Chapter Text
Things seemed to be back to normal. Thomas went to practice his powers in the morning with Alby - Ava wasn’t there everyday anymore since Thomas seemed to be mastering the ability awfully quick - then he would meet up with his friends for lunch in the cafeteria - why bother making food at the house when there’s food already made there? - and Newt wasn’t ignoring him anymore. In fact, they seemed to hang out a lot more now whenever they had free time. Thomas was glad. He had missed Newt so much, and it felt so good to have him back. It was like nothing had even happened.
“Smile any harder and you’ll break your face.”
Thomas looked up from his bed to see Teresa standing in the doorway. “Hey, when did you get back?”
“Not too long ago,” she said as she moved to sit down across from him on the other end of his bed. “I heard you as soon as I stepped inside the house.”
“You’re really annoying with that, you know.”
“How do you think I feel hearing other people’s thoughts all the time? I can barely think my own!”
Thomas never thought of it like that. Come to think of it, he hasn’t really had a decent conversation with Teresa in a while. Has he asked her how her training was going lately? He can’t remember. “So, how’s your training been going? Have any new powers yet?”
She didn’t say anything. She just smiled mischievously for a moment before closing her eyes and scrunching her face, like she was trying to focus.
“Yes I do.”
Thomas nearly fell off of the bed when he heard her voice in his head. “What the hell? Teresa, was that you?”
“Yep,” she smiled proudly. “I can send messages to other people’s heads! It’s so cool!”
That actually is pretty cool. While Thomas is glad he’s found his power after coming here, he was a little bit jealous of Teresa’s. It seems like hers could evolve into so many other things. She can read minds, send messages to other people’s minds. Maybe she could mind control someone someday.
“Hey, actually I have to ask you something,” Teresa said. “Brenda said that she and the other kids are having a party for Halloween tonight. No costumes since it was last minute. Would you want to go?”
That’s right, Halloween was tomorrow. But he and Newt had already made plans! He didn’t want to cancel them. Maybe he could convince Newt to go? “I’ll think about it.”
“I know you’re not the smartest Tom, but I heard you wondering about Newt,” Teresa mused. “What’s going on there anyway? Making any progress?”
If Thomas only knew how to get somewhere with Newt. There were the smallest of moments when he thought it possible that Newt could feel the same way. Lingering touches and longing looks when they would have to depart from each other’s company. The way the blonde laughed at Thomas’s bad jokes and the way Newt smiled at him. Thomas could almost believe that Newt liked him back.
But he wouldn’t do that to himself. He didn’t want to have false hope. He’ll just have to accept the fact that he and Newt are friends and that is all they will ever be. Which is fine with Thomas. He would rather be best friends with Newt than nothing at all. As long as he had Newt, he would be okay.
“I think it’s best if we just stay friends,” Thomas said.
“You’re lying. You know that’s not what you want.”
“All I want is him in my life, T. That’s all I need. I can live with the fact that were just friends,” Thomas admitted. It hurt a bit to say it, but he had to face reality.
Teresa sighed and put a hand on his shoulder. They both knew nothing she would say would change how Thomas felt, so she let it go.
After she had left the room, Thomas texted Newt asking him if he would want to go to the Halloween party tonight. He got the feeling Newt wasn’t really a social person, since whenever the group went out off the school grounds, he would decline. Thomas also wondered if it had to do with Newt not wanting to hurt anyone. Thomas made a mental note to ask Newt about that sometime.
Luckily, Newt replied saying he would love to go to the party. Okay, so he would still see Newt and get to hang out with his friends. Everybody’s happy.
Thomas had only been in the more secure building once before, but he still didn’t like the feeling of it. Other than Newt, there were only another two kids that resided in the building. Thomas had yet to meet them, but they probably just wanted to be left alone like Newt did.
Although there was security on campus, these guards felt more intimidating. It’s almost as if this were a prison. Newt didn’t belong here.
“Hey Tommy,” Newt said as he met Thomas halfway down the hall. “Ready to go?”
“Yeah, sure.” Thomas couldn’t help but eye the guards on his way out. He didn’t fail to notice the guns they had holstered to their body. Thomas didn’t like this one bit.
