No. 1 Party Anthem

by History_Neek

Summary:

AU!! Thomas has started college with his friend Minho who introduces him to a charismatic blonde. Now, Thomas is sure that he is in love but is he brave enough to face it..?

No. 1 Party Anthem - song by the Artic Monkeys

***
“Bloody hell, where are my manners? The name’s Newt.” He stuck out his hand and Thomas took it a bit too eagerly.
“Thomas.”
“Nice to meet you Tommy, can I call you that?”
“I mean, sure.”
“Good that.”
***

Notes:

I am sleep deprived so please don’t judge my writing 😭🙏

Chapter 1: Snap Out Of It

Thomas lunged onto his bed after a long day of working. He had sat through two early lectures before filling in his coworker Winston’s shift at his part time job, a local coffee shop. Thomas’s roommate and friend Minho eyed him warily. “You good man?”
Thomas only grunted in response which made Minho chuckle, “C’mon, we’re almost halfway through term, and hey- it’s a Friday! Let me treat you to a little outing.”

Thomas lifted his head up from his pillows and smiled weakly, “It’s fine Minho, maybe tomorrow night? I’m exhausted.”
“If you say so,” Minho sat back and continued typing on his computer, but then paused, “oh, I forgot, I need to buy some milk. Be back in a bit.” He jumped up and grabbed his keys, heading out the door.

Thomas didn’t move, on the brink of consciousness and sleep. Minho couldn’t have been gone for more than five minutes when Thomas’s phone buzzed loudly from his pocket. He jumped before snatching it groggily. A message from Minho read:

-Forgot to mention that I’m expecting my friend to drop by and help me with my work for an hour. If the door goes let him in please thanksss x

Thomas rolled his eyes and responded with a thumbs up emoji. Minho always sent him x’s with messages as an inside joke. Tiredness tugging at his eyelids, Thomas melted back into the pillows. A sharp knock at the door snapped him out of his dreams. Thomas peeled himself from his bed and checked his watch as he walked. 5:42, he had slept for a solid half an hour.

“How long does it take to go to the shops?” Thomas grumbled to himself, noting that Minho still hadn’t returned. He swung open the door only to see a pair of inquisitive brown eyes and an easygoing smile. “Hey.” The stranger said, looking Thomas up and down.
Suddenly feeling self conscious, Thomas nodded, “Uhm, hi.”
The person looked at him and cocked his head to the side slightly, “You must be Minho’s roomie I’m guessing.”

“Mhm, yes that’s me.” They stood awkwardly for a few moments before the visitor cleared his throat, “May I..?”
“Oh right, sorry, of course.” Thomas quickly opened the door and let the person in.

The guy walked through the corridor and entered Thomas and Minho’s bedroom before sitting down heavily on Minho’s bed. Thomas sat down on his own bed and smiled sheepishly,
“Bloody hell, where are my manners? The name’s Newt.” He stuck out his hand and Thomas took it a bit too eagerly.

“Thomas.”
“Nice to meet you Tommy, can I call you that?”
“I mean, sure.”
“Good that.”

Another silence descended over them but it wasn’t awkward anymore, just tense. Newt looked at Thomas curiously and raised an eyebrow. “So Tommy, how long have you known Minho?” Newt’s voice was laced with a thick, British accent and it made Thomas’s heart flutter slightly.
He cleared his throat, “Since high school. You?”

“Well technically since infant school, but we reconnected a couple years ago. Strange lad he is mind.”
Thomas smiled and all his nerves simmered away. Newt seemed nice and he had no trouble sparking a conversation. “Yeah, you could say that,” Thomas stood up slowly, “care for a tea or coffee?”

“A tea if you don’t mind.” Newt winked and Thomas left the room. He hurriedly boiled and poured the drinks, barely noticing Newt standing behind him.
“Huh, you make that look professional,” He spoke up, making Thomas jump and turn around, “sorry, didn’t mean to spook you.”
“No it’s fine. I do work in a cafe though so..”

“Oh right. Part time?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s sweet. Which one? There’s a few I know of locally.”
“The one called Plant House that’s on the corner, near the bar.”

“Really?” Newt grinned and leant on the doorframe, making Thomas’s heart do a backflip, “I’ve popped in there a couple of times, never seen ya about.”
Thomas shrugged, “I work afternoon shifts so not too many people are about.”

