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Minho never came across as someone who cared for others greatly. Yet, Gally’s eyes drifted towards him anyways, always so focused on unlocking the heart within the man.
Someone beat him to it, however. And maybe someone isn’t the best way to put it. Rather, some people.
He should backtrack a bit.
When they arrived in Wicked, ready to release Minho from his cell, there were over twenty children in the same prison block as him. Minho likely got to know them during his six months of travelling before they all were placed in the Last City, and therefore the children look up to him a lot— considering he is at least four years older than most of them.
Now, in the Safe Haven, Gally can’t go a day without seeing a small cluster of the kids following Minho around like ducklings. He finds it adorable.
One day, Gally is walking down a path in the haven, hands in pockets, mind focused on getting to the building site Vince has appointed him to. However, a person comes in to view— a person who always makes Gally’s pulse leap— and Gally admittedly glances at them with wide, gleaming eyes.
Minho.
Looking gorgeous in the afternoon sunlight, at least ten children laughing and strolling along with him. Minho hasn’t looked as happy as this since they arrived in the Haven, and it makes Gally smile fondly. Just by merely passing Minho on this dirt track, Gally can count his freckles again, admire his grin, fall deeply in to his dark eyes—
He feels something bump in to him. Jumping, he looks down, only to see a terrified face staring up at him. It’s a young boy, and he quickly side steps, grabbing on to Minho’s hand. Gally’s expression turns awkward, worried he’s been caught ogling at Minho, “Sorry..”
“Hey!” Minho’s voice. Gally whips his head towards him, heart falling out of his chest. Minho’s eye twitches, “Watch it.” he almost bares his teeth at Gally, before muttering something and ushering his group along.
Gally is left alone. Standing there like an idiot on the path. Lip trembling.
What?
What just happened?
Minho had just growled at him. Basically told him to ‘back off’. And Gally physically cannot hide the pain in his heart.
He knows why Minho acted the way he did. Chuck. He’s still angry about Chuck, because isn’t everyone? Sucking in a breath, Gally hurriedly continues walking before anyone can see how much he’s hurting.
Minho hasn’t seen Gally in two weeks.
He feels bad— of course he does— but his mind is all over the place.
After spending the entire morning hovering around Frypan, pestering him for ingredients and a recipe, he emerges from the community kitchen with a warm batch of biscuits on a tray, underneath a tea-towel. Gingerbread biscuits, to be exact.
Heading towards where he knows his younger friends are milling about, his eyes fall in the direction of Gally's lone hut, which sits a few minutes walk away from the rest of the Haven. Shame flashes across Minho's face. He decides to go and speak to Gally later though, as currently, he has a troop of hungry mouths to feed.
The kids all spring up when they see Minho approaching, like they always do. Minho lets out a small laugh as three pounce at him with questions. Where were you? What are you holding? Are you feeling okay? Did you sleep last night—
Minho shoos them back, sitting down the tray on a log nearby. Gradually, all twenty seven of the children gather in a circle around him, curious. With a grin, Minho whips the tea-towel away, "Two each!"
There's a knock at Gally's door. This startles him, considering that it is bordering twelve o'clock at night, but any element of surprise he has left in his mind when he opens the door vanishes when he sees Minho. Wordlessly, he scowls and turns away, but he leaves the door open for Minho to walk through.
Minho doesn't say anything right away, and instead shuts the door, standing facing it for a moment, gathering his wits. When he looks back around, a plate clenched stiffly in his hands, he watches as Gally busies himself with chores around his house.
He never goes on to ask Minho why he's here, just avoids looking at him for as long as he can. When Gally slows down, now doing mindless tasks as simple and unnecessary as fluffing his bed's pillows up, Minho clears his throat. "I saved you three." He holds up the plate a bit.
Gally barely glances his way. "Why?"
There's a sour taste in Minho's mouth, "Because.. I wanted to?"
"Sure you did."
Lips pressing together tightly until they crease in to a frown, Minho places the plate heavily down onto Gally's side table as he begins to move through the room. "What's with the attitude?"
"What's—" Gally sucks in a breath, "What's with the attitude? You're one to talk!"
"Gally—?"
"I understand you still hate me for it, and don't try and lie to me, but I didn't need to be reminded! Do you not think I feel guilty as fuck about it already?"
"Gally, what are you talking about—"
"Chuck!"
There's silence in the room. All Minho can hear is Gally's heavy breathing and the ticking of a clock behind them. His eyebrows knit together, eyes flicking across Gally's face, hoping he truly means anything but that. Minho finds no alternate answer, "N..no, no— Gally..."
"Just leave me alone."
Minho squeezes his eyes shut, shaking his head, "Please don't tell me you're still blaming yourself about that."
"Stop being such a shucking hypocrite! You obviously blame me too, huh?"
"What makes you think that?"
The shocked expression on Gally's face is swiftly smothered over by anger, "Go. Leave."
"No." Minho steps closer to him. Gally looks at the ceiling, face flushing red, tears gathering in his eyes. He feels stupid now. Backing away, he pivots and tries to move towards the other side of the room. Minho puts a hand on his shoulder, "Talk to me."
"Piss off!" Gally shouts, shoving Minho off of him with a sudden aggression he hadn’t felt in the moments prior to this.
With a yelp, Minho is sent stumbling back, and he loses his footing, falling hard towards Gally's floor. A thousand conflicting emotions cross Gally as he watches Minho stumble, but he instinctively reaches out to catch the guy. When he misses Minho's hand, fingers barely brushing, he ends up landing on his side. What hurts more is how Minho is only still for a moment from the initial fright of hitting the ground, before he is up on his knees, checking on Gally.
"Gal? Are you alright?"
Gally is unable to stop the tears this time. He curls in on himself, whole body trembling. Minho feels sick just watching him. Sighing, he rubs Gally's back slowly, making a repetitive circular motion with his palm. They remain there for a while until Gally has calmed down, sobs evolving in to pitiful sniffles. "Hey," Minho says gently, "I'm sorry, okay? I.. I didn't mean it."
In acknowledgement, Gally hums, pushing himself into a sitting position. He rubs his eyes, trying to avoid looking at Minho. Minho chuckles quietly, moving on to his knees, then on to his feet. He leaves Gally's side for a moment, then returns— plate in hand. When Gally sees this, he can't fight off a small smile, "Don't be an idiot, Mín."
"Shh." Minho nudges the gingerbread towards Gally, "They're all yours."
Picking up one, Gally smiles at it, seeing the badly drawn face and buttons in sugar icing. He hands it to Minho, then picks up another one. Minho blinks, confused. Gally stops averting his gaze from him and looks him dead in the eyes, taking a bite of it.
Minho smirks, taking a biting in to his own one. Their heads are close together, making the scene oddly intimate- from Minho's point of view at least. After a round of small, hushed laughs and snickers, they finish the cookies. Gally glances at the one last gingerbread still on the plate, then smiles back at Minho, "Want to split?"
"It's yours." Minho shakes his head.
Challenging as ever, Gally picks it up and cracks it in half, not breaking eye contact with Minho.
They stay quiet for a minute, then Minho flashes a toothy grin at him, "Only if you insist."