The Devil Needs His Artist (A Mingyu Fanfiction)

Silence Can be Loud

The next day, she made sure she didn't forget her brush; she didn't forget anything. Mingyu didn't seem surprised that she was back, but a new silence had found them. He would be loud outside the bus and around her station when it wasn't his turn, but the second he sat down, he shut up. He would barely even look at her, only having to when she got to his eyelashes and eyeshadow.

She didn't really care; it actually felt like a heavenly bliss, being able to get her job done in half an hour and then getting to relax for a few hours until he needed reapplication. Her environment felt better, less chaotic and argumentative. When the two did make eye contact, she'd usually shy away from it, but when she didn't, she came face to face with the burning anger simmering beneath his skin.

The first week like that was great; she loved it. The second week it was a bit awkward, admittedly, because she was then aware of that anger. By the third week, she was ready to pull her hair out. She felt guilty, way too guilty, and completely out of place.

All she thinks about is Mingyu these days. At least when they argued, she had something to think about and get angry over; now she's thinking about the things she's never thought of twice before. Like how his eyes light up when he sees his members, or how he giggles when Vernon does something... very Vernon. Like drinking dairy milk straight from the carton. Who DOES that? Vernon. Vernon does that.

She also... misses him. Before he knew he hated her, but now it just feels like he's given up. Isn't interested anymore. She doesn't know what she expected, but it still hurts. Two years of back and forth fighting, and now there's this dead silence that feels suffocating. She might actually hate it more than she hates him.

She falls onto a couch in the makeup quarters; now that Super was long done being recorded, she was back here until an Awards ceremony or Stage performance. She checks her phone and huffs boredly. There was nothing to do. Mingyu always used to come and bother her when he had the time, but now she only saw him when she needed to, which were rare occasions. While Hoshi and Dino popped in quite often to check on her or tell her something that happened that they found funny, they just weren't... him.

Time passes slowly when you're bored. She wasn't able to escape from that. It felt like she was counting every second, and she was so restless she couldn't even stay entertained on her phone for more than a few seconds before exiting an app with frustration.

So now she lay on a couch in the artist quarters, staring at the roof and trying to think of what to do with all this free space and time. She hasn't taken up a hobby in a while, and she could check on her siblings through the oldest of the bunch of them, Russel, but the three of them were in school and baby daycare, and she couldn't think of something to pursue.

She rolls onto her stomach with a groan, picking at her nails lightly. She just wants to turn back time and take back everything she said, but she also knows if she was still in that situation and didn't say anything at all, she would be upset and angry all the time. She... god, if she knows what she wants. She wants him to glare at her and spite her... without the glaring and spite.

She hears a low whistle and whips her head around. For a second, she hopes it's Mingyu, begs it's Mingyu and all his horrible energy here to mock her. To do anything to annoy her, but she's thoroughly disappointed when she sees Seungkwan instead. Then she feels bad because it's Seungkwan, and she loves seeing him too.

"If that isn't pining, I don't know what is," he comments, giving her a wide-eyed look while bringing his sixth iced americano to his lips and taking a sip through the straw. He stands at the door, leaning against it and taking in the sight of her with a judging raised eyebrow.

"I'm not pining," she sighs loudly, turning onto her back and leaning against her elbow so she can see him properly. He scoffs, pushing off the door frame and coming further into the room. He gently swats her feet out of the way and sits down easily, letting out an annoyed sigh and taking another drink of his americano.