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The rain was pouring from the sky when Thomas pulled the door open, dropping into the empty seat in the back of the cab. He was soaking wet, his dark hair sticking to his forehead and his clothes heavy. Only after closing the door, he noticed that he wasn’t alone.
Both the driver and the young man next to him were staring at him in surprise and Thomas felt like he was a deer caught in the headlights. How the hell had he not noticed that the cab was already occupied? Stupid! „Uhm.“ He cleared his throat, sitting up straight. He knew getting out immediately was the wisest thing to do, but Thomas wasn’t someone who did life the mediocre way. Okay, no, actually he did, but it was warm and he wasn’t in the mood to get even more soaked. „Sorry.“
And then, because he was desperate, he added: „Where are you going?“
The guy next to him raised an eyebrow and Thomas turned his head to get a closer look. They were about the same age and he had tousled blonde hair and a pretty face that he could only partly make out in the darkness of the car.
„This isn’t a bus.“, the driver snapped, obviously annoyed by how Thomas had just barged in. Ignoring him, the blonde shrugged.
„Lincoln Street."
Perfect. Right at the campus.
„Cool, I’m coming.“, he said, hoping it would just work. Usually, people were too surprised by his straightforwardness, but the other didn’t seem to mind.
„If you pay half.“ The guy had a nice accent that sounded British.
„I have ten bucks, is that enough?“ He was pretty sure that „half“ would be more than ten bucks, but it was all he had, no kidding. Thomas must’ve looked miserable, because the boy nodded, telling the driver to go on.
„Oh god, thanks.“ Exhaling, Thomas slumped back into his seat and hastily fastened his seatbelt as the traffic light turned green and the car started moving. „I’m Thomas - majoring in Drama."
„Name’s Newt.“, the other told him, the hint of a smile flashing over his face. „Majoring in Music.“
„Music? For real? Do you know someone named Teresa?“
„Teresa Agnes?“ Newt furrowed his brows. „Yeah, we hang out sometimes.“
„She’s my sister.“
„Oh.“
„Yeah. You know her boyfriend? Asian guy, really muscular and all.“
„Wait…Minho?“
„Yeah.“ Thomas beamed at him. „He’s my best friend. And roommate.“
„No way - how have we never met?“
„I don’t know, man, but I’m sure I would’ve remembered you.“
It sounded like a compliment and even thought it wasn’t meant to be one, Thomas felt his cheeks heat up a little as Newt offered him a smirk. The thing was, he probably would have remembered Newt - he was good with faces and now he thought about it…the guy was kind of attractive.
„It doesn’t matter.“ The blonde shrugged, still smiling. „We’ve met now.“
„Right.“ Thomas nodded, pushing his thoughts away. „Sooo…what are you doing here?“
„Here?“
„In town - it’s pretty late.“
Again, Newt wasn’t bewildered by how direct Thomas was. Instead, he shrugged.
„I was out with some friends, but one of them ended up being so drunk that he could barely walk, so we parted ways and I decided to take a cab.“
„Oh.“ Thomas nodded eagerly, glad they were actually starting a conversation. „Don’t laugh at me, but I was at the theatre - they perform Rocky Horror regularly and there’s no way I’d miss it.“
„Do you go there like…every time?“
„Once a week.“ He wasn’t exactly ashamed of it - the musical was awesome, and he’d grown close to the cast, but some people, especially people who weren’t Drama geeks, thought it was super weird. Newt laughed, but it wasn’t a mean laugh.
„What?“
„You’re awesome, Tommy.“
Normally, Thomas would’ve cringed at that nickname, but coming out of Newt’s mouth it didn’t actually sound so bad.
„That’s not what most people tell me.“
„I can imagine what most people tell you.“, Newt said, smirking. „But just for the record, I don’t think you’re mental. Okay, maybe a little. But, you know, a good kind of mental.“
„Gee, thanks. You were the one who let me in here though, so I’m not the only one who’s crazy.“
„Wouldn’t be so sure about that.“
Before Thomas could open his mouth to say something else, the car came to a halt.
