a/n: posting his next as requested !! one of my best friends said "minghao makes me want to believe in scorpio men" and she was so right for that. i have also said that if someone doesn't feel about me the way that "hai cheng" describes, i don't want it. this is my long-winded way of saying minghao is my kryptonite <3 pics not mine !!
content: fluff | wc: 1.4k | warnings: none! | pairing: boyfriend!minghao x gn!reader | requests: open
minghao's giggle will ring in my ears for hours after i hear it for a few seconds so you can imagine how long thoughts of boyfriend minghao will linger in my mind after writing this :,,,-)
to put it simply, minghao is so so dreamy
he's romantic!!! in a natural way that isn't rehearsed
he thinks of you so dearly and treats you with so much care that everything he does makes your heart swoon and your knees weak
always has his hand at your back when you're walking in a public place. always asking you if you've eaten/had enough water/taken your medications or supplements/etc. always always always looking around the room to check on you, whether at home or at a party or a crowded restaurant, because he wants to confirm with his own eyes that you are still there and doing okay
and he really just wants to look at you 25/8 because you make him feel so safe <3
he adores picking out outfits for you and lying them on the bed/hanging them on the closet door so you can grab them the next morning before you head out to start your day
if you two are attending an event together, he will shyly ask if he can coordinate your outfits <3 he is over the moon when you say yes and even more over the moon when people do double-takes at you two because y'all have taken couples outfits to a whole new level of elegant and cool
he loves how it feels to show your relationship through something as expressive as fashion, and he's so proud to be seen with you :,-)
frequently sends you silly selfies
and also cool af selfies
these are the majority of your phone notifications when he's traveling, and he will ask you to send you selfies too
jokes that "i'll forget your face if i don't see it daily" but really he's collecting photos for the album he has on his phone so he can look through them when he misses you which is every second he's far away from you
he also asks you to help him to pick which photos to post !!! he takes your opinion so seriously and knows you would only pick the best pictures
definitely has opinions on which photos of you are the best he thinks every photo of you is perfect and absolutely adores taking photos of you !! he knows all the best poses and angles to show off your beauty
he'll make mental notes of places that are perfect for lil photoshoots and will take you to those places on your dates
he even sends you a message before those dates and tells you to dress up <3 this is also a time he'll often pick out your outfit so it pops with the scenery <3
please i love him so much
whenever he teases you, he giggles right after
like he's being savage but he's so enamored with you and how cute you look when he teases you that he can't hold back the giggles
also giggles like a child when you roast him because he loves that you feel comfortable enough to tease him
he tells you when you've said something particularly clever because he's proud of you and your wit i'm yelling
minghao has a notebook where he writes down quotes, lyrics, artworks, etc that remind him of you
whenever you're having a hard time, you two are apart for a while, or he just wants to express how much he loves you, he'll share one of these with you
he also keeps a list of everything you've ever recommended to him
i mean everything
like a movie you mentioned on your second date ?? he has watched it several times and can recite most of it from memory but it remains on that list like a souvenir of your first conversations
a coffee drink you said he had to try the next time he went to that one coffee shop in that one neighborhood ?? not only is it on that list, but he also makes notes of what he was doing every time he drank it
this notebook is basically his diary chronicling your relationship it's so beautiful and sentimental and a precious belonging to him <333
he revisits these places or things when he wants to feel close to you :-( there are pieces of you everywhere in his life and he'll never let them go <3
the best listener in the world !!!
before he shares his advice or opinions, he will ask you questions about your thoughts and feelings on it, encouraging you to explore the situation more on your own
he doesn't want to influence your feelings before you have the chance to sort it out yourself <3
sometimes he might be a little stubborn about his views, especially if he is offering you advice to resolve a problem, but, ultimately, he will respect your decisions
honestly it's one of the things he loves so much about you -- the fact that you're an individual and you don't always have to see exactly eye to eye to love and support each other
he always asks for your input too because your mind is beautiful to him and he knows he can rely on you for honesty and clarity
he acts so young in love, but he's so incredibly mature
like he blushes when you kiss him on the cheek and he looks at you with puppy eyes more often than not
but he also enjoys having serious conversations about boundaries, love languages, relationship desires, and so on
very much the type, once he gets comfortable enough in the relationship, to say "our future" instead of "my/your future" <333
he's grateful every single moment of every single day that your paths intersected
intersecting paths are definitely a recurring theme in the art he makes about you
as an anniversary present, he gives you a small painting that depicts a special moment in your relationship, like the building you stood in front of the first time he said "i love you" or your favorite flower intertwined with his favorite flower tied together with a ribbon that has the date you two met on it
keeps special house slippers, pajamas, toiletries, and clothes for you in his home at all times
he says it's because he likes to be neat and prepared but really it's because he never wants you to have a reason to leave when you stay late at night
adores painting, drawing, and doing anything creative with you <3
sharing his hobbies and passions is one of his love languages for sure, so coexisting while making art together is one of the most intimate ways he can say "i love you"
in general, he simply loves coexisting with you
reading together, napping together, watching the sunrise/sunset, walking around the city, any activity you can both do simultaneously is something minghao will sign up for in a heartbeat !
