p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="5313db3c28c383e497a8832e288a9536"They touched each other a lot./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a954a12cf5ee0e1cb538b75e2caac790"It was always delicate fingers tracing practice patterns over bare skin, hands playing against warm backs, noses nestled into collarbones and so on./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="745a7ab0ee2fb650aa7d956ed769c215"They held hands and private, and leaned against each other constantly out in the open./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7479e87230e499d5959b17c80f7bfc86"In the Maze, during breaks, someone was always rubbing that the other shoulders are temples, or coming gentle fingers through Tangled Tufts of hair./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="98a2a1efa43bbc375700ece2f95a4302"It was nothing sexual, or even romantic, really. To them, it was their own unspoken Pact. To keep each other warm, and to Shield each other from the ache of loneliness The Glades seems ever so happy to provide./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cbdf88ea508e0a96f199ebf020382c23"You didn't talk about that sort of thing in the Glade. How god-awful you wanted to be touched without resentment or malcontent. Just touch, coddled, held onto./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="5b1286e17a5cf2a55a91a4cd3f5d2f5c"It started a few weeks into their daily runs. They'd sit for a moment, just long enough to catch their breath and down some eater, and Thomas would brace himself against Minho's shoulder. Brace himself, rest against him, maybe press his head into Minho's shoulder without really thinking about it./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8a7c444409ae3880a53df915c8bc44b7"Minho thought that maybe he should mind, because teenage boys didn't lean on each other like that. It felt too close for the maze, to save, too warm. But he didn't mind, couldn't even help but do the same thing sometimes./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9f56641dc76cc3cf0370ed24a98ec810"Eventually they started sitting like that outside of the maze. Just to be close, to be near each other. And the guys for crack jokes, ask when the wedding was, imply what they were doing wasn't as innocent as it felt. Somehow that only pushed them closer to each other./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="64d23eb264c42b7b23d4ad1d0e587243"They were glued at the hip, like dirt to tree sap./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="fb2ff70d6b279846cc307d60f20703db"When they ate, they ate together, picking off of each other's plates. When they bathed, they bathed together, back to back, shoulder blades barely touching as they washed themselves. And of course, they slept together, facing each other with their faces just a breath apart. Their togetherness became such a thing as routine, that the only time they ever got Second Glances was when they were apart. If Thomas Was Alone the first question he'd get was 'where's Minho?' And if Minho was alone the first question he would ask was 'did you seeing where Thomas went?'/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="5ba19aa30e720b649f6da88c3635d363"Minho, stoic as he tried to be, begin to second-guess his attachment to Thomas whenever the other boy wandered off. Was this thing they had only one sided? Was he reading him wrong? Was he getting tired of him? He felt stupid, chewing on his lower lip with anxiety pressing against his gut. Why was he so attached to him anyway? He been just fine in the Glade before Thomas came around so why did he need him so badly now?/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="dddde9944e2e3ce2ba8b367e6e5c8bd6"Thomas, of course, was oblivious, completely contented with their relationship without needing an explanation for it, and unaware of the effect he had on his counterpart whenever they were separate. They were never really apart from more than a few hours anyway./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c9bd7f9cfd902c02f5d0dec2dd6bdeeb"So Minho's anxiety Grew, slowly, and he overcompensated to hide his emotions, snapping angry at Thomas whenever anything mild went wrong. Minho was supposed to be the stronger of the two, the smarter, and more level-headed, but eventually Thomas could tell that he was off. Irritated. Tired almost./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="246527d157bb3a30d4b931913474ff11""Jesus Thomas can't you fucking watching where your stepping," Minho hissed between pants, trying to catch his breath after escaping with Thomas from an especially menacing griever./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="58a4665e30b70f0d00d1164cfe404be8""I said I was sorry!" Thomas snapped back, notably exhausted as they left the maze for the night./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d55982273d866a4e213c79f8334793ff"" sorry isn't going to be good enough when you get one of us killed in there," he retorted as they made their way to map out that day's distance./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="813b322033a018d670e91ddca46cf210""I'm not gonna get us killed," Thomas mumbled./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="650fba2db57f641d85cdc2dac941efa5"Minho snorted, " yeah right, you're so fucking clumsy I'm surprised we're not dead yet."