Ready To Love | Xu Minghao

♡THREE♡

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School was done and Seungkwan had texted me as I walked out of the school doors. I pulled out my phone and read the text.

Seungkwan: I asked Minghao to walk you home since me, DK, and Woozi are all busy. He should be waiting for you by the school gates.

Nina: Alright.

Sure enough, Minghao was leaning against the school gates scrolling through his phone. I sighed and walked up to him tapping his shoulder to get his attention.

He jumped a little at my touch and turned to look at me. He was probably a whole foot taller than me so I basically had to strain my neck to look at him.

"You're here. You ready?" He asked as he shoved his phone into his back pocket.

I nodded.

We began walking to my home. The silence between us was both unsettling and awkward. Why was this so awkward? Was it because of that accident last year?

"So, I can tell you're worried about your brother." Minghao said breaking the silence.

"Is it that obvious? " I asked.

"A little. You know. You shouldn't worry to much about him. " Minghao said turning his head to me.

"If I don't worry about him, then who will? " I said to him. It was true, if I didn't worry about my brother, then who would.

Yeah he had his friends, but mom honestly was too caught up in her own life to worry about ours. Ever since dad left, mom began drifting. She was barely home and when she was, she was always so sad and miserable.

Even if my brother was older than me by a year. I still felt the need to be the shoulder for him to lean on. Without me I'm scared he'd do something that he'd regret. My brother wasn't bad, he just liked acting out a lot which got him in a lot of trouble.

Akiro had been there for me for the years after dad left, now I wanted to be the one he leaned on, even if it meant hiding my own worries and fears.

"Doesn't your mom worry? " Minghao asked causing me to let out a laugh.

"Does she? She's barely home to even notice our worries, and when she is home, she locks herself up in her room. " I told him honestly.

"Oh, I um. " he said running his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. "

I shrugged, "It's fine. Honestly I think it's better for mom to not notice us. "

"Maybe. " He said before going quiet. And here comes the silence again.

We continued walking to my home in silence and eventually arrived. Our house wasn't bad. It was two stories and we lived in a fairly wealthy neighborhood. It's just that mom doesn't clean so the house is messy both inside and outside.

Just as soon as I was about to walk into the house, it started raining. I looked back at Minghao who was covering his head with his backpack. Id feel bad if he had to walk in the rain and catch a cold.

I ran over to him and grabbed his wrist and pulled him inside. He looked at me confused.

"What? " I asked him.

"Why'd you drag me inside? "

"Well, I didn't want you walking in the rain and catching a cold. You can go if you want. " I said to him taking off my backpack and hanging it on the coat rack. "You don't have to stay, I just don't want to be responsible for you getting a cold. "

"Oh uh, Thanks. " He blushed.

"Yeah. Just don't mind the mess. Mom must not be home. " I said before a crash came from the living room. "Never mind. I take that back. "

"I'm going to my room. If you want you can follow me, or you could sit on the couch and explain to my mom that you're here because of the rain. " I said to him smiling, before heading up to my room.

I looked behind me to see him following me. I opened my door and closed it after him. It just now dawned on me that he was actually in my room. The boy I spilled milk on last year was actually in my room. A boy was in my room.

"So um, I'm not sure how long the rain will last." I said to him awkwardly.

He pulled out his phone. "Looks like it'll last all night. "

I mentally kicked myself. I should have just let him walk home and catch a cold. Better than having him sleep here.

"Oh, you really don't have to stay you know. " I said to him before sitting on my bed.

"I'd rather stay. Don't wanna catch a cold you know. " He said smiling before also sitting on my bed.

"Well, in that case, I'm not to sure when Akiro will be home, so if you want, you could stay in his room until then. Sure he won't mind. " I said to him. God why was this so awkward now. It wasn't awkward a few minutes ago.

"That's fine. Thank you. " He said. Can I take a shower? "

"Oh um, yeah. The bathroom is a few doors down. You can wear my brothers clothes. Again he won't mind. " I told him.

"Thank you. I'll go shower then. " He said before standing up and leaving my room.

I sighed and decided to go down stairs to get a snack. I opened my door and walked out making my way down stairs and into the kitchen. Of course mom was in there drinking her life away.

She looked up at me, "Who was that? "

"Someone from school. He walked me home and it was raining so I invited him to stay the night so he wouldn't catch a cold. " I explained to her.

"Where's your brother? " She asked and I shrugged my shoulders.

"Probably out doing something important. "

Mom scoffed, "Like he'd be doing something important. All he does is sneak out and get into fights. Did you know last night I got a call from the police saying he was in a fight. They said he and his good for nothing friends beat up a boy. How disappointing huh. Your dad would be so disappointed. "

"Mom. Please don't. Akiro's just-" mom cut me off.

"Akiro's just what? You always stick up for him. What? Are you and him hiding things from me? Are you conspiring with him? " She was raising her voice. I hated when she got like this.

"Mom. Please calm down. Akiro was at the movies." I said to her.

She got up from her seat at the table and began to walk out of the kitchen, pushing me into the cabinet before she went into the living room and then into her room. Good thing her room was down stairs.

I rubbed my side where I hit the cabinet from her pushing me. I grabbed my snack and went back upstairs and into my room. I jumped at the sight of Minghao asleep on my bed. Just great.

I should at least try to do some work. Today was only the first day of school and the teacher had giving us home work.

I sat at my desk and began working on my Algebra work. Algebra wasn't my favorite subject to be honest. English was my favorite and also it was my last class.

I felt my eyes get tired halfway through a problem and laid my head down instantly falling asleep.

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Another chapter down...

It's short as well but oh well. I had fun writing it... Honestly wasn't planning to have Minghao stay over but figured it would be a good idea for him to stay...

I do hope you all enjoyed the chapter and remember

Stay safe and stay healthy.

♪～(´ε｀　)
Love y'all

Written: August 22nd 2022