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"Still can't believe that."
Newt looked to Minho beside him in the grass. "Hmm?"
Nodding in the direction of Teresa and Brenda by the fire pit in the middle of the clearing, Minho wrapped both arms around his knees and grumbled, "Teresa."
Ah.
Watching as Brenda interrupted Teresa talking Chuck through what they would be doing for the evening by kissing her on the cheek, Newt sighed through his nose and glanced to Minho sulking by his side. "I don't think she did it to spite you."
Dropping his gaze, Minho mumbled, "Guess not." He closed his eyes and released a long breath, the feathers in his hair laying flatter than Newt had ever seen them. "Just feels kinda shit."
"I get it." Newt glanced across the clearing to where Thomas was sitting with his head on Gally's shoulder.
Nothing for a beat, then Minho cleared his throat. "I'd always wondered..."
Newt shrugged and gave Minho half a smile. "I told him years ago," he murmured, turning his gaze back to his best friend across the clearing. "We talked it out; he loves me as a friend. I'm used to the idea I can never have him, just... doesn't turn the feelings off." He shrugged again and dropped his eyes to his hands in his lap.
"Shit..."
"I'm happy for him," Newt clarified quickly. "I want him to be happy. And if happy means Gally..."
When Newt didn't finish, Minho folded his arms on his knees and perched his chin on them. "Doesn't mean you can't still find someone," he pointed out.
Newt shot him lopsided smirk. "Ditto."
Narrowing his eyes, Minho muttered, "Did you just talk me into giving myself advice?"
A wide grin spread across Newt's face. "Us boring old humans have tricks up our sleeves, too, y'know."
Minho's feathers lifted slightly as the corner of his mouth turned upwards. "Guess so." He flicked his eyes back to Teresa, who was now in full teacher mode as she showed Chuck what they would be doing for the next few hours. "Kinda hard to hate her," he admitted.
"Chuck's loving learning to brew potions," Newt hummed, watching Chuck carefully measuring ingredients.
"S'good he's got something to focus on... Can't believe their dad kicked them both out."
Newt nodded distantly. "To be fair, Gally had already moved in with Tommy."
Peering at Newt out the corner of his eye, Minho asked, "How'd that feel?"
"S'fine," Newt shrugged, the sparkle of pixie dust catching his eye as Thomas blew some from his cupped palm into Gally's face. "Besides... I don't think I really fancy him the way I used to. Think I'm just... lonely," he admitted quietly. "I'm jealous that he has someone, not that someone else has him, if that makes sense."
Minho nodded once. "I'm jealous of Teresa," he said flatly, making Newt snort.
"Well, how much do you and Brenda actually have in common?" Newt asked, nudging Minho with his elbow. "Do you think you'd work as a couple, or do you just think she's attractive?"
Minho's brows drew together in thought. "I guess..." His frown deepened. "I guess... it's just 'cause she's hot," he sighed eventually. "Y'know, and I like how fiery she gets."
Nudging Minho again, Newt assured him, "You'll move on. There're other hot people around, y'know."
"Really?" Minho snorted. "Safe Haven's pretty small."
Newt shook his head with a fond smile. "You'll find someone someday, Min."
A gleeful laugh rang out across the clearing, drawing attention to Thomas as he brushed pixie dust out of Gally's hair. Gally was pouting, clearly trying to look stern, but the soft look in his eyes took all the power from his expression, which melted completely when Thomas swooped in and kissed him.
"They really are insufferable, huh?" Minho smirked.
"Insufferably sweet," Newt corrected with a wistful look. He heaved a sigh, shooting Minho a rueful smile. "I hope I find that someday."
With half a smile, Minho leaned over to knock their shoulders together. "Me too."
Newt had just finished restocking the displays at the little plant nursery he worked at three days a week, humming to himself as he headed back towards the counter, when Gally appeared. "Afternoon," Newt nodded, smirking slightly when something blue and sparkly caught his eye. "You've got pixie dust on your neck."
Eyes widening a little, Gally wiped a hand down the side of his neck, face turning pink when his fingers came away with blue streaks. "He could've told me," he huffed fondly.
"It's like the pixie version of hickeys," Newt snickered as he busied his hands tidying the desk behind the counter.
Gally gave a half-hearted hum. "Not really. He's just better at hiding those."
Tilting his head, Newt supposed, "Tommy and his teeth."
