miserable (you & me) | l. minho <3
a/n: oh gosh, don't even get me started on minho. i love this man so much it is truly certifiable. this is probably the fluffiest of the angst, mostly because i'm so soft for minho these days (and every day) <3 pics not mine~
content: angst, happy ending | wc: 1.1k | warnings: none really! | pairing: minho x gn!reader | requests:open
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
감히 내가 조언 하나 할게 후회 땅을 치지 / “let me dare to tell you something, you’ll regret it so bad”
minho gripped his phone tightly in his pocket. he felt as though he was going to burst open, but he held his tongue. you walked next to him, chatting about this person you were interested in. you were actually so interested in them that you considered going exclusive. though he listened intently, minho coudln’t stop thinking that he hated that idea with every fiber of his being.
he’d met the person in passing and knew from the jump that they weren’t good, let alone good enough for you. minho’s judge of character was revered amongst his closest circle, and maybe that’s why you hadn’t asked him his thoughts on your potential partner sooner. given how much you care about and trust minho, you knew whatever he said would impact your feelings toward your new love interest. after all, minho was always right when it came to you.
the air chilled any exposed skin as dusk turned the corner to night. you turned your head toward minho, aware and wary of his silent, forward-facing gaze. his statuesque face looked abnormally rigid, like he was made of stone. you weren’t sure what was wrong, but you didn’t like the way his current silence made your heart rate rise.
hoping to clear the air, you finally asked, “what do you think of them? is it worth making it official?”
minho turned his head toward you, observing every familiar, precious detail of your face in an attempt to calm his nerves. he felt his hands shaking, and not just from the cold that slipped in under his shirt sleeves. he sighed and wrestled with whether letting the weight of his feelings off his chest would help or hurt you. this time, he really wanted to be selfish. more than that, though, as always, he wanted you to be safe and happy. when you locked eyes with his, however, his resolve collapsed and the words fell out before he could even recognize it was his voice speaking.
“if you do it, you’ll regret committing so much of yourself to them. maybe not right away, but i know you will.”
your jaw dropped. it hurt to hear. a sharp pang hit your chest when minho rejected the only person you had been properly interested in after who knows how long. you were about to admit how it stung and to demand clarification. but minho, seeing the pain twist your features ever so slightly, spoke again.
“they don’t look at you the way you should be looked at. y/n, you deserve so much more than what they could offer you. i know they’re funny, smart, attractive, and…nice enough,” he grimaced, clearly not fully believing his description of them, “but they’re not anywhere near enough for you. i just don’t think they could give you what you need in a relationship.”
“and what do i need, minho?” you asked, a slight edge in your voice, despite your best efforts to remain calm.
minho stopped walking and faced you directly, so you could know that every word he said was full of meaning, “you need someone who tends to your heart. you need someone who wants to help you grow, someone who is willing to grow with you. you need a person who cherishes you and is willing to do anything for you. you need someone who loves you, actively and intentionally.”
the care that poured out of minho left you breathless. the softness and certainty of his eyes melted away all your confusion about his intentions. he wasn’t being a jerk, and he wasn’t saying these things because he didn’t like that person for petty reasons. minho, like countless times before, was protecting you. immense gratitude and fondness washed over you.
you sighed, half frustrated and half relieved, “you say this like you know there’s someone out there who can be the person i need.”
your voice came out as barely a whisper, but minho heard it with perfect clarity. he also knew with perfect clarity that there was only one correct response in this situation.
minho nodded, “i’m right here. i’ll stay here forever, if you’ll have me.”
at first, a light chuckle escaped your lips because the confession was so blunt it felt like a witty joke. as the words and his tone settled into your bones, however, you felt breathless again. almost a dozen words from minho shattered you into thousands of fragments and rebuilt you into an entirely new person.
well, maybe not entirely new. maybe his words and the feeling of his warm voice breaking through the cold night air made you feel like who you were at your core. the way minho looked at you revealed your barest self, and nothing had ever felt more right. minho, as always, was right.
“there’s no version of my life that doesn’t have you with me,” you confessed, smiling despite the intensity of the conversation and the pounding of your heart.
minho nodded sternly, “well, that settles it then. you’re not going exclusive with them.”
he turned and started walking again, pace full of excitement. you quickly fell into step with him, reaching out to hold his hand. after his muscles tensed briefly in surprise, his hand relaxed, falling into place against yours. you tugged on his sleeve to get his attention again, which he happily obliged.
“so, minho, do you want to be exclusive with me?”
minho turned his face to the side, not fully, just enough to haphazardly hide the quick upturn of his lips at your question. from this angle, you could see the pink hues coloring the tip of his ear. you smiled too.
minho avoiding your gaze answered your question clearly, but your heart still fluttered when he replied, “anything for you, y/n.”
you hummed, pleased with this turn of events. minho observed your face, all smiles and sparkling eyes. his heart melted, and he practically giggled at the sight of you being so happy. happy because of him.
your brow furrowed, smile never fading, “what’s so funny?”
he sighed happily, “it’s funny how everything works out in the end.”
“oh really?”
minho nodded and squeezed your hand, softly and securely, “absolutely. no matter what got in the way, we still ended up right where we’re supposed to be. here, side by side.”
you turned your face away from him, failing to hide your blush and lovestruck smile from minho. you couldn’t see it, but minho smiled just as sweetly and brightly as you did. even if his confession hadn’t come out as well as he had hoped, he would never regret daring to say what had been on his mind since the moment he met you.
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