, slotting in Edge's arms like he belongs there.

"sorry for uhh… being an idiot with this," he vaguely gestures at the petals on the floor.

Now that they're both free, the petals will start to wither and rot. They're going to be busy cleaning everything up over the next few days. Edge doesn't want to think about the state of his room if he doesn't take care of the flowers soon…

"You're my idiot," Edge huffs, shooting Red an amused grin. "I'm no better anyway," he adds while emptying his pockets.

He never wants to see any more yellow flowers ever again.

"say…" Red catches his attention after a few moments of silent cuddling on the floor. "now that we've hugged and kissed, how about you do that other thing you wanted to do?"

He lifts playful, suggestive eyelights at Edge and how is Edge supposed to resist those?

He easily picks up his brother's smaller form and runs up the stairs. Cleaning his room can wait, and he has to admit that he quite enjoys the sight of Red, flushed and trembling with want, as Edge lays him down on his yellow flowerbed.