ROLEPLAY HQ - sick-with-love

The moment she entered the hospital she was met with that all so familiar smell. The smell of alcohol and cleanliness. The smell that always gave her the shivers. She had thought that she would have gotten used to it by now, but she never had. The smell reminded her of death above everything else. Of the ticking time bomb that was growing inside her head. It was this place where she had first heard it existed and it would likely be this place where it would eventually take her life away from her. She pulled the backpack more into her shoulders and walked the long hallways to the department that she needed to go: Neurology. The path was so familiar she could walk it blindly if she had too. To the right from the entrance, down the hallway. Take the first turn to the right again, the stairs down and then it was a straight walk from there. “Name please.” The lady behind the desk greeted her. Alexandra forced a smile into her lips as she answered. “Alexandra Payne.” She spoke clearly to her. “Oooh, yes Miss Payne.” The lady said and started to type in some things on her keyboard. “Have you been informed yet of the change of your doctor? Dr. Finch has decided to go with an early retirement, so we are placing his patients with other doctors.” Alexandra couldn’t help but frown at her from that. “No.. I have not.” She said, a bit annoyed. “Shouldn’t that be something I should have been informed of before? I have been with Dr. Finch since my diagnosis.” This sucked. “I am so sorry Dear, it was quite a sudden departure I am afraid. I am sure you will get along with your new doctor just fine. And if not we can find someone you are more comfortable with.” The lady kept that fake smile up for her and even grabbed her hand to give her a reassuring squeeze. She couldn’t help but sigh. “Yeah.. fine. Which waiting room?” She asked, ready to be done with this conversation. “Waiting room C please.” She turned around almost instantly and walked to the waiting area that was (edited)

10:21

marked with the letter C. She plopped down in the seat and put her backpack down on the floor next to her as she grabbed her phone. She slouched down, letting her elbows rest on the armrests so she wouldn’t just slide of the chair. Got a new doctor apparently.. this sucks. She texted a friend.

@VaVaVicodin

Ashton let out a sigh as he rubbed the back of his hand across his forehead. He had already been clocked in for fourteen hours, and he still had four more to go. Ashton was a specialist in neuro disorders, and he had been seeing patients left and right since he started this morning. Ashton had been a practicing doctor since he was twenty six. He was a gifted man who had skipped several grades in high school and graduated college at the age of twenty. He then went on to go to Harvard Medical School, and from there, he was now at this hospital; Charity Veils. Ashton loved his job. He didn't care for the long hours, but he would work all the hours he could if it meant he could help patients through difficult diagnoses such as brain tumors, neurological complications, and more. He had never liked primary care when he did it during his residency, even though he liked people. No, it was the brain that fascinated him the most. Because of this, he wanted to spend his life working with the brain, its disorders, and the people they affected. Walking through the large doors of Waiting Room C, Ashton looked down at his clipboard to see who his next patient was. A young woman by the name of Alexandra Payne. Ah, another one of Dr. Finch's patients. He liked Dr. Finch's patients. They all tended to be really kind. "Ms. Payne?" Ashton called. When the woman stood he beckoned for her to follow him, a smile on his face. "Hi there. My name is Ashton Knoxx. I'm going to be your new neurologist. I know that Dr. Finch's departure was rather sudden, and this change is extremely sudden, but I am here to help you, and if you have any questions at all, please ask." He grinned at the woman before he pushed open his office door. "Right this way please."

She had been on her phone for most of the time that she had waited for her doctor to how up. She always made sure she was on time for her appointments and with most doctors ending up going past their time the wait could be unpleasant. She never liked these check ups. Even though she knew they were needed they always made her nervous. It made her situation even more real, the knowledge of her inevitable death. She had had a brain scan just a few days prior and surely they would have the results of them by now as well. At least with Dr. Finch she had known that he was able to calm her down, tell her in the simplest language possible what was happening and what had changed. Now that she was getting a new doctor, it was making this appointment just the less comfortable. When the doors creaked to let her know that someone had come into the waiting room she looked up. The person in front of her was young and tall, his hair falling perfectly on the top of his head and a pair of glasses sitting on top of his nose. When he called her name she couldn’t help but rise an eyebrow. This was her new doctor. “That would be me.” She said anyway and got up from her chair, picking up her backpack to drag along with her. She followed him down the hallway to his office while he talked to her along the way. “I just think I should have been told sooner that my doctor had changed.” She said to him, still feeling annoyed about it. “Did something bad happen to him?” She asked, wondering if maybe he had gotten in an accident or anything like that. She entered his office and sat down in the usual spot that patients were asked to sit. She looked around it and saw a few personal items on his desk letting her know he was a high ranked doctor on the department. They were the only ones that got an office that was actually theirs.

@VaVaVicodin

Ashton nodded as she explained her irritation about not being told about Dr. Finch's departure. "I agree. I can't blame the staff, as they are buried in work. I should have called you, or at least emailed when the news came. I am sorry for that. I will make sure to do better next time." He said, giving her a small smile. He opened his laptop and began to log in. "No, nothing bad happened. Dr. Finch's daughter just had a baby a few months ago and he decided he wanted to go be a stay-at-home grandpa where she lives, so he put in for early retirement. Unexpected, but nothing serious." The personal items that adorned his office were several awards and certificates and diplomas from Harvard and a few other hospitals and colleges. "Okay, so I see here it looks like you had a brain scan a few days ago. We just got the results this morning. I haven't had a chance to review them yet, so let's see." He clicked the report and began to read it over. As he did, he frowned. It said that the tumor had grown again. Not by much, but it did... Ashton sighed softly. He turned to Alexandra and gave her a sad smile. "So, unfortunately, it looks like the tumor has grown. Thankfully, it hasn't grown a ton. But, it has grown. Did Dr. Finch go over any treatment options with you, Ms. Payne?" He asked gently. Ashton knew that she was probably dealing with a shit ton of emotions and pain from this situation, and he wanted her to be comfortable. "While your tumor is rather large, there are several treatment options. It is not too late to do treatment. It never is. It's not a cure, and I won't pretend that it is. But," He gave her another smile and leaned forward a little. "It can give you some more time to enjoy your life."

She had to look away from him when he came out with the news that she had been dreading. The tumor inside her brain had once again grown. She had expected as much since the headaches had grown worse. She had to really blink a few times to keep the tears away and pressed her lips together. It took her a good minute before she turned back towards him. “We talked about things, but..” she started, then took a deep breath. “The tumor is not operable. There have been no surgeons who are willing to even touch it. Chemo was an option but it would make me feel sick and terrible and at most it would give me a few months.” She stated to him. “All of that should be in my files by the way.” She said shrugging her shoulders a bit, thinking he did an ill job preparing himself between not having checked her scans yet and not knowing what options she had declined before. “If I am going to die, I would just really rather live to my fullest until that day comes. I don’t want to feel sick in a bed, or take a shot at a 99% failure operation.” She said to him.

@VaVaVicodin

05:49

(If the pinging is annoying let me know xD I won’t ping then. It’s a habit)

(Not at all!!!! I just forget to ping you xD)

Ashton nodded as Alexandra explained that she had declined several possibilities already. She seemed pretty frustrated with him about not being prepared and he nodded. "I understand the frustration, Ms. Payne. Truly. However, I will ask that you be at least a little patient with me. Some clients like to review their options even if they have declined them, as new discoveries can trigger new thoughts." He tapped her folder that was beside him. "I read your file. I know what options you declined. Though, Dr. Finch never kept the best notes, so I was unsure what details he went into." Ashton turned and typed a few things into his computer. "I think chemotherapy could give you some more time. If you are not willing to do chemotherapy, that is fine. But, chemotherapy could shrink the tumor enough to operate. It's a chance, though it is slim. If you are adiment you do not want any further treatment... then I can set you up with hospice care here at the hospital, or at your home. Whichever you prefer." He smiled sadly. "I am your doctor, so my opinion is not law. But, I want you to be fully informed and make your own decision."

She just shrugged her shoulder as he apologized for not knowing much about her. Sure going over options with a new doctor made sense, but at the same time she didn’t want to think about it again. She had made her choice. However when he started to talk about chemotherapy again she couldn’t help but feel annoyed about it. “I don’t want chemo.” She said, looking up at him. “Chemo is going to make me feel sick and weak. I am going to lose my hair. I am not going to spend those last months feeling worse then this tumor ever made me feel.” She explained to him. “Nobody can promise me it will shrink enough..” she said as she could feel the tear prickling at her eyes again. “That is not what I came here for today anyway.” She said as she blinked her tears away. She reached into her backpack and took out a bundle of about four pieces of paper. “I want to go skydiving.” She said as she placed them on the counter. “But they won’t let me do it without a doctor’s release. Dr. Finch never made a big deal out of it.”

@VaVaVicodin

"We can't promise anything. That's the unfortunate side of this. It's all... we hope. Percentages, and hope. Other than that..." Ashton sighed, not wanting to diminish her feelings. What she felt was completely valid and he didn't want her thinking that he was trying to force her to do a certain treatment, whether he thought it was best or not. "I understand, Ms. Payne." However, when she claimed that treatment wasn't why she came, she wanted to discuss... skydiving. Ashton blinked. "You want to go skydiving? Wow..." He wondered why a sky diving place would need a doctor's release for this. Perhaps it was due to the brain tumor? "Well...I don't see why you can't. As long as you understand the risks that could happen and are willing to take them." He said softly. "If you are aware of them and you still want to do this, I will gladly sign off on it." He smiled at her, wanting her to feel as comfortable as possible around him. If this is what she needed to live happily, then by all means, he would sign whatever she needed him to.

"Yes." she said very matter of factly. "And I also want to go bungee jump, go on safari, pet a lion and a shit load of other things. You know this thing called a bucket list that some people have? Yeah, just turns out I might have only six months to do mine, so I am just going down the list." she told him as she tapped the papers in front of her. "They always have these stupid lists that you need to fill out before they let you jump and I am not going to lie so when they found out that I am under medical care they needed a doctor's release from me." she explained. As he talked about the risks she couldn't help but roll her eyes at him. "Well worst case scenario I keep over and die right? That is going to happen soon anyway." she shrugged her shoulders. Yet something about what he said earlier was still not sitting right with her. How he had said that it was important for her to know her options again since the medical field changed all the time. She had loved Dr Finch, but one thing that he had been was old. He had been stuck in his ways, very blunt about what could work or not. She bit her lip down as she looked over to this new doctor, he was young, passionate probably. He also didn't seem to agree with her choice to just die. "You know what, Dr Hottie." she teased him then. "Why don't you come up with my options then? We can look them over next time I am here and I will give it a honest thought."

@VaVaVicodin

Ashton laughed softly as Alexandra began to list off several dangerous feats that she wished to accomplish, and considered this to be her bucket list. She seemed eager to do them and who was he to stop her from accomplishing them. “Well, alright then. I will sign off on some of these feats. Perhaps not the Tiger one,” he laughed. But, then she said something that shocked him. “Oh? Alright then. I will gladly come up with a list of all your available options, their pros and cons, and at your next appointment, let us sit down and go over them. But, before you go, I need to scan this waiver form into your chart.” He took the paper back from her and placed it in a personal scanner on the desk. The paper was sucked in and then pushed back out. He smiled and handed it to her. “There.” @Nakachu

She was glad that he was singing off on her without much issues. He didn't drill her on what she was doing or why. Didn't think she was depressed and needed to go into therapy. He just signed and got it over with. He even laughed at it.. which seemed like a good thing. Maybe having a younger doctor wasn't such a bad thing after all. So once his signature wdnt down on that paper she couldn't help but smile. "Thank you!" She just said. She was going skydiving! She looked up as he seemed surprised she wanted her options again and perhaps she understood. Just moments ago she had been pretty convinced about what she had wanted, yet he had caused doubt in her. "Yeah, of course." She said as he copied the weaver and then handed it back to her. She gladly took it and put it back into her backpack. "So.. when do you want me to make an appointment again Dr Hottie?" She said again, not being able to not smirk. She liked called him that. She had a habit of giving everyone nicknames and she simply had decided this was his. "A month?" It had been the usual time between her scans, yet he might want to see her sooner. @VaVaVicodin

Ashton chuckled as Alexandra called him “Dr. Hottie.” Now that was a new one. “I’d like it to be two weeks. Do you think that gives you enough time to go skydiving?” He said, turning and resting his chin on his hand, smirking at her. “If not, let me know and we can do a month. If you’re still unsure about your options, we can discuss them at length.” Ashton stood up and went to her, going to grab the door for her. “Now, be sure to call me with any new symptoms, Ms. Pretty Bucket List.” He winked, sending her out into the hallway. As Alexandra left, Ashton reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone. He dialed a very particular number… “Hello, yes, I’d like to make a reservation for two for skydiving. The soonest you’re available to do so.” Ashton knew what he was doing was probably pretty insane, but, he had already taken some time off, and this would be how he spent it… besides… how could he let his patient go skydiving unsupervised!

