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Thomas lay in his sleeping bag, absent mindedly staring off into space. Newt had half of his body draped over Thomas, trying to snuggle closer. Thomas could tell something was wrong from how fidgety Newt was.
"You okay there?" Thomas asked lightly.
"Bloody too tired to sleep," Newt grunted. He pulled himself off of Thomas to sit up straight and look the other boy properly in the eyes. "How's the maze doin today?"
Thomas chuckled. "Same as it always is," he followed Newt's suit and sat up. Looking at Newt, Thomas realized just how ragged the other boy looked and how busy the last few days had been for the both of them. They both desperately needed sleep, but Newt was right. They were too tired to sleep.
Newt must have noticed the worried look on Thomas' face because suddenly he leaned over to pull the other boy into a hug.
"Shuck, sorry for keeping you up Tommy."
Thomas couldn't help but laugh. Leave it to Newt to put someone else's needs ahead of his own. Thomas pulled away and said, "It's fine, really."
A small smile graced Newt's lips. "Run the maze a few times and think you’re invincible, don't ya?"
Thomas just shook his head. He pulled Newt back into his arms and laid them both back down. He heard Newt give a few up approving grunts, but eventually settled down. Thomas hummed contently.
"You have a big job too, second-in-command. How did that go today?"
"Bloody exhausting truth be told."
Thomas was relieved to hear a joking tone in Newt's voice. He sometimes worried about the other boy. Sometimes Newt would become detached and cold. At those moments you could almost feel the tension and anxiety rolling off the blonde. But lately things had been better than they had been in a long time.
Thomas enjoyed this side of Newt that was filled with wise cracking jokes and laughs, lots of sweet kisses and tight hugs. Thomas knew this side of Newt would come out more often once they were out of the maze. The thought of giving Newt a better life was what pushed Thomas each day.
That drive was also the reason for the exhaustion. Thomas had been spending just a little bit longer than recommended in the maze. He had had a few close calls in the process. This always made Newt's anxiety and temper worse. To keep his mind off of Thomas, Newt worked harder.
Thomas sucked in a breath, trying to gather his nerves. "I'm sorry that I've been putting you through this. If it would make you feel better I could come back earlier from the maze."
"Slim it. We all do what we gotta do."
From Newt's tone, Thomas knew the conversation was over. Newt wrapped his arms tightly around Thomas' midsection. Thomas grinned and knew he wasn't going anywhere for a while.
Thomas started running his fingers through the blonde hair. He felt Newt slowly becoming boneless. Newt's breathing had evened out, and Thomas thought he might be asleep finally.
"Love you," Newt said sleepily into Thomas' chest. Newt rarely said the words. He usually preferred to show his love rather than say it.
Thomas buried his face into Newt's hair, breathing his scent in. "I love you, too."
Finally, Thomas let his eyes drift shut.