Gally woke to a blinding light in his eyes and the snickering of his friends at the doorway. He hadn't even realized he'd fallen asleep last night, nor did he realize Y/N had stayed there with him. Two weeks he'd gone without sleeping more than a couple hours a night, kept awake by the thought she might still be alive. Or, the opposite: that she really was gone.

Of the people standing at the door, Minho was the only one with a somewhat sour look on his face. Maybe, he was still conflicted about Y/N's choice. Or, he was just being Minho, having that sour look on his face for no real reason.

The keeper of the runners turned and disappeared down the hall, leaving just Alby and Thomas. Gally then sighed, wincing. Minho didn't bear that expression because he was tired or Frypan burnt his food. There was another layer to this. Gally briefly was reminded of a passing conversation he'd had with Minho a long time ago, the runner explaining how he felt about Y/N. For a long time, Minho had held deep feelings for Y/N, ones Gally wasn't sure had totally left. They were best friends and spent everyday together. There was a lot of trust Y/N and Minho placed in one another. Gally understood why it had hit Minho so hard.

"You can go start shaking your builders awake for breakfast anytime you're ready," Alby raised his brow, slightly sternly, eyeing Gally. It was more like Alby commanding him to wake his sleepy butt up and get to work. He obliged, peeling his tired body from the bed as carefully as possible to not wake Y/N. Standing up, he stretched, shook out his tense body and waved Alby off, yawning and promising he'd be down in a few minutes. The leader shut the door, dragging Thomas off with him.

Gally looked over to the sleeping girl, still seemingly trapped in the depths of sleep after having been running for two weeks straight. For a couple of seconds, he was transfixed on her face, now lit up by the morning sun. Deep down, he still wondered why. Why did she go out there and stay away without warning? He had to stop himself from staring before he lost track of time and reached for some clean clothes in the corner of his room.

He took off his shirt which still smelled of bonfire from last night and began to hear Y/N shuffling around. Figuring she was still sleeping, he put on his boots and tried to blink the blurriness out of his eyes. It was when Y/N began to mumble some words, almost seemingly cries, that he realized she might actually be awake. Suddenly, a shrill cry left the girls lungs and she shot up to a seated position, hands clenching the blanket so hard her knuckles were white.

Gally thew himself against the wall as he turned around with a force that probably should have caused him to break straight through it, a sharp breath leaving his lungs. Tears were streaming down her face and her breathing was jagged, chest rising and falling unevenly. Her eyes were open, but not exactly seeing clearly.

"You alright?" He quickly pulled the fabric over his head and darted for the bed, standing in front of the girl. She didn't quite seem to notice him though, still staring into blank space with panicked eyes.

"Y/N?" He spoke again, this time more frantic. Gally reached for her shoulders and shook them gently. Just from the touch, he swore he could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins, stinging his palms. This time, he cupped her face in his rough hands, steadying her trembling head. In that moment, her eyes cleared and met his, breaking from whatever was keeping her from reality.

"Wh—" She whispered, voice broken and shallow. Y/N sucked in a couple of deep breaths and rested her head in Gally's hands.

Gally could feel his chest tightening. She hadn't just been in the maze for two weeks, she'd been fighting to survive, giving everything she had to protect her friends. Whatever she endured, Gally knew it was going to hurt for a bit of time. It was going to be awhile before she returned to her normal self, if ever, that was.

"Are. You. Alright?" He asked again.

Y/N closed her eyes and lowered her head. "I'm okay. Just nightmares."

Gally winced. "Grievers?"

"Yeah," She mumbled, sliding off of the bed, shaking her head and rubbing her eyes vigorously.

Y/N stood and slid on her boots, but Gally knew he couldn't just let her leave. "You don't have to keep saying you're ok if you're not."

"I know," Y/N flashed a weak smile and slid her hand out of Gally's. The notion made the warmth in the boys hands completely fizzle out. The last time her hand left his, she disappeared for two weeks. He knew that wasn't about to happen again, but it didn't stop the awful feeling from slamming into his chest. The builder followed right behind Y/N out of the room, her body just out of arms reach as they walked down the hall and rickety set of stairs.

Gally was the kind of person who didn't need words to feel close to someone. All he needed was them at his side, a small smile or nudge every so often. He revelled in the ambiance of having someone he cared about at his side, not a single care in the world. Sitting at breakfast with Y/N was just that. What he couldn't help thinking about, though, was Y/N this morning, having woken up in such a violent nightmare.

Sure, all of the Gladers got them. Memories, nightmares about their time before the maze. And, sure, they were scary. But Y/N looked like she was about to die from a heart attack when she woke. It wasn't just a dream, it was a real, vivid memory imprinted into her mind.

"The nightmare..." Gally piped up cautiously, stirring his food mindlessly. "What you dreamt about, did it really happen?"

Through the corner of his vision, Gally could see Y/N's eyebrows raise and her lips form a firm line across her face. "Yeah—well, kinda."

"Kinda?" Gally tilt his head in question.

"The memories with the grievers are real, but other parts aren't." She said like it was something totally normal that everyone else here experienced.

Gally knew he should't press for answers. But a part of him was still beyond heartbroken that she'd stayed out there without sending him a sign she was alive. He knew she'd changed whilst kicking and scratching for a chance at life out there alone in the maze, but she was still Y/N and he knew it.

"What wasn't real?"

Y/N furrowed her brows, closing her eyes tight. "You."

"Me?" Gally nearly dropped his fork fumbling around in an attempt to keep it aloft in his hand.

"Every time I dream, it starts off with just the grievers. Which, is ok. I can deal with them. But then they go for the Glade." Y/N took in a sharp breath. "And I can never save you."

"Y/N..."

"I'm always too slow, too weak, never smart enough to figure out a way to stop the grievers before they get to the Glade and you before they get you." The girls voice broke. Gally could tell just how much her inability to save him in her dreams affected her in real life.

That was when he came to a grim realization. Maybe, she wasn't staying in the maze just to protect Minho and the others from the grievers. She was protecting him. Solely him. If there were no grievers, there was no chance she wouldn't be quick enough to stop one from killing him.

"Were—is that why you stayed out there? You started having those dreams even before you left?"

Y/N dropped her head and rest it on her fist, nodding sheepishly. That confirmation now made Gally feel guilty. She was out there trying to protect him, yet he himself didn't feel worthy of having someone protect him. In his eyes, his life was worth nothing. Why she would choose to protect him baffled the boy.

"The creators probably just put that in you head. Don't think you need to take down every last griever to keep me safe." The boy shift in his seat awkwardly.

Y/N was very visibly breaking down before him. Her hands trembled and eyelids fluttered nervously. "I—" She clenched the fist that held up her head. "It doesn't make it feel any less real. I can't lose you, especially when I can stop it from happening."

Gally scoffed. "And I can't lose you, alright?"

The sun, seemingly always at the worst time, blinded him so he couldn't quite see her clearly. His heart pound against his ribcage just like it always had when around her.

"AY!" Frypan screamed. "EAT UP!"

"Morning Chef syndrome," Y/N stifled a laugh.

After eating in silence a while, Gally couldn't stop himself from speaking, unable to leave their conversation without reinforcing how much he cared about her. "I will always be here, Y/N. We've had this discussion. But you need to stay...stop running."

"I can't just quit being a runner—"

"No, no! I mean stop running from me." He clarified. "Just talk to me. To any of us. We have a lot of people here. There's a way to work these things out instead of handling them all on your own."

"...you once convinced me to talk to you, right? Don't feel like you can't do the same."