notes : angst, followed up by MEGA fluff, hanahaki au, everyone is a gijinka (humanized) i made the blind specter bi! i hope you don't mind lol

hanahaki au :  an illness born from one-sided love, where the patient throws up and coughs of flower petals when they suffer from one-sided love. The infection can be removed through surgery, but the feelings disappear along with the petals.
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A young, lively male roamed the aisles of the train, ponytail swishing each time he looked to the side. His family was who ran this train smoothly. Up until then, things continued on that way, with the male subtly flirting with a few of his passengers, helping them make the trip as delightful as possible.

However, there was the constant reoccurrence of Cagney. Specter was deemed an acquaintance in Cagney's eyes, but when the views were flipped, Specter had fallen head over heels in love with the gardener.

The flower-loving male's persona was of major interest to the young porter, and he was more than elated after seeing  the male one final time before the gardener exited the train in order to return home. Specter assisted him in retrieving his luggage, high hopes at the thought of finally confessing how he felt towards the male. He handed over Cagney's luggage, gasping softly at the feel of their hands meeting. Now was the time, as he was exiting, Specter stopped the taller male momentarily.

"Mister Cagney!" He squeaked, causing the male to abruptly halt. A tinge of annoyance enhanced Cagney's traits, but something like that wasn't unusual. He turned to face the ponytailed boy who had the brightest of simpers displayed. "Can we go on a da-"

"Cagney!" 

The feminine voice caused him to jump in shock. It finally dawned on him once he saw them reunite and embrace lovingly in front of the stopped train. That was Cagney's wife, the Inkwell renowned Hilda Berg. 

All hope for his anticipated question was ran over by the train once it left its station, Specter  watching as they walked off together hand in hand.

That was the day the disease had shown itself in all of its glory. In fact, the hanahaki disease had resulted in his very own death much later down the road. 

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After years of heartache and heartbreak over the simplest nonverbal rejections, even after the end of life itself, the disease would not leave him be. At this point, all of his family had joined him, as sympathized souls left to be mourned upon the now abandoned train. The train had clearly aged over the years, but nobody was expecting it to be coated in an assemblage of different flowers at this point. It was expected that the area where the train had been shut down was as dead as the family that ran it.

But that was far from true. Which brings about you, the curious, and precious little flower that happened to be fascinated by its own kind. 

You observed the outer portion of the train carts in all of their lovely, flowery glory. Lilies were some of the most common. Hydrangeas in different blue values coated every inch of this train, making you wonder how life was still present in a setting as lonesome as this.

Crying could be heard from the distance. Quiet, solitary wails were echoing throughout the carts of the train. Who was it that could have been crying amongst all of this beauty? You had the urge to find out. 

Creak after creak of each floorboard drives you closer and closer to the noises emitted by the despairful voice. Part of you was scared. This train was supposedly abandoned, so who was it? The fear wasn't a barrier to block you though. Interest was at its peak, and if you didn't find out now, you would have deplored doing so all of your life.

At the end of the second cart, you witnessed the unbelievable. A ponytailed, ghost-like boy crouched onto his knees with his back towards you, crying his heart out, coughing and spluttering one name specifically in between hems.

"Cagney..."

Your eyes widened a bit. Resistance to move towards the bright blue ectoplasm held you in your place, as though you were glued to the floor. He must not have heard you over his crying, and what appeared to be longing for Cagney.

"Excuse me?" Your voice shakily spurred out. The boy choked back his cries, finally standing in front of you. He turned in your direction, his body showing signs of how solemnly hurt he'd been for who knows how long.

But what truly stood out to you was his eye. There was a single socket for where his eye should have supposedly been. Within his eye socket though, were the same blue hydrangeas that were scattered about the carts of the train. He coughed a few times, capping his hand over his mouth and letting it fall once he was done. 

Blue fluid dripped from his mouth, and a few flower petals fell from between the tips of his fingers. 

"Who are you?" He asked voice laced with melancholy.

"Someone who's oddly concerned." You spoke, newfound confidence in your voice. This guy didn't seem like he was out to intentionally hurt you. He only looked sorrowful, which is too fitting for the fact that he was a ghost boy.

"I couldn't have him. I knew it before I even encountered her." He spoke, very slowly inching towards you, small flurries of petals making their way towards the floor to reunite with ones of the same family. "Every time.." He sniffled. "Every time I cough, sneeze, anything.." Specter reached up to his single eye socket, retrieving a flower from it and admiring it within his own hands. "These pop up."

He allowed the flower to fall.

"Each one reminds me of him." His lip trembled, and his socket indicated that he was close to crying, if that was even possible for him. "Even in death, I can't get rid of my feelings for Cagney." He spoke in between a hack, looking down at the blend of flowers at his feet.

Your heart hurt. Physically feeling the emotional pain and trauma he had been through influenced your next actions.

Taking a step into his personal ghastly space made him look up. Arms wrapped themselves around his inhuman body. His body began to glow a bit. You took it as an hint that he felt the emotion in the hug you indulged in.

For the first time in forever he felt.. needed. Understood by someone. His elder brothers never were able to comprehend why he liked that bipolar carnation. His father could have cared less. He had his own problems.

But from you-- Well, he felt some unfamiliar emotion. For the past few years, the only emotions he was able to feel were sadness, pain, heartache, regret, and so much more.

He found himself overwhelmed by feelings. Specter held you close, or at least thats what it seemed like.

