Though We May Fall {An Aphmau AU}

A Change of Heart

**Aphmau's POV**

     The moon was at its peak when the party finally died down. People began trickling out until it was just Lucinda and her family cleaning up, as well as me and Aaron. Go and enjoy the rest of the night, Lucinda had said when we had offered to help her clean up. You don't have much time left until you have to leave, Aaron. Don't feel like you have to waste it cleaning up a party I threw. So, taking her advice, Aaron and I were now walking through the quiet neighborhood, guided only by the light of the stars and the moon above.

     It had been little over a week since I had come home from the hospital, yet each day felt like the first. Aaron and I walked for hours everyday, having nothing better to do besides enjoy each other's company and the fresh air. I really loved our walks, and I didn't know what I would do when he finally ended up leaving. And he was going to leave, probably within the next month. He had to. He was an amazing dancer, and I would be surprised if he ended up leaving the country to find a company that deserved him. Still, thinking about that made me upset, and I tried to shy away from it.

     The cool night air blew against my skin, and I became very aware of the scars crossing my back. There were more scars on my stomach and thighs from where the skin grafts had been taken from, but they had practically faded after four months spent healing and out of the sun. The skin on my back was almost glossy now, and it was very obvious that it didn't belong.

     "No one can tell," his soft voice teased, and I looked up to see him smiling down at me. I blushed, punching him lightly in the shoulder.

     "How did you know what I was thinking about?" Laughing, he bumped his arm against mine and winked. I wrapped my arm around his, and he sighed contentedly.

     "I'm going to miss this. Being here, with you." His words had an immediate effect on me, and I felt my throat constrict, a lump growing in my throat that made it hard to swallow. I squeezed his arm tighter, unable to say the words in my heart. I didn't even know what they were. "Promise you won't forget me again," he said with a poke of his elbow to my ribs.

     I laughed, knowing he could hear the hidden tears in my voice. "I could never forget you Aaron. Not in a thousand years. You better stay in touch with me. No excuses." Irene, I was about to start bawling my eyes out. You would think by the way we were speaking that he was leaving that very night, not some random day in the near future. But even knowing that he was going to be around for a few more weeks didn't help to quench the storm of emotions that I was feeling.

     "I'll miss you too much not to," he whispered, and those words broke a wall I didn't know I was building inside. Tears started running down my cheeks, dripping off my nose and chin as the sobs started to build. Aaron pulled his arm away from mine before wrapping it around my waist, pulling me close and leading me off of the road. Through blurry vision, I could tell that we had been walking by the pond in the neighborhood, and Aaron was now taking us to the shore. Even as he helped me sit on the cool grass, I hung on to his shoulder helplessly, more and more hot tears leaving trails down my cheeks and seeping into his shirt.

     I have no idea how long we sat there for, but it was long enough for my heaving sobs to slow to sniffles. Aaron held me the whole time, my head buried in the crook of his neck while he rubbed gentle circles on my back. Eventually, my head shifted to rest on his shoulder, staring out at the calm waters. Aaron slid his arm around my waist, pulling me tight against his side.

     "I feel like I just got you back," I whispered, feeling if I looked away from the waters and up at Aaron, I was going to start bawling again. "Now you have to go." Aaron rested his head on mine, giving my waist a reassuring squeeze.

     "I'll never be far. I'll visit as often as I can, and I'll call everyday if you want. I promise you that we'll never grow apart again. I swear." I shook my head, heart pounding as thoughts poured through my mind.

     "No, that's... it won't be the same," I finished weakly, pressing my body closer to his. The heat from his skin kept me warm in the cool June night. That's what I told myself when I wondered what I was doing.

     He sighed, reaching across to grab my hand. "Aph, what's really bothering you? We both know it isn't about me leaving soon." I inhaled sharply, feeling as if he had just seen straight through me. I knew he was right; there was something else bothering me this night, but I couldn't find the words for it. All I knew was there was a pounding in my chest, emotions trying to break free. "Aphmau?"

     "Because I like you!" The words burst out of me like they had been trying to for months, and at that moment I realized they had. The whole time I thought I had been falling for Ein... I had been losing my mind over Aaron. My hands flew to my mouth and I quickly jerked away from him. Irene did I really just say that?! Oh he's going to hate me now! I've ruined everything!

     Aaron froze in place, making no move towards me. The tears began to burn in my eyes again, and my chest started to heave as my mind went into overtime. "I'm sorry, I never should have said that, oh Irene, I'm sorry, I-" Whatever I had to say next was cut off by his arms wrapping gently around my waist and pulling me backwards against his chest. I was still shuddering, but as he placed his chin on my shoulder, I managed to slow my breathing.

     "If you think that I'll hate you, you don't know me at all," he whispered in my ear, and I sucked in a shaky breath. All of my attention was focused on Aaron, the emotions coursing through my veins at the sound of his voice. "As a matter of fact," He continued, tightening his arms around my waist and pulling me even closer, "I've been falling for you since September." I gasped, chin quivering as I tried to suppress the flood of tears coming to the front at his revelation.

     His fingers were on my chin, turning my face towards him. His eyes glimmered with the reflection of the stars on the lake along with a look I had seen so much over the past months. It was only now that I realized what that emotion in his eyes was. It mirrored the one in mine. "Aphmau..." he whispered again, and I let go. I let go of all the lingering feelings I had held onto for Ein, the pain from the last four months, the fear of rejection. I let go and simply allowed myself to fall for Aaron. This was the man who had waited outside my hospital room for two months straight, who was my closest friend, who had been the only one to pull me out of my depression in December. I had loved him for a long time, and I was only now finding out just how far my feelings went.

     So I leaned forward.

     And so did he.

     When we pulled away, I was breathless and smiling like I hadn't in ages. Aaron was too, his hand still resting on my cheek. I laughed, resting my forehead against his. "I guess this is a good time to tell you that I want to start dancing again."

     Aaron laughed, his smile growing bigger than ever before. He pulled me into him, burying his face in my neck. I laughed along with him, hugging him tightly. Before I knew what was happening, we were kissing again and the world was exploding with light. His hands rested on my waist, mine on either side of his face. As I kissed Aaron in the light of the moon, I could imagine life being any better.