dedicated to @sphe18 for always leaving such sweet and lovely comments <3

A loud knock on the door woke me up suddenly. I collided my head against my lamp on the side table, causing it to crash. I cursed under my breath before getting up, feeling a bit dizzy. I blinked repeatedly and saw my windows covered in a white blanket. It must've snowed again. Just then someone began knocking again, very impatiently this time. 

"I'm coming!" I half-yelled half-mumbled.

I grumpily yanked open my door and faced Tobias covered in snow. A gasp escaped my lips as I stared at him, surprised to be seeing him here. It's been a week since I've seen him, one long week. I almost forget how he looked. I missed his scars and his bright hazel eyes that always stared into my dull brown ones. I missed his witty yet comforting remarks. I simply missed him.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, dumbfounded, rubbing my eyes. He ran a hand through his hair and pushed passed me as he walked into my apartment.

"Hey!" I yelled, feeling fully awake now. "You can't just barge in here whenever you feel like it!"

Tobias turned around and I finally got a good look at him. There were deep circles under his eyes. I could tell his illness was taking a toll on him now. That or he hadn't slept in days. No visible bruisings or cuts were displayed on his face, which was a first, although there seemed to be a bruise recovering on his left face. Could that have been what Julian did to him? What the hell has gotten into him?

"I can't sleep," he confessed. "I can't fucking sleep and it's because of you."

"Me?" I scuffed, glaring at him. "I'm not the one who cheated on you!"

"Reign, stop being so obtuse," he replied. "I was wrong and I know it. I already apologize repeatedly about it and-"

"That doesn't make it okay!" I yelled back. "You really hurt me Tobias. More than you could ever know."

Tobias walked closer to me and I stepped back, making sure to keep a good distance between us.

"I was scared," he confessed. "I was scared for my feelings about you. I never felt this way about someone before, ever. Boxing means the world to me but doesn't even began to explain a fraction of how I feel about you."

I shook my head and pushed him back. "Stop, I don't want to hear this."

Tobias let out a dry laugh. "I'm already dying Reign, I have nothing to lose. Nothing's stopping me now. I need to tell you how I really feel about you or I wouldn't be able to live with myself. How could I knowing that I've broken your precious heart when my intentions were to only love you to my fullest?"

I heard blood rush through my ears as I stood very still. I didn't need a reminder of the condition he was in. He lied to me about me about multiple things. How was I to know that he was telling the truth this time?

I opened my apartment door and leaned against the door for support. "I think you should leave Tobias."

Tobias lips formed a straight line as he glared at me. "You're kicking me out, for what? Coming here you to tell you that I love you? I got your message Reign. You can't tell me that you don't feel the same way."

I sucked in a breath of air. It felt like he cut open my chest and was trying to find my heart. It was almost as if he wanted me to care about him again. If I was being completely honest I never stopped caring about him.

Tobias came next to me and grabbed the door, making me let go reluctantly. He gently shut it in front us both before taking a deep breath. I felt him pinch his nose as he looked down before turning around. His eyes looked softer now. They no longer looked angry.

"The day you left me life lost all meaning. Nothing made sense. I stopped showing up for training and soon I even stopped boxing," he confessed, looking uneasy. "I stopped the thing I loved the most because I realized it's not what I love the most. You're the thing I love the most.

"I love the way you look at me, like I'm some fucking fascinating thing when I know I'm not. I love the way my name rolls off your tongue, like you're speaking one of those million languages you know. I love the way you don't give a shit about anyone else's opinion, mines included. I fell in love the way you carry yourself, so full of life and attitude. It's always been you and it'll continue to be. I missed you Reign, I want you," he continued, stepping closer to me with every word.

"I knew you were the one since the moment I saw you scrunch your adorable little nose at the shot you just drained down your throat. And in that moment nothing mattered as I saw you. Nothing mattered at all, not that I was going to die soon or that you were a different race, nothing. Being with you never felt wrong. It's the one thing I ever did right. You're the one thing I did right. I mean, at the end of the day, what the hell does it matter who I end up with if it can't be you?"

Tobias was finally in front me, standing close enough that I could hear his own heart beat rapidly. He gently extended his hand, pausing, before touching my cheek softly.

"When I saw you in my bed the next day, still there wearing nothing as you woke up, I knew my life would never be the same. Do you want to know why? You smiled at me and I thought, damn I'm fucking in love with you. That scared the shit out of me. Why was that the first thing that popped into my head? I don't know the first thing about love yet the image of you, just you, made me think that."

I stared back at him, frozen in my spot. I was like a deer in a headlight. I couldn't do anything but just stare.

"We fight, we yell, we accuse each other of shit nobody would ever think of. I know a love like ours won't last forever but I don't fucking care. Maybe you're not who I'll need in 10 years or even in the next few months, but you're who I need now."

His other hand wrapped around my waist as he pulled me closer. Now there was no space in between. "But I can promise one thing. I'll continue to love you until the day I die, however long I have left."

A tear escaped my eyes as I thought of my life completely Tobias free. The past week was torture even though I was pissed off at him. How could I be so stupid? He only had so long to live and I was using his time to be angry at him. I was still angry at him. 

"You're playing the guilt card on me," I sobbed, tears beginning to fall. Tobias shushed me as he gently wiped them away with his thumb.

"I know I'm sorry," he cooed, pulling me into a warm embrace. I could feel a little bit of water droplets soaked into his shirt either from my tears or from the melted snow.

