Chapter Text
Being transported to a completely different world had to be the weirdest thing that has ever happened to you, but perhaps this was a close second.
One moment, you’re walking through a busy market with your friends, buying various wares and enjoying your visit to the Scalding Sands, and the next you’re being chased by three very large guards, running through large crowds of people in an effort to escape.
Whose guards even are these?!
Perhaps it was some sort of common scam that you fell into, but when the vendor of the stall you were purchasing items from accused you of stealing, you literally laughed in his face because, well, you didn’t steal anything. You knew much better than to steal in general, especially not in a foreign land in a completely different world where you basically didn’t exist, that’s for sure.
For what it was worth, Jamil had attempted to calm down the situation, using the Asim family name to try and shield you from the accusation, but the vendor was quite adamant, insisting that he had seen you attempting to steal. It probably was not the best option, but seeing three very large guards start to move towards you triggered your fight or flight instincts, making you dart around them and into the market, (in hindsight, it probably made you look guilty as hell, but it was too late to take it back).
“Hey! Get back here you thief!” The gruff shout was much closer than you thought, making you pick up your pace, attempting to slip through the crowd without knocking anybody over.
“I didn’t steal anything?!” You yelled back, ducking under a clothesline and frantically looking around for any sort of hiding spot. Your stamina was running low, especially with the intense heat of the sun beating down on you, making you feel a bit panicked. Should you try and go back to Jamil and the rest? Should you assert yourself as a guest of the Asim family?
What am I supposed to do?!
You could feel sweat dripping down your face as you reached the end of the market street, the crowd thinning out, which made it a bit easier to run. Unfortunately, it also made it a bit easier for the guards to run as well, and you felt like you could hear them directly behind you, very nearly caught up.
“Stop right there! You think you can steal here and get away with it?!” You groaned, locals staring you down as you ran, taking another turn and hoping it would lead to some kind of hiding spot.
How do I even hide while running…?!
“Again, I didn’t steal anything!! This is crazy!!” You shouted. It was probably in vain to deny it at this point, but you were no thief! You’re not going to own up to a crime you didn’t commit!
You were sure the sheer panic and desperation could probably get you through another couple of blocks, but you suddenly got yanked rather forcefully to the side, abruptly pulled into a small side alleyway.
“Hey-!”
“This way. Unless you’d like to be caught?” A smooth, teasing voice came from the cloaked figure in front of you, a firm yet gentle grip on your wrist as you were led through a series of alleyways, weaving through different intersections and jumping over crates. You were panting viciously at this point, barely able to keep up with this nimble stranger who seemed to know these roads oddly well.
Another firm tug on your wrist had you careening into a small gap between two buildings, the momentum of suddenly being yanked made you collide into your hooded savior, which elicited a small chuckle. You drew back quickly, embarrassed, back pressed firmly against the wall behind you.
“Oh? Falling for me already?” The hood of the cloak had fallen, revealing possibly the most handsome man you’d laid eyes on, (and you had seen many since arriving in Twisted Wonderland).
He only seemed to be slightly out of breath after running for so long, his short brown hair not even seeming to have a hair out of place, (how was that possible?!). His bangs swept over either side of his face, and there was a very intricately designed teal headpiece tied over the top of his head, the length fastened in what seemed to be a bubble braid, flowing down until it almost reached the floor. What caught your attention the most though was how his dark brown eyes were trained on you, an amused smile on his lips as he quirked an eyebrow at you.
“Speechless from my good looks, is it?”
“Wha-?! No!” You sputtered, pulling your silken scarf across your face. “You would be in shock too if you got accused of stealing, then subsequently got chased through a market in a different world and saved by some random stranger.”
“Different world?” He questioned, hand at his chin as he gave you a rather suspicious look. “As far as I know, we can’t travel to other worlds…”
Shoot.
“Foreign land, then. Whatever you would like to call it,” You said, hoping it was enough to cover your slip-up. “It’s a rather jarring experience, I’ll have you know.”
