Title: You are the miracle I was hoping for

Characters: Thomas and Minho

Disclaimer: The characters and universe belongs to James Dashner.

Notes: This is for Day 1 with the prompt "Minho's first impression (Canon compliant)". It takes place in canon, during the first book.

Notes 2: I'm so excited for another Thominho Week! Hope you enjoy all the fics I have prepared!

When Minho first arrived in the Maze with the first bunch of teenage boys, with no memories, it had been a mess. Trying to figure everything out took a while and they lost few boys to what they decided to call Grievers. But he remembered being somehow attracted to what was beyond those walls. He wanted to know more.

When they started dividing the different jobs, Minho had jumped on the "Runner" one and was soon assigned as the Keeper of the Runners since he was the fastest and bravest one. He wanted to know what this "maze" was all about. If their theory was right and that they were sent there to solve what appeared to be a Maze with the few small exploration they made during the first days, then Minho wanted to be the one to find the solution.

So he ran. Everyday.

With time, they started figuring more things, like how the Maze had sections that changed every day. Or how The Grievers seemed to come out more at night. The young Asian was thrilled every time a new discovery was made.

Soon enough, it had been a year. A year of running every day, mapping out the Maze, eating at the Glade before sleeping. Starting all over the next day.

And after a year… there was no new discovery. They stagnated.

And after a year of running alone in the Maze… Minho realized how lonely his life had become. Beside the few times he had to train a new Runner, the Keeper spent most of his days alone, running his ass off in hope to find an escape to this hell.

He wasn't in the Glade long enough to become close to someone. He had been close to Newt, another runner, even if they still didn't spend much time together. But one day, Newt tried to kill himself and was no longer a Runner. And ever since, the blond stuck to Alby.

And Minho was lonelier than ever.

It was hard, really, being the Keeper of the Runner, having the biggest responsibility on his shoulders while also having to see everyone in the Glade having friends, or even partners, while he was alone.

He hated it. Hated it so much. He hated those who put them there. He hated loosing another Glader, like it was his own fault that he couldn't save them all. He hated that he had no one.

He was starting to lose hope. And he hated it even more. It was his job, his responsibility, he couldn't lose hope! So every time he set foot in the Maze, he wished for a miracle. Every time one of his Runner was about to give up, he took on the role of the optimistic one, giving words of encouragement, ignoring how hard it was to do so when he was also falling apart.

Another year passed. Same loneliness. Same old Maze who couldn't be solved. Same hatred for those who put them there.

Despite all this, he did his job every day. Despite losing their leader, Nick, to the Grievers few weeks ago, he still wished that things would change. Despite the routine making him sick of everything, he continued. He couldn't stop. Everyone counted on him.

Another Greenie came. The first one since Alby became the leader. Minho didn't think about it too much. Just another Newbie that he won't be able to get close too. But then, on his daily run in the Maze, he came across something he'd never seen before. A dead Griever.

Was this the sign he was hoping for? Were things starting to change?

He ran back to the Glade. He had to figure it out. This was big!

He never ran faster before. His lungs were burning, but he didn't stop. It's only once in the safety of the Glade that he allowed himself to crash down in exhaustion, finally allowing his body to escape the pain from his long sprint.

The Greenie, a brown-haired boy, a little younger than him, ran to him, asking if he was okay. Minho was momentarily distracted by the many moles covering the boy's face.

He was beautiful. So beautiful.

Perfect lips, curious amber eyes that looked golden in the sun, messy brown hair that made him look younger than he probably was… He was perfect. And it was so unsettling for Minho, all those feelings… He had never felt the need – the urge – to kiss someone else before, and this boy comes and steals Minho's breath away, not that he had any left after his run.

Alby's arrival got him out of his daydream. Quite annoyed that him for that, he commanded their leader to get him some water. He wanted to have the Greenie for himself, just for a while.

Of course, he couldn't help but be his sarcastic self. He was a bit afraid that Thomas, as the boy told him what is name was, would take offense in his sarcasm, like all other Gladers who couldn't stand him for that, but unlike them, Thomas, after seemingly understanding Minho's way of communicating, seemed to not mind it. It was a pleasant surprise. There was something about him that made him different from the others. Minho only wished he could spend more time with him.

