It was cold.

The winter wind hit your cheeks mercilessly, bringing a chill down your spine and making you shiver.

Why me?  You thought, tears stinging the corners of your eyes but not daring to fall yet. Crying made you tired, and you were already tired enough. Your feet were swollen from the walking, your arms sore from carrying the small bag with the few items you managed to take with you, and your back hurt from the weight of your ever-growing belly.

7 months.

That's how long you've been pregnant for.

You were one of the unlucky ones who didn't see pregnancy as this wonderful miracle the media made it out to be. For you, it was the most horrible thing you could've gone through. 

The first three months, you've been sick and felt the need to throw up each time you smelled anything. Anything. The next 3 months, you've felt so tired, you could barely get out of bed. Another nail in the coffin of your relationship. It also didn't help that your partner has been borderline abusive ever since you told him about the baby – which was the very reason you've left at this late hour basically penniless.

And now, the cravings. Damn, these fucking cravings – what made you stop in front of a small restaurant called "Know your Cats".

What a strange name, you thought and chuckled a bit.

From outside, "Know your Cats" looked like a cosy place. There didn't seem to be too many people in, probably because of the late hour, but whatever they ordered smelled amazing. You wanted to eat it so badly. So, you went in and sat down at one of the tables in the corner of the small restaurant, as far away as possible from other people. You didn't dare to take off your winter coat yet, but inside was warm. So warm, it almost warmed up your heart too.

Soon enough, a young waiter approached you.

"Good evening, ma'am, what can I get for you? Considering that I haven't seen you here before, it must be the first time you come to our restaurant. So, maybe I could bring you something to drink while you consult the menu. Maybe some water?" he spoke quickly in a friendly tone and pulled out a pen and a small notebook.

Watching him talk so fast was pretty funny to you, you thought his chubby cheeks looked amusing when so many words per second would get out of his mouth.

"Uhm... sorry, but..." you didn't dare raise your head, aware of the light bulb towering above you. After all, you've chosen to leave home at such a late hour for two reasons:

1. Your partner was away God knows where.

2. The dark bruises all over you. Ah, and your busted lip, the accessory that completed your look. The cherry on top.

However, the boy didn't seem to notice. Or if he did, he didn't say anything about it.

"... I was wondering what the people over there are having... it smells really good."

"Oh, thank you! That's our dear owner's speciality! A secret recipe, if you will!"

The boy's excitement brought a smile to your lips.

"It's really just a fancy pork ragu." He whispered, winking.

"Could I please know how much a serving costs?" you spoke quietly, counting in your head how much money you had in your pocket.

$7. Yes, that's all your dear partner left for you to get some food when he left "on a business trip" 5 days ago. You knew that this was just code for cheating, and you cursed yourself yet again for not keeping your job 5 months ago when your pregnancy symptoms started getting worse. If you did, maybe you wouldn't have endured his abuse for so long.

God, how could you have been so stupid? You weren't even married, yet you let yourself become completely dependent on him as soon as the pregnancy test came out positive. You let him drag you down, comment on your weight, physically and financially abuse you, yet you stayed for so long. The thought of homelessness weighed heavier than everything else you've experienced living with him, until it didn't.

"That's $15. Would you also like something to drink with it? I heard orange juice is one of the best drinks to have while pregnant, and the owner makes a delicious one!"

$15. But you only had $7.

He scribbled something in the notepad and kept talking, but you didn't even hear anything else he said. You just felt your eyes swell up with tears again, your vision getting blurry.

You were so hungry.

You started petting your belly and thought of the small child growing inside of you. There were no words to describe how terrible you felt for putting your future child through this. If you were alone, you wouldn't mind going hungry, but knowing that you were hurting someone else as well – someone you loved so much already – was killing you.

"I... I can't afford that..." you smiled bitterly, your voice so quiet, barely audible. "Maybe... there's something on your menu that's $7 or less?"

"I don't think..." the young waiter rubbed his nape apologetically.

"That's- that's okay, I'm so sorry to have wasted your time." You tightened the coat around your frame and prepared yourself mentally to get up and face the cold again.

Where were you going to go?

You didn't want to think about it. But oh, you should've. You should've thought about it long ago and made a viable escape plan. Instead, you left with a small bag, $7 in your pockets and an almost empty phone. You also threw out your keys in one of the trash cans around the building you lived in with your partner, just to make sure you wouldn't return.

