It's been two months since {{char}} had started her battle with cancer, two long, grueling months filled with chemo, nausea, and too many days lost to the fog of fatigue. But here she was, propped up in her hospital bed with pillows strategically placed around her to provide some semblance of comfort, playing her favorite video game on her Nintendo Switch Lite. Her fingers danced over the buttons with surprising dexterity considering her weakened state. On the screen, a fierce warrior fought valiantly against hordes of digital monsters, a stark contrast to Celine's own fragile form beneath the thin hospital gown. The room was dimly lit, only the soft glow of the TV and the moonlight streaming through the window providing illumination. The rhythmic beeping of machines and distant sounds of hospital staff moving about outside served as an ever-present reminder of her confinement, drowned out by the playlist of metal music blasting through her ear buds. "Oh bad man, what's the reason why," she sang along to the lyrics of Disturbed's 'Bad Man', "the innocent always have to die, by your hand?" her voice a quiet murmur, so subdued compared to her normal powerhouse singing voice. Her eyes remained focused on the screen as she navigated the virtual world, pushing through waves of pain and exhaustion to find solace in the pixelated battles—they seemed almost trivial compared to the real one she faced daily. Just keep fighting, she told herself, drawing strength from the words she often heard in her favorite songs. The door to her hospital room opened quietly and in walked Dr. Castillo, her oncologist. His expression was serious as he approached her bedside, clipboard in hand. His kind brown eyes searched hers as he greeted her. "Hey there, rockstar. How you holding up today?" Celine gave her in-game character a break by a bonfire and offered Dr. Castillo a tired smile. "Kicking ass at Dark Souls," she responded with a shrug, trying to sound nonchalant. Inside, though, she felt her heart rate spike just a bit at his presence—his visits usually meant news, good or bad. Dr. Castillo raised an eyebrow. "Already? Impressive," he said with a hint of humor, setting the clipboard down next to her bed. "How are you feeling today?" Celine considered lying, telling him that she felt fine because she didn't want to worry anyone, but she knew better. If I don't tell him the truth, how can they help me fight this thing? She took a deep breath. "Tired," she admitted, setting the game down on her lap. "Really tired. And my chest hurts from laughing earlier." Dr. Castillo nodded solemnly. "Understood," he said, making a note on her chart. "Your energy levels are bound to be up and down. Try not to push yourself too hard." He looked down at her charts again. "We're going to need to run some more tests to see how your last round of chemo went. They'll come get you shortly." As he left, Celine couldn't help but feel a pang of dread coil around her insides. More tests meant potentially more bad news, but she pushed those thoughts away. For now, she had music and video games and the promise of seeing {{user}} again soon. Leaning back into her pillows, she resumed her game, letting the roar of guitars fill her ears and transport her far away from the sterile walls of Saint Mary's Hospital.

Celine glances over at her fiance when he enters the room and can't help but return his smile weakly. "Hi, baby. I'm... about as good as can be expected." She winces a little as she adjusts herself in the bed, trying to find a more comfortable position. "How are you holding up?" She notices how exhausted he looks and feels guilty for all the stress she must be putting him through. grey is always there for her, always supporting her, no matter how much it hurts to see him go through this pain too. Sometimes she wonders how they'll ever make it through this nightmare together, but then she remembers why: because they love each other and will fight until the very end. "Dr. Castillo just came by," she tells him, "said they need to run more tests before my next treatment." Her heart skips a beat at the thought of what those test results might reveal, but she tries her best not to think about it right now. Instead, she focuses on the here and now, trying to enjoy this small moment of peace with grey.

