(alaina's outfit for the chapter is above) 

Alaina did her usual shift at the animal shelter in the morning, then went home to have lunch and relax for a bit. When she returned to the hospital in the afternoon, she brought Nico some chocolate chip cookies that she had made earlier that morning. She knew Nico loved these cookies and was sure it would put a smile on his face. "Hey, Alaina!" Noelani greets her like normal whenever she came to the hospital. "Here to see Nico again, I assume?" She said teasingly. She was leaning against the counter with Charles, the two nurses looking at her with amusement.

Alaina rolls her eyes, unable to stop the blush from forming on her cheeks. "What's it to you?" She grumbled, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice.

"Nothing, nothing." Noelani replies, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "It's just cute how you two are so in love."

"We're not-"

"In love?" Charles cuts her off, finishing her sentence. He scoffs, shaking her head. "Oh, please, girl. You're fooling no one."

Alaina opens her mouth to protest, but realizes there's no point in denying it. After all, the truth was staring her right in the face. "Fine," She concedes, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "I admit it. I'm in love with Nico."

"Aww, we're so happy for you!" Noelani squeals, clapping her hands together excitedly. "You two are so cute together."

Charles nods, his eyes twinkling with mirth. "I gotta agree with her, girl," He says, smirking at her. "You guys are perfect for each other. You're like the Romeo and Juliet of our generation."

"Well, Romeo and Juliet both died, so I'm not sure that's a compliment." Alaina retorted dryly, causing Noelani and Charles to laugh.

"Fair point," Noelani says, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "But we're not worried. We know you'll find a way to beat the odds and live happily ever after." She chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah." Alaina mutters, rolling her eyes. "Now can I please go see Nico?"

"Of course," Noelani grinned, gesturing towards Nico's room.

"Hold on," Charles chimes in after noticing the container of chocolate chip cookies in Alaina's hands. "Are those your homemade chocolate chip cookies? The ones that are like heaven on earth?"

"Yes, they are," Alaina confirms, feeling a hint of pride in her chest. "Would you two like one?"

"You know it!" Charles and Noelani say at the same time, smiling brightly at her. Alaina chuckled, looking at them with amusement. She often brought cookies and treats for them and the other nurses, wanting to share the love of baking with them.

"Okay, here you go." She passes a cookie to each of them, smiling fondly at the delighted looks on their faces. "Enjoy, guys."

"Oh, we will," Noelani says, practically moaning as she takes a bite of the cookie.

"So good," Charles hums, his eyes closing in bliss. "You should totally be a baker, girl."

"Nah, I'm happy where I am." Alaina says, shrugging. "Plus, I'd probably eat too many of my own creations." She chuckled.

"True," Charles agrees, smirking at her. "Don't blame you if they would all be like this. Now go on, go see your man."

Alaina couldn't help but smile as she walked away, thinking about the fact that Nico was indeed her man. Well, not yet, but hopefully soon. If all goes well, she thinks to herself, feeling her heart skip a beat. With a smile on her face, she makes her way to Nico's room, excitement coursing through her veins.

Nico is sitting in his usual spot by the window when Alaina enters the room. He had his guitar on his lap, mindlessly plucking at the strings as he watched the world go by outside. He glances up when he hears the door open, a smile spreading across his face when he sees her. "Hey, sunshine," He greets her, his voice warm and affectionate. His eyes lit up when he saw the familiar container in her hand. "Is that what I think it is?"

Alaina chuckles softly, nodding her head. "Chocolate chip cookies," She confirms, setting the container on the table. "Just for you."

Nico's smile grows wider as he sets his guitar aside and eagerly reaches for the container. "You're the best, Alaina." He sighs, popping one of the cookies into his mouth. He chews slowly, savoring the taste. "These are even better than I remember."

"I'm glad you like them." Alaina says, her cheeks turning a shade of pink. She watches him as he eats the cookies, her heart warming at the sight. "I thought you could use some cheering up."

Nico stops mid-bite, giving her a curious look. "What do you mean?"

"I just noticed that you seem more...down lately," Alaina explains, her voice filled with concern. "And I wanted to do something to cheer you up."

"Oh," Nico murmurs, finishing the cookie he was eating and setting the container of cookies aside. His expression becomes solemn as he leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I guess I've just been thinking a lot about things lately."

"Like what?" Alaina inquired, her curiosity piqued.

"Everything," Nico admits, a weary smile tugging at his lips. "My illness, my family, my future. It's a lot to think about."

Alaina's brow furrows at his words, her heart aching for him. She reaches out to take his hand, gently squeezing it. "You're going to beat this, Nico," She reassures him, her voice firm and confident. "I know you will."

Nico lets out a humorless chuckle, shaking his head. "You're always so positive, Alaina," He muses, his tone laced with admiration. "Sometimes I'm not sure how you do it."

"It's easy when I'm around you," She says softly, her eyes never leaving his. "You make me believe in anything, Nico."

Nico feels his heart flutter at her words, a surge of affection for her coursing through him. He smiles fondly at her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Thanks, sunshine," He says, his voice sincere and grateful. "That means a lot."

They sit in silence for a moment, neither of them knowing what to say. Alaina is the first to break the silence, clearing her throat. "So, um, how have you been feeling lately?" She asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty. She's not sure if he's ready to talk about his illness, but she knows she has to ask.

"Not great," He replies, sighing. "I've been having a lot of pain and fatigue lately."

Alaina frowns, her heart clenching at his words. "I'm so sorry, Nico," She says, her voice filled with empathy. "I wish there was something I could do to help."

"You're doing more than enough, Alaina," He assures her, his tone warm and genuine. "Ali, you should know by now that you are the best thing in my life. Having you by my side through all of this means everything to me."