"Exactly," Gally half-laughed, one hand absently rubbing at his arm.
"So..." Gesturing around them, Newt prompted, "What can I do for you?"
"Yes, right." Gally shook himself, then pulled a scrap of paper from his pocket, squinting at it. "Uh... Mint and aloe vera plants. Chuck's birthday's coming up, and me and Thomas wanna help him get a witch garden going."
A grin spread across Newt's face. "That's really sweet." Newt rounded the counter again, then waved for Gally to follow him out into the greenhouse of nursery. "He's really fallen in love with it, huh?"
"Yeah," Gally hummed, a fond little smile on his face. "It's nice to see him so passionate about something." His brow furrowed as they came to a stop after passing just one display aisle. "What's this?"
Grabbing a pot, Newt held it out for Gally. "Aloe vera."
Gally took the pot curiously, eyeing the long, spiky stalks growing out of the soil. "Really?"
"You've never seen aloe vera?" Newt laughed.
"Not the plant," Gally admitted, shaking his head. "Only in tubes."
"Well." Reaching for the plant, Newt searched for a small leaf, then broke it off. "The gel you get in tubes is in here." He showed Gally the inside of the leaf, then pinched it between his fingers to squeeze the small amount gel into his palm. "See?"
Gally's eyes were round with fascination. "Well, shit..."
Dropping the crushed leaf into the pot, Newt rubbed his hands together to spread the gel evenly across his skin. "Really good for sunburn and insect bites.
Nodding slowly, Gally checked, "Just straight out of the plant?"
"Straight out of the plant," Newt confirmed, waving for Gally to follow him further into the nursery. "Don't eat it, though; it's poisonous," he added.
With a hum of understanding, Gally half-laughed, "Impressive something so useful's just in a... what, leaf? Blade of grass?"
Smirking, Newt informed him, "Leaf. Aloe's actually a succulent."
Gally nodded, stopping beside Newt in front of a display of various labelled pots. "Mint?" he guessed.
"Well, what kind of mint are you after?" Newt chuckled, grinning at Gally's confused frown. "Spearmint, peppermint, apple mint, pennyroyal...?"
"Shit..." Gally flicked his eyes to Newt. "Uh... What would be best for a beginner witch?"
"That I can't answer," Newt sighed, casting his eyes over the selection. "You know what sort of thing he'd be using it for?"
"Tea," Gally nodded certainly. "Thomas said aloe for healing things, and mint for tea."
Now that Newt could work with. "Does he prefer sweet or sharp?"
A moment of consideration, then Gally decided, "Sweet."
"Spearmint." Grabbing a pot from the selection, Newt explained, "It's sweeter. Apple mint is a little fruity, whereas peppermint is, well, peppery." With a shrug, he held the pot out to Gally. "Spearmint is a good place to start. Once he's got the hang of things, he can start branching out a bit."
Taking the pot with his free hand, Gally looked between the two plants, then gave Newt a thankful look. "You made that look so easy."
"It's my job," Newt shrugged, though the praise warmed his insides. "Anyway, I'm trying to work out whether or not the plant of love and death is a good thematic gift for your brother's birthday," he snickered as he led Gally back through the rows of plants on display.
"Love and death?"
"Mint." Nodding to the spearmint plant in Gally's hand, Newt clarified, "Greek mythology says that one of Hades' lovers was a nymph called Minthe, who was turned into a plant by Persephone and crushed."
Gally blinked once, clearly stunned, waiting until they had reached the counter again before finally saying, "I don't think Chuck knows that, so it's fine."
Snorting, Newt assured him, "He almost certainly doesn't."
Gally set the two pots on the counter as Newt went about processing his purchase. "Speaking of love... You and Minho looked cosy the other night."
Newt almost choked on air, eyes popping wide as he darted them to Gally's face. "What?" he laughed incredulously.
"You and Minho." A tiny smirk appeared at the corner of Gally's mouth. "Spent the whole night talking. Real close."
"There's no 'me and Minho'," Newt scoffed, pushing the EFTPOS machine towards Gally. "We were lamenting unrequited feelings." When Gally grinned, Newt clarified, "For other people."
Gally raised his eyebrows, tapping his card to pay for his gifts. "Okay," he shrugged. "If you say so."
"I do say so," Newt said firmly.
"Okay." As Gally collected up the two plants, he supposed, "Guess I read it wrong."