“They’re only stun guns,” Newt assured him. “And since I’ve been here, they’ve never been used.”
That’s good at least. But still, it didn’t seem right.
The walk to the party was a quiet one, but it was a comfortable silence. Just being with Newt was enough for Thomas. They didn’t have to talk for him to feel good.
It wasn’t like talking to Newt was the highlight of his day. Seeing Newt smile didn’t make him feel warm and fuzzy inside. His laugh wasn’t one of the most precious sounds Thomas had ever heard. He didn’t want to hold Newt’s hand. He didn’t feel the urge to kiss the blonde when they would be standing so close to one another. Not at all.
Thank God Teresa wasn’t near enough to hear his thoughts, because all of that was a lie and she would probably make fun of him for it.
When they arrived at the party, which the only people Thomas knew who lived here were Frypan and Winston, Thomas could already tell it was going to be pretty awesome. Even though they didn’t have to wear costumes, the house was still adorned with Halloween decorations. The speakers were playing some upbeat electronic pop songs, and he saw lights flickering inside the house like it was a dancefloor.
They found Minho and Brenda first, who were dancing with each other in the living room, drinks in hand. Thomas just realized that he didn’t know if alcohol would affect his powers or not. If they would, he didn’t want to drink. God forbid he created a tornado in the middle of the kitchen at some point in the night. He also noticed more than one Frypan walking around being a good host. Thomas doesn’t ever think he’ll get used to seeing multiple versions of a person.
Not being ones to dance, the two found themselves in the corner of the living room with Teresa and Aris, who were...holding hands?
“Hey guys,” Newt said as they sat down.
“Newt! Thomas!” Aris greeted.
Thomas couldn’t hide the shocked look on his face. And apparently, Teresa noticed it as well.
She gave him a wink, and he smiled at her. “Yeah yeah,” she said in his head. “You can tease me about this tomorrow, just enjoy the party loverboy.”
Oh, he definitely was going to tease her tomorrow.
“You guys want a drink?” One of the Frypans offered, coming from out of nowhere. “And Thomas, if I were you, I’d only have two at most. Once you get your powers under control, you can have more, but none of us ever take that chance anyway.”
“Uh, yeah I’ll have a beer.”
Frypan nodded and turned to the blonde. “Newt?”
“I probably shouldn’t…”
“Why not? You got your braces on. You’ll be fine.”
Newt sighed. He was definitely reluctant about drinking. But Frypan was right, if his braces were on, Newt deserved to let loose a little bit.
“Fine, fine.”
Aris agreed as well. Frypan left and returned with three beers in hand, one for each of the guys. Thomas took a sip and to be honest, he never liked the taste of beer that much. But it wasn’t much alcohol so he’d be fine.
Or so he thought.
Two hours and four beers later, he was pretty tipsy. He felt all warm and fuzzy inside. He felt as light as air - no pun intended to his power. Thomas had always been a lightweight, and never takes that into consideration when he’s at a party. Newt seemed to be a lightweight as well - of course he is, he’s such a twig - as he was actually dancing with Sonya, Harriet, Brenda, Minho, and a few other kids.
The makeshift dance floor in the living room was completed with strobe lights hanging from above, changing colors every few seconds flashing like crazy. No matter what color it changed to - blue, purple, yellow - Newt looked gorgeous. It’s taking all of Thomas’s willpower not to go over there and just kiss him.
The lights on the dancefloor now dimmed to different soft shades of blues and purples. Everyone’s face and bodies were being illuminated by the fluorescence, everyone dancing - or in some cases grinding - and the one person Thomas couldn't tear his eyes away from was no exception. Newt had him hypnotized: moving in a slower rhythm to accompany the leisure tempo of the song, dancing with some tall brown haired kid. Nick, Thomas thinks.
“You should dance with him,” Teresa said appearing from out of nowhere. “I know you want to.”
He wants to, but he can’t dance. Literally can’t dance. He would just make a fool of himself in front of the boy he likes. He wanted Newt to like him, not look at him like he’s an idiot.
