Let's Make a Deal, a maze runner trilogy fanfic

Dislaimer: I don't own or profit from The Maze Runner series. It belongs to the most amazing author ever: James Dashner.

There was a certain someone that plagued Minho's mind every second that they were separated. It all happened so suddenly. One moment, everyone was together, the next, Minho and Newt and Alby and Jorge and the other Gladers went one way, and Thomas and Brenda went the other.

Once Minho and his group had gotten out from the building, they had to fight a few Cranks that were friends of Jorge. Once they were dead, everyone searched, but there was no sign of Thomas or Brenda.

Jorge suggested that they escaped through a secret tunnel underground. Minho wasn't sure if that was right, but he hoped it was. It was better for Thomas to go through a tunnel than be crushed by a ceiling.

The group traveled north until nighttime, where they retired in an tiny old house. It only had one room—a bedroom—and was very messy. It had a single bed and a desk and chair; dust covered everything. There was no electricity, but that was to be expected.

"I call the bed!" Newt said, limping over to the bed. No one complained as he bounced onto it.

"Okay, hermanos," Jorge said, sitting in the chair. "Let's get to bed. We can continue the search for Thomas and Brenda tomorrow, when we're well rested. We aren't much help to them if we're tired, right?"

Everyone agreed quietly and lied down on the floor. Minho stood, leaning against the wall, watching everyone listen to the older man. He was too tired to tell Jorge that he was the leader.

Minho sat down in the corner of the room and looked out the window at the moon. He wondered if Thomas was looking at it, too.

Minho let out a frustrated sigh. Thomas Thomas Thomas. That was all he could think about. Why was the younger boy plaguing his thoughts?

When Minho saw Thomas come out of the Box, he thought Thomas was the most gorgeous person ever. Minho didn't think he'd interact with Thomas much, but he was obviously wrong.

Thomas becoming a Runner was like winning the Lottery to Minho: He could now hang out with Thomas every day. Sure, as a Runner, his goals should be focused on solving the Maze. But Thomas was there, distracting him.

They had become great friends over the course of Thomas's arrival. Minho trusted the boy with his life, which was pretty ridiculous.

I guess love makes you pretty dumb, Minho thought sadly. He'd never felt—or at least, couldn't remember feeling—love before.

It'd been a good half hour since everyone was lying on the ground. By the sounds of the breathing, Minho concluded that everyone was asleep. He got up and quietly exited the one-roomed house, going outside and sitting on the porch.

How could Thomas do this to him? How could Thomas leave him behind to worry about his pony-loving butt? Minho was scared for Thomas; what if he'd gotten himself in trouble?

Sure, Thomas had Brenda with him, but she wasn't much help. Brenda was strong and fearless—Minho concluded that when Brenda stuck that knife under his neck—but with only the two of them surrounded by Cranks, they'd lose for sure. Minho felt sullen just thinking about losing Thomas. His stomach got queasy and his head got dizzy and his heart got heavy.

How was one simple boy doing this to him?

Minho lightly touched the burned skin on his legs. His legs was aching and throbbing, but there wasn't anything Minho could do about that.

"Oh, Thomas," Minho whispered quietly to himself. A gust of wind was his only response.

"You love him, don't you?" Minho jumped and quickly turned around, finding himself the silhouette of a Mexican man. Jorge stepped closer, to where Minho could see him in the light of the moon.

Minho shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous," he said. The Asian wondered if Jorge had heard him whisper to himself.

Jorge sat next to Minho on the stairs and gazed at the moon.

"I'm not being ridiculous," the man said. "You are for not admitting it."

Minho sighed, looking at Jorge. Minho did feel ridiculous for not admitting it. But how could he? In the world that he was surrounded by—in the situation that he lived in—there was no time for love. There were more important things to think about, like surviving. Thomas also wasn't gay. Minho had seen the way that Thomas and Teresa looked at each other.

"What makes you think I 'love' him?" Minho made quotes with his fingers when he said the word love.

