His Teddy-Bear 🥾Minho TMR💨 (Pre Thomas)

Unexpected Bond

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The next morning dawned crisp and cool, the sun just beginning to stretch over the walls of the Glade. Delilah shook off the remnants of sleep as she laced up her boots, her mind still tired from yesterday's training and bonfire. She was ready to push through it, ready to prove herself again, especially after her strange but intense encounter with Minho by the bonfire. But as she made her way to the Maze's entrance, it wasn't Minho who was waiting for her.

Ben stood there instead, casually stretching, his face lighting up in an easy grin as she approached. He was one of the other Runners, a little older and more reserved than Minho but friendly enough.

"Minho's tied up with Alby today," he explained, straightening as she arrived. "Looks like you're stuck with me, Greenie."

She tried not to let her disappointment show. "Sounds good," she replied, forcing a small smile.

Ben chuckled, running a hand through his hair as he looked her over. "You ready to keep up, or is yesterday's run still kickin' your shuck butt?"

Delilah rolled her eyes, shrugging off her soreness. "Just try me."

With that, they took off into the Maze, Ben leading the way but keeping his pace comfortable enough for her to follow. He was more talkative than Minho, narrating the turns they took, pointing out landmarks, and explaining little tricks and patterns he'd noticed in certain sections. It was helpful, but she found herself tuning out now and then, her mind wandering back to yesterday, to Minho's lingering gaze, to that quiet, shared moment at the edge of the fire. Even now, just the memory of it made her pulse race.

Ben glanced back, noticing her distracted expression. "You alright back there, Greenie?"

"Yeah, sorry," she muttered, snapping back to attention. "Just thinking."

"Thinking, huh? Good. Thinking'll keep you alive out here," he said with a smirk. But as he looked her over, his eyes landed on the small, worn teddy bear keychain that dangled from her belt, bouncing against her leg as she ran. He raised an eyebrow, his smirk turning curious. "Didn't think you'd be one for... accessories."

She glanced down, instinctively reaching to brush her fingers over the keychain. It was small, barely larger than her fist, and a little faded from age. The fabric was worn, the fur patchy in places, but it was the one thing she'd woken up with when she arrived in the Box. She didn't know where it came from, or why she had it, but somehow, it felt like a lifeline to a world she couldn't remember.

"It was... in the Box with me," she said, her voice soft. "Don't know why, but... it's mine."

Ben nodded, his expression softening as he looked at the keychain. "Guess it's nice to have something, huh? Some of us came up with nothin'. Just emptiness."

She nodded, feeling a pang of empathy. She didn't know much about Ben—just that he'd been here a while, longer than most of the gladers, even—but there was a quiet sadness in his voice, something that hinted at loss, even if he didn't remember what he'd lost. They all had pieces missing, shadows of memories they couldn't quite grasp, but for some reason, the little bear on her belt made the emptiness feel... a bit less hollow.

"It's silly," she said, glancing away, a little embarrassed to be talking about it. "It doesn't mean anything. Just... feels like it's mine, you know?"

Ben smiled, a touch of understanding in his gaze. "Ain't silly at all. You hang on to that. Can't say I remember having much of a life before here, but... having somethin' from then? I'd hold onto it too."

Delilah nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips. For a moment, the tension of the Maze seemed to fade, replaced by a strange sense of comfort. She'd expected training with Ben to be awkward, maybe even annoying—he was more laid-back, more talkative than Minho, and she'd assumed it'd make it harder to focus. But here, in the depths of the Maze, with Ben's easygoing presence beside her, she felt... almost at ease.