@Nakachu

“Plenty of time. I already told them I would be coming next week.” She said with a smile. She had simply told them she would have the signed form by then, because today she was either going to get or not and since she had expected Dr Finch she had figured she would get it. Good that at least this doctor seemed chill with it as well. She chuckled as he called her Ms Pretty Bucket List and got up to leave his office. “Sure, I will.” She said to calling him with new symptoms and she would shake his hand and leave his office. She went by the desk and made an appointment for two weeks from then to come back in and picked up a new refill on her medication to take before she went home. As she was on the bus on her way to her apartment she thought about how the appointment had gone and the new doctor. He seemed alright. He could handle her moodiness and her humor just fine. She had not scared him away like she had some others. Yet she didn’t know why she had even told him that he should look into treatment for her. She had believed she gave up hope months go, yet here she was asking him to look into it. It made her feel anxious. What if he found something that could work? @VaVaVicodin

The day of Alexandra’s scheduled skydiving appointment soon arrived, and before she got there, someone else decided to join the appointment as a “supervising chaperone.” Ashton wore a tight black shirt and black jeans, standing in the lobby of the skydiving agency, eagerly waiting to see Alexandra. He was far too curious to let his pretty patient go skydiving without him watching, so, what better way to see it than to just join the appointment! @Nakachu

She couldn’t help her excitement. Today she would get just one more thing done on her bucket list. It was the day she was going to go skydiving. She had eagerly jumped on the bus and made her way to the small airport where the planed took of and landed that took people up to the sky just to jump from those same planes. She could feel those nerves in her stomach, but she honestly loved them. It made her feel alive, it made her feel like she could do anything! She loved that feeling, the adrenaline. It was the thing that kept her going this entire time. She had her hair done in a rough braid to the back of her head, not wanting it bother her again. She was wearing a tight legging with a plaid shirt over top of it along with high black boots with thick soles. Yet when she actually entered the lobby of the agency she was taken aback by the person who was there as well. She just looked at him confused. It was her new doctor.. “Dr Hottie?” She said, clear confusion in her voice. “What are you doing here? You already signed the form.”

@VaVaVicodin

Ashton looked up from his phone as he heard a familiar voice ask for 'Dr. Hottie'. Ashton chuckled and stood up, waving to her. "Well hello there, Ms. Pretty Bucket List. Yes, I did sign the form. But, I wanted to see for myself what skydiving was like, and I knew that as your doctor, I couldn't let you do this extremely dangerous event without a chaperone. So, here I am." He laughed softly. "That's a very nice outfit." He said, glancing down at her. The plaid shirt complimented her figure nicely. Wow. She was pretty. Ashton had never gone skydiving before, so he wanted to see what it was like, and what better way to do that then to go with his new patient! "I hope that's right." He said, suddenly realizing that maybe he was intruding upon her activities and overstepping several lines as her doctor. "I can go if me being here makes you uncomfortable."

@Nakachu

She wasn’t exactly sure how to feel about it and for a long moment she just stood there, frowning at him with her arms crossed over each other. She had been called depressed and suicidal by her doctors before and she couldn’t help but wonder if that was the reason he was here. To see if she was actually just doing her bucket list, or that she just wanted to find a way to end it. When he complimented her on top of that she just found herself looking down at her own outfit. She had picked it because it was comfortable and she figured she should be comfy when skydiving. “I hope that’s alright.” He suddenly said. She could send him away. She could say right there she didn’t want him there and to leave her alone. She looked him over one more time. He looked different from the last time she had seen him. He wasn’t in his jacket and even his stature seemed more relaxed then when he had been there as her doctor. “Ugh, whatever.” She then said, waving her hand. “Just.. you are not my doctor.” He said. “I don’t need a babysit.” She knew she was being short with him and he probably meant well, but that was just the way she held a wall around her. She then went to the counter to sign herself in.

@VaVaVicodin

"Oh, no. I didn't plan on being your doctor. Unless you get hurt of course." He chuckled. She quipped that she didn't need a babysitter and he nodded. "I'm well aware, Ms. Pretty Bucket List." He smirked, crossing his arms. He had already signed in and even paid for the two of them to go. It was the least he could do for technically impeding on her event. As the receptionist told them that the instructor would be with them shortly, Ashton walked over to Alexandra. "So, you've never been skydiving before. Have you done indoor skydiving at all, or is this your very first time?"

@Nakachu

When she went to sign herself in, she discovered that not only did he come here to do this with her, he had even paid for her. She looked over her shoulder towards him as he was just standing there smiling at her. What as up with this guy? “Just call me Alex.” She then said, being called Ms Pretty Bucket List was going to get annoying real quick if he was going to be there the entire afternoon with her. “And yeah, first time! If you have as much time left as I do you just do straight for the big stuff.” He said. Yet it still didn’t sit well with her. Why would her damn doctor be here and on top of that even paying for her skydiving. She once again just looked up at his face when it dawned on her. “You are taking pity on me aren’t you?” She suddenly said a hint of anger in her voice. “Pity for the girl who is going to die soon from a damn brain tumor..” she turned to him then. “I don’t need your damn pity!” This time it was clear that she was angry. If he had come here because he was yet another person who felt sorry for her, he came to the wrong place.

@VaVaVicodin

"Alright then, Alex." Alex was a pretty name. "First time, huh? Same here. I've wanted to go skydiving, but never had a real reason to so when this-" He stopped speaking as she suddenly rounded on him, her voice fueled by rage as she snapped at him that he was pitying her. Ashton raised a brow, looking at her with a raised brow. "No? Why would I pity you? I told you why I was here. I wanted to chaperone incase you were hurt, or got sick. I told you I could leave if it made you uncomfortable." He didn't appreciate the sudden aggression, but he did understand. "You are not being pitied, and I would appreciate it if you didn't assume things of me. That's twice now you've done that." He said softly. "Not everyone is out to hurt you or make you feel pitied. Some people want to just see others smile and enjoy themselves. Perhaps you should look at things from a kinder perspective, and not assume everyone is attempting to belittle you."

@Nakachu

Even as he was claiming that he didn't she wasn't sure if she couls trust that. And even though she calmed down just slightly from him calling her out she wasn't afraid to voice that distrust. "You are my doctor. You know my prognosis. You knew I was going skydiving. And now you are here, paying for that skydiving." She stated. "If this isn't pity then why would you do that..?" She just asked. She got interrupted from her questioning soon after a headache spike went through her head. She inhaled quickly and rubbed her temples in an attempt to make it fade. "Hnn.. damn headaches." She just said as she needed to close her eyes just a moment, hoping it would fade away soon. It should, it usually did. @VaVaVicodin

He frowned as she inhaled sharply and began to rub her temples. He knew her getting angry wasn't going to help her headaches, but he figured she knew that. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Here, let's get you some water. It will at least keep you hydrated. You need to take it easy with your emotions. I'm not telling you what to do, just advising." He said softly as he brought her over to the water bubbler in the lobby. "Look, I did this because I wanted to. You seemed interesting, and I've never seen someone so determined to cross off a bucket list. Especially with your prognosis. So, I decided to come along for this bucket list adventure. Not as your doctor, but... as... an acquaintance? A friend? Whatever you prefer. Who knows. Maybe it will make your bucket list even more fun?" He chuckled. "If it bothers you that I am here, I will leave you be and never bother you again."

@Nakachu

The anger had really not helped and when he offered her some water she gladly accepted it. She just sat herself down on the ground next to the water bubbler and accepted the water. She took a sip of it and a few deep breaths while still holding her eyes closed before the spike finally died down again. And with that her anger seemed to die to. She opened her eyes again and just looked at him as he talked. As he talked about wanting to do that bucket list with her. Maybe he really was just doing it because he wanted too.. "Even the tiger one?" She then teased with half a smile, remembering he had not been to fond of the idea during their appointment. "People just don't do that.. you know." She then said a bit more serious. "They usually just hang around me because I am the girl who is about to die.." @VaVaVicodin

Ashton knelt down in front of her, giving her space, but being nearby in case she passed out or got light headed. As she asked about her bucket list, specifically 'the tiger one' he chuckled. "Even the tiger one. If you really want to." He placed his arms on his knees, watching her explain her sudden fury. "I understand. I get why you feel the way you do. But, I don't think living your life on guard all the time is going to help you enjoy what time you do have left." He refilled her cup of water for her and handed it to her. "How about this. I'll tag along for your bucket list. Not as your doctor, but as your friend. If I still bother you and you think I'm just pitying you by the time it's done, I'll leave you be, and even get you a different doctor. You'll never have to deal with me again. Sound like a deal?"

@Nakachu

She just gave him a bit of a sideways smile as he agreed to even go along with the tiger one. She gladly accepted the second glass of water as well from him and drank part of it. He was right.. it wasn't fun to live her life like that, yet that wall she had build was tough and strong and letting people in was not something she was good at. "Fine.. deal." She said with a small chuckle. "You are going to need to tell me your name though, because I am not going to keep calling you Dr. Hottie." She said as she downed that second glass, the spike now completely having faded to the background. "Help me up?" @VaVaVicodin

"Ah, but it has such a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" He chuckled as he helped her stand, his hands gently holding her forearms. "My name is Ashton. Ashton Knoxx." He said, smiling down at her. "Sorry about the delay, you two! Oh! I hope I wasn't interrupting?" The receptionist giggled. Ashton gently released Alex's arms with a slight blush. "Nope." "The instructor is right outside if you two want to step out there?" Ashton turned and nodded to Alex. "Are you ready?" He was definitely feeling nervous now, but he wanted to be brave for her. @Nakachu

She gladly put her weight into his arm as she pulled herself back up. She was up just in time for the receptionist to call over to them. She didn’t even much noticed Ashton’s blush as she instantly started to get excited for the skydiving again. “Hell yeah I am ready!” She just said and was already getting a head start on him. Nobody was going to tell her she could not do this and it was good the instructor didn’t find her on the ground just then because he just might have. The moment she reached around the door there were two males waiting for them. Since it was their first time, they were not allowed to jump on their own. They would both be strapped to an instructor who would make sure they would land to the ground safely. “Hi! I am Alex.” She said as she introduced herself to them, ready to be strapped in and go into the air.

@VaVaVicodin

Ashton followed Alexandra out towards the instructors. He gave a small wave and nodded, "Dr. Knoxx." "Uh... You're her-" "Friend. Just here for support." He chuckled. The instructor nodded, chuckling. "Sure thing! Happy to welcome you aboard. Let's get going." The instructor guided them into the plane while the other went to a four wheeler to follow the plane, ready to go. The plane started up and began to ascend into the air. "Alright. When we get to the exact height that we want to be at, fourteen thousand feet or so, you're going to be strapped to myself, and your friend will be strapped to my partner. We will then leap out, and once we get to a safe distance down, we will pull the parachute!" He grinned. "Any questions?" @Nakachu

She was getting more excited now. Suddenly it didn’t matter anymore that he was right there or why he was right there. She was going to jump from that plane. She stepped in eagerly and looked around in the empty cabin with the big door to one side. On all sides there were vests and buckles and belts, all the things they needed to be strapped to the instructors. They were made to sit down as the plane got up in the air and they started to explain. “Any questions?” They asked. “How long will we actually be falling before you pull the parachute?” she asked with a glimmer in her eyes. “Well we are jumping from fourteen thousand feet and you fall about a thousand every 5 seconds. So probably about a minute or so.” He explained to her. She couldn’t help a small high pitched noice leave her throat from excitement before she looked over to Ashton.

@VaVaVicodin

Ashton followed the instructors and Alexandra into the plane. He sat down beside her and buckled up, listening intently to all the instructions. He had watched several videos online about skydiving, so he felt confident that this would go well. He looked over at Alexandra and he admired her excitement. She looked so happy, and his chest began to feel tight. 'She looks beautiful when she smiles.' He thought. As she glanced over at him, he laughed softly at her squeak of excitement. "Excited, huh?" He said, not needing to shout due to the headsets they were wearing. He reached over and gave her hand a small squeeze. "How are you feeling? Excited? Nervous?" He wasn't trying to ask how she felt physically, because he didn't want her to think that he was controlling her. She seemed okay physically. He'd be sure to keep an eye on her, and he was prepared to help her if she needed it. @Nakachu

“Both!” She just answered him instantly. “I just want to jump, I just want to fall down through the sky.” She said as that smile never left her lips at the thought. “Of course I am scared, you would be a fool to not be nervous about this. But when that adrenaline hits.. that is when I feel alive.” She said even if she knew that it was kind of sad that it was the thing she needed to get that feeling. It was simply the only way that she could truly forget about her situation. Where she would not notice the ever lasting headache, the worried faces of her friends or parents or fellow students. It was her moment to be Alex.. the badass and she liked that. “Well, we should almost be ready! Are you guys?” One of the instructors said and Alex quickly nodded as she got up from her seat. It didn’t take long before she was strapped against the chest of the instructors. He was a lot taller then her, he could look over her head easily with her strapped against him. It was now mere minutes away from their jump and she could feel her heart rushing, trying hard to push that headache to the back of her mind.