he finds so much peace in your presence that he seeks as much time with you as possible
and, whenever either of you want some alone time, you both can say it freely
the respect you two share for each other as individuals is so special
it enhances the love you have toward the other, and it enhances how meaningful time together is
he loves to compliment you, and the word that falls from his lips the most is "pretty"
you are so breathtaking to him, in every possible way. while he tries to use the most accurate words each time, something about "pretty" captures his admiration for you enough for it to become instinct
he WILL completely lose it when you call him pretty
because he melts at your compliments and also because "pretty" has such a powerful meaning now that he defines it with you sorry i'm sobbing at this
minghao is just a breath of fresh air and the feeling of warmth that comes when someone says "i love you" as they tuck you in for the night and kiss your forehead softly
as his partner, you will never feel forgotten or uncared for because he is always watching out for you and holding you, whether that's physically, emotionally, or mentally
minghao is a sweetheart who loves you with his whole heart and soul !!! every moment he spends with you is a dream come true to him, and, while he can't believe his luck, he is so grateful for you
i'm going to curl up into a ball now because minghao is so !!!!! i hope everyone gets the minghao they deserve <333
Here's Minghao's! And our leader will be up next! ೄྀ Mini ࿐
You two met one sunny spring day at the Han river.
You were skateboarding down by the waterfront while he was bicyling.
No there was no cliché crash, you two just happened to stop at the same stop along the railing to enjoy the view.
He asked you out around the third time bumping into each other.
He can also skateboard, and sometimes switches his bike with your board.
Lots of chill dates outside or in café shops.
Sometimes binges on you. He won't stop it even if you tell him to.
Another very private person, more reserved.
You've noticed he's pretty introverted around crowds, but he'll always make time for you.
He'll tell you things he's never told anyone else, even best friend Junhui.
At first you thought Minghao was pretty calm and collected.
But his passionate kisses and small outbursts when stressed would suggest otherwise.
Yet majority of the time he's a positive fairy!
Very patient, very understanding, and is always willing to help you through whatever it is that's weighing you down.
Same goes vice versa.
Will literally stay up talking with you at 3am.
At first there were some conflicts regarding his busy schedule, but he found a good balance between his job and making time for you.
Actually both of you are pretty introverted.
Lots of introverted thinking when together, this includes extended moments of comfortable silence.
Kisses you like there's no tomorrow.
Makeout sessions are long, very long.
You also found out he's not one to kiss and tell. In fact all your friends combined seem to think you're innocent little fairies but that's far from the truth.
[que gasps of horror during a game of truth or dare when your friends found out their inncoent fairy isn't actually a virgin].
You both never told anyone you two were dating and your friends found out like three to six months later.
Your relationship is that discreet.
Like if dispatch wanted dating gossip on him they would get nothing.
Nobody knows because you're so secretive about it!
When stressed, Minghao is prone to raising his voice, but is quick to calm down when you manage to sit him down and give his shoulders a massage.
If you ever fight, he'll gently retreat away and clear his head.
Usually dances his problems away.
Or wushu's his way through his problems if he really needs to blow off steam.
When he's level headed he'll come back and you two talk things out.
He's got a hidden fire that shows during intimate sessions or dancing.
"Cold water isn't good for you I said stop drinking it during the winter!"
He's very good at taking care and looking out for the both of you.
A tea boy. Lots of inside dates consisting of tea or warm water.
You could watch him dance 24/7.
He'll pull you into a slow dance and you're both just staring into each other's eyes until someone clears their throat.
Off in their own little world couple.
Gets clingy around others.
A soft boy.
Dangerous boy under the sheets.
Sex is not a game to him, got that?
Loyal 120%
He's so loyal would never betray you.
Likes it when you comb your fingers through his hair.
This ends up in little naps with his head in your lap.
Whenever his eyes land on you his gaze softens.
He isn't one for incredibly sweet words, but his actions altogether are sweet.
Cares for you deeply, probably more than you know since he doesn't vocalize it much, but you know he loves you with his entire being, heart and soul.
You and your boyfriend Minghao have been dating for almost half a year. He was all you could ask for in a boyfriend. He was tall, a gentleman, good-looking, sweet, protective, and more. But there was something about him you found quite funny- he didn’t like skinship.
You didn’t mind at all that he didn’t like the thought of skinship in a relationship. It wasn’t because he believed girls had cooties if he held hands with them or that he wasn’t comfortable. He never told you the reason and you were very curious, but you would do everything, to know why.
“Minghao, tell me why you don’t like skinship.” you asked when you both rode the bus home.
“Ah this topic again, Y/N.” he rolled his eyes, smiling at your child-like question. “I just don’t like it.”
