Thank you all for reading! I'm overwhelmed by the response and support our tiny fandom has bestowed upon me. If you were looking for more smut, don't worry, there's more to come in a different story. I really appreciate all the reviews, favs, and follows and you've all motivated to keep writing. I hope this was everything you'd hoped for in a fluffy fic with our favorite cinnamon roll War Boy. :)

Nux breathed slowly, his chest fighting him as he breathed in and out, in and out. It was all he could count; there was too much bustle going on around him, so much noise. Someone had left the door open. He was annoyed.

Soon, though, with his eyes closed, he heard the door click closed, gentle. He inhaled deeply now, a pained release shortly after it mixed with a breathy moan. He felt a hand on his forehead, soft, warm, opposite to his clammy skin. He opened his eyes, smiling slightly, a blur of red and tan above him.

"Nux? Are you awake?" Capable muttered softly. She stroked his cheek. He felt his skin tingle there pleasantly, and elsewhere more painfully.

Nux opened his eyes fully now, clearly seeing a furrow-browed Capable. He didn't have the heart to tell her that he rarely slept; the pain was too much. Not that he could speak very well- his throat was painful, dry, no matter how much water he drank.

"I brought you something special again today," she released her hand. Nux missed it. She reached behind her and into a canvas bag, revealing her treasure to him who waited excitedly. She always brought the most wonderful things to him. She read new books to him, showed him drawings of new inventions being made, or let him know how much the garage Boys missed him. He'd had many visitors, Furiosa the second most common, but he didn't look forward to anyone's visits more than Capable's.

She held a small pot in front of his face. His blue eyes focused on it, slowly, his nervous system slowed. It was a plant. He'd seen them before in the greenhouse, also when Dag was so excited to announce a new successful taking. He licked his lips. What made this plant special?

"This is the first flower bush that took," Capable grinned. She spoke so softly, Nux felt her words like the softness of her skin. "It's going to be a rose bush."

Nux didn't know what a 'rose' was, but by Capable's excited expression, he knew they must be beautiful.

She set down the plant, her enthusiasm dimming. "I have some news, too."

Nux inhaled sharply, occasionally his body's reaction to the pain he felt in his gut and throat.

"The Spanish girls you rescued," she looked down at his body under the blankets. "They've died."

Nux's brows furrowed weakly, his jaw clenching. They were getting treated, though. Why had they died?

"They got their treatment too late," Capable continued. "By the time they arrived here, Remedy said their entire reproductive system was covered in tumors."

Nux sighed as best he could. He didn't like the sound of this. If they had died, what did that mean for him? Would treatment work for him? Remedy had mentioned how far along he was in his cancer.

"Remedy says you're doing remarkably well, though. She suspects that the growths on your lungs are all but gone now," Capable smiled again. "Larry and Barry look to be getting smaller, too."

Nux tried to reach up to touch them, his hand shaky and arm weak. He decided against it. He was about half way through his treatment for the day, his weakest point.

"In only three weeks, she said, you've made very promising progress."

Nux smiled the same tired smile he sported before. He wasn't used to being like this; he was used to high octane adrenaline, being in charge... now, he was too tired to even speak.

He'd been embarrassed when some of the War Boys came to visit. He didn't like the idea of them seeing him so weak, soft and squishy. But, as they pressed their foreheads against his, he felt comforted. He was supported, he was loved.

Nothing made him feel more loved than Capable's visits, though. She didn't need to bring new treasures, she just needed to be there. Any moment that she had available, any time she wasn't with the Pups or eating, she was with Nux. When he napped, when he refused to eat (again), when he was forced to eat (again), and when he woke, nearly crying with the pain, she was there. He wouldn't wish for anything different.

For now, Capable cupped Nux's hand that rested on the bed next to him. Nux closed his eyes again, eying the blood bag that hovered above him before he did so. That bag that would lead him to health, with the stuff inside his bones. Remedy had changed the bags every course, trying to detail what any of it meant, but Nux's brain was too foggy to understand.

Nux rolled his head to face Capable, opening his eyes. It was more movement than he'd had in a long time, his neck stiff and painful. She was surprised, smiling to greet his blue with her green.

"I love you," he scratched. It was barely audible, but it was there. Capable smiled, her eyes stinging. It had been the first time he spoke since the start of his treatment, since he stopped whimpering and screaming.