Ashton smiled at Alex, nodding as she spoke. He understood that feeling. He felt the same thing. When he was saving lives, helping others, that's when he felt alive. That's what he needed in order to be alive, to feel that same sense of adrenaline. It wasn't the same reason as hers, but, he could sympathize with her. He stood with the instructors and was strapped to his instructor. Standing at the mouth of the plane, the instructors gave them their final tips. "Keep your eyes open! It'll be over before you know it." They chuckled. Then, the instructor holding Alexandra held her hands and said, "Ready....Set....Jump!" He leapt out of the plane and plummeted down to the ground below. Ashton's instructor patted his shoulder and said, "Jump!" Ashton and the instructor jumped as well and they both launched out of the mouth of the plane. The wind was roaring like an angry dragon and Ashton let out a cry of excitement, sticking his arms out to his sides, feeling the rush of the wind against his body. This was just the rush he needed! Alex was right! @Nakachu

When they initially jumped Alex had yelped out in a high pitch. That first bit was scary and it had gone way quicker then she anticipated. But as soon as they were out there and the wind was rushing past them, she felt that rush of adrenaline hit her. Her shout of terror changed into a shout of absolute bliss. It was an absolute incredible feeling. She felt almost like she weighed nothing at all. She could feel the pressure from the wind against her and she knew she was falling fast, yet it felt like she was just floating in the air. She loved every second of it and like the instructor had said, it was over way to quick. She could feel her body jolt as they pulled the parachute. Their sudden fall got slowed down a lot all at once and it caused her hair to take a bit of a tug as well, instantly feeling a headache spike come up. But she was not going to let that ruin her way day. “Was that all you were hoping for?” The instructor shouted at her. “Yes! Absolutely!” She answered him. She could see Ashton also getting his parachute away, but the wind kept them a decent bit apart. It took another few minutes before they hit the ground. The instructors feet would settle into the ground even when hers felt unsure. “There we are miss.” He said as he made sure to keep her up while she was strapped against him. “I am going to unclasp you now.” He let her know. The ties that had been holding them against each other got undone and she was free once again. She instantly just let herself fall to her knees and then into the grass. “You alright Miss?” The instructor asked worried, but she just put her thumb in the air. “Yes. Just give me a moment.” She said, needing to close her eyes to try and get her headache back down. @VaVaVicodin

The rush of the air around him made Ashton feel almost weightless. He shut his eyes for just a moment to savor the feeling. The instructor behind him was kind and let him cherish the moment. He heard Alexandra's voice faintly and he smiled, glancing towards her. He was glad she was having fun. He wanted this to be everything she hoped for. When they touched on the ground, he heard one of the instructors ask if someone was alright. INstantly, Ashton's pulse quickened. He looked over and saw Alexandra down on the ground. "Alex..." He said softly, worry creeping into his chest. He let the instructor unclasp him and then he rushed over, kneeling down to her. "Hey, Alex? You alright? What's going on?" He asked, looking her over. Physically she looked okay, but that was only what he could see. He was concerned that her headache was back, and if so, the rush of air and adrenaline could have made it worse. "Hold up a finger if your headache is back, two fingers for something else." He said, looking down at her. @Nakachu

She just stayed on the ground trying to concentrate on her breathing and the feeling of the grass underneath her. That was till Ashton spoke up and she could tell her was next to her. She grunted as he started to talk to her in a loud and worried voice. That was not what she needed right now. “I am..” she started to say but he had already moved on from his question and told her to hold up her fingers. So she just stuck one finger up in the air so he would look at that and not talk. “It’s fine.. I’m fine! Just give me a moment.” She said, trying to get him to just shush for a little bit. “It will stop..” @VaVaVicodin

He noticed that Alex seemed to be tense, and his worried tone wasn't helping. He took a deep breath and quietly spoke. "Alright." He gave her some space and waited, watching her intently, but not speaking. She was right. His words would do nothing. He didn't have any medical supplies here, so all he could do was wait for the moment. One of the instructors went to speak and Ashton held up his finger to his lips, giving him a stern look. She needed quiet, clearly! After a few minutes Ashton quietly asked. "Any better?" @Nakachu

It did help. The quiet gave her the rest she needed to just concentrate on her breathing. She could feel the grass underneath her and the winds rushing past her. Slowly the adrenaline started to leave her and her heart calmed down and with it the headache did as well. It was the worst part of it. Not even the dying, the headaches. Well.. maybe the dying too. When he asked her if it was better she opened her eyes again and sat herself up. “Yes, better.” She said and forced herself to smile at him. “Let’s go!” She said, almost like nothing had happened, though of course it had and she would need to take it easy for the rest of the day if she wanted to avoid those episodes. @VaVaVicodin

Ashton forced a smile as Alexandra got up, sating that she was better. Was she really though? She managed to sit up and then she seemed ready to get going. He gave her a light chuckle and nodded. "Sure. Okay." He got up and helped her up, brushing the grass off her back. "So, was it everything you imagined and more?" He smirked, patting her shoulder. He didn't want to treat her like someone who was disabled, as she really wasn't yet. Who knew if she even would become disabled. He didn't want to make her upset, so, he powered through the worry he was feeling. @Nakachu

She appreciated that he didn’t linger on it, that he allowed her to decide that she was ready to get up and move on. A lot of others would have made her sit there, some would have even already called 911 and gotten her in the back of an ambulance and honestly that was the last thing she wanted today. “It was amazing!” She just said when he asked and her body language supported her claim. “It felt so good up there. The feeling of the air rushing around me. The weighlessnes in my body. It was everything.” She exclaimed. “I would do it again in a heartbeat.” She chuckled before turning to him. “How about you Dr Hottie? Peed your pants?” @VaVaVicodin

Ashton laughed as Alex rambled on about how excited she was. She clearly was feeling better, so his worry started to fade away. She probably would be better off going to the hospital, just to get checked, but... would that help her mentally? Not at all. And that could cause far more problems than her physical health. He'd keep an eye on her, but right now, he enjoyed seeing her smile. "No, Ms. Bucket List." He winked. "I enjoyed myself. I really like the adrenaline rush that comes with falling. It was a lot of fun. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." He patted her shoulder, grinning at her. "Are you feeling hungry at all? I did some research on some restaurants in this area, if you wanted a recommendation?" @Nakachu

They would walk back all the way to the building where they had entered. The last bits of their gear would be taken off and the instructors would tell them goodbye and wish them a good day. They still seemed weary about Alex being on the ground for that long, but a doctor was with her.. so surely she was in good hands? Alex didn’t see why they worry. She had signed the form that meant they were not liable anymore. When they got ready to leave she was surprised that he talked about dinner. “Are you asking me out Dr Hottie?” She said giving him side eye while she crossed her arms. “Because I believe it would be very inappropriate for a doctor to be dating their patient.” She said, thought the playfulness in her voice gave away that she was not serious. @VaVaVicodin

"Well, I wasn't considering this a date at first... But, now that you say that..." He chuckled softly. He looked at her and was quiet for a moment. "I won't tell if you don't." He said, indicating that, yes, he did want to ask her out on a date. "We can consider it a... friendly date. If you prefer. You can also say no. Either way, that's fine." He said, not wanting to pressure her. It was right around mid day, early afternoon, so dinner or a late lunch was clearly an option. However, did she have an issue with him asking her out on a date? He really hoped not.

@Nakachu

She couldn’t help that half smile that was dancing on her lips as he started to explain himself. Her arms would stay crossed over each other as she watched him stumble over those words. “So not a date?” She teased him just slightly before he kept talking. “Hmm..” she thought. And she really did need a moment to think about it. This guy was her doctor. He knew the most intimate details about her health from the top of his head. She still was not sure why he had come to her skydiving appointment. Wether he had done it out of care for a patient.. or maybe this was what he had wanted all along. A date with her? She couldn’t quite figure him out yet. However the thought of doing something she shouldn’t do was.. tempting to say the least. “A not date then.” She said with a chuckle. “Where are we going Dr Hottie?”

@VaVaVicodin

She didn't turn him down! Ashton smiled and pulled out his phone, opening the internet app, which had several different tabs opened with several restaurants. "How about you pick your favorite. Anywhere you want. My treat. No, it's not out of pity, I just figured I should pay for this 'not date' since it was my idea." He winked. "Do you want to drive in the same car? Or just meet me at the restaurant?" He asked. As he asked, his cheeks were tinted with a bit of blush. Why was he getting shy all of a sudden?! @Nakachu

“Look at you assuming I got a car.” She laughed at him. “I came by bus. You are not exactly allowed to drive with a brain tumor.” She reminded him. She took his phone and looked through the tabs. She soon found the one she wanted. It was a burger place with about 20 different types of burgers and it was exactly what she needed after their adrenaline rush she had just experienced. “That one!” She said decisively and handed him back the phone. She didn’t fail to notice the blush on his cheeks but she just decided to ignore him. She finally unfolded her arms and walked towards the parking lot. “So.. which one is yours?” @VaVaVicodin

Ashton's cheeks burned again with blush, but this time due to embarassment. Shit. That was right. He should know that. "Ah, shit. Right. Sorry." He laughed, shaking his head. "A burger place? Awesome. Let's get going." He followed her towards the parking lot and when she asked which one was his, he kicked the button. A black Audi two door convertible beeped in response, its lights flashing. "That one." He smiled. He walked over to the passenger side and opened the door, gesturing for her to enter. "Madam." He winked. @Nakachu

She just shrugged her shoulders when he seemed to get all flustered about his mistake with her not being able to drive a car. It happened. Most people her age drove cars after all. She looked around as he clicked the button, wanting to see which one he had. “Damn.. should have become a doctor huh.” She said admiring the car. It was way to flashy of a car for the type of person Ashton seemed to be. She walked to the side that he held open for her and got it easily. She put her seatbelt on and almost instantly found the levers on it that would let her sit back a small bit. She liked to lounge in cars while she drove and this car seemed make for lounging. “You are definitely paying for dinner if you can afford this car.”

@VaVaVicodin

Ashton got into the car and he laughed, nodding. "Being a doctor really does help, sometimes." He said as he started the car. It roared to life, but then quieted down once more. "Ready?" He entered the address of the restaurant into the GPS and then took off. Ashton drove fast, but safely. He was a doctor, but he was still a man who liked to drive! As they drove, Ashton kept stealing small glances at Alex who was lounging in his car. Did he tell her she was pretty? He wanted to... He kept his right hand on the steering wheel, afraid that if he didn't, he would reach over and hold her thigh instead. "So, tell me about yourself. Besides the obvious." He said. He wanted to get to know her, not her sickness. He wanted that to be clear. @Nakachu

It was a smooth ride in a nice car. The car had so much space that she could easily just lounge down in it. When they drove she picked up her phone, sending out texts to a few friends that skydiving was awesome. She even went as far as to put the phone out and taking a selfie where she held up a peace sign, held one eye closed and stuck her tongue out. She made sure it was obvious she was in a luxurious car, she even got a bit of Ashton’s body on it, though nothing that would say who he was. She chuckled as she send it, knowing her friends would have questions. When he suddenly asked about her she looked up at him surprised. “There is not that much to tell.” She just shrugged at him. It had been three years since her tumor was first discovered. She felt like she had gone from a dumb high school girl who had no clue what to do to her future, to someone who didn’t even care about it much. She was still in school, but only because her parents would kill her if she dared to drop out. The last thing she wanted to do was get in a fight with them at this stage. “I am in school, though I don’t do great. I like hanging out with friends. I have a bucket list to complete as you know.” She said, chuckling at the last one. “I used to enjoy skateboarding, but I am not allowed to anymore.” @VaVaVicodin

He looked over briefly and smiled as she posed, taking a selfie. She was truly a beautiful woman, and he was glad to see that she was enjoying herself. He knew plenty of people who let their illnesses define them, and clearly, Alex was not that person. He didn't see that she got his body in the photo~ Alex mentioned she was in school, but she didn't do great. But, she liked her friends, and even skateboarding... "Says who? I've never heard about that. Sure, you have to be careful. But, if you got a helmet that's designed to take a brutal fall, and know your limits, you can still skateboard." He said, bewildered that she was told she wasn't allowed to skateboard. He got an idea. But, he'd keep it to himself. "Do you like school? You know you don't have to do it, if you don't want to..." @Nakachu

She just looked over at him. “Dr. Finch said I had to stop.” She said to him. “He said that even with a helmet one bad fall could cause my brain to bleed and I would die right there.” She frowned then, trying to remember that conversation. It had been about two years ago she that her parents had taken her skateboards away. “No wait.. my parents told me he said that.” She said then, remembering it now. “You think they lied?” She wondered. Her parents did seem like those types of people. They had tried everything in their mind to get to take the Chemo too. It had been good she had been older then 18 at the time or surely they would have found a way. “I don’t know..” she said as he asked about school. “I just don’t see the point? I will likely never get to put anything into practice. I won’t need a career or money.” She explained. “My parents will kill me if I quit though.” @VaVaVicodin

Ashton signed softly as she mentioned that her parents and Dr. Finch informed her that skateboarding was dangerous. "Well, the thing is, that's true. If the helmet is shit quality, sure, you could fall and hit your head. But, that's anyone. Not just you. I'm surprised Dr. Finch didn't...wait. Your parents said he said that?" He bit his lip in thought as he wondered if her parents had lied. "I...I don't know. I don't know your parents, but, perhaps they were scared. Regardless, as your current doctor, I am telling you, you can skateboard as long as you aren't doing twenty foot jumps, and you wear either a race track grade or military grade helmet." He winked. "Gotta protect that noggin." Ashton reached over and patted her knee. "You don't have to always please your parents. It's your life. Not their's. I know that's not easy to accept. But, it's true. If you really don't like it, don't waste money. Don't waste your time, or the school's time. That's a harsh way of saying it, but that's the nitty gritty." @Nakachu

She leaned on her arm as she listened to him. She could feel the emotions bubbling inside her. She had been so angry to give up the thing she liked so much, but she had not had much of a choice in the matter what. "Not that it matters anymore. They sold all of my boards." She said, her voice still a bit angry about the whole thing. She looked at his hand as it was placed on her knee, but she did not pull back from him. "You say that, but it is not that easy. I live in the same house as them. You don't just fell them you quit school. And i don't have the money to get my own place." @VaVaVicodin

"So...If you lived somewhere else, it wouldn't be an issue?" He asked, glancing over at her. He felt for her. He didn't have the same experiences as her, but he knew what it was like to disappoint his parents. Becoming a doctor didn't disappoint them, but not becoming a surgeon, or a multipracticed doctor definitely did. Parents never seemed to understand. "....You could always live with me. I have extra bedrooms. And bathrooms." He blurted. As soon as the words left his mouth he bit his lip. "Sorry. I...I didn't realize that was out loud." He said softly. "I just...I know it's not really acceptable, and I don't say any of this out of pity. You could always 'rent' one of my spare rooms. You could pay for it with chores, or cooking, if you liked." @Nakachu

