Redamancy (Minho | The Maze Runner)

十九: Moments

AN: Hey guys! :D so well, I actually got caught up this really awesome anime, it's called Haikyuu! and it's about hot volleyball playing high school boys *^* I just started a new fanfiction about it, (that doesn't mean I'll abandon this one though so don't worry :P) and I'd really appreciate it if you guys check it out if you do watch Haikyuu and tell me what you think! <3

--

The early morning light spilling across the maze dyed everything in shades of bright yellow, giving everything a sharp sheen about it and Qiufeng noted as she took a deep breath that the air was as fresh as ever, mixed in with scents of the earth, dirt and ivy. There were no grievers around and therefore no death threats so far. Everything seemed optimal for a day out running in the maze. Or so it would be, if she wasn't paired up with a certain somebody.

She fought the urge to glance back at her companion, who hadn't said a word since they had left the glade. After finding out that she was being paired with him, she was pretty much shocked into silence. By the time she had plucked up enough courage to protest against the pairings, they were already at the doors and so she just decided to shut up and go with it. Even if things were, more or less extremely awkward ever since they separated from the group.

Shucking hell, this was almost as bad or actually on second thought, even worse than the time she first got her period in the maze. At least during that time she wasn't on bad terms with anyone, just Gally perhaps. Now because something happened two nights ago concerning the both of them, the thing is that they both know it but aren't sure that the other is also aware of it. It was creating this awkward tension in the air that would probably made her squirm if she wasn't running. The worst part of it was that she somehow knew they were going to talk about it. Or at least that was what her gut feeling was.

They ran for what seemed like forever, both of them too immersed in their thoughts to strike up a conversation. The only time they exchanged words was when it was time to take a short water break. Minho would call out and she would acknowledge. That was pretty much the pattern. Qiufeng was quite relieved so far that the other wasn't trying to make conversation. Perhaps she could somehow escape the entire day without needing to force herself to be natural, because that was what she was worst at honestly.

Then they stopped for lunch.

They sat a comfortable distance from each other and ate in silence. When done, they rested for a brief moment before suddenly Minho, after all his silence in the maze, spoke.

"So, what's with you these few days?" he asked, his voice quiet.

"M-me?" Qiufeng answered too quickly and ended up stammering. She thought her heart might jump out of her throat. So they were really going to do this huh. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she closed her eyes for a very brief moment. If she stammered anymore it'll be too obvious. "I'm good these few days, y'know, the usual."

"The usual huh." Minho's voice seemed slightly amused and she thought that she heard a hint of bitterness within it. Though it might've been her imagination because her brain was frantically trying to keep it together. "Are you sure?" he asked again. "Because it almost seems as if you've been trying to avoid me."

Expletives exploded in her head as she processed his last sentence and she swallowed slowly. Her heart seemed to swell in several emotions within that few seconds, leaving her a little breathless as she struggled to come up with a reply. "What? Really?" Qiufeng laughed awkwardly, still not quite sure of what she was feeling at the moment. "No way."

"Stop it," he said curtly.

"Stop what?" she tried to keep her voice strong but it was as though her vocal cords were being wrung.

"Stop lying." He turned to look at her and she flinched at the hurt in his eyes. Glancing away quickly, the guilt of ignoring his feelings and hers started to set in. She briefly wondered over the wave of emotions that was threatening to drown her, that if perhaps trying to do what was best for the both of them was wrong.

But then again, it was for the best wasn't it? Although she had tried to ignore it all along, she knew deep down inside it herself. Until the wakeup call Minho gave her two nights ago, the maze was definitely the worst place to try and make a romance work. Emotions could get in the way of making the best decisions for the entire glade. It was really for the best. For the good of the gladers, their friends, for herself, for him. It was honestly better this way.

For some reason it seemed as though she was trying to convince herself more so than anyone else though.

"Look, it's for the best okay?" she eventually said, her voice threatening to give way. Before he could say anything else though, she took a deep breath and spoke again. "Look, we both..." she faltered for a second but then pushed forward. "We both know, what's going on here."

"I know, what's going on." Qiufeng turned to meet his gaze and she tried to keep her emotions in check but everything was just coming out unintentionally in her voice. Spilling out into the open for him to see. Hurt, regret, anger, sadness, pain, longing and so much more she couldn't even put a name to. Then trembling, she averted her eyes and whispered, "I heard you talking to Newt the other night."

She didn't look back at him, so he lowered his gaze as well and stared at the ground in front of him. Minho figured that something was up, but he didn't think that she had heard the entire conversation that he had with Newt the other night. He had an inkling that perhaps maybe Newt told her about the entire thing, that's why she was acting so differently. But he didn't expect...

"I'm sorry," he finally said after they had sat there in silence for a few minutes.

"We should get going," she eventually said, standing up after grabbing her bag.

He followed wordlessly, wondering if perhaps this was really the right way to do things. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. The ideal choice was to keep emotions out of this, but in the end they were all human after all.

"It's okay," she said, as if she read his mind. Turning back to him, she smiled. "It's just... Better this way right?"

Minho felt the urge to reach out and touch her, but it seemed as though it would just encourage all the wrong things, all the wrong feelings. For both of them.

You say that it's okay, but...

Qiufeng felt something wet slip down her cheek and her eyes widened in surprise. "Oops..." she mumbled with an awkward laugh, lowering her head. She hastily wiped it away with the back of her palm, but the more she wiped, the more it wouldn't stop.

Minho approached the shaking girl slowly and took her by the shoulders. She looked up, startled out of crying for that moment. He searched her face, saw all the tears clinging to her eyelashes, all the emotions in her eyes, her flushed cheeks, her trembling lips. Another teardrop emerged from the corner of her eye and hung there. He brushed it away gently.

Even if it's just for this moment...

"Qiufeng, I- " he started, before suddenly a piercing shriek erupted from somewhere in the maze, startling them both.

Both of them instinctively looked around, searching their surroundings for danger. But even when nothing but the ivy moved when the wind blew, they knew something was wrong.

"We'd better get back," Qiufeng whispered, wiping away the last of her tears herself.

"Yeah." Minho let go of her and stood back.

He gave her a minute to settle down before they both set off running as fast as they could manage without a word of what happened just a few moments before.