"You did." Newt narrowed his eyes slightly at Gally's vaguely amused expression, watching him the whole way to the door. "Bye, Gally," he insisted when Gally paused at the exit, earning a laugh before his customer pushed out onto the street.
Huffing, Newt shook his head. He didn't have feelings for Minho. They were friends, sure, but Newt had never even vaguely considered Minho as partner material. Yeah, he was funny, but Minho never stuck him as particularly affectionate, even when he drunk, and Newt knew all too well that any partner he were ever to have would need to be very okay with physical affection. Also, Minho was an early riser, and Newt loved a sleep-in. Minho went for runs with Thomas, Newt had an injury that prevented him from moving quickly. Minho was coffee, Newt was tea all day. Minho was part of the magical world, and Newt was so human he didn't even realise he was living in a magical town for seven years until Thomas told him.
He didn't have feelings for Minho.
Besides, Minho wanted someone hot, and Newt certainly wasn't that. Thomas had called him cute many times, but Newt knew there wasn't a single sexy thing about him.
Not that it mattered. Because Minho was straight and Newt didn't have feelings for him.
He didn't.
He didn't.
He didn't.
Shaking himself, Newt turned to the computer beside him to check stock counts and push Gally's stupid assessment into a box in the back of his mind, never to be seen again.
Newt's face was set firmly in a scowl as he slumped down on Thomas' sofa, arms folded tightly across his chest.
"What's up your ass?" Thomas half-laughed, closing his front door and making his way over to drop down beside Newt.
"Your boyfriend's an arsehole."
Shaking his head in surprise, Thomas blurted out, "Why?"
Newt sank further into the sofa, chin pressing into his chest. "Had a dream about Minho last night," he mumbled.
"And that's Gally's fault...?"
"Fucker asked me about Minho when he came in to see me yesterday," Newt grumbled, scuffing his shoe against the carpet. "Said we looked 'cosy' during the moonlight brewing. Suggested there was something going on, which there's not."
A smirk flickered at the corner of Thomas' mouth. "And then you had a dream about him?"
Sending a scowl Thomas' way, Newt huffed, "Yes."
Thomas' smirk grew. "What kinda dream?"
"The kinda dream I'm not gonna give you the details of."
Barking a laugh, Thomas slapped a hand over his mouth as Newt shoved his shoulder. "I didn't know you had a thing for Minho," he snickered.
"I don't." Kicking his shoes off, Newt pulled his feet up onto the sofa, wrapping his arms around his legs. "Gally just put weird ideas in my head."
Thomas shuffled to face him, elbow propped on the back of the sofa and head leaning against his hand. "I was gonna say he's your type, but in the seven years we've known each other, the only person you've ever told me you had feelings for was me."
Something in Newt's stomach sank. "I know."
A pause, then Thomas' free hand settled on Newt's shoulder. "You're my best friend. You know that, right?"
Newt sighed through his nose. "Yeah. And you're mine." Turning his head towards Thomas, Newt assured him, "I'm not mad at Gally for being with you. He makes you happy, and that's all I want. I'm mad at him for putting ideas in my head that I can never follow through on because Minho's straight. Snogging him in my dreams is very different from reality."
A silence filled Thomas' living room, Newt's stomach sinking somehow lower. Eventually, Thomas whispered, "So you did kiss him in your dream?"
Shooting Thomas a convictionless glare, Newt shoved his friend again, something in his chest going light when Thomas threw his head back with a belly laugh. "Your stupid boyfriend-"
"No no no," Thomas chuckled, wagging a finger in Newt's face. "Gally's not stupid. You might wanna ask yourself why you're having sex dreams about a friend."
"That's not what it was," Newt stated firmly. When Thomas raised an amused eyebrow at him, he insisted, "It's not."
His subconscious providing him with the image of Minho running his hands over every inch of his body while kissing his breath away wasn't a sex dream. Embarrassingly intimate, yes, but not a sex dream.
Though perhaps it might have been if he hadn't been woken by the sound of his neighbour's cat falling off his roof again.
"Now you're daydreaming about him," Thomas snickered, poking Newt's arm.
"I'm not." With a huff through his nose, Newt sat himself up and shuffled more comfortably into the sofa. "Can we just watch some garbage, please? I don't fancy Minho."