“I don’t know.. maybe.” She said. She didn’t know how much her parents could do if she actually moved out. They couldn’t ground her, they couldn’t keep her away from snacks, they couldn’t cut her internet acces or take her phone. So it probably would not be an issue except for the fact they would be angry at her. When he said the next thing her head just whipped his way with a look of disbelief. “Yeah right..” she just said to him in a voice like he had just told her that elephants could fly. She rested her hand on her hand as she stared out the window again. “You are my doctor, I can’t live in your house.” @VaVaVicodin

"Why not? I don't have to be your doctor when you're not in my office. Besides, wouldn't it better to live with a doctor? Free medical care, I'm available if something happened... It's... just an option. You don't have to take it. But, I think it would help you. But, you know what's best for you." He gave her a small smile and continued driving down the road. He didn't want to face her if she rejected his offer. @Nakachu

She just stared out the window, one leg now pulled up and resting against the car seat as well. She didn’t want his goddamn charity. Even if he said he didn’t do it out of pity it was starting to get harder for her to actually believe that. Who would ever take someone into their house for the mere price of doing a few chores? There were literally two options here. He was a desperate pervert, or an overly concerned doctor. She found her breath just coming out all in one go as she sighed out into the hand she was leaning on. “Let’s just eat burgers first.” She said in the end. She didn’t want to think about it. She actually had a big of fun with this guy. But living with him? What was he thinking. @VaVaVicodin

"Alright." He didn't press the issue. He knew that he had said something that was pretty damn insane. For her to react this calmly and still want to go eat with him, was a fucking miracle. Ashton knew that he was putting a lot of pressure on her, and he didn't say anything else the rest of the way to the restaurant. When they got to the burger place, Ashton parked and got out. He went to her side and waited for her to get out. He led her inside and they were seated at a booth in the back corner. Two menus were presented and Ashton began to look through the menu items. "So, what burger do you think you'd want?" @Nakachu

She would glance at him from time to time as they drove. She couldn’t figure him out. Didn’t know what his deal was. She had told him she was practicely waiting for his death and since then he had done anything in his power to be near her. Paying for her skydiving, inviting her for dinner, offering to live with him for free. He was weird and strange. Yet she had not walked off yet and she couldn’t explain why. They got to the restaurant and she got out. She pulled her backpack with her again and went with him inside taking a seat in the booth, keeping a bit of distance between them. He handed her a menu and she looked over it. There were so many burger’s lined up on it that she was finding it hard to choose. In the end she found one that just seemed so gross and fatty that she kew she instantly wanted it. “I want the double cheese and bacon burger.” She said, pointing at it on the menu. “And a coke.” @VaVaVicodin

"Sounds delicious." Ashton said, nodding. He found one that he liked as well. "I think I'm going to get the queso double cheese burger with avocado." He looked at the appetizers and saw a few that jumped out. "Want an appetizer? There's fried pickles, fried cheese bites.... stuffed mushrooms... soups." He chuckled. "Some of these seem strange for a burger place, but, whatever." He sighed softly and set his menu down. "Before this goes on any further, just hear me out." He looked up at her. "I'm sorry. My offer was definitely... strange. And forward, and completely inappropriate. However, I didn't offer it to you out of pity or charity. I can already tell by your face that that's what you're thinking. Which is completely fine. I don't expect you to take the offer. Hell, I was surprised I even said it. But, I will say this. I like you, Alex. I find you interesting. I guess... I wanted to get to know you, and not your illness. Being just your doctor means I only know your illness. Not the real you. That's why I offered for you to live with me. Just... because I like you, and want you to do what makes you happy. Regardless of your illness." He sat back and looked down at his lap for a moment. "You can also tell me to 'fuck off' and leave you be, and I will do so without hesitation or complaint. I just wanted to explain myself." @Nakachu

“Fried pickles?” She looked at him with a frown and looked over at the menu where he was pointing. “Yeah, let’s get that. Never had that before. Sounds gross.” She chuckled. She liked trying new foods. It had been one of those things that had happened after knowing she would not grow old. She just wanted to experience as much as he could. When he suddenly got serious her green eyes flicked back up to him. As he started to explain herself she just sat back, perhaps even putting a little bit of distance between them. She didn’t know how she was supposed to feel about that. “How can you say you like me..” she said in the end, looking down at the table as well. “This is the second time you met me. The first time was just about my illness too.” She said. She just found it hard to believe him. Sure she had noticed that maybe perhaps it was something like that, but still she didn’t allow herself to believe him. What guy would fall in love with her, especially knowing just how little time she had left. She took a deep breath. “I don’t have time to waste Ashton..” she admitted to him then. “You can’t sit here and fuck with me, you understand?” She said, seriousness written on her face and in her eyes. @VaVaVicodin

"I'm not trying to waste your time. I said I like you, not 'I love you.' What I like about you is your spunk, your assertiveness, and your ability to take things as they are. Many people with your... situation... would be miserable and never allow themselves to have joy. You haven't done that. I like that. I want to get to know that side of you. And I realize you don't have time to waste, which is why I'm being open and honest with you. I don't have time to fuck around." He said, leaning back and crossing his arms lightly. @Nakachu

His words made her look down at the table. They also made her.. angry? “You don’t have a clue what I have done or haven’t done…” she said between gritted teeth. He might think he knew her from the few times he had seen her, but he didn’t. He didn’t know how she had trouble falling asleep at night because she was afraid that she would not wake up anymore. How she made sure to tell her parents she loved them everyday because she didn’t know if she would get to say it again. How she avoided every confrontation with anyone she liked because she did not want that to be their last memory of her. She didn’t like how he had assumed to know about her. “I’m not hungry anymore.” She suddenly said and got up from the booth. Even now she didn’t want to fight. She would rather walk. Rather take her loss instead of getting worked up over this. @VaVaVicodin

Ashton stood up and followed her out. "Alex. You're right. I don't. If you want to try this, then... you have to tell me. If you don't... how would I ever know. I only know what I see. I'm telling you that you haven't done things because that's how it appears to me. I'm not talking about your entire life! You need to get your head out of the pity pool." He reached for her and gently held her wrist. "Not everyone is trying to hurt you. Not everyone is pitying you. Just because you're sick, doesn't mean everyone wants to give you charity or pity. You need to learn that. Some people just genuinely want to get to know you. But, when you attack them by claiming it's pity or charity, how can anyone ever get close?" He let her go, his hands going to his pockets. "...I won't be your doctor anymore. I'll refer you to someone else. Would you prefer that instead?" @Nakachu

“Well maybe I would prefer that?” She said to him, trying to force herself to not just cry right in front of him. “Because it is easier for them to just have pity for me and attack them for it. Because if they get close to me there is just another person I am going to have to say goodbye to!” She knew she was raising her voice yet she couldn’t help it. “I am dying Ashton. I am going to die!” she yelled at him. @VaVaVicodin

"Do you really want to live your life attacking others? Saying good bye is hard, I get it. But...what kind of life are you living if you only attack others who want to get close..." He said softly. "I know that. But, you can still have a happy life despite all of that. You can still be with someone, or with people, even if you have to say goodbye." He didn't care that she was yelling. He refused to just abandon her like this. @Nakachu

“I don’t fucking know!” It was a yell of pure frustration. She didn’t know what she wanted. She hated being so angry all the time, she hated being mean, she hated attacking other people. But she couldn’t let them in, she couldn’t let them close. The yelling was not something she should have done on a day that her headaches were already bad and she could feel that spike growing inside her head again. She sqeeuzed her eyes closed and brought a hand up to her forehead, trying to force it down again. “I don’t fucking know..” she said, much softer this time and with a small whimper in her voice that revealed how emotional she was. @VaVaVicodin

Ashton heard the whimper in her voice and he immediately stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. He embraced her and kept her close, brushing his hand over her hair. He didn't say anything for a little bit. He just rubbed her hair and let her get out all her emotions. He couldn't say anything. Words meant nothing right now. Quietly, Ashton whispered. "It's okay to not know. It's...It's okay to live, despite the sadness." He rubbed her back lightly with one hand and her hair with the other. He was doing his best to be comforting... @Nakachu

The moment he wrapped his arms around her she just felt herself break down. She could feel the sobs starting to come out of his with small high pitched squels. Her hands grabbed into his shirt and she just let her tears flow freely for a bit as they drenched his shirt. It took her a good few minutes before she finally started to settle down gain. Before her sobs became smaller and she could finally catch her breath again. “I am just so tired of dying…” she whispered against his chest. @VaVaVicodin

Ashton felt his heart break with each sob. Just how long had she been hold all of this in, alone, for that matter? He didn't say anything while she cried. He just gently rubbed her back and even slightly rocked her, anything to help soothe her cries. When she whispered that she was tired of dying, Ashton gave her a sad smile. "Yeah... I would be too." He blinked and a few of his own tears ran down his cheeks, landing on her head. "You...You don't have to face all of this alone, Alex. I want to be there for you. Not...Not for any reason other than... I want to." He said softly. "I want to support you. Help you achieve those bucket list dreams. Help you smile. Help you through the hard times. You have such a big personality... it shouldn't be dampened by this." He slowly pulled back and reached up, brushing her tears aside. Ashton's eyes met hers. Her face was slightly red from crying and Ashton felt his heart ache. He pulled her back into a gentle embrace, giving her leeway to remove herself if she wanted, but also keeping her close. @Nakachu

She didn’t know why he was being so kind to her. Why he had decided that somehow she was worth saving, worth helping. Yet when he said he wanted to help her through this and be there for her she desperately wanted that. Someone to just take some of that awefull weight of her shoulders. He hugged her again and she just leaned into him as she tried to calm herself down. She didn’t even know how to respond to him. Part of her still afraid to let him in like that. “I still want that burger..” she ended up saying in a slight sob still. @VaVaVicodin

Ashton smiled as Alex suddenly said that she still wanted her burger. "Well, let's go get it. And those fried pickles." He said softly. "Here." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pack of tissues. He handed her one and then took one and dabbed at her cheeks. "You have tears on your cheeks." He said softly. "Can't have your eyes getting all swollen. How are you supposed to see the ugly fried pickles?" He smirked a little, wanting her to laugh. He guided her back into the restaurant. Thankfully any patrons who had seen them fighting had decided to keep their noses out of it and ignored them as they walked in. When Ashton and Alex sat back down a tall thin waitress came over. "Good afternoon! My name is Jeannie. What can I get started for you?" She asked, grinning at them. Ashton smiled at Alex. "Go ahead." @Nakachu

It was working. As she wiped away at her tears, hoping her make-up didn’t run everywhere on her, she couldn’t help but laugh at his jokes. She took a deep breath then, feeling like she had finally gotten out the crying that she had needed and just feeling better overall, mentally at least. Her head on the other hand was pounding from her crying, but she was not ready to let that bother her then. She followed him back inside. Even when they sat back she was wiping softly at her tears, her nose still red and her eyes just a bit puffy as the waitress walked up to her. Luckily she seemed to be willing to ignore her crying face. “I want the double cheese and bacon burger with a side of fries, some fried pickles, and do you have coke floats?” She asked, the waitress nodded at her. “One coke float then please.” @VaVaVicodin

The waitress wrote down Alex's order and then turned to Ashton. "And for the gentleman?" "I'll have a queso double cheese burger with avocado and fries, please. And a coke float too." He said, interested with the idea Alex had order. The waitress took their orders and walked away to put them in. Ashton handed Alex a glass of water. "Your head is probably hurting. Have some water. It should help replenish those tears." He said, chuckling softly. @Nakachu

She looked over the glass he offered her. “I think I would rather not replenish them.” She chuckled, knowing she probably had a lot more crying in her if she wanted. She took a sip of the water before letting her finger play with the rim of the glass. “Look…” she started, not even sure what exactly she wanted to say to him. “I am sorry about that.. the yelling and everything.” She tried to apologize, it was not something she was good at. “My life just isn’t that easy. I try to appear all cheerful and happy, but really there is a lot going on and sometimes the easiest thing to do is just bite.” She said with an apologetic smile. “I know you were trying to help..” @VaVaVicodin

"Hey, it's alright. I appreciate the apology, but I get it. I really do. No need to apologize. From what you've told me, I don't blame you for shouting. It's understandable." He gave her a smile to show her that he really didn't hold this against her. "All though. You do owe me half those fried pickles." He chuckled. "I have some ibuprofen in my car if you want it." He looked back towards his car. "Unless you don't think it would help."