„We’re here.“, the driver mumbled. Hastily, Thomas pulled out the damp and slightly crinkled ten dollar note out of his jeans pocket, shoving it in Newt’s direction who took it wordlessly. Only when they were standing outside in the pouring rain again Thomas noticed that Newt had an umbrella.
„Oh my god, you’re an angel sent from heaven!“, he moaned as he stepped next to his new friend, slipping his arm through Newt’s so they were huddled together underneath the umbrella. The contact made him remember his thoughts from earlier, but now it was harder to just push them away, so he allowed himself to be excited a little.
Newt was nice and hot and they had the same circle of friends and even though he wasn’t even at the stage of having a crush he did feel a certain attraction towards the other boy. He just hoped Newt felt it too.
The blonde limped a little as they walked towards the dorms, but Thomas didn’t ask why. Instead, he supported a little of Newt’s weight when he needed it, hoping it would go unnoticed. He wasn’t sure if it did, but mostly he didn’t even notice himself, too caught up in the conversation they were having. When they reached Newt’s dorm, he felt like he knew more about the blonde than he knew about some of his other friends, but there was one thing he knew better than everything else: He wanted to see Newt again.
„So, uhm.“ Thomas hesitated, unsure of what to say. Which rarely happened - he was a genius at small talk and mastering awkward situations.
„So.“ Newt smiled a little. „Rocky Horror, huh? Think you can take me next week?“
Thomas pressed his lips together in an attempt to hide his excitement, but he was very well aware of how it wasn’t working.
„Yeah - yeah, sure. That’d be cool.“
It was more than just cool, but he didn’t say it out loud. Instead, he disentangled himself from Newt and, giving the other one last smile, turned to leave.
Only when he reached his dorm, soaking wet but with a bright smile on his face, it hit him that he hadn’t even asked for Newt’s phone number.
~
„You met Newt?“ Laughing, Minho shook his head.
„And I was about to introduce you to each other!“
„You could’ve done so earlier, you know.“, Thomas mumbled, his eyes fixed on the script he was trying to memorize. It was the perfect excuse to avoid looking at Minho, because he was sure Minho would know the second they looked each other in the eye.
Thomas wasn’t up for the teasing yet that would undoubtedly follow. It was not like he was in love with Newt, but he did want to know him better and that would be obvious to Minho.
„I’ve only known him for a few weeks. You know, since me and T started dating.“
„Please stop calling her T, my name starts with that letter too, you know.“
„Aww, don’t worry Thomas, I’d never date an ugly slinthead like you.“
Thomas knew he should probably feel insulted, but they were constantly bickering and he was used to it by now.
„Well, I’d never date you either.“
„Bullshit, we all know you have the hots for me. I’m irresistible.“ Minho winked at him playfully and Thomas rolled his eyes. Minho was such an idiot.
„Why does my sis even like you?“, he mused, tilting his head. „She could have anyone and yet she chose you.“
„Well, we didn’t exactly like each other at first.“ Minho shrugged. „Plus, she kind of had a thing for Newt for a while.“
„Wonder why she changed her mind.“
„Oh, believe me it wasn’t as hard as you think - he’s gay. She came to cry on my shoulder and ya know - everything developed from there.“
Thomas had heard the story a thousand times before, but Newt’s role in it was new to him. Nevertheless, it made his heart jump excitedly. Now he definitely had a chance.
„Yeah, I know.“, he replied, trying to appear calmer than he actually was, thoughts swirling around in his head. „Listen, do you have Newt’s phone number?“
He only realized how it sounded after the words left his mouth - Minho did at the same moment, the mattress he was sitting on shaking from his laughter.
„Didn’t know you had a thing for guys!“
„Oh god.“ Groaning, Thomas buried his face in his hands. „I didn’t ask because…I just…Minho, shut up!“
The Asian continued snickering, but reached out for Thomas’ phone that was lying on the desk that was stretched out along the wall between their beds. He threw it back at Thomas after saving Newt’s number, a wide grin on his face.
„Here ya go - I’m gonna be really disappointed if you don’t invite us to the wedding.“
~
„Hello?“
Newt sounded sleepy, his voice a little uneven, as if he’d just woken up. With a glance at his watch, Thomas realized he probably had - it was almost 2AM. Not everyone was awake that late, but for some reason he’d expected Newt to be.
