Lighthouse [Alice in Borderland x Reader]

Red hibiscus.

That was his favorite flowers, despite not being vocal about it. He had always found fascination with the fact that hibiscus has male and female reproductive parts, and that it can pollinate itself.

Red hibiscuses represent passion, something his blood was made up of. He always made people follow him out of eaither fear or loyalty. No one ever tried to contradict his will.

The flower can also represent vulnerability, for when it is plucked from its branch, the beauty of the flower quickly gets lost, and the flimsy petals are easily ruined just by slight harshness. Just like you, weak and susceptible.

You did not know how you fell for him. He was arrogant and domineering, two qualities you hate the most in a person. But it just bloomed, like hibiscuses in your grandmother's garden. No matter how much you try to kill it, it just thrived and thrived like a snake plant.

You hate that the reason that your heart flutters like crazy was because of him. The man you loathed the most, he was the man that you mother took care of while she let you fend off for yourself alone.

While she cooked himwarm food with love, you survived with your own cooking that was lifeless.

While she attended each awarding ceremonies of his school as his guardian, you spent recognition days with your kind teacher that pitied your situation.

While she celebrated every single birthday as Yaba's nanny, she forgot yours.

He always took what's yours. Now, even your heart, your mind, your soul, he took them all. It all eventually belonged to him.

Instead of butterflies, raging bees always inhabited your stomach as your mind was filled with him and him alone. You coughed a little, the earthy taste of flowers filled your mouth, making your mood sour.

You knew what caused this strange phenomenon, and what was this situation was in the first place. And its prickling feeling in your throat worsened everyday. At first whenever you came back from a meetup with him, you cough a petal or two in your sink, but now, branches.

Small pieces of branches assault your poor airway.

It does not make it better that there he was again, talking about how great he was, how amazing he was in the business, how many business partners he secured deals with. Again with the usual things, while you, the ever-so pitiful, you were just there in front of him, sitting with him in his oh-so luxurious living room.

The basic beige hanging lights gently lit up the invisible darkness that surrounded you. He was not wearing his usual attire properly. His tie was loosened, his coat was not worn, as well as his vest. He sat in a rather relaxed position.

He was always like that when he was with you.

While Yaba talked about himself, you pretended to listen when in reality, you were spacing out.

“You're not listening to me.” he said as a matter of fact. Your attention was brought back to him.

“Me not listening to you will not diminish the fact that you're very amazing as a businessperson.” you can taste the slight metallic in your tongue. You gave a shit-eating grin, trying to hide the scowl that forms in your face as the pain in your throat grew.

You abruptly stood up when you felt something solid rising up from your throat. The petals are trying its best to free itself while scratching the hell out of your insides. You wheezed.

“Out of all the times—” you coughed.

Again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

Yaba tried to assist you but you slapped his hand away. You did not want him to see you like this, weak and sickly. He would probably make fun of you (he would never), mock you for being anything but perfect. You can't show him this side. Your pride just would not let you do that.

Instead, you ran to his bathroom. You tried to expel everything. The sweet nauseating taste of honey and nectar landed on your tongue, along with the overpowering taste of blood. You were horrified to see a whole flower bud still attached to a branch.

The white marble sink was filled with blood and flowers. You panicked as you realized that you need to flush everything away. You laughed while you cry, desperately trying to wash the blood on the sink away.

Your throat burned so as your eyes as you cried more. You didn't even realize that you didn't even close the door. Yaba accidentally saw what was happening inside and he felt his breath hitched.

You felt another series of coughs following. You tried your very best to swallow or at least try to stop it from happening, knowing all too well that another batch of pain was coming.

His feet moved on its own, opening the door fully. Blood dripped from your mouth, while your eyes were puffy and red. You did not know what to say, ashamed that you made a mess in his spotless house.

“I'm so—” you hacked once again.

The dryness of your insides was intolerable. Fortunately unfortunate, your blood wetted your airway. You gripped the sink with all of your might. You felt his light touches, up and down your back as his eyes never left the substances that came from your body.

“What's happening? Did you consult a doctor abou—” you groaned loudly cutting him off. The sound of your agony and anguish filled the wide bathroom. You mumbled something incoherent, and your nails tried to dig in the solid and hard white sink.

“Why you? Why y— ou of all people? Why?” your voice rasped hatred of him, of this tiring circumstances. Yaba did not know what you were talking about at first, but he was not a fool to not realize what it was. “Doc—tors don't even know how to treat my condition!”

“Stop talking. You're hurting you—”

“Shut up. Shut up. Shut up!” the more he held you softly, the flowers just generated more. You breathed in deeply and slowly breathed out. Like a light switch, you were back to being unresponsive and almost stoic.

“I'll clean your sink. Just pretend you didn't see anything.” washing your bloody mouth, you gathered all of the drenched hibiscus and branches and opened the automatic trash bin under.

“You can't just cough up lots of blood and act as if nothing happened.” his light smirk was not there.

Ah, he's pissed.

“Yes the hell I can. It's not like talking to you will stop this shit.” you took a new toothbrush from his cabinet and brush your teeth. You did not stop repeating your routine until all you can taste was his toothpaste in your mouth. “It's a goddamned fictitious disease. As I said, not even doctors can treat it, so how in the hell could you?”

He just stared at you while you ran your mouth off.

“What?” you asked, uncomfortable with his eyes on you.

“What's the disease?” his usual tone was not present anymore. Instead, he spoke to you with a gentle and worried one.

“Hanahaki. Coughing up flower petals until I die or—”

Can you tell him that part?

It's a bit embarrassing though.

Can you do it?

“Or?” he patiently waited.

“The victim's love gets recip—” he pulled you towards him.

It was too sudden that you did not realize what he wad doing. He had his hand on the back of your neck while his other arm was in your waist. And—

Your mind stopped.

Not because he has his lips on yours but because you can breathe properly.

After the long suffering, you can now breathe properly.

The feeling of hibiscus flowers in your throat was now gone, and you felt extremely better, as if the disease never happened in the first place.

Ah.