She appreciated his sympathy for her situation. Giving a small smile as he said it was okay and a chuckle as he wanted half her fried pickles. "If they are a disgusting as I am hoping you can almost all of them." She laughed at him. She shook her head as he offered the ibuprofen. "Usually doesn't really touch it. I have these other ones, don't remember the name exactly." She went through her bag finding the pill bottle. "They help. I don't like taking them though, they make me feel floaty." She explained as the woman came over with their coke floats. Alex smiled up at her as a thank you and took the drink. She swirled her straw around in the glass so the ice cream would start mixing with the coke and took a sip. @VaVaVicodin

Ashton took his float and began to stir it, mixing the ice cream and the soda together, creating a creamy cola. “I hope they taste somewhat good, at least.” He chuckled. He sipped the float and hummed with surprise. “Wow. This is delicious! I’ve never had one of these before. They taste great!” He sipped it again, smiling up at Alex. “Where did you try these the first time? We’re you expecting it to be this good?” @Nakachu

“It is good isn’t it?” She chuckled as she took another sip herself. “It is something that should be aweful, but it is great.” She watched him enjoy it. “I think I first tried one like three months ago? I saw it come by on a tray for someone else and asked what it was. So they said it was a coke float. Instantly ordered it, expecting it to be absolutely awefull. But it was amazing instead.” She admitted. “It is one of those things that happen when you don’t have much time left, you just want to try everything even if you don’t expect to like it.” She explained him with a smile on her face. @VaVaVicodin

"Makes sense. Why wait to experience something delicious, even if it sounds nasty." He chuckled. "I wasn't sure how this would taste, so I'm glad I tried it. You were right." He winked. "So, what bucket list item do you want to tackle next?" He asked, sipping the float once more. This was really delicious, and he knew he was going to be finished with it before his burger even got there! @Nakachu

“Exactly! And if it is gross, you just throw them out.” She said as she swirled more ice cream into her coke. She looked up at he asked about her bucket list and she just pulled out her phone and looked over the list, looking for the most ridiculous ones that were on there. “Swimming with shark!” She said then before placing the phone down on the table again and smiling at him, a playful look in her eyes as she waited for him to respond to it. @VaVaVicodin

An audible clattering sounded as Ashton dropped his spoon, little bits of ice cream falling onto the table. She wanted to do what? "Swimming... with sharks. Really?" He sighed, reaching up and rubbing his temples. "Alright. Alright, fine. Do you specifically want to go cage diving, or open water swimming?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, typing into his search engines "Where can I go swim with sharks safely" @Nakachu

She couldn’t help the loud laugh that escaped her as she watched him drop his spoon the moment she said she wanted to swim with the sharks. Obviously that had not been in his brain when he had thought about what her bucket list would look like. “Cage diving.” She chuckled. “I don’t have that much of a death wish.” She said sipping more of her drink. At that moment their burgers were brought over. Alex quickly smiled at the woman and looked at the burger in front of her. “Nice.” She smiled, it was exactly as gross and fatty as she had hoped it would be. The little basket of fried pickles standing in between them. She would safe those for later. @VaVaVicodin

Ashton almost cried and thanked the Gods above when she said cage diving. "Well, that's far more doable. At least I know my heart is pumping properly..." He mumbled, rubbing his chest to soothe the ache from it thumping heavily against his ribs. "I actually have a friend who is a professional cage diver. I can reach out to him if you want, and I can get us set up to go cage diving. Does that sound good to you?" He smiled at her. As their burgers came over, Ashton immediately picked up a pickle with his fork. He held it out to Alex and smirked. "Try one. Come on. You'll like these. I hope." He chuckled. @Nakachu

“Hey, you were the one who wanted to join me on this crazy journey. You can still back out if your poor heart can’t take it.” She chuckled before tucking into the burger. She instantly had one of those small satisfying moans as she chewed it. It was so goddamn good. “Hmm.. so good.” She said as she tried to finish her food before she spoke anymore. “Really? Just happen to have a friend?” She gave him a suspicious look. “But yeah, sounds good.” She looked the pickle he held out for her and she took the form from him. She gladly took a bite of it. She had high hoped for it but the moment it entered her mouth her face just scrunched together. It was all warm and gooey inside, nothing at all like a regular pickle. Even the breading around it had turned soggy from all the pickle juice. She took a napkin and spit it into it. “Eeeew… nah.. That ain’t good.” @VaVaVicodin

Ashton chuckled as she teased him about his 'poor heart'. "Oh don't even. And yes, I do happen to have a friend. He was my buddy in med school. But he decided medical school wasn't his calling. Cage diving was." He watched her take a bite and she instantly seemed to not enjoy the fried pickle. "Oh no." He laughed. Ashton took a bite of another pickle, and as soon as he bit into it, he frowned. "Awww man. These are just bland. That's a bummer." He set the basket of pickles aside with a small laugh. "Guess those are a no go." He took a bite of his burger, licking a stray piece of avocado off his lip. "How's your burger?" He asked after a few small bites. @Nakachu

She couldn't help but chuckle as he seemes to hate them just as much. She watched him put them to the side. "Well.. they can't all be soda floats." She teased as she took another sip from that to get the taste out of her mouth. "It is really good. Just what I needed after that rush. It always makes me grave fast food weirdly enough." She admitted to him and taking another bite. She wiped her mouth with the napkin. "How is yours?' @VaVaVicodin

"No, they can't, can they." He laughed. Alex seemed really happy with her food and he was glad. She deserved a good treat after the adrenaline rush (and minor medical scare) that she had. "It's good. The avocado really goes well with the queso. Almost like guacamole." He said as he took another bite. Ashton finished his burger after a short while, dabbing his mouth with a napkin. "Delicious." He sighed with content. "So, Alex. Do you need a ride home? I'm happy to bring you there, or I can drop you off somewhere if you prefer? Or not." He said, that signature blush returning to his cheeks. @Nakachu

She laughed along with him as she also at her burger, leaving the fried pickles for what they were at the middle of the table. She was having fun with him and in that moment he really didn’t feel like her doctor at all. He felt like a friend, who she could have fun with. Even if they had shouted at each other before, it had made her feel so much better. “Yeah I could use a ride home.” She said to him as she at the last bit of her burger, wiping her mouth off with a napkin and finishing the mouth full before she spoke again. “It beats taking the bus.” She chuckled. “Might want to drop me off a block before though, my parents might freak out if a guy suddenly brings me home.” She chuckled at him. Her parents were not that fond of the idea of her dating at this ‘final’ stage of her life. @VaVaVicodin

Ashton chuckled softly, nodding. "Alright. I understand that. You'll just need to tell me where a block from your house is. I didn't get a chance to get your address from your files." He teased. "I'm kidding, by the way." Ashton brought her back to his car and he opened her door. Once she was inside, he got into the car. He started it up and off they went. "Is there anywhere else you want to go? Or just straight home?" He asked, glancing over at her. He didn't want to keep her from home, but he definitely didn't want to stop her from going somewhere. @Nakachu

She finished the last of her coke float and then followed him out to his car. Getting back in the seat and putting the seatbelt on her once again. “No, I think I am better off going straight home.” She said smiling at him and entered her adress into his navigation system. “I have not been doing to great today, I think I might take those damn pain meds and tug into bed.” She admitted, giving him a small smile. She looked down at her hands then. “Our next appointment is in a week isn’t it?” She asked, remembering she had asked him to look into her treatment options for her. It had been on her mind the entire week and even now it was making her nervous. “Got any info at that yet? Does it look bad?” @VaVaVicodin

"I think that would be best, yeah. Make sure to drink water. You probably sweated a lot during the adrenaline rush, without you knowing." She suddenly brought up her appointment within a week, and she asked if it looked bad. He bit his lip, wondering if he really wanted to discuss this now. "The tumor is big, I won't lie. But...I think with chemotherapy, we could attempt to have it removed. It would be a risky surgery, but it's not impossible." He reached over and took her hand very gently. "I won't tell you that it's a sure thing, but... I feel confident, if that helps?" @Nakachu

She took a deep breath in and stared at the road ahead as he talked about it. She knew it wouldn't be good news. He had already looked into and even he said it would be risky. "Okay." She simply said already regretting she asked. She should have just waited till her appointment. She squeezed into his hand absent mindedly. "So when do you think you can reach your friend? It might not be the best qeather for cage diving right now, but surely it is a year round thing right?" She said, changing the subject on him quickly before he could say more about it. "I don't want to wait all the way to the summer." She shrugged. @VaVaVicodin

Ashton felt bad that the news wasn't better, but it was the truth. He knew she wouldn't want some bullshit answer where he said that chemo would magically cure her, so he didn't sugar coat the news. He felt her squeeze his hand and Ashton gave her a gentle squeeze back. He would be there for her, no matter what she chose. "Well, my friend lives in Florida, so... the weather there is pretty good." He chuckled. "As your doctor, I give you the go ahead to fly. So we could plan a trip to head down for a long weekend or something. Does that work for you?" @Nakachu

Her head would once again whip his way as he spoke. “Florida?!” She exclaimed not being able to keep the shock out of her voice. She almost instantly went about it in her head. That would be an expensive flight.. and the hotel stays, the food. That would be so much money.. money that she simply did not have. “Jeez.. Ashton! I don’t have that kind of money man..” she said looking at him and sinking in her seat. “Even if we stay in some dirt cheap hotel..” she mused, it would easily ring up 50 bucks a night. @VaVaVicodin

Ashton chuckled softly, shaking his head. "It's my treat. Seriously. We don't have to go to the Ritz Carlton, but we can stay in a decent hotel for a hundred bucks a night, and my buddy owes me a favor, so he can take us for free. Relax." He reached over and patted her leg. "This isn't charity, but consider it a "Thank You" gift, for not kicking my ass after I made you cry." He smirked. @Nakachu

“Ashton..” she just said softly, her face a clear mix of confusion and conflict. Was she really just going to fly to Florida to swim with sharks. His treat he said.. sure he probably made plenty of money with the job he did, but should he really spend that on her? On the other hand when would she otherwise get to see Florida with it’s massive beaches and clear blue oceans. She just let herself all into the car seat with a thud as she blew out air from her mouth. “Okay..” she then said. “But we have to go during the next semester change. My parents are going to freak out about this already.” She said, a small chuckle tugging at her lips now. @VaVaVicodin

Ashton smiled, excited to go to Florida. He hadn't been since he was a kid, and even though his buddy Dustin had wanted him to come visit, he never felt much of a real need to. Now, he did. "Alright. How about you just give me the dates you want to go and I'll request the time off." He grinned. "Your parents don't have to know you're going with a boy." He smirked. "Just tell them my name is... Ashie." He teased. @Nakachu

“You know this is the sucky thing about my parents.” She said, sucking her breath in through her teeth. “They know exactly when I am lying.” She said with a chuckle. And it wasn’t a lie either. She could get away with leaving out details, but the moment she actually told a lie they just somehow always knew. “I will figure something out.” She said. She took out her phone then looking at it. “Do I just reach you through your work number?” She asked, not even sure if that was his personal one or not. “Ooh and next block is me, so you probably want to pull over somewhere here.” @VaVaVicodin

As she confirmed that the next block was hers, he pulled over, but before he let her out, he grabbed a business card and turned it over, scribbling a number down. "Here. My personal phone. It's a cell, so just call or text anytime." He smiled. He parked the car and looked over at her. "Text me when you get inside safely, okay?" He asked, his voice a little smaller than before. It wasn't as if he didn't trust her, but he worried. Lots of shit could happen within a block! "Not trying to say that you aren't capable... I just... You know." He mumbled. @Nakachu

She couldn’t help but chuckle at him. She looked down at his card to his personal number and put it back in her pocket together with her phone. “I know.” She just said smiling. “Though if you just wanted to make sure you got my number too you should just ask.” She said with a teasing shrug of her shoulders. She suddenly moved over to him then and placed a gentle kiss against his cheek before pulling away. “Today was amazing Ashton. Thanks for taking care of me.” She said with a smile. “I will try not to shout at you next time.” She said and then got out of the car before he could do or say much else, starting her way down the block, giving him one more wave as she went. @VaVaVicodin

Ashton was speechless and could only open and close his mouth in a stammering mumble of, "Yeah, no problem. I had fun." Before she was gone. FUCK. Ashton gripped the steering wheel, his cheeks bright red and his left hand on his mouth. Beneath his hand he was grinning like a fool. God, she was adorable. He watched her walk down the block, smiling and waving back as she waved. When she turned into her home, Ashton finally pulled away. He wasn't comfortable leaving until he knew she got onto her property safely. As he pulled away and began to drive home, he kept stealing glances at his phone, wondering if she would text. @Nakachu

She got gotten home safely. She opened the door with her key and tried to be as quiet as possible as she came in, taking of her shoes and putting her backpack in the corner. “Alex?” She heard the voice from the kitchen, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes as her mom came around the corner. “I’m back.” She said forcing a smile. “You were supposed to call us the moment you landed!” Her mom instantly was at her, waving a finger in her direction. “I know your dad and I said we would give you more space, but you can’t just do things like that and go silent on us.” Her mother, her arms crossing over each other. “It is fine mom! I am fine! See? Not a scratch!” She said, waving her arms to prove it. There was a small silence between them, neither ready to let the other be right. Alex sighed. “Just leave it mom, please?” She asked. “Fine..” she said reluctantly. “Was it what you hoped it would be?” Her mom then asked, her face softening. Alex couldn’t stiffle her chuckle. “Even better.” She smiled. Her mom smiled at her too. “I am glad baby.” Her mom said. “I am going to go to my room for a bit, little bit too much excitement today.” Alex said excusing herself. “Go rest honey, I will wake you up for dinner.” Her mom said back and dissappeared into the kitchen. Alex walked up the stairs, taking her backpack along and finally popped the bottle of painkiller’s open to take one. Her head was pounding and now that she had a moment to just relax she could feel how bad it was. She drank it with water and then let herself fall down on her bed. She got her phone out of her pocket along with the business card he had written his number on. She quickly entered it into the screen and then opened the text window. You will be happy to learn I was not mauled by a bear @VaVaVicodin