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8c8f40eaf44665753adbb821b181e4fc""Shut the fuck up," Thomas said, a feeble attempt to end the conversation./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="82e179a74808863ac6ce2e1edc72363c""Why, so you can screw up again?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2171a74c35d1effc527b71fd343e56e0"" Fuck you."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0b4092acf70342a0439fc29ed8d0f830""No, Fuck you," Minho call dr. Thomas who had already stormed out of the tent./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="012bb28963bc4fea97bac60d36bd224f"He deflated as soon as he knew Thomas was gone./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="334ffb1e5b77ed903b3cffd5f29bd1e3""Fuck" he mumbled to himself. "Fucking shit." He threw down his pencil and sat, pulling at fistfuls of his hair angrily. Why had he done that? He wasn't even mad at Thomas. He didn't blame him for the griever, didn't think he was clumsy, didn't believe that Thomas would ever do anything to intentionally put them in danger./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b6fbba6b0ec30fc82646107bd28591f1"He pinched the bridge of his nose, and sad. It was all getting to be too much, he desperately needed to put an end to his poor Behavior, to reassure himself that Thomas didn't hate him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="469f1a77c83378f42a98ba3924b7d100"His heart ache, and he didn't know why./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e5ed6f798651c0c5251fc6e43b6ab825"When he finally found Thomas, he was already asleep, just like everyone else in the Glade. He crawled into bed beside him, as usual, and tried not to get angry again when Thomas opened his eyes, scrunched up his nose, and turned away from him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6157dbfebae6fe306355ebc8986788cd""Thomas?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4e8bcde2efd1fd673746c0d24bd32906"One minute, and then two, and no answer./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6a56c962e5ab747f504841b75589b1f0""Tommy C'mon. Will you will you at least look at me please?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a7aad51307d04b174477b60f1645f9b2"Thomas set up, soft to a nickname, though his cheeks still burned with anger. "Why so you can rag on me again?" he spit, and the ache in Minho's chest grew deeper./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="95372f98dee1fb094daa1dbe6a5e1e19""Tommy, I'm sorry."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6b5942268e97daeb0f4b1f81f5c5d87d"Thomas snorted./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="60c8a498725e5675f3f4db3e0e9ab501"Minho sat up. "I am, I'm really sorry. Not just for today, but for the say I've been acting lately."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="adec16214c6bbacf83fbe2d394b2ce2a"Thomas looked at him, untrusting. Why have you been such a dick lately?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d1049330837dc68acf8fac49a65753ac"Minho Opens his mouth to say he didn't know, I apologize again, but for no reason at all the truth he'd been hiding from even himself came out instead./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ec67cc20dfeb730b4b42aed73282d71c"" Because I want more, and I know I can't have it, and it hurts."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0d6da4ddb1ca78f028963dec72591ef9""More what, Min?" Thomas furrowed his eye brows, even more confused than before. "Than the maze? We're gonna get out on I know-"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7123474108c10ecad83d6ca2949d7d70""No Tommy, of you. I want more of you I'm greedy-God I'm such an idiot," he pressed his face down into his hands. "I think I'm Gay. I think I'm in love with you."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e5b2aa5f078bc301f2363b1773caa33a"Thomas started at him, slack jawed and red, unable to fully process Minho's out of nowhere confession./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0be90223f7a84aa62129064df1388b4b""Min, i-"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="063020d2ccdee40dfb2d8ea4e8b104b4""I know," Minho said, holding up his hands. "You don't have to tell me, I know you're not into guys. I'm not expecting anything, I just had to get it if my chest. I'll go OK?" he averted his eyes as he spoke, embarrassed and a little ashamed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cba0e20a6262313f6c6b17f46522af42"" whoa whoa whoa wait. I wasn't going to say that I," Thomas paused. He didn't really know what he had planned to say. Thanks but no thanks let's go to sleep? OK? He didn't even know if he was into girls let alone guys. He could have been asexual for all he knew./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7e6a4ad9e12fd212df19201aa1ebeae0"But he liked Minho. Minho was special. He bit his lip and looked away/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="29d6da8b8b3cc72a6a0d803773b7d589""We- I mean I dunno we could try. To he more than friends I mean."