Two days earlier...

"Yes, my love," Calum said with a gentle laugh as he talked to Michael on the phone. "I always let you know how the appointment goes, why would I stop now?"

Michael chuckled back, only slightly nervous. "I know that, babe," the older man said with a sigh. "I'm just always worried, you know?"

Calum smiled to himself, butterflies erupting in his stomach because he loves how much Michael cares for him. "I know, Mike," the dark haired man answered. "I'm walking into the lobby right now, though, so I'll call you and Crystal when I leave, and I will let you know how everything goes"

Michael smiled to himself, though he knew his lover couldn't see him. "Alright," he said. "I love you, babe."

Calum blushed to himself. "I love you to the moon and back," he answered before ending the call and slipping his phone into his back pocket. He walked to the check in desk and smiled at Marianne, the same receptionist who always checks him in when he comes for his checkups. After she checked him in, he smiled and turned to walk to the waiting area when a head of caramel curls stopped him in his tracks.

Ashton had his back to Calum, but Calum knew it was him. He was talking to a doctor, their heads tilted in as if they were afraid someone would hear their conversation. Calum furrowed his brows but stood in place and watched as Ashton shook hands with his doctor before turning in his direction.

Calum smiled and waved at the curly haired man, watching as he warily walked over. "Hey, Ash," he said with a smile. "What are you doing here?"

Ashton laughed nervously, trying to steer the conversation away from himself. "I could ask you the same thing."

Calum shrugged gently. "I come to get a colonoscopy and an MRI done every six months," he answered. "Colon cancer and lymphoma are kind of common on both sides of my family, and it makes Crys and Mike kind of nervous, so I like to put their minds at ease."

Ashton frowned. "That's really scary," he said softly. "And also really expensive, you can afford to do that?"

"When your dad is a medical oncologist you can afford to have as many cancer screenings as you want," Calum answered with a laugh.

Ashton laughed back. "I guess that makes sense."

"So," Calum circled back, "back to my question. Why are you here?"

Ashton looked like he wanted to run away. There was no way he could escape Calum's question without lying, and he would feel like the worst person in the world lying to Luke's friend in any way, even if it was to protect himself.

"Ashton," Calum said softly, understanding. "Is it bad?"

Ashton felt like he could cry. He sighed gently before nodding his head. "Yeah," he whispered. "Yeah, it's bad."

Calum frowned, taking his bottom lip between his teeth. "What type?"

Ashton swallowed gently, keeping his eyes trained on his fiddling fingers. "Acute lymphocytic leukemia," he said quietly, almost causing Calum to strain to hear him.

Calum felt his chest tighten. "How long since you were diagnosed?"

"I was 21 when I fainted during one of my classes at uni," Ashton said, walking with Calum to the waiting area to sit down. "They took me to the hospital to do an MRI and that's when we found out. So, about three years."

Calum frowned. "The survival rate, though..."

Ashton nodded. "Yeah," he said, his voice breaking slightly. "And now my body's stopped responding to treatment. So."

Calum almost couldn't comprehend what he was hearing. He knew he barely knew Ashton, but the curly haired man didn't deserve to be riddled with this disease. He certainly didn't deserve to die from it. "Does Luke know?"

Ashton looked guilty when his eyes met Calum's. "No," he admitted quietly "No, he doesn't know."

Calum raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think that's something you should tell someone you start getting close with like the two of you have?"

Ashton groaned, putting his face in his hands before running them through his hair, frustrated. "I never thought I'd get close to Luke, though," he said. "I thought he was this pretty blond I'd see once or twice in my life and never see again, so it didn't seem necessary to let him know."

Calum nodded, understanding. "And now?"

Ashton's eyes brimmed with tears. "And now I care about him so much that I'm scared to tell him that I'll never get the chance to spend forever with him."

Calum smiled sadly. "You love him."

"Is that a bad thing?" The man's hazel eyes were filled with anguish, looking at Calum like he could answer all of his questions. "Does that make me the worst person in the world?"

Calum shook his head gently, putting a hand on Ashton's back. "I can tell you that Luke does feel something for you, though," he said. "I really think he deserves to know."

Ashton looked at Calum with wide, pleading eyes. "Please don't tell him, Calum," he begged. "He will hate me so much if he thinks I purposely kept this from him."

Calum chuckled gently. "You kind of did, though, mate."

Ashton rolled his eyes gently. "Please, Cal," he pleaded. "I will tell him. I promise I will. Just give me some time."

Calum nodded. "Just remember that you might not have much of that left," he said sadly, pulling the curly haired man in for a slight hug. "Neither of you deserve to get hurt because of this."

Ashton sighed. "Too bad that's kind of inevitable."

————

Present day...

"Luke," Ashton pleaded softly, his voice coming out a dull whisper. "Please say something."

Luke felt like he could pass out. He didn't know how to respond to all of the information Ashton had just given him.

Dying.

Ashton was dying.

Ashton was dying and there wasn't a damn thing Luke could do about it.

What was he supposed to say?

He felt choked by his own tears as he looked up into Ashton's eyes, red and swollen from crying. "How long until..?"

Ashton sniffled slightly, shaking his head. "Until I'm gone?"

The word 'gone' shot Luke in the heart like a shotgun at point-blank range. Disregarding the pain in his chest, he nodded his head.

Ashton let out a soft sob, running his hands over his face as he looked down at his feet, not wanting to meet Luke's eyes. "I'll be lucky if I make it to Christmas."

Luke's face contorted in pain, shaking his head as he scrubbed a hand over his mouth and began pacing back and forth, to and away from the curly haired man. Six months. He'd be lucky if he got another six months with the man he'd fallen in love with. The idea of losing Ashton at all broke pained him to no end, but the idea of not being around him for the next six months exacerbated that.

So, having made up his mind, he walked over to Ashton and took the man's hands in his own. "Right," he said, sniffling and turning his face into his shoulder to wipe away his own fallen tears. "We have no time to waste, then."

Ashton looked confused but hopeful as he looked up into Luke's eyes.

Luke smiled sadly, placing a hand on Ashton's cheek and allowing the older man to lean into his touch. "As long as you're still here," Luke started, feeling more tears well in his eyes, "then so am I."

"Luke," Ashton started, breaking off with a sob as more tears fell from his eyes. "Luke I can't put you through that. I can't let you get hurt, I—"

"Ashton," Luke said softly, "stop. I've already made up my mind. I already have to accept the fact that you're going to be gone sooner than we'd like. But I think that being without you and then finding out that you left will hurt even worse."

Ashton sobbed harshly as Luke pulled him into his chest, resting his chin atop the man's curls. "I don't deserve you."

Luke chuckled sadly. "Believe me," he said, "if there's anything in this world you don't deserve, I can promise you I'm not on that list."

Ashton chuckled back, leaning away from the taller man and wiping his eyes. "What happens now?"

Luke smiled. "We take whatever time we have left," he said, placing his hands on Ashton's face again, "and we make the most of it."

Ashton nodded, smiling. "So bungee jumping?"

"No bungee jumping!"