Brothers

Minho was stubborn. He was also curious. And with those two personality traits put into one person, chaos was bound to unfold. Or, in reality, had already started to unfold. After walking away from Hope the other day, leaving her alone, Minho had heard Newt's voice. He had stopped, turned around, and was about to turn away again when… Hope had suddenly started pulling Newt somewhere. She looked worried yet stern, causing Minho's curious instincts to kick-in. He knew it wasn't any of his business, but since Hope had just become his friend, Minho made it his business. Particularly because Newt was also his friend.

However, what he saw transpired between the two, sparked Minho's stubbornness. He'd seen how Newt held her, and his heart stopped upon seeing his best friend hold Hope so tight. He wanted to get to the bottom of whatever was truly going on between those two - it couldn't have just been friendship, right? Friends didn't do those kinds of things! And he couldn't back down. His curiosity might have been as stubborn as his stubbornness. Moreover, the night after Minho had seen them, he'd stayed up late and witnessed something else that made him go crazy: Minho had seen Newt walk into the Infirmary. Just like he had seen Newt leave the other day, Minho saw Newt enter that hut… and never come back out until morning.

Therefore, a few days after Minho had witnessed all of this, he'd finally had enough. He couldn't take it anymore - he had to know the truth! What was going on between them, Minho didn't know. But he would find out that night. He would. On Hope's thirtieth day in the Maze, Minho would find out the truth.

"What the heck is that shank doing…?" Minho asked himself in the darkness of night. He had been kneeling behind some bushes when he saw Newt enter the Infirmary for the fourth time. But right when Minho was about to stand up-

"What're you doing?"

"What the…?!" Minho gasped after hearing an uninvited voice beside him. However, his shock turned into anger once he realized who this voice belonged to. "Chuck, you idiot!"

"H-Hey!" Chuck yelped when Minho hit him on the back of his head. "What was that for?!"

"Keep your voice down!" Minho whisper-yelled. "You'll get me caught!"

"'Caught'?" Chuck restated in puzzlement, rubbing his sore head. "What're you talking about?"

"None of your business," Minho snapped. "Now, just leave me alone and get back to your nappy-time."

Chuck clicked his tongue. "Huh? I do not take-!"

"What are you two girls screaming about?"

"Wha…?!" Both Minho and Chuck jumped at the new voice. Similarly, they both exclaimed in surprise upon seeing the boy himself; he was kneeling on the other side of Chuck. "Gally?! When did you get here?!"

"Just now," Gally answered with a shrug. "I could hear Chuck's loudmouth from a mile away."

"I do not have a 'loudmouth'!" Chuck argued, causing Minho and Gally to let out a scoff.

"Yes, you do."

"Since when?!"

Gally raised an eyebrow. "You're screaming right now."

"And you need to stop screaming!" Minho said through clenched teeth. "You'll get us caught!"

"Wait," Gally murmured, "are we hiding from someone?"

"There is no 'we,' Gally," Minho protested. "There's me and me only, so can you two just get outta my face?"

"Nuh-uh." Chuck shook his head. "I wanna know what you're doing out here."

"I'm not doing anything," Minho barked. "I'm just sitting here and-"

"Being a pervert."

"Huh…?!" This time, Minho, Chuck, and Gally each yelled in surprise. They even said their new addition's name simultaneously as well. "Frypan?! What're you doing here?!"

"I was bored, so I followed Gally," Frypan replied and then glanced over at Minho beside him. "Though, the real question is why you're here, Min. You've been staring at the Infirmary, which means you've been looking for Hope." Fry smirked. "You aren't spying on her, are you?"

"Don't be a Slinthead," Minho retorted right away. "And just because you called me a pervert doesn't mean that I'll tell you anything. I'm not that sensitive."

"Oh, really?" Siggy beamed. "I thought you were with how many times you've screamed in the past few seconds."

Minho almost lost it. "Shut. Your. Ugly. Mou-"

"Am I interrupting somethin'?"