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6c325856672f6b52884fb8903a1560b8"It was Minho's turned to start. "Try?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="12625cab89b3f48ebd84344d7b700668""Like Likened could. We could kiss or something if you want," he trailed off, face red as a beat./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ec7d905da7f008108f59cf7eade350b3"Minho pursed his lips. He could never have predicted that Thomas would be willing to do anything like that with him. He supposed he just assumed the other boy was straight. Sort of the same way he'd assumed he was straight until Thomas came along. He called towards he'd assumed he was straight until Thomas came along. He crawled towards Thomas decisively, taking up the offer./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="40b50a30df8978f4346d14532b4d934d""Ok," he said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c0fcb9fd017aed628ece7013ff53c44a"Thomas squeeze his eyes shut, and leaned forward tentatively, his heartbeat fluttering in and out of existence./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="fe5f938523f0255ece59e5411489aab7"Minho stood on his knees in front of Thomas, and lifted his chin towards him. He leaned down until their noses touched, brushing his lips against Thomas's, breathing deeply through his nose. And then, gathering all the courage he had left, pressed his lips gently to Thomas'. They stayed like that for a moment before Minho greedily backed up and do it again, and again, stealing three or four more soft kisses before sitting back down on his heels./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7a1fbf8339c6a5ac072d3aba56da417b"Thomas opened his eyes when he was sure it was over. He wet his lips quickly, hands shaking ever-so-slightly. His face was Awash with the blood that Rose to his skin, heart hammering Nails into his ribs./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="63e181abf93bbef2f46445631fd272e2""How was that?" Minho asked, his voice nice more than a whisper./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e6298bba71fb2976e529df5c7def39b3"Thomas swallowed. "I t-think i'd like to do that more often if its Ok with you."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4b81ca3ccea0329294d0b3f9e74ccc1b"Minho grinned elated and answered the request with a dozen more chaste kisses./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="001ae1b2e7b8c19dc2410232127154c8"They touched a lot, those two./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a954a12cf5ee0e1cb538b75e2caac790"It was always delicate fingers tracing practice patterns over bare skin, hands playing against warm backs, noses nestled into collarbones and so on./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="745a7ab0ee2fb650aa7d956ed769c215"They held hands and private, and leaned against each other constantly out in the open./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7479e87230e499d5959b17c80f7bfc86"In the Maze, during breaks, someone was always rubbing that the other shoulders are temples, or coming gentle fingers through Tangled Tufts of hair./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="98a2a1efa43bbc375700ece2f95a4302"It was nothing sexual, or even romantic, really. To them, it was their own unspoken Pact. To keep each other warm, and to Shield each other from the ache of loneliness The Glades seems ever so happy to provide./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cbdf88ea508e0a96f199ebf020382c23"You didn't talk about that sort of thing in the Glade. How god-awful you wanted to be touched without resentment or malcontent. Just touch, coddled, held onto./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="5b1286e17a5cf2a55a91a4cd3f5d2f5c"It started a few weeks into their daily runs. They'd sit for a moment, just long enough to catch their breath and down some eater, and Thomas would brace himself against Minho's shoulder. Brace himself, rest against him, maybe press his head into Minho's shoulder without really thinking about it./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8a7c444409ae3880a53df915c8bc44b7"Minho thought that maybe he should mind, because teenage boys didn't lean on each other like that. It felt too close for the maze, to save, too warm. But he didn't mind, couldn't even help but do the same thing sometimes./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9f56641dc76cc3cf0370ed24a98ec810"Eventually they started sitting like that outside of the maze. Just to be close, to be near each other. And the guys for crack jokes, ask when the wedding was, imply what they were doing wasn't as innocent as it felt. Somehow that only pushed them closer to each other./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="64d23eb264c42b7b23d4ad1d0e587243"They were glued at the hip, like dirt to tree sap./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="fb2ff70d6b279846cc307d60f20703db"When they ate, they ate together, picking off of each other's plates. When they bathed, they bathed together, back to back, shoulder blades barely touching as they washed themselves. And of course, they slept together, facing each other with their faces just a breath apart. Their togetherness became such a thing as routine, that the only time they ever got Second Glances was when they were apart. If Thomas Was Alone the first question he'd get was 'where's Minho?' And if Minho was alone the first question he would ask was 'did you seeing where Thomas went?'