Yuki blinked twice.

What did he just say?  I've gone crazy haven't I?  Is this some kind of sick joke?!

"You're not going crazy," Minho said calmly, knowing exactly what the girl was thinking just by looking at her face, "and no, this isn't some stupid joke."

There was silence between the two.  Minho kept his silence.  He wanted to think that he was just staying quiet because he wanted Yuki to process everything, but that would be a flat out lie.  The truth?

He was nervous as .

To give you an idea, this is what was thinking:  What if I misread all the signs?  What if I thought she accepted my flirting, but in reality, she didn't know I was flirting with her?  OH , IF THAT'S THE CASE, I'M ED.

A few agonizingly painful minutes later, Yuki finally opened .

"How do I know you're not trying to play me?"

The fact that Yuki had to ask something like that didn't really hurt Minho.  He knew how Yuki was.  He knew that she was only asking because she was being cautious; because she knew about his player history.  He sighed.

"I. . . I know that I'm not exactly the best guy around, but I can't deny the fact that I'm one hundred percent positive that you're the dream girl my mom used to tell me about. . . the girl that I would finally have the balls to say 'I love you' to," Minho responded firmly.

Yuki's heart warmed, the ice around it slowly melting as her eyes softened.  He loved her.  After knowing Minho for so long, those three little words had the largest impact on her.  She know what those three words meant to him.  

Something was bothering her, though.  I. . . I can't tell him that I like him. 

Getting into a relationship with another spy was risky.  Dangerous.  ESPECIALLY if the two people in question were partners.  People like Jinki and Miyoung, they could work out.  Miyoung worked in the office of S.M. while Jinki lead a team.  Sure, they didn't get to spend TOO much time together, but at least they were both safe of harm.

Partners, on the other hand, were a completely different story.  Suddenly, decisions could become clouded by emotions.  One traitor could become two traitors.  One lover's life would be prioritized over everything else, even a mission.

There were so many complications.

"I. . .I'm sorry, Keroro.  I. . . I don't like you that way," Yuki finally said, gritting her teeth and looking into his eyes.

She expected Minho to grab her shoulders and demand the reason why.  She expected him to say something along the lines of "I understand" and walk away.  She expected a lot of different things (thanks to Key and Baekhyun's tendencies to pick romance movies when it was their turn to pick the film on Friday Movie Nights).  She definitely did NOT expect Minho's actual response.

"Liar," the boy said softly, gazing at her.  The movements were small and almost unnoticeable, but to Minho, the telltale signs of Yuki's lie were as plain as day.  He recognized the familiar way Yuki's eyes blinked a little bit faster than normal as she looked into his own.  His eyes did not miss the way the girl involuntarily bit her lip.  He noticed her fingers fidgeting slightly.  The girl blinked in shock, not expecting her lie to be caught.

"I'm not lying," she said firmly.

Minho rolled his eyes.  "Please, Ice Princess.  I'm not an idiot.  I can always tell when you're lying."  He took her hand.  "Also, if you really were being honest, you wouldn't be wearing this little thing."  The dragon bracelet was still linked securely around Yuki's wrist.

"I. . . I couldn't figure out how to take it off," the girl mumbled.

"Uh-huh.  Sure."

A heavy silence hung in the air once more.

"W-Why me?" Yuki finally had the courage to ask, looking at Minho.  The boy looked at her, bewildered.

"What do you mean, 'why you'?" he asked.

Yuki looked down.  "You could do so much better," the girl mumbled, "like I told you before, I. . . I'm not built for relationships.  I. . . I'm not anything like the type of girl you would want.  I'm not pretty, I'm not feminine.  I despise dresses and make-up, I hang out with guys all the time.  I'm argumentative and stubborn.  I'm reserved and won't be good at skinship like the other girls you've been with.  I can't even do domestic work for crying out loud!  I. . .I'm too. . . I'm too different, too abnormal."

In all of his years of knowing Yuki, Minho never thought he'd come across a point where he saw the girl feel. . . insecure about herself.

"Pabo-yah," Minho said, chuckling, "how do I explain this to you?"

"This is hardly entertaining, Keroro."  Minho's demeanor immediately became serious.

"Ice Princess. . . regardless of what anyone else thinks. . . to me. . . you're. . . you're naturally beautiful.  (Minho's cheeks flushed slightly).  You don't change yourself for others, you stand for what you believe in, you protect and love your friends, you're independent.  You can fight, you save all of Korea on a regular basis.  If I had to put this into one sentence. . . you are you.  I know your faults, Ice Princess, but I know your strengths too.  We don't HAVE to worry about skinship.  And you're not reserved around me.  You're always yourself.  You're not different.  You're unique.  Ice Princess, an ideal type is meant to be just that, an ideal type.  That doesn't mean it can't change.  That doesn't mean that that is exactly what I have to have in my girl.  And lately. . . you seem to have all the qualities that I need."