„Did I wake you?“, he asked quietly, pulling his knees up to his chest. He was sitting in the hallway, right in front of their room, unable to talk inside because Minho was already asleep.
„Kinda. Hang on.“ There was a loud yawn and then a rustling as Thomas waited. Eventually, after a few seconds, Newt was back, his voice clearer now. „What’s up?“
„Aren’t you angry?“
„Only if you don’t have a good reason.“ He did sound angry, which wasn’t a surprise - Thomas himself would probably yell at anyone who tried to get him out of his bed before it was absolutely necessary.
„Uhm…you didn’t reply to my last text.“, Thomas explained carefully, his nails digging into the material of his sweatpants. „And I can’t sleep.“
Newt sighed dramatically.
„Yeah, that’s ’cause I fell asleep, you moron.“
„I’m sorry. Usually you tell me when you’re about to go to sleep.“ They’d been texting 24/7 since Minho had given Thomas the number and even if they hadn’t met in person again after that first time (their „date“ was still two days away) Thomas felt closer to Newt than to most of his other friends. They just clicked.
„Aw, were you worried, Tommy?“ It didn’t sound as angry anymore, but a little sarcastic and Thomas didn’t like it at all.
Plus, he hadn’t exactly felt worried, just…ignored. He couldn’t stand being ignored for no reason.
„Shut up.“, he mumbled, leaning his head back against the wall, feeling frustrated. „Sorry I bothered you, I didn’t mean to. Go back to sleep.“
Newt hesitated and Thomas was just about to end the call, when the other spoke up again:
„I’m awake now, it’s no use going back to sleep anyway. What were we talking about earlier?“
And just like that, everything was okay again.
~
„So…you and Newt, huh?“ Minho blinked up at him tiredly, his hair disheveled. He was sitting on his bed, half-dressed, his toothbrush sticking out of the side of his mouth.
„I…uh…“ Thomas felt himself panic, wondering how Minho had guessed it.
„Heard you talking in the hallway.“ His friend shrugged, getting to his feet. „How long have you two been on the phone?“
„All night.“
„And?“
„And what?“
„Spill the beans, Thomas.“
„We’re seeing Rocky Horror tomorrow night.“ He knew how much it sounded like a date, but he couldn’t care less - it kind of was and besides, Minho would have found out anyway.
„I can’t believe it!“ Grinning, the Asian placed a hand on Thomas’ shoulder. „It’s so weird - I haven’t even seen you two interact yet and you’re having a date already.“ He wiped an imaginary tear of his face. „They grow up so fast!“
„I’m so glad you’re not trying to become an actor!“, Thomas exclaimed, smiling tiredly. Talking to Newt was amazing, but he felt absolutely dead and he was sure the other felt similar. For a moment he even considered skipping class, but before he could really think about it, the screen of his phone lightened up with a new message from Newt that said: I know you’re tempted but you promised me. ;)
Which was true. Newt had insisted for both of them to attend classes. Groaning, he threw the phone onto his bed, making his way over to the closet to get some fresh clothes.
„You don’t seem too happy…oh my god, did you break up or something?“
„Dude, I just told you we were going to see Rocky Horror. And besides, we’re not even dating yet, so…“
„Yet!“ Minho clapped his hands excitedly. „Oh, T is so gonna love this - she doesn’t even know you two met!“
Thomas’ eyes widened as realization dawned on him.
„She’s gonna hate me - she liked him first, holy shit, what am I gonna do?“
„Ummm, nothing?“, Minho suggested. „You’re making it sound like she’s super miserable about it, but like, she has a boyfriend now.“
Thomas had to bite his tongue to keep the remark back, but he managed and nodded, noticing how Minho raised an eyebrow because he’d been expecting it, too.