"AHHH!" Despite Frypan's quip, he screamed when yet another voice suddenly spoke up behind him. The other three boys did, too. They each whipped their bodies around and gasped at the same time. Again. "Alby…?!"

"Uhm, yeah…" Alby smiled worriedly as he kneeled down in front of the four. "It's me."

"Okay, I gotta admit," Gally huffed, "I kinda get how we scare Hope every time we sneak up behind her."

"Tell me about it…" Minho agreed before taking a deep, calming breath. "Okay, is there another shank hiding in the woods or are we good?"

"Hey! You said 'we', Minho!" Chuck acknowledged gleefully. "Are we finally a part of your spy mission yet?"

"There's a spy mission going on?" Alby questioned with interest in his eyes. "Who're we spying on?"

"No one!" Minho hissed, prompting Frypan to snicker.

"Hope."

"Hope…?" Alby murmured. "Why are we spying on Hope?"

"That's a great question, Alby," Gally said while raising an eyebrow toward Minho. "So, are you gonna tell us, or are we gonna have to four-up you?"

"Oh my god…" Minho sighed, not being able to handle their questions any longer. He'd rather just let it out than let their dumb imagination go places it really shouldn't have been going. "Fine… You're right. I have been… kinda spying on Hope."

"So you are a pervert!" Frypan chirped. "I knew it from the moment I saw you, Min!"

"Shut up!" Minho shouted, but Siggy only continued to smile. The reaction caused Minho to take another deep breath to calm himself. "Okay, look, I've noticed things. Weird things."

"Like what…?" Chuck asked.

"I think there's something going on between Newt and Hope," Minho declared, causing each of the boys' expressions to turn baffled. "For the past four nights, I've seen Newt enter the Infirmary and never come back out. And, the other day, I saw them doing… some weird things."

"L-Like what?" Chuck asked again. Though, this time around, his tone and face were much more fearful. "Do you think they're… No…"

"They can't be," Gally chimed in, his expression equally confused and almost disgusted. "Newt and Hope? I don't… I don't know if I like that or not."

"Oh, you're just jealous," Frypan said with a toothy-white smile. "I think they'd make a great couple."

"'Couple'?" Alby mumbled. "You really think that… Oh, wow…"

"Hey, I don't know anything yet," Minho added before anyone could freak-out. "But that's why I'm tonight: to get in there and demand answers."

"I'm on board with that plan!" Chuck announced with an intense look in his eyes. "No way I'm letting Newt take Hope away from me!"

"Me neither," Gally added, but then quickly shook his head. "W-Wait, no, I meant the plan part! Not the… gross part Chuck just said."

Frypan nodded. "And I'm always looking for something to do. Alby?"

"What's the harm?" Alby inquired. "I'm in, too."

"Jeez…" Minho could only scoff. "I hate this…"

"N-Newt…"

"What?"

"Aren't you gonna… turn around?"

"Why should I?"

"Why aren't you?"

"Because your reaction is funny," Newt said, placing his elbow against the bed and plopping his head onto his hand. He now smirked down at Hope's back in front of him. "And because you're blushing like crazy."

"W-Why are you teasing me all of a sudden?" Hope continued to stutter, causing Newt's smile to deepen.

"Like I said, your reactions are funny."

"G-Goodness…" Hope mumbled as she brought the blanket up to her face. "Newt, you're so…"

"What?"

"You're so… open."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"O-Of course not, but…" Hope glanced behind her at Newt. "You're making my heart go crazy."

Yep. It was Newt's turn to blush. The way Hope's wavering eyes stared into his, and the way her voice trembled upon saying those bashful words, made butterflies form in Newt's stomach. It was a ticklish feeling, but it also felt amazing. Just being beside her felt amazing. For the past four nights, Newt hadn't left Hope's side. And every time she started shaking in her sleep, Newt felt amazing every time he saved her from her nightmares. The dreams themselves hadn't been that bad for the past few days, but they still made Hope wake up with fear in her eyes.

"Let's go to the tower!

"The one that goes up, up, up!

"It'll be fun, Hope!"