“But why?” you asked for what seemed like the nth time.
“Oh we’re getting off the next stop.” he stood up, obviously avoiding the subject.
You shook your head with a smile on your face. “Come on, you gotta tell me someday.”
“Someday never.” he teased.
———
“Oh my g- Minghao, if she wants to hold hands then grant her wish. It’s every girl’s dream to held by their prince charming.” Mingyu stated, quite tired of hearing the same story from Minghao’s lovelife.
Minghao’s roommate at the university dorms was Kim Mingyu, who was around the same age as him. Though they had a rough start, they eventually became best friends.
“I mean just take me as an example.” he sat up, “I hug my girlfriend when she’s sick, to keep her warm.”
“Mingyu.”
“If she’s hungry, I’ll cook her meals, and feed her.” he gestured.
“Uh Mingyu?”
“If she wants to kiss, I’ll kiss her.”
“Mingyu!”
After what seemed like the umpteenth time, Mingyu looked at Minghao, who had a raised eyebrow. “What?”
“You don’t have a girlfriend!”
Mingyu froze, yet he smiled. “Ah I’m just stating the fact if ever-”
“I’m outta here. Thanks though, it may come in handy.” Minghao laughed, taking his things for the semester break and left the dorm room.
Your plan for the semester break was to at least go hiking. Minghao wanted to go the amusement park. However Minghao, one day, wasn’t in the mood to walk for long hours even if he knew he’d only be with you for the rest of the day. So you did a little sacrifice, well, just because you loved him to the moon and back.
“Alright, we’ll go to the amusement park since it’s scorching hot today.” You said while cooling yourself with a handy electric fan. It was seven in the morning and Minghao was smiling at you like a child.
“Well it’s about time we had some fun! We’ve been too busy!” he exclaimed, already packing his things.
The amusement park was one of the few places you and Minghao went on dates, it was a couple favourite. Until recently, you both have been busy with your own courses so barely had time with each other. It was a such a right timing.
The weather was perfect, even though it was hot. You and boyfriend already rode three rides, you two were too adventurous that you sat on the front seats. After that, you both planned to relax at the ferris wheel before going to the bump cars.
You sat beside each other, admiring the view. Your view was one another and how cheesy it seemed, it was even better.
“Did you have fun today, Y/N?” he asked with a wide smile plastered on his face.
“Of course! Because I’m with you.” you reached out to hold his hand mirroring his smile but you held back, remembering that he didn’t like skinship.
Minghao’s heart ached a little, or even more when he saw you held back, looking out at the sunset scenery as you did. He knew how much you wanted to hold his hand. Was it because you felt safe if he did? Maybe. He didn’t know.
His hand placed on his lap. He remembered Mingyu’s advice: if a girl wants something, you should give it. In this case you wanted to hold his hand.
So he thought: should I?
The ferris wheel slowly came to a stop at the very top. He anxiously tapped his fingers on his lap. His glance caught your lonely expression and saw your hands curled into a ball.
Despite knowing what will happen if he did hold your hand or have any skinship, he closed his eyes and slowly held your hand.
You, who was still looking at the stunning view, was startled when you felt Minghao’s huge, and manly hand on yours. You looked at him immediately, and from there you knew why he couldn’t do skinship.
He was blushing, blushing so much that he had to cover his face.
“Minghao, are you blushing?” a smile crept up on your face.
bless the cutie that requested animal shelter volunteer minghao, i ended up meshing it with another request for college bf!minghao bc i can do whatever i want
sfklasjd jk jk
now, minghao has always had a strong connection with animals
ever since he was a kid, he always just had this intense empathy for animals, so much so that it kind of drove his parents crazy???
like minghao would grieve for hours if he accidentally stepped on a bug, or he’d take a whole hour out of his morning when he knows he has to get to school just to help a momma dog and her pups get somewhere safe away from traffic
i mean the boy just loves animals to death
loves them more than humans tbh
so it’s no surprise that minghao became an avid animal shelter volunteer from high school well into his college career
while his friends like basketball captain seungcheol are immersing themselves in sports or music prodigies vernon and woozi are crazy over creating the next big hits on the radio, minghao is dedicating all of his time to animals
and lots of people think it’s really attractive that he loves animals
so much so that he like,,, gets people’s phone numbers?? just bc he loves animals???
people will literally come up to him like “wowwww minghao it’s so hot that you like,,, care about animals” and minghao is just like ?? thank?
