Sapphire Stones

Gally's a tease with a killer body 💪💖

"Minho?" I ask, walking over to the Runner. He jumps slightly at the sound of my voice, turning around alert and ready to defend himself, but once he sees that it's only me, he relaxes. His tense body loosens up a bit on the log he's sitting on and I can see his shoulders slump over just slightly. "What's wrong, Min?" 

I sit down next to him and place my hand on his shoulder, running it up and down to try to comfort him.

"We're screwed, V." He replies, his voice soft and sad; hopeless. "We're completely and utterly fucked."

"Why would you say that?" I ask. My eyebrows knit together in confusion at the sudden change in his mood. He seemed okay earlier, so why is he all of a sudden so hopeless?

"The Runners. They all quit this morning." He mutters, resting his chin on his hand. His eyes are fixed on the walls to the Maze, but I don't think he's actually looking at anything at all. He's too lost in his thoughts. "After everything that's happened the last two days, they all decided that they were sick of running for nothing. Said it was a complete waste of their shucking time and they thought they should do something of actual importance."

"But after today, they'll come back, right? I mean, you and Thomas actually found something. They have to come back."

"We've said we found stuff before, Venus. They don't believe that this thing is actually of any importance. They just don't believe."

"They'll come around, Min. They've gotta. You'll show them."

Minho just shrugs in response, fixing his eyes on the grass now. I squeeze his hand in mine, offering him a small smile, but Minho doesn't return it. 

"I miss them, Venus. I really fuckin' miss those kids." He whispers. I can see the tears beginning to prick his eyes, so I wrap my arms around him and hold him close to my body.

"I miss 'em too, Min." I whisper into his shoulder. His body shakes slightly with silent sobs and I do my best to hold my tears back. Minho needs someone to hold him together. Ben held me together when I needed him most, so now I have to hold Minho together. He needs me.

"I just can't believe that they're really gone. I see them all the time." His voice is broken with sobs, but he manages to get the sentences out. 

I try to shush him and get him to stop talking, but he doesn't seem to care. He ignores me. I'm guessing he's been keeping this all in for a while.

"Logan's face right before it happened. Ben's before the doors closed. I see them everywhere I go, V. I don't know- I don't know how to stop it. I don't know how to let go."

"You can't just let go of them just like that, Min." I whisper, wiping the tears from his cheeks when he pulls away from me. "You were friends with them. You knew them. They were a part of your life. You can't just let them go and move on."

"Well then how do I get it to stop hurting so bad?" He asks. The pain and utter desperation in his voice breaks my heart to pieces. 

"I don't know, Min. I just don't know." I whisper, cradling his face in my hands. "I see them too. All the time. And I don't think I ever won't. Because I knew them. I was friends with them. Hell, Ben was my best friend. I can't just forget about him. It would be an insult to their memories."

"Do you think it'll get easier?" He asks, and I nod because I do. 

"Eventually, I think we'll stop being sad and remembering the bad parts. We'll accept it and remember the great stuff that they did. We'll sit around a fire one day and tell stories about them and laugh because we loved them. They deserve to live on in our memories. They deserve that much, don't you think?" 

Minho nods, running his hands through his slightly disheveled hair. He wipes the remaining tears from his eyes and squeezes my hand.

"You're a great Runner, Minho. You know you are. You're gonna get us out of here. I just know it."

"Thank you." He mutters. "For helping me. For having faith in me. Thank you, Venus."

I press a kiss to his forehead, offering him a smile which, this time, he returns. It doesn't quite reach his eyes, but it's better than nothing. At least he tried.

"I've never doubted you for a second." I reply before standing up and leaving Minho to his thoughts. I see a small smile on his face as he looks at the Maze walls, once again deep in thought. I hope he's remembering something good about Logan or Ben.

🪐🪐🪐

"Axe." Gally mutters, hauling another thick tree stump over to the chopping station. I hand him the tool, watching him swing it over his head and then bring it back down, hitting it twice before splitting the wood in two. 

He sets the tool down, running his hands over his hair and pushing it off of his sweaty forehead. He's been letting the top grow out for a while now, still shaving the sides and back of his head. "Shirt." 

I hand Gally the shirt he threw on the ground not too long ago, watching him wipe the sweat from his forehead with it. I whistle at him, earning a small smile in my direction before he hands me back the shirt.

"For me? Why, thank you! I'm honored!" I say in a southern accent, taking the shirt from his hands. "I'll cherish it forever!"

"You're ridiculous." He says, rolling his eyes and running his hands through his hair once again.

"You love it." I reply. Gally smiles, walking over to me and pressing a kiss to my lips.

"Damn right I do." He says with a grin. My face burns red. "You're blushing." He points out with an even wider smile.

"Am not. It's the sun. My face is easily sunburned."

"Sure it is." He replies. "Grape?"

I nod, taking a grape out of my small bowl. I try to hand it to him, but he shakes his head.

"I can catch it." He says, a glint in his eyes. I roll mine, watching him get ready to catch the grape in his mouth.

"Showing off for the lady?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. 

"Just throw the damn grape." He fires back, but there's no mistaking the pink tint on his already flushed cheeks. I do, watching as he catches it in his mouth, winking at me.

"You've never looked so sexy." I say, my voice laced with obvious sarcasm as I roll my eyes. "Showoff." I mutter.

"You love it." Gally snaps. I can't help but smile. "Watcha thinkin' about?" He asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Nunya business." I reply. Not true. It has everything to do with him. Should I tell him? Is now the right time? Does he even feel the same way back? I mean, I know he likes me, but this is way bigger than just like. 

"Doesn't look like it to me, judging from how red your face is." He says with a smirk. I roll my eyes again.

"You think extremely high of yourself, don't you, Galpal?"

"It's easy when you have a killer body."

"Hey, I'm not complaining." I reply, eyeing him up and down. Without his shirt on, I can't help but focus on his tanned torso, large biceps, and prominent veins.

"Oh yeah?" He asks, cocking an eyebrow. He doesn't try to hide the smirk on his face as he leans down and presses his lips against mine. His tongue grazes my bottom lip, but before I can do anything about it, he pulls away. He winks at me before turning around, picking up the axe, and splitting another log in half. 

"Tease." I scoff, popping a grape into my mouth.

"Gotta keep you on your toes somehow." He grunts, swinging the axe over his head again and bringing it down once more, splitting a third log in two. I watch him as he works, my eyes taking in every detail of him from the way his eyebrows furrow before he brings the axe down to the way he pushes the hair off his forehead every two swings. I study everything about him, smiling the whole time.

Holy fuck.

I am so desperately in love with this man, and even that is an understatement.