Furthermore, it was the same for Hope. She had finally started to accept Newt sleeping at her side, because she understood how important it was to him. Newt wanted to find fulfillment in his life, so if Hope could give that to him, she'd do it. Plus, he seemed happy. More happy than usual. Ever since he had told her about his past, Newt seemed to almost be… more free. More open with his feelings. It made Hope glad, of course, but it also made her heart go crazy. Particularly earlier in the week when… Newt… did that.

"Every part of you… is important, and I… I don't wanna let you go."

Oh my gosh! Hope screamed from within her mind. Why can't I stop thinking about that?!

They had been so close… Their faces had been closer than ever before. Hope could have sworn she even felt his hot breath on her lips, and the way his eyes stared into hers with such emotion, made Hope's heart skip yet another beat. She wanted to think that her bashfulness was caused by how rare such the situation was for her, but… something felt off. Strange. Odd. When Frypan or Chuck touched her, Hope never felt like this. And with Newt it just felt… different. That was the only way Hope could describe it.

"Hey…" Newt spoke up after Hope's long, silent pause. "Why're you so quiet all of a sudden? Did something hap-"

BAM! All of a sudden, Hope's bedroom door slammed open. And with it, five boys stormed into the room like a SWAT team. Moreover, when their five pairs of eyes saw the scene in front of them, each of their mouths dropped to the floor.

"WHAT THE…?!" they each yelled in unison. "NO WAY!"

Almost immediately, Newt sat up and jumped out of bed. "What the bloody hell are you lot doin' here?!"

"Better question is what're you doing here?!" Chuck stepped in first, an accusatory look in his brown eyes. "Fry! What do we call boys like Newt again?!"

"Perverts…" Frypan replied with a glint of anger within his own eyes. "I thought you were a good man, Newt, but… you're just a boy."

"Say what…?" Newt muttered in confusion, but the boys only continued.

"Why're you snugglin' up with her, huh?" Gally asked as he stepped right up in Newt's face. "Tryna take her for yourself?"

"Well…" However, upon hearing this question, Newt's confusion turned into a smirk. "What'd happen to me if I said I was?"

"What?" Gally took a step back. "Newt, you can't seriously be-"

"I won't allow it!" Chuck barked, pointing a finger up a Newt. "You might be second-in-command, but I won't let you have Hope! Never gonna happen!"

"Pfft," Newt snorted. "Look at you all high and mighty."

"Says you." When Minho said this, though, Newt's smirk dropped. Likewise, as Newt glanced over at Minho, it didn't take long for him to see the smirk on the older boy's face. "You're smiling like an idiot. Acting like one, too. Are you pissed that we found out your little secret?"

"Minho…" Newt grumbled, knowing exactly what Minho's intent was. "You did this, didn't you?"

"Well, it's not all his fault," Alby commented from the corner of the room. "Ever since Hope's got here, you've been a total flirt, Newt. Anyone could have guessed that you two… Well… Y'know…"

"I'm still not gonna let it happen!" Chuck declared. "You two can't be together like that! It's not-!"

"Okay, wait a second! Please!" Hope had finally interjected, and her voice made everyone turn to her immediately. She had finally gotten over her bewilderment, which allowed her to finally voice that bewilderment. With Hugo (somehow) sleeping soundly in the corner of the room, Hope got out of bed and walked up to her new guests. "I-I'm sorry, but what's going on?! I mean, I don't dislike any of you being here, but why are you all here!?"

Each and every one of the boys, except for the accused and Newt, instantly pointed their fingers at Minho. This made the accused let out a long sigh. "So much for being loyal spies…"

"Hey, this was your dumb idea," Gally argued while he crossed his arms over his chest. "You gotta get all the blame."

"Guys," Newt scoffed, "what's going on?"

"You know what's going on, Newt," Minho acknowledged with his eyes darting back and forth between Newt and Hope. "We just saw what was going on."

Newt raised an eyebrow. "And what was 'going on'?"

"You were bein' a pervert," Frypan answered. "You just met the girl a month ago. Give her some space."

