The Language of Flowers by Fullmetal Pyromaniac

Where did I go wrong?

I lost a friend, somewhere along in the bitterness,

And I would have stayed up with you all night,

had I known,

How to save a life.

- How To Save a Life, The Fray

One; Yellow Carnation

Meliodas could always remember the day his mother walked out. It was raining, she and his father were shouting, loudly, but unclearly. Shivering under his bed, Meliodas hugged his bear to his chest and silently cried.

"He's not good at anything! Look at his grades, they're utter shit. The boy is thick as a fucking brick wall!"

"Listen, Meliodas is doing the best he can, if you're not willing to look after our son and support him no matter what, then you can get out"

And she did. His mother packed all her things, and stood in the doorway of the house, contacting a friend for a place to stay. Meliodas ran into the hall, wide green eyes shimmering with tears.

"Please mum, I'm sorry, I- I'll do better I swear. I love you mum, just don't leave," he begged, clinging to the bottom of her skirt. His mother glared at him, yanked her skirt out of his grip, and slammed the front door in his face.

That was the first night where he coughed up flowers, yellow carnations, a gaudy colour. Meliodas' father held him all night, cooing comforting words into his sons ears.

"I-I'm s-sorry dad" Meliodas choked out, clasping onto his dads shirt as more yellow petals fell onto the bed sheets beneath them. His father shushed him gently and rocked him back and forth.

"It's not your fault, son, your mother and I weren't very happy together, it would have happened eventually. I'm just sorry that she hurt you so badly" he sighed, Meliodas shook his head.

"It's okay," but it wasn't, Meliodas' condition got worse and worse, until he had the flowers removed from his throat. He didn't feel anything for his mother after that, not even hatred.

When he ran into her ten years later, she was older, and had two children- one older and one younger. She tried to explain to Meliodas, he listened sceptically, and showed her his PHD in astrophysics and engineering. Proof that he wasn't stupid.

His mother was apologetic then, but Meliodas didn't feel anything, and left her in the streets. She died later of Hanahaki, the same yellow carnations that Meliodas had coughed up.

Two; Black Rose

Black spilled over the white sheets of his room. Unable to breathe, Meliodas clutched his chest and gagged, more black petals spilled over his lips.

He couldn't be gone. He couldn't. It- it can't have been real. He scratched at his throat until it bled, like red rose petals splaying out on the floor.

It was his friend Ban who found him, crying on his apartment floor, screaming obscenities at his mother for abandoning him, and begging his father to come back, for the car accident to be undone, and for it to hit Meliodas tomorrow.

There was an emergency operation at the doctors, who marvelled over the production of black roses, ones that would be added to their scientific archives and Meliodas' name forever put down as the man who first coughed up black flowers.

Meliodas made a fine recovery, but all feelings of his father were vanished, a distant ache of happiness left in the hollow cavity of his throat. The pain a vanished memory, but still there.

Meliodas cried.

Three; Narcissus

Liz was everything Meliodas had wanted in a woman, she was brash, brave, and told him when he did shit wrong. She contrasted him in most ways, from the rest of her hair to the blonde of his own. The bright blue of her eyes to his emerald.

She was taller than him by a good few inches, but Meliodas found it endearing. She fit well in his life; with Liz, Meliodas felt like living again, a feeling he hadn't experienced since the death of his father a few months previously. He and Liz were constantly bickering over something, whether it was pizza toppings or whether Nancy should end up with Steve or Jonathan. There was always something to argue over.

Liz also fit in with his friends, a group of misfits from around town. Though none of them showed any encouragement when it came to Meliodas' love for Liz, they were supportive nevertheless. After three months of knowing Liz, Meliodas finally gathered the courage to confess his feelings. Standing in the park where they first met, Meliodas held out a small bouquet of jasmine flowers.

"Liz," Meliodas started, "I've only known you for a few months, but...I can't explain it, you're so wonderful and you saved me after my father's death. I...I think I love you...Would you like to go out with me?"

Looks of fear, horror, pain, sorrow, and pity all fluttered across her features, Meliodas' heart sank, but he remained hopeful.

"I'm sorry Meliodas" she said softly, looking down, "but I can't love you...I'm sor-"

Her apology was cut off by her coughing violently, her hand came away to reveal a pile of purple violet petals. Liz held them up apologetically.

"I'm sorry" she croaked. "I'm feeling your pain too, if that's any consolation"

It wasn't, but Meliodas held her close, letting her spill tears onto his shoulder. Unrequited love sucked, and he was bitter that Liz couldn't love him, it was painful for everyone affected. So one last time Meliodas was her comfort.

