A/N: Today's a good day. I finished this chapter, it's my birthday, and the start of my spring break. Thank you for reading, and maybe I'll see you all again sooner than expected with my time off. Enjoy!

I woke up the following morning with our long rectangular coffee table at eye level – the same landscape I nodded off to with the exception of the morning light coming in from the east-wall picture window. My left forearm hung at an angle off the edge of the couch with the attached hand dangling in thin air. All of the blood had pooled in my fingertips, so when I stretched out my hand, a tingling sensation ran up my entire limb.

There were two arms around my middle, causing my side to arc slightly. Both of them had my shirt innocently pushed up to my middle so that Artie's pale forearms crossed in front of my tan belly. His chest moved up and down behind me. With every rhythmic exhale, warm air traveled calmly around the back of my neck. Looking over my shoulder, I found two baby blue, puppy-dog eyes staring back at me. The corners of his mouth angled upwards as he blinked slowly.

"Good morning," he greeted in a low and sleepy voice.

"Morning," I yawned, turning my shoulders counter clockwise before stretching my left arm over the end of the couch.

Artie's tiny grin widened as he repositioned his arms around my torso. Lifting his head up over mine, and shallowly swooping his bottom lip, he sweetly pecked my lips. He then settled back down, nuzzling his face into the nook of my neck. When he blinked, his eyelashes tickled my skin.

"I missed our cuddles," he pouted, looking up at me.

After our visit with Dr. Harper, I was everything but outgoing about our long-term relationship. The night before had been a perfect example of how much I ignored Artie in hope of avoiding his topic of choice and my topic of dread.

"Sorry," I said, looking down out of the corners of my eyes.

"I understand," he whispered, tightening his arms around me. "And that's why I chose you over a few centimeters of nerve tissue."

I smiled and turned my head, "You are such a cheese ball."

"You love it."

"Who says?"

"Me!" He said pressing light kisses to my neck.

"Artie stop that, "I giggled with a squirm. "You're all scruffy. That tickles!"

"Sorry," he chuckled, returning his jaw on my shoulder.

With a tiny grin, I shifted to the opposite side then I woke up on to face him, and Artie once again closed his arms around me enough to crumple my shirt. From his tight hold, I wiggled my arms out, and molded my hands over his defined chest. The tips of our noses touched before I slide my hands up his chest up and around the side of his neck. Tilting my head acutely right, I slowly closed my eyes as I brushed my lips against his. After pulling back an inch, his face came forward after mine, and captured my lips completely. As our kiss increased in depth and passion, I looped my arms around his neck, crossing my forearms against the top of his spine. Bending my knees, I sifted down the length of the couch to meet his exact position. My tongue, like a serpent, slithered past his parted lips until it found its mate on the other side. Encouraged by my addition to the kiss, Artie ran his hand down the curve of my hip. He took a breath of air as he slid the same hand behind my thigh, and started to gently pull towards himself. To speed up the process, I manually hooked my calf around his hip, bringing our pelvises together.

"Roll over," I breathed between kisses.

Nodding slightly, Artie turned his shoulders, and I took care of his lower half by wedging my knee between him and the back of the couch so when I rolled, his hips moved with me. Once he was situated, I laid my torso down onto his from my straddle, and reunited our lips. Things quickly heated up, and I subconsciously found myself circling my hips intimately against his. My body definitely liked where this was going. With a suggestive smirk, I sat up, and started to bring my hair up into a loose bun. Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at the analog clock over the sink, and stopped everything once I saw what time it was.

"Artie…I gotta go," I quickly said, placing my hands on his over heated stomach.

"What? Why? No!"

"Work. I have to be at work in ten minutes."

"You really can't stay just…a few minutes longer?"

I shook my head, swinging my inner leg over his thighs before placing both feet on the hardwood floor. I felt extra bad, seeing the extra slope in his pants.

"I'm sorry."

"It's…fine," he sighed, partially sitting up. "Here, you go get ready – I'll start a pot of coffee for the go."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," I said, bending at the waist to kiss his forehead. "I promise we'll finish this later."

Artie nodded me off, and I quickly trotted back to our bedroom to find a quick change of clothes suitable to put a Breadstix apron over and apply a layer of makeup. Even if I hated standing around on my feet all day, taking orders, it was a job, and apartments were expensive.

Speed walking out the bedroom door as fast as I entered it, I took a second try at styling my hair out of my face. With a hair-band dangling from my mouth, I waked into the kitchen as I tangled my fingers though my hair. The coffee maker was running, and my favorite aroma of vanilla coffee filled the kitchen. I stood in the doorway and adjusted my hair until it felt secure before looking up before me. Artie sat in front of the counter before the open cabinet that was well above his head, with his right arm extended in the air. I bit my lip, intending to intervene, but my over-thinking head stopped me. These were his every day struggles, and they varied every day, for our apartment was close to the furthest thing from wheelchair friendly. Heck, we nearly had to sue our tenant for not wanting safe bathroom fixtures to be installed.

"Hey, Tee?" He called, probably not realizing I was ten feet behind him.

"What? Oh…sorry." I said, snapping out of trance and stepping forward to reach overhead for the colorful travel mug.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Fine," I said, quickly walking around him to pour my coffee.

What if him not going though with the treatment prevented him from over coming every obstacle he's ever encountered in the wheelchair despite the risks?

I closed my eyes and sighed once my warm mug was capped, "Have you called Ohio State yet?"

"Woman, give me time."

"Don't."

"Oh, right, sorry I forgot you don't like-"

"No," I said, shaking my head and crossing my arms. "Don't call."

"What?"

"Don't call. Don't call the university."

"But that would mean…"

"I know."

"Tina, I don't understand," he said, furrowing his brows.

"It'll make you happy, and as wary as I am…that will make me happy," I said crouching down to his eye level.

"Tina…"

"You're going to walk again," I said, looking into his eyes, struggling to form a smile.

"I-I'm going to walk again," he softly repeated.