The giggling pixie hopped up from his seat. "Fine," he shrugged innocently. "I'll grab the wine." A wicked little gleam lit up in his eyes. "Long as you don't start rambling about Minho's arms when you're tipsy."
"I've never done that!" Newt protested as Thomas cackled and darted into his kitchen. He folded his arms, but now couldn't shake the idea that Minho was in his subconscious, lurking beneath the surface until he let his guard down.
But it didn't matter. Because he didn't have feelings for Minho.
It was only because Newt was English. That was the only reason Minho had asked him. Stereotyping.
"And this is the best one?" Minho checked, reading over Newt's shoulder the back of the box of teabags he had pulled from his cupboard.
"They're my favourite," Newt nodded, focussing on breathing normally with Minho's eyes peering over his arm. Why was he nervous? He didn't have feelings for Minho.
Minho hummed, eyes darting up to the cupboard full of a huge array teas in boxes and jars. "So... why all these?"
Replacing his favourite Assam teabags in their rightful spot in the cupboard, Newt gestured to the range of different teas. "Well, most of these aren't caffeinated. If every tea I had was caffeinated, I'd be pinging so much you'd have to scrape me off the ceiling."
A surprised laugh barked from Minho's mouth. "Right."
"Most of these are ones Teresa made," Newt explained, waving his hand towards the various jars and metal tins that took up the majority of his cupboard. "And a couple from Tommy."
With a wise nod, Minho pointed to a particular jar. "Why's this one called TNT?"
Newt smirked. "Because Tommy and Teresa worked together on it. T and T." Tilting his head, he added, "It's also got some pixie magic in it, so it fizzes in your mouth."
"Why would you want your tea to fizz?" Minho asked incredulously.
"Can be fun if you're drunk," Newt shrugged.
"You drink tea when you're drunk?" Minho laughed, knocking Newt with his shoulder.
"Settles my stomach," Newt murmured, hyper-aware of Minho's arm brushing his.
"See, I knew you were the right person to ask," Minho snickered, reaching to pull a jar from the cupboard and turning it over to watch the tea leaves roll against the glass. "How d'you make tea with this? Since there's no bag."
Newt took the excuse to step away from Minho's warmth and grabbed his tea strainer. "It's like a reusable teabag."
And Minho got back in close again, eyeing the strainer in Newt's hands and forcing him to hold his breath to keep any reactions at bay. "Okay..."
"Why the sudden interest in tea?" Newt asked, cursing himself for noticing his heartrate pick up at Minho's proximity.
A sustained sigh, then Minho stepped back and returned the jar to the cupboard, folding his arms and scanning the variety. Eventually, just when Newt was thinking he wouldn't be given an answer, Minho mumbled, "Teresa." He stretched his neck, then added, "For my health, apparently."
Newt tilted his head with a frown. "Were you worried about something?"
"Nah. She pulled me aside the other day and told me she's worried I drink too much coffee. Said tea would be better."
Lifting an eyebrow, Newt snorted, "Is that her professional opinion?"
"Unfortunately," Minho grumbled, his shoulders moving with a huff. "I mean, I don't really like the taste of coffee that much, but I like the caffeine."
"Well... we'll find you a tea you like the taste of," Newt suggested with a decisive nod.
Then Minho flashed him a dazzling grin and dammit, when did his eyes start looking like that? And since when did Newt's heart skip when he had Minho's eyes on him?
Fuck.
"How long would it take to try all of these?" Minho snickered, nodding to the cupboard.
Newt couldn't help but laugh. "How long've you got?"
Smirking, Minho admitted, "Not that long. I'm running with Thomas in the morning."
Pointing to the jar Minho had been holding, Newt told him, "That one has no caffeine, so it can wait for another time. Y'know, since that's what you wanted."
"Okay." Waving his hands around the contents of the cupboard, Minho half-laughed, "What in here has caffeine?"
Newt stepped up and dragged his finger along a shelf to underline half a dozen types of tea. "Just these ones. So, we can start there, and maybe try some of the herbal ones another time. Once you know what kinda flavours you like, you can ask Teresa to put a blend together for you."
"Yeah." The next look Minho gave him was undeniably fond, making Newt's stomach flip. "Thanks."
His face warming, Newt turned to flick the kettle on. "You're welcome," he murmured, closing his eyes a moment to pull himself together.
He didn't have feelings for Minho. He didn't have feelings for Minho. He didn't have feelings for-
"You okay?" Minho checked, moving up to stand by Newt's side.