As soon as he went home, white petals spilled over his lips, he didn't stop them until they had nearly covered the entirety of his hall floor. He signed himself up for another surgery, and it was completed the next week.

Liz got married to her love, and the flowers stopped holding her back. Though Meliodas had no more feelings for her, he kept a single narcissus in a vase on his windowsill, next to a yellow carnation and black rose, to remind him of what he had lost.

Four; Daisy

The first time he saw Elizabeth, Meliodas was on the way home from the hospital having another case of Hanahaki removed. He had gone so often that the doctors advised him not to go again, as it might permanently damage his throat and voice.

Walking back along the high street, he noticed a new shop opening.

Lavenders' Blue; it was called, and appeared to sell plants and flowers. There were plenty of flower shops in Britannia, despite there being an illness surrounded by them, but something was different about this shop.

It appeared to be shrinking backwards, not trying to be noticeable like the others. Something lured him to the shop.

A small bell tinged as Meliodas entered the shop, it was quiet inside, the walls were a pastel blue colour and vases of flowers lined the walls. Along the left side was a snap gardening section, and opposite the door was the desk and the door to the back room. Next to the door was a large board with the flowers, colour variations, scientific names, and their meanings.

There were quiet footsteps, and the owner of the shop came into view, she was probably around ages with Meliodas. Long silver-grey hair flowed down her back and a fringe covered her right eye, innocence poured off her in waves.

"Hi," she greeted Meliodas with a smile, "what can I help you with today?"

"You have lots of beautiful flowers" Meliodas stared, Elizabeth turned pink and nodded.

"Thank you, Sir, you're very kind. I look after my flowers like someone would look after children or pets, I love them all"

"That's very sweet of you, and please call me Meliodas," he held out his hand to the woman and she took it eagerly.

"I'm Elizabeth, I've just moved here from Blakepol"

"Is that so? Well I think you're in need of some friends, I'm going out tonight with them. D'you wanna come with us?"

"I-" Elizabeth stammered, "Are you sure? I don't want to intrude..."

Meliodas was taken aback by this girls shyness, she was too innocent and pure for this world, and to think she would be a bother was utter nonsense.

"Not at all, I'm sure Diane would welcome some girl company anyway"

"Sure, I'd love to" The two exchanged phone numbers and addresses, and after buying a cactus, Meliodas left the shop-

Not before turning back and witnessing Elizabeth violently hacking up two bright red daisies. Moments later Meliodas did the same, only his were white.

Panic flooded him for a second, realising he'd have to get another surgery to remove the flower. Instead, he felt okay with the petals in his hand, his coughing wasn't too violent and he wasn't in pain for once.

Meliodas just wanted to help Elizabeth be okay.

Five; Acacia

Over the six months he had known Elizabeth, the flowers Meliodas' coughed up varied. First it was a purple heather, that turned into a white heather. Then a hollyhock, a hibiscus, and a honeysuckle.

A purple lilac, a linaria bipartita, a pansy, and the most latest was an acacia. He didn't bother looking at the meanings, he had a vague idea anyway.

Elizabeth had gotten along fantastically with the rest of Meliodas' group, her friendship with Diane was a special one. Diane was often too boisterous and loud, while Elizabeth had been a sickly child and never really got around to making friends.

But she was in the city now, running her own flower shop that had become increasingly popular, but not to the extent of being over crowded.

One thing that troubled Meliodas increasingly was Elizabeth's case of Hanahaki, he often caught her coughing up various different flowers, including the red ones he saw on their first encounter. She never complained about it, even if he saw jagged thorns come away in her hand, Elizabeth always smiled through it.

Meliodas coughed up more after every encounter, but for once he didn't hate it. He kept the flowers as bookmarks, as proof of his innocent love. It wasn't like Liz, where the two were arguing over everything. Elizabeth was a good four-ish years younger than Meliodas, and being brought up in a sheltered household, was naïve and innocent.

It was seven months knowing Elizabeth when he realised it was love. He loved the way she smiled, he loved the way she gave small children flowers for free, and the way she hugged them as if they were her own. The way she was conscious about her silver hair, her heterochromia iridium, her height, her beauty. The way she stuttered when she was nervous, but stood up for herself without backing down.

Everything about her was radiant, and it scared Meliodas to death. This had never worked out well for him, but he didn't hate the way he loved Elizabeth. Not even while acacia flowers appeared on his pillow and spilled from his lips. It wasn't painful.

What was painful, though, was to watch it happen to Elizabeth. She never let anyone see, but Meliodas caught the remnants of blood stained petals that were almost carefully hidden. In her handbag, in her cash register, behind the desk. Elizabeth never told them, a trait that Meliodas thought was both admirable and stupid.