i mean minghao doesn't really care if it’s “hot” or whatnot, he just really likes them
and some of his friends are always pestering him about using it to his advantage to pick up dates and stuff but minghao could literally not care less
drama kid jun happens to love bothering him about this
like one day minghao is on his way from the shelter, about to drop off a pet scorpion for a family friend who had recently purchased one, but had to stop by school to get the notes for one of his classes from jun
and jun always goes on these long tangents about how minghao should spend more time with his own species and how minghao is going to turn into some weird forest dweller that thinks they can “speak bear” before they’re mauled to death and never found again
and usually, minghao wouldn’t really pay jun attention, but that day he’s just really pushing it
and all of a sudden minghao just?? opens the little container for the scorpion and lets it crawl on an unsuspecting jun
and as soon as it stings him jun just goes nuts
and minghao calmly fishes the scorpion off jun’s shoulder while the other boy is freaking the hell out
and their friend jeonghan is just quietly sitting by, giving minghao a mildly disappointed look like minghao you can’t release scorpions on your friends
and seungcheol just happens to be nearby and when he sees jun screaming, he instantly tunes into Dad Mode and runs over asking what happened
and jun is like “minghao!!! scorpion!! bit me!!!” and before minghao can even try to calmly explain to seungcheol that most scorpions that exist aren’t even poisonous to full grown adults, let alone this one, seungcheol is diving into the bite wound and trying to suck out the venom
so now jun is screaming, jeonghan is shaking his head, seungcheol is sweating like crazy trying to “save jun’s life” and the rest of their friends are virtually unconcerned bc if jun had listened to minghao during one of his many excited info dumps about animals, he’d know that he wasn’t going to die
the moral of the story is: leave xu minghao and his hobbies alone
like if people think it’s cool that’s fine but leave him alone pls
he just wants to hang with the pups and kitties in peace
and of course, as you now know, he’s not just a fan of traditional household pets
he’s also super fascinated in the more... unwanted kind as well
like snakes and tarantulas and scorpions and rats
at one of the animal shelters minghao frequently volunteers at, they have these kinds of animals as well, and while most of the volunteers tend to stay more with the pups and gerbils, he totally doesn’t mind taking care of any and all animals because he really really does love all of them
and it’s the cutest thing bc like, most kids who want those more taboo pets are super insecure when they come to the pet shop to get one, and they feel all weird about wanting one bc i mean, how many kids in 5th grade have a pet centipede
so minghao is always the go-to for this!!
he’ll be so sweet and kind and he makes all animals seem so cool and interesting in their own ways
he even gives the pets cute nicknames to make them appeal more to kiddos
“see this little guy? he’s a scorpion! but i nicknamed him freddie. he kind of looks like a freddie, doesn’t he?”
and the kid is like “aren’t scorpions venomous?”
so minghao goes all in
he’s like telling the kid all about the different types of species of scorpions, how there are types whose sting is poisonous, and then there are types whose sting is just a lil painful at best
he explains in great detail what kind of environments they need to stay in, what he should do to keep the pet happy etc etc
and even tho the parents are usually thoroughly freaked out at the thought of bringing these types of animals home, minghao is really good at selling it in the best way possible
people pretty much think he’s a magician with how good he is at changing people’s opinions of certain animals
some people even gave him the nickname snow white for how animals just love and trust him like right off the bat
and minghao is a pretty dedicated volunteer
so dedicated in fact, that one night he gets stuck at the animal shelter after he volunteered to help set up for a massive puppy adoption set for the next day bc a freak storm rolled in out of nowhere
the employee calls and says that they can’t make it because of the rain, and that minghao should wait it out in the break room until it’s safe to drive home
and while most people would be super bummed to be stuck somewhere like that all night, minghao is not
i mean, boy is basically in heaven
he’s sure to be quiet so most of the sleeping animals can stay asleep, but some of the puppies wake when he walks through the front door and they all just start going crazy over him so he has to individually greet each and every pup and try to coax them back to sleep
to no avail of course, they love minghao and wanna play!!
minghao quietly resigns himself to the break room and steals one of the employees’ frozen burritos and throws his feet up on the arm of the couch in there and is just happily chilling, listening to the rain and whatnot
and then he hears something
it’s super faint, and minghao would think nothing of it if he didn’t hear the pups start barking like crazy afterwards
the sound keeps coming, sounding like frantic thumping, and when he inches out to the lobby, he sees through the glass door that there’s a drenched figure banging on the glass, desperate to get out of the crazy rain storm outside
so immediately he rushes over and unlocks the door, pulling whomever was outside in and shutting the door just as quickly, getting some of his face and arms wet in the process
when he manages to fight the wind long enough to get the door closed, he locks it tight and looks over at the person he had saved, slightly irritated
bc who would be this far out this late at night to be stuck in the rain, besides someone who was intentionally headed for the animal shelter???