Ashton drove home without issue. He lived in a single house right outside the city. It was on about an acre of land, and had a two car garage. Being a doctor definitely had its perks, so he used them when he could, but since he didn't need a massive house, he didn't buy one. He enjoyed his little two bedroom home. It was quiet, cozy and easy to maintain. He pulled into the garage and parked then headed inside. He tossed his keys into the little ceramic bowl by the front door and kicked off his sneakers. Today had definitely been longer than he expected, but he had enjoyed himself tremendously. Ashton went to his room and got undressed and walked into his bathroom, one of the only rooms he splurged on. If he was going to own his house, he was going to enjoy the bathroom the most. He had a large jacuzzi tub, a separate shower, and a large vanity mirror. He even had a large TV that had a waterproof sealant on it so no steam ruined it. He turned the bath on and clicked the TV on. His favorite show, 'Kitchen Nightmares,' already playing. When the bath was filled, he reached into a small mini fridge beside the bath and grabbed a beer, cracking it open and then sliding into the hot water. He sighed with delight, leaning his head back as the hot water soothed his aching muscles. Right as he was about to put his hands in the water, his phone buzzed. He glanced over and saw an 'unknown' number appear. He grabbed it and checked the text before smirking. He quickly saved her number, titling her name as 'PBL' before he texted back, Glad to know that you aren't bear food. How are you feeling? @Nakachu

She had already turned to her side and closed her eyes when the new text came in. For a second she didn’t react to it. Her bedroom was small and it had a diagonal ceiling that made it seem even more tiny. It barely fit her one person bed and a desk that she could use to study at. There was just the tiniest path between them. Besides that there was a wardrobe with her clothing and some potted plants by the window since her mom insisted that she at least have something that created fresh air. Eventually she opened her eyes and looked at the text. I’m fine. She frowned then, quickly backspacing. She didn’t need to lie to Ashton, he had said so. She could just say it. Could be better @VaVaVicodin

Oh? What's going on? Ashton sent, frowning. He was definitely curious as to why she claimed she was fine, when clearly she wasn't. He didn't want to bombard her with texts, so he gave her time to respond. But, Ashton was already coming up with a response to her suspected response.... @Nakachu

She sighed as she looked down at her phone. She hesitated again. She wasn’t the type to overload others with her problems. She had stopped doing it a long time ago. It is why she had shouted at him like she did, she had needed to finally let it out. My mom didn’t take well to me being out that long. I was supposed to call her after I was done skydiving and I didn’t. She send him. I also just overdid it today. Took some painkillers. They should work soon. @VaVaVicodin

Oh shit! I'm sorry to hear that, Alex. Is there anything I could have done to help, or do for you now? He felt awful that she had overdone it. He wasn't going to scold her, as that clearly wasn't the right choice. She was an adult. Plus, he figured if he tried to tell her what she should have done, that would be a complete dick move. @Nakachu

She didn’t know why but hearing his concern for her made her smile. It was nice to know that he cared. He really shouldn’t. She was his patient, yet he had taken care of her much more then any doctor should. She still wondered why. She didn’t get why he cared that much. I will be okay She texted him and she meant it. There wasn’t much anyone could do for her. She looked in her calender. It was five days till they would meet again to talk about her options. She was already dreading it @VaVaVicodin

Ashton frowned as he saw her message. Sure, of course she'd be okay, but still! Suddenly, he got an idea. Would you be up for a video call? @Nakachu

She had been slowly picking out the braid at the side of her head as he texted the next thing. She found herself chuckling the. She should really stay away from screens, but somehow she liked the idea of that. To talk to him a little bit more. Sure She said and rolled herself over to her stomach, putting a pillow underneath her chest to support her so she could comfortably hold the phone in front of her as they video called. The brain at the side of her head partially undone. @VaVaVicodin

Her message came through and he smiled eagerly. He pressed the camera button and the phone began to ring until she answered. When she did, he grinned at her. His bath had a phone holder built in, so she couldn't see anything below his ribcage, but she could see that he was in a bath. "Well hello there. Nice to 'see' you again." He chuckled. "Want to watch some TV with me?" He jerked his thumb back towards the TV playing Kitchen Nightmares. "Or we could just talk. Whatever you'd like. You don't have to watch the screen if your head hurts." @Nakachu

She gladly answered the call. She was simply holding the phone and her screen was probably pretty shakey as she tried to handle her phone. The moment he answered the phone though her eyebrows came together in a confused look. “Well hello there. Nice to ‘see’ you again.” He said in the most casual manner. “Wait.. wait..” she said, shaking her head. “You are in a bath?” She said, trying to understand what she was seeing. She didn’t even know where his phone was standing up against, but it certainly didn’t look like he was holding it. He pointed towards the tv and she just really took in what was going on. He was in a bath, beer in hand. It was a big bath too. And there was a big ass tv where he could watch his series on. She somehow couldn’t help the chuckle leaving her mouth as the series he was watching was Kitchen nightmares. “In what kind of mansion do you live to have a tv in your bathroom?” She just said. This was ridiculous. @VaVaVicodin

Ashton laughed as Alex became surprised at his choice of location that he called her from. He could barely see her, but the outline of her face was beautiful. She looked so pretty, and he found himself staring at her before he suddenly heard her question. "O-Oh! It's not a mansion. It's just a two bedroom house. It's a good size. I just decided to splurge on the bathroom." He chuckled. "So... you're not feeling well, huh?" He asked softly. "Is there something you'd prefer to watch? I got all the streaming apps." He winked. "So whatever you wanna watch, I can put it on." @Nakachu

Even though she really thought it was way to over the top she couldn’t help but smile, resting her chin on her hand. How much time did this guy spend in his bathroom? It must really be something else. He was strange, but in a cute way. “Just the usual headaches. I will be okay.” She said, and she meant it. She was used to them mostly and she could already feel the pain killers slowly starting to do their work, even if she was starting to get sleepy at the same time. “I think Kitchen Nightmares is fine.” She chuckled at him. Why did that seem so fitting to him? “My mom always forces me to watch Gillmore girls or whatever it is called. So you already got the entertainment downstairs beat.” She chuckled at him. She was not even really watching the screen anyway, she was watching him instead. @VaVaVicodin

Ashton laughed as she claimed that he already won in the entertainment department. "Well hey, guess that's a point to me, then." He chuckled. "I'm glad to hear you're going to be okay." He said softly. The water was still warm and was letting out a gentle steam. He hummed softly, leaning back. "So... do you have anything planned for tomorrow?" He asked, tilting his head towards the phone, his eyes scanning over her. God, she looked so cute. "Are you in bed?" @Nakachu

“Yeah, I’m in my bedroom.” She said as she turned her phone around to show him the room. It was small and nothing special. In the dim lighting he would clearly see the simplicity of it. He would see the desk and chair, and her wardrobe with things hanging half open. It wasn’t exactly a messy room, but it wasn’t entirely tidy either. He would also notice that she had a single person bed. She then turned it back to herself. “It is nothing much, but it the place I get most privacy these days.” She said smiling at him lightly as she watched the steam rise from that bath. She was starting to understand why he splurched on that bathroom. It looked very comfortable and cozy in that bath. “Uhmm, I have school tomorrow. Should only have a few classes to attend. I got free pass on some things because of my..” she wanted to say illness but paused, she hated that word. “Situation.” She choose in the end. “Not sure yet what I will do after. Might go to the beach.” @VaVaVicodin

"Now that's a pretty bedroom." He smiled. It was simple, but it looked pretty. It fit Alex, he thought. Nothing too extravagant, but not boring either. She had the necessities and he figured that made it comforting. She didn't have it cluttered with other things, and his room was similar. Just the simple necessities. The beach? "Oh yeah? The beach sounds like fun. What's your favorite part about the beach?" He asked, looking at her, completely tuning out the TV show. He had no interest now that she was on the phone. Ashton couldn't help imagine Alex in a swim suit... a two pierce, or even a one piece... Shit. He thought, noticing that this bath was definitely getting hotter. He took a deep breath to ignore what was happening, but smiled at his camera. @Nakachu

"Small bedroom you mean." She chuckled as she corrected him playfully. Her eyes went back to him sitting in the bath. It was a strange feeling that he choose that place to facetime with her. She almost almost wondered if he had wanted her to see his chest.. she couldn't deny he was not bad looking. She wondered if he worked out. "Uhmm.. probably the surfers. I like watching them." She said. It reminded her of skateboarding. "I also just like the calm and quiet. Gives me the chance to clear my head. There is this small part of the beach nobody seems to ever go to. I get to be alone for a little while.. just me and the waves." God it sounded depressing when she said it like that. But perhaps it was a bit. It was the place she went to to think about death. It was one of the ways she had been coping. @VaVaVicodin

"Not at all! It looks pretty, even if it's small." He smirked. As she explained why she liked the beach, he nodded along, smiling. "That makes sense. It sounds like a beautiful place to go. I would love to see a photo of it if you remember." He said softly, not wanting to impede on her healing process. It was pretty bad that he had decided to show up and hijack her skydiving trip, and her cage diving trip. But... if she needed this to cope, should he try to push his way to go? He didn't want to seem like he didn't care... "Do...Do you like going there alone? Or... Would you... prefer company?" He asked quietly. He was trying to tread lightly. He didn't want to smother her, especially knowing that she didn't like being smothered. @Nakachu

He could see her face kind of falter as she thought about it. She had nor shared that spot with anyone. You had to climb over some rocks to get there. It was her own little private spot. Something that was only hers. But once she looked up at him and remembered the way he had embraced her that afternoon. She couldn't help but know he would keep it a secret with her. "Only if you tell nobody about it. Ever." she said. Even waving a finger at her screen. "And you have to be quiet when you watch the waves with me." She said with a small smile. She put her pinky up to the camera. "Pinky promise." @VaVaVicodin

Ashton felt his face burn as she said that he could go, but only if he kept it a secret and if he kept quiet while she watched the waves. But if he did that, then yes, he could go! He held his pinky up to the phone screen, grinning like a fool. "I pinky promise. Just let me know what time I should pick up you." He was already excited to see her later that week at her appointment, but now he got to see her even sooner!!! "I will be absolutely silent while we watch the waves. Scout's Honor." He winked. @Nakachu

"Good." She smiled at him as he pinky promised her through the phone. She was really starting to feel those medication set in then. Feeling just slightly floaty as she chuckled at him. "So how long are you going to stay in that bath? Because I might be just about ready to go nap." She said to him. She still found him weird. Sitting in his bath, watching his series. She wondered how often he sat there. But who could blame him right?

@VaVaVicodin

Ashton smiled lightly as he watched her. She seemed sleepy. "I'll get out once we get off the phone." He assured her. "If you want to take a nap, I'll let you go. Or I can talk to you until you fall asleep. Whatever you want, darling." He teased, winking at her. "This bath is designed to stay heated for over two hours. I've got time." @Nakachu

She couldn't help but roll her eyes as he said the bath was made to stay warm long. "Flexing much?" She teased him with it. He sure loved his goddamn bathroom. It was honestly a little funny. It made her smile and she didn't even know why. "Anyway. I am going to hang. I think I will sleep more easily if I get off the phone." She said. "I like my room conpletely dark if I can." She explained. She already got up and started to do her black out curtains down and turning off the lights before she faced back to the camera. "Good night Ashton. See you tomorrow." She said before hanging up on him. @VaVaVicodin

Ashton laughed at her comment. “More like trying to entice you to come enjoy it with me.” He chuckled. She said that she was indeed tired and that she’d probably sleep better if she got off the phone. That made perfect sense. “Alright Alex. Sleep well. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” He said, smiling at her and giving her a small wave before she hung up. As she hung up the phone, Ashton felt excited and giddy. It was strange as he had never felt this way about a woman before! But with Alex, it was just so different!

@Nakachu

After that call she had fallen asleep easily, much more easy then she normally did. She woke hours later. Her mom not having woken her up for dinner and choose to safe herself instead. She ate her food and chilled in her room for the rest of the night before it was time to sleep once again. The next morning she felt better. The headache only being a small buzz in the back of her head instead of the pronounced stabs of pain she had experienced the day before. Her mother and her didn’t talk about the day before anymore and she soon left for school. She did her subjects, handed in her assignment and took a test which she did not study for. It was just hard for her to be motivated for things like that. When 1:30 pm came around she finally was done with her classes, knowing her schoolmates would still be stuck for a few more hours. She picked up her phone and opened the text window. I am done at school. You working? Or you got time off today? @VaVaVicodin

Ashton got up the next morning and went into work in a far more chipper mood than normal. Ashton wasn't a grumpy person, but going into work bright and early was never his favorite thing to do. But, today he had something to look forward to. He went in early, right around 6am and began to bang out all his assignments. He emailed patients and other doctors. He reviewed medical charts and consulted with a few other doctors. He saw his patients and then right around 1:30, he received Alex's text message. She was done with school already? He glanced down at his check list. He had completed everything so he did have the ability to take the time off. He quickly sent a text back. Text me where you want me to pick you up. Leaving work now. He grinned and headed out the door and to his car. Thankfully his office was small and he made good enough money that he could easily afford to work a shorter day than most doctors. Being a neurologist had its perks. Ashton got into his car and looked at his phone, punching in the location Alex had texted him. He sent her his ETA and then a short while later, he pulled up alongside the curb, rolling the window down. "Hello there, Madam. Your chariot awaits." He smirked. @Nakachu

She had already started to walk towards the beach waiting for him to text her back. Walking it would take her probably a bit over an hour but she didn't care to much. Ashton was a doctor and she didn't know if he could easily get time off. Yet she got a text back soon and simply pinged him her location, finding a bench to sit in. When he found her she was once again impressed by his car. It was such a nice car. "Not much of a chariot is it?" She teased him before she walked over to him. "Think I prefer this though." She said before walking to the passenger side and getting in. "Just go to the Bayside beach entrance. We can walk from there." She offered. "Surprised you got off work so early." @VaVaVicodin

