Skip Google For Research

Skip Google for Research

As Google has worked to overtake the internet, its search algorithm has not just gotten worse.  It has been designed to prioritize advertisers and popular pages often times excluding pages and content that better matches your search terms 

As a writer in need of information for my stories, I find this unacceptable.  As a proponent of availability of information so the populace can actually educate itself, it is unforgivable.

Below is a concise list of useful research sites compiled by Edward Clark over on Facebook. I was familiar with some, but not all of these.

⁂

Google is so powerful that it “hides” other search systems from us. We just don’t know the existence of most of them. Meanwhile, there are still a huge number of excellent searchers in the world who specialize in books, science, other smart information. Keep a list of sites you never heard of.

www.refseek.com - Academic Resource Search. More than a billion sources: encyclopedia, monographies, magazines.

www.worldcat.org - a search for the contents of 20 thousand worldwide libraries. Find out where lies the nearest rare book you need.

https://link.springer.com - access to more than 10 million scientific documents: books, articles, research protocols.

www.bioline.org.br is a library of scientific bioscience journals published in developing countries.

http://repec.org - volunteers from 102 countries have collected almost 4 million publications on economics and related science.

www.science.gov is an American state search engine on 2200+ scientific sites. More than 200 million articles are indexed.

www.pdfdrive.com is the largest website for free download of books in PDF format. Claiming over 225 million names.

www.base-search.net is one of the most powerful researches on academic studies texts. More than 100 million scientific documents, 70% of them are free

NOOOOO CAM CAMERON!!! COME BACK 😭😭😭😭

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐭.𝟑 (conrad fisher x reader) (𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫)

𝐩𝐭.𝟏 𝐩𝐭.𝟐

a/n: pls let me know your thoughts on this! not confident in my writing as i was the other parts give me feedback pls!!

also comment if you would like to be added to my tsitp taglist

Nervous. Nervous. Nervous

That was the only feeling you had at the moment, today would be your first date with cameron. He’d refused to tell you where you were going, the only advice he could give was “dress casual” Was it bad that you didn’t know exactly what that meant? Of course you wanted to look good for him, but you didn’t want to show up all dressy and him actually stick to the casual look.

“Belly, you’re totally not helping!” You whine as you examine an outfit in the mirror. “I’m pretty sure you could show up wearing a trash bag and he’d still be foaming at the mouth for you!” Belly declares with a smirk. “That’s so cliche to say, shut up!” You laughed. The summer dress you had on did wonders for your body, and just now you remembered a comment cameron made a few months back. “He likes when i wear dresses.” You muttered to yourself, but with belly being on the other line of the phone she heard as well.

“Ohh so he’s mentioned that before?” Belly questioned all ready to hear. “Well yes, last month I wore a dress to the beach and he said that it made me stand out.” You gushed, feeling a warm feeling in the pit of your belly. “That’s so cute, so what happened after you had that hot make out session on the beach?” Belly piqued up with another question. “I already told you, he walked me home and maybe we made out some more on my couch.” You probably relived that night more than once, cameron was something special.

And yes, he walked you home. You could tell it hurt Cameron’s feelings when you attempted to walk home alone, but that was what you were used to. You didn’t know how a boy operated when they actually liked a girl. You’ve always thought they were after one thing, Sex. Cameron hadn’t once tried to make a move on you sexually, he’d always have a conversation with you, he wanted to spend quality time with you, he wanted you for you not your body.

And as he walked you home from the beach that night, not once had he let go of your hand that was laced with his. Every-time someone walked past the two of you he’d pull you a little closer as well as place a kiss onto your forehead. He wasn’t ashamed of you, he wanted to show you off. Why had you never made a move on cameron before he was perfect?

“Lots,and lots of making out girl, don’t make me tell your mom!” Belly joked pulling you from your thoughts. You were about to reply with a smart remark when your phone buzzed with a notification.

Conrad: why have you been ignoring me?

Conrad: did i do something?

Conrad: let’s meet around midnight. I wanna talk.

Conrad: so you’re seeing cameron now?

God when was he going to stop? You were angry, he had been bothering you for about a week now. Every night he texted you asking to meet up, all of them of course went unanswered and apparently he was getting impatient now. You knew what he meant by “talking” it meant that he wanted to have sex with you. Conrad never just wanted to “talk and hang out” with you, you weren’t even sure if he knew that.

You quickly blocked his number, done and over with you thought. Why couldn’t he just go bother one of his other girls? It would probably be easier contacting them, he wasn’t ashamed of having them around his arms. Conrad Fisher was something of your past now and you wanted to keep it that way. Cameron was your now and he was like a breath of fresh air.