"Yeah," Newt sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Just... distracted. Sorry."
Minho shrugged a little. "Wanna talk about it?"
Resisting the urge to snort, Newt shook his head. "Don't think it would help."
Giving Newt's arm a friendly squeeze, Minho jerked his thumb over his shoulder to the teas. "Maybe if we drink enough tea, you'll be too wired to notice."
Newt glanced to his side to find Minho grinning at him, and really, how could he resist that? "Yeah, okay," he chuckled, earning a cheer from Minho. "Mugs are-"
"This one," Minho nodded, already pulling one of the overhead cupboards open. "I know."
Watching Minho so at ease in his space wasn't helping the gymnastics Newt's insides insisted upon performing. He pushed the sugar jar towards Minho, who transferred it to the kitchen table along with all of Newt's mismatching but cohesive mugs. Taking a deep breath through his nose, Newt braced himself for an afternoon of tea-drinking with a friend that he definitely hadn't developed a sudden and unexpectedly intense crush on.
Given it was the early afternoon, Newt wasn't worried about being seen or overheard when he marched into Gally's workplace and right up to the bar. "Fuck you."
Gally, who had been wiping glasses behind the bar, blinked at him in surprise. "Hi...?"
"No, not 'hi'," Newt huffed, folding his arms. "Fuck you."
Another blink. "Okay... Fuck me...?"
"Exactly." Casting a quick look around to ensure the bar was empty, Newt climbed up onto a stool and propped his elbows on the bartop, burying his face in his hands.
"Uh..."
"Why'd you have to say anything?" Newt mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "Why, why'd you do this to me?"
A pause, then the sound of a glass being set aside. "Wanna elaborate?" Gally prompted patiently.
Newt peeked out from between his fingers, then dropped his hands onto the bar. "What you said about Minho," he said softly.
"Oh yeah?" A smirk slowly spread itself across Gally's face.
"No." Newt pointed a stern finger at Gally. "No, you don't get to be smug. This isn't fair, you don't get to be bloody proud of yourself."
Gally's smirk faded. "What's happened?"
"You." Balling his hands into fists, Newt sucked in a deep breath, slumping against the bar as he exhaled. "I've done the whole 'unrequited feelings for a friend' thing. I've done it to death. I've been chewed up and spat out by my emotions enough already, I didn't need it again..."
After a moment, Gally folded his arms and leaned them on his side of the bar. "You wanna tell me, or you want me to guess?" he asked, not a hint of sarcasm or snark in his tone.
"Tommy," Newt whispered, eyes on the polished wood between them. "And I talked to him," he clarified, shaking his head. "Years ago. It's fine, I'm not... He's yours, and I'm genuinely okay with that. I've known we wouldn't be a thing for a long time." Dragging his hands down his face, he admitted, "But I wasn't always fine about it. And now... what you said about Minho..."
Gally nodded silently, tapping his fingers against the bar. "So you do like him?"
"I don't know," Newt whined covering his eyes with his hands. "I don't bloody know. It feels like I do, but... I dunno if I'm just overthinking it because you went and opened your gob."
"I was just-"
"Don't." Letting his hands fall to the bar again, Newt sent Gally an exhausted look. "I can't. I was up all night thinking about it; it got me nowhere."
With a nod, Gally breathed a sigh. "Thomas told me you used to have feelings for him," he said lowly. "I remember thinking that sounds like hell."
Newt snorted, dragging a hand through his hair. "Being in love with your best friend in a way they don't return? Yeah, it is."
Another nod. "Sorry."
"What for?" With a shrug, Newt pointed out, "Tommy's so happy with you; that's everything I want for him."
"No, I'm... Y'know, about Minho."
Newt swallowed hard, dropping his gaze. "Yeah," he said softly. Elbow on the bar and chin in his hand, Newt huffed, "How's it even work, anyway? Humans and magical creatures?"
Half a smirk appeared on Gally's face. "Well... they're still people. Obviously there's, y'know... differences. I wouldn't end up covered in blue sparkles if I was dating a human."
Though he smiled slightly, Newt asked, "But what's the deal with an inmyeonjo?"
