If you don't know Hanahaki disease is a thing where someone coughs up flowers when they have unrequited love. It's either healed by the other person reciprocating or the victim dies. I'm changing it up a bit so there's no danger of dying and it's just a huge inconvenience and the victim just has to confess to get rid of it. The other person doesn't have to return their feelings either. I just think that will make this more light-hearted and it puts pressure on the character who's hiding their feelings rather than the one who's minding their own business. I don't want to put a character into a position where they have to fall in love with someone or they die... that's not romantic. Also, if you're interested in my thoughts on chapter 44 see the notes at the end.
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Vanitas was alone on the roof one day when out of nowhere pain spiked in his throat. He immediately started coughing and retching uncontrollably, tears springing to his eyes. He clawed uselessly at his neck, undoing his bow for some small relief. As the attack continued he began to accept that this was how he was going to die. Alone and choking on air.

As Vanitas began to accept his departure from this mortal coil something forced it's way up his throat and out of his mouth. A single petal, quickly followed by the rest of the flower in an unceremonious and much more painful heave. Vanitas stared at the astérisque flower falling apart in his hands. What was this? Had he been cursed? Could the Book of Vanitas fix this? He had no idea.

Tossing the flower aside in disgust he decided to test the Book's effectiveness. He tried but there wasn't a single inverse operation that fit the situation. Despite this he still tried to use its power only to find it useless as he had expected. Next came consulting medical texts but that yielded no result either. Vanitas planned on visiting a library next but ran into Amelia on the way out. Figuring he had nothing to lose he decided to ask her. Her true name almost vaguely referenced flowers so it wasn't his worst shot.

"Amelia, have you ever heard of people coughing up flowers?"

"Oh! Of course Monsieur Vanitas, that's Hanahaki disease. It's a rather sweet tale. When people bury their romantic feelings deep enough they begin to cough up flowers, especially near the person they love. And the only way to heal it is to confess your feelings, don't you think it's sweet?"

"Sounds terrible to me." Vanitas scowled, pondering his own situation. It couldn't be right. He wasn't in love.

It was relatively tame for most of the day. Occasionally a single petal would force it's way out but that became easy to deal with. The worst thing was the mess they made. The next time there was a violent onset Vanitas was completely unprepared. He was lazing around in his and Noé's room when the vampire came home. Almost immediately he started convulsing violently.

"Vanitas!?" Noé rushed over to him, but Vanitas shoved him away and rushed into the bathroom, locking the door behind him as Noé continued to yell.

Vanitas vomited out two flowers into the sink then stared at his ragged reflection. Pathetic. He looked at the flowers briefly and Amelia's words taunted him in his mind... They begin to cough up flowers, especially near the person they love. Especially near the person they love. The person they love. Love. Vanitas spat on the flowers. As if he was in love with Noé of all people.

After a moment's thought he removed them from the sink and stuffed them in his pockets to hide the evidence. He strode confidently out of the bathroom to find Noé hovering nervously around. He scowled and waved Noé's concerns off.

This continued for week and Vanitas became very good at hiding the flowers. He began to cough silently and even mostly still his body's shaking, even though it hurt more. He even began to wear his scarf almost constantly in order to catch any rogue flowers that may escape at inconvenient times. The flowers, although annoying, became a constant part of Vanitas's life. And he thought it was going smoothly until one day, out of the blue, Noé became interested in what was going on.

"You've been sick for ages now. Don't you think you should be concerned?"

"I'm not sick."

"Yes, you are! I know you're trying to hide it but you aren't as discrete as you think you are. Always covering your face, throwing up in the bathroom when you think no one can hear you and occasional convulsions that hit you unexpectedly. I know you can usually hide them but sometimes when I walk into a room you'll jolt violently."

"Get your eyes checked moron. I'm perfectly healthy."

"Then take off that scarf for once."

"No? Don't boss me around."

"Come on," Noé reached for it and Vanitas swatted him away.

"I told you that I am fine."

