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"What, exactly, are we looking for?" Thomas asks, disturbing the silence.
Talking probably wasn't the best idea. There could be Cranks at any which corner in this place, and if there were, they'd certainly be past the Gone. Even if you disregarded the Crank-issue, this place had obviously been abandoned for quite some time. There was no way they weren't facing health risks that were totally unrelated to the Flare.
But Vince wanted them to scour this abandoned mall for supplies. Apparently old malls would have things they needed to raid WICKED. Thomas didn't ask for clarification on that one. Gally had made it very clear that they shouldn't question anything Vince tells them to do.
He probably shouldn't even be asking questions now, since Vince had decided to join them. He was asking Newt more so than anyone, since Minho wasn't going to give him a legitimate answer, and his relationship with Gally was still a little rocky. (A lot rocky.)
"Food, mostly," Gally answers. "Always short on food. You can never have enough of it."
Thomas nods slowly. He's never been inside a mall before. Or, if he had, he doesn't remember it. Newt and Minho seem to have similar history, as they look just as lost as he does.
He catches up to Newt, walking alongside him. The blond shoots him a nervous smile, clearly just as on edge as the others. Maybe more so. Newt had a lot more to be wary of than Immunes did. He might have, albeit miraculously, evaded the Flare back in the Scorch, but even a few seconds near a Crank, with the disease airborne, could infect him.
Thomas reaches between them, threading their fingers together. Newt squeezes his hand tightly.
"Anything that might be useful," Vince supplies. "Certainly you've got enough of an idea on that?"
Thomas sighs. "Yeah," he admits. "I do."
He looks to his left, noting the way Newt's lips have pursed and his brow has furrowed. He's never been Vince's biggest fan. There's something about the man that irks the blond, something Thomas doesn't really get.
But, then again, Newt's always been, like, a million times more insightful than he has been. Especially when it comes to reading people.
"You alright?" Thomas asks quietly.
If Vince has made Newt even the slightest bit uncomfortable, Thomas had absolutely no problem abandoning the Right Arm and taking down WICKED on their own. He's not exactly Vince's best friend, either, and he's sure there are things the man isn't telling them. Plus, he treats them like incompetent children. Newt more so than the rest of them, likely since he's not immune. It's something Thomas has realized, and hasn't liked, but hasn't been able to do anything about.
And, well, there's also the fact that there aren't any girls around in the rebellion. And that Vince has been staring like he's a man dying of thirst and Newt's the tropical oasis in the middle of the desert. Thomas really doesn't like that part. He's not even sure if Newt's noticed, or maybe Newt's used to it, since half the Glade had harbored crushes on him, albeit secretly. But he really, really doesn't like it. He and Newt haven't been in a legitimately established relationship for very long, but Thomas is already quite used to the fact that Newt's his, and no one else's.
"Split up," Vince orders, "cover more ground."
Thomas nods pointedly. "Cool," he says, "let's go."
He starts off in a random direction, inconsequentially dragging Newt along behind him. The blond doesn't seem to mind, catching up to him quickly and laughing as Minho feigns betrayal from the other side of the ruined hallway.
"That's not what I... never mind," Vince says eventually, heading off in the opposite direction.
Gally laughs absently before going on his way, too. Something tells Thomas that Gally's not the biggest fan of his boss.
He looks around, taking their direction seriously once he sees that Minho has already disappeared into another corridor.
"I still don't know what we're looking for," Thomas admits.
Newt laughs gently, taking a step closer to him. Thomas is not at all displeased by the new proximity.
"Just... whatever we think'll be useful, I s'pose," he says finally. "'M sure we won't find much, anyway."
Thomas frowns pointedly. "Really? You don't think?"
"Look at it like this," Newt continues. "This place has been here since the beginning of all this. We're definitely not the first shanks to come lookin' for stuff, yeah?"
"I guess not," Thomas admits. "I didn't think about that."
Newt shrugs in response. "I dunno. Maybe I'm wrong."
"Doubtful," Thomas responds. "You're never wrong, babe."
Newt rolls his eyes, groaning. "Stop callin' me that."
"What? You prefer something else?" Thomas asks unhelpfully. "Love?" Newt sticks out his tongue. "...Baby?" Newt's eyes widen in what Thomas assumes is repulsion. "...Huh. I'll come up with something, honey, just you wait."
"That's so much worse."
"I know."
They're in some store now. Thomas isn't sure what it was originally, or what it sold, since all the contents from every store are all mixed together now, resting absently on various shelves and display cases.