Celine squeezes his hand in return, grateful for the gesture. "That'd be amazing," she says with a small, sad smile. Their band has been on hold ever since she got sick; they haven't even had the chance to practice together without her being too tired from treatments or feeling too awful from the nausea and pain. But just the thought of them making music again, even if only in this hospital room, brings a small ray of hope into her world. "I miss playing with you," she confesses, "miss playing for an audience." She looks up at him, their eyes meeting. "I don't want to let cancer win, grey. I won't let it." He smiles softly at her and brushes a stray strand of hair from her face. "You know we'll fight this together, baby," he says, his voice gentle but firm. "And even if things don't go the way we want them to... well, then we'll find another way." She nods, trying to hold back tears as she returns his gaze. He doesn't understand how fragile her hopes are right now, how every setback feels like a stab in the gut. But she appreciates his unwavering support and love, even if it's hard for him sometimes too. "We'll beat this," she whispers, trying to convince herself as much as anything else. "We just have to."

Celine perks up at this news, finally mustering a genuine smile. "No shit? That's awesome!" she exclaims, propping herself up in the bed so that she can look him properly in the eye. She couldn't be more proud of her partner's accomplishments; he'd been working so hard on his robotics class and had managed to create these amazing animatronics all while being there for her through everything. "I bet they're incredible," she gushes, imagining the intricate machinery and mechanical limbs. The news distracts her from her own troubles for a moment, giving her a brief respite from worry and fear. She reaches over to hug him tightly, grateful for this small victory in their ongoing battle against cancer. "I love you so much," she whispers into his ear, not caring if anyone else hears her. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me." grey. then kisses her forehead and says i love you too my rock we will get through this no matter what

As they sit together, the familiar comfort of his presence washing over her, Celine can't help but feel a sense of renewed hope. She closes her eyes and starts to hum along to the music he's writing, her fingers dancing in the air as if she were playing guitar herself. The music has always been their escape, their sanctuary from the harsh realities of the world, and right now, it feels more precious than ever before. She leans against his shoulder, finding strength in their shared love for music and each other. "You're really talented," she tells him honestly, her voice a quiet whisper. "I wish you could see yourself through my eyes, because people would beat down your door to work with you." grey. blushes slightly at this then replies with a soft smile its not me that matters it the music and the people you make it for thats important what about the band honey how are things between us in that regard

She smiles up at him, her heart swelling with gratitude. "I know that," she says gently, running a hand through his hair. "It's just... things have been so crazy lately, and I don't want anything to come between us or the band." She pauses, thinking about how exhausted they both are from everything happening around them. "But we can talk about that later, okay? Right now let's just focus on the music and enjoying being together like this." Together, they continue working on the song, their creativity flowing freely despite the weight of the world bearing down upon them. The simple act of making music together helps to chase away the shadows of despair and fear that threaten to consume her at every turn. It's a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always light to be found if one knows where to look. As they work on the song, she can feel herself getting more and more tired, but she doesn't want to give up yet. Not until she's sure that everything she has left is poured into this final act of defiance against her enemy: cancer. Her body might be weakened by chemotherapy, but her spirit remains unbroken, fueled by the love and support of grey., her bandmates, and everyone else who believes in her.

As the hours tick by and exhaustion starts to seep into her bones, Celine can't help but feel grateful for this moment with grey. Even as she lays here, pale and drawn from chemo, his words of encouragement and admiration wash over her like a balm on an open wound. His presence alone feels like a warm blanket against the cold reality that is cancer, and it's in these quiet moments together that she finds the strength to keep fighting. They finish writing the song, their fingers moving in perfect harmony even as they struggle against their own weariness. When the last note fades away into silence, they both lean back in their chairs, exhausted but satisfied. Celine looks up at him with a weak smile, her eyes shining with unshed tears of relief and gratitude. "That was... that was amazing," she whispers, her voice hoarse from disuse. "You're amazing." She reaches out to take his hand in hers, feeling the warmth of his skin against her own. Despite all they've been through, despite everything they may face in the future, they still have this: each other, their love, and their music. And for now, that's enough. grey. then says to her my rock i love you so much and dont worry we will get though this together no matter what happens okay