~

“You look wow-“ Cameron stuttered he was flustered. “Beautiful” he finished after a second. “Thank you!” You accepted the compliment, kissing him on the lips. “You look nice!” You studied his outfit, red was definitely his color. He smiled against your lips. “Compared to you, I’m alright.” He took your hand giving it a firm squeeze. “Is it bad that I’m like really nervous right now?” he asked self consciously. You shook your head no immediately, “I’m nervous too” you kissed him one last time before pulling away.

“Lead the way!” You dramatically stepped away. With his hand still linked with yours you both began walking. “So where are we going?” You tried to slyly throw the question into the air. “Nope, not telling you it’s a surprise!” He laughed pulling you towards his car. “A surprise? Wow you really outdid yourself cameron.” He propped open the passenger door for you letting you step in. As he joined you inside the car he reached over grabbing your hand again, “this okay?” You smiled “Of course.”

About 10 minutes into the car ride, very casual but interesting conversations. You pulled your phone out wanting to document this. Cameron had yet to pull his hand away, he’d been driving this whole time with one hand, so he’d be able to hold yours the entire ride. You quickly opened up the camera on your phone, first you started with y’all’s linked hands that were in the middle console, you slowly moved the camera towards Cameron his focus on driving. When he finally noticed that you were recording he brought your linked hands up to his lips, giving light kisses.

With out thought you posted the cute video on your social media.

~

Cameron. Cameron. Cameron

After your date yesterday, you both decided to officially see each other. You weren’t exactly boyfriend and girlfriend but you both agreed to not see anyone else. The date yesterday was something out of the books, you know when the love interest remembers every single thing about the girl? that’s what it felt like.

He’d taken you out to a steak house you’ve raved about trying for about 2 years. The boy didn’t even eat meat and he still made it work. And that pottery class you’ve always wanted to take? Yeah he took you there! Even with your god awful sculptures you made, the day was amazing.

You were currently setting up a cute little movie night on your porch, the projector you borrowed from the Conklin’s already set up. Cameron would be here in fifteen minutes. After rearranging the pillows for about the 3rd time you liked how it all came together.

“So this its why you’ve been dodging my calls?” The voice sent you into defensive mode immediately. “What are you doing here Conrad? the suns not even down yet!” You turned towards him clearly angry. “What is that supposed to mean?” He asked bringing his arms across his chest. “I mean isn’t that when we would usually hang out?” You laughed looking at him in his eyes. “Or whatever you wanna call it, hook up, have sex, fuck” You shrugged taking a step closer.

“What was wrong with the type of relationship that we had?” Conrad asked, you don’t know if he was being an asshole or if he actually didn’t know what he did to you. “You used me every single time, you’re not interested in me! you like having sex with me!” Conrad looked down with a smirk, he wasn’t being serious. “So cameron’s interested in you?” Why couldn’t he just stay away? “Yeah he is”You started to speak but were interrupted by Conrad. “And how would you know that?” He asked with a smug expression.

“Because he likes spending time with me, he makes sure I’m okay at night, he walks me home, he calls me pretty, and he’s the first guy who made me realize that I don’t have to sexualize myself to be loved.” You were now full on crying, your emotions getting the best of you because Conrad didn’t deserve to see you cry. “I’m with him right now…because this is the best I’ve ever felt in a really long time….I don’t feel like I have to give my body away to please him.” You finished your sentence with a sob, you were grasping for breath.

“Just please leave me alone-“ You started but your words paused as lips were planted on yours. No.No.No this isn’t what you wanted. You pushed Conrad off you immediately, you took four steps back, angry and confused. “Why the fuck did you kiss me?” He looked distressed, unable to form words “I don’t know I just thought-“ You were the one to interrupt him this time. “You thought that I was gonna let you? You thought that i was gonna fall back into your manipulative ways?” Conrad shook his head, he looked guilty.

“Just go,that’s all I want .” You whispered, eyes planted onto the ground. You watched as Conrad slowly walked away from your porch. What the fuck just happened?

~

He never showed up.

You left about three voicemails and two text messages since then. Cameron didn’t seem like the type to bail on a date. So ultimately you were worried about him, and as you laid on your bed that night, you had no idea that cameron was heartbroken.

Unknown to you, he’d seen you and Conrad’s kiss, he’d only missed the part where you pushed him away.