"Reign, I need you," he continued, pleading now. "You're my anchor in life. You're the one I need to hold me down. It's you Reign and it always will be you. Please don't leave me again. I need you."

Tears were beginning to come down his eyes which he angrily wiped away. I stood shocked, paralyze in place. I never seen him cry before. He was angry, playful, and sometimes in a good mood where he would smile, but I never seen him cry before. He leaned down and buried his head into the crook of my neck. I felt his body shake as he cried on my shoulder.

"I need you," he repeated over and over again.

I couldn't help it, I folded. I ran my hand through his hair, comforting him as he cried on my shoulder. We were both crying now. We needed each other to feel better. Seeing him so raw and expressing his emotions made me want to kiss all his tears away. I don't know what made him say all these things to me now. Maybe it was because he had a time limit or maybe he really did need me.

But I couldn't be with him again, no matter how much I wanted to. How could I when cheated on me? His words could mean one thing but his actions proved otherwise.

"Tobias, I'll be there for you but I can't be with you."

His body stopped shaking and I felt him pull back from my embrace. His eyes were red and blotchy from all the crying. He wiped it away with the back of his hand before sniffling.

"Reign, please. I made a mistake-"

"No Tobias. You broke my heart," I croaked, pushing him back a little. "No matter what you say it doesn't change the fact of what you did."

He swallowed a lump in his throat before turning around. I put my hand over my mouth, trying to contain the sob in my mouth. No matter what he did to me I hated seeing him like this. Even though he caused me pain I could never do the same to him. He clutched the back of my couch, his grip as hard as a rock.

"Reign," I heard his voice say slowly.

I removed my hand and waited for him to talk but he didn't. I walked around and saw him leaning against the back of my couch, his other hand clutching his chest. I could see him wheezing and I felt my own heart began beating faster. What was happening? Was he having a heart attack?

"Tobias!" I shrieked, grabbing a hold on his arm. "Tobias-"

He wheezed, placing his hand on top of mines. "I need you to punch me hard on my chest."

My eyes widen and I shook my head. "No! I can't do tha-"

"Reign," he half grunted, his breathing becoming even slower.

"Okay, okay!"

I took a deep breath, thinking about what I was going to do. I didn't want to hurt him yet it seemed like I had to choice. I saw his body lean on the couch, needed it to support him. His eyes were beginning to droop as stared down at the floor, the life slowly being sucked out of him.

That's when I punched him.

His eyes widened as he gasped. I could see his breathing start to get better but it wasn't as great as was supposed to be. I looked at him, my eyes staring into his, wondering what I needed to do now.

"Reach into my pocket and get my meds," he said softly.

I fumed in his coat pocket, looking for what he was talking about. I saw his body lean on the couch, needed it to support him. His eyes were beginning to droop as stared down at his pocket, waiting for me to get his meds.

Shakily I tried to twist the top off but I managed to knock the bottle out of my hand, making his medication fly everywhere. I mumbled profanities under my breath as I bent down to collect a pill.

I gave it to Tobias and watched as he took it from my palm, swallowing it immediately. Sweat was prominent all over his face as he looked down, trying to regain control over his breathing.

"Did I do that to you?" I whispered, my heart beating quickly by how scared I was. "Should I call 9-1-1? Do you need anything?"

Tobias shook his head, standing upright. He looked better but I could see his chest rising up and down slowly.

"I just need you."

Because we all miss Tobias and we all wanted to see him again. Thoughts on this chapter? Favorite part?

Clues about Tobias's illness:

-When Reign and Tobias were at some restaurant and he kept pouring sugar in his drink and Reign said he should stop or he could die from diabetes or something along those lines, I don't remember exactly what, and Tobias replied "I'm dying" and covered it up by saying that everybody dies one day. I believe this was chapter 21 part 2.

-When Tobias left early (same as the scene above). Well remember how he got up and said he had to do something and if she could find her own way home? Wasn't it a bit odd that he left her after he's been trying so hard to get her to stay just a couple of more hours with him? Well he left because he went to his doctor to ______ (to be discovered xD).

-(Chapter 24) When Tobias was injured and he kept telling her he was fine and that he was going to be fine. He said that because of the point above (the something he left to do when he went to the doctors).

-When Reign saw Tobias at the hospital when Julian got shot. Tobias lied and said it was a check up when in fact it wasn't. Who can guess why he was there?

-When Tobias kept repeating how he didn't want to lose Reign. This was the night when Rachel came out of his hotel bedroom in his hoodie. He wasn't saying that because of his actions that night, he was saying that because he was drunk and he felt lonely dealing with his illness and he wanted to be reassured that Reign would stick by him through it. He didn't even realize Rachel was still in his room until he started pushing her out the door AKA he wasn't thinking about Rachel at all at the point.

-I'm sure there are small little naive hints however I don't have the time at the moment to look for them xD

All this doesn't make sense now, but it will and it ties together. I don't want to explain them because I was going to in the story and it would take away the plot I have developed. I just wanted to tell you guys the clues haha.

Next two to three chapters will bring you all closure. 1 out of the 3 big conflicts have been revealed! Are you guys ready for the next 2? Do you have any idea what they are?

What do you think Reign is going to do in the future? Will she forgive Tobias?

Comment/Vote!

& OMG thanks so much for reaching 50K!!! I love you all.