And then, Ben was banished for attacking Thomas, saying that it was all Thomas's fault, which only was adding to Minho's suspicions about Thomas being different.

Trying to push back the thought that a Glader died once again, he went into the Maze the next day along with Alby to show him the dead Griever. No matter what, he still had a job to do.

He would never could have guessed that Alby would be dumb enough to poke the disgusting flesh of this monster with a stick. He would never could have guessed that he would have to smash their leader's head with a rock in order to carry him to safety.

After hours of walking in the Maze with Alby on his back, Minho knew time was running out. He didn't have to look at his watch to know that. After years in the Maze, it had become a second nature to just know when the doors would close.

The idea of leaving Alby there and saving himself made its way into his mind, but he pushed it back. If he couldn't save as many Gladers as he could, his job as the Keeper of the Runners meant nothing. He had to save Alby. He had to save everyone.

The finally saw the doors, but to his horror, they were closing. He knew he had no chance. He knew that if he just dropped Alby there, he could still run to the doors and save his life. But he couldn't. He couldn't give up!

So he continued his way to the Glade, Alby on his back. He saw Thomas. He saw the boy looking at him in horror as the doors were closing. Before he could yell him to stop, he saw the Greenie rushing into the Maze, as the doors closed behind him.

Minho wanted to scream, but no sounds came out. His throat was raw and he was breathless.

He was trapped. He was trapped in the Maze.

And Thomas, the dumb shank, was there too.

Minho couldn't understand why the boy would throw away his life like that. It was a death wish. The boy was suicidal, there was no other option.

But Thomas wanted to help, wanted to find a solution. Minho couldn't believe how dumb the boy was. Sure, he had arrived in the Glade not so long ago, but he was pretty sure Newt told him about the Maze and how dangerous it was.

Fear filled his whole body. He didn't want to die. He still had his goal to achieve. He still had to solve the Maze and save everyone!

He was the best Runner, he knew the Maze by heart. Maybe he would be able to escape the Grievers?

With that thought in mind, he left Thomas there with Alby. Alby was going to die anyway and if the Greenie was bright enough, he'll escape the monsters too.

So he ran. He was exhausted, but he couldn't stop. The Maze felt alive, as if it was watching him. The blood pumping into his hears couldn't stop the noise from the Maze. The Grievers were there.

He was terrified. Only the familiarity of running kept him going.

But then, he was hit with a strange feeling, making him stop in his track. Thomas had went into the Maze. He went into the Maze! He went to help him! And Minho just left him there. The boy knew nothing about the Maze, he was going to die without his help! And the thought of Thomas dying twisted Minho's stomach.

He didn't know exactly why, but Thomas couldn't die. Thomas was different. His act of stupid bravery back there was enough proof. No one in the Glade would have done the same. Everyone, himself included, would have just stayed in the safety of the Glade.

Thomas was important. Thomas could not die. With that in mind, Minho turned around and retraced his steps to where he hoped Thomas still was. His fear was pushed back, taken over by the pure determination of helping the Greenie. The only thing he allowed himself to be scared off was finding Thomas dead.

He wasn't dead when Minho finally saw him. But he was about to be killed by the four Grievers surrounding him. Minho was too late. Thomas was going to die. The Keeper wanted to scream, but his throat was squeezed shut.

But then, Minho saw something that changed everything.

Thomas sprinted towards one of the Grievers. The monster seemed surprised for a second before rushing at the boy, but before he could get him, Thomas stepped aside letting the Griever pass by him, not able to stop, before running again.

It wasn't the fact that Thomas shucking escaped a Griever. It was the fact Thomas didn't give up, even if all the odds were against him. That's what they needed.

And as Minho came up with a plan of his own after seeing the boy's stunt, as they ran together towards the cliff, as he took Thomas in his arms after they pushed the last Griever down the hole, trying is best to comfort the crying kid because of an unknown feeling in his guts told him to, as they came back to the Glade alive, as Minho took Thomas's defense during the Keepers meeting, as they became closer on their daily run in the Maze, as his feelings for the one he now considered his best friend grew… Minho knew he wouldn't be able to live without Thomas.

Because Thomas was the miracle he was hoping for.

Hope you liked it! See you tomorrow!

-Safr2n