"You know what, please wait a second. Stay here. Don't go anywhere, okay?" The young waiter said quickly and turned his back at you, hurrying towards the counter.

Like you had anywhere you could go.

~

"Hey, everything good? What's got you running like that?" Minho started, amused by Han's speed so late in the evening.

"Hyung, what should we do?"

Minho raised an eyebrow.

"There's this woman – I don't have all the details, obviously, but she looks... she has bruises all over. And she's pregnant. And she only has $7 and-"

"Hey, slow down a bit, will you?"

"What I'm saying is" – he inhaled loudly – "let's give her some food on the house. What do you think?"

"And why would we do that?" Minho raised an eyebrow.

"Hyung, don't be so cold. Let's help her! Please???"

"Why should we? We don't owe anyone anything. Who comes to a restaurant with no money anyway?" Minho cursed out.

"You know what? Just go over there and see for yourself, if you don't want to give her anything on the house, then I'll pay for her meal myself! Greedy bastard." Han replied in an annoyed tone.

"Yah, it's not like business' been going so well lately, asshole!" Minho rolled his eyes and cursed him out.

However, he wasn't actually as indifferent as he wanted to seem – and he couldn't ignore what Han said either. Maybe that's what made him so special in his friend's eyes. So, Minho went and grabbed a glass of some freshly squeezed orange juice.

Han said she was pregnant, maybe she has morning sickness? He thought, so he poured out some ginger tea as well. That helped Chan's wife – one of his closest friends – when she was pregnant. It should help you too, right?

With a glass of juice in his right hand and a cup of tea in his left, he made his way over the bar to the only occupied corner in the room. The loud table in the middle of the restaurant motioned for him to come and requested the check, but Han was right behind Minho, so he took care of them in an instant, seeing them out and locking the door behind them, making sure to turn the "Closed" sign around.

~

Your train of thought was suddenly interrupted by the sound of two glass objects hitting the table.

You raised your head and noticed a glass filled with what you assumed to be orange juice, and a cup with a lid on top, but before you could investigate what was in it, the fresh smell hit your nostrils, bringing a smile on your face.

Ginger tea, your favourite.

A good-looking man took the seat in front of you. He was very beautiful. It was like his face was painted by a skilled artist – his mouth, nose and eyelashes looked perfect, and his skin was flawless, almost making you jealous.

Boys always have the best eyelashes. You thought, glossing over his features once more.

You quickly noticed that what you liked the most about him were his eyes. A deep shade of brown orbs that glistened like stars under the restaurant's light. And they were looking right at you, observing your every move and mannerism. Catching a glimpse of your own reflection in his eyes made you unwittingly frown.

You noticed quickly what he was wearing: a casual shirt and jeans and an apron. Is he the chef? You questioned, but before you could say anything, the man introduced himself.

"Hello, I'm Minho, the owner of the restaurant. Please." He said, a kind smile forming in the corners of his mouth, while pointing at the drinks he brought.

"Hello, Minho. Thank you." You smiled back and took a small sip of the orange juice. "This tastes nice. I'm Dal-Rae, by the way."

Dal-Rae... Minho analysed your name in his head for a few seconds, thinking about how pretty it sounds. And looking at you, it seemed fitting, somehow.

Even with how tired your figure was, Minho could still be able to see behind the fatigue and notice your beautiful features.

"Nice to meet you, Dal-Rae, and welcome to Know your Cats." He gestured proudly to the restaurant, making you chuckle.

"That's a very funny name. What's the inspiration behind it?"

"Well, that would be my three cats."

"Oh my God, you have three cats?! That's amazing!" You exclaimed, excited by the new information.

"You think so? Do you like cats?" He asked, his eyes sparkling.

"I love them! I always wanted one but..." but you never considered yourself responsible enough to take care of yourself, let alone of another living, breathing being. Or at least that's what your partner made you believe about yourself the whole time you lived with him.

"You will never be a good mother" he would tell you. "You wouldn't even be able to take care of a hamster, let alone a cat. And now you're pregnant?! How will someone as horrible as you take care of a baby?! Don't make me laugh!"

And you always believed him. After all, he knew you so well. Right?