and then he sees you
your hair is matted to your head and face and you’re absolutely soaked, body shivering from the cold and you’re looking at minghao through your wet hair, almost frightened
he realizes that he’s got quite the scowl on his face so he instead goes for a simple frown, his arms crossed as he looks you over
before you can even say anything though, he’s walking toward the back and muttering something under his breath
and he brushes past you leaving you there, so you're like??? rood
but almost as fast as he left, he’s returning with multiple fluffy towels
he throws one around your shoulders and forces you to hold it with your hands, and then he tosses one over your head to cover your hair, before he motions for you to raise your foot
slowly you do, and he unties and slips off your sneakers, before placing a towel under your bare feet and toweling them dry
“what brings you all the way out here?” minghao inquires, watching as you shyly start patting yourself down over your wet clothes
“uh, well, i was actually supposed to be helping set up for the big puppy adoption tomorrow with ashley and... you” you explain, and minghao narrows his eyes
“how do you know me?” he asks
“we volunteer different hours, but you’re pretty much a celebrity here, you know. your face is all over the shelter’s Facebook page”
minghao suddenly turns red at remembering and he quietly stands again, shoving his hands into his pockets as he looks elsewhere “didn’t you get the text? ashley cancelled since the storm was going crazy”
“no, actually. i was already halfway over when the storm started, and my phone had zero signal. the only reason you probably got it was because you’re linked to the shelter’s wifi”
which,,, is true,,,
minghao feels kinda bad for given you a bit of a cold front so he holds his hand out to you as you towel off your hair, and when he does you kind of just stare at it for a minute like ?? and then he rolls his eyes and grabs your hand to place it in his and starts shaking it
and you’d think he was thoroughly annoyed at you if he wasn’t smiling at you
and, like, wow
his smile is really nice
like imagine looking at a shining prince charming in a fairy tale
or like an angel
that was basically what looking at minghao was like
“i’m minghao, and you?”
and you introduce yourself, before he tells you to come into the back where the pet’s bathrooms are
he takes out one of the sets of extra clothes the shelter has for ,,incidents,, and then tells you to pass him your wet clothes when you were done so he could toss em in the dryer for you
a few minutes later, you walk out of the restroom with a bright yellow tee shirt on that has the shelter’s name printed across it in red letters, and a pair of khakis that are like three times your size and a pair of warm white socks to put on your cold feet
minghao is already seated on top of the dryer with a smirk, holding out a mug of something steaming
and he’s just like “the boss keeps her special tea here. if she mentions something about it missing to you, just blame it on me”
and you smile thankfully and lean against the washer with him and the two of you start drinking and he makes sure to knock the thermostat in the place up a notch so you wouldn’t catch a cold
when you two realize the storm won’t be dying any time soon, you decide to start asking minghao about himself
and usually minghao would kind of keep to himself and not reveal much besides the obvious, being his love for animals
in fact.... when that is actually the obvious, he can’t really think of anything else
the confused look on his face sends you into a fit of giggles and he looks away from you, pretty embarrassed
“it’s okay to mention the animals, minghao”
and suddenly minghao just bursts with excitement okay
like the kid gets so excited and starts talking about literally everything he loves about animals and how he’s always been an avid animal lover since birth
he talks about how there’s really nothing that makes him happier tbh
and he tells you all about how he plans to be a vet in the future and to maybe run his own no-kill shelter
you sit and listen, and i mean it really shocks you how passionate he is but at the same time?? it makes so much sense
like he’s super popular at the shelter so you know quite well what he’s like
everyone always talks about how sweet and caring he is, how much he really loves the animals and his job, and there’s really no one like him
even his nickname is notorious
instead of actual snow white popping into your head these days, all you see is a smiling minghao’s face on the “volunteer of the month” plaque
he’s still going even as you slightly space out, his face literally glowing with happiness as he talks about his favorite things ever
and then he cuts himself off like “d’ya wanna meet angel?”
and you furrow your brows, the name sounding somewhat familiar
minghao ends up leading you into the back of the pet store where the reptiles and such reside, and then you come across this beautiful rosy boa
and minghao smiles and leans near the glass, looking back at you with that same fond smile like “isn’t she a beauty? this is angel, a very docile snake species”
and you smile at angel, making sure to keep your distance as to not make too much noise to startle her, and then suddenly minghao is like “would you like to hold her? i do all the time, and she’s very calm. i understand if you’re not really into that-” but you’re already holding out your hands with a ready smile, and part of minghao’s apprehensive nature melts
you let angel sit in your hands, and while the feeling is quite strange and foreign (as you usually keep toward the felines, canines and rodents), the experience is awfully nice
and something about minghao’s soft voice as he instructs you how to hold her is just so sweet and endearing that any fears you had of handling a snake fly right out of the window
after that, he sets her back in her case and turns to one of the windows, seeing the water still beating rapidly outside
so he leads you to the couch in the break room and you guys flip on the tv in there, and while the cable is out, there’s a dvd player with a few movies workers have leftover
minghao pops in a random disney animated movie and you two just sit and laugh and watch together, practically unbothered by your situation
it isn’t until morning that the rain actually does let up, and when it does, you’re woken up rather,,,, strangely
your initial thought is that you’re warm and comfortable and you don’t really think much about it
until you feel a long arm constrict around your waist and your eyes shoot open
you soon realize that you and minghao had fallen asleep on the couch together, bodies wrapped in each other to keep warm throughout the night, and he’s currently quietly snoring against your hair, unaware of your position
your eyes fly open and you’re so shocked that you yell, instantly waking minghao up and effectively knocking him off the couch
you scream again when you realize he’s fallen, but almost immediately he places a hand over your mouth using his other to place a finger at his lips to shush you
“don’t scream... it freaks out the animals” he whispers, still half asleep
“i’m sorry, we were just... kind of cuddling and i was surprised and-” “sorry about that, you looked cold”
your heart is beating like a goddamn 808 drum at this moment
he cuddled you?? voluntarily? because you looked cold???? he cared???
