A Moment In Time | Stray Kids x Reader | Oneshots

☁️❔Lee Minho - Birthday Wish

Look at it. The falling leaves drawing streaks the colour of the sunset, from crimson to marigold, all descending outside his fogged up hotel window. He could taste the humidity in the air, the scent of burning pumpkin and cinnamon. The occasional puddle he would inevitably step in. On most days, Minho would revel in such a scene, but not today. On the day his only wish was not to be alone.

Not in this foreign hotel room that reeked of freshly washed sheets. He didn't think he could hate the scent of cotton so much when it was the only thing that made up for the absence of people.

And the hotel. Some distance between his friends and his family. His members, he was sure, were family, but they had already dispersed across the country back to their home towns for vacation.

He would be too if it weren't for that damn train. Why did it have to be delayed? Why did there have to be an engine problem that very day, keeping him away from the people he loved for another day? And of the people he loved, you were physically the nearest; your university only a couple blocks away, but he knew you had that test the next morning, so he said he could wait until tomorrow.

Tomorrow, his train would arrive. But tomorrow seemed like a world away. And now all he wished for was to be carried away in the wind, back to you.

He dropped his head on his arms, now turning away from the autumn's picturesque view into the dreary hotel room. A shallow sigh escaped his lips. What he would give to have even one of his cats there. He knew he wouldn't feel as alone then.

Another birthday, alone.

Ah well, he knew he'd be seeing them all again soon. But that didn't stop the persistent, perpetual aching that had wrenched into his heart. He knew there wasn't much he could do, and it was only for one day. So why? But why, on his birthday?

He wasn't one to delve too deep into how the universe worked, but on that one day, it seemed to be working against him, and he was surprised when he found himself blinking back tears.

'Just sleepy tears. I probably haven't slept much last night,' he tried to reason, settling for resting his eyes for a few minutes. Just let the rustling of the autumn wind around his slightly open window blow away his thoughts. It would be alright.

...

His eyes fluttered open at the sound of knocks rapping at the door. Confused, he dragged himself across the room over and peeked through the eyehole.

"Minho?" a soft voice called out, one filled with concern and worry, but he could still hear the rhythmic panting, as if after rushing over there. He almost couldn't believe it, but there you were, right at his doorstep, on his birthday. The wind had answered him after all.

The door swung open, and you tumbled into the doorway, but he caught you. You look up from your awkward angle and were met with his classic smirk, albeit now looking a little sorrow. "Minho!"

"Good to see you, (Y/N)." He smiled, for real this time. "I hope you didn't have to wait too long in the co-"

He was interrupted by the tight squeeze around his waist and your warm arms around his neck. "Happy birthday."

Again, he felt tears springing in his eyes, threatening to spill onto his cheeks. But he hugged you back, and let one slip down before wiping it away when you pulled back to face him. "Didn't you say you had to study for that important test tomorrow?" he asked evasively.

"If you thought I was going to let you spend your birthday alone, you are sourly mistaken, mister." You examined his face, how it looked light it got a little drier from the weather, and took the minute he spent looking you over with bewildered, wistful eyes to give him a passionate kiss, where warmth flooded his entire body, despite the cold breeze coming from the still-open door.

He smiled into it, pushing the door closed absent-mindedly. And suddenly, the hotel room didn't feel so dreary anymore.

When you finally pulled away, the heat reaching your cheeks, you shot him a grin and nestled your head in his chest. "And, well, the test is postponed for next week," you mumbled into his hoodie.

He planted a soft kiss on the top of your head. "That works for me," he said with a light laugh and led you to sit on the coffee table. "By the way, how did you know where I was?"

You quirked your eyebrow, then laughed yourself. "You sent me your location last night remember?" You tapped the screen of your phone. "Said you wished I could come over."

"I did?" His eyes looked upwards in the way he always does when he was thinking. "I didn't think you'd actually come though." He fiddled with his hands on the table, making you fulfil the urge to scoop them up and cup them in yours.

"Well, here I am." You sent him a smile that made his heart swell with bliss and joy. "Oh! But that's not all." You retracted one of your hands to reach into your bag and pull out a laptop, carefully setting it on the table in front of you two.

He didn't ask what you were doing, just stared and watched your fingers work on opening a tab and typing something in. But before he could think about it, seven bright, all-too-familiar faces popped up on the screen, accompanied with the seven voices that fought to be heard over each other, until they all stopped when they saw him.

"Hyung!"
"Lino-yah!"
"Happy birthday!"

They somehow all screamed that last one at him in unison. He could only laugh; laugh until his sides and cheeks started to hurt, but was glad because here they were, right in front of him, giggling their mischievous selves off.

"I hope you didn't feel too lonely without us," said no one other than Jisung, who squished his cheeks up closer to the screen.

"I baked you a cake!" Felix pulled one out of seemingly nowhere and held it up for him to see. It even had lit candles on it. "Too bad you can't blow out the candles in person." He pouted.

"Quick, make a wish, hyung," Jeongin cheered.

Minho pretended to think about it for a moment, then nodded and approaches the screen. He closed his eyes and blew. Conveniently, the candles had already been blown out, but he could guess that was Felix's doing.

"What did you wish for, hyung?" Hyunjin popped up.

Seungmin sighed, "If he told us, it wouldn't come true remember?"

"Well, did it come true?" asked Chan, who was smiling contentedly seeing how Minho couldn't keep his own smile off his face.

He glanced at you, sitting beside him so that your arms and fingers were intertwined, then back at the screen displaying seven of the most important people in his life and he found himself smiling even wider. "Ahh, it came true the moment my door opened." He dropped his gaze for a moment and looked back up. He said, in a tone that was almost inaudible through the mic, but you could hear it crystal clear: "Thank you."

.....

To our precious dancing gem, falsetto king, and father of three cats + mother of six kids, Happy birthday ❤️

It's a shame you may not always get the recognition you deserve, but believe us stay when we say your talents speak for themselves. The way you never fail to work hard and give it your all is something I've always admired. Thank you for being such a genuinely kind, caring person, but most of all, for being yourself. We love you exactly the way you are and we wouldn't change a thing, not in a million years.

I hope your day is filled with lots of love and joy, angel ❣️