Title: Minho's Soft Side

Summary: After the Gladers are rescued from WICKED at the end of The Maze Runner, Thomas grieves for Chuck. Minho comforts him and shows him his soft side.

Rated: T

Genre(s): Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Friendship

Pairing(s): Thomas/Minho, Clint/Jeff

Warning(s): Angst, mentioning of a violent death of a young teenager

AN: Sorry if Minho is a bit OOC. Hope you like it and review please :)

The people who led them to the safe building ordered pizza for the Gladers. Thomas hadn't realized how starving he was, and he ate with his friends in silence. They weren't really in that much of a talking mood. When Thomas finished his pizza, he went out into the hall to grieve for Chuck. He hadn't really had the chance to properly grieve since they had been rescued from WICKED.

He slumped against the wall and pulled his knees up to his chest, burying his face in them and felt hot, salty tears rolling down his cheeks. He missed Chuck so much it felt like there was a physical ache in his heart. He had promised Chuck that he would take care of him, that he would get him home to his family.

And Thomas had failed.

Tom? You okay? Teresa tried to communicate telepathically with him. Maybe she had noticed he was upset.

I'm fine.

Don't lie to me, Tom, she replied. Don't shut me out.

Thomas didn't answer. His sobs got louder and he tried to cover them up by putting his hand over his mouth. I miss you, Chuck, he thought, and hoped Chuck heard him all the way from heaven.

"You look shucking horrible," Minho's voice said, but it lacked its usual spunk.

Thomas looked up, wiping the tears from his eyes and sniffling. "Thanks."

Minho smiled slightly and sat down beside him against the wall, so close to Thomas that their shoulders touched. Butterflies filled Thomas' stomach. He'd had a crush on Minho since the first time he'd seen the shank. And he'd never been this close to Minho before. "Thomas," the former Keeper of the Runners said after several minutes of silence, "I'm so, so sorry about Chuck."

Fresh tears streamed down Thomas' cheeks at the mentioning of the boy who was like a brother to him. "I promised him, Minho," Thomas sobbed. "I did."

"Thomas." Minho shook his head, a look of disbelief in his dark eyes. "You idiot. It wasn't your fault. Chuck chose to protect you."

"I love him, Minho."

Minho pulled him close and hugged him, and Thomas' brain instantly went Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh. "I know you did," Minho said softly. "God, Thomas, you're so sweet. That boy loved you so much. You made him so happy. And when you held him as he died...I know he was grateful, Thomas."

Thomas stared at him, wide-eyed. "Who are you and what have you done with Minho?"

Minho laughed and Thomas was startled to see tears in his friend's eyes. Without thinking about what he was doing, Thomas leaned in and pressed his lips against Minho's in a deep kiss. Minho held him close, protectively, keeping his arms tightly around Thomas as their kisses became more passionate. With trembling fingers, Thomas unbuttoned Minho's denim shirt and ran his hands down Minho's body. "You're so shucking hot," Thomas said between kisses.

They broke apart, gasping for air. Thomas rested his head against Minho's shoulder, unable to believe what had just happened. He had finally, finally kissed Minho, and the Asian boy had kissed him back. "Well, one thing still hasn't changed," Minho said, smiling fondly at him.

"What?"

"You still suck at using Glader language."

Thomas burst out laughing and hugged Minho close to him. "Shank."

Minho chuckled, hugging him back. "I love you, Thomas." Thomas stared at him in shock. "Yeah, you shucking heard me. You're so sweet and kind and just so shucking caring, that I can't help it."

Thomas smiled widely through his tears. "I love you, too, Minho."

Minho smiled back and kissed away Thomas' tears, then wiped away some of his own. "Better?" Minho asked him.

"I still miss Chuck," Thomas said, frowning as he remembered his brother.

"I know you do," Minho said. "You were so good to him, Thomas. Trust me. You made him so happy."

"I told him I loved him," Thomas informed his new boyfriend.

A smile spread onto Minho's face. "You did? When?"

Flashback

As Minho stood waiting for him right inside the Maze, Thomas ran over to Chuck. "I wish I could be a Runner and help you guys," Chuck said.

Thomas felt his heart melting. "We'll find a way out of here, Chuck," he promised him. "I'm going to get you out of here and get you back to your family. I love you, Chuck." Thomas swallowed, fighting back tears.

Tears streamed down Chuck's cheeks as Thomas pulled the boy into his arms. "You are my family, Thomas," Chuck told him. "I love you."

Sadness filled Thomas again as he relived the memory. "God, Thomas, that's so sweet," Minho said. He stroked Thomas' cheek gently and Thomas leaned into his touch, sighing happily.

"Awwwww!" Minho and Thomas froze when they turned and saw their British friend standing in the entrance to the hallway. "Hey, guys, Minho's got a soft side!" he called back to their friends in the common room.

Thomas smirked as Minho paled. "Oh, no," Minho said, his brown eyes wide. "Thomas. Help!"

"A soft side?" Frypan's voice called from the common room, and Thomas could tell that he was speaking through a mouthful of pizza. "Our Minho? Our tough, fearless Minho?"

"And for Tommy, no less!" Newt informed their friends.

"Oh, man," a voice said. "This I've gotta see."

Teresa was laughing inside Thomas' head and Thomas groaned. He knew he would never hear the end of this from her. Minho stood quickly, pulling Thomas up with him as a group formed in the hallway entrance. "Move it, people," Minho said, shoving a few Gladers. "Nothing to see here."

"Min," Thomas laughed, putting a hand on his new boyfriend's shoulder.

"Awwww! Tommy even has a nickname for Minho already!" This from Winston.

"Hey, I call him, Tommy, shank," Newt teased. "Back the bloody shuck off." This earned a lot of laughs, which they really needed.

The Gladers welcomed Thomas and Minho's new relationship with open arms - literally, they hugged the shuck out of the new couple, except for Clint and Jeff, who were busy making out on one of the couches. And, for once, Thomas felt somewhat happy with the family that he had been lucky enough to find.

AN: Review and tell me what you thought please :) Hope you liked it! Oh, and this was just a oneshot. Sorry :/