Eleanora was now admitted into the hospital, and she's been there for a little over a month now. There was never a moment when Apollyon wasn't by her side. It was believed that either he spent everyday and night by her bedside, or it was believed that he left after she fell asleep and was back before she awoke. But, whatever the case, he was always there without fail.

Her health was deteriorating more and more and at one point her hallucinations got so bad she had screamed at the sight of Apollyon, calling him a monster when he had come to her room with a bouquet of flowers. It hurt him, and it frightened him at the same time. He could physically see her dying away. And he wasn't ready to let go. He wasn't strong enough to let her go. After that hallucination had subsided and they had given her medications to stabilise her mental state, Apollyon was allowed to go in once more.

He put on the broadest smile he possibly could, as his eyes squinted with its wideness, hiding the tears that formed there. Apollyon placed a kiss on the back of her hand, as he greeted her a good morning and settled down on the seat beside her. He didn't speak of her hallucinations and he didn't utter a word about being called a monster by his own girlfriend. Instead, they talked about their visit to Quebec, and the long drive there and the frustration Eleanora felt at not knowing where they were headed. It brought back happy memories, of happier times, and happier days with no cancer looming over them like a death watch.

"I wanna go out." Eleanora whispered so softly, obviously not having meant for Apollyon to hear it, as she longingly gazed out at the vast sky from her bedroom window. "I wanna feel the sun against my skin again. I've becoming so Vitamin-D. D for 'deprived'."

Apollyon chortled at her words, his laugh growing louder at the petulant pout he was giving her. As his laughter subsided, he stood up from his seat beside her bed, and settled down on the bed beside her. Draping and arm over her shoulder, he pulled her into his side, interlacing his free hand with hers as he placed a kiss on her temple, thinking about how much had come to pass over the past month.

The doctors had given her a drug to decrease the rate of deterioration and she was on a sporadic mild dosage of pain killers. Eleanora had to drop out of school and so did Apollyon, giving the principle the excuse that they was moving away. The staff was so nice that they hosted a farewell party for the both of them. Eleanora had smiled and enjoyed herself, but Apollyon was constantly on edge, because this 'farewell' party was most likely the last time they would be ever see her. No coincidental encounters ten years later when everyone has graduated and are in their desired field of profession, happily married with kids. They all had that luxury...Eleanora didn't. 

Apollyon softly hummed in Eleanora's ear, soothing her to sleep before he untangled himself from her, standing up and walking out the hospital bedroom. Apollyon opened the balcony doors, stepping out into the slightly chilled air, grasping the metallic railing as he heaved a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping in defeat as exhaustion washed over him. The smile on his face vanishing as his heart ached in his chest, the back of his eyes stinging with tears as a lump formed in his throat, threatening to suffocate him.

With shaking hands, he reached into his jean's pocket, his fingers grasping the cigarette box. Opening it, he fitted one between his lips before he lit it with trembling fingers, taking a slow drag from the cancer in his hands, allowing the charred taste to swirl in his mouth before he blew it out into the air.

"Those things will kill you." A voice spoke up from behind him as Apollyon took another drag from the cigarette, holding the smoke in his mouth for a moment longer before exhaling.

"That's the point." He spoke with a cold edge to his voice as he took another inhale as he noticed a figure stand beside him in his peripheral view.

"Don't do this to yourself." He continued as Apollyon couldn't help but grit his teeth to reign in his temper.

"Yeah, thanks mom." He spat sarcastically as he extinguished the last of the cigarette, throwing it over his shoulder.

"Apollyon..." Dr. Harold trailed uncertainly as Apollyon silenced him with a bone chilling glare, forcing the doctor to clamp his mouth shut.

"I'd like a 'temporary leave' for Eleanora. A day or maybe half a day...a few hours...just so that I can take her out." He informed while rubbing a hand over his face in irritation. "She feels suffocated in that room."

"It's not safe..." Dr. Harold contradicted, wanting to change Apollyon's mind.

"Please...I don't know how long I have with her...and I want to do everything I can do make her last few wishes come true."

Dr. Harold received a concerned look upon his face, pondering over Apollyon's words and trying to figure out a way around it. Eventually he sighed in defeated before relenting to the teen's wishes. "Alright. You can take her out at twelve tomorrow, but have her back by eight." 

