Willow tensed up, and her breath left her chest. His words echoed in her mind for a moment or two, before she cinched her arms around him tightly to try to comfort him. "Shhh... It's okay..." Her own heart was racing, and she could feel anxiety begin to set in on her chest. He had cancer. The most brilliant man she had ever met, someone who she had discovered she loved being around, had cancer.

But she pushed her own thoughts aside. He needed her at that moment.

"Oh, Nych..." She closed her eyes, resting her chin atop of his head. "I'm so sorry." She bit the inside of her lip. "I- what kind? Do you know how bad it is?"

He nodded his head, though it took a moment to get himself under control. Even when the tears had stopped, however, he still clung to her. He held her tighter than he'd ever held anyone before.

"Stage four acute myelogenous leukemia. It's a blood cancer. I could've possibly gotten rid of it with a blood transplant a few years ago, but..."

He looked down to his arms with a sigh.

"Have you heard of Rhnull blood? The rarest blood type in the world? It appears that I have it, and that it's diseased. So a blood transplant, well... It was impossible.”

Which meant...

"There's no cure for me anymore. I'm reaching my end."

Willow was silent for a couple seconds, and it felt as though she had been punched in the gut. She hadn't known Nych long, but the thought of him suffering through this and dying... It pained her to no end. She hugged him tighter after a second, closing her eyes and biting the inside of her lip. "I'm so sorry." Her voice was quiet, and... Sad. She didn't want to lose him, even though she had just met him.

Anger suddenly flared within her chest. He was ill and suffering, and everyone else had the audacity to be so... Awful. If anyone so much as glared at him while she was around, she was going to crush their head against the pavement with her own bare hands.

It flickered out after a moment, and she sighed heavily. "... Do you know how much time you have?" Willow murmured softly after a second.

Nych chuckled a bit, and looked at her with something new in his eyes.

Determination.

"I should have died yesterday according to the doctors, but... I'm still kicking. Three months and one day ago, they gave me three months to live. I'm still out here trying to find a cure for all cancers. Not just my own."

So that was why he was so adamant about it.

"Other than that... I've got no idea how much time I've got."

She stared at him for a moment or two, and then slowly nodded. "... I see."

After a second, a small smile came to her lips. "I guess we're going to have to make the most of every day, huh?" She quirked an eyebrow, and after a second leaned forwards and lightly touched her forehead to his. It was shockingly intimate, but the woman didn't seem to notice or mind. "We can work on those bots like we do every day. And... Once we're done working for the day, we can go do other fun shit."

She paused for a second, content with staring into his eyes.

"We can go to parties." She continued after a moment, eyes sparkling. "Oh, have you ever gone horseback riding? My parents have horses. I'll take you out there and we can go ride. And we could see some movies, or go to restaurants we've never gone to before. We could go to some of the conventions around the city-" She shook her head, looking into his eyes. "We're going to have fun, okay? And... I'm going to help you through this. No matter what."

Nych looked into her eyes, and saw something there that he'd never seen in another person.

Compassion. For him.

Just the fact that she was willing to spend her life with him, for the rest of his own... It was more than he could ever ask from anyone. He never would have asked anyone to go with him on his journey of death, and yet... Here was Willow.

Offering to go.

"I'm... I'm so glad I met you." He had put his chin back on her shoulder, averting his gaze from her eyes, because he was terrified of saying anything too intimate to her while she gazed back into his soul.

"... Me too." She nodded, silently holding him as they sat on the edge of the busy street. She sighed, relaxing in the embrace and tuning out the rest of the world around them as she lightly rubbed circles on his back with her fingers. "... You're brilliant, Nych. And... If we don't get those bots done fast enough, I promise I'll finish them for you." She was a little more somber now. "I won't let this be the last of you, I promise."

And she meant those words with absolute sincerity.

After a second, she pulled away from the embrace, and held her hands out to help him up. "Let's go eat shitty burgers and unwind, yeah?" She smiled a sad smile, tilting her head to the side. "You think you can make it?"

Nych scoffed, pulling away reluctantly and nodding his head. "Like I told you. Yesterday, I was supposed to be dead. So I'll keep walking until this fucker drags me under. Let's go."

With that, he began walking toward the dimly lit building at the end of the street.

It really wasn't a big place, and therefore most of the college students didn't know about it.

And that was the best part.

"I'm... Sorry about all that."

"No, no." She shook her head adamantly. "Don't apologize. This is hard, I know." She walked slowly for him, looking towards him with worry imprinted on her features. "You should have people that are able to support you through all of this. So I'm serious, if you ever need me, even if you think it's for something stupid, don't be afraid to call me. I'll come sleep at your apartment if you want me to."

She pushed open the door to the small diner, and lead him inside and over to one of the booths.

She sat down, setting her things on the table and leaning back into the vintage leather seats. It was old, but it had a certain small-town charm to it. It was nice.

Eventually, a waiter walked up to them.

