I nodded slowly, knowing that it wasn't a bad thing. It was actually a very good thing. I knew there would come a time, probably soon, that it would be hard for me to get around, the fact that my heart was slowing down a little more each day causing me to feel so tired sometimes. If I stayed in my apartment, chances are, I'd end up in the hospital for my last few weeks. I still may, that's something I can't predict, but maybe having Taehyung help me, and take care of me, will allow me to stay with him just a bit longer.

•°•♡•°•

She looked unsure, but I didn't care. I wanted her to agree to move in here, but I wasn't taking no for an answer. 

"Okay, I'll move in with you."

I sighed in relief, glad I didn't have to use my back up plan. Not that I wasn't going to do it anyway, but I didn't want to do it as a means to get her to move in with me. But I'd get to it, eventually. As soon as my heart stopped beating at hyperspeed.

"Good, why don't you go ahead and call your boss, let him know you won't be back in. Then we can continue our conversation. I've got lots to talk about."

Her eyes widened slightly, but she nodded, then pouted, looking annoyed.

"What's wrong?"

Her shoulders dropped. "I left my phone upstairs."

I laughed at her, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. "Don't move. I'll get it for you."

I ran up the stairs, two at a time, grabbing her phone from the nightstand and bringing it down to her. 

"Thank you," she smiled.

I walked into the kitchen to let Yoshi out so she could make her call. I stood in the doorway, watching him trot around in the grass until he found the perfect spot to do his business, quickly running back inside and sitting to look up at me, waiting for me to put food in his bowl. 

I filled it with food, then gave him fresh water, deciding I needed a drink myself. I turned on my kettle to boil water, and grabbed two mugs from the hooks. Hot cocoa sounded perfect. 

After emptying the packets of powder into the mugs, I stood there and waited for the kettle to boil, my mind buzzing with thoughts of what I had planned. I'd tried to come up with a perfect way to do it, but when it came right down to it, there was no perfect way. I was just going to do it, as soon as the moment felt right. 

The idea hit me as I was walking home from work, just like that. I don't know where it came from, I only knew it was suddenly there, and I'd just as suddenly decided that I was going to do it. 

The kettle whistled, and I turned off the flame and grabbed a hot pad, picking it up and pouring water into both mugs. I set it back down, and went to get milk to cool them down a bit.

Once I had the milk put away, I stuck a spoon in each mug, and stirred, mixing the powder into the water and milk mixture. I watched it swirl together, thinking that's what my mind felt like at the moment. 

I wasn't sure if my idea was a good one. But I didn't think it was a bad one either. Would I be planning to do it if Soo Ah wasn't going to die? Maybe not yet. But maybe I would. Would she think I was only doing it because she was dying? Would she turn me down? Would she get mad at me?

All these questions were spinning around in my head, and it didn't take me long to realize that if I didn't stop thinking so much, I'd end up talking myself out of it. Not because I didn't want to do it. I did. But because I was worried about her reaction. I didn't want to upset her, or make her angry. I had no way of knowing what she would do, or say. I only knew that not so long ago, she didn't want me to have feelings for her. 

She'd obviously accepted them now, but that didn't mean she wanted to take things any further.

I picked up the two mugs, carefully making my way back to the living room. She was sitting on the couch, petting Yoshi. I didn't even realize he'd finished eating and left the kitchen. 

She smiled at me, reaching for the mug I offered.

"Be careful, it's hot."

"Thank you."

She brought it to her lips, blowing on it and taking a small sip, her hands curving around the mug, no doubt soaking in the warmth.

I sat next to her and watched her, a warm feeling growing in my chest, and I knew I was doing the right thing. 

I could have bought flowers, or a fancy engagement ring, but I didn't feel it was necessary. I loved her, and I wanted her to be my wife.

"Soo Ah, marry me..."

Her face registered shock, then her hands started to shake, the cocoa threatening to slosh over the side of her mug and possibly burn her. 

I quickly set my mug down and wrapped my hands around hers, steadying them, then took the  mug from her, setting it on the table beside me. 

I turned back to her, her face still frozen in surprise. I took each of her hands in mine, feeling them tremble, and I looked into her eyes. She was staring, not really connecting with me on any level, and I started to worry that it had, in fact, been a bad idea.

I ducked my head, trying to get her to meet my gaze.

"Soo Ah..." 

Her eyes finally focused, meeting mine, and they immediately filled with tears. I stayed quiet, waiting for a response, any kind of response. But she continued to stare at me, and a tear rolled from the corner of her eye down along her nose, disappearing in the corner of her mouth.

