Though We May Fall {An Aphmau AU}

Aaron & Aphmau Alone

**Aphmau's POV**

    Three days. I'd been awake for the past three days, and I was beginning to readjust. I mean, two months wasn't that big of a miss, but it still felt... giant. So much can happen in two months. Within two months my parents had separated and my dad has dragged me out to O'khasis. In two months, I had fought with my dad and moved back to Phoenix Drop, meeting my mom and my best friends for the first time in over ten years. In two months, Ein and I had gotten to know each other and had begun dating. And in two months, my entire life had changed.

    Currently, I was sitting up in bed, running my hands through my now shoulder-length hair. Sitting up was probably the biggest thing I had done in a while. It meant that, even though I still had to stay in bed and could only lie on my stomach, my back was healed enough that more motion wouldn't cause me such tremendous pain. What did cause me pain, however, was how short my hair was. Most of my hair, a part of me that I valued so greatly, had burned away in the fire. Where it had once been down to my waist, it now barely brushed my shoulders. I bemoaned the loss, wondering how exactly I would be able to fit my hair up into a bun for dance.

    Thinking about dance made me start to tremble. This whole thing started because I hurt myself while dancing, leading me to be in Ein's dorm when the entire freaking building caught on fire. I shuddered, trying desperately to find a different subject to occupy my mind.

    Thankful, at that moment, there was a loud knock at the door. I looked up just in time to see Dr. Cameron coming in, a soft smile on her face. "How are you feeling?" I shrugged, looking down once at the sheets covering my legs and letting my hands fall down to the bed as well. Dr. Cameron came near me, running her eyes over monitors and adjusting little things. I lifted my left arm, holding it towards her so the IV in it was noticeable.

    "How much longer with this thing?" Her gaze flicked to the IV before continuing to my face, an apologizing look in her face.

    "Still a couple more weeks, I'm afraid. We want to keep your risk of infection as low as possible for as long as possible. On that note, do you mind if I open the blinds for the glass wall? The nurses need to be able to keep an eye on you in case something goes wrong." I blinked, eyes flashing over to the wall to my right. The glass wall was currently covered up blinds, hiding the hospital hallway from view. I had asked Dr. Cameron to close the blinds because I didn't want people looking in on me. I felt so... ugly. My entire body was covered in scars and skin grafts, my hair was short and choppy, and I was so pale and skinny. It was bad enough having Mom and Eric coming everyday and pitying me. I didn't need anyone passing by giving me that look.

    Dr. Cameron must have seen my hesitation, because she paused what she was doing and sat down on the edge of my bed, placing a soft hand on my leg. "Look, I can't imagine what you're going through right now, but I promise, you are beautiful. When I look at you, I see strength and bravery and beauty. You aren't any less than you were before, Aphmau. You're more." She smiled, and, in her eyes, I could see pain and sorrow, something that she had been repressing for who knows how long. Pushing herself to her feet, she made some final adjustments. "Besides, there's a young man who's been waiting a long time to see you. Do you want to talk to him?" Letting my gaze travel to the door, my first instinct was to say no. I didn't want anymore pity or sympathy. But... I had to say yes. I wanted to talk to someone, find out what I missed from someone who wasn't my overprotective mom.

    Dr. Cameron went to the door, stepping outside briefly to address whoever was outside. My hands began playing with the sheet covering my legs, the monitor to my left beeping at a faster pace as my heart sped up. I didn't want anyone to see me like this, I couldn't do it, what if it was Ein or-

    All of my thoughts were interrupted when in front of me, someone sat down at the end of the bed, the mattress sinking under his weight. I looked up, and was immediately greeted by the sight of tears sliding down my best friend's face. I caught my breath, for I hadn't expected to see Aaron. When Dr. Cameron said 'young man,' I expected Ein or... actually, I had only expected him. I don't know why I didn't think Aaron would be waiting outside my door.

    "Hey," he whispered, eyes scanning my face as he bit his lip, eyes shining. I lifted my right hand, trying hard to ignore the shaking, and brushed away some of the tears causing his cheeks to glow.

    "Please... please don't cry. Don't be sad, please," I murmured, letting my hand fall back into my lap. He shook his head, reaching out to wrap his hands gently around my own, squeezing them lightly.

    "No, I'm not sad. I'm... excited? Overjoyed? Irene, Aph... I'm just glad you're alive and talking to me. I... I never thought..." His voice caught, and he had to look away for a moment. "How are you?" I squeezed his hands, feeling a lump in my throat.

    "I look and feel awful, but hey, I'm alive." I laughed slightly, looking down once more. I felt tears start to burn at the corners of my eyes, and the feeling made me so angry. I hated this, hated how I looked, hated how I felt, hated that Aaron had to see me like this.

    But I knew that Aaron was the one I could lay open my soul to. I could tell him everything and anything, and he wouldn't judge me differently. He would smile and hold me close, and he would tell me the truth because, sometimes, the truth is what everyone needs to hear.

    And that's what he did. He moved closer so I could lean on his chest, little raindrops falling silently down my face. He didn't wrap his arms around me, knowing that my back was still healing; instead, he rested his head on top of mine, his thumbs rubbing gentle circles on my hands. And he started talking, telling me about everything that had happened in the last two months. After the fire, all the students got a week of vacation to recover from the shock. There was a hotel right by campus that was giving all of its rooms to the boys who lost theirs in the fire, and the university reimbursed them all for their lost belongings and school books. Dance practices had continued, and Anya had to replace me as Giselle with Cadenza since it was unlikely that I would be well enough to perform, and since I had missed two months of rehearsals. Katelyn and Travis had begun dating a month ago, and Zane and Nana seemed closer than ever. Zianna Ro'Meave, my mom's closest friend, had been staying with Mom and Eric for a while to help them out, especially in the early days when they had been at the hospital everyday.

    Aaron's steady voice worked to calm me down, and my breathing began to steady out, tears no longer staining my cheeks. When I could speak again without choking up, I did. "What happened Aaron? The night of the fire?" I felt him stiffen slightly, hands freezing in their motion. I looked up at him, seeing in his eyes, for the first time... pity. Aaron had never looked at me that way before, he knew I hated it. So what was so bad that he couldn't conceal his feelings?