"I'll be punctual." The teen nodded in confirmation before he turned on his heel, walking back inside the door and plastering on the biggest smile he could manage.

***

Apollyon entered the hospital room at eleven in the morning with a backpack slung over his shoulders as he was dressed in his biker attire for the day. He greeted Eleanora a good morning with a quick peck to her lips before he handed the backpack to her, telling her to quickly get changed. She was confused by his peculiar request, but squealed in excitement when he told her that he got permission to take her out.

Grabbing the bag form his hands, she rushed into the conjoined washroom, hastily getting dressed before stepping out with a bounce in her step. Eleanora wore a royal blue off-shoulder full-length jumpsuit with nude coloured pumps and matching cardigan with her white hair flowing down her shoulders. Apollyon smiled a genuine smile at the mirth sparkling in her eyes.

"Come on, let me take you for lunch." He smiled at her as he laced their hands together, leading her out the hospital as she waved farewell to the staff she passed.

Out in the spring evening, Apollyon handed her a helmet as she gaped at the shined Harley Davidson she hadn't laid eyes on in ages. Grinning widely, she fastened the helmet into place and straddled the bike behind her boyfriend. She placed her hand on his shoulders in uncertainty before he grabbed her hands and wrapped them around his waist instead, pulling her closer in the process. Apollyon chuckled at the obvious blush on her face as he revved up the engine, testing it for a moment before driving off.

Eleanora enjoyed the cool wind against her face, nipping at her nose and slightly chilling it, as her hair whipped behind her. The scenery on either side of her moving by in such haste that they blurred together in a motion of colours and sounds that brought life to the city. Everything was a canvas...an unfinished canvas that was still evolving and growing...much like the most of the people inhibiting it. A smile overcame her face as she was completely liberated, finally free to feel the sun against her face. 

After some time, they stopped at a local diner. Apollyon cut off the engine as he waited for Eleanora to dismount the bike before he could. She sat still in her seat for a moment, feeling a new kind of high which she learned to just appreciate. After a moment of silent appreciation, she got off, lightly stumbling before Apollyon steadied her by wrapping an arm around her.

"Steady there, love." He muttered softly as she chuckled in response.

"Let's go for lunch." Eleanora stated as she grabbed his hand, pulling him off the bike before leading him inside.

The bell announced their entry as none of the customers paid them any heed as they settled down at a booth beside the window. A waitress--who looked to be in her early forties with peppering hair--came to hand them their menus as Apollyom thanked her before flipping it open.

While he pondered over the meals, Eleanora realised that it was a rather lovely looking diner with pastel yellow walls covered in colourful posters, depicting various scenes of nature, and a few pictures of their former and current employees, along with memorable events that took place at the diner. An ancient--yet fully functioning--jukebox stood at the far end of the diner, playing a rather old song from the early nineties.

The diner wasn't crowded but there were quiet a few people. A bunch of middle aged men were seated beside the jukebox, their roaring laughter drowning out the sound of the love song playing. Not too far away, a family of three was seated, enjoying a hot lunch with glasses of water and happy smiles on their faces. On the booth in front to theirs, an elderly couple was together, talking like love struck children with their aged and wrinkled hands enclosed around the other's, creating a heart warming scene. On the booth a little further ahead of them, two teenage boys were seated together having a heated argument over a newly released video game. On the counter, there was a wide variety of people seated with all their needs being catered to by the staff. Some of the customers enjoyed a late breakfast and some of them enjoying an early lunch, or some simply seated with a mug of coffee and a book they had brought along with them.

Eleanora was brought out of her reverie by Apollyon asking her a question. "What do you want?"

"Huh." She stated as she glanced at the assorted items written in front of her. "I think...I'll be going for their Fish N' Chips. What about you?"

"Their buttermilk fried chicken sounds tempting. I think I'll get that." He stated as he closed the menu, gesturing to the waitress who smiled at them politely, inquiring what they would like.

"I'll have the buttermilk fried chicken with a glass of coke, please." He informed politely, giving her a moment to write it down before continuing. "And she'll be having your upsize Fish N' Chips platter with lime water. Thank you."