Your physical body floated right through him.

You two looked back at each other, and before he had the chance to start spewing a river of tears, he smiled, quietly laughing. You began to laugh as well.

That was unexpected..

For the next few months, you came to visit your new spirit of a friend. He told you all about how amazing the train would function when his family was still involved in doing so, about all the astonishing places he got to visit and see, how he's changed over his era of heartbreak.

"You sound like you were quite the charmer back in the day." A sly remark from you.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"What, you think you're still a charmer now? You're a ghost!"

"Oh shut up!"

As the days progressed, you had barely noticed it, but the number of flowers present in the carts of his train became less and less. What you had taken note of, was that with every minute you spent with Specter, his smile grew further and further each time.

His dedication to his crush on Cagney Carnation as a boy was wearing thinner and thinner.

And his admiration for you was growing stronger and stronger...

One day as you were progressing up the mountain of Inkwell's third isle, you heard a loud whistle. A whistle that sounded.. like a train whistle? No way. This couldn't have been happening.

You ran towards Specter's family train, halting as soon as you saw your bright blue friend hanging onto one of the railings of his specified train cart.

"All aboard!"

He had on a darker blue hat and a dazzling smile. The boy was in his same ghostly getup. The one he died in. But somehow.. it looked cleaner, spiffier than usual. You let out a quieted 'wow' and allowed Specter to help you up onto the cart. He held your hand a bit longer than usual, which made you quite blushy, if I, the author must say. 

As his vibrant color was revived from the dead, so was a bit of his physical form. Somehow. 

You didn't question it.

Specter looked out to the front of the train, giving a thumbs up to his T-bone of a father. The sequence continued throughout his family members until the train finally began to move. 

On the contrary, you were quietly looking everything in the cart up and down. Everything had been cleaned, reorganized-- It was very colorful. The train looked as if it was never run down in the first place. "Specter, how did you..."

"It's called magic." He held up both of his hands next to his face, and rolled his eyes. "I'm a ghost. I can do magic."

"That's not how it works you doofus!"

He cackled, nodding in agreement. "Yeah I know! Look, I can clean up a bit can't I?" He took hold of your hand again. You made sure to watch for the eyes implanted in his hands. 

"I wanna show you a whole new world." He told you, excitedly gripping your hands in his own. All you were capable of doing was stifle a few laughs. This guy really was a charmer.. Even if he was a part of the undead. "Whaddaya think this is? Aladdin?" "You're making this way less romantic than I wanted it to be." He frowned cutely.

Wait. Pause. Romantic?

"Romanti-" "Hush, just roll with it."

The ectoplasmic boy pulled you to the outside of the cart. It was windy, but it was refreshing. This train was moving incredibly fast... Specter had no fears though. Probably because he couldn't die again. He climbed up one of the ladders onto the top of a cart, lowering his hand so he could help you up off of the latter as well. 

You could barely hear up here.. But you had to admit, it was pretty cool, being on top of a moving train. Specter held your hand the entire time too, staying close the entire time, ensuring your safety.

Specter yelled in your direction, his ponytail flying behind him, "I gotta tell you something!" He beamed, his tongue sticking out in that goofy grin he recently developed. "My flower disease is gone!" You couldn't stop smiling. It had been a long period of mental growth for the boy.. And being the one able to help him through it was uplifting. It was nice to see the stages of his happiness regeneration. 

"That's amazing Specter!" You yelled back. 

"That's not it though!"

Well if that wasn't it, then what was?

"I love you so much!" He yelled, looking back as if he knew what was coming. Which he did. You were overwhelmed with a flurry of emotions. There was a fairly large sign that you were heading towards, and he had anticipated it.

Pulling you close, and dipping you, so that your head didn't come into contact with the sign, you watched as he phased through it. Ironically, unphased by the fact that if he had a physical body, he would have gotten smacked into an entirely different timeline. 

When he pulled you back up, he saw the shocked look in your eyes. You blinked a few times, still shaken by the fact that he had so nonchalantly saved you from getting hit by a sign. He giggled, a bright blue blush appearing on his ghastly face. "So while you're still stuck on the fact that you almost died," He pulled you closer. "I gotta tell you, thank you! For being with me even when I wanted to die, after already being.. Y'know." You were brought back to your senses by his silly comment.

You couldn't stop laughing. But he understood that it was because of what he said.

"You've made being in Inkwell so much brighter, helped me see things so much differently than I have before.." He began to mumble, yet you still heard him. Your heart raced in your chest, pounding against your ribcage, begging for you to just.. Let out how you felt as well. A warmth encaged you, just above your hips. You realized it was his hands, and he was getting really really close.

You closed your eyes, internally panicking. 

"Thank you so much." He almost sounded like he was going to cry again. Not a sad sort of cry though.. A happy one. Your eyes swelled with happiness and love for the ghost of a boy in front of you. "Specter?"

"Yeah?"

"You really are a charmer. Even if you're a ghost."

With that, a gentle kiss was pressed to his strangely warm lips, and Specter enthusiastically returned it. Adrenaline coursed through your body. Your hands rested on his shoulders, and you accidentally snorted once he started to pepper your face with loving kisses and smother you in quiet 'I love you's.

Then you heard the same whistle from when you first departed, and the loud cheers of his family were heard behind the lovey dovey words you two shared on top of the roof of the train's cart. Specter had never felt better.. Especially since he was living the life he only wished he could have undergone, except in the afterlife.