𓍯16𓂃

Dove's

I stood frozen as Minho walked up to me, his footsteps slow and deliberate. But instead of saying anything, he dropped to one knee in front of me. I blinked in surprise as he reached for my shoe, gently tying the lace with careful hands.

His face was bruised, a cut on his cheek, and his lip was swollen from the fight earlier. He looked so different, softer in this moment, despite the marks of the chaos that had unfolded this morning.

"Can't have you tripping, can we?" he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

For a moment, I didn't know what to say. My heart thudded in my chest, and I stared down at him, watching him focus on the simple task. His usual intensity was gone, replaced with something quieter, something softer.

"You don't need to do that," I finally muttered, not knowing why I was even speaking. It felt so strange, so... intimate.

Minho paused, his hands resting on my shoelace for a moment before he looked up at me. "I know," he said quietly. "But an apology won't fix anything, will it?"

I blinked, caught off guard. He stood up slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. "So, I'll just... keep helping you. With whatever you need. That's all I can do."

The calm that settled between us was almost surreal. The weight of everything-the fight, the expose, the confusion-seemed to lift, just for a second. It was the quiet after the storm. No words of apology, no promises of forever, just this small act of care.

I swallowed, unsure of what to say, but somehow, it felt like enough.

But before I turned to leave, I looked at Minho.

"You.... have any idea who could've done it?" I asked awkwardly about the article as he sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Stella. She told me. Said I deserved it for breaking up with her. But... I wouldn't go back in time to stop her. I deserve it after all." He said, making me purse my lips.

"Then the fight with Dae..." I trailed.

"I was and am a jerk. He has every right to be angry at me. But that was last semester. I don't have feelings for Kitty anymore. Hopefully, Dae knows that." He said, making me nod.

I looked at the time and awkwardly stepped back, ready to turn and leave, my heart still tangled in the mess of everything that had happened today. But before I could take another step, I heard him speak up, voice soft.

"I am sorry, Dovey."

His words were soft, so soft I almost missed them. I froze, my back to him, the weight of the apology hanging in the air. The nickname-Dovey-sounded so familiar, so personal, that it caught me off guard. The name took me back to the past, our past. It wasn't just the apology, but the way he said it, like it had always been meant just for me.

For a moment, I didn't know what to do with it. The tension, the confusion, everything we'd been through felt a little lighter now, but the sting of everything still lingered. I turned slightly, just enough to catch the quiet sincerity in his eyes.

It wasn't everything, but it was something.

I stood there, frozen, Minho's soft apology hanging in the air. I hadn't planned on forgiving him-not yet, not after everything. The fight, the confusion, the pain... I wasn't sure I was ready to let it all go. But in that moment, as I stood there looking at him, I felt something shift. His bruised face, the sincerity in his voice, the weight of it all-it was like a dam breaking inside of me.

Before I even realized what I was doing, the words slipped out. "I forgive you, Minho."

It wasn't planned, but they felt true. I didn't want to, not yet, but the softness in his eyes and the exhaustion in his posture... I couldn't hold onto the anger anymore.

Minho's eyes widened slightly, like he hadn't expected me to say that. For a moment, neither of us moved. He stood there, waiting, like he was still processing what I had said.

But as soon as the words left my mouth, a wave of guilt hit me. I had been hurt, sure, but so had he. And I hadn't been fair. I hadn't been as understanding as I should have been. I took a deep breath and lowered my head, my heart sinking. "I'm sorry," I murmured, my voice barely audible. "I've been... insensitive. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did."

The words felt heavier than I thought they would. The weight of everything that had been building up between us seemed to catch up with me. I had been angry, I had been hurt, and I had lashed out. But now, standing here, I could see how much damage I'd caused too.

Minho's eyes softened, and he stepped forward, reaching a hand toward me. But before he could say anything, he stopped himself. "No," he said firmly, shaking his head. "You weren't insensitive, Dove. You didn't deserve any of this. It's my fault. I should've been better... I should've been more honest, I should've-"

I cut him off, shaking my head vigorously. I could feel the tears threatening to spill, but I wouldn't let them. Not now. "No," I whispered. "You weren't the only one at fault. It's... it's me too. I should've seen it, I should've understood why you... why you couldn't be honest with me sooner."

Minho looked at me, his face softening even more. He stepped closer, but instead of saying anything more, he just stood there as if waiting for me to process. The quiet between us felt strange, but in some way, it felt like the right thing.

The storm that had raged in my chest seemed to settle, at least for now. I felt lighter, like something heavy had been lifted. But it wasn't fixed. Not yet. Maybe it never fully would be. But this was a start.

I looked up at him, met his gaze, and offered a small smile. "I'm sorry, too, Minho," I said softly. "For everything."

For a moment, Minho didn't say anything. He just nodded, his expression unreadable but gentle. And in that moment, despite the mess we were still wading through, I could tell that this was enough for both of us. At least for now.

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I literally bawled my eyes (not really, just teared up a little) out writing this. Minho finally apologized 😭😭

How would Dae feel, though? I'm just asking 🌚