She blinked, swallowing, then licked her lips, taking a breath. Her mouth opened, as if she was going to speak, but nothing happened. She closed it, biting her lip, her eyes meeting mine once again. Her hands still trembled in mine, and I squeezed them lightly.

"Please say something," I whispered

Her expression relaxed, and she finally smiled, a small smile, but a smile nonetheless. 

"I don't know what to say. I'm not even sure I heard what I think I heard. I may have imagined it, because, I find it hard to believe that you just suggested I marry you..."

I smiled at her, squeezing her hands again, bringing them up to my lips, kissing her knuckles.

"You didn't imagine it. I said it. And I meant it."

She tried to keep the smile on her face, but her emotions got the best of her, and she wrinkled her nose up, squeezing her eyes closed.

"Why do you wanna marry me?" She asked quietly. "You're just going to end up-"

"Because I love you. That's all the reason I need." I cut her off, not wanting to hear what I knew she was going to say.

She met my gaze, her eyes swimming with tears, but underneath those tears, I could see her happiness. It wasn't marred by sadness, there was no fear or worry or pain in her eyes. Only pure, untainted happiness.

"So, Soo Ah, will you marry me?"

She laughed, then she cried. She nodded, squeezing my hands tightly with her tiny ones.

"Yes, Taehyung, I'll marry you."

 I pulled her into my arms, carefully pulling her onto my lap. She wrapped her arms around my neck, and I brushed my lips across hers, kissing her softly. I was overwhelmed, and relieved, and nervous, but above all, I was happy.

"We'll do it right away. Jungkook and Jimin can be witnesses."

She giggled, pressing little kisses against my lips, her arms tightening around my neck. I held her, thinking only of marrying her, making her my wife. I wasn't going to let any sadness ruin this moment.

We stayed like that for awhile, her face buried against my neck, my arms around her waist, nose pressed into her hair. After some time had passed, I realized that there were still things I had wanted to ask her. I loosened my arms, lifting my head to look at her. 

"I love you, Soo Ah."

"I love you too, Taehyung."

I gently set her off my lap, and turned to face her, taking her hands in mine again. 

"I've got something else to ask you."

She looked at me, a small frown turning her lips down some.

"What is it?"

"Soo Ah..." I didn't want to upset her, and considering she had never offered any information other than that she had a younger sister, I knew it was possible I might. But I needed to know. I needed to know if there was someone I would have to...inform of her passing when that time came.

"Where is your family? Why are they not here, spending time with you, and taking care of you? Why have you been alone all this time?"

Her gaze dropped, and she let out a breath, the grip of her hands loosening in mine. A minute passed, and then her eyes met mine again. 

"You wouldn't understand, Taehyung. I love my family, I really do, but it's better this way. I hope you can just trust me on this."

"Okay. I respect whatever your decision is regarding your family. If you don't want them to know, that's your choice. But don't you think they should know...after?"

She sighed again, looking at me sadly. "Yes, I do. But I can't expect you to go to people you don't know, and tell them that their daughter has died."

"Is there anyone else that will do it?"

"No. I don't know anyone that well here, except you, and Jimin and I guess Jungkook. There's no one that can tell them."

I drew in a breath. As much as the thought gave me anxiety, it would be my responsibility, as her husband, to go and tell them. 

"I can tell them, Soo Ah."

"Tae, I can't ask you to do that..."

"You don't have to ask me. We'll be married, and that will make it my responsibility to do it."

"Do we have to talk about this right now?" She whined.

"No, we don't, but I feel like if we don't talk about it now, you won't want to talk about it later either. How bout this. Promise me that at some point, you'll write down your parents address, and leave it in the top drawer of my nightstand. I promise I won't look at it, until I need to."

She pouted, and I gave her a smile. 

"Fine. Now can we not ever talk about this again?"

It upset me a little that she seemed to just want to forget her family. I had lost mine, and I'd do anything to get them back. Yet she didn't even want to talk about hers. 

"Taehyung, I'm sorry," she suddenly whispered.

I glanced at her, seeing her brows drawn together, a somber expression on her face.

"I'm so sorry. I just realized how it must sound, and you must think I'm an awful daughter. I wish I knew how to explain it, but I'm not sure I have the words to make it make sense. Please believe me when I say that I love my family, and I lived with them right up until I came here to Seoul, and then found out that I only had a year."

She smiled sadly.

"All I can say is...I didn't want to spend that year as if it were my last. So I chose to stay here, and not tell my family. I'm so sorry if it doesn't make sense to you right now, and I know how it must make you feel. I just hope you can understand that I did it this way for me, so that I could live out my last days my way. Maybe one day, when you meet my beautiful mother, it'll make sense."