/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="5ba19aa30e720b649f6da88c3635d363"Minho, stoic as he tried to be, begin to second-guess his attachment to Thomas whenever the other boy wandered off. Was this thing they had only one sided? Was he reading him wrong? Was he getting tired of him? He felt stupid, chewing on his lower lip with anxiety pressing against his gut. Why was he so attached to him anyway? He been just fine in the Glade before Thomas came around so why did he need him so badly now?/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="dddde9944e2e3ce2ba8b367e6e5c8bd6"Thomas, of course, was oblivious, completely contented with their relationship without needing an explanation for it, and unaware of the effect he had on his counterpart whenever they were separate. They were never really apart from more than a few hours anyway./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c9bd7f9cfd902c02f5d0dec2dd6bdeeb"So Minho's anxiety Grew, slowly, and he overcompensated to hide his emotions, snapping angry at Thomas whenever anything mild went wrong. Minho was supposed to be the stronger of the two, the smarter, and more level-headed, but eventually Thomas could tell that he was off. Irritated. Tired almost./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="246527d157bb3a30d4b931913474ff11""Jesus Thomas can't you fucking watching where your stepping," Minho hissed between pants, trying to catch his breath after escaping with Thomas from an especially menacing griever./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="58a4665e30b70f0d00d1164cfe404be8""I said I was sorry!" Thomas snapped back, notably exhausted as they left the maze for the night./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d55982273d866a4e213c79f8334793ff"" sorry isn't going to be good enough when you get one of us killed in there," he retorted as they made their way to map out that day's distance./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="813b322033a018d670e91ddca46cf210""I'm not gonna get us killed," Thomas mumbled./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="650fba2db57f641d85cdc2dac941efa5"Minho snorted, " yeah right, you're so fucking clumsy I'm surprised we're not dead yet."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8c8f40eaf44665753adbb821b181e4fc""Shut the fuck up," Thomas said, a feeble attempt to end the conversation./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="82e179a74808863ac6ce2e1edc72363c""Why, so you can screw up again?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2171a74c35d1effc527b71fd343e56e0"" Fuck you."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0b4092acf70342a0439fc29ed8d0f830""No, Fuck you," Minho call dr. Thomas who had already stormed out of the tent./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="012bb28963bc4fea97bac60d36bd224f"He deflated as soon as he knew Thomas was gone./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="334ffb1e5b77ed903b3cffd5f29bd1e3""Fuck" he mumbled to himself. "Fucking shit." He threw down his pencil and sat, pulling at fistfuls of his hair angrily. Why had he done that? He wasn't even mad at Thomas. He didn't blame him for the griever, didn't think he was clumsy, didn't believe that Thomas would ever do anything to intentionally put them in danger./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b6fbba6b0ec30fc82646107bd28591f1"He pinched the bridge of his nose, and sad. It was all getting to be too much, he desperately needed to put an end to his poor Behavior, to reassure himself that Thomas didn't hate him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="469f1a77c83378f42a98ba3924b7d100"His heart ache, and he didn't know why./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e5ed6f798651c0c5251fc6e43b6ab825"When he finally found Thomas, he was already asleep, just like everyone else in the Glade. He crawled into bed beside him, as usual, and tried not to get angry again when Thomas opened his eyes, scrunched up his nose, and turned away from him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6157dbfebae6fe306355ebc8986788cd""Thomas?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4e8bcde2efd1fd673746c0d24bd32906"One minute, and then two, and no answer./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6a56c962e5ab747f504841b75589b1f0""Tommy C'mon. Will you will you at least look at me please?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a7aad51307d04b174477b60f1645f9b2"Thomas set up, soft to a nickname, though his cheeks still burned with anger. "Why so you can rag on me again?" he spit, and the ache in Minho's chest grew deeper./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="95372f98dee1fb094daa1dbe6a5e1e19""Tommy, I'm sorry."