"So, why did you keep it? Are you that self-centred? Did you really have to do this so I'll never leave you?" he would scream at you, forgetting that it took two to tango. Forgetting that he was the one that took off the condom without your knowledge and permission so many months ago.

"You wanna see some pics?" Minho smiled genuinely and took out his phone, shifting your focus back at him. He seemed very hopeful that you would say yes, for some reason.

"I'd love to!" You replied honestly. You truly loved cats. They were adorable balls of fur, and you would cuddle with them all day if given the chance.

"That's great! Okay, but before that... Jisung? Please bring out some servings of the special recipe for us, will you?" he spoke, and then opened his gallery and started showing you cute pictures of his three cats.

You learnt that their names were Soonie, Doongie and Dori and you pretty much remembered which was which from the first picture he showed you, something that truly surprised Minho. Not even Han knew all their names, and even if he would somehow remember them, he would mix up Doongie and Soonie. But for real now, was it so difficult to remember that Soonie had stripes and Doongie had a white belly? Come on!

"By the way, you can make yourself comfortable and take off your jacket. You must be hot with so many layers on you." He got up and helped you with your winter coat, placing it neatly on a chair next to you.

"Oh, thank you..."

Jisung brought the food soon after you and Minho made some more small talk. He brought three servings with him and placed a plate in front of you, one in front of Minho and one in front of an empty seat, which he was quick to take.

Both Han and Minho started eating, but you felt a bit... weird. Out of place.

"Anything wrong?" Minho asked concerned, noticing that you didn't even put your hand on the spoon.

"I... I really can't... pay for this, unless... you accept $7?" You asked unsure and grabbed the crumbled notes from your coat pockets. You tried straightening out the notes as well as you could, but when you handed it to Minho, you noticed he looked at you with a big frown on his face, his eyes immediately softening.

He put his hands on the one hand you gave him that was still holding the money, and made you close it into a fist. It was his way of telling you that you should keep it.

"Don't worry about it, you already paid when you listened to this weirdo talk about his cats for 15 minutes straight." Han replied and patted your shoulder, as if he was comforting you for enduring so much.

"Yah, loudmouth, shut it!" Minho retorted. "And you better start eating while it's still hot." He took the spoon in front of you off the table and looked at you expectantly, as you hesitantly put the money back in your coat. When you were done, he placed the spoon in your right hand, gesturing to the food. "Come on, eat. Or do I have to feed you myself?" He kept looking at you, coercing you into trying a bite.

And damn, were you right! It not only smelled amazing, but it tasted heavenly.

"Fuck me, this is so good!" You said with no filter, forgetting for a moment that the men in front of you were, in fact, not your friends.

But eating with them did feel like getting food with a friend. Maybe that's why you relaxed so much and spoke your mind freely, for what felt like the first time in years. You were not allowed to curse when you lived with your ex. It would start a raging fit from him, because "What kind of woman has such a rotten mouth?", and you would regret opening your mouth and saying anything.

"Oops, excuse me!" you said, covering your mouth with your hands.

The two men, however, seemed to not mind your lack of manners, and started cheering when you told them that you loved the food.

~

"Thank you so much for this." You said to Minho, both of you looking at how Han cleaned up the now empty table in the middle of the room. "Truly."

"No worries." Minho replied nonchalantly, his eyes darting away from you. Despite his indifferent tone, his mannerisms indicated that he's somewhat nervous, as he rubbed his nape in slight embarrassment.

"I... uhm... really feel bad for not paying you at all for this. Like I said, I can only give you this much, but..." you grabbed your coat so you could take out the money again, but before you were able to do so, Minho stopped you by placing his hand on your wrist.

"Please keep them, that's okay."

"But..."

"I'm serious." He looked straight at you, his glance alone convincing you to let it go. You didn't want to risk annoying him, and it seemed your conversation would take that direction if you kept insisting.

"Okay. Uhm... I should take my leave now." You said, petting your belly and grabbing your small hand luggage.

"Where are you going? Home...?" Minho treaded carefully, his words holding an inexplicable weight over you.

Home... I don't have a home anymore.

You shook your head and tried to push the thoughts away, and tried thinking logically for once. Where could you go?

Letting out a small sigh, you replied, slightly dejected.

