She had stayed up rubbing his back and shushing him. Minho would whimper and shift nervously in his sleep. He kept muttering things that didn't make sense to Hope, but they clearly were traumatic for him. As soon as she would rub his back and shush him, he relaxed and breathed easier. His fever broke as well, which seemed to help with the night mares. She gently ran her fingers through his hair, he seemed to snuggle closer when she did. She bit her lip when he did. He was so touched starved it actually broke her heart. 

Hope had dozed off at some point late at night, her hand still buried in his hair. When Minho stirred she jerked awake. He groaned slightly and then nuzzled his face a bit more into her stomach. He took a shuttering breath. 

"I'm sorry Ace." His voice was muffled because his face was smooshed into her.  

"What the heck are you sorry for?" She asked, gently moving his head so she could look down at him properly. He looked so ashamed of himself. 

"For crying like a big shucken baby." He grumbled. 

"Are you calling me a baby?" She asked sharply. 

His eyes flew open, "What? No!" 

"Okay, so if I can cry and not be a baby, you can too." 

"Yeah but your a-"

"Don't even finish that sentence Minho! Male or female, were humans. Humans have emotions. And humans have a breaking point. We've been tortured by a human rat for months on end." 

"Fine. All fare points." 

"I know." Hope said with a smug little smile. 

"Have you been sitting like that all night?" He asked, shifting slightly so he was laying on his back and he was looking at her. She just gave him a small smile. He frowned. 

"You need sleep too." 

"You needed some Tender loving care Minho. You seemed a little touch starved. Did no one hug you or touch you in the Maze?" 

"Uhh...were guys. We don't hug. Or touch." 

"Again." Hope rolled her eyes, "You are human. Humans need to be touched, hugged, hands held...doesn't have to be intimate or sexual. Last night you just needed a damn hug, I played with your hair and rubbed your back. Heaven forbid some touched you and showed you kindness." 

"Yeah well...your a girl. You're all touchy feely." he grumbled.

Hope raised an eyebrow, looking down at him. "You weren't complaining last night..." 

"You're impossible." he huffed.

"I know. And I'm also right." She ran a hand through his hair. His eyes fluttered and he gathered for a second, the corners of his mouth pulled up into a smile.

"Shuck....keep that up Ace and I might our like a shucken cat." He smirked at her.

Hope just looked back at him without an expression, she didn't break his eye contact and the smirk slowly slid off and his eyes slowly turned sad. 

"No Hope...you're right. Again...None of us in the maze...other than the few who were together..." He said quietly, "Thank you..." He whispered. 

"Your welcome." she said smartly and nodded.

He took a slow inhale and then shifted again off her lap and grabbed her arm, tugging her down onto his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. She froze for a second, unsure what was happening. Then slowly relaxed her muscles and lowered her head down onto his chest. Her eyes slowly fluttered closed, relaxing into the tight hug with a long exhale. Once she did, he squeezed her even tighter. A hand worked its way into her hair, holding the back of her head. The other one wrapped around her back. She wrapped her arms around him as well. 

"Okay...fine. I'll admit it...hugs are pretty great." He said quietly. 

Hope just hummed. She pressed her face  into his chest. They were quiet for a while, just enjoying the hug. He cleared his throat and suddenly picked his head up. "Hope?" he whispered.

She lifted her face up, her chin on his chest. He was looking at her intently. It was such an intense look her stomach flip flopped, his eyes softened. He slowly untangled his hand from her hair and gently tucked a piece of blond hair behind her ear. His fingers were warm as he gently brushed her skin. She shivered. She inhaled sharply and held her breath. 

"I don't think I'd have been able to get through this without you." His voice sounded like it dropped, but his eyes were steady. 

"Yeah." She squeaked.

Her heart was racing so fast. And it felt like her lungs were still holding the breath. Minho's fingers gently caressed her cheek. She could the heat of a blush rising in her cheeks. Minho's dark intense eyes never left hers.

"Shuck." He whispered, "I swore to myself I wouldn't..." He trailed off, his fingers running slowly down from her ear to jaw and over to her lips.

