Change is eternal

Whether it's because he was involved in an incident whom he cannot recall, or because he was repeatedly reminded of the contrasting personalities that once resided in him, the "Doctor" of Rhodes Island could only wonder what the past him truly was.

Was the old him really that much different from his current perspective? Was he really that cruel who valued the accomplishments of the missions more than the lives of his operators? Was he really the type of person who prioritizes goals more than safety and security? Was he really that type of person who is the manifestation of the quote "the ends justify the means"?

Whether what they say is true or not, he could do nothing but live through the life he was spared, he could do nothing but continue the steps that past him took, and veer it into the direction of his preference.

Make sure to spend a few minutes outside to expose yourself to healthy amounts of vitamin D.

They said, so the brooding, and now currently living through an identity crisis of a Doctor, was now walking through a hallway with his head down low. He didn't know how to respond to the people whom he comes across with, seeing how he clearly doesn't recognize them. Deep down, it pains him how he can't respond to a certain red haired laterano's infectiously cheerful aura, or to gloomy but charming pink haired maiden's discreet flattery, so he could only turn his head away from them in shame in hopes of not getting a glimpse of their pained expressions when they realized that he lost his memory.

If he really was such a bad guy, then how come people still love him as he was? He could only wonder, looking up front to see the rays of sunlight that hit his mask as he approached the balcony of the floor.

He wasn't alone though. He didn't know her name but besides the circular platform covered with 3 and a half feet long railings of a balcony was a girl wearing a white oversized jacket, holding a staff that protruded from between her legs which were crossed together as she sat on the thick railings of the balcony.

She had glorious brown twin tails along with two cute ears popping up from her head. Her expression was mildly pleasant as she stared at the desolate horizon with the sunlight illuminating her faint smile. Overall, she was lovely.

"Isn't that dangerous?"

He uttered without actually thinking about it. He realized it would be weird backing out from the conversation so he forced himself to walk near the girl, leaning against the railings as he peered into the horizon as well. The girl beside him though...

"D-doctor..."

She was slightly flushed, he could tell despite the sunlight making her glow a faint yellow. He resisted the urge to apologize thinking he might've startled her a little, but soon after, it escaped his mouth in an attempt to break the silence looming between them.

"...sorry."

He whispered, looking down to face the ground as the wind pierced through his uniform, giving him a pleasantly cool sensation that made him want to lean in on the railings even more. The scene that welcomed him was contrasting though. The lands were deserted, full of nothing but wrecks of the cities that once stood there, the debris of what seemed to be the destruction brought upon by the catastrophes...

It was by no means a pleasant view. He knew that much.

But the girl beside him had a different idea. She was shocked, almost dumbfounded as she stared at the black-rimmed helmet of the doctor with obvious wonder, her eyes were wide open and focused at staring at him, while her mouth was slightly agape, her breathing almost audible as her chest rose up and sank down in a steady rhythm.

"D-doctor..."

A word left her mouth before her eyes seemingly twinkled while staring at him. He could only know what special thing he had done to deserve attention from such a pretty woman.

"Excuse me, but..."

He worked up the courage to at least ask her name.

"...who are you again?"

Perhaps it was because of his words, but seeing her almost twinkling expression dim into a gloomy one produced a rather painful pang in his chest. Her posture slouched, and along with it his mood. Maybe they were close before he lost his memories? Maybe she was actually someone important to him before that incident?

"My name wouldn't matter..."

She spoke with such a sad expression. The Doctor felt as if the situation was also his past self's fault, and it pained him to see that he hurt such a person. He grits his teeth secretly under the shadow of his mask as he resisted the urge to punch himself on the face.

"...after all, I'm not proficient at combat. The only thing that I'm ever good at is being a messenger. I'm not as resolute as Amiya to be a leader, not as fierce as Miss Texas and Miss Lappland to fight at the frontlines, and I'm not as tough as Miss Nearl to be a defender. Doctor, knowing my name wouldn't matter-"

She spoke as she clutched onto her staff, her words wavering ever so slowly as if she was on the verge of tears. She looked down, her twin tails conveniently covering the pitiful state that she's in. It wasn't such a hard feat to know that she's hurt, but the Doctor can't be any more confused. Nobody's reacted to him like this before.

"I think that's not necessarily a bad thing..."