The stranger seemed to be a bit hesitant to accept your words, but he did anyway, leaning back against the wall that was behind him. “So then, if you weren’t stealing, what were you doing?” He questioned, arms crossed. His gaze was strangely intense now, his dark eyes now a stark difference from his previous teasing.
“Well…” You paused for a moment, praying to whoever was watching over you that you hadn’t stumbled upon some secret security guard that would lock you away for life. “If you must know, I was about to purchase some items in the market when the vendor accused me of stealing.”
“And did you?” You scowled at the man across from you, not appreciating his insinuation. He only tilted his head in question, waiting for your answer.
“Of course not! I just said that…” You sighed, furrowing your brows in frustration. “I don’t think I would attempt to steal something even if it was guaranteed I wouldn’t get caught. It’s wrong…but also, I have too much anxiety for that. I just want to try and live a peaceful life.” You admitted, staring at the ground and huffing in defeat. “Fate has it out for me, it seems.”
A few moments passed by, and you almost thought that you were about to be interrogated again, when suddenly you heard laughter.
The stranger in front of you had covered his mouth with his hand, shaking silently as he seemed to be trying to stifle his chuckles. You stared at him in shock, eyebrows raised all the way up as you tried to think how he could possibly find your situation even slightly amusing.
“Pfft…Sorry, it’s just-”
“You’re laughing?! How is this funny to you?!” You questioned, unsure of whether or not you should be offended right now.
“Hah! Running from palace guards is certainly one way to try and ‘live a peaceful life’.” He teased, his seriousness almost immediately gone. “And here I thought you were some kind of famous thief!”
“You helped me thinking I was a famous thief??” You asked, stunned at his seemingly crazy decisions. “What would you have done if I threatened you?!”
“It’s a good thing you aren’t then, is it not?” He countered, a smug smirk on his lips. “You’re not a native, so what brings you here?”
“...And why do you want to know?” You questioned, giving him your own suspicious look. “How do I know I can trust you?”
“You’re suspicious of me…” He murmured, a thoughtful look on his face. “At least you have some survival skills.”
“Hey!”
“I feel a bit hurt though. I practically saved you, didn’t I?”
“Yes, but…I don’t even know your name. Do you want me to give you my whole life story just because you saved me?” You questioned sarcastically, waving him off.
He sighed dramatically, laughing a bit when you glared at him “Minhaj.”
“Huh?”
“My name. Your turn.” He looked at you expectantly, his fingers tapping on his crossed arms. You pressed your lips together, already hearing Jamil’s voice in your head about not trusting strangers and ‘personal safety’.
He did save you, though. That probably counts for something, right?
Right.
“...(Y/N).” You finally said. Minhaj seemed pleased with your answer, pushing off from the wall and looking at you a little closer, an amused smile on his face.
“Hmm, I should have known there would be a pretty name to a pretty face.” Your eyes bulged at his words, immediately looking away and choking on air. He chuckled at your reaction, and you were suddenly very aware of the rather small space the two of you were hiding in.
“You don’t really-”
“Shh.” And he was suddenly right up in front of you, a slender finger held to your lips to silence you as his sharp eyes stared at something outside the space you both were in.
“Sir, we weren’t able to locate the thief.” Your heart damn near stopped beating at the familiar voice of the guards, who seemed to be gathered just outside of where you and Minhaj were.
“Damnit! That brat got away…Search the market area again!”
“Yes sir!” With that, there were heavy footsteps that seemed to be running away, getting quieter until the guards had left the area altogether.
Minhaj removed his finger from your lips, and you let out a shaky breath you didn’t know you were holding, your heart going a million miles an hour.
“Thanks…” You murmured, paranoid about being found. Minhaj lingered for a moment longer, the edges of his silken cloak brushing against you before he pulled away again, letting out a big sigh with a shit-eating grin.
“Who would’ve thought you would be so dangerous to be around, (Y/N)?”
“I’m not dangerous, it’s just a misunderstanding…!” You huffed, biting the inside of your cheek. You had no idea how you were going to find your friends again now that the guards had gone back to the market to look for you, but you had a sliver of hope that Minhaj might help you out.
