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Nia took the bus home that afternoon.  It was raining again, so she didn’t want to have to walk much.  Thankfully, Taehyung’s house wasn’t too far from a bus stop, and she’d bought an umbrella while they were out, so walking a few blocks home wouldn’t be too bad.

When she finally arrived home, she found Taehyung sound asleep on the couch.  Yeontan was laying on his chest, also asleep.  It was odd.  He never slept in the afternoon like this.  She walked over to the couch and stared down at him.  He looked so peaceful.  She smiled.  But then she remembered something.

——————–

In their last month together, one night, it had been raining.  Tae had stayed at her place yet again.  It was rare that he didn’t sleep at her house these days.  The few mornings that she awoke alone, she’d only naturally assumed that he’d gone home to see his mother.  But he never left her before she was asleep.

Tonight, he’d been exhausted.  He’d fallen asleep before she had.  And she hadn’t been able to sleep.  So, she lay awake watching him.  One of her tears hit her pillow as she did.  She couldn’t believe she had to leave him.

In all honesty, if she’d told him surgery was possible, there may have been a way.  But she hadn’t.  She knew he would’ve gone without sleep to make enough money to save her, but to her, two last months with him was better than two months without him and the uncertainty that she’d survive surgery.

So here she was, breaking her heart for him while he was sleeping away peacefully, unaware that there was in fact a way for him to save the one he loved the most.  Nia didn’t know if her actions were selfish or selfless.  She was saving him from working himself to his limit, but she was also leaving him in return.

It made her feel guilty.  She was unwilling to tell him the whole truth.  But she needed him here.  She wasn’t sure what she would’ve done without him the past month.  In the moments when she’d been too weak to hold herself up, he’d just laid there and held her, telling her stories to keep her mind off of it.  When she’d had random bursts of energy, he’d given her inspiration to draw.  When she was feeling anywhere in between, he’d been there.  Always.  To make sure that even if she wasn’t feeling well physically, emotionally, she was ok.

At the same time, she regretted ever meeting him.  She knew it would crush him when she was gone.  And a sweet boy like him didn’t deserve to be crushed.  She cried silent tears into her pillow, not wanting to wake him.  It was too late now.  His heart couldn’t be saved from the pain.  As much as she hated it, she knew how much he loved her.  That love was the only thing keeping her going right now, but soon, it would turn and cause pain for Tae.

——————–

Taehyung blinked his eyes open to find Nia staring down at him, her face soaked in tears.  His eyes widened.  He sat up instantly, nearly knocking Yeontan out of her sleep.

“Nia?  What’s wrong?”

“I…I…remembered something….”

“What was it?” he asked, concerned.

She choked on a sob. “It was a night in the last month we were together.  You wouldn’t remember it.  You were asleep in the memory.”

“Oh…would you like to tell me what happened?”

She sniffled. “I suppose you know now that it was possible to save me with surgery…”

He nodded.

“I remember…thinking about how I hadn’t told you…and how much I thought it would hurt you if you knew.”

He smiled faintly. “Well…we can’t change the past, can we?”

She nodded.  Then she remembered what Hyuna had said. “Do you wanna…talk?  Get to know each other?”

“Sure!  How about we go get dinner?”