Newt ran his fingers through his hair, “Ah, I visit sometimes in the evenings before I start my shifts.”
“Wait you work there too?” Thomas’s voice sounded confused yet too excited then he had meant to let on.
“Oh no, the bar. I’ve done a couple gigs there with my friends.”
“Gigs?” Thomas attempted to hide the slight disappointment in his voice.

“Late night shows. Me and a couple of mates do music and the bar gives us a bit of easy money.”
Thomas nodded as he finished the drinks, “What days do you play? Maybe I’ll come watch you guys sometime.”
“We’re actually playing tomorrow, but we usually play on Thursdays. Tomorrow is only an exception because it’s the managers birthday and they wanted a little celebration, you know how it is.”

Thomas felt his pulse quicken as he recalled his earlier conversation with Minho, “Yes.”
“Huh?”
“I can go see you tomorrow with Minho, he wants to get me out at night.”

Newt smiled as he accepted his drink, “Suppose I’ll have to put on a good show then eh?”
They left the small kitchen and returned back to the main living and shared bedroom. They had just sat down when Minho entered.
“I’m back, hey Newt. Nice to see you’re getting along.”
“Hi Minho.” Thomas smiled.

Newt grinned too, “Tommy told me something about you two going out tomorrow?”
“Yeah we talked a bit ‘bout that earlier.”
“How about you come see my show? ‘Ts all free except the drinks.”

Minho seemed to consider it, then nodded, “Sounds good! Now sorry to cut short your newfound buddy time but Newt can you help me with this essay? It’s literally killing me.”
“Dramatic much?”

Thomas tuned out the conversation as the boys completed Minho’s school work. He pulled out his laptop and started copying down notes into his book. He had an important science paper due soon but his mind was elsewhere.

As he attempted to read and write, he found himself sketching aimlessly. After a while of him being zoned out and his pencil occasionally brushing the page, Newt appeared over his shoulder. “Majoring in science?”
Thomas jumped and quickly focused himself, “Yeah.”

Newt nodded, his face dangerously close to Thomas’s neck, “Plannin’ to be a doctor or something?”
“Along those lines..” in reality, Thomas still has no idea what he wanted to do with his life.

His parents had heavily encouraged him to take science throughout his time in education in order to become a doctor, but was that what he wanted? A small part of him felt lost and he wanted to help other people- to guide them in the right direction. Being a teacher, he sometimes felt it calling his name.

“Earth to Tommy?” Newt was smiling at him amusedly and Thomas felt like a fool.
“Sorry, zoned out.”
“He keeps doing it.” Minho huffed from the other end of the room.

Thomas recalled multiple times when he would not notice or see Minho but suddenly snap back to find him shaking his shoulders, saying “Dude, wake up!”
Newt frowned softly, “Yeah, I noticed you weren’t fully with it so I wanted to check up. Gotten any work done?”
For someone he had barely known for a few hours, Thomas felt strangely comfortable in Newt’s presence. He looked to the floor and sighed, “No.”

“Then have a break, yeah? Maybe take yourself on a walk.” Newt helped him up and he obliged, ambling out of the door. He felt dazed and only really realised what was happening when he had paced some metres away from his small apartment. Glancing back up at his window, he grumbled but continued walking.

He put on some headphones and listened to music, strolling through his campus for roughly an hour until he decided to return home. To his disappointment, Newt wasn’t there when he got back. He didn’t ask Minho about him as he didn’t want to seem weird or stalker-ish. Instead, he opted to focus on his studies and wait patiently for the following evening.

Chapter 2: I Wanna Be Yours

Thomas woke up to find that a blanket had been laid over him. His laptop sat in his lap and a half-drunken coffee stood beside him. Sleepily, he pulled himself up and looked to his watch, only to find that it was already the afternoon. Luckily, he had nothing to do but he still felt unproductive. Getting cleaned up and dressed, he grabbed his headphones and went outside.

The walk he had taken yesterday had been surprisingly pleasant so he retraced his footsteps. The autumn air filled the breeze and the trees rustled peacefully. A catchy song filled Thomas mind as he walked, distracting him from the person that stood in front of him. Unluckily, he bumped into them and immediately apologised, only to lay his gaze upon a pair of recognisable eyes.
“Well hello again.”