TAGS: @gillybear17 @snowsharkk @tessastle @conradsupporterr @alyssa-cabrera @eranthisphiny @xoxoloverb @lostaurorax @lanisdreams @alexzluvz @lalaland-notfound @liltimmyst @unsaidjaelineose @buckys2thicc @lilygreennn @t8lzw @medusaslilsister @1-800-stilinski @yazmi710 @j-brielmalfoy @ashcannotwrite @colbysbrocks @exonct07 @multilover19 (SRRY IF FORGOT TO TAG YOUU!!)

Taylor Russell - Lost In Space S2

Click the source link to find #234 gifs of TAYLOR RUSSELL season 2 of Lost in Space. She is of African-Canadian (unspecified) and white descent, so please cast her accordingly. All gifs have been made by me, so please like or reblog this if you find them helpful! Due to people not following my rules, I am now only sending links to those who confirm with me that they have reblogged the post (or have explained why they are unable to do so.) Give me a heads up if you use them to create gif icons or crackships - I don’t generally have a problem with it, but I have a few rules as far as crediting me! 

PLEASE, i feel so called out. i tell my cat everything, when i’m doing my skincare she just watches and i make it a mutual decision to which toner i use, etc.

when i’m watching a movie she seems just as into it as i am, and we just look at each other like “ 👀 ” when shocking things happen.

or when i’m dancing randomly and she catches me and i feel like i have to explain it… maybe i need help.

my last post makes me think about fingerprints shouto being that kind of pet owner; the one that absently talks to their pet like they're a person.

on his day off he's scrounging around for lunch with princess, opening the fridge like, "what do you think, love? leftover soba?" and they both just silently stare into the fridge together for a full minute before he murmurs, "yes, i think so too."

kita + 7 (are you hitting on x for me?) + meet cute + coffeeshop au!!! i get that this might be a handful so i understand if you scrap it :)

i wanted to request sold to inarizaki but you crossed that out 😞 (/j)

surprise! i'm still doing these ahaha i'm so sorry. so so sorry. that's all i've got slkdfjsj tysm <3 sorry no one was sold to inarizaki in the making of this fic

kita shinsuke + “are you hitting on x for me?” + coffeeshop au + meet-cute (fic)

You’ve always loved the rain.

While you know that it’s bad for business— especially during the first few days of the wet season, as everyone stays inside and tries to acclimate to colder temperatures and gray skies, you can’t help but smile to yourself as you lean your elbow on the counter and watch the heavens open outside. The soft music perpetually playing during open hours is only complemented by the sound of tapping on the windows and roof, relaxing you so much you nearly forget that you’re supposed to be working when someone walks in the door.

You straighten up when you realize that your view of the street has been obscured by— oh, my.

He has greyish hair, layered underneath with jet black, a frame that suggests a healthy balance of hard muscle and softness, and a book tucked beneath his arm. You notice that despite the deluge and a noticeable lack of umbrella, he’s somehow not wet, and for one wild second you wonder if he’s a god from the old stories, here to test your human kindness. Then you return to your senses and remember that you share an overhang with the neighboring business.

“Hello,” you say, somewhat belatedly as he’s already nearly reached your countertop. “I hope your day’s going well.”

“It is,” he says, voice as melodious and even as the patter of raindrops outside. “How about yours?”

“Oh, it’s great,” you say, and your eye contact lingers just a little too long. “Anyway, what can I do for you?”

“A black coffee and, ah, one’a these, please,” he says, picking up a newspaper from the stand on his side of the counter and sliding it halfway to you. You tap the screen of the register, then read off his total, inwardly cringing as you revert to your customer service voice automatically. “Oh, and just a little sugar and cream, if that’s okay.”

“No,” you say, a grin teasing the corners of your mouth. “You have to drink it as bitter as possible, didn’t you know? Store policy.”

“By all means, then,” he says, eyes twinkling. Those eyes look like café au lait, you thought, turning your face away from him so he won’t see the way your mind is spinning over simple coffee-colored eyes. You stare at coffee all day, every day; you should be desensitized, even to such a beautiful shade in a beautiful face.

Café au lait, café au lait, café au lait.

Those gentle, knowing eyes remain in your head while you make the drink, and when you’re handing it out to him you realize with no small amount of mortification that you’ve made him a café au lait. You jerk your hand back last minute, hissing as scalding coffee pours over your palm and wrist.

“Is everything okay? Are you okay?” He half-rises from his seat, looking so concerned you could just die from embarrassment.