“Mm, if you say so~” You only rolled your eyes at his grin, choosing to look at the wall instead.
“I do.”
“You’re cute when you pout.”
“Wh-I’m not-?!”
“Are you thirsty? You seemed to be struggling in that last leg of running.” His words immediately shut you up, a bit embarrassed that he noticed your lack of stamina.
“...I might be.”
“Well, I might be able to help with that, and I might also know how to get you to your next destination. What do you say? Do you trust me?” He put his hand out in offering with his question, the words looming in the air for a few moments.
Screw it.
You carefully put your hand in his, your fingertips brushing against his in a way that felt like a spark of electricity. “For now…yes.” He gave you a cheeky smile, using his free hand to adjust your silken scarf in a way that covered your face more.
“I was hoping you would say that.” And suddenly he was leading you out from the hiding space, peeking around the corners just in case there were some guards lingering around. Even after leaving the small space he kept a firm hold on your hand, saying something about ‘not wanting to lose you’ when you carefully asked him about it, (you feel like you’re about to combust).
It felt as though he was leading you through a city-wide maze, making various turns and helping you climb over small fences and boxes. He was surprisingly gentle in his touch, but still kept a firm grip in case you lost your balance, catching you by your waist in one instance where you had almost fallen.
“Falling for me again, (Y/N)?” He had teased, that playful smirk almost haunting you at this point.
“You wish.”
The sun was beginning to set on the horizon when you two finally reached his destination; a lone stall far away from any other sellers that had a bountiful amount of green coconuts, all perfectly ready for refreshing coconut water. Your thirst had reached an all-time high after the time you both had spent getting here, and you were grateful to finally have a bit of rest.
“Two coconut waters, please.” Minhaj politely asked. The vendor let out a grunt in response, grabbing two large coconuts and promptly chopping the tops off of them. A straw was placed in each one, which was rather convenient since you think it would be rather hard to drink directly from a coconut without making a fool of yourself.
You rummaged around in your sling bag for a moment, trying to scrounge up the money Jamil had given you at the beginning of the trip. It had fallen to the bottom of the bag, probably when you were running throughout the streets.
Before you could get a hold of it, Minhaj paid the appropriate amount of money to the man, taking the two coconuts and handing one of them to you.
“Wait, let me pay you back at least.” You said, furrowing your brows in concentration as you got a grasp of the money. Minhaj shook his head though, taking a long sip of his beverage before speaking.
“It’s my treat. After the events of this afternoon, I would like for you to have a somewhat good impression of my homeland’s hospitality.” You frowned at him, feeling a bit guilty about letting him pay for you.
“I have money…”
“I am well aware. Can a man not be chivalrous anymore?” The rhetorical question hung in the air for a moment, making Minhaj shake the coconut in your direction. “My arm is getting tired here, you know.”
“...Fine. Next time though, I’ll pay.”
“Oh? You’re already thinking about seeing me again?” He teased, giving you a wink. He wasn’t being serious, but his words suddenly made you realize that yes, that’s exactly what you had been thinking of.
“Nevermind.” You said, walking off in a random direction, trying to play off your fumble. What was going on with you, and why was Minhaj having this effect on you…?
He followed behind you, catching up rather quickly. “Do you even know where you’re going?” He asked, seeming amused at your embarrassment.
“Mm, I can figure it out.”
“Right…you don’t know my secret spot, though.” You finally looked at him again, a bit curious as to what he was referring to. He gives you an almost blinding grin, and you suddenly begin to wonder how he doesn’t take out every person he smiles at.
“...Your secret spot?”
“I mean, if you’d rather wander around these barren streets, be my guest.” He said nonchalantly, humming to himself and sipping his drink. His eyes peeked over at you, seeing if you were convinced by his performance yet.
“Well, since you seem so eager to show me, I guess I’ll let you.” You finally said, giving in. Minhaj looked at you with a proud look, like he knew he would eventually convince you of it, (as he seemed to keep on doing).
“I knew you’d come around. It’s this way.”
