Color Me Rainbow || MEANIE ✔

-35 || mingyu-

a/n: TW - ⚠️mentions of abuse⚠️

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"My parents were never the perfect couple," Wonwoo started, "but they were happy. Yeah, they fought sometimes, yet it was obvious they loved each other. The first thing my dad did whenever he got home from work every day was go to my mom's desk and kiss her.

"And maybe it wasn't the healthiest relationship. Dad would get jealous, which was usually the cause of their fights. They weren't full fledged fights though. Just quiet arguments that didn't last more than 5 minutes. They always made up. If Mom said the guy was no threat, then that was the end of it.

"There was just one time where things went too far." Wonwoo looked down at their hands and that's where his gaze stayed. 

Mingyu didn't know where this story was heading, but it was clear that this wasn't something the other spoke about easily. 

"We lived in a small rural area. Whenever something happened, everyone knew about it. A divorce, a thief broke into someone's house, you name it. Well, there was a rumor that Mom was cheating on Dad. " Mingyu watched Wonwoo's features turn from somber to disgust. "The gossip reached my Dad. Mom was caught with some guy behind a popular restaurant downtown. I don't even remember the guy's name." There was a scoff. "He didn't even live in town. Was just there visiting his aunt or something like that." 

Wonwoo went quiet. Mingyu squeezed his hand. "Hey, you don't have to tell me anymore if you don't want to. I didn't mean to pry."

"I didn't believe the rumors," the elder started again, his voice a mere whisper. "My mom loved my dad. You could see it in her eyes. He was her soulmate, the love of her life. They'd been together for more than 15 years." Wonwoo spoke in disbelief, as if he was reliving the whole thing again. Mingyu was patient and quiet as he listened to the story. 

"He confronted her, but he didn't believe her when she said they weren't true. The rumors spiraled out of control, and Dad's confrontations got more and more aggressive." A gulp. "One night, he came home, angry. I don't remember if he'd been sober or drunk, but he asked her again: 'Did you cheat on me?' Of course, Mom said no. And she tried to explain, but he wasn't hearing any of it.

"He hit her," Wonwoo said. Mingyu barely heard it. The other kept going, not even giving Mingyu a chance to speak. "He asked where the guy was. Everytime she said, 'I don't know,' he hit her again." He sucked in a breath and leaned his forehead against Mingyu's shoulder. 

"You don't have to keep going," Mingyu murmured in his hair as he used his free hand to rub the distressed boy's back. 

"It's okay. I need to get this out." Wonwoo let out a rough exhale. "I tried to stop him, but he pushed me off. Once he finally believed that she didn't know where the guy was, he left. He left me with a mild concussion and a broken wrist. Mom was just lying there on the kitchen floor. A neighbor heard the commotion and called the hospital for us.

"A few days later, we were still in the hospital when we got the news. The guy my mom was 'caught' with had been hit with a car. Dad was the one driving. Apparently, it was on purpose. The guy was injured, but not fatally. My father only had a broken nose. He was arrested for attempted murder. The trial ended. He'd be placed in prison for 12 years.

"Mom was still on watch in the hospital for her lung. It was the day after that she finally told me her half of the story. She started crying as she gripped my hand. 

"'I never cheated on him,' she said. 'The man was drunk. I found him passed out behind the restaurant and offered him a ride back to his place. He mistook me for his wife and hugged me. That's all it was.' Someone saw them, and decided to twist it into whatever they found fit to satisfy their own dramatical desires." Wonwoo pulled away. He was shaking, his breaths were rapid. "The next weeks were hell. At school, I was all anyone could talk about. They bullied me, pretended to be scared of me. The only one who didn't was Jihoon. He was the only one on my side. He comforted me. Eventually we followed him and his parents here and this is where we've been since."

It made sense. The reason Wownoo didn't want anything to do with love. Mingyu had been right. It was Wonwoo's parents. They ruined his perception of love and soulmates, so he didn't believe in it anymore. It broke Mingyu's heart.

The younger male cupped Wonwoo's face, gently lifting so they were eye to eye. Wonwoo was crying. Tear after tear fell and each time Mingyu wiped them away. Wonwoo rested a hand on his wrist and leaned into him. 

"That's what made things worse. It all could have been avoided if someone just kept their fucking mouth shut."

"I'm sorry. If I'd known . . ." Mingyu was feeling beyond guilty. He shouldn't have approached Wonwoo in the way he did. 

"Look at us now," Wonwoo said, attempting a laugh. "I mean, I'm happy with you. I forgive you."

Mingyu licked his lips. Holy shit. Okay. This was okay. He wasn't on the verge of a heart attack or anything. This was not the time for his heart to be doing gymnastics.

"Um, so, if you're dad's in jail, then what exactly is the problem?" he asked, knowing there was still more to the story.

"He was released a few days ago," Wonwoo replied.

Mingyu's eyebrows furrowed. "Your dad?"

"Twelve years turned into five and a half. Remember the guy he hit?" The older male leaned over Mingyu and grabbed a folded note that was hiding underneath the lamp. He passed it to Mingyu.

Mingyu took the note and opened it. Before reading, he asked, "Are you sure you want me to read this?" Wonwoo just nodded.

When finished, Mingyu pulled Wonwoo into another hug. "Maybe he's changed," he suggested. "And if not, he's hours away. And you have me. I won't let you get hurt like that again. Ever."

"I was surprised," Wonwoo said. "I'd spent all of this time relying on the bars he was locked behind that I panicked when I was told of his release."

"I know how hard that must have been for you."

"Up until that point, I thought I knew what love was. I wanted it. I wanted to find my soulmate. But now . . . I still don't know. And I'm scared. I don't know how long me and you will last."

Mingyu tried pulling away to look at him but Wonwoo kept him held in the hug. He didn't try to fight back.

"I didn't kiss you because of some schoolboy crush, Wonwoo," Mingyu told him. The words he spoke next were something he knew the other male needed to hear. "I kissed you because I am genuinely in love with you. The bet was just an excuse to pursue that. And honestly, I might not even know what love is either, but I know how I feel about you. I can't even imagine my life without you at this point."

Wonwoo pulled away. Mingyu searched his eyes. Wonwoo was searching his too. Mingyu's face was flushed. His heart was pounding as if he's just run a 5k marathon without pause.

Wonwoo finally wiped at his eyes. He licked his lips and looked away. "I believe you," he said.

Mingyu smiled. "Good. Because I meant every word."

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a/n: ik this chapter is mostly dialogue, but at least it's long, right??? 🫠