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It was late when Newt shook him awake quietly, hand on his shoulder. Thomas had been in the middle of some dream that was already fading from memory - something about WICKED and him and Minho running through the maze in pitch blackness. He was grateful for the interruption, especially once he saw the childlike grin lighting up Newt’s face in the dark tent.
“Newt?” Thomas mumbled groggily, feeling hazy and a bit confused. “Somethin’ wrong?”
“Quite the opposite,” Newt whispered as he crouched next to him, “I want to show you something.”
Thomas dragged his hand over his face, rubbing his eyes to clear them of grit and yawned. What time was it anyway? Had to be well past midnight. As he sat up, his cot creaked. Newt stood and he looked up at him. His excitement was palpable, but Thomas had no idea what for. What was it that he had to show him in the middle of the night?
“C’mon, Tommy,” Newt whispered, his whisper holding a pleading note that he knew very well Thomas would do anything for. Thomas smiled and shook his head, tugging on his shoes and taking his outstretched hand. Their fingers laced together, and Newt led the way through the cots and back outside. The ocean air was chilly, with a slight breeze coming off the water.
“Shouldn’t we grab a flashlight or something?”
“That’ll ruin our night vision.”
“Night vision?” Thomas was now thoroughly confused, staring into the darkness and blindly following Newt away from the tents, past the orchards, and up onto the sandy dunes as they walked what seemed like directly perpendicular to the beach. “Newt, where are we going?”
“Have some faith, you’ll see.” Newt replied cryptically. He could hear the smile in his voice and confusion turned to cautious excitement as they crested a dune and stopped. Newt turned, tugging Thomas close with the hand that held his. In the low light, Newts lips met his softly as his other hand curled around the nape of his neck. Warmth bloomed in Thomas’s stomach, and he leaned in eagerly. The kiss ended far too soon for his liking, but soon he was being tugged down to an unfolded blanket he hadn’t noticed before.
“Look up.” Newt commanded softly as they sat, Thomas following suit as he laid on his back across the blanket.
Head resting next to Newt’s, he focused on the sky.
“Oh.”
The soft gasp escaped Thomas as he took in the starlight. The sky seemed to shimmer with them, each one clear as a bell. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, nor was there a moon to distract from the stars brilliance.
“You ever seen stars like this, Tommy?” Newt asked after a minute. “I never have, not even in the Glade.”
“Yes, you have.” Thomas replied quietly, automatically; a memory from long ago floating to the forefront of his brain. There was no need to speak loudly over the sound of the waves, as they were a distant shushing in the background. He felt Newt turn his head to look over at him, and Thomas dropped his gaze to meet his eyes mere inches away. The question in them was clear. Tell me.
“It was when we were both at WICKED. I was being taught how to read star charts and you weren’t. You were jealous -” he smiled and gave him a nudge with his shoulder “- and wanted to see the stars for yourself. So, we snuck out one night and got to see them. It was freezing cold and we didn’t have coats, but it was worth it.” Thomas sighed, reveling in the full attention Newt was giving him. He looked so happy and relaxed, watching him tell stories of their childhood. A soft smile on his lips, eyes wide and intently focused on him. “The look on your face when you saw them for the first time was. . .beautiful. That was - that was the first time I remember wanting to kiss you.” He admitted softly, feeling a blush warm his cheeks.
“Awe, you had a crush on me.” Newt teased quietly, a soft laugh escaping him.
Thomas laughed, “It worked out though, didn’t it?”
“Sure did, love.”
“We sat up there for as long as we could, shivering in the cold. I told you about the constellations and wondered if we’d ever get to see them up close someday. They were just as beautiful as this.”
“These are better,” Newt sighed. “Because we can look at them whenever we want, no bloody sneaking required.”
Thomas made a sound of agreement and looked back up at the stars. As he did so, he felt fingers wrap once again around his own and he smiled.
There was nothing quite like laying in the dark under a blanket of constellations with his hand around Newt’s, shoulders pressed together in complete peace. A warmth washed over him, and he began to try to identify the stars in the sky as he recalled having been able to name dozens off the tip of his tongue when he had been at WCKD. His memory was hazy, but names of a few constellations and stars stood out to him.