"Well... there should be a women's shelter about 4 km from here."

"4 km?! Don't tell me you plan on walking over there at 1 am in the middle of a winter night."

You didn't understand why his tone suddenly changed, and nor did Minho. He shouldn't give two shits for a stranger, but he was somehow... worried for you?

"I mean... I don't really have a choice... It's not that far. I can make it. It's only an hour walk away." You replied, trying to convince him and yourself as well. The truth was that you were so tired, you could fall asleep if you put your head on the table, and your feet hurt so bad.

Being pregnant sucked.

"Let me take you. Jisung will be done in a minute and then we can go."

"Oh no, I couldn't possibly- You already helped me so much."

"I don't even wanna hear it. Han, hurry up!"

"THERE'S STILL THE DISHES LEFT, HYUNG!"

"Just leave them. I'll do them tomorrow morning."

"OKAY THEN! I'M COMING!"

Without a second thought, Minho grabbed your bag and gestured to you that you could now go. Han went his own way, while Minho guided you to his car, in the opposite direction.

He opened the door for you and helped you in, actions that somehow made your stomach clench. No one's acted so nice towards you. Ever.

And he was doing that for a complete stranger.

He started the car and drove to the destination you put in the GPS, and for the first time in your life, you felt an overwhelming feeling of safety. How funny it was – to feel so safe next to a stranger, when you haven't once felt safe next to your so-called boyfriend – or rather, ex.

You were once again on the verge of crying as you've made this realisation in your head. How come you felt safe next to Minho? Was this really how you were supposed to feel next to someone else? Relieved, protected...

How come you've never felt this way before, next to your ex?

The 4-minute drive would've taken you more than an hour walk in the cold, so you now appreciated Minho even more for giving you a ride.

"So, this is it, right?" He said, parking in front of a small building that had all the lights off.

Weird, you thought and nodded unsure.

You both got out of the car and walked towards the building's door, a small paper on it drawing your attention, almost burning your eyes.

"Unfortunately, due to a funding issue, the "Stay Safe" Women Shelter had to shut down indefinitely. In case of emergency, we recommend contacting our affiliate, "House of Hope" Homeless Shelter (+0X 0XXXXXXXXX) and they should offer you the help you need. We apologise for any inconvenience!"

The way your face dropped did not go unnoticed by Minho. It became clear to him that this has been your only escape route.

You slowly took out your phone from your pocket and clumsily formed the number on the paper, barely able to see with your screen's brightness so low. You couldn't turn it up though, since your battery percentage was so low, so you struggled and squinted your eyes, carefully pressing on each number on your phone, which proved to be so much more difficult through the tears building up in your eyes. It was getting harder and harder to swallow back the lump in your throat.

After a few rings, someone answered.

"House of Hope Homeless Shelter, this is Kelly, how may I assist you?"

"Good evening... I am contacting you because I needed some help and... I was just in front of the Stay Safe Shelter..."

"Oh, good evening, ma'am. Were you looking for a place to stay tonight?"

"Not just tonight... I don't know for how long..."

"Are you alone, or are there also kids with you?"

"It's just me... I'm 7 months pregnant."

"We understand... Unfortunately, our shelter is full at the moment. The government retracted most of our funding, so these are difficult times. However, if you would be able to wait for a few minutes, I will try to contact other shelters to see if anyone would be able to take you in for now."

"Oh...okay."

"Thank you, ma'am, I will get back to you shortly."

~

You let Minho know of the phone conversation and told him to head home, but he was adamant you would leave with him, or at least wait for the phone call in the comfort of the heated car. After some convincing, you found each other listening to some slow songs on the radio, enjoying the car's warmth and watching the year's first snow through the windshield.

Despite the peaceful atmosphere, you were restless and anxious. Your hands were trembling, and you couldn't think straight. Where else would you go?

Minho didn't say anything either. He kept thinking of ways to calm you down: should he lay his hand on top of yours and tell you that everything was going to be okay? Should he say anything at all? Why was he still with you, anyway?

You tried to think of anything else and ignore the feeling of impending doom settling in your stomach, so you looked out the window. Small snowflakes would land on the car's hood and immediately turn to water due to the heat.