“I just realized… I made you the wrong drink — you have the easiest order ever, too, this is so… I’m so sorry, sir, I’ll fix that, and-and let me get you your money back, gosh—”

You’re not even sure if your rambling is sensical as you back away from him, resisting the urge to smack yourself on the head for fear that you’ll look even crazier to him — Kita, he’d said his name was, even though there was no one else in the shop. He even has an attractive name for crying out loud. You want to go home and un-live this experience.

“Alright, here’s your coffee,” you say, holding out a black coffee containing spare amounts of sugar and cream. “I’m so, so sorry about that, and here’s your money, too. I hope you weren’t in any kind of rush; I apologize again.”

“Don’t worry,” says Kita, a kind smile on his face. “And please, keep the money. I like to pay for my drinks. It wasn’t any trouble, so don’t stress yourself about it.” He’s nice, too. You’re sure your face is hot enough to steam right now. Perhaps you should go and take a walk in the rain.

“No, please, it’s on the house,” you insist, still holding out the money. “Besides, it was all my fault — if you won’t consider it for the time taken, consider it for the very great pleasure a pair of fine eyes can give. Uh.”

You clamp your lips shut. Oh, you’ve done it now. You sound deranged, quoting Pride & Prejudice to this stranger. You really need that walk in the rain.

He laughs; not a polite, restrained laugh, though it’s not a shocked burst either. He simply sounds… happy. Happy to hear you spend five minutes being an absolutely nonsensical wreck of a human being, if you can believe it. You nearly can’t.

“If you phrase it like that, I guess I can’t refuse. But I’m sure I’ll be back to repay ya.” He takes a sip of his coffee, savoring it. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

You wave faintly as he exits the shop, bell on the door jingling cheerfully and a flash of bright eyes looking at you through the window before he passes out of sight. Perhaps, you muse out loud to yourself, that wasn’t so bad.

Kita keeps his word — you weren’t sure he would, being apparently a man bound by great politeness to soothe a frazzled barista, but he does, and far sooner than you’d thought he would. The next day, he walks in again, still untouched by the tempest outside. He orders the same thing and doesn’t seem to notice when you give him a twenty percent discount, and this time you keep yourself together enough to have a pleasant (if short) conversation with him and make his drink correctly. He comes in the next day, and the next day again, and the next and the next and the next.

He comes in when it’s busy and when it’s empty, when the sun finally makes its return under weak cloud cover, when you’re not working the register and then he simply smiles at you while he takes his daily newspaper from the stack. It was difficult from the get-go, but now you’re starting to have serious concerns that you’re developing real feelings for a customer. You wonder if he’d still come in for black coffee if there were pigs flying in the sliver of sky you can see from the storefront window.

While you’re in certainly more than the average employee, even a small business owner has to take a break sometime. You can’t resist coming in to check in on your beloved coffee shop and are pleased to see it buzzing with activity, enough that you don’t want to trouble your employees by ordering something yourself. Instead, you walk outside to check out the other shops in the area.

Next to you is a bookstore, which you haven’t visited since the week you moved in. The owner had been away, then, visiting his grandmother in the country, so you’d made your introductions to his interim manager, a friendly man named Ojiro. You’d also left a bag of roast beans and a voucher for a huge number of free pastries that you’re not sure had ever been used, topped with a card stating well wishes for the owner and his family.

Stepping inside, you wish instantly that you’d thought to stop by in between. The store has a beautiful ambiance and the sweet smell of books permeates the air. You head straight for the shelves, losing yourself quickly in deciding what you want to buy.

“Can I help you find anythin’?” You look up from a worn copy of Kokoro and feel your face break into a smile without your permission. Across from you, Kita looks equal parts shocked and pleased, his thick eyebrows raised. “Oh, hello.”

“Hi,” you say, somewhat shyly. “Um— actually, yes, do you have…”

He leads you through the stacks with a natural air of confidence; never over-inflated or egoistic, just like he knows where everything in the store is or goes. As you walk, he picks up stray books and reshelves them without pausing, keeping up a natural flow of conversation as he asks about your current reads or past favorites.

In the end, you buy three books, and he walks all the way to the register with you. He must be really dedicated to making this sale, you think.

“Heya!” The cashier is a blond man with a sparkling smile who looks just a few years younger than Kita. His nametag, which is askew on his shirt, reads Miya. He must be related to one of your employees — the same last name, and the same face. “Oh, you’re the coffee person, right?”

“I suppose I am,” you say, setting down your choices on the counter. You’re neighbors, after all, it wouldn’t be surprising if he recognized you from visiting his brother or getting coffee.

