Chapter Text
Thomas was looking at him and Newt’s heart was beating fast. He was secretly holding out hope that Thomas had forgotten about their earlier conversation but his luck was rotten.
“What were we talking ‘bout again?” He laughed nervously but Thomas looked unmoved.
“Last night.”
“Ah,” Newt shook his head and tried to grapple for words, “right, yeah. I’m sorry about letting you get drunk, that’s bad on my part but-“
“Newt. That’s not what I mean.” Thomas placed his hand onto Newt’s knee and stopped it shaking, which Newt hadn’t realised. Newt sighed, “What are you askin’ Tommy?”
“Last night.” Thomas sat up straight and looked at the ground. “I’m sorry Newt, I was being weird and-“
Thomas put his head in his hands but Newt quickly cupped the sides of his face.
“Don’t apologise shuck face. I didn’t mind.” Thomas froze and looked into Newt’s eyes.
“Really?”
“Really.” Newt grinned and all of his nervousness melted away. “Now rest up, you’ve had a rough day and so have I.” He slowly let go of Thomas’s face and sat back against the maze wall, shutting his eyes. A smile tugged at Thomas’s lips and he laid back, resting his head on Newt’s shoulder.
Newt paused as his pulse started racing but he tilted his head and laid it onto Thomas’s. “This is nice.” Thomas murmured. Newt hummed in agreement and they sat peacefully for a while. Newt drifted off in the calm and woke later to find his head in Thomas’s lap. He quickly blinked a few times and looked up to see Thomas grinning down at him. They stared in silence for a few moments before Thomas raised an eyebrow. “You good?”
Newt smiled sheepishly, “Uhm…sorry- why didn’t you wake me up?”
Thomas shrugged, “Didn’t wanna.”
“Oh.” Newt could feel himself turning red and he tried to sit up but Thomas placed a firm hand on his chest.
“Tommy?”
“Hm, you’re cute when your flustered.” He pulled his hand away but Newt couldn’t move, too confused to think straight. He rubbed his eyes and stared back up at Thomas. The younger boy looked smug but Newt wasn’t going to let him feel triumphant again. “Thanks,” He sat up, not breaking eye contact, and put his hand on Thomas’s cheekbone, “but I think you’d look better.” He ran his hand slowly down Thomas’s neck and rested it by his collar. Thomas scrunched his eyes closed as a rosy blush crept onto his face. “What?” Newt smirked.
“Shuck you.”
“You don’t mean it.”
Newt’s tone was full of teasing and Thomas opened his eyes, mock glaring at him. Newt winked and dropped his hand playfully.
“Hmph.” Thomas crossed his arms and frowned but his eyes were full of humour. The sun was setting and it cast a warm glow over the Glade. The boys sat facing each other, not really knowing what to do with themselves. They held their eye contact and Thomas reached his hand out, moving some of Newt’s hair out of his eyes. “You look nice in the sunlight.”
Newt was taken aback but didn’t dare show it. “Really? Cos yesterday you said I looked like klunk.”
Thomas rolled his eyes, “I said you didn’t afterwards. And anyways, the sunset makes you look, well…” Thomas stared deeply into Newt’s eyes again and smiled softly, “Golden.”
The air around them suddenly felt warmer and Newt rubbed the back of his neck nervously, “Thanks.”
“No seriously,” Thomas reached out and took Newt’s hand, “don’t you see it? You look ethereal.”
Newt had never been complimented so much and felt as if he couldn’t breathe. “You too.” Was all he could get out. Thomas shook his head but a playful smile crept onto his lips. Newt squeezed his hand before letting go, pulling himself back up against the wall.
He looked out across the Glade, admiring the orange glow, but he noticed Thomas eyeing him.
“You’re staring. Like the view?”
Thomas jumped slightly but grinned stupidly, “Uhuh.” Newt turned his head and smiled back at Thomas. The younger boy’s gaze shifted to Newt’s chest. “What?”
“Oh, y’know, just…tired.” He looked back into Newt’s eyes as if asking for permission. Newt nodded, a nervous smile on his lips.
“Go ahead Greenie.”
Thomas smiled and stretched his arms out tiredly before turning onto his side and laying his head onto Newt’s chest.
Newt was glad Thomas wasn’t looking at his face as he was blushing but he lost his breath when he felt Thomas’s arms wrap around his body. He tried to calm his breathing so Thomas wouldn’t notice his anxiety but the boy caught on.
“Are you sure this is okay?” He looked up at Newt’s face worriedly.
Newt just smiled and patted Thomas’s head affectionately, “Of course.” Thomas nodded and closed his eyes, nestling into the warmth Newt provided. Newt was screaming internally and felt shocked overall. Here Thomas was, clinging to him, so close- and he wasn’t drunk this time? It all felt unreal in Newt’s mind.
Dreaming or not, he decided to make the most of the situation and shut his eyes, relaxing as he felt Thomas’s chest breathe in and out against his own body. After a while, night had fallen and darkness descended over the Glade. Newt sighed heavily as he woke himself and he peered down at Thomas. Slowly, he tried to pull himself away but a firm hand suddenly gripped his wrist. “Don’t leave me this time.” Thomas pouted and Newt froze. Pretending to be reluctant, Newt sat back down and crossed his arms.
“Clingy much?”
Thomas frowned and shook his head. “I just don’t want you to go..”
“It’s late Tommy.”
Thomas let go of Newt and watched him sadly as he stood up. “Wait!” He jumped up as he watched Newt take a step away, “Let me walk with you.”