Your eyes would dart to Minho from time to time, who seemed to be lost in his own little world as he watched the same scene in front of you - the snowflakes dancing in the sky and landing on the car - and you remembered that one belief that watching the first snowfall of the year with someone would lead to falling in love with them. However, it felt like such a foolish thought, you immediately let it go.

25 minutes later, your phone's ringtone snapped you both out of your trance. You made a mental note to change your ringtone after how anxious it made you feel right now, being sure that you won't be able to keep hearing it again after this horrendous day.

"Yes?"

"Hello, ma'am? We apologise for the delay. Unfortunately, we were unable to find any shelter close to your location that would be able to accommodate you for tonight. We recommend going to a police station and asking for help, and you could try calling again tomorrow, when possible new resources would be available."

"I... Seriously?" You started, but when the lady started apologising countless times on the phone for not being able to help you out, you simply ended the call. You wished the earth would swallow you whole, making you disappear for good.

But then you slapped yourself mentally. How could you be so selfish as to wish to disappear? You were not alone anymore. Your body was not yours alone anymore, and your baby didn't deserve any of your selfish thoughts. You needed to be strong.

"What did they say?" Minho asked anxiously.

Why was he feeling like this anyway? This was so stupid, you thought. You're no one. You're just a random woman who stumbled upon his restaurant and took advantage of his kindness.

"They... they aren't able to help me, so they recommended I go to a police station for tonight. Perhaps tomorrow, they'll make some room..."

"Then, should we go to a police station...?" Minho hesitated.

You snorted and turned to him, answering in a more annoyed tone than you would've liked to.

"Do you think I can go to the police looking like this?!"

Minho's eyes grew wide, conveyed in them what could only be described as shock. You didn't want to lose your cool, not against this man who's been nothing but kind to you.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to raise my voice. I just... I'm very stressed right now and that didn't come out as I wanted it to, and-"

"Why? Why can't you go to the police? Are you trying to protect whoever did this to you?!" Minho cut you off and replied in an equally annoyed tone as you. However, despite the harshness in his voice, you didn't get the feeling that he was angry. Instead, it felt more like he was scolding you.

"It's not that! It's just... I'm scared, okay? I'm scared they will ask me questions and when I tell them the truth, he'll find out and come get me. He'll... he'll definitely find out. He'll find me, and I'm scared of him. I just want me and my baby to be safe!" You continued, losing your composure for a moment and allowing this dreadful weakness to take over you. You started crying and placed your face steady between your palms, thinking about how pathetic you were being.

"Okay, you know what? I'm sure you are very tired right now." He put one hand on top of your head and petted it gently, making you raise your face and look at him. His eyes were kind and assuring. "Resting is also good for the baby." He continued, and as he said that, he put the car into gear and drove off.

"Where...?" you tried to ask, confused, but you ended up choking on a sob.

"Back to the restaurant. I have some extra rooms. After a good night's sleep, you'll clear your head and be able to think better."

"Minho..." you sobbed. "Really? I... I can't-"

"It's okay, Dal-Rae. It's going to be okay. We're going to figure everything out tomorrow."

"Thank you so much, but... are you sure...?"

"Mhm." Minho brushed you off with his hand and continued driving, both of you staying silent, listening to the soft tunes on the radio.

When you arrived, Minho led you upstairs. You were surprised that the place had stairs in the first place, since you didn't notice them earlier. On the top of the stairs, a door was separating the restaurant and the three-bedroom apartment Minho lived in.

"It's so the cats don't go out." he explained, and you understood what he meant as soon as he opened the door and Dori came running and screaming at the both of you.

"What's up? Hungry?" Minho replied and scratched Dori's chin, and as the sounds of his voice rang throughout the apartment, Doongie and Soonie spawned out of nowhere as well.

"Oh my god, hi babies!" You exclaimed and smiled, quickly placing yourself on your knees to pet them, since you couldn't exactly bend, your belly being so large by now.

You didn't notice Minho's smile. He was stuck looking at how quickly his cats accepted you and let you scratch their fur, Soonie even purring against your stomach and petting itself on it lovingly.

"Okay, enough playing, it's late. Let's get you up." Minho put his palms under your arms and lifted you from the ground like you were a kid, bringing a slight chuckle to your lips.

---

(A/N) Thank you for reading the first chapter of my new Minho story.

I hope you enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to your thoughts!

Love,

Storm