Hope's heart was slamming into her chest. "Wou- wouldn't d- do what?" She squeaked.

He cleared his throat, "Catch  shucken feelings."

Hope didn't know what to say. She hadn't really thought about it. She was just trying to survive each day of torture. Like living in the scorch, dating and boys never crossed her mind. Sure some of the guys were kinda cute. Minho is definitely hot, he is actually quite caring and kind under his sass and cold glare. But...is this..catching feelings because he has no one else? Is he only feeling like this because we're locked up together and never see anyone else? If I was in a different cell would he have fallen for Sonya?

"Shuck it." Minho growled.

She had so many thoughts swirling around her head, she didn't realize what was happening until it was. The hand that had just run across her bottom lip slid back into her hair and pulled her head closer. His other hand was splayed on her back. He kissed her hesitantly.

Hope had stopped working. She forgot how to function. She had never been kissed before, she had no idea what to do. His lips were soft and warm. His hands were gentle and she was very aware of their body contact right now. She could feel his heart racing. Before she had time to register it all he slowly pulled away. Hope gasped, her lungs remembered how to work again. Her heart skipped a beat and started slamming into her chest.

Minho's eyes were wide, "That was-"

"-my first-" Hope gasped aging.

"-kiss-"

"-ya..me-"

"-too."

"Really?" Hope asked kind of shocked that he hadn't kissed anyone before. He seemed like the kind of guy who would have a few already.

"Can't remember before." He whispered, he was breathing just as hard and fast.

They were quiet, frozen for a moment, each staring at the other. At the same time, they pulled each other back for another kiss. This time both were more aggressive, but still unsure. Hope had one hand flat on his bare chest, pushing herself up and the other in the back of his hair. Minho wrapped an arm around her back and rolled them over, so he was half on top of her. He pulled her closer with a deep hum. His tongue slid across her bottom lip. Hesitantly she parted her lips, and he slowly explored her mouth.

All kinds of feelings and new sensations exploded in Hope. Her stomach flip flopped, her head was spinning and she felt hot and tingly.  They broke away to breathe. Minho laid his forehead on hers, their breath mixed together. They stayed still and quiet, breathing hard.

"Whoa." He finally breathed.

"Yeah..." She agreed, a smile slowly worked its way onto her face, and then a small giggle escaped, she bit her bottom lip. Minho smirked down at her. He slowly dipped his head and kissed her gently again.

•°•

They had fallen back asleep, wrapped in each other's arms. The door was slammed open and guards came pouring into the room. Hope was ripped out of Minho's arms with a wild strangled cry. Before Minho could sit up or cry out in protest he was shot with a launcher, making him scream in pain and his body jerked with the electricity.

She was dragged from the room kicking and screaming and crying.

"Minho!" She cried.

A guard backhanded her. She felt her lip split and she tasted blood. She cried harder.
Their cell door was slammed shut and she could still hear the faint sound of Minho's screams. Nothing good ever stayed good in her life. A guard grabbed that back of her hair and yanked her head back. So she was forced to look up into his shiny black mask.

"The Director wants a word with the little slut."

Panic flooded Hope's system. The guard let go of her hair with a harsh shove and she was dragged down the hall and elevator and more halls. A door at the end of the hall was thrown open. Janson stood flipping through some papers, he looked pale. She also saw a tray of nasty sharp and dangerous looking instruments and a row of different coloured injections on a shiny tray. More panic took over. She tried fighting. She wiggled and fought. She screamed. She fought with everything she had left.

The guard smacked her harshly again. While she was subdued for a second, the guards threw her into the chair and strapped her down. She tried her best to fight. But as always there were more of them than her. But she tried. A terrified sob escaped from her. Her head was held back and it was strapped down. Something was shoved into her mouth. She felt a sharp stab in her arm. She cried out in surprise and flinched trying to get away from the nurse and the IV. Sticky electrodes were attached to her and another IV was inserted into her neck to collect the much coveted immunity enzyme.

"Stop! Stop... don't...please don't-"

Something was shoved into her mouth.