"I love you too, Nux," she pushed back tears. She didn't want him to see her cry. But he noticed the tears lining her waterline, feeling the need to do the same but couldn't.

She squeezed his hand. "You're going to get better," Capable nodded.

Nux closed his eyes again. His lids were heavy, every moment he was awake he felt like he'd just woken up. Her words astonished him, but also comforted him, the prospect now completely real to him. He had shooting pains from his hands, sending a zing to his spine. He jerked when this happened, uncontrollable.

"You should sleep, now," Capable released his hand. She stood. Nux released a pained groan, catching Capable's attention. She looked down to see his usually clear blue eyes cloudy, his forehead wrinkled. He opened his hand against his leg, asking her, "please come back" with his body. She breathed heavier now, complying, sitting back down in the chair next to him, and held his hand. He gripped it weakly, appreciating the pressure she gave his aching skin, and closed his eyes.

Suddenly, a sharp pain coursed from his gut, to his chest, to his face, a common pattern when he neared the end of his daily treatment. He cried out, his cries breathy but with weight. Capable reached her other hand up to stoke his head gently, Nux's eyes squeezed shut as he waited for the pain to pass. Remedy had said it hurts because it's killing the growths, and they're not happy about it.

He felt his eyes sting, watering, a rare occurrence now that he'd tried to adapt to the pain he felt. He opened his eyes to meet Capable's, worried, motherly, stressed. A tear fell from his face despite his attempts, only to have to wiped by Capable's feminine hand. It was comforting, feeling the sudden pain die down now, settling only in his gut where it remained.

"You're doing so good, Nux," she murmured into his forehead. She planted soft kisses on his near-lifeless skin there. He needed to eat, but he couldn't bring himself to. Remedy had made him a liquid concoction, Nux not sure what it was, but he would take it though a straw until he felt his stomach reach capacity much too soon.

He was doing good, he thought to himself. He was getting better. But it hurt, it hurt so badly to see Capable come in like she did, so solemn and worried and quiet. He yearned for the days where they romped together on the bed, her hair tickling him, or the days she would read him a book anywhere other than this horrible bed. He wanted to be able to focus on the books, not on his pain, but the cloudiness in his brain was too much. He hated this, he hated how it made him feel, he hated how it took him away from Capable.

But he loved it, too. He was told that the pain would subside after he was done, after he was cured. Remedy never made it clear how long that would be, for she didn't know either. Nux trusted her to make her best judgment. He wanted to be better so badly, to enjoy the world that was being built around him, to help. But he couldn't.

Furiosa had made him feel so brave, taking the pain for a better good. She had said there was nothing more admirable, nothing more deserving of Valhalla than to sacrifice his life like this, to come out on the other side shiny and chrome. Though Nux renounced his beliefs, he was moved deeply by this. The thought kept him going as much as Capable's presence did.

Nux drifted to sleep now, enjoying the feeling of Capable's hand, so warm and so close. It would be his first real sleep in over sixteen hours, somehow undisturbed by the deep pain that resided within him. He'd always believed it was Capable, her fiery hair scaring away the pain, the fevers. He'd never slept better than in her arms, a phenomenon he didn't understand. But he appreciated it.

He needed it.

Nux stirred to life after not remembering when he had dozed off. His fingers and toes sent their familiar tendrils of pain, the lead in his gut unforgiving. He opened his eyes slowly, seeing the figures of those who stood before him come into view. Furiosa, Capable, and Remedy. They stared at him, smiling, Remedy holding papers and Capable a book.

"Nux," Remedy broke the silence to a very confused Nux, "I believe today will be your last day."

Last day? Here? After all this time? How long had it been?

"We never took you though cycles, not really having the technology to do so," Remedy continued. "But your visible tumors have decreased in diameter 98%. We're not sure how much more you can take before vital parts of your body are affected by the chemotherapy. We'd like to take you off and see how you do, and if you need more, you can always come back. We have plenty of donors for you."

Capable and Furiosa beamed behind Remedy, who flipped her papers, then went to the empty blood bag that hung above Nux. She replaced it with another, Nux already feeling the rush that accompanied a new day of treatment.

"You'll have to stay in bed for a few weeks," Capable uttered. "But you can go back to the hightower."

Nux closed his eyes at this. The thought of being back in his own room comforted him. He sighed, grateful.

"After this bag, you'll have successfully run your course of six months," Remedy grinned. "And look at how much you've improved. You might not notice for a while as you recover, but you will."