he quietly sits up and laughs a little, rubbing the back of his head when he sees the morning sunlight coming in through the windows, and he shrugs, “guess that storm finally went away. we still have a few hours until ashley’ll get here to set up with us. do you wanna go change into your old clothes now so she doesn’t assume anything?”
!!!!!!
“what exactly would she assume?” you ask, raising an eyebrow sassily, and minghao realizes exactly what he’s said because he immediately flushes, mumbling “never mind” under his breath
“it’s okay minghao,” you laugh, leaning back into the couch, chancing a glance at him as he rubs the sleep out of his eyes, “it wouldn’t bother me much if anyone assumed anything”
it seems like you’re competing against minghao himself to see who can embarrass him more
he tries to shoot back something smart so he’s like “yeah? well me neither!!”
but... hao... that’s not really,,, a clap back
you kinda just admitted you wouldn’t mind if someone thought you two were together
and now you both are just kinda staring in opposite directions in silence, trying to figure out what the hell just went on in here on this day
but finally you get up to change and minghao decides he’ll get to work with some of the animals a few hours early, setting out food and things and helping you pick up after the animals
the rest of the day goes fairly well, and by the time you guys have to part ways, a lot of puppies have been adopted
you end up having to leave first bc of an exam, so you tell the others you’ve gotta jet and they all wish you luck
and you’re like halfway to your car when you hear someone call your name
and you recognize it as minghao, so you turn really fast, thinking maybe you forgot something
but then he’s shoving something into your hand and kind of avoiding your eyes, whispering a quiet “good luck on your test” before he darts back inside
you don’t see that it’s a paper with minghao’s number on it until you get into the driver’s seat of your car, and cutely scribbled underneath is a lil note from him
if you ever feel like getting trapped in an animal shelter with a snake loving dork like me again, let me know? - minghao
and you sure as hell do :)
you and minghao go on your first few unofficially official dates, starting with trips to the movies or going out to some new cool place to eat together
when he poses the idea that you two should go to the carnival in town, you don’t turn him down
he’s suuuuuper competitive, you learn this when he asks if you want him to win you a ryan plushie in a balloon popping game and suddenly it’s like half an hour later and he’s still going at it
but finally, he wins it :D
he’s so proud of himself, even tho he’s slightly sweaty and his arm hurts from the constant throwing, but he’s glad he got you what you wanted
and let’s be honest, it was really cute seeing him try so hard to impress you and get the bear
in the time that he had taken to get it, you had gotten lemon slushies and were now munching on corndogs together, watching the sunset with your plushie in your lap and a content smile on your face
the night was slowly coming to a quiet end, so minghao suggests that you guys at least get one more ride in before you go home
and of course,,, you just had to pick the ferris wheel
minghao wonders how it’ll feel to be so high up with you and just you, and even though his nerves get to him, he still follows you into a carriage and tries to ignore the knowing look the old man manning the thing gives the both of you as he closes the doors and reads off the rules
you’re kind of bouncing in your seat in excitement with the ryan seated next to you cutely, your arm thrown around it like he’s your boyfriend
and minghao oddly feels jealous of the yellow teddy
he feels like a third wheel, sitting on the other side of the carriage :p
once the thing gets kinda high in the sky, you look out over the carnival and the sky is finally dark enough for you to see the stars
and you’re pointing at a few and you just look so excited
suddenly minghao is yanking the teddy from the spot beside you and settling in next to you, putting ryan on the other side with his face down on the seat
you’re so startled by the sudden rocking of the carriage that you don’t notice minghao quietly slinking his arm behind you, trying to look as nonchalant as possible
but when you feel his hand brushing the strands of your hair from behind you, your smile overtakes your face and you lean into minghao, eyes alight with mischief
“were you getting jealous, minghao?”
