stray kids imagines

minho | chilled hearts, warm embrace

ʳᵉᵠᵘᵉˢᵗᵉᵈ ᵇʸ Desiredmari
-------------------------------
angst. fluff / 1166
-------------------------------

the tension in the apartment had been simmering all day, a quiet undercurrent that neither minho nor you could completely ignore.

it wasn't that you two fought often - in fact, you rarely did - but today was different. something small had snowballed into something neither of you could control.

"why do you always have to do this, minho?" your voice trembled as you stood in the middle of the small living room, your arms crossed tightly over your chest. your oversized t-shirt hung loosely off your frame, making you look smaller than you already were.

"do what?" minho's voice was sharper than he intended. he was leaning against the counter, his arms braced on the edge as if holding himself back. his jaw was tight, his eyes fixed on you.

"this!" you threw your arms out, exasperated. "act like you're the only one who knows what's best! like I can't make a single decision without you questioning it!"

"I'm not questioning it!" minho shot back, his voice rising. "I'm just trying to make sure you don't make a mistake!"

"a mistake?" your laugh was bitter, and it cut through the air like glass. "do you even hear yourself? you treat me like a child, minho. I'm not a kid!"

"I'm not treating you like a child, jagi." minho pinched the bridge of his nose, his frustration mounting. "I just - dammit, I care about you! is that such a bad thing?"

you shook your head, your eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "caring about me doesn't mean controlling me. you don't trust me to handle things on my own. it's like you think I'll fall apart without you."

"that's not true!" minho's voice cracked, and he took a step forward, his expression pained. "I just... I don't want to see you hurt."

"well, congratulations," you snapped, your voice breaking, "because you're the one hurting me right now."

minho froze, his hand halfway outstretched. for a moment, the air between you stilled, heavy and suffocating.

"I can't do this right now," you whispered, your voice barely audible. you turned on your heel and headed for the door.

"jagi, wait-"

but you didn't stop. you yanked the door open and stormed out, the sound of it slamming shut echoing through the apartment.

...

minho stared at the closed door, his chest heaving. the argument replayed in his head on a loop, every word cutting deeper than the last. he should have stopped you. he should have said something.

minutes ticked by, and the apartment felt unbearably empty without your presence. your warmth, your laughter, the way you always hummed under your breath - it was all gone, leaving a hollow ache in minho's chest.

it wasn't until thirty minutes later, as the sun dipped below the horizon and darkness crept into the city, that the gravity of the situation truly hit minho.

"shit," he muttered under his breath, running a hand through his hair. he glanced out the window, the streetlights flickering on one by one. it was cold. too cold for you to be out there in nothing but a t-shirt and sweatpants.

minho grabbed his jacket and his phone, not bothering to lock the door behind him as he bolted out of the apartment. his heart pounded in his chest, each beat a reminder of how much he'd screwed up.

...

the streets were quieter than usual, the chilly air keeping most people indoors. minho's breath fogged in front of him as he hurried down the sidewalk, his eyes scanning every corner, every shadow.

"come on, jagi," he murmured under his breath. "where are you?"

he tried calling, but it went straight to voicemail. the thought of you out here, cold and upset, made minho's chest tighten painfully. he hated himself for letting things escalate the way they had.

it wasn't long before he spotted a familiar figure sitting on a bench near the park. you were curled in on yourself, your knees drawn up to your chest, your arms wrapped tightly around them. you looked so small, so fragile, and minho's heart ached at the sight.

"jagi," minho called softly as he approached.

you didn't look up at first, your face buried in your arms. it wasn't until minho knelt in front of you, his hands resting gently on your knees, that you finally lifted your head.

"minho?" your voice was hoarse, your eyes red-rimmed.

"yeah, it's me," minho said, his voice barely above a whisper. he shrugged off his jacket and draped it over your shoulders, his hands lingering there for a moment. "you didn't even take a jacket, baby. it's freezing out here."

you sniffled, your lips trembling as you clutched the jacket tighter around yourself. "I didn't think... I just needed to get out."

"I know," minho said softly. he reached out to cup your cheek, his thumb brushing away a stray tear. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. I shouldn't have made you feel like I don't trust you."

your gaze dropped to the ground, your voice barely audible. "I just... I hate fighting with you."

"me too, baby," minho murmured. he moved to sit beside you on the bench, pulling you close. "I hate it so much. I hate that I made you feel like you had to leave."

you leaned into him, your head resting against minho's shoulder. "I didn't mean to blow up like that. I just... I was so frustrated."

"I know," minho said, pressing a soft kiss to the top of your head. "I should've listened instead of trying to fix everything. I just- sometimes I get so scared of losing you, I don't think straight."

"you're not going to lose me," you whispered, your fingers curling into minho's sweater. "I love you too much to let some stupid argument come between us."

minho exhaled a shaky breath, his arms tightening around you. "I love you too, jagi. so much."

minho pressed soft kisses to your temple, your cheeks, your nose, as if trying to erase the tears that had fallen.

"let's go home," minho said gently after a while.

you nodded, your fingers laced with minho's as you stood. "okay."

as the two of you walked back to your shared apartment, minho kept his arm wrapped securely around your shoulders, his jacket still draped over you.

when you finally stepped inside, the warmth of your home felt like a balm to your frayed nerves.

minho pulled you into his arms again, his lips brushing against your forehead. "I'm sorry for everything, jagi. I'll do better. I promise."

you looked up at him, your eyes soft. "me too. let's not do this again, okay?"

"never again," minho said firmly.

you sealed the promise with a kiss, soft and lingering, the kind that spoke of forgiveness and unwavering love.

and as you curled up on the couch together, wrapped in each other's arms, the weight of the argument melted away, leaving only the warmth of your love behind.