"I-I… I still don't understand what this is about," Hope stated as she shook her head. "Can someone please give me a precise answer here?"

"They think that you and Newt are a couple," Alby said without hesitation, prompting Hope to nod her head.

"Ohhh, I see… Wait, WHAT?!"

"Why did you almost agree to that?" Gally murmured in annoyance. "And why did you scream?"

"I-I'm sorry! I was just… W-Well…" Hope stuttered with a deep blush on her cheeks. "I'm just confused as to why you'd guys think that!"

"Uhhh," Minho gave Hope a weird look, "'cause you're in bed together? And I saw you two hugging the other day?"

"Hold up, WHAT?!" It was Chuck's turn to screech. "M-Minho! You didn't tell us about that part!"

Frypan was on the verge of laughing. "Geez… This is getting even juicer…"

"This isn't a laughing matter, Fry!" Gally argued, making Alby shrug his shoulders.

"Not really. I mean, we have no rules against romantic relationships. They can do whatever they-"

"You have it all wrong." But when Newt said this, everyone looked over at him with wide eyes. He had been so amused earlier, so this sudden change in attitude stunned them slightly. More so, his facial expression was quite serious. "Hope's about to have a panic-attack over here, so I'll be honest. We're not in a romantic relationship, nor are we… doing whatever your bloody brains think we're doing. We're just friends. That's it."

"But…" Chuck snapped his head between Hope and Newt. "But, then, what were you two doing?! We saw you… doing… that!"

"And I've seen you go into the Infirmary multiple times now, Newt," Minho acknowledged, but then glanced toward Hope. "So what's going on, you two? I wanna take Newt's word, but… something else must be goin' on."

Everyone, even Newt, looked over at Hope. They stared at her expectantly, waiting to hear what her answer would be. However, when Hope visibly gulped in uneasiness, Newt gently nudged her arm with his. "I won't tell them anything if you're not comfortable with it. This is your choice, Hope."

In response, Hope looked back at the other boys, seeing even more curiosity in their eyes. But the more she looked, the more she saw the worry in them as well. After hearing Newt's words, those boys weren't in there anymore to discover a crazy secret. They were staying there for Hope's sake. Chuck wasn't accusatory, he looked sad; Gally wasn't angry, he was patient; Frypan wasn't joking, he was serious; Alby wasn't honest, he was quiet; and Minho wasn't confused, he was anxious. They each stared into Hope's increasingly sad eyes, wondering what had made them that way. And on the other hand, Hope wondered what she had done to make their eyes care so much. Worry so much for her. But once she asked herself that question, the woman's voice suddenly bombarded her thoughts.

"It's okay to give into emotion, Hope.

"Let yourself be free.

"Let yourself be open.

"Because, if you do that, other people will follow."

Exactly like Newt, those boys had confided in Hope.

They had shared their greatest fears and miseries to her.

So…

So, maybe, opening up wasn't so bad after all.

"You all might wanna sit down for this," Hope ultimately said. "It might take a little bit for me to explain."

Hope sat on her bed, and Newt sat beside her. Chuck was sitting against the wall, and Hugo was lying his head on the boy's lap. Minho leaned against that same wall, and Alby stood beside him. Gally was standing in the corner of the room, and Frypan was sitting on the ground next to him. And each of those boys listened. They listened to every sentence, every word, every letter that Hope spoke. She explained the woman to them, and how she was a calming presence in Hope's dreams. She talked about the girl - albeit a little shakily - and how her presence wasn't the most positive one. Furthermore, as something to distract herself with, Hope took out the note she'd found in her backpack. She stared down at it the entire time she spoke, not being able to look into their eyes.

"I don't know what any of this means," Hope continued on. "Not the note, not the woman, not the girl, not even my dog. I don't understand why I'm here, or why I was sent up as the only girl." Hope shook her head. "I… I don't think that my life before the Maze… was a very happy one. I think something very bad happened, and now my mind is trying to help me remember. I think it's scared, though. It's scared to remember. I think my mind is… broken somehow."