One day, after going into Lavender's Blue, Meliodas rang the bell to discover no one was there. The shop was open, but Elizabeth was nowhere to be seen. the door to the back room was also shut, which was highly unusual.

Then, there was a small cough, followed by heavy breathing. Meliodas carefully opened the door and peered around.

Elizabeth lay sprawled on the floor, a trail of white flowers coming from her mouth. Rushing to her side, Meliodas pulled her up to his front, cringing when her head lolled on his shoulder. Using the Heimlich manoeuvre, more and more petals fell out until Elizabeth took in a sharp breath, coughing violently.

"Thank fuck" He breathed out, taking his mobile phone out his pocket and pressing emergency call, "Stay awake Elizabeth, I promise you'll be fine, just stay awake until the ambulance comes okay?"

Elizabeth opened her eyes and raised a shaky hand to Meliodas' phone, trying to pull it away from his ear.

"N-no..." She coughed out weakly, "T-that means th-that my fee-feelings for you will...go a-away...I d-don't want t-that..."

With a finger hovering over the call button, Meliodas cradled her in his arms and gazed down at her, now it was painful, now he didn't want this.

"What...what do you mean?"

"A-acacia...means s-secret love. I-I love you Meliodas" and Meliodas slammed his lips to hers, ignoring the faint metallic taste of blood on her. Elizabeth responded for a few seconds, then fell limp in his arms. Tears poured down his face as Meliodas called the ambulance and watched as she was taken from him away on a stretcher.

"She'll be okay," The doctor told him hours later, "No need for the surgery, but her throat's quite damaged, she's not in danger anymore"

Relief bloomed inside Meliodas, and he thanked the doctor, deciding to go see Elizabeth. She was lying asleep, but seemed much better than before.

Neither she nor Meliodas coughed up flowers again.

+1; Zephyranthes (Rain Flowers)

Elizabeth had never been lucky with love, her first crush falling for her older sister. Her second love moving away, and the third cheating. Being a sickly girl, no one had wanted to spend too much time with her, or had the time to. So, after her mother's death and watching her father retch up beautiful flowers, she devoted her time to flowers, eventually opening a shop in the city.

Meeting Meliodas' and his friends was the best thing that had ever happened to her, she had never felt so alive. His friends were so welcoming, and Meliodas was something special, he was so funny, yet his eyes seemed so sad.

The flowers she coughed up were bright red, and kept as well hidden as she could, as she hated drawing attention to herself. Meliodas was perceptive, and Elizabeth knew he had seen the flowers she had coughed up. But she remained smiling, she wasn't in pain.

Love was painful, as she learned while knowing Meliodas, and with every flower and thorned stem she coughed up, she fell deeper and deeper in love with him. His happy demenour, his bright green eyes, even his teasing was something that Elizabeth found loveable.

Meliodas could never love her though, no one did, and so more and more flowers were produced, eventually drowning her.

A cry of joy sounded from outside, Elizabeth stood up from her seat in her living room, placing down her book and going to the large window overlooking the large garden that she and her husband owned.

Meliodas was swinging a young girl around by her waist and grinning from ear to ear. The little girl squealed in shock, and was then put down by Meliodas. The girl ran and Meliodas chased after her slowly. Elizabeth smiled fondly at her family, twiddling the stem of a white lily in her fingers, and finally putting it in a vase next to the window.

The End.

A.N. Man, writers block is a bitch! Hello, sorry for vanishing for a bit. I've been trying to get over my block by reading stuff on AO3 (Klance and Victuuri) and I fell in love with the Hanahaki disease, and 5 plus 1 fictions, and so this was born. I'm not used to these types of stories, it was a challenge but i enjoyed writing it and I'll probably do more like this in the future!

Also, there's a wee easter egg on my Liz couldn't love Meliodas, see if you can work it out...

Also Also, I changed the lore of Hanahaki a little, for those who don't know, the original is that Hanahaki is a disease someone gets when their love is unrequited. I read an OtaYuri fic where Yurio coughed up flowers because of his mothers rejection, so I made it so the disease was caused by unrequited love, but also lost love. (Meliodas and his father, Elizabeth's father and her late mother)

So, I've decided to do something different, and tomorrow (Tuesday), at about 6pm british time, I'll be doing a live-tweet-thing while watching Signs of a Holy War, or "Season 2" of Seven Deadly sins. Come join me Fullmetal_RUBY and if all goes well, I'll be doing more in the future, maybe for stuff like voltron or Stranger Things which is available in October!

Read! Review! Follow! and Favourite! and thank you if you have, or will ^_^ it means a lot!

See you soon! Lots of love,

- Ruby xxx