"Is my valiant steed not good enough for you, My Lady?" He teased, knowing she was teasing. She liked his car, and that made his cheeks red a bit. Well... good! He liked his car too. "I went in at six. I got all my assignments completed, so as long as I do that, I can come and go as I please. And if a patient needs me I have to go back, but so far I've been lucky and haven't had a page." He knocked on the dashboard of his car, hoping not to jinx his luck! Ashton drove to the beach's entrance and then he parked the car and got out, going over and opening Alex's door. He extended his hand to her, smiling. "Madam," @Nakachu

Se chuckled as she buckled herself in. “Those damn needy patients right?” She teased him as he drove out of the parking lot. Damn.. he had been up since 6. Must be annoying. If there is one thing Alex loved to do it was to sleep in. She found herself peeking at him from time to time as he drove them down. She had quite a small chuckle to herself as she found herself thinking about the night before. Seeing that compared to the clothing he wore underneath his doctor’s coat, well it was quit a difference. They stopped the car and before she could even get out herself he was already there to offer his arm. She took it and gave him a small smile with her eyebrows knitted together. “Do we have a theme going on today?” She asked chuckling. “Madam, chariot.” She laughed. “You make me feel old.” She teased him. She got her backpack out and quickly ditched some of the books for school into his car to make it lighter before putting it into her shoulder. She walked him down the beach. The first while was simply the normal beach. There were other people there, some even in swimsuits as it was quite nice out that day. They walked for quite a bit before they got to a part where the beach seemed to end and they were met with a wall of big loose rocks that seemed to block their way to go further. That didn’t seem to stop Alex though as she simply climbed into them and started to head over, looking over her shoulder. “You coming? It’s this way.” She chuckled. @VaVaVicodin

"Chivalry won't be dead on my account." He laughed, shaking his head with another laugh. He helped her out and he followed her to the beach. He was completely unfamiliar with this area, so he just let her guide him along. When they approached some loose rocks, Alex immediately began to climb over them, and Ashton blinked in surprise. "Oh...Well... Alright then. Lead the way." He laughed, following her up the rocks. He was definitely in good enough shape that he was able to climb the rocks with ease, but this was still challenging!! When they finally got up to the top, Ashton let out a small sigh of relief. "Whew... there's my cardio for the week..." @Nakachu

She lead the way over the rocks. She knew exactly which ones she could put her feet into and which ones would most likely roll away under her feet. And she would tell him so as he was climbing up with her. Eventually they reached the top and even if she was a little winded she was glad to be there again. Behind the rocks was another small piece of beach. It was probably only about 50 meters across, surrounded at all sides by the same rocky wall. She had no clue how it got here, but she knew she had never seen anybody here but her. Even now as she looked down it was cleared of the footsteps completely. It was a place you could only get to when the water was low, otherwise it would become flooded completely. “Welcome to my private beach.” She said to him with a chuckle as she made her way down towards the sand. @VaVaVicodin

Getting to the top, Ashton stayed quiet, just as Alex had requested. She introduced him to 'her private beach' and he checked softly, nodding. He walked behind her as they made towards the sand. It was an adorable little beach and he completely understood why she wouldn't want to share this area with anyone. It was a gentle and peaceful location, and if it had gotten mucked up due to a bunch of ungrateful tourists, it would ruin the beauty. The water splashed close to the rocks, but didn't touch the golden sand quite yet. He could see remnants of previous waves that had danced along the rocks from the high tide. So this area was only accessible at a specific time? How interesting. @Nakachu

She appreciated him just taking it in and staying quiet. Once she reached the sand she took of her backpack and took out a blanket that she had taken with her, placing it down on the ground near the rocks. The water there had been gone long enough for the sand to be completely dry. The little part of beach didn’t have any shade, and with it’s rocky walls it didn’t get very windy. For a day like that day it was the perfect spot to just be in the sun. She lastly kicked off her shoes and took off her socks. Folding up her legging to just under her knees before walking towards the water and letting it tickle her toes. “I try to come here once a day.. Even if it is just for a small bit.” She said, looking back at him and smiling. “It is close enough to my house to walk here. It gets me away from everybody and everyone. Even my mom doesn’t know about this place and she hates it.” She chuckled. “It is the perfect place to let my mind wander..” or scream at the sea when she was frustrated. But he didn’t need to know that. “Do you like it?” @VaVaVicodin

Ashton removed his shoes and socks just like Alex did. She had the right idea. He walked through the sand and to the water. The water was cold against his feet, but it felt nice compared to the hot sand. The sea air felt so good against his skin, and the salty air wasn't bad either. For being a rather plain beach, it was gorgeous here. Ashton looked over at Alex as she spoke, describing to him how the beach made her feel. So he got know about this place before her own mother? Nice. Ashton laughed softly, nodding. When she asked if he liked it, Ashton looked over at her, his eyes meeting hers. He smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah. I do. It's beautiful." He said softly. Ashton couldn't explain why he did what he did next. He just couldn't. It was if he had been compelled to do it. Ashton leaned forward and pressed his lips against Alex's. The sound of the crashing waves in front of them probably didn't drown out the beating of his heart. @Nakachu

She had just been about to turn towards him, knowing had had walked up to her. So when she did and he suddenly pressed his lips against her it took her by complete surprise. She had not been involved with anyone in that way ever since she got diagnosed. The thought of falling in love just to know she would leave them soon just felt.. painful, to unfair. So even now when he made that movement, her first reaction was for her to step back. Not because she didn’t want him to, but because the mere thought of it scared her. In that same step however she stepped into the soft wet sand, her heel slipping out from under her. She tumbled down, landing in the shallow water on her rear, getting most of her clothing soaked. “Aaah.. fuck..” she scoffed out as she realized what just happened. @VaVaVicodin

She stepped back. Ashton couldn't believe what he had done. He had just kissed her at random! He felt his face burn, but when she stepped back, his face burned even more from sheer humiliation. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!! Then she fell back onto the wet sand and into the water. "Oh, fuck!" He tried to grab her hand to stop her from falling, but it was too late. She crashed into the water, and there he stood, like a fucking idiot. "I...Oh God, Alex. I'm so sorry." He bit his lip, reaching down to help her up. @Nakachu

It almost took her till after hitting the water to actually realize what had just happened. Her hand half went to her lips as if she didn’t actually believe yet she had felt that. He had kissed her. A small blush decorated her cheeks now too before he started to apologize. “No, no.. it’s fine! Really..” she said as she tried to get back to her feet. She took the hand he offered her and pulled herself up. Her black legging was almost completely soaked through, the white shirt with print she had worn up top sticking to her stomach. The top part at least still seemed dry enough. She looked at him, seeing the blush that was also on his cheeks and pressed her lips together. She had just made this incredibly awkward. “I uhmm..” she tried, not sure what to say. “Sorry..” she apologized, for stepping back from him. @VaVaVicodin

At least she took his hand. That much made him feel better. She didn't kick him in the groin and tell him to piss off, thankfully. He helped her up and Ashton chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Don't apologize. I'm the one who's sorry. I didn't...didn't mean to just kiss you like an animal. I...I just... yeah. It's okay if you don't feel the same way. I get it." He smiled, all though his smile was sad. Rejection always hurt. But, he didn't blame her for how she felt. "Sorry to make things awkward now..." @Nakachu

Her face faltered as he apologized to her. He stammered over his worlds as he told that it was okay if she didn’t feel the same way. Did she not feel the same way? She pressed her lips together again, rubbing over her arm. She looked away from him towards the waves as they rolled into the sand near them. “It’s not that.” She said softly. “I just.. I don’t get involved with people.” She said softly. From the moment she knew that death was the only thing that was left for her, she had simply not been able to commit. She had done the standard one night stands, leaving with someone drunk and sneaking out the next day. Because that didn’t require feelings.. it was just pleasure, needs. This wasn’t that.. She looked back up at him, her eyebrows still knotted together and her face unsure. “You don’t want me Ashton..” she just said to him. “All I am going to do is leave you behind.” And she meant that. @VaVaVicodin

Ashton felt his heart break for her as she said that it wasn't that she didn't feel the same way, it was that he wouldn't want her because she would leave him behind. Ashton gently took her hand in his. His thumb gently ran over her fingers, his slightly rough hands massaging her soft ones. "Alex... anyone could leave me behind. You don't have an expiration date. You have an estimate, just like everyone else. I could drop dead tomorrow for all we know." He gave her a gentle smile and with his other hand he reached up and brushed her hair from her face. "I want you, even if I only had one day with you, because I know it would be the best day of my entire life." Ashton held her hand a little harder, tears pricking at his eyes. "I don't care if you leave me behind. I wouldn't feel like it was being left behind. You'd just be waiting for me. What's wrong with that?" He asked quietly. @Nakachu

"Yes, you could." She said to him. "But I am going to." She said to him. "There is no if or what or why. I will die Ashton.." she said softly. She still wouldn't accept that he thought he could prevent that. She pulled away from his hand as he tried to reach for her cheek. His gentle touch in that moment just being to much for her to handle. She didn't want him to want her.. he was going to make everything complicated.. "No Ashton.." she said deperately. "You say that now, but it is not worth it. I told you before.. I don't want anybody to care for.. it is just going to make this harder." She balled her fist in frustration, the one he was not holding. Was she really going to just push him away? She thought she had found a friend.. someone she could share more with and already this was happening. She didn't know if she could do it. "I can't do this and still feel alright with dying.. I would lose my mind."

@VaVaVicodin

Ashton stopped reaching for her as she pulled away. He realized that this wasn't going to make things better. He felt his chest tightening even more with pain and he forced a small smile. He didn't want to hurt her. That had never been his goal. "....Okay." He let her hand go, putting his hands in his pockets. "I won't make you do this..." He took a step back from her and looked at the ocean. He glanced at his watch, which was a little smart watch that had a screen on the front that he could receive messages on. As he looked at it he noticed he had a page from the hospital. "I have to go. I got a page..." Ashton looked at Alex and all he wanted to do was kiss her again. He looked away from her and quietly said. "I'll see you at your appointment, Alex." With that... Ashton turned away and headed back down the rocks and along the path back to his car. As he got into his car and pulled away, several tears slid down his face. @Nakachu

She watched as he walked away from her. Did he really get a page? She couldn't help but wonder. She hadn't heard anything from it. Maybe it was on silent.. But more then anything she hated to see him walk. Her stomach feel uneasy.. like there was pit in the middle of it. She walked over to the rocks and punched into it in frustration. Of course hurting her knuckled and cursing in the process. She hated that she was like that. Pushing everyone away she cared about. All she had needed to do was stand there and let him kiss her and she had stepped back. She was an idiot.. she turned back to the sea shouting at the water as she felt the tears slip down her cheeks. It was a good two hours before she felt calm enough to go home. Ashton had already long since left and it wasn't till then that she remembered he still had her books in his car. Whatever.. she didn't care about school anyway... 3 more days till their appointment. @VaVaVicodin

Ashton went home and left Alex alone. He felt like he had over stepped her boundaries, and he didn’t want to push her even more than he already had. A small frown was on his lips on the day of Alex’s appointment. He looked at the clock. It was 12:45pm, and her appointment was at 1. He worried that… perhaps she had canceled. But it was still on his appointment list and no one came to tell him that it was cancelled. Perhaps she was coming? The anxiety was killing him…. @Nakachu

The days went by slow. She had found herself staring at her phone for ages, wondering if she should text him. She knew she had rejected him, told him that he did not want her.. yet even after just those two days it was hard to just know he walked from her. Why couldn’t they have just been friends.. it would have been easier. So when the day came for her appointment she was nervous and unsure. She didn’t know how to act.. was he still her friend? Or just her doctor? She didn’t know. She had gone to wait at the bus, only for it to never show up. Knowing the next bus would take to long she had just started to walk and jog her way to the hospital, only to find the skies darken up and surprise her with a lot of rain. By the time she made it to the hospital she was winded and soaked, her clothing sticking to her body and her hair hanging like a wet curtain around her. She took her jacket off, but it had soaked even through that. She was dripping as she walked in, getting stares everywhere. She made her way to neurology and went to the assistant there. “Alexandra Payne, I go an appointment with Dr Ho.. i mean, Dr Knoxx.” @VaVaVicodin

The nurse looked up as Alex appeared at her desk. "Good afternoon! Yes, I will let Dr. Knoxx know you are here." She said, grinning at her. She hadn't caught the near compliment that Alex started with, or at least she didn't act like she had. The nurse dialed Ashton's office and told him that Alex was there. After a second she hung up. "Dr. Knoxx will see you know." She took her back to Ashton's office and knocked before letting her in. Ashton turned to see Alex walk in. She looked soaked to the bone. Had it been raining that badly? As the nurse left them, shutting the heavy door, Ashton removed his white coat and handed it to her. "Here. You looked pretty soaked. I take it you walked?" He asked softly. God this was... awkward. @Nakachu

She followed the nurse up to his office. It looked so familiar already, the walk there even if she had only been there once before. She thanked the nurse for bringing her there and then went in. She walked in and set her wet backpack on the floor along with her soaked jacket. She looked up at him as he offered his coat. She wanted to reject it at first before she took it and wrapped it around herself. She was cold.. "The bus didn't show. Didn't have a choice." She shrugged at him with a small smile. His coat was big on her but it made it so she could wrap it nicely around herself before sitting down. "Sorry if I soak ur chair." @VaVaVicodin

"It's just a chair. It'll dry. No worries about that." He said with a small smile. "Alright, so." He turned to face her, holding a clipboard in his hands with a single sheet of paper. "Your options. Once again, we can try aggressive chemotherapy, and then hopefully it shrinks the tumor to an operable size. The surgery is risky, of course, and the chemo may not work. But... if it does work, we could remove the tumor... and get you to be free of this." He said softly. "If not... the chemo could shrink the tumor at least and give you a few more years, rather than none." He looked at her with a sad smile. "Those are your options. Unfortunately... there isn't much more to offer. We could try this, and you either do great, or not. Or, we let you continue on your path now... and you enjoy the life you have now to its fullest." He cleared his throat and looked at the clipboard, inhaling deeply. "So... what do you want to do?" @Nakachu