Yuki flushed at Minho's speech.  She had never experienced this type of affection for someone.   

Her life had never been easy.  It had never been normal.  It was always changing.  First the orphanage, then Seoul's gangs, then S.M.  There was never a stability.  Never any sign of some kind of constant.

Well. . . except for one.

Minho had been with Yuki since the very beginning of her crazy rollercoaster of a life.  Ever since she first set foot in Seoul's gangs at the age of ten.  Everywhere she went, he somehow followed, even if it wasn't intentional.  They used to wind up stuck together as kids.  Then, Yuki left.  Minho somehow landed a spot in S.M.'s training facility.  Yuki went on a mission, and Minho was coicidentally signed up for the same mission.  The two became partners again.

It was almost funny to Yuki how everything in her life seemed to somehow inevitably involve Minho.

That one stupid boy that I always used to complain about. . . turned into a person that knows me inside and out.

A person. . . that loves me and accepts for who I am.

A person. . . that I would be able to take the risk of being in a relationship with.

Yuki couldn't stop the smile that had started growing on her face.  Everything felt right.  

"Hey, Keroro."

"Yeah?"

"Would. . . Would it be weird if I said. . .

if I said that I like you too?  As. . . more than just a friend?"

Minho's grin grew impossibly wide.  He had never been expecting Yuki to return the phrase "I love you."  He knew how she felt about throwing around the phrase and he wanted her to be absolutely sure of her feelings before she said anything.  

"That, Ice Princess," Minho said, walking towards Yuki, "was all I needed to hear."  Without another word, Minho grabbed Yuki's waist and spun her around in circles.

"Y-YAH!  KERORO!  PUT ME DOWN!"  Yuki couldn't keep the bright smile on her face as she scolded the boy.  

"I can't!" Minho shouted brightly, "I'm too happy!"

Finally, Minho set Yuki's down and pressed his forehead against hers.  He didn't want to push things too far.  In other words, he would wait to kiss  her.  This amount of contact would suffice for the time being.  

Suddenly, small white specks began falling from the sky, swirling around in the air as if they were performing some type of celestial dance.  Minho couldn't help himself.

"Hey, Ice Princess," he said, smiling as he looked into her eyes.  Yuki's wide smile mirrored his own.

"What, Keroro?" she asked, playing along with him.

"Saranghae."

Minho paused before opening the door to the SHINee dorm.  He turned to look at Yuki, who in turn was looking down at their intertwined hands.  "I wonder how they'll react. . ." she wondered idly.  Minho chuckled.  

"I think I have an idea. . ." he said, chuckling as he opened the door.

Jonghyun:  "IT'S ABOUT GOD DAMN ING TIME!" 

Kris:  "JESUS ING CHRIST, I THOUGHT YOU TWO WOULD GET TOGETHER WHEN WE DIED!"

Jinki:  "This isn't a prank, right?!  Like, you two are actually dating now?"

Taemin:  "OKAY, PAY UP KAI.  I WON THE BET!"

Kai:  "Could you guys not have waited until a little bit later?!  Taemin, can't I just buy you meat and call it even?"

Key:  "WELL, LOOKS LIKE THIS SHIP HAS OFFICALLY SAILED~!"

Tao:  "YES YES YES YES YES!!!!"

Sehun:  "Wait a minute. . . you mean to tell me that you two weren't dating before this?  . . . what."

Chen:  "CAN I JUST SAY THAT I CALLED IT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING?!"

Baekhyun:  "Have you guys kissed yet?!"

Suho:  "BAEKHYUN!  Ah, but I'm happy for you two!"

D.O.:  "I'm so happy that you two finally realized it. . ."

Chanyeol:  "What Kyungsoo REALLY means is:  FINALLY YOU TWO STUPID S UNDERSTOOD THAT YOU LIKED EACH OTHER." 

Lay:  "OH, THANK !"

Minseok:  "Haha, you guys look like tomatoes!  Oh, now you look like you're going to kill me."  

Luhan:  "SOMEBODY GO OPEN UP THE PARTY ROOM AT S.M. PLEASE."

So they're finally together.

Lost another Flurry, but gained three more.  Thank you:

SHINeeShaowl2Min 
 

Sakurarules 
 

xeber_97 

Feel free to comment, subscribe, or up-vote.  None of those are mandatory.  See you guys next week.

~Yuki ❄