He walks along a glass case, examining the products inside. The display was probably better protected before sun flares destroyed the Earth, but now the glass is all shattered, and does very little to prevent theft.
Everything that's being displayed here now is jewelry. Apparently there's not much demand for stuff like that during an apocalypse. Thomas would have figured things like this would sell for some good money, but... perhaps not.
He scans the jewelry carefully, even though it doesn't hold any good use. Lots of golden necklaces, laden with diamonds and sapphires and rubies. Probably would have cost a lot of money, though Thomas couldn't see why someone would actually want to wear something like that.
But then the ring section catches his eye. Despite having no personal memories of the old world, he knew for a fact that these were engagement rings. He remembered his mother wearing one with her wedding ring, but he couldn't remember anything else about her.
His gaze locks on one in particular. Gold, like all the others, with an emerald. The rest were all diamond, but this one was special. Thomas liked it. It looked really pretty. And it'd look even prettier on…
His stare shifts from the ring display to his boyfriend, who is preoccupied shuffling through another shelf of useless junk, trying to find something worthwhile. Something Vince would want them to grab.
And then Thomas gets an idea.
He grabs the ring, slipping it into his pocket for the time being. He goes to help Newt look through the rest of the store, but, as Newt had predicted, there wasn't anything of value.
So then Thomas decides to put his plan into action.
"Hey, Newt?" The blond in question turns to look at him, wide eyes anticipating a revelation, or something. "Marry me?"
Newt's brow furrows. He smiles uncertainly, like he's confused. Like he thinks that maybe Thomas is joking. "Um... what?"
Thomas takes the ring out of his pocket, holding it up so Newt can see what, exactly, it is he's offering. "Will you marry me?" He repeats.
"Sure," Newt says, laughing softly.
Marriage doesn't mean much in a world like this. It doesn't really mean anything at all, actually. Not when survival was always the thing everyone worried over. There wasn't time for something that futile.
But that didn't stop Thomas from asking. It didn't stop Newt from saying yes. It didn't stop Thomas from slipping that ring onto the blond's finger (a little small, but they made it work), didn't stop Newt from kissing him hard on the mouth afterward.
"Does this make us married?" Newt asks, his voice barely louder than a whisper. Thomas can barely hear him over the static buzzing of the flickering lights above them.
"...I don't know," Thomas admits. "I don't really know how this works." He pauses in thought. "I think we have to say 'I do', or something."
Newt tilts his head to the side. Normally, Thomas would have no problem attacking the pale, pristine flesh of the blond's neck, but he restrains himself this time. This is, like, essentially their wedding.
"Well, then," Newt says, "I do."
"I do, too."
"Guess we're married."
"Nah," Thomas says, "we have to kiss first."
Newt wraps his arms around Thomas's shoulders. Thomas grabs the blond's hips, kissing him hard. The first time they kissed, the first time ever, it had been almost whimsical. Fireworks had gone off in Thomas's head, bells had chimed, and there had been a lot of Minho's cheering in the background.
But this time....
This time it was just them. No fireworks, no bells, no ringing or buzzing in Thomas's ears.
It was just them, and that was enough.
It was just them, and that was all they needed there to be.
Until, of course, it wasn't just them.
"Wow, sure looks like you guys are scavenging," Minho calls out unhelpfully. He's about a foot away from them, and Thomas isn't sure how they didn't hear him creeping up on them.
"We just got married," Thomas says, "cut us some slack."
Minho hesitates for a moment, as if he wasn't sure if he heard correctly or not. When Newt escapes Thomas's hold and nods serenely, Minho repeats the action, resigning his judgment.
"Right," he says. "Well... congratulations, then."
Newt shrugs. "You didn't miss much."
"If I'd been the appointed flower girl, it would have been much more exciting," Minho assures them.
"I'm certain," Newt agrees.
"Hey! Get back to work!" Vince calls out from across the hall. He and Gally are looting another store, the one mirroring Newt and Thomas's.
Minho turns around to face the man. "Wow, you might as well object!" He calls out. "Disturbing a matrimonial ceremony like that! Unacceptable!"
"...A what?" Gally asks for clarification.
"We got married!" Thomas shouts back. "...I think! I don't really know how that works!"
"I say we did it," Newt says unhelpfully.
"Yeah," Thomas continues. "We're married now."
Vince groans audibly enough to be heard from across the way. "Of course you did," he says, unamused.
The Gladers exchange looks, staying silent for just a second before bursting out into laughter.
They might not have a lot in this world, but they have this. They have each other. And that is enough.
That will always be enough.