He cut through her words and inserted his own, stopping her self pitying thoughts to pour out with his impromptu consolation. He knew he had to work hard to recover his memories and work with his operators as smoothly as before, but only now did he realize that he needed to work hard to recover his memories to reclaim the bond that he had with his operators as well.

Just as much as how Amiya trusts him very much, how Exusiai always treats him to an apple pie every time they have free time, how Perfumer consults him on every single product she creates, and how this girl is on nearly crying just by him asking her name...

He knew he had to recover a lot, and he knew he had to improve from them.

"...being bad on fighting doesn't mean the end of the world. You can be good at logistics, you can be good at fighting, you can be good at defending, and you can be good at fixing things or whatever..."

He unconsciously removed his helmet, revealing his short, black, and wavy hair along with his crimson red eyes. His features all in all could easily be labeled as attractive, his sharp gaze along with his serious expression only serving to further accentuate his classy characteristics.

"...what matters is that you contribute as a part of a whole. A cube wouldn't be a cube if missing a side, and Rhodes Island wouldn't be Rhodes Island without its operators. It doesn't matter if you're bad at fighting, as long as you can carry your own weight and help to carry others along with it..."

He smiled faintly before turning his gaze to the girl, the gentle breeze flicking his hair airborne.

"...you're equally as important as anyone else, no questions asked."

Angelina couldn't believe it.

The Doctor...

Her breathing suddenly broke into a halt, her expression unreadable with her peeled eyes and her tense face. Simply put, her current predicament was brought upon because of the surprisingly warm attitude that the Doctor currently has.

Ah, right...he lost his memories.

As much as how she'd hate the train of thought, a small part of her deep inside was happy that the Doctor was involved in that one incident. She knows the consequences, that incident could've easily taken his life and Rhodes Island would have one less doctor...

She would have one less inspiration in life...But even so, she was guiltily happy how she somehow thank the world that the Doctor was involved in that incident in Chernobog. She couldn't help but tremble in sheer happiness, she couldn't help but cry.

Guess all that waiting was worth it...

All those worrying was worth it...

All those suffering were worth it...

She lost her composure especially when he butted in on her words. Never in her time admiring him from a distance did she expect such words to come from the Doctor, words specifically meant to console her, care for her, love her...

It was only recently how she looses her sleep worrying about the Doctor, what changes would occur in him, would he be the same after everything, would he still treat her the same way he always did...?

She was never truly treated as somebody special. It had always been the ones who perform exceptionally well in the front lines likes Texas, Exusiai, Skadi, Projekt Red, and of course, Amiya. She was always been cast aside, left in the sidelines to handle all the grunt work.

But now...

"...eh...hehehe..."

A cheeky laugh left her as she tried hard not to be too flustered with his words, constantly wiping up her tears as she tried to hide the faint red tint on her cheeks. It was the first time the Doctor ever actually smiled at her with his helmet off too...

She couldn't help but wonder if she did anything special to deserve this.

If so, then she'll do it everytime without question.

"...hello?"

The doctor called out to him as she furiously fixed her expression, trying to wipe out that flustered expression and the cheeky grin currently plastered on her face. She strategically used her twin tails to cover herself as she finished on wiping out her tears.

"Doctor..."

She whispered, turning her gaze to him slowly as she revealed her expression. Now that she's fixed herself, she's going to savor this moment to the extent of her abilities!

"...thank you!"

He doesn't know how to react with her antics now. Maybe she was just messing with his head?

Thank you? What had he done prior that earned him gratitude from her? Was it something done by his past self? Nobody informed him about anything.

Was it his actions? If so, which?

"...you're welcome."

He replied with the most proper follow up you could for a thank you. His half absent minded presence truly made the situation awkward for him. Maybe there was a part of the moment that he couldn't see? Maybe there was something he didn't quite understand?

Like the complexity of the female heart?

The oddly clueless doctor could only grieve at his incompetence. Maybe he was not as shallow as he was before? If so, then that's more one thing he has to work on if he were to ever work as the "Doctor" of Rhodes Island.

"Doctor, you've changed."

This girl can read him? Does she know how much of a dilemma he's currently experiencing because of his identity crisis? Is she able to read him like a book with just a glance? The Doctor further contemplated the possibility of them having a close relationship, or even better, being somewhere around the level of lovers continuously.

If there was something he never truly lost, it's his calculative nature. That's something he should either be happy or sad to.

"...I can't exactly say the same..."