Furiosa stepped closer now. "Nux, you've always surprised me, you know. From the time on Fury Road... you've really shown your colors. I'm proud of you."

Proud of him? Nux let her words sink in. He was reminded once again of the support he had here, more than anything Joe had to offer. Even the promise of Valhalla was nothing compared to his respect for Furiosa, and his desire to help and please her. She'd taken so much time out of her busy days to visit him, make sure he was alright. He appreciated it. He tried to convey that through his gaze to her, not quite sure if it was effective.

Soon, Remedy and Furiosa left, leaving Nux and Capable. Nux felt the day's treatment take hold of him again as she sat down, tears in her eyes. She said something, the sound of her voice beautiful, but Nux couldn't understand it. He just stared at her. She knew what that meant, and didn't anticipate a response. He was fatigued so badly, she'd taken to just talking about her day, her life, her books. Nux appreciated it, her soft words caressing him more than her hands were able to. She'd left him small kisses on his face, on his scars, traced the scars on his chest, rubbed his arms and his fingers... it did more than anything else to help him feel better.

His last day, he mused. He could go home.

He could go home.

Capable brought Nux his food, hoping that today he felt up to actually eating it instead of toying around with it. She ascended the stone staircase to her bedroom, thinking.

Nux cherished his clear mind now as she strode to him from the door. He could finally see her clearly, admire her hair, her tanned skin. She had gotten stronger from her time in the vault, her muscles toned through her linen dress. He smiled. He was hungry.

He was hungry.

He was surprised, he hadn't been hungry at all since his arrival back at the hightower a week ago. Was he finally getting better?

"It's still strange to see you without your mates," Capable set the food down on a table next to his bed.

He reached up and fingered the smiley tattoos on his neck, no longer raised by Larry and Barry. It was foreign to him too, he didn't remember a time in his life when they weren't there. Now, only smooth skin remained.

Nux almost greedily dug in, Capable very pleased. She'd have to tell Remedy of this development. But for now, she enjoyed watching him so alert. His eyes darted, his hands were quick, his mind curious again.

One more week, and he could walk steadily.

Another, and he ran.

Finally, he was back to his old self, only improved. He felt clearer, less bogged down. The constant pain on his throat and in his gut, on his lungs, was gone. He could breathe clearer, he could run longer, he could suspend himself on engine blocks easier.

His welcome back into the garage was momentous, cheers and praise swallowing him. They'd been uncharacteristically gentle with him, even as they patted his back and gripped the back of his neck, he felt their trepidation. He was a ray of hope for the other sick War Boys, having lived their whole lives without treatment like Nux had. The news that the treatment failed the Spanish girls rocked the Citadel, especially the War Boys, who feared that Nux would fall to the same fate. But now, as he commanded them again, their morale was at an all time high.

"I'd like to show you something," Capable murmured into his chest. It was morning, they'd woken up after a night of peace. Nux made sure to never take advantage of it. "You have to come with me, though."

Nux agreed, the both of them putting on linen clothes and descending the staircase. Nux behind Capable, they entered the greenhouse, a wispy Dag greeting them. Capable said something to her, then the Dag pointed towards a corner of the greenhouse. She continued watering the greenery in front of her when Capable guided Nux towards the direction of the Dag's finger.

Capable led Nux to a plush bush, a deep green. It was plotted by itself, alone and round.

With Capable's guidance, Nux peered around the bush to see a bright red flower, unfurled and beautiful.

"It's a rose," she explained. "It's your rose."

This must have been the plant she brought Nux during his time in the hospital. He caressed the rose, the petals velvety and gentle against his skin.

"It grew with you," Capable said behind Nux. "The healthier you got, the lusher the bush got." The more red that returned to Nux's face, the more red built within the rose. The more strength that Nux gained, the tougher the rose's petal got, filling with water.

Nux smiled, facing Capable now. His eyes stung. He'd been through more emotions in the last year than he ever had in his whole life. He still didn't know how to handle them as well as everyone else, though.

He just held her, pulling her into his chest. She hugged him back, enjoying the strength behind him now. She'd gotten used to the pained squeezes he would give her hand, weak. Now, he was strong, he was healthy.

He breathed into her hair, kissing it.

As he closed his eyes, a small tear dropped from his nose into her hair, a smile following.

He had done so good.

So good.