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Minho jolts awake from his dream—one that turned into a nightmare just as quickly as it started. He takes a shuddering breath in, desperately trying to calm his panicked bouts of breath. He places a hand on his chest, feeling his heart thumping against his ribcage like it's trying to escape.
He jumps slightly when he feels Gally shift beside of him. Minho smiles slightly as he watches Gally's face. It's peaceful, his features soft with sleep, clearly not plagued by any nightmares. At least not at this particular moment. Minho's smile fades, suddenly feeling the panic start to sink back into his chest at the thought of nightmares. Especially nightmares that plague Gally.
He shakes his head, sitting up. Carefully maneuvering himself out of the bed without waking Gally, Minho is able to get to the edge of the mattress where his boots are tucked neatly under their bed. He slides his boots on, he walks towards the entrance to their hut, quickly grabbing Newt's jacket that is hung by the door.
The air is much colder at night in the Haven than it had been in the Glade and the Scorch, thanks to the wind that blows the ocean air back at the island. It's now especially windy with the cold front that Vince keeps talking about rapidly approaching.
They've only been in the Safe Haven for a month. Everyone is still getting used to their new lives, Minho isn't exempt from that. As much as he'd like to be. He still has trouble with adjusting here, even if he won't admit it. It's hard for all of the Gladers.
Going from a place they called home for three years to a new, strange place that is their new home is challenging.
Even more challenging when you've gotten used to being a lab-rat like Minho has.
Minho sits down in one of the rocking chairs on their porch. Gally had built them with Jorge. Building things, Gally's own way of coping with everything, Minho figures. Minho sighs as he absentmindedly picks at the old scars that line the inside of his elbow, the skin quickly becoming red from the irritation. If Gally is happy, then he is too. But.. Why can't he seem to be? Minho isn't sure if he'll ever figure that out.
Instead of racking his brain to find an answer, trying to dissect himself like the WCKD doctors would do, he decides to look at the scenery around him.
The ocean is visible from their porch, its waves crashing gently along the rocky shoreline. The stars shine brightly, dotting the sky like the freckles on Gally's skin do. The cliff where Newt is buried sits diagonal to their hut, perfectly seen from where Minho is sitting. The memorial rock is highlighted by a still-burning bonfire on the beach. The wind blows through Minho's hair, the salty sea tinging the air.
Minho leans back, rocking slightly. He starts to feel himself relax. The muscles in his shoulders slowly starting to uncoil, coming out of the fight or flight mode he was just in. He just has to remind himself that he's safe. That they're safe. All of them.
Unfortunately, it's incredibly hard to de-condition yourself to live when all you've been doing for years is survive. They've all learned this the hard way. Through example.
"…It is two in the morning. Why are you awake?" Gally's low, sleep filled voice jumps Minho back to reality. Tearing his gaze from the memorial rock on the beach, Minho looks at his boyfriend with a small, dismissive smile.
Gally tilts his head, eyeing Minho pensively. He walks over to the rocking chair beside of Minho, sitting two cups of tea down on the small table in between of them. He then pulls his own rocking chair closer, slumping into it. Gally extends his hand, prompting Minho to take it. Minho takes it, running his thumb across Gally's bloated knuckles.
"Had a nightmare. Figured getting fresh air was better than sitting in bed waiting for dawn." Minho looks at the moon reflecting over the ocean, illuminating the waves as they crash on the sand. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to wake you."
Gally hums, shaking his head. He gives Minho's hand a gentle pulse. "You didn't. I woke up on my own, too."
This grabs Minho's attention. He turns his head, looking at Gally. His eyes prodding him to explain more. Gally smiles, the faintest hint of sadness tinging his lips.
"Nightmare too." He explains. Minho's face softens, guilt wringing in his gut.
"I thought you didn't have them.." Minho whispers, eyes dropping to the ground. Gally gets up, kneeling in front of Minho's rocking chair. He brings his hand up, cupping Minho's chin to meet his gaze.
"I don't have them often. Not now, at least. For some reason.. Having you close at night seems to drive them away. Ever since we've started sharing a bed, my nightmares are basically gone." Gally smiles, bringing Minho's hand up to his mouth to press a gentle kiss to the back of his hand. "Come back to bed and talk to me. I made tea, you can lay on my chest, and we can try to get a couple more hours of sleep before sunrise."
Minho visibly deflates, he had hoped to be alone until sunrise, had hoped he wouldn't have to make Gally stay awake. He nods, knowing he won't win this argument. Minho gets up from his chair and follows Gally back inside of their hut. A big part of him feels guilty. He woke Gally up by getting out of their bed, Gally needed him there and he wasn't. He wasn't there.
Gally's gentle hand finds its way to the small of his back, rubbing small circles there. Minho smiles, feeling himself relax into the touch. Gally might not be upset with him, but that doesn't erase guilt he's feeling.
