Adore You (MiNayeon AU) [✔]

caught between your love and a hard place

To Mina, the hall leading to Momo's apartment feels like a winding road. She barely has the strength to hold herself up, let alone walk. Considering all things that just happened, she shouldn't be the one feeling this way.

She was the one who just broke someone's heart, why was she feeling
as if it were her heart that broke? But she feels broken. Mina is broken for breaking Nayeon.

She ends up standing in front of Momo's door, motionless. It's only when Momo opens the door when she speaks. Momo heads out her flat in a timely fashion, initially for a late convenience store run, but now to take Mina into her arms. "Mitang?" she says tenderly.

"Nayeon told me to tell you she's not mad. She's not mad at you," Mina tells, "or me. She's just hurt. I know I don't have the right to feel this way but--"

It's muscle memory for Momo to cradle Mina this way. Long years of them being apart never took away her instinct to wrap one arm around Mina's neck, while the other slides down her waist. She makes sure to caress the side of Mina's face with her thumb while snuggly pulling her closer.

Momo holds Mina like this for a few moments before she feels her collar being soaked in tears.

When Mina starts sobbing, Momo uses the sleeve of her sweater to wipe Mina's tears. She carefully guides Mina inside and sits her down comfortably on the couch. It's as if she was taking
care of a kicked puppy left in the rain. Mina's eyes are full of tears but no words come out her mouth. Momo doesn't prod her to say anything too, because she understands. Momo understands completely. So she just keeps holding Mina against her and continues patting the younger girl's
back until she drifts to sleep. "It's okay, Mitang. It's okay," she whispers repeatedly to Mina (and herself). A single tear rolls down her cheek before she too falls asleep. It's okay.

*****

Nayeon paces around the hallway just outside her father's room. Her day has been so long talking to doctors, entertaining guests, checking in on her father, making sure her mom and Tzuyu are okay, and avoiding the press. Sana was kind enough to bring her breakfast and lunch since she didn't have time to get one for herself. The sound of people being paged over the intercom, the beeping of the heart monitor, doctors talking over each other, nurses' footsteps entering and exiting the room; all became white noise to her, temporarily blocking her thoughts about Mina. Nayeon was near breaking point; she feels suffocated, and right now, she needs someone to bring her back to life. It can't be Mina, for sure. It can't be Jeongyeon or Jihyo, given last night's failed proposal.

It can't be Tzuyu, all this must have been a shock to her too. It can't be Sana either, she's been there since last night and she has to rest too.

Her lifeline.

"Momo?" Nayeon calls most gently when she sees the familiar figure approaching her. "Have you come to save me again?" she asks in a downhearted tone, accompanied by a rueful smile. She missed Momo. So much. She missed having a soul sister who she can rant to and get actual
professional practical advice. She missed talking nonsense and trying out new restaurants. She missed her lifeline.

Momo hastens her steps toward Nayeon whose arms were already held wide open. "I'm so sorry, Nayeon unnie," she exhales heavily. She repeats it quite some more before Nayeon pulls away from the hug.

"For what? Momo, I understand why you acted the way you did," she rubs Momo's back, "it's because you love her. I understand. Trust me. I mean I'd know. I'd do questionable things for her too," Nayeon gives a sad chuckle to somehow diffuse the tension. Nayeon knows that it was never Momo's intention to hurt her. It just happened that they both fell for the same person; and in this version, Nayeon's collateral damage.