The Doctor quipped shortly with a flat tone. He turned from the girl to leaning his elbows to the railings with a gloomy expression. It was evident that he was feeling melancholic, and the sigh that escaped his grasp just supported that fact.

His eyes were half-closed, ever so focused on what was under their cruising fortress, his mind as distant as the unforeseen lands beyond the horizons...

"...I don't know who I am-more like, who I was, actually. Everything's been so messy, I can't exactly get a grasp of myself."

The Doctor's thoughts resonated with his voice, his expression only turning darker and darker with every word that leaves his mouth. It wasn't such a hard task to know that his thoughts paired with his mood could only bring him nothing but pain.

Nothing but suffering.

"Then how about I tell you who you really were, Doctor?"

All those suffering seemed to wash away in an instant.

Who the Doctor really was? It was a question even Angelina yearned for the answer. She can't exactly say that he was the best person ever, he was notorious for being especially despicable, particularly in the midst of the battlefield.

Who he really was? Angelina racked her brain to explain his personality preceding the amnesia that he suffers from. Was he the ruthless dictator that others deemed him to be? The capable leader that Amiya had frequently reminded him that he was? The valuable staff member of Rhodes Island who had virtually no replacement in regards to leading their operations, as said by Dr. Kal'tsit?

Angelina smiled brightly. She took her staff which was between her legs and laid it on her lap horizontally. With a glistening and somehow contagious positivity, she stated each and every single opinion she had of the Doctor that she, for some reason, fell in love with. Although completely leaving the parts wherein she actually fell in love with him.

She pointed out each and every single one of them, like his uncanny sense of humor when they were not on the battlefield. His presence alone is enough to relieve tension despite his imposing attitude on the battlefield, helping the operators wind down with his discreet, and on-point comedy.

Or how he's so strict to those whom he deemed important, to the point where he forces them to rest, sometimes even resorting to locking them inside their own rooms, at the slightest hint of sickness. His attachment to his operators sometimes grow beyond those of the battlefield, and his intensive care for those whom he considered worthy of attention is surprisingly wholesome, seeing him actually care for his operators beyond their fighting capabilities.

Or that he's simply just too capable for his own good. He was one of the first few who created and established Rhodes Island who serves to pacify, help, and eventually cure the infected just like her, and that gallant objective alone, paired with his overwhelming skills and talents, not to mention his dedication to his dream, is nothing short of praiseworthy.

Angelina, amidst explaining, never actually noticed that all she actually pointed out was his positive parts, leaving out the unnecessary ones as she retold the Doctor's story on her perspective. She was completely absorbed in her own thoughts, her attention wallowing freely in her own world, words flow out of her mouth one after another like the constant stream of a mighty river, completely disregarding-or maybe even not noticing the changes in the Doctor's expression at all, one in which had turned completely flustered as she closed in on a certain topic.

"...it was a long-standing rumor, Doctor! I heard it from Miss Blaze, but apparently, Dr. Kal'tsit was your ex-w-"

"Ok! Ok! Let's stop there for now! I appreciate your concern, but this..."

Angelina's eyes twitched as if she had just realized what she said and covered her mouth rather adorably, her eyes dilating in sheer shock.

"U-uh-sorry, Doctor! I got completely lost while-"

"That's fine. I really appreciate you doing this for me. I didn't know I was actually like that. Most of the time, I was just constantly reminded of how I was a ruthless leader who prioritized the missions more than the lives of the operators."

His expression turned mellow. It was like dark chocolate, half sweet, but half bitter when he stared at the ground while gritting his teeth. He was so frustrated to the point where tears were almost about to fall off of his eyes but managed to hold it in as he wiped it off by using a handkerchief.

"Doctor..."

"You seemed to like past me as well. I honestly don't know if I'll be able to retain the qualities that made you and everyone else-"

He tried desperately to not feel cowardly, his form shrinking when he set his head down to the railings of the balcony, leaning into it as he covered his face with his arms. In his mind, he felt as if the past him was too incredible for the current him to catch up to. He also felt as if the pressure would soon stack too much for him to handle, crushing him bitterly after a long, painful struggle. His mind was like a dark tunnel, his body a worm who inched ever closer to the light, the light only serving to go further and further away from him as he chased it with his painfully slow speed.

"But I love you more like this Doctor."

The light suddenly shone bright like it was right in front of him.