Alby, Chuck, Frypan, Gally, and Minho each looked away, slowly taking in all of Hope's words. They'd had no idea that Hope had been going through so much, and it astounded them how well she had taken it. She shouldn't have been smiling as much as she did with how much she had been enduring. Nonetheless, the more those boys thought about it, the more they understood how… maybe… the signs were there. They had always been.

"So when you cut your finger," Siggy crossed his arms over his chest, "it was because you weren't sleeping. And you weren't sleeping, because…"

"Because you were having nightmares," Gally ended for his friend. "And you worked so hard on that bow of yours, because… it gave you an excuse not to sleep."

"And when you fainted, it was because you hadn't slept," Alby added, causing Minho to glance over at Newt.

"And you're here because you knew? To help her with her nightmares?"

Newt nodded. "Yeah… That's it."

"Hope," Chuck ultimately chimed in, "why didn't you tell us sooner? We could've helped you."

"I know… I know, and I don't doubt that, but…" Hope gave Chuck a depressing look. "I'm not good at that. At opening up. You all have so much on your plates, and I didn't wanna add to it. It felt… selfish."

For a few moments, the room was silent. Outside the hut, the crickets were chirping their tunes, and the stars were twinkling in the night sky. There was a sense of dread and understanding in the room, but there was also uncertainty on Hope's part. She hadn't really heard their feelings yet, and it was driving her insane. Did they think the same of her? Did she seem like a coward now? Were they disappointed in her? Did they… Did they dislike-

"Stop it." But right as Hope was questioning everything, Gally suddenly interrupted her thoughts. She turned her head toward him, eyes wide, and saw a knowing yet irritated look in his eyes. "Just stop it, okay? You don't need to do that."

"D-Do what?" Hope asked. "D-Did I say something?"

"No. But you were thinking something stupid, weren't you?" Gally inquired and then pushed himself off the wall. When Hope didn't know how to respond, however, he walked up to Hope… to flick her in the forehead. "Dummy."

"O-Ow!" the girl yelped, covering her forehead with her hand. "G-Gally, I know I'm stupid, but you… didn't need… to do… that."

"…You're not selfish," Gally said after he had kneeled down in front of her. "You're not a coward. You're not a failure. You're not any of those things, you got it? And we don't think any differently of you. You're still you. You're still… Hope."

"And you're still our friend," Siggy stated as well, making Hope's eyes go even wider open. "You're still the same Hope that we've known all along. Still a Cook, and still shuckin' good at it."

"Plus, whatever that girl says to you, is wrong!" Chuck hissed with an angry pout. "You're amazing, Hope! An amazing, wonderful, kind person! A-And if she says anything mean to you again, I'll… I'll beat her up!"

"Although I don't think that that last part is possible, I gotta agree with Chuck," Alby commented, pointing a friendly smile at Hope. "Whatever those dreams mean, whatever that note means, whatever Hugo means, whatever you mean, we'll still treat you the same. You're one of us, Hope. And we protect each other."

"G-Gally… Fry… Chuck… Alby…" Hope said each of their names while tears formed in her eyes. "Y-You're all too kind…"

"No… No, Hope, we should be sayin' that to you." But once Minho cut into the conversation and kneeled beside Gally, Hope's waterworks lost all control. "For all the crap that you've been dealt, you've been way too good to us. You've worked hard, tried your best, and have never given up. And that… that is something I admire about you, Hope. I admire," Minho smiled, "how strong you are."

That was when Hope lost it: she slapped her hands over her face and bawled. She bawled for the woman, she bawled for the girl, she bawled for all the amazing boys trapped in the Maze. Hope felt so many emotions at once that she couldn't keep up. She didn't know what to do. However, a certain boy did know what to do.

"It's okay, Hope," Newt whispered as she felt him place a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Just let it all out. It's okay if you do."

"I… I just wanna… wanna say thank you," Hope continued to cry into her hands. "Th-Thank you so much… for being here and even… and even if I forget about all this one day, I… I want you to know how much I cherish each of you. Y-You're all… so dear to me."