“I gotta say, you’ve got great taste in books,” says Miya. “Not that I’d know, I can’t read — that’s a joke, don’t worry — but I’m sure Kita-san approves. He does like someone who’s as into words as he is.”

“I hope he does,” you smile at Kita, who has stepped behind the counter to organize a stack of books. “He helped me pick them out.”

“You already knew what you wanted, I just made a few suggestions. One, really.”

“Ooh,” Miya waggles his eyebrows. “The ol’ customer service trick. Ya sly fox, you.”

“Be professional,” chastises Kita, but there doesn’t seem to be much heart in it, and the tips of his ears are an enchanting shade of pink. You have to tear your eyes away and focus on your own hands so that you don’t say anything stupid or accidentally tip two hundred percent.

Atsumu seems to notice it as well.

“Hey, you must be a library book,” he says loudly, and you wrinkle your eyebrows, confused.

“Atsumu, this is a book shop,” says Kita helplessly. He is ignored.

“Because he can’t stop checkin’ you out!” That startles a laugh out of you.

“Thank you? I think?” Atsumu nods at you wisely, sidestepping his coworker’s fumbling attempt at nudging him into ceasing. Kita seems to be blushing more now, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips even as he seems unable to make eye contact with you.

“Your total will be thirty-three-hundred yen,” the younger man tells you. “Also, Kita-san, d’you wear glasses?”

“Clearly not?”

“Maybe you should, ‘cause—” Kita claps a hand over Atsumu’s mouth. You think you hear something like phone rent faintly escape the gag, but it makes no sense, so you can’t be sure.

“Are you hitting on me… for him?” You ask, amused. His reply is enthusiastic but incomprehensible.

“Atsumu, thank you, I can take it from here. You should take your break now. Goodbye.” Atsumu is shoved in the direction of the back room, and disappears with a cheeky salute and one last eyebrow wiggle.

“I’m so sorry, his twin took all the brains in the womb. It’s a very serious medical condition.”

“I’m sure,” you say, mock-seriously. “But I appreciated the effort. It was cute—”

“Ya thought he was cute?” Kita looks up at you with sharp eyes.

“—Even if it was by proxy. I wouldn’t mind it directly from you, next time, if there were a next time. Uh. Yes.”

“Yes,” Kita says, like the word’s a revelation. “Yes. Um. Your receipt.”

“Oh, I don’t need it,” you say, but he’s holding it out, so you take it, tucking it under the front cover of one of your books and scooping them into your arms. “Thank you, Kita.”

“Thank you,” he bows shortly. “Come by anytime.”

It’s only when you open the book and the receipt comes fluttering out that two things come to light. Firstly, forty percent had been taken off your total. Employee discount was noted next to the calculations. You suppose he had noticed all the times you’d charged less for his coffees. Secondly, there’s handwriting on the thin sheet of printed paper.

Kita Shinsuke. (xxx) xxx-xxxx. I hope this isn’t presumptuous.

Next to it, the writing much smaller, as though he didn't want you to actually read it:

It would be a Crime and Punishment not to take you out.

If we go down, then we go down together. minho (tmr). pt one

Minho (TMR) x Female! Reader - Part One

Words: 2786 words

Warning/s: Bad grammar + some wrong spelling bc I’m too lazy to edit it, violence, slight angst 

POV: Minho firmly believes in the saying ‘if we go down, then we go down together’ especially when his long-time crush, and best friend, gets stuck in the maze.

“Thomas!” Y/N called out her boyfriend’s name for the fifth time. Her voice was louder than the roaring and crackling fire, yet he didn’t turn his head. Gally, who witnessed the whole thing, cackled.

“Looks like your boyfriend finally found someone better than you.” Gally was a jerk and Y/N tried not to take his words to heart, but they still stung. “What? I’m just saying. He doesn’t need you anymore, buttercup, so stop pouting. You knew this was going to happen anyway.”

He was right about that. Y/N saw how Thomas curiously gazed at Teresa when she first came up. He never looked at her like that.

“Shut up, Gally.” Y/N muttered, harshly kicking his ankle and making the builder spit out curses.

“Why the long face, sweetheart?”

It seemed Y/N’s pouting kept catching unwanted attention. The female runner looked at Minho, cross her arms over her chest. She silently nodded over at Thomas and Teresa who were too close for comfort.

“Oh, I see.” Minho heavily heaved as he sat down on the wooden log behind him. “I’ll distract Teresa while you talk to that shank?” The keeper of the runners was always working hard to keep Y/N happy. It was like working over time at your office job despite knowing you won’t get paid, only there was no office and Minho never got paid.