"And I told you that you're a liar." Noé took another swipe this time just latching onto the end of the scarf.

Vanitas grabbed the parts wrapped around his neck and held tightly. There was a struggle as the two tried to wrest the offending clothing away from each other. As Vanitas pulled he felt a tickle in the back of his throat. Not now! But fate was not on his side. The flower was coming whether he wanted it to or not and as he felt it filling his mouth his grip loosened and Noé pulled the scarf free.

As he was exposed there was a hideous retch and Vanitas spit the flower onto the floor. Noé stared at it, then back at Vanitas, then to the flower again. Noé looked so confused Vanitas almost laughed.

"Don't know what it is, do you?" He sneered.

"Hanahaki."

Vanitas blanched, "What?"

"I didn't think it was real. Or so disgusting for that matter. Ah... who-"

"Please just ignore this Noé, it's not some love disease. There's got to be a better explanation. Like world formula alteration."

"Denying it is just going to make it worse. Please confess to whoever it is... I don't want to see you get hurt more because you're bottling things up."

"I bottle everything up. My emotions are all bottled and left in the cellar where they belong."

"Vanitas, don't make this harder for yourself. You like to pretend you're logical, well it isn't very logical to suffer through coughing up flowers just because you have a complicated relationship with your own emotions. This could interfere with our work. It's serious."

"Argggh! It's you!"

"Huh?"

"You're to blame for me coughing up flowers! Happy!?"

Noé put a hand to feel his heart, "Yes, I think so?"

"What the- you took that- never mind. Are you telling me that you reciprocate my definitely-not-love?"

"I can't say for sure but I know I'm happy that you like me Vanitas."

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I SPOIL MOST OF CHAPTER 44 DOWN HERE

Hrrrggggh I just read chapter 44 and my god was Vani adorable. Like, Jun's starting to slightly convert me to Vanijeanne (Of course I'm still more a Vannoé and Domijeanne shipper though lmao). Vani may have been a piece of shit to Jeanne in the beginning but fuck if it's not cute as hell to watch him start to understand her and view her as she really is. Honestly, I haven't completely forgiven him for ye olde sexual assault in volume one BUT watching two broken people find understanding/love with one another is something I'm weak for.

I can't see this ending well for them though and I definitely don't think Vani can kill her. So I predict either a) someone else will kill her (Louis parallels oof) or b) Jeanne kills Luca because Vanitas didn't stop her in time and she comes to hate him. That's just me being angsty though.

Anyway, highlights from this chapter:

• Vani and Noé both being idiots and going to Orlok for advice
• Vamps + Murr
• I'm not saying Vanitas doesn't like hospitals because of Moreau but... that's exactly what I'm saying
• Noé not understanding Vanitas was in love from his explanation even though Manet, Nox and Orlok all got it
• The font changing fancy for romantic stuff
• The boys being thrown out by Orlok
• Noé (very seriously) threatening to break a door down
• Roland
• Olivier
• Vani's FEAR
• Vincent and Gilbert
• Olivier = obsidian (should have guessed lmao)
• Roland is good at drinking!!
• The Chasseurs being popular with women
• OHO!
• Roland and Olivier were so invested
• Noé crouching down by that random man
• Roland's seraph wings
• Roland and Olivier smoking (smoking is gross but like... they're attractive...)
• My QUEEN Domi made an appearance
• Every panel Vani was in was pure gold and this chapter was hilarious

Now, I may be wrong, but I think Domi and Noé's reactions will both be interesting to see. Domi is attached to Jeanne, enough that she has called her 'My Jeanne' and Veronica referred to her and Noé as Domi's favourites. So, I don't think she'll like Jeanne getting close to Vani. She may even be jealous but I think her feelings are probably more complicated than that. On the other hand I'm hoping we'll see more of Noé being jealous, like in memoir 12, but expanded on more so we know exactly what/who he is jealous of. Because there are multiple interpretations which could be valid. Also, I genuinely find Noé's emotional maturity vs immaturity between different topics incredibly interesting.