Replay {Skephalo}

31 | Missing

. *. ~. *. ~. *. ~. *. You're everywhere except right here, and it hurts' . *. ~. *. ~. *. ~. *.

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No, you don't get rights to see Zak today.
Enjoy. Love ya <3 ~ Owl

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-Darryl's POV-

I'm not sure quite who I was expecting at the door, but Vincent wasn't them. Half of me really wanted to slam the door shut on him, but I couldn't from the look on his face.

Tears were staining his cheeks, still flowing in a heavy stream down to the floor. Shamelessly crying, like he thinks he deserves it and everyone should watch.

"What the-"

"I owe you an explanation!" he blurts through the tears, cutting me off entirely. I narrow my eyes at him, trying to keep an angered attitude. He's the person Zak cheated on me with, but my heart can't help but ache at the sorry sight of him.

I'm far too soft...

"Well come in I guess" I mutter, stepping out of the doorway to let the younger boy in. His eyes can't quite meet mine as we sit on the couch in the main room. He seems distracted.

We sit in silence for a few minutes before the French boy bursts into another flood of tears. "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner! I'm sorry I'm so stupid that I made you think Zak's a horrible person! He isn't..." he trails off. "I'm the horrible person."

My eyes soften a little. I hold his gaze, watching him blink back tears. "Vincent, right? Explain" I press in a low voice. He nods his head. "Yeah... Vincent. I'll explain, I came here to..."

His eyes match mine, clearly taking all of his confidence to hold my stare. "Have you ever heard of hanahaki disease?" My head goes blank. "No I haven't."

"Well." Vincent pulls out his phone, fingers dancing across the screen as he types out something. "Here" he says, handing the phone to me.

There's a definition of hanahaki disease there. Suddenly, things start making more sense. "You have this don't you? That's why there were the flower crowns." Vincent's eyes light up at my recognition. "Had. And yes exactly. I've always had a crush on Zak... and..." he trails off again.

He breaks the stare, mumbling the last bit into his chest. "And I accepted that he didn't like me after he met you. That's when the hanahaki started. I tried so hard to control my feelings, but I couldn't."

"So..." I say quietly, breaking the small silence gathering between us. There's something else he's not telling me. "So why did you and Zak kiss? That's still wrong."

Vincent's tears become heavier again. "I know" he blubbers, voice wobbly from crying. "I know I know! But you saw the last part of the article right?" I did. Something about dying if feelings aren't returned. "Yes I did."

"The flowers I was throwing up were so big I almost choked to death on them. I would've died if Zak hadn't been there with me on Monday morning."

"Oh." Of all the things I could've said, I let an 'oh' slip out of my mouth.

"I knew Zak didn't return my feelings, so I knew I had to trick the hanahaki. I made Zak believe I loved someone else, and we set up a plan. We were going to get this person drunk so they'd kiss me back, confiding the hanahaki so it'd stop."

I'm a little confused. "But if you just needed to kiss them, couldn't you have just told him and had him ki-"

"No." I'm cut off before I get a chance to finish. "The feelings have to be returned, it wouldn't settle for a fake kiss. The hanahaki knows Zak loves you Darryl."