“Teresa, over here!” Minho shouted loudly, beckoning the ravenette over. She hesitatingly walked over while Y/N took this as her chance.

“Thomas.” She said for the sixth time. She was starting to get annoyed as she constantly repeated his name.

“That was fast, Teresa- Oh, Y/N. It’s you.” He didn’t sound happy to see her, which immediately wiped the soft smile off Y/N’s face.

“Is that all you have to say? Oh? Thomas, we haven’t spoken since Teresa arrived. You didn’t even greet me at the doors.” Y/N furrowed her eyebrows in slight frustration. Whenever Thomas wasn’t on running duty, it was Y/N. And he always greeted her when she got back, holding a plate of food and a bottle of water.

“I figured you could get your own food and water.” Thomas bluntly uttered. He didn’t raise his voice but his words still stabbed at Y/N’s heart.

“Do you like her?” Y/N looked at Teresa and so did Thomas. “Do you think she’s prettier than me? All that time you spent complimenting me and making me feel special was a waste of time. In my opinion, she’s not that pretty.”

Thomas was usually gentle and calm. He never got angry at Y/N no matter what she did. He’d do anything for her, even give her his own lunch when Gally obnoxiously stole hers. But he snapped suddenly when Y/N degraded Teresa’s appearance.

“Just because you don’t look as good as her doesn’t give you a right to insult her.”

“Are you on drugs or something, Tommy? Have you seen me? I am a goddess. You said so yourself. Why the sudden change of heart? Just because Teresa is interested in you does not give you the right to insult me and ignore me.” Y/N was surprised at how calm she was being right now. Only, she knew she was so angry that she couldn’t express it.

“I’m not ignoring you.”

“Then you’re an idiot because I was calling out your name five times before and you didn’t even bat an eye.”

“It’s not my problem Teresa is better company than you.”

“You are on thin ice, Tommy.”

“Good. Maybe then I can finally get rid of you and date Teresa instead.”

That was Y/N’s breaking point. She didn’t yell, didn’t scream, she didn’t even send Thomas a glare. Instead, her fist went straight for his eye. She punched him so hard that he staggered back, crashing into Newt.

Y/N didn’t say a word as she turned around, storming off. Minho, one of the many boys who saw the scene, whistled, impressed. Thomas was his friend but he had known Y/N for longer.

After Thomas got patched up, Alby decided to call it a night. The Gladers begrudgingly went to sleep one by one.

Y/N lay in her hammock, eyes closed but still awake. She could hear the faint whispers of Teresa and Thomas as they stepped over a few boys who had fallen off their hammocks. It was a normal occurrence. You weren’t a Glader without falling off your hammock and waking up on the dusty ground at least once.

“Is she asleep?” Teresa asked as they paused by Y/N, their stares burning into her motionless form.

“Looks like it.” Thomas replied, shrugging.

“I didn’t know you were dating such a hothead. She punched you for no reason.”

That made Y/N want to scoff. There was obviously a reason and it was a bloody good one. She had every right to be mad at Thomas.

“She’s usually calm. I don’t know what got into her. Maybe it’s the maze. It messes with our heads, you know. Perhaps that’s why I agreed to dating her. I was desperate for affection no matter where it came from. If it wasn’t Y/N then I would’ve asked Minho.”

“Oh. So she forced you into the relationship?”

“Yeah. I don’t talk about it much, though.”

“For the record,” Y/N’s voice startled the two, “You confessed to me. And I didn’t punch you for no reason. I punched you because you openly admitted you wanted to date Teresa and was waiting for the chance to dump me so you could. You’re a jerk, Thomas. An asshole too.”

Y/N got out of her hammock, grabbing her pillow and blanket. Thomas watched her.

“What are you doing?” He asked.

“Sorry, I’m not obligated to answer. We’re not dating, remember? You’re dating Teresa.” Y/N shrugged before exiting the Homestead, ignoring Thomas’ shouts like he ignored hers.

Y/N knocked on the door of the runner hut, knowing fully well Minho was inside. He slept inside the hut and sometimes Y/N joined him when they were going over the maze.

“What trouble did you get in this time?” Minho jokingly said as he opened the door.

“I put Thomas in his place. And I no longer feel like sleeping in the Homestead so I’m here.” Y/N brushed past Minho, yawning slightly. He hummed as he closed the door.

“So, what are you doing?” Y/N sat down in front of the table. Judging by how the cloth was off the handmade maze, Minho was looking at it.

“Just thinking.”

