Chapter Text
"But, Thomas! You promised!" Minho whined.
"I didn’t promise anything, besides, I have this giant essay to write, and you’re really not helping," Thomas replied, busying himself with writing and rewriting the title of his essay with increasing frustration.
"Well, I mean, if you didn’t leave everything to the last minute every damn time, you might actually have a social life,” Minho snarked.
"I had to organize the protest," Thomas huffed, as if what Minho was saying was completely unreasonable.
"Yes, of course, you had to organize a protest against issues that don’t even affect you,” Minho whispered to himself.
"What?" Thomas asked half-heartedly, too focused on choosing the font of his title.
"I said, Newt will be there…"
Thomas spun his chair around at that. ”Actually, I can just get the notes from Frypan and do it all tomorrow,” Thomas said, hurrying out of his chair and towards the closet.
"I thought you hated parties?" Minho called after him.
"Maybe, but I love cute business majors."
***
Okay, so maybe Minho wasn’t entirely certain whether or not Newt was going to be there, or if he even liked parties himself, but he’d texted him an invitation and Newt responded ‘k’, so Minho assumed he was coming.
Despite his assumptions, however, he never imagined this. The second he dragged Thomas through the front door of Kappa Kappa Delta, Minho came face-first with Newt’s belly button as he was held up in a keg stand.
Minho stood frozen, entirely mesmerized by the image. Newt’s veins popped and muscles bulged as he held himself upright on the keg. Minho couldn’t see much of his face with his torso was in the way — not that Minho was complaining — and his stomach was exposed, showing off surprisingly toned abs and a faint happy trail.
Minho looked over at Thomas, who was also staring, jaw-dropped, at the boy in front of him. By the time Minho looked back at Newt he was working his way back to solid ground. It took a second for him to take in his surroundings, but once he noticed Thomas and Minho, he reached out his arms and welcomed them with a hug.
“Was’up?” he slurred. Thomas and Minho seemed equally confused by the whole ordeal.
Newt welcomed them to the party and showed them around, introducing them to Harriet, Sonya, Rachel, Gally and Zart, who were hanging out in the kitchen with Teresa.
"Hey Tom…" Teresa greeted. Thomas froze, and Minho just glared.
"So, I’m guessing you already met, huh?" Newt chimed in.
"Uh, yeah. I’m gonna get some drinks, you coming Thomas?" Before Thomas had a chance to reply Minho guided him out of the room with a hand on his back.
The drinks were back in the living room, which was pretty much packed, but it helped drown the stream of thoughts intruding Thomas’ brain. Minho was ahead of him, hand intertwined with his as he tried to make his way across the room. Minho poured a cup for the both of them, and then led him up to a spare room. It was more difficult than Minho expected, and they had to settle for a cramped storage room full of gym equipment, and boxes with suspicious markings.
"You okay?" Minho asked, once he’d closed the door.
"Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. This really isn’t necessary,” Thomas reassured.
"Yeah, it’s just… I know how you get around her, and I didn’t want some piece of trash slinthead ruin your night.”
"I told you, it’s fine." Thomas gave him a small smile, yet the whispers persisted.
Trust me Tom, no matter what happens, trust me.
They just kept getting louder and louder.
WICKED is good.
Then screams. Just deafening screams, which he couldn’t even make out anymore. The pain was mind-wrecking, almost literally. Thomas collapsed to the floor with his hands tearing at his hair.
"Hey, hey, babe." Minho tried to comfort him, placing a gentle hand on his back, but Thomas practically slapped it away.
Then they heard knocking. ”Minho? Thomas?”
Thomas groaned.
Minho rushed to the door.
"You honestly have the worst timing," Minho whispered hastily, carding his fingers through his hair.
"Why, what’s wrong?" Newt asked, trying to peer through the small gap in the door.
"It’s Thomas… and it’s complicated," Minho said, looking over his shoulder at Thomas, who was currently on the floor, shaking.
"I think I might be able to help… I- I’m sort of experienced with… complications," Minho narrowed his eyes, before opening the door.
"What the hell, it’s worth a shot. Just don’t make me regret this," Minho warned.
Newt hurried over to crouch by Thomas. ”Tommy? Hey, it’s me. It’s Newt. If you can hear me, could you look up for a second?” Thomas winced but did as he was told.
"Good, you’re doing so great Tommy. Just breathe, yeah? Just in, then out. Look at that! You’re doing great," Newt encouraged, keeping eye contact with him.
"Okay, okay, do you want to stand up for a bit?" Newt asked.
"I, uh, think I’m just gonna sit here… Could you, uh maybe leave? Like just for a bit?"
"Yeah, sure I’ll be right outside.. Minho too?"
Thomas nodded, and they both exited.
"Does he get like this a lot?" Newt asked.
"I don’t know. He can be fine for months, and then there’s weeks where it’s just non-stop on and off. Usually he gets bad whenever she’s around, or when he’s really bad it can be anything from being out of milk to crowded spaces… God! I knew he hated parties, but it’s not like I cared, I just wanted what was best for me, as usual–”
“It’s not your fault. You were there when he needed you and that’s all that matters, okay?” Newt said, cupping Minho’s face to force him to make eye contact. “Is he getting treated?”
"Uhm, he was, but his parents aren’t exactly rich. And after losing his sports scholarship, by having to retake freshman year, they couldn’t afford both. Thomas insisted this was what he wanted,"
Then there was silence.
"Thanks, by the way, for what you did in there. You really are good for him."
"I really didn’t do much–”
"But you did! I mean, I’ve been taking psych so that maybe I could help him, but I still can’t calm him down when he gets bad and I just don’t know what to do… but you — you did. So thank you.”
Newt looked at him, not quite sure what to say. ”We should check on Tommy, it’s not good for him to be alone too long,” Newt was about to knock on the door, when Minho grabbed his arm.
"Before you go back in there I need to know if you’re planning on leaving, because it’s better if you do it now… I mean, you’re the only person since her that he let’s call him anything other than Thomas. If you leave I think it’ll really break him.
Newt hesitated, gave a small smile, and knocked on the door.