She was a small girl, and had to be as young as you could possibly be and have a job. She was wearing a green jacket over the employee uniform, and was extremely thin. Her dark brown hair dangled in front of her face, and she was constantly blowing at it to keep it at bay.

"Hi Willow." Jacqueline said shyly. "What can I get you today?"

She seemed sweet.

"Uhhh." Willow pursed her lips, glancing at the board they had above the cash register a little ways away. Most of their menu was on there, and the rest she had memorized from her and Blake’s constant visits. "I'll get the double cheeseburger with a side of fries, please." She sent the girl a polite smile, and then looked over at Nych. It was clear that something had transpired between the two of them not long ago.

They were both still a little worked up.

"Do you know what you want?" She asked after a moment. "The burgers here are really good."

Jacqueline was a rather bright child, and could see the tension that existed between them. She didn't say anything, however, and merely waited for Nych to give his order.

"Just give me what she's having." He said, smiling kindly. The girl nodded, scribbled their order down in her pad, and walked off.

Leaving the two of them alone.

Two geniuses walked into a shitty burger joint. One had cancer, the other drank so much she'd probably join him in the hospital with liver failure.

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It sounded like a bad joke.

Willow was quiet for a moment or two, and then reached across the table and lightly took his hand. She didn't say anything about it, however, which was somewhat more jarring than if she had gone off on another long emotional spiel. "... You're staying at my place tonight." She said quietly after a moment. "Blake will be there. But... She'll probably do her own thing for the most part. We could just sit and watch movies if you wanted."

She rested her head on her other hand, squishing her cheek against it.

"I'm gonna walk you home every night." She said quietly. "And I'm going out to my parents’ for dinner tomorrow. I think Blake will be coming too." She shrugged her shoulders. "Do you want to come? We're going to be cooking on the barbecue. It'll be really good."

Nych gazed at her, completely overwhelmed with the night. First, she'd offered to spend her life making sure he was okay. Now, she was offering to take him to meet her parents, and even eat with them?

He didn't know how to handle it.

"I, uh... Sure." He said hesitantly, looking down at the table.

"So..." He was obviously attempting to find something to talk about, because he was absolutely terrible with small talk.

"What's your love life like?"

Willow snorted, shaking her head. "A hell of a lot less eventful than Blake's is, I'll tell you that much."

To be fair, most people's love life was probably less eventful than Blake's. She had gone through more boyfriends and girlfriends than Willow could count on her fingers. She wasn't sure how she managed to go through them all so quickly, but she sure as hell did.

"I dunno. I've been single for a while now." She shrugged her shoulders, glancing out the window before meeting Nych's gaze once again. "Had a couple boyfriends during high school but, eh. Never lasted for more than a couple months. I haven't really been looking for anything lately." There was a clever glint in her eye. "What about you?"

"Well, this girl is taking me back to her apartment. She's rather pretty, and everyone knows her, and she'll probably try to get me to sleep on the couch at first. If I play the cancer card, though, I'm pretty sure I'll get into her bed."

He raised a brow, a slight smile on his face.

"Other than that, nothing much. Kinda dying here, and nobody really finds that attractive."

Ouch.

She snorted at first, before sobering a little as he continued. She shrugged, glancing away somewhat shamefully. "Sorry. Dumb question, I guess." She looked down at the table, and after a moment slowly lifted her gaze up towards him again.

After a second, the mood lightened. "Aw, come on. You're cute." She snickered. "Putting aside the terminal illness, you could totally get a girl if you wanted to. Or guy. I don't know what kind of preference you've got." She shrugged, shaking her head and looking over at him eagerly. "Come on. Tell me. Celebrity crush? What's your type?"

Well, now that they were on this train she certainly wasn't getting off.

He raised a brow.

Two could play at that game.

"Well you see, I've never really had a type until a little while ago. I'm totally into redheads, especially fiery ones who like to go out and break things. I'm into geniuses who can put together robots in mere moments. My type includes the girls who go absolutely doe-eyed when I show them that I'm an alchemist, and who take me to diners when they figure out some of my deep dark secrets. I'm into girls who offer to live the rest of my life with me, and show me things that I otherwise never would have seen."

That had gotten far more real than he had intended.

"Yeah. That's my type."

Willow stared at him for a couple seconds, before something truly quite amazing happened.

She blushed.

Obviously a little flustered, she scoffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She rolled her eyes, leaning back in her seat and trying to play it off like he didn't get to her when he said that. "Yeah, right." She smirked slightly. "Don't lie to me. Come on. I wanna know. Brunettes? Muscular? Ooo, short, maybe?" She raised an eyebrow. This was actually quite amusing, and he was probably the first guy to ever get to her to blush.

Nych raised a brow, before he sat back in his chair, obviously proud of his newfound ability.

"You think I'm joking? Willow, you're the only person to ever show me any kindness. You know what that means? It means my idea of a good person is based around you. It's based around your hair that shimmers like the sun against the waves of the sea. It's based around the fact that you promised, under no obligation, to stay with me. To let me stay in your apartment. To stay in my apartment, even though you know it isn't in a good part of town. My idea of someone I would like to date is based around them not caring that I have cancer, and understanding that I won't let it get in the way."

