Azure Blossoms [SMG34 Hanahaki AU]

always been but never dreamed

POV: Third person

"I...I have something to tell you."

SMG4 turned to face his purple-clad doppelganger, his blue eyes giving off a soft glow in the dark (Meme Guardian thing). "What is it?"

Oh, look at me, I'm nothing in comparison to him, he'd never- he doesn't love me, SMG3 thought as he tried to calm himself. "It was...you...Four. You're th-the Hanahaki's reason for being here."

SMG4 didn't know what to think.

Him. It was him of all people.

Was he supposed to be...disappointed? Happy? Terrified? All 3? He wasn't sure. All he knew was that he didn't...not like SMG3.

"I...I'm why you're dying..."

Three's eyes widened, this wasn't the answer he expected. "No, it's not your fault!" he said, watching tears brim in the blue-clad Guardian's blue eyes. Blue like the azure blossoms. Blue like the afternoon sky they'd seen earlier, and its reflection in the pond.

SMG4 wiped his eyes and glanced at SMG3. "How...is it not my fault?" he asked, his voice small and weak.

Three looked away, refusing to meet his partner's gaze. "It isn't. I won't let you blame yourself for this, SMG4. I'm just glad I got to know you before..." However, he was cut off before he could finish his sentence. That was definitely the wrong thing to say, why did he have to bring up death...?

Four wrapped his arms around Three, which was unexpected but not an unwelcome action, and then he felt his emotions all come out at once in that moment with SMG4. As cold and villainous as he used to be, he left that behind a long time ago, and now all that was just an act he could use in front of the camera for personality and clout. Tears streamed down his face.

SMG4 didn't let go for a long time, shakily breathing in and out. The faint smell of coffee, cinnamon, and chocolate that clung to SMG3's outfit calmed him a little, enough for him to remember to stop accidentally hyperventilating.

"Three...I..." SMG4 whispered. "I'm sorry. God, I'm so sorry." Sorry for what? Sorry for making his best friend suffer? Or sorry for lying that he still thought of SMG3 as nothing more than a friend?

This was his last chance to try and make things right.

"SMG4?" Three's voice was...hypnotizing. "Wh..."

The purple-clad man blushed when Four pulled him close, this was...unexpected. Their lips were almost touching... 

Four looked Three in the eyes. "I... th-this is my last chance to..." he trailed off.

And then...

Oh my god oh my god it's happening, Three thought, a complete mess of emotions now. Four's lips were soft and and warm against his, and SMG3 kissed him back. His every instinct was telling him to pull away, SMG4 had surely made a mistake or done this out of pity, but he couldn't. There was no way he could explain it. There was no way he could explain that Four had somehow fallen for him while his life was on the line because of this stupid disease.

Four pulled away, his entire face pink. "Shit...SMG3, I-"

"Am I... cured...?"

"What?" SMG4's eyes went wide. "What did you say?"

"The Hanahaki. It's cured by a display of genuine romantic love from the one who caused the disease, and..." SMG3 paused, looking Four directly in the eyes. In his azure blue eyes, the same color as the roses. The roses he would never have to deal with again, hopefully. "...You...you actually... no, it doesn't work unless it's genuine- "

Unable to contain his joy, SMG4 grinned and threw his arms around Three again, so relieved his doppelganger wasn't going to die because of him. "Of course it was genuine, Three...it was so fast before I realized how I felt just now, and...I just...what do I even say now? I love you, SMG3, I do."

Genuine feelings. His mind was racing. The roses began to wither, crumble, disappear, Three felt it inside his body.

Four loved him.

"Are you okay? You're crying..." SMG4 said through tears of his own. "I know I'm being hypocritical but-"

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Three, sitting down on a rock and looking at the sky's reflection in the pond. Glittering stars, the silver moon, the dark sky. "Just processing everything. Should we..."

"...go back to the others?" Four finished for him. He nodded, and they both reached for the other's hand, locking fingers and dropping themselves into a portal. They didn't know how everyone would react (they would be unsurprised), or the future of their little group and SMG4 channel, but they weren't thinking about any of that.

They just got up after falling into the Showgrounds, walking hand in hand back home and hearing all the kind words and happiness from their friends when they announced that SMG3 would be okay. The glow of the TV screen autoplaying meaningless garbage lit up the room that night, with the only person still awake being SMG3. He clicked the TV off, looking over at all his friends.

People who cared about him when he'd first announced the bad news. This was everything he hoped for, people who loved him, fans who adored him. Four asleep, resting his head on Three's shoulder.

SMG3's eyes began to close, falling asleep on the sofa like everyone else. Saiko and Tari, Bowser and Luigi...Mario and his spaghetti...

He smiled as he finally drifted off. And now him and Four.

~~~

THE END :DDD

Hello, thank you for all the kind words here. Even though I wrote this at 1am, y'all like it for some reason... so I went back and made some edits just now. Anygays that's it from me.

~~~ The End ~~~