„Yeah, right.“, he said instead. „I’m stupid. Teresa is lucky to have you.“
„Whoa, you haven’t been that nice to me in a long time.“ Minho winked at him. „Newt is really doing things to you, huh?“
„We haven’t done anything yet, believe it or not. I’m not even in love with him or anything, so would you just-“
„But you fancy him.“, Minho interrupted. „And if the date goes well you might just develop a real crush. And believe me, it goes downhill from there.“
„That’s nice.“ But Minho was right. Thomas could see everything play out in his mind and instead of giving him anxiety, the idea actually made him excited. Truth was, he couldn’t wait to see Newt again.
~
„Okay, confession.“ Newt fiddled with the hem of his shirt nervously, his head lowered a little.
Here it comes, Thomas thought, not able to tear his gaze from the blonde, despite of what Newt had just said - he just looked so amazing tonight, wearing a simple white shirt and skinny jeans and even though the look was super casual there was something about it that made Thomas want to look at him forever. He hadn’t felt like this in a long time, maybe not ever, at least not after only a week of knowing the other person.
„I haven’t ever watched The Rocky Horror Picture Show.“ Thomas exhaled, only to realize what Newt had just said.
„Wait, never?“ Shaking his head, he theatrically took a step back, as if to distance himself from the other. „I can’t believe it - and I’ve stayed up all night for you!“
Laughing, Newt reached out for his arm, pulling him closer again, until their shoulders were bumping together occasionally as they walked down the street towards the theatre.
„I’ve watched Grease!“, Newt defended himself. „And Chicago. It’s not like I don’t ever watch musicals.“#
„But Rocky Horror is a classic!“
„That’s why I’m here.“
„No, you’re here because of me.“
„Yeah, as if.“, Newt teased, slipping his arm through Thomas’. „The show is way more interesting.“
Almost unconsciously he felt Newt lean into him again, like he’d done the first time and again he noticed the slight limp the boy seemed to have.
„Everything okay with your leg?“, he asked cautiously, unsure of whether he was going too far. Newt glanced at him, the expression on his face unreadable, and shrugged.
„Accident.“, he replied simply. It was clear that it was a Not now but not a Never. But he stopped leaning on him for support, which made Thomas feel guilty. He chose not to mention it, though.
Luckily, the theatre was only a few more streets away and by the time they finally reached it, there was a long queue outside already and Newt seemed to get excited again.
„Amazing.“, he mumbled, squeezing Thomas’ arm. „Are there always this many people?“
„Yeah.“ Thomas grinned. „Cool, isn’t it? Some only come here once, but there are regulars like me.“
„Amazing.“, Newt repeated as they passed they queue. „Tommy, where are we going?“
„Did I not mention that I’m friends with some of the performers? We can get in for free.“
He didn’t mention that Brenda, who played Janet, had insisted for them to come by, only to meet his date or that he normally had to stand in line as well - he usually went backstage after, to talk to his friends in a more relaxed atmosphere.
Brenda was outside, smoking a cigarette, when they reached the back door. It took her a few moments to realize they were there, but when she recognized Thomas a smile spread over her face.
„Hey there.“, she said, throwing the cigarette to the ground and stepping on it with the heel of her boot. Her eyes fell on Newt, who looked back at her politely but also with a certain shyness that Thomas wouldn’t have expected.
„Hi.“, Thomas said, leaning in to give her a short hug, not letting go off Newt at the same time. „Newt, this is Brenda, Brenda, this is Newt.“
„Your date, huh?“, she asked loudly, her eyes not leaving the blonde. Thomas froze at her words, the fear that Newt would say ‚no‘ overwhelming him for a moment. To his surprise, Newt flashed her a grin and nodded.
„He has never seen Rocky Horror before.“, Thomas told her, in an attempt to change the topic. Brenda’s eyes widened.
„Holy shit! Well, you’re gonna have a lot of fun then, Newt.“ Brenda winked at them, turning around and pushing the door of the building open. „Come on in, you get to sit in the front row.“
Newt looked around with so much curiosity that Thomas couldn’t help but smile - he remembered feeling like that too, when he first entered the backstage area of a theatre.
„It’s really cool, isn’t it?“, he mumbled as they walked past the actors getting ready. Some of them waved at Thomas, but most were too busy to even notice. Thomas couldn’t blame them: He normally only showed up after the show was over.
