𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐇𝐀𝐊𝐈 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 | 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚗 & 𝚣𝚎𝚍𝚠𝚒𝚗

𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆; 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 ; 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴

"𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦."

-

edwin was ignoring him but brandon clung to him. zion felt like his world was flipped on its head. everything was on the opposite end and it surely didn't feel natural. he wanted things to go back to the way it was—him pinning after his bandmate who occasionally smiled his way; his heart crushing at the sight; and then his best friend would show up with his beautiful smile that eased the pain for as long as he could. but none of that was happening. a routine he swears he's memerised has been thrown in the trash and now replaced with a new one.

brandon will want to hang out; edwin will distance himself and go talk with nick; his heart is still crushed; and he's vomiting a different flower for the day without the soothing words.

at this point zion doesn't know what's worse. almost dying because he was experiencing unrequited love, or losing his best friend? without edwin beside him zion swears going through the passing days have only gotten harder. no, that was because the vines wrapping themselves around his lungs were growing stronger—thicker. he was dying quicker. there was only so much time he had left before he had a choice to make. he was scared for that choice. and all he wished for was edwin to be by his side again.

that wasn't going to happen though.

zion went up to the shorter with a kind yet weak smile. he looked absolutely terrible with his skinnier frame; sunken in eyes, and pale complexion that resembled one of a ghost. edwin wanted nothing more than to pull the dread-head into his arms and wish zion nothing but a promising future.

he didn't.

instead he grabbed for a bottled water from the silver fridge, giving zion one last defeated stare before walking past him with a frown.

he remembers how nick consoled him. told him that in order to get over such feelings is by creating a small rift between the two. it would help calm whatever aching and consuming thoughts clawed at the back of his head, claiming to want answers. but it felt like that amount of space only created more obnoxiously ruthless hurt for the pair.

edwin wanted to take it back. he wanted to turn around and cry into the arms of his supposed best friend. but zion didn't care for him enough, and that was a constant reminder as to why he was taking nick's advise. the dominican had to tell himself that maybe it was just a phase—it was a phase and he'll get over it. then they can go back to being the unconditionally close friends that they've always been.

he shouldn't have listened to that knowledge. because then he would have witnessed how broken the other looked. he would have witnessed how zion waited until he left in order to show the pain he's been feeling.

a headache; harbored breathing; the constant need to choke up any part of a flower.

the weakening of his limbs; the blurred sight; the constant dizziness that came with focusing too hard.

zion's body collapsed. he fell to the cold kitchen floor with a thump, head managing to hit the corner of the island before sprawling out. blood slowly leaked from the wound, staining anything it touched. the sight was terrifying.

and it was austin who found him looking lifeless.

-