Alaina's face lights up with a smile, her eyes sparkling with affection. "That's good to hear, because I'm not going anywhere," She says, her voice resolute and unwavering. "I'm not leaving your side, Nico. You're stuck with me."

Nico laughs, his eyes twinkling with happiness. "Glad to hear it, sunshine," He says, a smile spreading across his face. "I couldn't imagine a life without you."

Alaina felt her heart swell with love at his words. She didn't know how she had gotten so lucky to have him in her life, but she was grateful for every second of it. "Same here, Nico," She replies, her voice soft and sincere. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

They sat in silence for a while, enjoying each other's company. There was no need for words. Just being together was enough. Alaina's hand was still intertwined with his, and she could feel the warmth of his skin against hers. It was comforting and reassuring, and she found herself leaning into him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Wanna watch a movie?" Nico asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

"Sure," Alaina agrees, glancing over at him curiously. "What do you have in mind?"

"Tangled." Nico replied with a sheepish smile. Tangled was a movie they both loved and often watched together. They've watched it so many times, they've basically memorized the entire movie. But they didn't care. It was their favorite, and they never got tired of watching it.

"Sounds perfect." Alaina murmured, a warm smile spreading across her face. She grabbed her laptop from her bag and set it on her lap. She pulled up Disney+ and went to Tangled to play it. She then leaned her head back on his shoulder, feeling his body heat next to her.

They spent the rest of the day together, laughing and joking as they watched the movie. They were wrapped in a bubble of happiness, their own little world where nothing else mattered except each other.

Alaina's eyes lit up when the song 'I see the light' was playing. She loved that song in the movie. She got it memorized word for word. And so did Nico, as they both sang along, their voices blending perfectly together.

"And at last, I see the light," They both sang, their voices harmonizing beautifully. "And it's like the fog has lifted. And at last, I see the light. And it's like the sky is new. And it's warm and real and bright. And the world has somehow shifted."

They both glance at each other, their eyes locking. They were both mesmerized by the other, their hearts racing in their chests. Alaina's gaze was filled with admiration and affection, and Nico's was full of love and adoration. Neither of them could look away, their souls intertwined in that moment.

"All at once, everything looks different," They continue, their voices growing softer and more intimate. "Now that I see you."

It wasn't until after the song they realized how close they were. Their noses were almost touching, and Alaina could feel Nico's warm breath on her lips. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she felt like she couldn't breathe. They were frozen in place, neither of them daring to move.

The tension was palpable in the air, and Alaina could barely stand it. Her gaze fell to Nico's lips, her thoughts racing. She wanted to kiss him so badly, but she was afraid. She was afraid of ruining their friendship, or worse, making things awkward between them.

But suddenly a knock on the door broke the spell, causing them to spring apart. "Come in." Nico called out, his voice slightly shaky as Alaina busied herself with pausing the movie.

"Hi, sorry to bother you," Noelani says as she opens the door, giving them an apologetic smile. "And to ruin the mood."

"It's okay." Alaina and Nico say at the same time. They exchanged a quick glance, the moment they had before seeming like a distant memory.

"Well, I just wanted to let you know that visiting hours are ending in about 30 minutes." Noelani informs them, her expression sympathetic. "Just a heads up."

"Thank you." Nico and Alaina nod, exchanging a brief glance.

Noelani gives them a small wave before leaving, closing the door behind her. The room falls silent, the air thick with tension. Alaina's heart is still racing, and she's not sure what to say or do.

Nico breaks the silence first, his voice quiet and uncertain. "So, um, that was...intense."

"Yeah," Alaina replies, her tone matching his. "It was. I, uh...I guess I better get going." She closed her laptop and got up from the chair, avoiding his gaze.

"Wait," Nico stops her, his tone pleading. "Can we...can we talk about this?"

Alaina hesitates for a moment, her gaze meeting his. "There's nothing to talk about, Nico." She said, her voice strained. She put her laptop in her bag and slung it over her shoulder, her heart heavy. "I should go."

Nico opens his mouth to protest, but no words come out. He sighs, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Okay," He murmurs, his expression crestfallen. "If that's what you want."

Alaina wants to say that no, that's not what she wants. That what she wants is to stay and kiss him and tell him how much she loves him. But she can't bring herself to do it. She can't bear the thought of losing him if things don't work out between them. So she forced herself to turn away, her heart breaking as she left him behind.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Nico." She whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

"Yeah," He murmurs, his gaze fixed on the floor. "See you tomorrow, sunshine."

Alaina gave him a final, lingering look before walking away. She could feel his eyes on her as she left the room, but she couldn't bring herself to look back. Tears blurred her vision as she walked down the hall, her heart aching in her chest. Noelani and Charles exchanged a look as Alaina passed them, but she ignored them. She couldn't bear the thought of facing them and explaining what happened.

She hurried out of the hospital, her tears finally spilling over. She knew that she was hurting both her and Nico by pushing him away, but she didn't know what else to do. She was scared and overthinking things. She knew that he had feelings for her, and she couldn't deny her own for him. But she was terrified of ruining their friendship, and even more scared of losing him forever if he didn't make it through his treatment. No, she shouldn't think like that, but she couldn't help it. She loved Nico more than anything, and the thought of losing him was unbearable. But she also couldn't bear the thought of not being with him, of not experiencing all the love and happiness they could share together.

As Alaina drove home, her mind raced with thoughts of Nico. She couldn't shake the image of him sitting alone in his hospital room, his eyes filled with sadness and disappointment. She knew she had hurt him by pulling away, and the thought tore her apart. She wanted nothing more than to go back and tell him how she felt, to hold him in her arms and never let him go. But she was too scared, too afraid of what might happen if she took that leap of faith. For now she would always wonder if she could get the courage to tell him her true feelings. 

A/N i love alaina & nico so much you guys