Chapter Text
Everything has always been in different tones of grey. The trees, the cars, the houses, and the people he’s with. Newt abhorred the fact that the world couldn’t change until he met his destined one. Why must his life be so utterly dependent on this one person he’s never met before? But he can’t help it. The saying was that the only person who would bring colour in his life was his soulmate, and that the world would be reborn in colour when they meet. That the only person who would stand out to Newt was his person and they’d only stand out if they’ve made a home of themselves. This scared Newt, worrying he wasn’t enough and that he’d feed off of his insecurity forever and make him an unsuitable soulmate. He wondered if to his soulmate, he seemed just as grey and bleak as everything around them. So at 18, Newt decided he needed to change. One can assume it’s just a late burst of his rebellious, angst filled teenager phase, but Newt has made up his mind. He would build a home inside him which would make him stand out and be noticed. He would stop feeding off of his insecurities and love himself; he couldn’t give any love if he didn’t have any in the first place. And so, he ventured off to America, the land of the free, and lived with his dad for the time being, going off to college and hoping something would change. That someone would bring colour into his life.
—
Thomas never bothered with the thought of soul mates. If I have time to think about trivial things such as soul mates then I have time to study, he mused. He was hellbent on going to UCLA, joining whatever organisations he thought would be of use to his application and maintained is GPA above 3.5. That said, he never got time to act as a normal teenager. I don’t need colour to read my books, he thought, glancing over to his mother in the kitchen. They’ve been together since he could remember, his mother raising him alone made him mature faster out of necessity and made him cling to the thought of making her happy. His life was bleak and so was he, but somewhere in the very depths of his heart, he had wished someone, somewhere would be able to bring colour to his life. He wanted someone to make him happy, just as he was trying to make his mother happy. And though he’d never admit it, he was excited to go off to college and meet new people. Straying from home made his heart sink, but the butterflies in his stomach raised it up. Thomas was never a people person, he didn’t have the chance to develop social skills in high school but he was a good person. He genuinely believed that being kind would get him through anything. And this genuine belief of his, he hoped, would be the reason his soulmate would be attracted to him. The reason colour would finally bless his life.
—
Newt going off to college in America was frowned upon by his family at first, the thought of him leaving the country put them off immediately but he was saved by the fact that he was going to UCLA. It’s a well-known school and his mother approved upon hearing where he was going. And now that he was going to America, he was to be reunited with his father he hasn’t spoken to in five years. After his parents’ divorce, he chose to stay in England with his mother, believing it was for the best and that he’d only get in the way of his father’s work. They both agreed and never spoke again afterwards.
It wasn’t a tearful reunion, Newt didn’t expect anything of the sort in the first place, but his father was smiling when he had welcomed him. He thought he’d be shunned, cast aside like how he did his mother, but he took good care of him and made sure he called his mother every weekend. “I thought you and mum didn’t get along.” He said over dinner one night, not making any eye contact. “We don’t, but we did make you and both of us love you. She still is my soulmate, y’know. The person who brought colour into my life. It’s just that we both think it’s best we don’t be together as much.” His father reasoned, reaching to pat his head. “But you’ve never talked since.” Newt retorted, finally looking up to his father, who was smiling at him. “Who said? We still exchange mails, y’know.” Newt didn’t know how to react to his father’s revelation, but he did know one thing: he was now more excited than ever to meet his own soulmate. The bond doesn’t ever go away, it seems, even if they both think that they ‘shouldn’t be together as much’.
—
Thomas, now living on his own flat a few blocks away from UCLA, is having a hard time coping with college life. He hasn’t made any friends, despite it now being the last day of the first week of school. Albeit he knows he shouldn’t rush things, he should’ve at least talked to someone by now. I asked for directions from an upperclassman last Tuesday…he assured himself, considering that as his first conversation in college. And now it was his last class and he still hasn’t mustered up the courage to talk to his seat mate, or anyone for that matter. How could I ever meet my soulmate if I can’t even have a decent conversation going? He sighed, walking with his head hung low. He was about to get on his bike and go back to his flat, adjusting his backpack before he got on, when he saw a flash of colour from the corner of his eyes. And without thinking, he immediately ran towards the one person who brought colour into his bleak world.
—
Newt was a fairly sociable guy, he’s made a few friends since starting college and his father’s quite proud of him doing well in both academics and social skills. He was due to hangout with someone he’d met the other day— Minho, he remembered— and was on his way to meet him. That was, until he was rudely pulled on by this boy who was on his knees trying to catch his breath. When he turned around, he didn’t even have to see his face to know who it was. His hair is brown, and his skin is pasty white. His shirt’s blue and so are his jeans. Oh god am I really— He had to snap out of his thoughts when he was faced by this boy who was wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and adjusting his glasses. “H-hey…” muttered the boy, finally letting go of his sleeve and clearing his throat. “I— I’m Thomas.”
“Hey to you too.” Newt smiled, noticing how pink his cheeks were and how there were countless moles artfully splattered across his face. “I’m Newt.”
“D-do you—“ Thomas asked, his arms waving about, unsure of what to do or say.
“Want to hang out? Because I’d love to.” He helped, quickly fishing out to text Minho and telling him he’s found the colour in his life.
“I— I like your hair.” Thomas spouted, immediately regretting it and biting his lower lip in regret afterwards.
“Oh? What colour is it?” Newt asked, smirking. He was the only one who knew what colour his hair was, besides his parents, of course, and now there was someone else and it made the world a more wonderful place.
“It’s blonde. It’s nice. Looks like it’s sparkling.” And Newt couldn’t stop smiling, even after they’ve entered the café. And he firmly believes he hasn’t smiled as much since forever. Finding your soulmate on the first week of classes was great, and now they’re on their way to get to know each other, which only made the both of them smile even wider if ever that was possible.