Sirius.
Ursa Major.
Polaris.
Ursa Minor.
Orion.
Cassiopeia.
Several minutes of content silence passed as they listened to the light breeze hush across the grass, the waves crash against the shore, and watched the dazzling light show from above. Then Thomas broke the silence. “D’you know the name of the brightest star in the sky?”
“Willing to bet you do.” Came the quiet reply.
“See that one?” Thomas lifted his free hand and pointed, squinting to focus on the star. “That’s called Sirius.”
“Is that the one that leads you North?” Newt asked, following the point of his finger to locate the star.
“No, that’s Polaris, or the North Star.” Thomas moved his finger, pointing to the star that resided in Ursa Minor.
“There’s a shape, d’you see it?” Newt gasped, voice giddy and curious.
“That’s the constellation Ursa Minor. I can’t remember the other name for it, I think it was something about a bear. . .?” Thomas answered, trailing off.
“I wonder if there’s names for all of them,” Newt mused. Thomas lowered his hand and rested it on his stomach, turning his head to look at Newt, watching his eyes dart across the sky. From his vantage point beside him, the depths of the sky reflected in his eyes, turning them into endless pools of stars. The entire galaxy contained. He looked ethereal, blonde hair ruffled from sleep and the ocean breeze and seeming to glow even in the low light.
He wouldn’t rather be anywhere else than beside him, staring at the stars for eternity.
“There’s so many, I’d imagine they’re just numbers in a chart or somethin’. Wouldn’t wanna be the bloke with that job.” Newt continued softly, eventually turning to look over at him. A soft, crooked smile graced his features when he found Thomas already watching him. He brought their clasped hands from where they lay between them, pressing a warm kiss to the back of Thomas’s hand. His eyes shuttered involuntarily, and he heard Newt let out a huff of air.
“Glad I brought you out here?”
“Surprised we haven’t done this before.”
“Too busy doing. . . other things to focus on what’s above us,” Newt smirked lightly, and Thomas’s stomach swooped.
“It’s beautiful.” Thomas breathed, “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me, it was Brenda who brought them to my attention. She made some comment ‘bout how stars here are brighter than they were in the Scorch, and in the city.” Newt’s smile lessened at the mention of their tragic past, but then pushed on. “‘N’ that’s where I got the idea to show you.”
“Could’ve just shown me after the bonfire or something,” Thomas replied, unsure why exactly he was fighting his explanation. Maybe just for the hell of it. To tease him.
“Sure,” Newt shrugged, eyes glinting, “but then I couldn’t’ve done this.”
Newt rolled onto his side towards him, and Thomas felt a hand at his waist, urging him to do the same as his other hand was released and warm fingers snagged in his hair. The distance between them closed to zero as his mouth slotted smoothly against Newt’s. His heart kicked up a notch as the once-chaste kiss deepened almost immediately and he opened his mouth to allow his tongue to slide against his own with a deep breath in.
He cupped his hand to Newt’s cheek as he felt a hand on his hip, pushing him flat on his back once again. Newt’s body quickly followed, rolling easily on top of him like it was second nature. His hips gave an involuntary lurch as Newt adjusted his legs to fit between his own, and Thomas heard a chuckle escape from the boy above him. He nipped at his bottom lip, pulling it into his mouth for a moment, no longer focused on the abstract beauty of the stars but instead the immediate and intense beauty of the boy with one hand tangled in his hair and another sliding along the plane of his stomach, breathless and warm and kissing him with the intensity of a million stars.
The boy with the golden hair and crooked grin.
The boy who faced Death and sent him away.
The boy who fought for his place in the world and had finally found it.
The boy who had forever carved a place in Thomas’s heart and loved him to no end.
They had each other, against all odds. Among the chaos and hardships and trauma, they found a home in each other and in their friends, letting kindness and love in as expansive as the galaxy above.
They were free among the waves and the rising sun and glittering stars and confessions of love drowned in lingering kisses and skin against skin, with none but themselves to focus on.
And if that was what freedom felt like, Thomas thought hazily as he pulled Newt in closer, he wouldn’t trade it for the world.