The only light in the room was a dim lantern. Y/N could barely see Minho’s face.

“You can sleep, you know. This is a safe zone.”

Y/N chuckled lightly, wrapping her blankets around herself. She was planning to sleep on the slightly uncomfortable wooden chair but Minho had other plans. Y/N let out a small yelp as her head was forced onto his lap. She stiffened. Affection between Y/N and Minho wasn’t uncommon, they were close friends. But Y/N was just caught by surprise. She wasn’t expecting for Minho to do such a thing. After she started dating Thomas, he distanced himself and they hardly had time for each other.

“So, you and Thomas? I’m guessing things aren’t going well right now.” Minho muttered as he stroked Y/N’s hair, sighing. 

“I see the way he looks at Teresa. He knows her and vice versa.” Y/N closed her eyes, blinking small tears away. Minho didn’t say anything. He only held her closer. 

“Get some rest, Y/N. If Thomas doesn’t come to his senses, then I’ll punch that shank until he does.” Minho stayed awake until Y/N fell asleep. He looked at her fondly, smiling softly. “He doesn’t deserve you.” He whispered, clenching his jaw.

Minho slowly closed his eyes and soon enough, he fell asleep. The next time he opened his eyes, the sun was almost up and Y/N was gone. Minho yawned, rubbing his tired eyes. He saw Y/N sitting at a bench with her breakfast, bickering with Gally as usual. Thomas and Teresa were together, no surprises there.

“Minho!” Thomas called out, much to the keeper’s annoyance, “Can I take the day off? I need to help Teresa.” 

Minho almost scowled at the girl’s name. Thomas was supposed to be running with him today, but it seemed Minho would be taking Y/N instead.

“Alright. I’ll take Y/N. But tomorrow, you’re running.” Minho walked past Thomas and bumped shoulders were Teresa. “Y/N, Thomas isn’t running today so you’re stuck with me.” Gally took this as his cue to leave.

“Too busy with Teresa, huh?” Y/N huffed, handing Minho the rest of her sandwich.

“Have you talked to him yet?”

“Nope. I don’t really want to either.” But Y/N knew she had to. One way or another, she had to break things off. 

“Well, I’m going to talk to Fry. I’ll see you at the doors.” 

Y/N hummed, standing up. She had to go back to the Homestead to get her runners backpack that she accidently left behind. The H/C-haired girl crouched down, searching through the layers of blankets. She finally found her bag and stood up, coming face to face with Thomas. Y/N screamed, slapping him. 

“Ow! Oh my gosh! Your reflexes are no shucking joke!” Thomas held his swollen cheek, wincing.

“Then stop sneaking up on me, you idiot!” Y/N yelled, glaring at Thomas. “Anyway, I’m glad you’re here. After last night, I was thinking and I came to the conclusion that we’d both be happier if we weren’t together anymore.”

“Are you… breaking up with me?”

“No. I’m going to keep dating you and allow you to also date Teresa.” Y/N sarcastically deadpanned, arching an eyebrow. “Yes, I’m breaking up with you. Listen, Thomas, dating you has been great. We’ve had some wonderful memories and I’ve enjoyed our moments together. But we’ve slowly grown apart and Teresa was the breaking point. Perhaps we should stay friends or just not talk at all.” 

Y/N was going to walk away, but Thomas grabbed her hand.

“Y/N,” He had that pleading look in his eyes, the one he always had when he was begging her not to leave. 

“Thomas,” Y/N gently grabbed his hands, “I love you but you have never looked at me the way you look at Teresa. You like her and you know it. So let’s make this easier for both of us and break it off.” 

Thomas dropped his hands, letting them swing by his side. He stared at the ground, refusing to look at Y/N. He kept silent as she sighed and walked away, pitying Thomas but not regretting anything. 

“I’m guessing by the look on your face that you just talked to Thomas.” Minho was leaning against the maze wall, watching as Y/N walked towards him. He was always good at reading people, much to Y/N’s annoyance.

“Shut it and let’s run.” Y/N entered the maze first, Minho hot on her heels. No words were exchanged as they jogged through the grey, ivy covered hallways. Y/N barely slowed down, too busy thinking to pay attention to her burning lungs and stinging throat. 

A few minutes ago, Minho tried to convince Y/N to take a break, but she refused. So they kept running. 

“Hey, isn’t section eight supposed to be open today?” Y/N finally paused, allowing Minho to catch his breath. “Then, why is section five open instead?”

Minho looked at section five, which was indeed open. 