Now that the streets were more empty, he didn’t keep hold of your hand this time, and you couldn’t help but miss the contact from him. Maybe you weren’t thinking straight or maybe the heat had finally gotten to you, but you could feel yourself gravitating more towards him…
It’s vacation, I can let loose a little…
His ‘secret spot’ wasn’t too much farther from the coconut stand, and it happened to be at the top of what seemed to be an abandoned building. Surprisingly, it didn’t seem as eerie or scary as they usually were in your own world, and was instead home to different stray animals, (whom you spent way too much time petting and cooing at). Minhaj eventually was able to drag you away from them, leading you up the stairs and through the doorway to the roof.
He seemed to spend a good amount of time here; there were a few chairs arranged in a corner, along with a small side table and a tiny carpet that had probably seen better days.
The part that caught your attention the most was the gorgeous sunset that painted the sky. It was a mural of fiery reds and oranges that faded into soft purples and pinks, a sight that you usually could never see on Sage’s Island.
“Woah…is it always like this here?” You asked, taking a seat next to Minhaj and staring at the colors in the sky. He chuckled at your childlike awe, resting his head on his hand.
“For the most part. Despite seeing it hundreds of times, the sunsets still manage to surprise me.” He said, staring off into the distance with a thoughtful look in his eyes. “It reminds me that there’s still so much I haven’t seen yet.” There was a longing tone to his voice, almost as if he wouldn’t be allowed to see the things he wants to.
There was something about the sullen look on his face that resonated with you. You paused for a while, taking time to think about your words. “I think…sometimes it’s easy to take what you have for granted,” You started. Minhaj seemed surprised, but stayed silent, waiting for you to finish. “Not that that’s what you’re doing. But sometimes…you get so caught up in wanting something new and different, that you don’t realize what you have in the moment. It’s something that you can regret if you do lose it.” You finished, your eyes drifting back over to him. “I really hope that doesn’t happen to you, Minhaj.”
He was silent for a long while after that, long enough that you had begun to think you had upset him. That hadn’t been your intention, but then again, you weren’t sure if you’d ever had a particular way with words.
“Hah…” His dry chuckle made your heart drop, and you prepared yourself for a scolding of some sort. “Normally, I would say that you’re wrong, but something tells me you know all too well what that feels like. I appreciate you being honest, it means more to me than you might know. Honesty is…not something that’s easy for me to come by. Thank you.” He gave you a small smile, his dark eyes warm as he gazed at you.
You looked away, feeling your face flush at his cute expression. “It’s the least I could do after everything you’ve done for me today.” You murmured, sipping on the last parts of your drink.
The rest of the lowering sunset was calm and quiet, a peaceful silence hanging over you both as the sky began to darken. You weren’t exactly sure what it was about Minhaj, but he made you feel calm and collected.
Once the sun had dipped below the valley, Minhaj stood up from his seat, stretching his limbs. “Now then, where shall I lead you next?” His words made your eyes go wide; you had completely forgotten about meeting back up with your friends.
Jamil is going to be so pissed.
At your shocked expression, Minhaj laughed, striding over and ruffling your hair. “Were you having so much fun with me that you forgot about getting back with your group, habibi?” You quirked an eyebrow at the nickname, unsure of what it meant.
“In your dreams. I’m keeping them waiting on purpose.” You confidently said, checking your phone.
25 missed calls from Jamil, 30 from Vil, 100 missed text messages in the group chat…
You closed your eyes for a moment, praying to anybody who would listen. Jamil is genuinely going to cook you alive when you get back to the estate…
“Oh? You don’t seem so confident now.” You stood up from your seat, giving Minhaj a playful glare.
“We will probably never meet again, since I’m about to be cooked alive.” You stated, accepting your fate. “Thank you for today though, I probably owe you the rest of my life for not being thrown in jail until death.”
“Until death?” He asked, eyebrows raised in surprise. “I suppose you’re indebted to me then.”
“I suppose I am.” He smirked at your words, amused.
“Careful there. I might just ring in a favor someday soon.” You probably should have felt a bit nervous about that, but instead you were only filled with the hope of seeing him again.
“I’ll be waiting.”