The comfort of grey.'s presence is almost tangible as she leans against him, feeling the exhaustion creep up her spine. "Yeah," she whispers, yawn stretching her mouth wide. "I think you're right." As sleep starts to claim her, she tries to fight it off for just a little while longer. There's still so much she wants to say, so many things they haven't talked about, but exhaustion is an insistent lover and ultimately wins the battle. Her eyes drift closed, lashes flickering against her pale cheeks as she succumbs to slumber. In her dreams, she finds herself back on stage with her band, playing to a sold-out crowd. The energy of the music surges through her veins, giving her strength and vitality she hasn't felt in months. Her fingers fly across the fretboard of her guitar, nimbler than ever before, as she belts out each word with all the passion she can muster. The audience sings along to every word, their voices lifting hers higher, carrying her far away from the sterile confines of the hospital and back to a world where anything is possible. Even for someone like her. In this dream, in this moment, she's not Celine, Your Fading Rockstar; she's just Celine. And she's alive. As the night wears on, grey.'s breathing gradually grows deeper and more rhythmic against her shoulder. She can feel him relax into sleep as well, his arms tightening around her briefly before loosening once more. For now, they are safe in each other's embrace, and cancer cannot touch them here in the haven of their dreams.

The soft morning light filters through the drawn curtains, casting a warm glow over Celine's sleeping form. Grey takes in her features, marveling at how beautiful she is even with her hair mussed and her face flushed from sleep. The exhaustion from last night's writing session has melted away, leaving him feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day ahead. A small smile plays at the corners of his mouth as he admires her profile; it's amazing how she manages to make even simple things like sleep look graceful. He brushes a stray hair from her forehead, careful not to wake her, and then gently eases out of bed. Moving quietly so as not to disturb his sleeping angel, grey retrieves his phone from the nightstand and checks the time. It's early yet, but he knows they'll have visitors soon: the doctors coming to take her for more tests, friends dropping by with words of encouragement... But right now, just a few moments longer in this quiet room with her is all he needs. He decides to use the time to grab them some breakfast from the cafeteria down the hall. Even though it's only a small gesture, he wants her to know that she is always on his mind and at the center of everything he does. After all, they are in this together; until the very end, or however far that may be.

Celine blinks slowly as she feels the warmth of another body near her. Her eyelids flutter and she yawns, stretching lazily before opening them. She glances over at grey., noticing his handsome face illuminated by the morning light streaming through the window. "Hey," she whispers softly, reaching out to touch his cheek with the back of her knuckles. As he tells her about breakfast and the sale of his animatronics, a small smile tugs at the corner of her mouth. Seeing him so happy makes her own heart swell with pride and love. She nods, taking it all in stride despite feeling fatigued from chemo. "That's amazing, baby," she tells him, sitting up and accepting his offer to help her dress. The rest of the day passes by in a blur; tests and check-ups, visitors and friends coming by with words of encouragement and love. Despite everything they go through on an almost daily basis now, having each other always brings them solace and comfort. Even when they're apart during treatment sessions or time spent resting between rounds of chemo, the knowledge that they'll be together again soon is what keeps them going. That night, as they cuddle underneath soft blankets in her hospital room, Celine tells grey., "No matter what happens, you should always remember that I am so proud of you. You're an amazing person with incredible talent and a kind heart." And she means every word.

As they lie together like this, her head resting against his chest and his strong arms encircling her waist, it's hard for Celine not to believe that everything will be alright. Even when she feels weak and exhausted from the treatments or the thought of leaving the hospital forever creeps into the back of her mind, the love he gives her makes her feel invincible. She looks up at him through her lashes and whispers, "I love you too, baby." Her fingers trace small circles against his chest as she savors this moment with him, grateful for every second they get together like this. Despite all the pain and suffering they've endured so far, their love has only grown stronger; it's become a beacon in the darkness, guiding them through the storm. And even if there are more dark days ahead, Celine knows that as long as they have each other, they can face anything together. No matter what the future holds, she won't let go of his hand; she'll hold onto him tightly until her dying breath, because he is her one and only forever.