Newt put his hands on his hips and sighed but waited for Thomas to catch up. They walked side by side in the darkness and Newt felt their hands brushing gently as they walked. It took everything in him to not grab hold of Thomas’s hand. Thomas seemed to have noticed as he kept glancing at their arms skeptically. “Not close enough for your liking?” Newt grinned as he referenced Thomas’s love of physical closeness.
Thomas played along, “Yeah I guess.”
“Well then, that just won’t do,” Newt cocked his head and slid an arm around Thomas’s waist, pulling him right to his side, “better?”
Thomas tensed but laughed quietly.
“Sure.”
“My, you do like physical touch don’t you?”
“Could say that.”
They walked like this until they made it to the preferred sleeping area of most Gladers. Newt subconsciously dropped his arm as soon as he spotted another person which Thomas seemed disappointed by.
If he had the confidence, Newt would’ve let his arm remain around Thomas all the time but a sense of internalised homophobia crept into his thoughts constantly. The way the other boys at the Glade talked about their wishes and ‘preferences’ was very different to Newt, who never talked about certain subjects. Minho and Alby were the only ones at the Glade who had any idea about how Newt felt inside but he didn’t dare to let anyone else know. No one else would ever accept him, that’s what he told himself, and his friends had only found out accidentally. The three of them had been drunk around a year ago and talked about a few deep subjects.
They only realised what Newt had told them the day after and consoled him. Newt was lucky to have them around, although Minho was being a bit of an arse about Newt and Thomas’s friendship. Friendship. Was that all it was? Newt bit his lip as he thought about him and his friends label. The only thing that had happened between them could’ve been purely platonic in Thomas’s eyes, the thought scared Newt.
“Newt?” Thomas was looking at him with worried eyes.
“Yeah?” Newt shook his head and smiled awkwardly.
“You seem upset, something wrong?”
“Oh, no I’m alright. Thanks.” They walked in silence until they made it to the main building.
Being second in command, Newt had secured a bedroom for himself meanwhile most of the other Gladers slept outside in hammocks- though they didn’t seem to mind. The pair stopped at the door and Thomas opened the door courteously. “After you.”
Newt grinned, “Thank you for walking me home.” He stepped inside and Thomas closed the door after them.
“You joining me or something?” Newt chuckled as they walked through the building.
“Nah, just making sure you get to your room safely.”
“Huh, if you say so.” The hut was silent and their footsteps echoed as they walked into Newt’s room.
Thomas leant against the doorframe as Newt took a seat on his bed.
“I’m safe, happy?”
“Mhm..” Thomas looked like he wanted to say something but had bitten his tongue.
“Feelin’ okay?” Newt crossed his arms and smiled.
“Yeah.” Thomas turned on his heel but paused. “Goodnight.” He turned his head back to Newt, smiling softly.
“Night Tommy.”
The younger boy left and Newt felt cold. He looked out of his shabby window at the night sky. A knock at his door spooked him out of his tranquil trance and he peered over to see Minho stood in the hall outside.
“Bloody hell. What do you want?”
Minho grinned and shrugged, “Just checkin up on you, no need to be a shuck head ‘bout it.”
“You’re just being a stalker.”
“Same thing.”
Minho let himself in and jumped onto the bed beside Newt. “So what did you and ‘Tommy’ get up to today?”
Newt rolled his eyes, “Stupid or something? I was comforting Tommy about the whole Ben situation. You also seem more chipper than earlier, feeling better?”
Minho’s smile dropped slightly and he ran a hand through his hair, “Still don’t quite believe it, y’know? Probably a stage of grief or something.” He sounded bitter and Newt sympathised with him.
Ben and Minho had been running together for a year and a bit, so for Ben to go feral and then banished must’ve taken a lot out of Minho. Clearing his throat, Minho looked out of Newt’s window. “Me ‘n Alby are gonna go into the maze tomorrow. I found a dead griever.”
Newt jumped up, “You didn’t think to mention that earlier?!”
Minho raised an eyebrow, “Uh- no? I get back then Ben’s banished and you’ve run off with Thomas..”
“Fine. But what the hell? A dead griever? And taking Alby, does that mean I have to take charge?”
“Dunno.”
“So helpful Minho. Whatever could I do without you?”
Newt put as much sarcasm as he could in his voice and Minho looked visibly amused. “Relax, we’ll be fine. And anyways, that means you and Thomas get to spend some time together again without me bugging’ ya.”
“And half a dozen stupid shanks askin me to sort out their arguments or patching them up after a scrap? No thanks.”
“Alby’s orders. You gotta, or get Gally to. We both know the wiser decision on that one.” Newt groaned but he knew that Minho was right.
“Whatever. Just don’t be stupid out there.”
“Hmm, I guess.”
Minho patted Newt on the back and stood, stretching and yawning. “Need my beauty sleep. Night.”
“Night.”
Minho walked out, but he popped his head through the door one last time, “Oh and tomorrow when you’re with Thomas, don’t do anything I wouldn’t and be safe.” He winked and Newt chucked a pillow at him.
“Get lost ya ugly shank.”
“I’m taking this.” Minho grabbed the pillow and ran, leaving Newt with a spiral of thoughts. Alby was going out tomorrow, which meant Newt was left with the weight of responsibility for everyone at the Glade. Yet, his mind always shifted back to Thomas.
“It will be okay,” he told himself, settling into his bed, “Minho will get Alby back and then maybe I can talk to Thomas more..” his voice drifted off as he fell into a deep sleep.