Though We May Fall {An Aphmau AU}

Tree of Friendship

**Aphmau's POV**

    Gentle snowflakes fell from the sky, coating the world in a blanket of white. I raised my head, reaching out my hand to allow the flakes to land in my cupped palms, hanging on for a minute before melting away from the warmth that coursed under my skin. I smiled, snow catching in my eyelashes and on my hair, the cool water dripping down to splash on the street below. Next to me, Aaron smiled down at me, his messy black hair covered by a hat and a coat wrapped around his body, protecting him from the cold surrounding us. He bumped my shoulder, and I elbowed him right back, the purple of my own coat bright against the dark red of his.

    In the week since he had come to my dorm, he hadn't left my side once, and for that, I was grateful. My other friends were wonderful and did their best to help me through this, but he was the only one who truly understood. Around him, I didn't have to force a smile or try to convince him that I was okay now. He knew I was healing and he would let me do that at my own pace.

    Right now, we were on our way to his sister, Melissa's, apartment to celebrate Christmas Eve. She lived in the heart of Falcon Claw, and we had all traveled out here today to celebrate. It had taken about six hours on a train to get here, but I was too excited to worry about the long ride back. I hadn't seen all of my friends together since closing night, and I had a feeling that they were the missing pieces I needed to heal the hole in my heart.

    The last two days, I had debated bringing Ein with me, but I had realized maybe that wasn't the best choice. After all, some of my friends didn't seem to like him the best for some reason, and also... I hadn't heard anything from him since he texted me a week ago. I wasn't trying to be one of those girlfriends who needs to constantly hear from their boyfriend or be super clingy, but at the same time... I wanted him to at least make an effort. He barely spoke to me at all now, and maybe that was because he was spending time with family, but whenever someone says they're dealing with "personal problems," it normally means they aren't doing too well and probably need someone to talk to. Maybe he doesn't understand that, but still... maybe I would've gotten better faster if I had him to talk to. Irene, I talk as if I just recovered from deadly illness, not a mental breakdown. But in a way, I guess they are pretty much the same. I might have wasted away to nothing if Aaron hadn't snapped me back into place.

    "We're here." Aaron's voice jolted me out of the past, bringing me back to the present and to the building we were standing in front of. I raised my gaze to look up at the beautiful old apartment complex that reached up towards the clouds. Lights glowed in almost every window, creating a protective square of yellow against the threatening dark of the night. The cobblestone retained a faint glow from the bright sun of the day, the radiance seeping from the stones and into my bones. I smiled, feeling the darkness that filled my heart slowly start to melt away.

    "If you ever need to step away or go back home, just let me know. I don't mind." Aaron placed a hand on my shoulder for a brief second before letting it fall back to his side. I leaned back against him, the warmth from his body aiding the glow from the faded sun.

    "Thanks Aaron. I... I want to try. Like you said... I can't let them win." I closed my eyes for a second, catching my breath and preparing myself for the onslaught of love and pity that I would receive from my friends. The cool December air passed through my lungs like a summer breeze whispering through a wheat field; it moved me just enough to give me the strength to stand taller.

    Aaron led me inside, keeping a light hand at the small of my back, almost like we were floating across the stage, preparing ourselves for the dance of our lives. The inside of the apartment complex was simple but beautiful enough that I found myself taking in every detail from the walls and ceiling. After climbing twelve flights of stairs because the elevator was broken and Aaron thought he could beat me in a race up, we finally reached the penthouse suite Melissa owned. From the music I could hear slipping around the door and echoing around the foyer, I figured everyone had already arrived. The others had either flown out on private jets or drove the whole way- Aaron and I were the only ones to take the train which explained why we were later than the others.

    Aaron knocked on the door before pushing it open, introducing us to the full noise of the party. I was surprised anyone could hear his knock over the cheesy Christmas playing at top volume, but Melissa had popped up in front of us, a radiant smile lighting up her face. "Great! You guys are here! Here, let me take your coats; everyone is in the living room." I smiled at Melissa, her excitement infecting me until I couldn't feel anything else. Aaron pushed me in the right direction, the source of the loud music and energetic conversation. I looked back briefly and saw that he was talking with Melissa, both of them using hushed tones and standing close to the other. My smile widened ever so slightly, the sibling bond between the two hitting me deep within. 

    I stopped in the doorway, taking in the wonderful sight before me. The sound of laughter was mixing with the Christmas music, spinning throughout the room before slipping out the cracks by the windows and filling the world with joy. Garroth and Vylad were currently standing with Zane by the fireplace, and judging by the look on his face, annoying the crap out of him. Lucinda was sprawled out across the couch, orange hair draped all around her and brushing the floor like gentle fingers. Laurance stood above her with arms crossed, and she looked back up at him with a lazy smirk that most definitely infuriated him. Travis was singing loudly and terribly along with the music, and Katelyn was laughing, punching his shoulder and shaking her head every time he even attempted a high note. Dante and Jeffory were standing by the coffee table, glasses of something in their right and cookies in their left hands, more cookies and treats scattered across the table. Nana was playing with a small white puppy by the Christmas tree, the cutie was rolled over on his back with his tail sweeping wide arcs across the wood floor. I didn't see Nicole or Cadenza, but I could hear their charming voices floating from a room farther down the hall.

    "Well, it seems the party already started when I walked in." My voice cut through the chords of the music and conversation, drawing everyone's attention towards me and my small frame. Their eyes were filled with a sort of joy that you can only feel when around those you love, and the surprise they had at seeing me was evident. But what really hit home? Not one of them looked at me with a trace of pity or sorrow, only the excitement of friends who haven't seen each other in weeks.

    "Aphmau!" Nana scrambled up from the floor and threw herself into my arms. That one hug started a chain reaction in my heart, explosions of love and joy destroying all traces of the bitter blackness that had almost succeeded in covering my heart. There would always be a remnant of these hard times that had almost ruined me, but I knew from the bottom of my heart that as long as my friends were always by my side, then I would never again succumb to that devastating despair.