"Technically, Minho's a descendant of an inmyeonjo," Gally corrected, finally grabbing his cloth and returning to wiping glasses behind the bar. "They're a connecting force between the land and the sky. Also, apparently, they can catch and eat dragons." With a shrug, he sighed, "I tried researching them once, in case there was anything I needed to avoid doing around Minho, but most of the Google results are about adaptations in video games or articles talking about the 2018 Winter Olympics."
Newt nodded slowly. "Guess it's easier to research pixies."
"Way easier," Gally half-laughed, shaking his head. "Finding information on Eastern mythology seems to be pretty difficult."
Another slow nod. "I'm helping him find a tea he likes," Newt murmured, picking at his thumbnail. "He wanted advice."
With a snort, Gally chuckled, "Surprised he didn't ask Thomas. That pixie has a whole shelf for just tea."
Newt's mouth tugged up at the corner. "Tommy's tea collection is nothing compared to mine."
"Fuck," Gally muttered, eyes wide as he continued to wipe glasses.
"Yeah." With a sigh through his nose, Newt whispered, "Sorry for abusing you at work."
Shrugging one shoulder, Gally admitted, "I probably deserved it."
"Don't say shit like that," Newt said sternly. He pressed both hands to the bar and pushed himself upright. "Guess I should leave you to it."
As he slid off his stool and turned towards the door, Newt was stopped by a final, "Sorry."
He sent a half-hearted smile over his shoulder at Gally, then continued on across the bar and out the door.
Three sessions. Three tea-testing sessions, and Newt was sure he'd never be able to drink half of his collection again, because watching Minho's face light up at flavours he enjoyed knotted his stomach and warmed his chest. Each time they found a flavour Minho liked, Newt filed the information away in his head, trying to preserve a snapshot of Minho's delighted face.
He was certain there was something unhealthy about it.
"Afternoon," Minho grinned as he stepped into Newt's home, making a beeline for the kitchen. "What're we trying today?"
Taking a deep, steadying breath, Newt followed his friend into the kitchen. "I um... I did some research," he explained carefully, ducking around Minho to open the doors to his tea cupboard. "We're starting to find flavours you like, and before we start actually working out a blend, I wanted to get you to try something... y'know, more traditional." He tried to ignore the way his hands trembled slightly as he grabbed a glass jar. "These are peach blossoms."
Minho's eyes went wide. "My mom used to drink dohwa-cha," he murmured, absently reaching for the jar to inspect the dried flower buds inside. With a distant smirk, he added, "I always knew; never interrupt Mom's dohwa-cha unless someone was dying."
"Dohwa-cha?" Newt frowned.
"Peach blossom tea." Minho unscrewed the lid of the jar and stuck his nose over it, eyes falling closed as he breathed the smell, the feathers in his hair ruffling.
Watching Minho lose himself in the scent of dried flowers, Newt ventured, "I thought maybe we could try something from your culture, since we already do a lot of mine..."
A pause, then Minho replaced the lid on the jar and set it on the table before wrapping both arms around Newt's middle in a hug. Forehead pressed against Newt's shoulder, he whispered, "Thank you."
Newt swallowed the rush of emotions that almost overtook him, slowly curling his arms around Minho's neck. "S'okay," he said softly, closing his eyes to fight tears as he leaned his cheek on Minho's hair.
This was the first time in too long he'd had a hug from someone that wasn't Thomas or his sister. Minho's hold was strong and stable, but not too tight, forming a knot in Newt's throat because he never wanted to let go. He could feel Minho's heartbeat, steady against his ribs. The safety and stability of this hug was addictive, keeping him locked in place.
Also, if he pulled away now, Minho would see the tear sneaking down his cheek.
"D'you know what peach blossoms symbolise?" Minho mumbled into his shoulder.
Unable to trust his voice, Newt shook his head.
"Growth and prosperity." Holding Newt just a little tighter, Minho whispered, "S'what Mom always wanted for me."
Newt wanted to ask. He had talked with Thomas enough to learn that there was a good reason for his magical friends to be living in a town called Safe Haven, but he often wondered what had happened to their families. Now, he supposed, was probably not the right time to ask.
On and on the hug went, freeing a few more of Newt's tears as he finally admitted to himself that he did have feelings for Minho. He was stupid enough to let himself fall for another friend, one who wasn't even interested in men, and now a moment like this was the most he could have to satisfy his heart.
Fuck Gally and his big dumb mouth.
"I saw Brenda and Teresa today," Minho piped up conversationally, as though he weren't currently the only thing holding Newt upright.
