It wasn't very long before I realized that time with Scott doesn't work the same way as normal time. Days spent in his company seemed to fly by and before long Christmas was over 4 days behind me. So much had changed in so little time, so many moments of joy and happiness created by his side.  

The movie theater outing had been quite the success. It didn't hurt that Scott had been right and we were virtually alone and our hands kept knocking into each other as we reached into our shared bucket of popcorn. That night when we were sitting in front of the fire he'd handed me a beautifully wrapped red box, the contents inside spilling another round of tears. Inside I found another pair of the same kind of Belstaff gloves he'd given me during our first meeting. I was reminded of both his initial kindness and the hopelessness I'd nearly drowned in when they were ripped from my hands.

He hugged me close and whispered words of comfort and assurance, chasing away the darkness like only he had the ability to do.

The day after, he took me shopping for some new things, and try as I might, he was too stubborn to take no for an answer. I felt out of place in the shops, but Scott seemed to enjoy picking out different outfits and accessories so I tried not to embarrass him by arguing.

We visited Malory at the coffee shop, but it was busier than we'd anticipated so she didn't have much time to talk. She wasn't very happy that I'd lied about my name, but she was also too kind to hold it against me for very long, even without a substantial explanation. She even slipped an extra muffin into our bag and upgraded the size of my coffee with a cheery 'Merry Christmas, Mitch!!' written on the side. It wasn't really that big of a deal, but it made my entire day and I couldn't stop smiling after that.

I'd very nearly forgotten about my stitches until Scott was waking me up early the next day for my appointment.

Immediately my heart sank and I knew that the end had finally caught up with me. My fairytale vacation from reality was over and I'd return to the cold where I belonged. I was terrified of going back, but Scott mistook my apprehension as fear of the actual procedure.

He reassured me, more than once, that it wouldn't hurt, but I just wanted to scream that it would hurt more than he'd ever understand.

It didn't take long for the stitches in my head to be removed, but after a quick examination, it was determined that the few along my ribs and the others on my back weren't ready yet and needed a few more days to heal. I nearly cried in relief at the news and couldn't even focus as Scott made all the arrangements for my next return visit.

When he turned to me on the way to his car and said, "We should pick up Chinese on the way home. I'm having a craving. Oh! We can start the Marvel Universe movies from the beginning tonight. There's a lot to catch you up on" I knew it wasn't over just yet. I'd been granted a reprieve for just a little while longer.

That night I finally got to see the second level of his home. I discovered he had a movie room that resembled a small movie theater with sofas and chairs so comfortable you never wanted to move. I also discovered that his actual bedroom was located on the upper floor and that he'd been sleeping downstairs just because of me. I wanted to yell at him for that, but I knew it would be pointless anyway. We curled up on the couch, watched movies and ate junk food until I fell asleep right there in that room.

When I woke that next morning I found that he had covered me with a blanket and put a pillow beneath my head. I wasn't surprised to find Arty laid out on the floor next to me. The dog had almost matched me step for step since I had arrived and his presence was like a balm to my frayed nerves. I just lay there, running my fingers through his fur for quite some time, living in the lingering afterglow of that night's dreams.

Scott spent most of that morning in his office and attached to his phone, but after lunchtime rolled around he joined me in the movie room and we talked and ate pizza and continued our Marvel marathon.

The next day I met some of the staff Scott employed, as his chef, Berlin, came in to prepare more meals and his cleaning lady, Rosalie, came by to tidy up. Both women were extremely nice and fussed over Scott like he was their own child. It was adorable and endearing until it was directed at me. I was given an extra large portion for lunch as I was 'on the skinny side' and when I went to take a nap afterward, the fire in my room was going and Rosalie had put a handful of Reese's minis and a bottle of water on the nightstand. It was strange but nice in an odd way. I stored the candy away in the pocket of my coat and got comfy with Arty while Scott went back to work.

That night was spent learning how to use the Wii U and losing about 100 games of Mario Kart to a very enthusiastic Scott.

December 30th... that was the day I found myself staring at red ink on a calendar, 'Mitch's Appt 9:30' written under the number 31.

'You keep looking at that calendar like it's counting down the days until your doom. Don't worry. It won't hurt."

I tore my eyes away from the calendar and looked over to the woman who was wiping down the counter tops in the kitchen. Scott had been right when he said the same thing only a few days prior, but this time I knew it wouldn't be so painless.

I was running out of time.

"I know."

"How about I make you something sweet to snack on. That will cheer you up."

I gave her a smile, not sure how I'd gotten quite so spoiled in such a small amount of time. She was already gathering supplies and placing them on the counter when I was distracted by the sound of the front door signaling that Scott was back from his run.  Moments later Arty came prancing into the kitchen with a spring in his step before Berlin shooed him out of the kitchen. I was glad for the distraction. 

"You go rest. You shouldn't be moving around so much.  You could get pneumonia, you know." 

I doubted it, but I nodded anyway and headed towards the living room.  I stopped in the corridor when I heard Scott talking... and he didn't sound very happy.

"He's not like that, Kirst...    This isn't up for discussion...      No. I'm not going without him."