“jealous?? of a teddy bear? psshhhhhh. phsshhhshshs. PSHHHHHHH”
but inside he is internally screaming 🚨🚨🚨
so you just as quietly link your arm around his waist and pull him a lil closer, making him all the more nervous
and then you lean over to peck his cheek, the confidence you got from seeing him so flustered blinding your rationale
but you miscalculate
and minghao turns to see exactly what the hell you think you’re about to do right as your lips touch his
when you realize what you’ve come in contact with is not, in fact, the skin of his cheek, you’re about to pull away
but minghao knows now is better than never, and he presses into you before you get away, making you squeak in surprise
the arm around you holds you close while the other comes up so his hand is resting on your cheek lovingly, holding you there so he can really kiss you
and you’re not complaining ofc
you two stay relatively still until he finally pulls away, eyes blown wide
you don’t even realize the ride has ended and the workers are waiting for you two to get out so the next pair can get on
you look past minghao with a sheepish smile and quickly grab your ryan’s (and minghao’s) hand before quickly scuttling off the ride
minghao is silently trailing after you as you both start to leave the carnival, but his hand is still tightly holding yours in fear of losing you (even tho the crowds are thinning out by now?? hmm)
when you two finally get to his car, he releases your hand, along with a stream of words that sound like “imreallysorryikissedyouthatwasprobablyreallyawkward”
“to be honest... i was gonna kiss you first, but i thought i had made you pretty flustered for one night alone” you admit, smirking at him as you lean against his car
his eyes widen just a lil before he playfully smacks ryan who you’re currently holding against your chest with a smile, “...you’re so mean”
now tbh, no one really thought they’d see the day when minghao got a significant other
jun was especially Shook
even seungcheol hit the group chat up like “i honestly didn’t think he could love anything more than animals??” with a chorus of “same”’s right after
all of his friends desperately want to meet you like they literally refuse to go without meeting the girl that managed to steal evil lil minghao’s heart
in truth, minghao isn’t all that mean?? of course he acts cold but he’s like... tsundere
he’ll pretend he doesn’t care but you bet your ass he cares a whole lot and is probably losing sleep over if you passed your latest exam or if you got the job you really wanted
and then when you tell him all went well he’ll be like “duh of course. i knew that from the start lol”
internal minghao: i love you so much with my whole mf heart and i’m so proud of you for doing well and achieving your dreams please understand this subtext as i continue to smolder
you two start changing your volunteer hours to run into each other but only minghao won’t admit it??
like if you show up a lil early and run into him you’re always like “i came to see you!!” you know, very explicitly
but he refuses (absolutely refuses) to admit to anything. ever.
mingaho: *deliberately stays behind a whole hour and a half longer than he really needs to and sees you walk in* oh wow lol stalker what are you doing here so early
you: i know you did this intentionally, minghao
minghao: *sweats*
minghao starts teaching you how to care for the more unorthodox pets and he finds it so cute how sometimes you’re all for it and other times you outright refuse *cough* tarantulas *cough*
he thinks it’s adorable tho bc you’re obviously trying to bond with the animals but the visible discomfort is just so prevalent that he decides to relieve you of your misery
i feel like i need to express one last thing
minghao is truly, truly so glad he met you
he wholeheartedly believes that he would’ve never met someone who understands him like you do
and it’s pretty presumptuous but he honestly doesn’t care, because it’s really how he feels about you
you’re very special to him and you treat him like a best friend but there’s no lack of romance either
you love animals just as much as he does, and it makes him feel pretty great having someone like you in his corner
so next time he teases you or pretends he’s not worried about you, just know that xu minghao is the biggest mush, especially for you
a/n: this could totally have a part three...let me know if you would like me to write it! :)
masterlist
so…
to make a long story short
the8 wasn’t your little secret anymore
honestly, you guys kind of did it to yourself
i mean, when minghao decided to take all of those pictures of you and create an exhibit out of them…literally calling it y/n…did you all really think things would stay the same?
you could just go out to the park for sunday afternoon picnics like usual…
go shopping…
go anywhere in public…
no
after the exhibit, your life changed completely
of course, minghao had asked you beforehand if it was okay for him to submit the photos for a gallery and you said yes
why wouldn’t you??
you’d just been hanging around his apartment all day, both of you were trying to paint the cityscape you could see from the tall windows
(minghao’s painting looked much better than yours, but he’s the most famous artist in the world so we’ll cut you some slack)
“love…” he cooed out to you
you finished painting a small window on a distant building on your canvas and turned to look at him beside you
softly smiling and setting down his paintbrush, he stood up and walked over to you
he softly cupped your face in his hands, “oh, my love…”
you looked at him with a confused look, “what is it?”
he continued to smile down at you and pushed some tendrils of hair away from your face
crouching down, he placed gentle kisses on your knuckles, an accidental streak of white paint adorning his cheek
“what would you say…if i took some of those pictures of you and made them into an exhibit?”
your jaw basically dropped to the floor, “what? of me?? you’re joking”
“no, i’m dead serious!” he laughs out as you get up from your stool and walk over to the kitchen
he trails behind you as you say, “there is no way that pictures of me would do well in an art museum”
you pour yourself another cup of tea and hop up to sit on the counter
minghao comes and stands between your legs, hands resting on your thighs, “hey, don’t say that…don’t say that”
“i’m being serious!! i’m just an average girl, you literally met me in a cafe. i don’t really think i’m art museum material…much less from the best artist in the world,” you respond, trailing off and dropping your head down, playing with hao’s necklace
he brings his fingers up to your chin, forcing you to look at him, “you know you were what brought my inspiration back, right? there would be no the8 without y/n”
you were speechless
what were you supposed to say to that??
