Chapter Text
Thomas let out a sigh as he slumped down at the foot of a tree. Throughout his short time at the Glade, he had grown accustomed to spending his spare time or nights sitting in the forest.
It had become his place of sanctuary too, an escape when things became stressful. And today had been one of those days. Gally’s derogatory comments, the other boys wild stares…
They were normal to him now, but on this particular day, Thomas felt them everywhere, watching his every move. For hours, he had been longing to flee and hide away between the trees but he couldn’t.
Under Alby, Chuck and Newt’s watchful eyes, he had been slaving away at work all day. But now, as the moon illuminated the sky, Thomas finally found peace
Peering through the foliage, towards the main sleeping area, Thomas found himself lost in thought. He hated it here. The stupid memory swipe, the maze, even the people.
Well, not all of the people. He had managed to make a couple of friends. There was Chuck, who was slightly irritating and managed to get on every single one of Thomas’s nerves but was still sweet, and Newt.
Newt, the boy who helped lead the Gladers, who kept things in order, who was one of the very few people Thomas cared about enough to put up with.
“What ya thinking about?”
Thomas almost jumped out of his skin when he heard the familiar voice. It was as if he had somehow summoned the blonde. Tilting his head up, Thomas locked his eyes on his friend.
Newt was leant against the side of the tree with his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. “Nothing.” Thomas smiled sheepishly. Newt didn’t look convinced but didn’t pursue any further answers and lowerred himself down beside Thomas.
The boys sat in silence for a while until Newt spoke up, “I’ll ask once more, is there something on your mind?” Thomas didn’t answer right away and instead pulled his knees up to his chest.
“Greenie, why are you sleeping here instead of with the others?”
Thomas scoffed, “Trying to sleep, but you’re not letting me.”
A smile tugged at Newt’s lips, “Not a proper answer, don’t deflect my question.”
Thomas shrugged, “I don’t know.”
Newt’s smile grew into a smirk, “Really? So are you a nature lover then?”
“What? No! It’s just… better here.”
“Huh, too high and mighty to sleep with the rest of us?”
Thomas scowled, “You know fully well that you have a proper bed which only ‘important’ people get. And what is this- question time? Am I being interviewed all of a sudden?”
Newt looked away and refocused his eyes towards the Glade centre beyond the trees. “I’m second in command so it is partly my job to watch over the Greenies or anyone showing odd behaviour. You tick both boxes.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Huh?” Was all Newt could muster, taken aback by Thomas’s slight change of tone.
“Don’t call me Greenie, it’s not my name.”
“Then what should I call you eh?” Newt rolled his eyes, “Your majesty? Slinthead? Tommy?”
Thomas groaned, “Shut it.”
“Tommy it is then.” Newt smiled.
“Why are you still here? You’ve seen I’m fine so why don’t you go back to your bed?”
Newt put his hand over his heart dramatically, “Do you not enjoy my company?”
Thomas looked away, moderately irritated, but not before a grin covered his face. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while before Newt stretched his arms out. “You’re strange, Tommy,” he yawned.
“I have no clue how you sleep like this.” Slowly, Newt got to his feet but Thomas grabbed his arm. “..Tommy?”
“Can you, uhm..stay?”
Newt’s eyes widened, “So you like my company now, huh?”
Putting on a show of being annoyed, Newt sat back down and Thomas smiled gently at him. The Glade had been consumed by a deafening quiet and Thomas listened to the sound of Newt’s rhythmic breathing.
“Stars.” He breathed.
“Hm?”
“Stars,” Thomas repeated, looking upwards, “why can’t I see the stars?” He frowned as foggy memories sloshed around in his brain.
He remembered what stars looked like, he remembered seeing stars, but… did he? A weird sensation crossed his brain and he shook his head. Newt opened his mouth to speak but closed it again.
He didn’t have an answer. Following Thomas’s gaze, he looked at the inky black sky. “I-I’m not sure.” Newt thought of the stars too. He couldn’t recall seeing the small specks of light at all during his time at the Glade.
A sharp slice of pain slit his mind as he attempted to think back to his childhood. He clutched the side of his head with a groan. “Are you alright?” Thomas quickly looked at him with a frown.
“I’m fine.”
Thomas’s eyebrows creased with worry, “Are you sure-“
“Tommy, I need you to cooperate and listen to me when I say I’m fine.” Newt sighed with an exasperated tone but his gaze softened when Thomas reluctantly relaxed.
Newt returned to looking at the sky and Thomas watched him intently. In the luminance of the moon, Newt’s features glowed in a delicate manner. Thomas could’ve sit and watched Newt for hours, just admiring him.
Unfortunately, the moment was shattered by a sudden screech from beyond the maze walls. Both Thomas and Newt flinched at the unexpected disruption of their peace and shot glances towards where the sound had come from.
“Tsk,” Newt grumbled, “those blighters give me the creeps.” Thomas hummed in agreement. Newt’s voice had a calming effect on him and he settled back against the tree.
As they got comfortable, Thomas noticed that they were now both pressed against each other slightly but didn’t say anything. Newt looked up at the trees with a weak smile.
“It’s a shame though.” He whispered.
“What?” Thomas responded in a hushed tone.
Newt’s eyes widened but his shoulders drooped, “Oh, nothing. Just thinking out loud.”
Thomas nudged his leg, “I’m all ears.”
A look of shock flashed across Newt’s face but it was replaced by thoughtfulness. “It’s a shame, being stuck in a maze and all. It’s also unbelievably odd.”
“I think everyone’s gathered that by now.” Thomas grinned.
Newt chuckled softly, but concern wilted his features. “No, Tommy, what I mean is,” Newt bit his lip as he thought, “it’s a shame that we can’t see the stars. Or the sea for that matter.”
Memories that were just out of reach bubbled up again as Newt pictured a beach in his mind. Thomas put a hand on Newt’s shoulder gently.
“You will.”
“Eh?”
“You will get to see the stars, I’ll make sure of it.”
“Tommy,” Newt warned, “you can’t just promise something like that. We haven’t spent the last couple years milling about y’know? The maze is a prison-“
“I swear it. I bloody swear it.”
Newt’s exasperated expression twisted into one of amusement, “My vocabulary getting to your brain shank?”
Thomas was glad for the darkness of the night because he could feel himself going red.
“Shut it and listen to me. We will see the stars some day, I promise.”
He stared into Newt’s eyes and his friend smiled delicately, “If you say so. Now, c’mon, get some rest Tommy.”
Newt nudged Thomas’s shoulder and the brunette yawned, “I suppose so…” his voice trailed off and Newt looked at his sleeping friend fondly.
“Night, Tommy.”