They make it to their bed, settling back down. Gally lays down, patting his chest for Minho to lay down on it. He does so, laying his head right over Gally's sternum. His eyes wander to the star shaped scar planted just beside Gally's heart. His finger comes up, tracing it gently. The skin and scar itself is still sensitive, Minho knows not to push too hard or aggravate it. He leans over, pressing a soft kiss to the marred skin.
"It was WCKD this time." Minho murmurs, lips still pressed to the scar on Gally's chest. Gally looks down at him, frowning. His hand slips under Minho's shirt, tracing the scars that the lightning had burned into his skin on his back. Minho shivers at the light, feathery touch. He looks down at the pin-point scars lining his inner forearm and elbow. His other hand comes up, tracing them. "Can't remember details, but I know they were draining me. Always felt the needles in my arms when I woke up. Except when Newt and Thomas found me."
Gally moves Minho's hand down from his forearm, looking at the now scarred over needle marks embedded in the pale skin of his arm. He studies them for a moment, each dot in Minho's skin showing just how much they took from Minho. Physically and mentally.
"What happened before Newt and Thomas found you?" Gally ventures, his thumb tenderly stroking the small pinpoints. Minho curls into Gally's chest more, as if he's trying to hide from the memories. Gally holds him, hand still tracing the scars on his back. "Take it slow, I'm here."
Minho nods, taking a deep, shuddering breath in. Gally mirrors his breathing, nice and slow. After a minute of their rhythmic breathing, Minho nods again, bracing himself.
"Don't remember a lot, they pumped me full of sedatives before moving me out of my cell.. I know it was night, late at night. They took me to the lab, but.. Everyone was panicking." Minho explains, using Gally's touch as his anchor. He hopes Gally knows how much he means to him. Words aren't enough anymore. He presses a few more gentle kisses to Gally's chest. "Heard them say they wanted it all, I knew they were going to drain me, then. All of it."
Gally swallows the lump in his throat. He hadn't been inside of WCKD when Newt and Thomas found Minho, he'd only watched the three of them jump into the pond at the bottom of the tower. Gally has no idea what happened in the time prior to that moment. It makes him feel sick to his stomach to think that he was that close to losing Minho. Despite being right outside of the tower. And before that, Gally was right outside of the city's walls. He hugs Minho closer, nuzzling his mouth and nose in Minho's hair.
"Heard Thomas' voice.. Somehow. Fought the guards and doctors off and then.. Ran into them." Minho finishes, smiling slightly at the feeling of Gally's kisses to his scalp. "Then we found you."
"Then you found me." Gally parrots, nodding. He traces the scars on Minho's arms and back once more before shifting, cupping Minho's face so that he's looking at him. Gally strokes both of his cheeks, looking into his eyes.
"I know you hate the scars.." Gally starts, keeping eye contact with Minho as he speaks. He continues to pet Minho's cheeks as he continues. "But.. They show how resilient you are, how strong you are. They prove that you're a menace, impossible to get rid of. Luckily."
Minho scoffs, turning to bury his face back into his lover's chest. But Gally holds him there, keeps Minho's face in his hands. Minho meets his eyes again, blinking.
"I mean it, Min. With my entire heart." Gally then moves to press kiss after kiss to Minho's arms, over each pinprick and slice in his skin. He repeats the words over and over, sealing each meaning with a kiss to a different scar. "You're strong. You're courageous. You're brave."
Gally then moves to Minho back, taking his shirt off in order to reach the scars covering his back. Minho instantly curls in on himself, wanting to shield Gally's view of the ruined mess his skin has turned into.
But—to Minho's surprise—Gally doesn't flinch at the ragged scars, he begins kissing them. Starting from his nape, all the way down to his hips. Each kiss a reminder, a promise. He murmurs the same words over and over after each kiss. Strong. Courageous. Brave. Beautiful.
Tears pool in Minho's eyes at the action, at the reassurance. It's different to hear them from someone he loves, someone who loves him. All of him. Not just the flashy, tough persona he puts on for people. Gally loves the broken, vulnerable parts of him as well.
"Scars show that you didn't give up, you never did. You never do." Gally cups Minho's face once again, kissing his forehead. Then his nose. Then, finally, landing on his lips.
Minho laughs, copying him. He kisses Gally's forehead. Then his nose. Then his lips. Gally wipes his tears with both of his thumbs, brushing the droplets away.
"We're both here. Through it all." Minho's eyes flick down to Gally's chest, to the scar there. Gally brings Minho's palm up, pressing it flat against the scar. Gally's heartbeat thumps against Minho's hand, proving his point.
"We're here. We'll always be here."
And that's more than enough reassurance for Minho. He lays back down, pulling Gally down on his chest. Gally acts as a weighted blanket, keeping him still and weighed down. It makes Minho feel safe, protected. Something that he's used to providing to himself.
But now, Minho's slowly learning to allow himself to let his guard. Every once in a while, at least.
And when Minho does let his walls down, Gally will always be allowed in. And Gally lets his own walls down as well? Minho knows he'll always be allowed in, too.