"Okay. One regular buttermilk fried chicken with coke and an upsized fish and chips latter with lime water." She confirmed as they both nodded in agreement. "Coming right up!" She grinned before leaving the two of them alone.

"I managed to convince Dr. Harold to let me keep you out until eight. And I would have negotiated further, but I guess that was the best time." Apollyon informed as he peeled off his leather jacket and folded it to the side while addressing Eleanora.

"Why?" She asked in bewilderment as she interlaced her fingers together on the top of the table.

"Why not?" He shrugged in response. "Your wish, is my command." He teased as Eleanora cracked a smile.

Both of them talked about mundane stuff, laughing and giggling at a few absurd things as the lively aura of the diner infected them with it's liveliness as well, causing them to act like two insolent teenagers that were madly in love rather than two teenagers out of which one was dying and the other was falling apart. Right now, at that diner, they were two people in the crowd that talked and laughed, acting like every other normal person with their affection and the love in their eyes for the other.

Sometimes during the time they had finished their meals and Eleanora slurped on her chocolate milkshake, Apollyon interlaced his fingers with her's. Intently looking at her as if though he were committing her face to memory. He changed his seat, forcing Eleanora to scoot over as he cupped her face in his hands. Looking at her with a melancholy smile and softened eyes.

"You're so beautiful." He murmured as his eyes danced over her face, his thumb lightly rubbing her jawbone. "So damn beautiful." Apollyon rushed in one breath as he connected their lips together.

Soft and gentle.

Just like the very first time at the ice skating rink.

A giggle escaped Eleanora's lips a she pulled away, watching Apollyon settle back on his previous seat and rest his head on his folded arms as he watched her chat away about the worldly affairs. 'God, I'll miss this' he thought to himself silently as he watched Eleanora laugh at herself as she accidentally tipped over the closed sugar container before hastily straightening it.

After a while of them simply talking, Apollyon called over the waitress with their bill before paying the required money. Adorning his leather jacket, he helped Eleanora up before they both exited the preppy diner, and being greeted by the warm sun shining down in their face and the wind softly nuzzling their hair. Settling on the bike, Apollyon drove down the road and towards a surprise for Eleanora.

It took them quite a while to reach their destination, but the drive was definitely worth it.

They were back at the ice skating rink where they had first kissed. A gasp had escaped Eleanora as she covered her mouth with excitement. Squealing in joy, she ran over to join the line before urging Apollyon to hurry up as he still stood by the bike, smiling at her excitement before she ran back to him, wrapping her fingers around his hand and tugging him along with her to join the line before chatting to him about how excited she was for the ice skating, and that when she was younger, her parents would take her for ice hockey and figure skating lessons. She even enlightened him that she was still pretty good at ice hockey but lost the flexibility for figure skating.

"You're still pretty flexible for me." He whispered in response in her ear as she flushed a deep red before slapping his chest which earned her a laugh from Apollyon and a quick peck to her lips before they reached the counter.

Both of them got their respective skates before settling down to put them on. Apollyon helped Eleanora get her's on as she was on the ice in no time while he settled down to adorn his. Once he joined Eleanora, she grabbed his hand, spinning him once--which earned her an ecstatic laugh, before they both went about in random motions. Sometimes dancing on the ice in tune to the music and sometimes  going round in circles, even spinning with a few people here and there to get a laugh of surprise out of them and protests claiming them to be 'horrible skaters' before they relented with nervous tension and spun around with either one of the teens.

It was a good memory which Eleanora wasn't about to forget any time soon.

It was somewhere around five p.m when they got off the rink, waving farewell to the remaining people as they returned the skates and wore their own shoes. Apollyon got on the bike, followed by Eleanora who quickly fastened her helmet into place.

"Where to now?" Eleanora asked excitedly as she rested her chin on Apollyon's shoulder as he adorned his helmet on the bike.

Apollyon hummed in thought as he acted to be deep in thought. "How about...our old apartment? Rest their for a while before I take you back?" He suggested as he glanced at her from over his shoulder, noticing her eyes alight. "How does that sound?"

"Yes! Yes, I wanna go back there!" She instantly agreed before wrapping her arms around Apollyon's waist, waiting for him to rev the engine. Chuckling at her, they were on the road in no time and driving back to their old place.

