What Lurks Within // Minho (O.H.)

06 ; believing

One Year and seven months cont.

While Leo and Minho spent all of their free time together in the Glade, Leo noticed that it was just as easy for Minho to avoid him.

Instead of Minho waiting outside of the Med-shack for Leo before dinner, the boy went later, just as Frypan began to finish up. Instead of Minho drawing his Maps next to Leo, he draws them across the room and hands them over without a word, turning on his heels before Leo can comment. Instead of Minho sitting with Leo and whomever else wants to hang out around the fire pit at night, he retires to bed early without a word.

It's been three days, and he always changed his routine just enough to slip through Leo's hold.

Leo was determined to track him down. As much as he enjoyed his solitude to work on his Maps and theories, he realized he liked spending time with Minho more.

If anyone were to know where the boy would be hiding, it would be Nick or one of his Runners, so he looks around the Glade for whoever he can find first.

"Hey, Newt!" Leo called and ran across the field to meet the boy. He slowed to a stop and wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulders.

"Yeah?" Newt asked in confusion. He looked up at the boy with furrowed eyebrows as he lowered his water bottle to his side. He's sweaty, Leo notes and assumes that the boy hadn't gone to the showers yet after running his Section.

"Where's Minho?" He asks in a light-hearted tone as a half-smile graces his features.

He looked around the Glade for a distraction and stammered, "Oh, uh."

"You're not thinking of lying to me, are you Newt?" Leo said with a fake pout as his head leaned in closer to the boy. Newt did not miss the underlying threat.

He shook his head, "Didn't even cross my mind."

Leo hummed and pulled Newt to a stop. He looked pointedly at the boy with the tilt of his head. "Come on, Newt," he said smoothly. "We're friends, right?"

Newt nodded. "Yeah, sure."

"Where is he?"

Newt looked around subtly and leaned in closer like he was spilling the most secure secret in the world. "Weapons. You didn't hear it from me."

Leo zipped his lips and winked. He turned and called over his shoulder, "I owe ya one."

Leo jogged to the Map Room, praying that the boy was still inside. He listened for any other voices before slowly turning the hatch to prevent it from groaning. He entered the pitch-black room and carefully treaded around the tables and stools. Light flooded under the bottom crack of the Weapon's Room door, and Leo cheered quietly.

He took out his key and inserted it into the lock. With a twist of the knob, he entered the room, his heart hammering out of his chest.

Minho looked up and then narrowed his eyes in distaste when he realized it was Leo. He stiffly looked back down and perfected his already perfect map. He erased nothing so that he could act like he was busy.

"Minho," Leo said and walked closer.

Leo's shadow from the overhead cast across the Map, yet Minho paid no mind, still carelessly erasing and redrawing, even if he couldn't see exactly what he was doing.

The boy tightened his grip on his pencil, but otherwise, he didn't react to Leo's voice.

Leo sat on the stool to his right and placed his elbows on the table. He looked down at the Map and almost cringed when he realized he was drawing the Cliff. He cleared his throat and said once more, "Minho."