"I can tell," Jorge responded easily. "You always think about him. Whenever you think about him, you bite your lower lip a bit. I can tell that you care deeply for him."

Minho sighed. He didn't know he was being so obvious. Or maybe he wasn't. Maybe all the Gladers were too busy with their will to survive to realize that Minho was in love with Thomas.

He looked at Jorge and whispered, "I can't tell anyone. If I told them, then they'd all hate me."

"You don't know that," Jorge said. He felt a wave of sadness wash over him as he looked at the kid next to him. He glanced at the burns on his leg and mentally winced. Jorge actually felt guilty for kicking the love-struck teenager.

"Yes, I do," Minho said, slightly annoyed. "They'll all treat me like I'm some freak. Like I'm an idiot for falling in love during such a difficult time. I'm supposed to be a leader, not a sappy kid who's in love with someone who will never love him back."

Jorge sighed, but then an idea struck him. He smiled slightly and said, "How about I make you a deal."

Minho felt his instincts swell up: What kind of deal was the Mexican talking about?

"I'm listening," Minho said; he was curious as to what the deal as.

"I will give you full leadership if you promise me something," Jorge said, being just as vague as his previous statement. Minho frowned. He wasn't willing to promise Jorge something for leadership if he was promising to do something bad.

"And what should I promise you?" Minho asked, narrowing his eyes a bit.

"Once we get out of this hell we're living in," Jorge said. "Once we get to our own corner of Paradise, once we escape Wicked, I want you to tell Thomas how you really feel about him."

Minho opened his mouth to protest, but Jorge started talking again. "It doesn't matter if he doesn't feel the same way. All that matters is that you tell him your that you love him."

Minho contemplated the idea. If he promised, he'd get to be the leader of the Gladers—which was his rightful position anyway. Minho decided that there was a slim chance that he'd live to find the "corner of Paradise", as Jorge put it. As an added bonus, Minho could boss the older man around.

"Okay, I'll admit my feelings for him when the time is right," Minho said, nodding his head.

"Okay, hermano," Jorge smiled. "Raise your right hand and repeat after me."

Minho thought what Jorge was having him do was ridiculous, although he did it anyway.

"I promise," Jorge began.

"I promise," Minho repeated.

"That once I find my own corner of Paradise…"

"I will tell Thomas that I love him, no matter what."

Jorge smiled at the teen. He was glad that Minho had agreed with the deal, even if it meant that he'd be bossed around by someone younger than him.

"Well, you better get to sleep, kid," Jorge said, standing up and clapping Minho on the shoulder.

Minho rolled his eyes. "Hey, you can't tell me what to do anymore," he said. Jorge chucked.

"Goodnight, Minho," Jorge whispered before quietly going back inside. Minho looked up at the moon, another fleeting thought about Thomas capturing his mind before Minho went inside.

He lied down next to Newt and stared at the ceiling, a peaceful sleep catching him a few minutes later.

The following day, the group walked until they came across another city full of Cranks. It was in that city that they saw Thomas and Brenda being led into a building by a few of the Flare infested people. Minho wanted to immediately run and save Thomas, but knew he couldn't interfere without serious issues.

They made a plan to attack, and put it to action later that day.

Minho and Newt and Alby all attacked the Cranks upstairs, easily taking them down since they were all hung over.

While the others tied the Cranks up, Minho made eye contact with Jorge. Both men nodded to each other before Minho ran downstairs, hoping Thomas was okay.

Relief filled him when he found Thomas—and Brenda, though he couldn't care less about her—tied to a chair. He grinned, happy that Thomas was alive and seemingly unharmed. With a smirk, Minho said, "You guys look comfy."

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed! This was just a short one-shot that came to mind. In The Scorch Trials, Thomas wonders how Minho became had taken back the leadership role from Jorge (Page 232), and this is how I think it happened. And just in case anyone was wondering, Thomas and Co. Read the Maze Runner Chapter Three is being edited as we speak. Have a great day everyone! :D