The journey wasn't a long one, and Eleanora was instantly off the bike the moment he pulled in front of the apartment complex. She wouldn't even give him the chance to properly park the bike as she was continuously pulling at his arm and commanding him to hurry up because she wanted to go up. Apollyon couldn't help but laugh at her zeal as he leisurely stood up and watch her struggle at pulling his weight to the  entrance. Finally, a few paces away from the door, she released her hold on his arm and threw her hands up in exasperation, glaring up at him as he ruffled her hair and walked ahead of her.

Eleanora grinned as she bounded after him and interlinked her arm through his. Groaning when he was being torturously slow at taking out his keys and putting them in the keyhole and twisting it to open the door. Once the lock clicked, Eleanora threw open the door before sprinting up the stairs and towards the fourth floor where their apartment resided.

Apollyon took his time, by checking the mailbox and gathering all the letters before he slowly made his way up the stairs, going over the envelopes in his hands, muttering their purpose under his breath before he finally arrived at the fourth floor, seeing Eleanora standing with crossed arms and a sour expression as she regarded him from the locked door.

"You changed the place for the spare key." She grumbled in distaste as Apollyon approached her.

"I did." He confirmed with a nod before fishing out his keys and fitting the right one into the keyhole.

"Where is it now?"

"Hidden." Apollyon smirked as he swung open the door and walked in, removing his leather jackets and shoes for the time being.

"You're impossible." Eleanora spoke distantly as she looked at the foyer surrounding her, noticing no visible change. "You didn't do much to the place."

"I'm hardly here." He shrugged as he walked further into the clean apartment.

"Sebastian! Sebastain, baby, mama's home!" Eleanora spoke into the silent apartment as Apollyon froze in the lounge, his back rigid as he heard her call out to the cat. "Sebastian?"

"Where's Sebastian, Apollyon?" She spoke to her boyfriend who hadn't moved from his place while Eleanora had searched around the small apartment, finding no sign of her cat. "Where's my cat?"

"Eleanora..." Apollyon trailed as he momentarily closed his eyes to keep control. "You can't keep doing this to me."

"Do what to you?" She exclaimed in disbelief while she pulled at the sleeves of her cardigan, glaring up at his face. "What did you do to my kitten, Apollyon!? Where is my pet?!"

"We sold him!" Apollyon proclaimed as he grasped her shoulders, slightly shaking her as if though he were trying to wake her up. "We sold him a week into your hospitalisation! We both sat down and discussed that it was best that we find him a new home! We gave him to a very nice family with a ten year old girl! Eleanora, he's gone. He's gone."

Eleanora looked up at his eyes in astonishment, clearly not believing a single word he uttered because she had no recollection of them settling down and discussing such a mundane topic as her cat. She shook her head and tried to pull away from him, but his grasp simply tightened as he tried to calm down.

"Eleanora...you talked to the family yourself. And you even made the girl, Maddie, promise you to take care of Sebastian." Apollyon soothed as he noticed her swallow the lump in her throat, her mind finally comprehending the fact that her pet was gone and her brain realising that she was even more sicker than she had initially thought.

"I-is h-he happy?" She choked out as she tried to blink away her tears.

Instantly, Apollyon's shoulders sagged in defeat as he pulled her into him and tangling his fingers into her hair. "Yeah...he's happy. He found a new friend to wreck havoc with."

A choked laugh tore through her as she hurriedly wiped away the escaped tears, nodding in understanding as a small smile adorned her features before dropping and instead bit into her lower lip, fiddling with her thumbs. 

"Apollyon..." Eleanora trailed as he hummed in response, holding her a little away from him and looked down at her. "Kiss me."

He didn't say anything as his mind registered the request she had placed forward. Inhaling a breath, his fingers danced over the length of her arm, his fingers softly wrapping around the warmth of her neck before he gently pushed the cardigan off her shoulders, the thin fabric pooling at her feet. Ducking down, Apollyon placed a kiss on her naked shoulders and at the base of her neck, lightly tugging her hair back to tilt her head up before placing kisses along the length of her neck. Caressing her jaw with his lips before placing a peck on the edge of her lips and finally moulding their lips together, exhaling a breath he didn't realise he was holding in.