“That’s strange.” He muttered, looking up at the sky. It was starting to get dark, meaning the maze doors would be closing soon. “Hey, we should get back.” Minho placed a hand on Y/N’s shoulder but she brushed it off.

“Yeah, soon. I want to take a look.” 

Minho let out an annoyed sigh. A trait that Thomas and Y/N both shared was that they often had little regard for their safety. They were far too curious for their own good and it often didn’t end well. 

“Be quick. By that, I mean just take a peek.” Minho tapped his foot impatiently, waiting for Y/N. She swiftly ran back, finding nothing that interested her. 

“Okay, we can go.” After she finished her sentence, a strong wind almost knocked her over. She bumped into Minho’s chest and he quickly caught her. They shared a panicked look.

“Shuck.” They both muttered. 

“Run!” Minho yelled. The two runners broke into a sprint. They skidded around corners, barely having time to find out if they were going the right way.

“There!” Y/N pointed at a corridor that she recognized. She crashed into wall and quickly pushed herself off it. 

“There they are!” A crowd of Gladers stood in front of the doors a few hundred meters away. Thomas was amongst them, standing beside Teresa and Newt. The doors were slowly starting to close, igniting something inside Y/N and Minho that encouraged them to run faster.

Y/N heavily panted as she ran alongside Minho, her legs moving as fast as they could. Her body felt weak and she feared that if she moved any faster, she would snap. 

They were so close that Y/N could feel the green grass against her bruised legs. Minho was strangely stumbling behind, struggling to keep up. In the spur of the moment, Y/N grabbed Minho and shoved him forward. He landed in the Glade, caught by Newt and Thomas. 

Y/N grunted as she tripped over a loose pebble, harshly hitting the concrete floor. Her knees skidded across the stone, scrapping the skin off. She could faintly hear the shouts of people telling her to get up but the world was spinning and Y/N couldn’t focus on one thing. 

“Y/N!” She heard Thomas yell, only to be held back by Teresa who shook her head. Minho clenched his hands into fists, helplessly watching as Y/N struggled.

I don’t know if it’s fair, but I thought,

“Minho!” Newt shouted as the keeper ran into the maze, helping Y/N up. The doors shut with a loud slam, trapping both Y/N and Minho inside.

“How could I let you fall by yourself when I’m wasted with someone else?”

“You idiot! Why would you do that? Now we’re both trapped!” Y/N slammed her fist into the stone doors again, scraping more skin off her knuckles. “Those shanks in the Glade need you, they depend on you to find away out!”

“They may need me, but I need you! All of this is worthless if you’re not by my side.” Minho took a step towards Y/N. “If we go down, then we go down together.”

Y/N sighed before she slowly hugged Minho. Secretly, she was glad he was with her. She knew she couldn’t survive on her own.

“We have to keep moving.” Minho said, determined to survive another night in the maze as he did with Thomas. The two runners slowly jogged through the maze, their senses heighted by the uncomfortable silence. 

Y/N and Minho stuck close, not wanting to be separated from each other. They were taken by surprise when the passageway they were about to run down suddenly began to shut. Minho stumbled back, wrapping an arm around Y/N on instinct. They looked at each other in surprise before holding each other tightly. 

Unfortunately, the new hallway revealed a griever. It shrieked, staring at the pair like they were a full course meal. 

“Run?” Y/N questioned. 

“Run.” Minho agreed. 

The griever chased after them, its metal legs scraping against the stone and making a horrible noise. 

“Come on, come on!” Minho screamed, grabbing Y/N’s arm. She shrieked as the griever jumped off a wall and landed in front of the runners. 

“Move, move!” Y/N shoved Minho to the side, panting heavily. The griever’s tail suddenly wrapped around her leg, making her trip.

“Y/N!” Minho threw a stone at the griever, making it roar. A syringe popped out of its tail and Minho’s eyes widened. Before he could shout out a warning, Y/N was stabbed with the needle. 

Minho, with unknown strength, managed to drag Y/N away from the griever. Her pupils were bigger and she was gasping for air. 

“Minho,” She whispered, shaking her head. “Leave. Get out of here. Go before it’s too late!” She coughed out a mouthful of blood, some splattering onto Minho’s hands. 

“It’s never too late, Y/N.” Minho hugged her, refusing to let go no matter how many times Y/N begged him to leave. The griever growled again. Minho was expecting it to sting him too but the griever only delivered a harsh kick to his skull, knocking him out. 

When Minho opened his eyes, he was met with a splitting headache and the burning sun shining down on his face. And Y/N was nowhere to be seen.