All I Needed x Michaeng

Part Six

When the door opens, the last person she expects to walk in is Mina.

It's too early. Way too early. Especially for a Friday night.

Chaeyoung's folding laundry by her dresser when Mina opens the door right beside her. Her eyes are wild and scared and they light up when they see Chaeyoung awkwardly standing there. She looks relieved and terrified and Chaeyoung narrows her eyes when she closes the door and turns to her. She steps close and stops, studies Chaeyoung's face for a long, slow moment before her breath hitches and she empties the space between them.

Her hand cups the back of Chaeyoung's neck and Chaeyoung hesitates as everything seems to slow to a stop. She sees Mina's caramel eyes flutter closed before her own do and when a soft, gentle mouth presses against hers, she doesn't know what to do. Her hands fumble at her sides in shock and she whimpers helplessly against Mina as Mina wraps an arm around her waist. She kisses her for a long, slow moment that Chaeyoung wants to last for much longer than it does. She feels like she's been waiting for it forever and her body trembles as Mina pulls back to look at her. She looks relieved and peaceful and Chaeyoung hates the power she has over her.

Her mouth opens, ready to argue, but Mina shakes her head. "No, shut up," she breathes unevenly. "You need to listen."

"Mina," Chaeyoung warns.

She stops because the expression on Mina's face when she opens her eyes terrifies her. Mina looks like she doesn't know what thing she wants to say first and she holds steadfast at the back of Chaeyoung's neck as her other hand comes up to reverently stroke her cheek.

"You were right," she says brokenly, her eyes never looking away from Chaeyoung's. "You were right about one thing. Just one... because I do want to take everything from you. I want all of it. I want everything and I especially want you. I want all of you."

She swallows and Chaeyoung frowns as she speaks.

"I don't know what BamBam said to you," she continues on despite the strain in her voice. "I'm sure that a lot of what he said about me was true but not what he said about you. Whatever he said about you was bullshit. You're beautiful. You're amazing. You're really fucking funny sometimes in a way that I don't think you mean to be. You listen and you understand. You care so fucking much about everything. And I think—I think I've wanted to know you since you told me that Biology majors should be ashamed of themselves for taking up spaces in classes for students who could actually use the credits. I've wanted to know you since I accidentally bumped into you in the dining hall before that and you didn't even look at me. I feel like I've always wanted you for the entire existence of time itself and it's taken me this long to notice."

Chaeyoung takes a deep, unsteady breath in and shudders when Mina swipes a thumb over the swell of her bottom lip.

"And I may have gotten swept up in the tirade of people who teased you and were cruel about you and didn't want to understand you," she whispers carefully. "But, you should know, that they've got nothing on you. I've got nothing on you, and I will happily spend the rest of my days on this earth proving to you that you could take over the world by yourself before breakfast if you tried. But you don't have to do it by yourself if you don't want to. I will happily follow you to the farthest star in the universe only to watch it collapse in on us, Chaeyoung."

Her breath catches and Mina shakes her head against whatever it is she sees in Chaeyoung's expression. Her thumb swipes across her cheeks and Chaeyoung notices that it spreads dampness across her skin. She must be crying.

"You're my best friend," Mina sighs and shrugs. "No one has ever understood me and accepted me like you have. No one has ever taken care of me like you do. I trust you more than anyone."