Instinctively, he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer as one hand was tangled in her white tresses. Apollyon felt one of Eleanora's hands rested against the side of his neck as the other one trailed to the hem of his shirt, the light touches urging him to remove it. Within minutes his shirt was discarded to the floor as Nora's jumpsuit was held up by their fronts being pressed together. Leaning down Apollyon lifted her off her feet, forcing her to wrap her legs around his waist as he didn't break their kiss and walked them to the door of their bedroom, pushing it open by pressing his back against it before nudging it close with the heel of his feet. 

A disheveled Eleanora lay with her back pressed against Apollyon's chest as the sheets protected their bare bodies from the slight chill that loomed over the room. Apollyon gently ran the tip of his fingers over her arm before he caressed the length of her arm in order to interlace their fingers together and nuzzle his face into Eleanora's nape before placing a kiss on her exposed skin.

"It's so good to have you back at home and in my arms." He murmured against her skin as she hummed in agreement, "I've missed you so much through the nights..."

A small smile tugged at Eleanora's lips at his words as she chuckled, laying her head on the pillow and closing her eyes for a moment. A sudden wetness had her jolt awake as she tried to turn around to inquire what happened but was restrained by Apollyon holding her in place.

"I'm such a horrible person..." He gritted out as Eleanora inquiried what was wrong. "Please don't hate me..."

"I'm not gonna hate you!" She exclaimed while trying to turn in his arm but couldn't due to his strength. "J-just tell me what happened!"

"I-I...I know where my Grace is." Apollyon stated and Eleanora instantly stopped struggling. "I found out the day we going out about your mental deterioration."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I'd didn't want you worrying about it. It is my problem not yours." He stated as Eleanora couldn't help but feel a sense of darkness overcome her.

"Oh. Then the cancer is my problem and not yours." 

"Eleanora." He spoke with an exasperated sigh. "We've discussed this!"

"Yes! We have! Yet you don't tell me what troubles you!" She contradicted. "I'm your girlfriend, not some sort of plague! Tell me! Talk to me! Whatever it is, just let it out. Let me in, Apollyon. I love you...but I hate it when you hide from me."

It fell silent between them as Apollyon swallowed, turing onto his back and pulling Eleanira against his chest, looking up at the ceiling as she rested her head under his chin, her hand placed over his beating heart as neither one of them spoke.

"It's in the middle of a desert in Dubai."

"Oh." She realised as she took a moment to let that sink in. "What do you plan on doing?"

"I'm going to get it back." He stated in a tone of finality. "And once I have it back, I can use my powers to at least reduce the damage the cancer has done to the extent where they can cut it out."

"You're going to risk your very mortal life in order to let a dying girl live? Do you see what's flawed in that plan?"

"Better me than you. I've sinned for centuries and you haven't sinned." 

"That's-"

"-the truth." Apollyon interjected. "Let me do this Nora, so that I know that I did everything I could to help you. Even if it is at the cost of my life."

"Apollyon...please don't do this."

"No. I have to."

"You don't." Eleanora reasoned. "I don't want you doing this."

"But I need to do this, because otherwise I won't be able to live with myself, knowing that I had a chance at giving you back your life but I let it slip through my fingers. I wouldn't be able to live with the pain."

Eleanora fell silent as she knew that there was no point in arguing with him, because he wasn't going to back down, even if it would have been a dying wish. So instead of arguing with him, Eleanora, wrapped her arms aodudn him, hugging her tightly as she feared that she wouldn't remember this conversation in the morning.

"Please be safe." She pleaded as tears streamed down her cheek and onto his chest. "Please come back home to me."

"I've already told Dr. Harold that I would be leaving for a while and he understands that 'I have family issues to deal with'." Apollyon informed after a moment of silence as Eleanora's sniffles echoed around them.

"When are you going?" She sobbed quietly as the next words that left his mouth had her heart freezing in her chest and her throat constricting as the statement.

"Tonight." He whispered into her hair. "I'll leave once you're safely at tech hospital."

"And...and I don't know I when I'll be back...I might even die there...and never get the chance to see you again...and for that, I'm sorry."