Sensing his hesitation, Teresa gave him a nudge. “Trust me, Tom. He doesn’t want to dance with Nick. Go. You’ll have fun.”
Thomas noticed the smirk she had on her face and he didn’t like it one bit. She knew something that he didn’t. “What are you hiding?”
“Let’s just say that when Newt drinks,” she said stepping closer to him, “he doesn’t block me from reading his mind.”
She offered him a wink and left him standing there. What the hell does that mean? She could read Newt’s mind, good for her. What does that have to do with -
Wait.
She read Newt’s mind. And she told Thomas to dance with him. Does that mean…
No. Thomas will not get his hopes up. But if there’s even a chance…
Screw it.
He sauntered over to the blonde, who was still dancing with Nick, and before he could even say anything, Newt noticed him approaching. The blonde sent a smile in the brunette’s direction. A lazy, drunk smile. Their eyes never tore away from one another as Thomas was walking over.
Thomas put on the fiercest face he could muster up and basically told Nick to go fuck himself, which he did.
Thomas brought his gaze back to Newt. The way Newt was staring at him...there was something there. A wanting. He could see it in his tipsy expression.
Newt, not breaking eye contact, made a step closer to Thomas, the brunette doing the same, until their bodies were almost touching. Thomas, without thinking, reached out and his hands on Newt’s waist, pulling him closer. Newt didn’t seem to mind being pressed up against his body. In fact, he wrapped his arms Thomas’s neck. Their foreheads were almost touching, eyes never tearing away from one another, and Thomas could feel the heat of Newt’s breath against his face.
He didn’t know what he was doing anymore. He wasn’t thinking, he was feeling, doing whatever that felt right. And everything in this moment felt right. That’s why when he closed his eyes and started leaning in to kiss Newt, he didn’t have an internal freak out, because it felt right.
As soon as their lips met, Thomas was lost in it. It was slow and soft, like they were both nervous and not really sure it was happening, but also basking in the feeling of it. The way their lips were moving in sync with each other told Thomas that this was right, that this was meant to be. If he was asked to define heaven, this would be his answer.
But heaven doesn’t last forever.
A scream was heard over the music, and they immediately broke away to look in the direction, and Newt sprinted off towards it. Thomas was right on his heels, both trying to push their way through the intoxicated crowd.
The blonde girl just finished grabbing herself another drink after dancing for a good twenty minutes or so. Sonya doesn’t know how Minho can keep going without stopping, but evidently he has good stamina.
She started to make her way back through the crowd to her friends, taking a sip from her drink, but she froze in between the dancing bodies. The music seemed to fade but she could still hear it. Everything became blurry, fuzzy. The lights were making it even more difficult to see. She felt a shiver run through her body causing her to drop her beverage. She trembled and wrapped her arms around herself. Not because she was cold.
No. Because she was terrified.
Paranoia and panic overcame her. She started looking around the room, spinning in circles as she could hear a sinister laugh surrounding her. It was maniacal, like the devil had just conquered the world. She pushed through the crowd to find Harriet or Aris or someone, but the sea of bodies was too thick to navigate.
A man with a deformed face appeared in front of her, lacking a nose and his right side of his face completely covered in grotesque scars and he almost didn’t look human. She panicked and turned around, running through the crowd to be met with the man with the nefarious laugh she was hearing. A rat-looking man who made her feel something much worse than fear.
A man she had definitely seen before.
She scrambled away from him to be met with her brother.
But it wasn’t Newt.
This version of him had eyes void of color, sickly purple veins all across his face. His hair was in disarray as if he was pulling at it and black ooze was dripping out of his mouth. And he let out the most animalistic growl that she had ever heard. The girl screamed in terror and fell onto her back, the dancing bodies around her not even registering her presence.
A whirring, metallic clicking sound filled her ears. When she rolled over and raised her head, she could see a large, bulbous slimy creature. It was like a parasite on the world’s biggest metal stilts. And at its end was a long metal tail with something that looked like a claw.
But she didn’t have it in her to scream again. She felt the darkness coming. She slowly let her head fall to the floor as her eyes fell back into her head, barely registering someone kneeling next to her and calling her name.