„Yeah.“ Newt’s arm was suddenly gone, but before Thomas could protest, the other had taken his hand instead, intertwining their fingers. „It’s no big deal for you though, right? You’re backstage all the time.“
Thomas nodded, unable to form any words - his body was processing this new kind of touch with a racing heart and a tingling feeling in his stomach that he hadn’t felt in what felt like ages.
„Tommy?“
„Uhh, yeah.“ He nodded again, turning his head to look at Newt. The other smirked when he saw Thomas’ flushed face, but didn’t say anything. „Yeah, I’m mostly backstage or in rehearsal rooms. It’s pretty cool.“
Their conversation was interrupted when Brenda came to a halt in front of them, pulling the side-door open that led toward the seating area.
„I don’t think we’ll be seeing each other afterwards?“, she asked. It sounded more like it was already decided and Thomas didn’t argue.
„Next week.“, he told her. „Hey, thanks for this. We appreciate it.“
„Hey, I got to meet your date, didn’t I?“ She winked at Newt, before leaning forward to press a kiss on Thomas’ cheek.
„I approve. He seems nice.“, she breathed into his ear and then added, out loud: „Have fun you guys. Your seats are the ones with the name tags. I better get back, before Jorge freaks out. See ya!“
With that she was gone, leaving them alone again, the auditorium still completely empty as they made their way towards their seats. Newt grabbed the piece of paper with Date written on it and plopped down onto the seat, playfully dragging Thomas down until he was sitting next to him.
„You didn’t even tell them my name!“, Newt said, a fake-pout on his face.
„I did!“, Thomas protested. „But I only talked to Bren on the phone and she probably didn’t memorize it.“
„I don’t believe you!“, Newt lied, leaning into Thomas a little, who was overcome by this feeling again that was nice and exciting at the same time. They chatted for a while, not really getting closer to each other but not moving back either and Thomas enjoyed it even more than their all-nighter, given they were here, in person, talking about everything they could think of - Newt’s hand was warm in his and the blonde’s hair smelled a little like shampoo if he just leaned close enough - Thomas had to admit that he’d never felt quite as close to anyone before.
Behind them, people started flooding in, hurrying to get to their seats while Newt and Thomas remained in place, ready for the musical to start.
~
Newt was still grinning when they excited the theatre a few hours later.
„Liked it?“, Thomas asked, already knowing the answer.
„Loved it!“, Newt exclaimed. „I get why you’re here all the time, it’s so much fun!“
„Told you so.“ Thomas beamed at his date, resisting the urge to kiss Newt’s face off for what he’d just said - Rocky Horror was the highlight of his week and the fact that Newt liked it was, for some reason, so important.
They talked and talked, walking back to the campus instead of taking the cab.
It took them almost an hour and Newt’s leg was visibly aching, but Thomas still couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed when they stopped in front of Newt’s dorm.
„Thanks for the night.“, Newt said gently, turning to face Thomas like he’d done exactly a week ago on this very spot. „I’d like to repeat that.“
„Me too.“, Thomas mumbled. „We could go drink a coffee sometime soon.“
He’d expected Newt to nod, or maybe to say something, but instead they were suddenly kissing and it was just so good. It was soft and slow and even though Newt’s free hand was resting on Thomas’ waist now they weren’t rushing things.
„I’d love to drink a coffee sometime soon.“, Newt mumbled breathlessly when they parted. Thomas noticed how his pupils were huge and his gaze kept drifting towards Thomas lips as they talked.
Suddenly, that one kiss wasn’t enough: He could barely remember how it had felt at all.
„Like, tomorrow?“
„Tomorrow is perfect.“ He nodded hastily, leaning forward to capture Newt’s lips once more, only for a few seconds, before pulling back. „See ya?“
„I’ll text you?“
„Or call me?“
„Or both?“
„Mmh, okay. Bye then.“
Neither of them moved. It took them one or two kisses (that may or may not have escalated into a make-out session) before they were finally able to step away from each other, lips swollen but faces lit with smiles.
„Tomorrow.“, Newt said, squeezing Thomas hand for the last time. It was a promise.