Ah...she said it.

All that's left for her is to melt into one small puddle right where she sat.

"...erhnn-eh-"

Incoherent noises escaped her lips as her mouth opened wide agape. Upon realizing what she just said, she cursed her sudden impulse and wished to whatever god was out there that she would just disappear from the face of the earth at that very moment.

But obviously, her wish was obviously not granted.

That wish was not.

Her first one, one that she had been praying for years had.

Her wish to finally convey her feelings.

She did no actions to refute the words that came out of her mind. All she did was to look down and annoy the rest of the world by not fully committing to her impulse, hiding her embarrassment, and her wildly blushing face using her hair.

"...I'm g-glad..."

Her embarrassment, however, was uncalled for. Upon hearing the slightly stuttering voice of the Doctor beside her, she peeked on the gaps of her hair just to see a few droplets of clear liquid run down his cheeks, freely making its way to his chin before it fell to the abominable force of gravity, not leaving a sound when it hit the ground.

"Doctor...?"

"I'm glad!"

Her own embarrassment turned itself a new leaf, turning to worry as she rose from her seat suddenly with worry clouding her heart, her intent nothing but to be beside the Doctor at his lowest moments.

But fate had a different idea. Upon standing up, her low blood pressure brought upon by the consecutive sleepless nights she spent worrying about the Doctor's health caught up to her, rendering her dizzy as she lost a considerable amount of blood in her head. She felt lightheaded, and her balance was skewed, making her take one wrong step that made her fall from the railings to the ground beneath.

Or more accurately, supposed to make her fall to the ground beneath.

With his instincts and his fast reflexes firing at full speed, the Doctor took a quick step to her position and managed to grab a hold of one of her arms before she completely fell out of his reach. His grip tightened and his muscles worked double time as his entire body became overran with adrenaline, pumping extreme amounts of energy to his biceps, triceps, arms, and fingers as he held onto her for dear life.

"Hold o-"

Unbeknownst to him, the girl feared no greater heights than the gap between her and the Doctor. Something as simple as falling from the floating fortress of a Rhodes Island can't bother her. With adrenaline filled power, he inhaled deeply before pulling her up with nothing but his one arm, exhaling all his air along with it.

However, the girl she was trying to save suddenly felt lighter. Lighter. Lighter...

Until she became as light as a feather.

All this happened in a quarter of a second which made him accidentally tumble back due to the weight of the girl suddenly being what it is.

He fell down to the ground, pulling the virtually weightless girl along with him as he grew outbalanced, tipping to his back and falling with the possibility of hitting the back of his head.

A possibility is a possibility. And possibilities are not certainty. So when he closed his eyes and braced for the impact, it surprised him to know that the impact never happened.

He opened his eyes and he saw three things.

First, he saw the bright blue sky that peered over them mightily, stretching to the far horizons with it's milky white clouds drifting swiftly past the serene blue carpet.

Second, he saw that his legs, butt, and even his back was afloat. His heels we're barely planted to the ground, but he remained floating, as if he was on water, and refused to finally hit the ground.

Lastly, he felt his ear collide to something beside his head, which made him turn his eyes to his side.

It was weird, seeing how she was there, but the girl he just "saved" was weightlessly resting her head on his left shoulder, her entire body above his as both her hands wrapped him tightly, one slinging from his right shoulder to the middle of his back, with the other tightly coiled on the left side of his neck, gently hugging his head as it went around his nape to the back of his head on a gentle, and warm embrace.

A few words tickled his ear.

"I really love you more like this, Doctor."

She said it.

Again.

But this time she's not embarrassed anymore. She's too busy being happy about the fact that the Doctor took the extra mile when his uncharacteristic kindness stretched so much as to make him value her life that intensely.

His expression of shock and desperation when he held onto her tightly warmed her heart like no other.

The Doctor truly have changed, he wasn't the same person as he was anymore. He's troubled by his identity, and his looming stack of responsibility, but Angelina was sure that the trauma the Doctor suffered from was deliberately set up by fate itself to change him. It was as if fate had given her a change.

A chance to assert to him her love.Her love gone overdue.

Subconsciously, she refused to let go of the Doctor as a warm smile formed at her face. Her arms tightened ever so softly at his body as she pressed her being to him, as if she was willing to give her all to him, as if she was willing to give her everything for his love.

She's not gonna falter anymore. She's not gonna lag behind.