I should have stopped listening, but I couldn't stop myself. I was pretty sure that 'Kirst' was his best friend Kirstin that I'd heard so much about and that the 'him' he was referring to was me.

"Can't you just trust me? ...      No. He's not going anywhere. ...      I really don't want to argue with you...    If you gave him a chance you'd see how wrong you are."

I leaned against the wall out of sight, trying to keep my mind from going back to a place I'd worked so hard to pull it away from.

"I get that, but I'm sorry. I'm not leaving him alone on New Year's Eve..."

I could hear him pacing, and the urge to flee was overwhelming. I'd already taken enough from him, inconvenienced him and wasted more money than I could imagine having. I knew I should go and give him his life back.  I'd overstayed my welcome.

"I'm not an idiot....            Do you honestly think if I were as naive as you seem to think I am I would be able to keep my companies up and running? I'm not a fool. I know where he's been, but I know he's worth more than that....                I appreciate your concern, but I'm not changing my mind. He's not leaving and I'm not going to your party without him."

December 31st... New Year's Eve. My appointment was in the morning. I could keep my word, stay until my stitches were out, but still leave in time for him to get his life back in order.

I could leave on my own terms instead of waiting to be sent away.

That didn't make the thought of going back to hell any less terrifying.

"Alright. I promise. ...        I know you'll understand when you meet him....       I'll bring a bottle of champagne or two...    Yeah, I'll see you then."

I heard him sigh, the repetitive sound of his back and forth footsteps coming to a halt.

I began to slowly count to 30 to give myself enough of a pause before I came in, but when I hit 17 he broke the silence.

"Mitchy!?"

He called out my name as if I weren't only 10 feet away and jumped a bit at the sudden volume.  I finished my count and took a deep breath and plastered on a smile, mentally preparing myself to break the news. I wasn't sure how he would take it, but I knew it had to be done.

"Hey. How was your run?"

He looked a little flushed, his hair windblown, but of course, he was beautiful as always.

"Good. I did a lot of thinking. Can I talk to you about something?"

It sounded ominous, and if I hadn't just heard him trying to convince someone that he would be with me on New Year's Eve, then I would have been certain he was going to send me away.  Even still, part of me was still preparing for the ax to fall...  which was completely illogical since I was going to drop the ax myself. 

"Um... yeah. I guess so.  Is something wrong?" 

He looked nervous or afraid and that did nothing but fuel my own anxiety.

"No.  Not at all." He shifted back and forth on his feet and rubbed the back of his neck.  "Do you wanna sit?" 

I was liking the idea of this conversation less and less with every passing second. "Um, I'd rather stand." It's easier to run that way.

He chewed on his lip and ran his fingers through his hair and every moment he hesitated my mind came up with another terrible scenario. 

"Alright. Here goes."    Finally, he took one very deep breath and looked me in the eyes as he whispered, "I want you to stay."

I wasn't expecting those words, and it took a moment before I caught up with them.

"I mean, I know we said only until you got your stitches out, but ... please stay.  I want you to. We can get you your GED and I can help you get a job. You know I have plenty of room that is already paid for and would be empty anyway so it's not like you're an inconvenience."

"But-"

"No. Don't just say no because you think you have to or because you think you're burden or any of that.  I'm telling you I want you to stay.  I want to just... give you a chance to be all of the things that I know you can be."

He looked at me with that same hope I'd seen the first night when he'd asked me to get coffee with him.  I couldn't think ...

"I ... I don't know what to say."

I really didn't. I had had it all planned out. I was going to tell him I was leaving after my appointment and that he could finally move on and forget about me. He wasn't supposed to have to worry about me. This wasn't supposed to happen.

"Say you'll stay. Please?"

"I don't want to mess up your life any more than I already have."

"You haven't messed up anything. You-"

"Okay." I interrupted him, my heart pushing out the word before my mind could stop it.

"Wait. Okay?" His brow raised. "Okay as in.. you'll stay? You'll let me help you?"

I'd already said it, but there was a nagging thought that screamed for me to take it back. I almost did, but his smile was too big, and he squished me into a hug so tight that I had to resist pushing him away from the pain in my ribs. I couldn't take it back when my agreement made him so happy.

"Okay, you really need a shower." I wrinkled my nose, just searching for an excuse for some distance.

He laughed and finally let me go, taking a step back. "Sorry. I just ... I guess I was expecting more of a fight."

To be honest, so was I.

I shrugged. "I guess I've realized you're possibly the only person alive more stubborn than me. Besides, I'm kind of attached to your dog."

His eyes were sparkling with laughter and every inch of me tingled with warmth at the sight.

"I think he's permanently attached to you at this point."

We locked eyes for just a moment, but I forced my eyes away before I managed to do something stupid. Well, more stupid than me agreeing to stay.

Arty appeared in that moment from the hallway, circling my legs once before sitting next to me. 

"Alright, I'll just go shower and leave you two alone." Scott chuckled as he headed towards the stairs.

I rolled my eyes for his benefit, but as soon as he was out of sight I collapsed on the couch.  Arty hopped up next to me and I buried my face in his fur.  "What am I getting myself into?"