"Oh, god…" Gally scoffed, but he had a smile on his face. "Don't get all mushy with us now."

"I know, right?" Minho beamed. "You're gonna make me throw up."

"Guys, c'mon," Chuck chided. "Let Hope have her moment!"

"And when tomorrow mornin' comes, I'll make you anything you want, Hope," Frypan remarked before pointing his smile over at Hugo. "You get the extras, too, Hugo!"

Hugo wagged his tail in happiness. "Woof!"

"…Moral of the story is that we all got issues here, Hope. And you've helped us with a lot of 'em." When Alby said this, though, the mood turned back to serious. They all looked over at him, and Hope even took her tear-streaked-face from out of her hands. "So let us, please, just help ya with one of yours."

"Y-Yeah…" Hope sniffed, wiping her face. "I'll… I'll try."

And that night, the group of eight (if you counted Hugo) spent their night in Hope's room. They talked, laughed, and spent their time together like true friends would. They weren't trapped in a Maze with no memories. No, they were simply teenagers. They were carefree, happy, go-lucky teenagers with so much ahead of them. Though, they had to admit, their shared suffering did bring them together in the end. The Maze… had made them into best friends.

Creak… Hope creaked open the Infirmary's front door, allowing a gush of wind to hit her face. Her dark-brown hair danced in the breeze, while her blue eye and brown eye sparkled underneath the moon-lit sky. Those heterochomian eyes of Hope's stared out at the open Glade, its grass swaying in the wind as well. Nonetheless, Hope's eyes didn't waver despite the cool breeze. The only thing her two eyes were looking at… was the person standing below the moon. His muscular back was facing her, and his head was pointed upward. Even when Hope deliberately walked up to them, this boy didn't move.

Alby just stood there. Alone. Everyone else had fallen asleep in Hope's room, but just before she had done the same, she had witnessed Alby sneak out. Without hesitation, Hope followed behind him. For some reason, Hope didn't want Alby to be alone.

"Alby…?" Hope said once she was standing beside him. "Is everything alright?"

"Do you remember when… we talked by the fire?" Alby asked instead of answering her question. "When you were roasting those beans?"

"Oh, um…" Hope stuttered. "Y-Yes, I remember."

"You did it, Hope," Alby remarked as he finally looked away from the moon and down at Hope. "You did it better than I ever could've imagined."

Hope's eyes widened in realization. "Y-You mean…"

"Just be you, Hope."

Hope heard Alby's voice from the past.

"That's all this place needs."

"Any day now, a new Greenie could be comin' in," Alby then acknowledged. "And that boy is gonna be scared. Angry. Miserable. He's gonna feel every single emotion out there in only one second. He won't be happy. And maybe… maybe he'll never be happy." Furthermore, Alby turned to Hope and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Which is why I'm gonna need you, Hope. I've done this for three years now, and I have never seen anyone connect with these boys like you have. It's only been a month, but you have made friendships that will last you a lifetime. I need you to continue to do that for me, Hope. I need you to promise me that… you'll protect these boys. Just like I have."

"A-Alby, I…" Hope said his name with a quiet gasp. The intensity in his eyes, and the way his hand was squeezing her shoulder, made Hope's heart feel everything Alby was feeling. He wasn't just asking her, he was begging her. And even if Hope didn't necessarily believe in herself, she wasn't even close… to being able to resist Alby. "Their smiles… are everything to me. I wanna protect them, and I would do anything for them. So this next boy, whoever he will be, I will treat exactly the same. If he needs me, I will be right there. I will protect them," Hope placed her hand over Alby's, "with all my might."

"Thank you…" Alby smiled in relief and happiness. "Thank you for everything, Hope."

Oh, but little did Alby or Hope know how quickly that next boy would be entering their story. And this boy… would change everything.

A/N: Oh geez, this has been a wild ride... And the next chapter MIGHT take a little longer to make, but we'll just have to see.

Anyway, hope you enjoy and have a great day!