She had not been ready for him to simply go and lay her options down like that. Sure, she was glad he got straight to the point, but on the other hand it was a lot. She instantly looked down to her hands. Her lips pressing together till her teeth grabbed into it. She had known this is what he would say.. though it was the first time someone had told her there was a chance of her tumor actually shrinking enough to be operable. She could almost feel the shaking in her body. She hated this.. why did she even ask him to do it. After a while she looked up, clearing her throat to get rid of the lump that had appeared in her throat. "I need numbers.." she said, her voice still hoarse as she cleared it again. "How much chance is there it shrinks enough. How many surgeons will dare to touch it?" She asked. Knowing she had been refused before because it was to risky. "And how sick am I going to be..? How long?" @VaVaVicodin

Ashton sighed softly, shaking his head. “These aren’t guaranteed numbers, but, I would say that if the tumor shrinks and we operate… you have a sixty percent chance to operate. If you don’t, then nothing changes. There’s a forty percent chance of the tumor shrinking.” He bit his lip as she asked how long she’d be sick. “I can’t answer that. I don’t know. It’s just how your body reacts to the chemo. With aggressive chemo… you would probably be pretty sick, but we can do the chemo once a week. Then it may make it a little less brutal?” He asked, biting his lip. “As for the surgeon…” he swallowed and then quietly said, “I’d do the surgery.” @Nakachu

Forty percent.. and that was only of the tumor shrinking. He had not even spoke about it shrinking enough to actually be operable. She couldn’t help her face furrowing together. She knew if she didn’t.. well quit frankly she was nearing her end. It would not take much longer for the tumor to start to take over important parts of her brain. Her headaches would only get worse till eventually she would simply turn into a vegetable. It could be a few weeks.. it could be tomorrow, she didn’t know. “As for the surgeon… I’d do the surgery.” She looked up at him, meeting his eyes, her mouth half open in shock. “Ashton..” Did she want him to do the operation? She felt like he would never forgive himself if it went wrong. She shook the thought away, she didn’t have to worry about that. The chances of it becoming operable. She took a deep breath then. “If we do this we are not doing it half way..” she suddenly said as she looked down towards the desk. She couldn’t let her emotions get the best of her, not right then. “I want the aggressive chemo.” Her voice broke half way through, yet she simply continued. “I am not doing this only to discover it didn’t work because I choose to half ass it.” @VaVaVicodin

Ashton bit his lip as she said she wanted to do the aggressive chemo. "If that's what you want, let's do it. We can see how it goes, and if you feel at all that it isn't working, we can try something else. Something... that I'll figure out." Ashton felt nervous. This was the first time he ever truly felt scared for a patient. He hadn't promised, had he? But, there was no way to be certain that this would work. Ashton looked over at Alex and he inhaled slowly. "I will do everything I possibly can for you, Alex. I can promise that, at least." He whispered, turning and biting his lip. "We'll do the agressive chemo for a month or two, and then we will check the tumor's size. If it's shrunk, I'll see how much it needs to shrink before operating." @Nakachu

She had her hands pressed together, her fingers clutching into each other so much that they had turned white. She couldn’t believe she was doing this. She had always believed she wasn’t scared for death, she just needed to live enough to not care. But it never helped, it was never enough. It always came back to it. Finally she couldn’t hold back her tears anymore. “My parents are going to kill me..” she said, leaning back and trying to let go of her hands. “I need to quit school.. I am not doing this and trying to keep up. I can’t do both..” she thought out loud. Who cared about a goddamn degree.. she needed to live to use it. She looked back at Ashton. “When do I need to start?” @VaVaVicodin

Ashton felt his heart break for her. He hesitantly reached forward and grabbed her hand. He held it in his, rubbing his thumb over her fingers just as he had when they were at her little private beach. "Whenever you are ready. I can get it booked for tomorrow. Just let me know. And... if your parents don't understand..." He swallowed hard. "My guest bedroom is still available." He gave her a nervous smile, but gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "It's going to be okay. We'll get through this. I will help you through this, Alex." @Nakachu

“Do it.. book it. Before I change my goddamn mind.” She said, desperately trying to clear the tears from her cheeks, but they just kept on falling. She couldn’t stop them, not in that moment at least. She was still soaked, at least nobody would think anything of it when she walked out of that office. She never thought she would agree to chemo.. but she was not ready to die. “They will just need to accept it. I am not a teenager anymore. They can’t decide what I should and should not do anymore. I will talk to them when I get home. I didn’t even say what this appointment was bout.” @VaVaVicodin

Ashton quickly booked the appointment, but he gave her a moment before continuing. He reached over and grabbed a few tissues from his desk. He handed them to Alex with a sad frown. "Alright..." He didn't know how to help with her parents... "Do you want me to write a note excusing you from school? Maybe that will help?" He asked quietly. @Nakachu

She accepted the tissue’s and started to wipe at her face. Small bits of her mascara and eyeliner ending up on it as she tried to wipe it from her cheeks. She took a few deep breaths then forcing herself to stop. She brushed her hair out of her face, the wet strands sticking to her forehead. She nodded then. “Yeah, maybe.” She said. “The know about my shit.. but I guess would be good if I got on paper I will be starting the chemo.” She said. Fuck even saying it sounded aweful. She didn’t want that goddamn poison in her body. She had seen others going through it.. She dumped the tissue in the bin aside from the desk. “Just get me everything I need to fill out. I know there is always paperwork with this stuff.” She said, trying to just go back to being formal about it. @VaVaVicodin

Ashton nodded as she requested all the paperwork for the treatment. "The nurse will have all of it at her desk. I sent her a message to have it prepared just in case. She just has to put the appointment information on it. It'll be ready once you check out." He said softly. Silence filled the air, and Ashton bit his lip. "Alex... about... about a few days ago..." He rubbed the back of his neck, sighing softly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pressure you. I understand you're going through a lot, and I am sorry I added to that." He looked up at her sheepishly. He felt so stupid, and he didn't know how to contact her. Texting or calling with an apology felt so... shameful. "It was wrong of me to just... assume you felt the same." @Nakachu

She nodded to him as he explained to her that the paperwork would be ready. She knew the drill.. there would be enough to take her like half an hour to fill out and look over. She would likely need to pick up new medication as well. The pharmacy needing to go over it a thousand times to make sure everything worked with her current medication as well. She had been so lost in thought that she almost missed what he said. He eyes looking up towards him. The kiss.. He was talking about that. She bit down on her lip. For a moment she just stayed silent, looking to a spot on the desk. She wasn’t even sure how to respond to that. “I meant what I said Ashton.. You don’t want me.” She then said. “Even if this works.. I am going to be sick for weeks. And it might not even safe me at all.” She still looked towards that spot on the desk, unable to look in the eye. “Find someone.. healthy to be with.” @VaVaVicodin

Ashton had had enough. Standing up, Ashton walked over to the chair that she sat on. He pressed his hands to the wall by her head. "Alright. I've had it." He said firmly. "You do not get to tell me who I like, and who I want. Alex... I want you. I don't care if you have limited time. I don't. With these options, that may not be true. It might be. Who knows? But what I do know, is that when we went sky diving, I had the best day of my life. Yes, even after the fight..." His right hand went to her cheek. "On that little beach... I thought I finally got to see the real you. The one who just... was. Not the patient I see now." Ashton knelt down so that he wasn't towering over her anymore. "Look. I get it's scary. But, if you feel the same way that I feel about you, why shouldn't we go for this?" He asked softly. "I don't care how much time I get with you. I would cherish it forever." He whispered, feeling his eyes water. His left hand went to hers and he held it firmly. "Please, Alex." @Nakachu

She could do nothing but just look up at him in surprise. His sudden outburst was the last thing she was expecting from him. She watched him walking towards her, his voice strong, his eyebrows furrowed together in annoyance or anger.. she couldn’t even tell. She couldn’t keep his gaze as he talked to her, as he told her how she had been herself on that beach.. It was why she went there.. He knelt down and his hand found her cheek, turning her softly back towards him as he continued his talk, though his voice now more calm and soft. She looked back at his eyes, feeling like she had no choice but to. “Ashton..” was all she could say as he threw his feelings before her. “I don’t want to hurt you..” she just whispered and she didn’t. She didn’t know how else to respond to it. @VaVaVicodin

Ashton took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. He kneeled up towards her and then he tugged her hand down, pulling her close. He was so close to her. His eyes were half lidded, and then he quietly said, "You can't hurt me." Then, he kissed her. His right hand stayed on her cheek, his thumb rubbing softly. His left hand held hers, and Ashton's mouth moved against hers in a gentle dance. There was absolutely no way he was walking away from her and leaving her like this. @Nakachu

She had not expected him to kiss her, not again. She had rejected him that time before, she did not think he would try again. So at first she moved back in her surprise, but once her back hit the back of the chair she had no place to go. She could either accept the kiss or push him away.. and she did not have the heart to push him away again. She closed her eyes as she opened her mouth for him, tilting her head just slightly, leaning into the hand that was on her cheek. It was such a strange kiss.. On one side it had been exactly what she had needed, or the other she was going against what she believed in for so long.. That the only way to protect herself and others was to not get close to them. @VaVaVicodin

Ashton barely noticed her back up. Her movement was easily identifiable as surprise, and when he felt her return his kiss, even just a little, he could have screamed with joy. He cupped her cheek some more, kissing her even more. His thumbs rubbed her cheek and after a moment, he pulled away. But he didn't go far. He was still a mere inch from her lips. Ashton swallowed hard and smiled at her. "Well, I...I guess that means... you feel the same?" He chuckled softly. He nuzzled her nose with his, his eyes shutting softly. "Alex. I promise you that I will not let you go through this alone. I will be here for every treatment. You will never deal with this by yourself. I promise that."

10:53

@Nakachu

"I guess that means.. you feel the same?" He chuckled and she couldn't help the slight falter of her face as he said that. "Ashton.." she said softly, but he had already started to say more. Promising her to not let her go through it alone and she didn't know how to feel about it. She had tried so hard to not get close to anybody, yet here he was.. In such a short time she had cried at him.. yelled at him.. rejected him and kissed him. She stared into his eyes trying so hard to not cry again. "You don't have to do this.." she said softly, still feeling like she needed to give him a way out. She brought her own hand up to his cheek, brushing it softly with her own fingers. "I have nothing to give you.." @VaVaVicodin

"Alex, do you feel the same way about me?" He whispered, looking into her eyes. "I am begging you. Tell me the truth. Don't tell me anything else. Just answer my question." He whispered. @Nakachu

Her eyes went from one of his eyes to the other one. She could hear the desperation in his voice, the need to know how she felt. But how did she feel? She had not been this close to anybody in a long time. Had not felt connected enough to share her feelings in such a dept as she had done to him. Had never brought anyone to that beach. Never wanted to kiss them. Yet all those things had happened with him in a matter of moments that they had been together. The answer was clear.. and she couldn't ignore his desperation. "Yes..." she said a mere whisper. @VaVaVicodin

It was all he needed to hear. She said yes. Ashton pressed his lips to hers one more time. His kiss was gentle, but full of love and care. He cupped her cheeks, holding her face like she was made of glass. If he moved to quickly or too hard, she'd shatter, and he'd never have her again. Ashton's lips moved in a passionate dance with hers. His tongue very shyly poked out, touching her lower lip, questioning if she would allow him any form of entrance. He didn't want to push, so he was careful. @Nakachu

Once again she was taken half by surprise by his kiss. Her eyes only closed once his hand was already cupping her cheeks. Leaning into it slightly as he pressed his lips against hers. She wanted to allow herself to be with him, to fall in love with him. But she still didn’t know if she could.. she felt strangely safe with him. When his tongue danced over her bottom lip she opened her mouth for him, allowing him entrance. Her tongue met his half way as her hand once again found his cheeks as well, holding his face gently in her hands. She kissed him in earnest then, her tongue dancing with his before breaking them apart again. She found his eyes once more, such a mix of emotions playing in them. “I… I should go talk to my parents..” she suddenly said. It was just to much.. deciding to do her treatment, going against her parents, falling in love.. she couldn’t do this all in one day. @VaVaVicodin

Ashton felt his heart leap as she allowed him entrance into her mouth. He let out a small groan as she touched his cheeks and returned his kiss. How had it even been possible to be with a woman this beautiful? The kiss became a bit heated, but thankfully Alex moved away, giving Ashton a chance to collect himself. He heard her say that she should go speak to her parents. He swallowed and nodded. "O-Of course. Right." He took a step back, giving her space. His hand went to hers and gently held it. "Your appointment will be at ten am, okay?" He whispered. "I'll be with you the entire time." @Nakachu

She looked back at him in that moment. Still unsure wether she wanted to go or stay. He kept surprising her, kept pulling her in. And she still didn't know if she wanted that. "At ten.." she repeated. Early.. maybe for the better. She could not just pull back again now. She had chosen to do this. She needed to keep to that choice. "I will be here." She spoke as she looked down at her hand in his. Her thumb stroked over his hand before she pulled back and got up. She collected her jacket which was still very much wet from the rain and decided to just not even try to put it on her. She wiped the wet strands out of her face once more before looking up to him. "I will see you tomorrow.." she said then and turned towards the door, leaving if he did not stop her. @VaVaVicodin