Alexa had Namjoon’s words ringing in her ears for the next few weeks.  Be brave for Taehyung.  She wanted to keep her promise to Taehyung too, she wanted him to have his memories, for however short they would last, she wanted him to feel how much she loved him as he died, not in pain.

So, she pushed herself.  Everything Taehyung suggested she agreed to, pushing her fear down inside her, putting a smile on her face as his eyes lit up with excitement.  They went to the zoo together, the first real outing they had had in a long time.  Taehyung loved the animals, he was like a little kid as his eyes took in the exotic creatures with her.  In truth, she felt like a little kid too.  Her childhood being ruined at such an early age she could never remember doing these kinds of things with her family, and though she had heard of elephants and tigers and seen pictures of them, seeing the animals up close was a whole new experience. 

It was hard not to be frightened in the zoo.  It was summer time and every family wanted a day out there.  People would sometimes linger their eyes on them as they walked past, convincing her for the next hour that someone would say something, an officer would turn up and demand she go back to prison.  Taehyung could feel it all, keeping his hold around her tight whenever she panicked, calming her down. 

Hoobi came over with Yoongi a couple of times.  Taehyung had wanted them to cook together, but after their first attempt of the two of them messed up so badly they had to order food, he decided since Hoobi was the best cook he knew, he would ask them to come and cook together, the four of them. 

Neither Hoobi or Yoongi mentioned Taehyung’s soulsickness.  Alexa had a feeling that Taehyung had told them not to bring it up, he wanted to act normal.  Occasionally though she could feel Yoongi’s eyes on him, or Hoobi would touch him gently, and she knew they all had it in the back of their minds.  Nevertheless, they did their best to make their time together fun, never treating Alexa as different for rejecting him, if anything Hoobi was as sweet and kind as ever with her. 

They went to museums and art galleries together, sometimes alone, sometimes Jimin came, or Seokjin and Namjoon too.  Everyone acted the same way, never mentioning the soulsickness, though if Namjoon was with them, he would often pull Taehyung away for a few minutes to talk to him in private, and usually at that point Seokjin would distract Alexa, by telling her a tale of the artist they were looking at or a story about someone she was looking after in hospital. 

They didn’t see Jungkook almost at all.  Taehyung spoke on the phone with him, hushed conversations, but he never seemed to come around to the house much.  Jimin said he was having a hard time accepting Taehyung’s wishes, and he was sad a lot.  Jimin’s soulbond was constantly aching with his sadness.  It was the only time anyone mentioned that day in Namjoon’s to Alexa.  When Taehyung had left to go to the bathroom as they were in a café drinking tea one afternoon.

‘He will be ok, he’s getting better.’  Jimin had tried to smile after he explained about Jungkook.

‘I’m sorry Jimin, it’s my fault.’ She whispered, feeling the weight of guilt for Jungkook on top of her guilt for Taehyung.

‘It’s not, I agree with Taehyung.  So, does Jungkook, so don’t worry ok?  It’s like finding out your twin has cancer, he just needs some more time.  But he is getting better.  I can feel it.’ He smiled as Taehyung returned. 

Taehyung had been mostly healthy.  Though he wanted to go out and do things a lot, he paced it well with resting and just being together with Alexa.  He never seemed to pass out again, but he did say he was tired a lot.  It worried her that the more he was tired, the less time he had left.  No one had told her what to do if he seemed to get really sick and she worried a lot about what would happen once that day came. 

It had been almost a month since Taehyung had admitted to everyone he had soulsickness.  During that month they had been out doing things and seeing things every few days.  He had given her so many new experiences, taught her so much about art and life.  They had no one who said anything to them, lulling her into a sense of security.  Now she felt almost at peace with going outside.  Taehyung would walk them to the park sometimes and sit and draw.  One day Alexa asked him if she could draw too, captivated by how his fingers seemed to move across the paper.  Delighted he agreed, whispering what to do, holding her hands softly as he guided her around the paper to draw the flowers and trees in front of them.  Since then she tried to draw more and more, eventually trying to draw people. 

They were in the park one afternoon.  No one was around them, as they sat on a blanket and just enjoyed the nice weather together with the lunch Taehyung had packed from Hoobi’s latest dinner feast she had cooked up in their house. Taehyung had laid down on the blanket with his eyes closed, humming a tune to himself.  Alexa thought he had looked so serene and so beautiful she had attempted to draw him.  It was over an hour of her watching him and drawing him before he opened his eyes to her.  The sun seemed to light a fire in his eyes as he smirked at her. 

‘What are you drawing now?’ He asked her.

‘You.’ She mumbled, keeping her eyes on his chin that she was trying to get right.

‘Me?’ he said, twisting his eyebrows comically.

‘Uh-hum.’ She asked him, too engrossed in her work.

‘Make me look handsome.’ He grinned, closing his eyes again.

‘You’re always handsome.’ She muttered as he chuckled, lifting himself up.

‘I want to see.’

‘Oh, you’ve moved,’ she frowned, hiding the sketch pad from him around her back.  It wasn’t right yet, and she was slightly embarrassed to show him. 

‘So now you have to show me,’ his eyes danced as he lunged for the sketch pad, knocking her backwards with his weight on her.  ‘Show me, please.’ He begged peppering her face with kisses.

Giggling at his playfuln