She knows that many other operators love the Doctor as she does. Amiya, Blue Poison, Gravel, and some more respectively. Her lateness to the race had once sapped out the motivation in her to act out her feelings and capitalize on it...

But now...She's not gonna fall down and accept her lose like she did before, she's not gonna sit on a corner silently and suffer due to a brokenheart and regret unlike before.

Now, she's gonna fight.

"I love you, D-doctor-"

Welp, her choking on her words was not part of the plan.

With a looming awkward silence ruling over the balcony, Angelina finally let go of her arts and they both gently crashed to the floor, her arms pinned by his body as she insisted on hugging him despite being so.

Her embrace grew tighter, pulling him to her even harder than before as she endured the painful weight of both of them pinning her right arm. She had already expected the words like 'Sorry' or 'I don't know' to come from the Doctor since she knows that he saw it as a confession.

But little did she know that what would happen next changed her life forever.

With a gentle warmth enclosing her, she felt his arms inch their way to her back and across, tightening softly as he pulled her into a hug as well, her pinned arm relieved of some of the pressure as he lifted some of their weight off the ground by pressing his body against hers, the Doctor bearing the shame of her plump, medium-sized breasts pressing against his chest just to make sure that her arm isn't hurt.

His level of care for his operators-more like everyone, in general, grew threefold, Angelina could tell. Her appreciation over the Doctor overshadowed any thoughts of her thinking the Doctor might've had a few ulterior motives on him pressing his body against hers, she could only feel nothing but warmth at the moment, she could only feel nothing but love.

"Thank you..."

The Doctor's embrace gently fastened on her back as the Doctor lifted his entire upper body off the ground along with her, putting them in a sitting position as they hugged each other.

Angelina's embrace loosened until her arms fell off the ground, but the Doctor's remained.

"...I needed that."

The Doctor said, his voice resonating softly with Angelina's ears. Her heart started to beat so fast that she was not able to contain it, it pumped so hard that she was sure that the Doctor can feel it despite her breasts and clothes getting in the way of her heart.

"Can I really..."

"...fulfill my position as I am now?"

The Doctor's whispers felt weak, but his intentions hit strong. He was in pain, it was evident since earlier, but only now did Angelina understand what that pain is, where it came from, and how it came to be.

She also understood how to soothe it until it eventually disappears, and she's not gonna let anybody else do this for the Doctor but her.

"Of course, Doctor! Of course you can..."

"...after all, you're the man me, and a lot more women out there, fell in love with. You may have lost your memories, but I'm sure your qualities remain, along with a few new ones."

She patted his back in an attempt to reassure him, her body only serving to lean in even more onto his hug, his mind hoping time would just stand still so that she could cherish this moment forever.

But reality isn't that kind, seeing how the Doctor's embrace shortly left her as his features faced her with a melancholic expression. His eyes felt like it lost its light, but it quickly revived back to life when their eyes met. Both of them sitting on the balcony, taking their time as if they're the only 2 people in the world.

"Really...?"

"Yes, Doctor! Why would I lie to you? And just to make sure..."

It was as if a competitive fire blew ablaze in her heart when she unknowingly reached for the Doctor's hand and clutched it lovingly

"...I'll be there for you, Doctor!"

The fire in her heart didn't show any signs of faltering any time soon.

And so...this was supposed to be a one shot dammit! Angelina!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Anyway, seeing how I truly just can't revive the motivation to pick up my KnY ff due to the lackluster ending, I chose to pick up Arknights instead! Seeing how I was (kinda) invested in the game(and the waifus! Go Angelina!), I chose to SUPPOSEDLY write a one shot and now I'm considering whether to make this a full blown DoctorxAngelina fanfiction(SHE DESERVES IT!!!!)A depressed Doctor is never a good Doctor, and what better way to liven him up than a good romance, eh? eh? eh?Anyway, I'm not that good in writing romance, and I obviously lack the experience to do so in regards to my reluctance in writing them due to my (painfully)lonely life devoid of all romantic connections to anyone. I don't even have a crush anymore T-T so that's that...Should I make this a full blown fanfic? Or should it stay as it is as a one shot? I'll decide on the reviews and the reception it'll get...That being said, thank you all for reading! Hope you enjoyed this short fanfic I made up! Don't hesitate to leave a review! They're always appreciated! Hope you have a good day...and goodbye!