"So you don't bite your tongue. Wouldn't want to ruin it now that you figured out how to use it." Janson sneered.

Hope's terrified eyes snapped to him. He was looking at her with a mix of disgust and mild amusement interest. His eyes sparked with a sick twisted joy.

"Oh yes, I saw it all. Our team of doctors and scientists have had some... interesting results from A7 and his brain patterns."

All Hope could do was make a noise, somewhere between a whimper and a growl.

"Captain, any word on Teresa? She's been missing for the day now."

"No sir. We have a team searching the area."

He cursed and, then turned his eyes back onto Hope. "Well let's not waste any more time."

He waved a hand and a short skinny doctor with blank eyes stepped forward. He had wild Greg hair, his mask and cold rubber gloves made him look like a crazy mad scientist. Hope knew today was going to be the worst session yet. She was in for a world of hurt and pain. She whimpered involuntary as the man slowly advanced. She knew she couldn't go anywhere, yet still wiggled and strained against her bindings.

He took his time toying with what to do first. He settled on a long deadly needle full of some kind of bright red liquid. Hope strained even more, she could feel the restraints cutting into her her wrists and ankles. She couldn't even move her head properly, but she strained and screamed through the mouth piece.

The doctor advanced and stuck the needle into the IV. All Hope could do was watch is slowly make its way down the tub and into her arm. As soon as the new liquid entered her blood stream she could feel the effects. Her body felt on fire. She had liquid fire in her blood stream. It started in her arm, and traveled up to her shoulder, into her neck. She could feel the burning travel to her heart and then it exploded through her body. Her heart was working over time from the stress, panic and fear, effectively pumping the liquid fire into every part of her body.

Hope screamed through the mouth guard as her body writhered in pain. Her body broke out in sweat. It beaded her forehead and slid down her temples as she continued to whither The intense wild fire settled and now it was just a constant burn, her muscles flexed and tensed, every muscle and ligament every fiber of her being was burning feeling like it was being pulled apart.

Hope had no idea how long this pain lasted. Time was irrelevant. It could have been only a few minutes or a couple of hours. And to make things worse, the crazy mad doctor pick up a tazer and started to shock her. Not only was liquid fire burnt from the inside, she was now being electrocuted on top of it. Hope screamed and cried until her throat was raw.

Slowly the burning feeling left her body and her body finally sagged, her arms and legs randomly twitched from the after effects of being electrocuted.

Hope's tears had dried on her face in big tracks. Drool dropped down her chin from trying to scream around the mouth guard. Her body was drenched in sweat. Hope's eyes fluttered closed as she panted.

Sensing danger again, her eyes snapped open, adrenaline pumping through her body again. The mad doctor had another injection in his hand. This time it was blue. She tried pleading, but it was just incoherent noises that were heard. The new poison flowed into her system.

There was a loud siren and a robotical voice over the speacker system.

"Director Janson you are needed in Control."

Even as Hope twisted in pain as this new poison took over her body she heard him curse and a bunch of heavy footfalls and a door slamming. Hope was lost to the pain if this poison. Her muscles tensed and started twitching, now she had ice in her veins. Everything slowly froze from in inside out. Her skin broke out in goosebumps. She shivered, and cried. It was like frost bite but from the inside. Her teeth started chatting, hitting the mouth guard instead. It hurt to move, pain radiated from the inside out. She screamed. Her throat was raw from screaming.

The pain was so intense her mind started to fade. Her muscles twitched and shuttered, her screams where now incoherent noises. She slipped into a semi unconscious state, allowing her body some reprieve from the pain. She wasn't aware of what was going on or her surroundings. She heard some scrapping and scuffling. Loud voices around her made her moan and flinch. Her head restraint was removed and her head just flopped forward, her chin rested on her chest.

She had no strength to lift her head. But someone lifted it for her. The mouth guard was removed and something wiped her chin. Her mind was confused. These hands handling her right now we're gentle and warm. Her sweaty hair was smoothed from her forehead.

"Hope?" A worried voice drifted into her mind. "Hope? Can you hear me? Come Ace! Wake up, please, come on!"

"Minho..." She managed to whimper.