Now trusting his voice even less, Newt gave a quiet hum, praying his tears would stop before Minho could draw away and see them.
"Yeah... I'm not jealous anymore."
Newt nodded and whispered, "Good."
A pause, then Minho gave him a little squeeze. "You okay?" He pulled away enough to look Newt in his face, his eyes going wide. "What's wrong?" he asked quickly, grabbing Newt's shoulders.
Shaking his head slightly as his arms fell to his sides Newt sniffled, "I've got myself more unrequited feelings."
Minho's face flickered through a few emotions before settling on something sad. "Oh."
"And I feel like an idiot," Newt continued, taking a deep breath to quell another rush of tears threatening to fall. "You'd think I'd know better, but..."
Rubbing Newt's shoulder, Minho gave him a hopeful smile and supposed, "At least you know you're definitely over Thomas."
Unfortunately, the single laugh Newt managed to choke out was more of a sob.
Minho's smile faded. He glanced down, brows furrowed in thought, then flicked his gaze back up to Newt's face. "Can I ask who?" he ventured gently.
An ache ebbed through Newt's body. "Minho..." he whispered, meeting his friend's eyes emploringly.
"What?" Minho studied Newt's eyes for a moment, then a tiny spark of realisation flickered in his gaze. He glanced over his shoulder to the jar of peach blossoms, then back to Newt. "They symbolise something else, too."
Disappointment flooded Newt's body as Minho changed the subject. "Oh?" he replied half-heartedly.
"Yeah." Minho's hands moved from Newt's shoulders to his jaw, the word, "Love," barely reaching Newt's ears before Minho's lips met his.
A buzzing noise filled Newt's head, his body unable to immediately react. Minho was kissing him. Someone he had feelings for was doing something that indicated they had feelings for him in return. His hands twitched, then grabbed the front of Minho's shirt, holding on as he let himself fall into the taste of Minho's mouth.
One of Minho's hands found its way into Newt's hair, using a firm grip to angle Newt's head the way he wanted it. "I don't know what this is," Minho breathed out as their lips parted. "But I know I want it."
Another wave of tears filled Newt's eyes, lurching forward to plant a solid kiss on Minho's mouth. "Me too," he sniffed. "I want this."
"Thank fuck for that," Minho sighed, stealing a few more kisses. "I'm... I'm not used to feeling like this about a guy, but... honestly, I don't care."
Newt leaned his forehead against Minho's, taking a moment to collect himself. "Dunno what you want with me... I thought you wanted someone hot," he murmured with a lopsided smile.
Rolling his eyes, Minho muttered, "You clearly don't own a mirror." His hand not in Newt's hair wrapped around his waist. "Stop being self-depricating and lemme kiss you."
And how could Newt argue with that?
Newt and Thomas were just reaching the end of their reality tv and wine session when the front door opened. Since they lived here, Gally and Chuck were expected, but Minho wandering in behind them was a surprise.
"Hey, Min," Thomas greeted, a slight frown on his face but cheerful nonetheless.
"Hi..." Minho's gaze turned to Newt, whose body flushed warm. "Chuck said you were here."
Deliberately ignoring the looks he was no doubt receiving, Newt pushed off Thomas' sofa and crossed to Minho standing by the door. "What's up?"
Minho raised the jar in his hands to draw Newt's attention to it. "I've been at Teresa's... She helped me put together a tea blend."
"Oh..." Eyeing the jar, Newt prompted, "What's in it?"
"Earl grey and peach blossom."
Heart skipping a beat, Newt glanced up to Minho's face.
"I know Assam's your favourite, but it was too overpowering," Minho explained, shaking the jar a little to show the peach blossoms appearing through the black tea leaves. "We worked out it's best with a little honey, too." He tipped his head towards the door, offering Newt his hand. "Wanna come try it?"
A grin spread across Newt's face as his heart swelled. "Yeah," he nodded, taking Minho's hand. "Later, Tommy," he called over his shoulder, already heading out with Minho, hand-in-hand.
Thomas covered his mouth with his hand, turning a stunned look to Gally as he sank into the spot Newt had vacated. "You were right..."
With a slightly smug smile, Gally shrugged, "They just needed a little nudge."
"What kind of non-magical magic...?" A breathless laugh left Thomas' mouth, turning to Gally to press a kiss to his lips. "My clever human," he murmured with a grin.