Well. He had gone for it, he figured he might as well go all the way.

"My type has a name. It's Willow Grace."

"... I-" Willow opened her mouth to speak, but upon finding no words to say, shut it. Her beautiful green eyes studied his face, examining his expression to try and determine whether or not he was joking. Because she really wasn't sure. There had been guys who had professed their love to her before, but they had been nobodies who she’d never choose to date. She would be just arm-candy to them, and she didn't want that.

"... Are you being serious?" She asked quietly after a moment.

It was evident she wasn't really used to this kind of thing.

The easy smile on his face faded, as both of their faces took shapes of sincerity.

"I, uh... Yeah." He said quietly, putting a hand to the back of his neck and looking away from her. "I... I find you very attractive, and in this world, you're the only person that I would ever consider wanting to date."

Woah.

"But... I'm not going to ask you to tell me how you feel, because I'm dying. Willow, I won't be here for much longer, and I don't want to leave anyone too broken upon my departure. So yes, I would date you. You, and only you. But at the same time, I wouldn't."

She saddened somewhat at his words, and nodded slowly. After a moment, she smiled slightly. "It has been pretty fast, anyways." She laughed softly, looking up at him. "Probably a little soon for me to give an answer like that. It's only been a day or so since we officially met." She shrugged her shoulders, but went quiet.

"... I think you're a pretty good person, Nych." She looked across the table at him. "I would date you too."

That was... A very surprising response.

Nych's heart fluttered in his chest. Part of the reason he'd given the whole spiel was because he wholeheartedly believed that Willow would want someone else. Someone fiery like her, while still being brilliant. Someone who could go to parties with her, get drunk with her, and solve the world's hardest problems with her.

Instead... She'd date him?

He looked away, a slight tint rising to his own cheeks, before he spoke once more.

"You're really scared of moving fast? Honey, ever since cancer struck, fast has been all I’ve known."

"I guess that's true." She nodded, lightly tapping her fingers on the table as she looked down at them. She was a little bit unsure. She knew that the man across from her had cancer, and she knew that any day now... He would be gone. And there would be nothing bringing him back, despite how brilliant he was and despite how much she wanted him to be there. Death didn't discriminate, and she knew that.

Did she really want to start committing herself to something that would only end in heartbreak?

But when she looked up at him again, and met his gaze, there was no doubt in her mind. Every second that she spent with him seemed to be the only thing she wanted to do with her time. And she would not let this be the end of him. No way in hell. Whether they finished their cure, or whether he passed...

Determination lit up in her mind. She had an idea. She'd talk to him about it later.

"I mean..." That didn't mean she wasn’t still awkward and flustered about the whole thing, though. "... Are we serious about this?" Her brows furrowed. "Do... Do we actually want to try something like this?"

Nych's heart, once again, fluttered in his chest, and his breathing quickened. She was asking him if he wanted to date her, and truth be told... He did. He’d decided that the moment she'd opened up to him, but he'd kept it buried.

He never expected that he would actually have to choose whether or not to date her.

On one hand... She'd make every day he had left wonderful. She'd be his light in the darkness, helping him complete the cure to cancer and save millions.

On the other... When he died, she'd be heartbroken.

"I... I really can't choose that for you, Willow. If you want this to happen, you're going to have to ask me. Because I am going to die. So it's up to you, if you want to deal with the hurt afterwards."

Her gaze lowered towards the table once more, and her features saddened somewhat as she stared. It was a hard decision for her, and she knew that. She knew that she would fall hard for this man, and when he was gone, it would most likely tear her apart. She didn't want to lose him, to lose such a brilliant person so young. But here she was, and she knew she didn't have much time.

After a moment, she let out a big sigh, and looked back up at him.

"I think I would rather spend all of my time with you than none at all."

Nych's eyes softened considerably after she said that, and he reached across the table to take her hand.

"I'm going to keep fighting. You know that, right? I'll fight until there's no fight left within me. I'll cure this son of a bitch, and then we can really date. None of this countdown clock bullshit."

He looked at her with happy eyes, though he sobered up once their food arrived.

"I, uh... Don't think I should really go to too many parties like this. I'll go with you, but... I don't know."

He didn't want to see her anywhere near wasted, especially when all he wanted was a calm life and a cure to his pain. That shone through his words.

She perked up a little bit, and squeezed his hand tightly. She sent a thankful nod to the waitress, and glanced down at the plate of food in front of herself. "I know. But you know that if you ever wanted to go, I would take you. There's frat parties like, every other weekend. I'm pretty sure those guys are bombing all of their classes and loving every second of it. It's almost sad, but... Amusing to watch."

After a couple seconds, she released his hand. "Let's eat. Then we can go back to my apartment and relax for the night."

After that day, she really needed some downtime.