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6b5942268e97daeb0f4b1f81f5c5d87d"Thomas snorted./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="60c8a498725e5675f3f4db3e0e9ab501"Minho sat up. "I am, I'm really sorry. Not just for today, but for the say I've been acting lately."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="adec16214c6bbacf83fbe2d394b2ce2a"Thomas looked at him, untrusting. Why have you been such a dick lately?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d1049330837dc68acf8fac49a65753ac"Minho Opens his mouth to say he didn't know, I apologize again, but for no reason at all the truth he'd been hiding from even himself came out instead./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ec67cc20dfeb730b4b42aed73282d71c"" Because I want more, and I know I can't have it, and it hurts."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0d6da4ddb1ca78f028963dec72591ef9""More what, Min?" Thomas furrowed his eye brows, even more confused than before. "Than the maze? We're gonna get out on I know-"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7123474108c10ecad83d6ca2949d7d70""No Tommy, of you. I want more of you I'm greedy-God I'm such an idiot," he pressed his face down into his hands. "I think I'm Gay. I think I'm in love with you."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e5b2aa5f078bc301f2363b1773caa33a"Thomas started at him, slack jawed and red, unable to fully process Minho's out of nowhere confession./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0be90223f7a84aa62129064df1388b4b""Min, i-"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="063020d2ccdee40dfb2d8ea4e8b104b4""I know," Minho said, holding up his hands. "You don't have to tell me, I know you're not into guys. I'm not expecting anything, I just had to get it if my chest. I'll go OK?" he averted his eyes as he spoke, embarrassed and a little ashamed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cba0e20a6262313f6c6b17f46522af42"" whoa whoa whoa wait. I wasn't going to say that I," Thomas paused. He didn't really know what he had planned to say. Thanks but no thanks let's go to sleep? OK? He didn't even know if he was into girls let alone guys. He could have been asexual for all he knew./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7e6a4ad9e12fd212df19201aa1ebeae0"But he liked Minho. Minho was special. He bit his lip and looked away/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="29d6da8b8b3cc72a6a0d803773b7d589""We- I mean I dunno we could try. To he more than friends I mean."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6c325856672f6b52884fb8903a1560b8"It was Minho's turned to start. "Try?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="12625cab89b3f48ebd84344d7b700668""Like Likened could. We could kiss or something if you want," he trailed off, face red as a beat./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ec7d905da7f008108f59cf7eade350b3"Minho pursed his lips. He could never have predicted that Thomas would be willing to do anything like that with him. He supposed he just assumed the other boy was straight. Sort of the same way he'd assumed he was straight until Thomas came along. He called towards he'd assumed he was straight until Thomas came along. He crawled towards Thomas decisively, taking up the offer./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="40b50a30df8978f4346d14532b4d934d""Ok," he said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c0fcb9fd017aed628ece7013ff53c44a"Thomas squeeze his eyes shut, and leaned forward tentatively, his heartbeat fluttering in and out of existence./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="fe5f938523f0255ece59e5411489aab7"Minho stood on his knees in front of Thomas, and lifted his chin towards him. He leaned down until their noses touched, brushing his lips against Thomas's, breathing deeply through his nose. And then, gathering all the courage he had left, pressed his lips gently to Thomas'. They stayed like that for a moment before Minho greedily backed up and do it again, and again, stealing three or four more soft kisses before sitting back down on his heels./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7a1fbf8339c6a5ac072d3aba56da417b"Thomas opened his eyes when he was sure it was over. He wet his lips quickly, hands shaking ever-so-slightly. His face was Awash with the blood that Rose to his skin, heart hammering Nails into his ribs./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="63e181abf93bbef2f46445631fd272e2""How was that?" Minho asked, his voice nice more than a whisper./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e6298bba71fb2976e529df5c7def39b3"Thomas swallowed. "I t-think i'd like to do that more often if its Ok with you."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4b81ca3ccea0329294d0b3f9e74ccc1b"Minho grinned elated and answered the request with a dozen more chaste kisses./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="001ae1b2e7b8c19dc2410232127154c8"They touched a lot, those two./p