you felt hao’s soft lips on yours
he pulled away and looked at you with what can only be described as pure adoration
“y/n…you are my inspiration”
a smile couldn’t help but break out on your face
you wrapped your arms around his neck and gave him the biggest kiss
“i guesss you can make a gallery of me…i guess that’s kind of romantic,” you say, going in for another kiss
“oh yeah?” he responds, “i can be waaay more romantic than that” picking you up and carrying you to the bedroom
now…things were different
the exhibit opened in florence, italy and was the8’s largest and most successful ever
of course it was
it was his “long-awaited return to the art world after an extended hiatus” as the media called it
honestly, you two hadn’t really paid much attention to the opening
minghao never really did care about the recognition or money or anything
he just wanted to make art
so when you left the morning after the opening to meet hao for breakfast and a swarm of people with cameras crowded you, there was no choice but to go back inside your apartment
“what in the world??” you said to yourself as you walked over to join your roommate by the window while they were scrolling through their phone
“y/n!!!” they shouted, a little too loudly for how early it was. “you know the8??”
your heart sunk to the floor
so this is what the cameras were about
“hellooo?? are you going to say anything??” you roommate said, waving a hand in front of your face
but you didn’t know what to say
you should’ve known
deep down you knew it would turn out like this
you knew you should’ve been more persistent to say no when hao asked your permission
“y/n, look, it’s all over the internet…’the8’s mystery girl, y/n, has been found’, ‘who is y/n?’, ‘everything you need to know about y/n, the subject of the8’s newest gallery’…” they said, showing you their phone
tears started to well up in your eyes for some reason
you ran to your bedroom and shut the door
pulling your phone out of your bag, you called minghao
“hello? love? i was just about to call you! where are you?”
“minghao…what have we done…”
“huh? what are you talking about?”
“there are people with cameras…all out front of my apartment…”
“seriously? agh, it must be because of the gallery, i-“ but you cut him off before he could finish
“i should’ve never let you put me up there like that…”
“y/n…i’m sorry, i don’t know what to do…”
the tears escaped your eyes now, “i never wanted this…i never wanted people to know who i am like this”
you hear minghao sigh through the phone
you can tell that he’s running his hand through his hair, a habit when he’s stressed
“y/n, me too…why do you think i don’t use my real name? i don’t want any of the attention either”
your frustration gets the best of you and you say, “oh, so you don’t want to be known, but it’s okay if i am??”
“no, that’s not what i’m saying-“
“i don’t know anymore, hao…god, what were you thinking?? did you think you could just go your whole life without anyone knowing who you are?”
“i don’t know, y/n. i don’t know what i was thinking, okay?” he responds, you know that he’s getting as frustrated as you
there were a few moments of silence because neither of you knew what to say
until finally, hao spoke, “i’ll tell them”
“what?” you said quietly
“i’ll tell them. i’ll come over to your place right now and tell them that i’m the8.”
“what? no, you can’t do that,” you respond
“well, then what do you want me to do? i’m not going to let this happen to you while i sit here, just minghao. i was the one that took your pictures, i was the one that created the gallery. you don’t deserve to go through this alone.”
“minghao, no you can’t…just forget i said anything, we’ll figure this out, okay? my emotions got the best of me and i’m sorry, i-“
hao cuts you off, “love, no, don’t even start. i’m already on my way. plus if they know who you are, they’re going to find out i’m the8 eventually…i mean we spend basically every day together, people would connect the dots”
you run a hand over your face, “are you sure? i don’t want you to be doing this because of me. i know it means a lot to you that your identity is kept a secret, i mean that’s the whole reason you came up with the8 in the first place. i don’t want to be the person that ruins that for you”
“you’re not ruining anything. i would do anything for you. even tell some stupid people with cameras that i’m the man behind the art. i mean, this may be a good thing. maybe i’ll actually be able to go to my own gallery openings…and you could be my date…and i could see you dressed up all pretty…”
“okay, okay…if this is really what you want. if you’re 100% sure,” you respond
you don’t want this to be a reason for him to resent you one day
“my love, i want this…it’s about time anyway. now come down here, i’m just around the corner. i need you with me when i do this,” he giggles into the phone
“agh, but i’ve been crying!! okay, okay, i’ll be down in a second,” you say as you look into your mirror trying to clean up your face a little bit
“ah, my love…i bet you look beautiful as ever, i’ll see you soon,” minghao responds and hangs up the phone
you take one final look in the mirror
things were about to change
maybe in a good way?
maybe in a bad way?
all you knew is that you had minghao by your side no matter what