Newt crossed his arms and smiled, “Sleep well Tommy?”
“Mhm. You?”
“Yes.” They stood quietly as Thomas slowly removed his headphones and rubbed the back of his head.
“Sorry for not seeing you, got distracted.”

“Nah, don’t worry yourself. Best be off.” He playfully elbowed Thomas before turning and walking away. Something about the conversation left Thomas feeling like a nervous wreck. He had just embarrassed himself in front of the cute guy he had met yesterday!
The cute guy..
Thomas clasped his hand over his face and groaned.

A voice popped up from behind him, “Thomas!” Thomas’s friends Brenda and Frypan walked over to him happily.
“Who was that babe?” Brenda raised an eyebrow and grinned. Thomas ignored the comment and greeted them.
“Where are you off to?” Frypan asked.
Thomas shrugged, “Nowhere in particular.”

“Then why don’t you join us for lunch?”
“If that’s alright, then okay.” The trio made their way down to a local restaurant, chatting about all the latest gossip in Frypan’s kitchen training course and all of the interesting shenanigans some of Brenda’s friends had been up to.

The restaurant was a quiet little place that Thomas had only been to a couple of times. They ordered, ate and just talked about life. After their meals, they left and continued walking around their campus. A while passed and Frypan had to go to a meeting so Brenda and Thomas were left on their own. Casually, they strolled and joked about their time at their engineering club until the sun started setting. As they admired the crisp air and pretty trees, a pair of uneven footsteps sounded behind them.

Brenda peered behind Thomas before checking her watch, “Gotta start off my shift in the garage. Seeya around Thomas.”
“Bye Bren.” Thomas waved her off before glancing up at Newt who stood beside him.
“Hello Thomas.” Newt said with a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Uhm, hey Newt-“

“Who was that girl?” Newt had an unpredictable look in his eyes and Thomas could’ve sworn that there was a hint of jealousy in his voice. He mentally slapped himself for thinking that, why would Newt be jealous? They barely knew each other, yet that look in his eyes, and the fact he hadn’t used his nickname-
“Earth to Thomas? Zoning out again eh?” Newt sounded cheerful but there it was again, the lack of his nickname.

Thomas crossed his arms and smiled sheepishly, “That was Brenda, we both do an engineering club and she’s also dating my friend Frypan.” As subtly as possible, Thomas added emphasis to the word ‘dating’. He could have imagined it, but it was almost like Newt visibly relaxed slightly when he heard Thomas’s answer.
“Good that,” Newt looked away from Thomas and at the path ahead, “wanna walk with me?”

“Nice day.” Newt mumbled as he started walking. Thomas copied his pace and grinned.
“Suppose so.” They strolled peacefully as the sun set, casting an orange glow over them.

Thomas tried to focus on the world around him as he walked but his eyes kept drifting back to the man beside him. Thomas had barely known him for two days yet somehow felt drawn to him. The way he talked so easily, the way he seemed so genuine with every word he said, it was mesmerising. Newt must’ve noticed Thomas’s eyes that were focused on him as he peered down and smirked. “What?”

Thomas felt himself go red and he instantly turned away. “Nothing. Zoned out.”
“Sure.” They continued their walk until the campus streetlights turned on.
“Afraid I’m gonna have to leave you now Tommy.” Newt said, glancing at the time on his phone.

Thomas felt a buildup of confidence inside of himself and he tugged gently on Newt’s arm, “Not gonna walk me home first?”
Newt looked surprised but smiled, “Guess I’ve got a bit of time.”
Not many words were exchanged in the brief stroll to Thomas’s shared apartment, but the boys walked in a considerably comfortable silence. At last, Thomas stood at his door and turned to Newt.
“Thank you.” He laughed.

Newt had a small glimmer in his eyes and he laughed too, “T’was only the gentlemanly thing to do.” Thomas waved him off before opening his door and heading towards his room.

Minho was flicking through his study papers and lifted his head when Thomas walked in. “Where’ve you been mister?”
“Out, met up with some friends.”
“Nice. Still down for going out tonight?”
Thomas nodded and took off his coat before laying back down on his bed. Minho raised his eyebrows, “Not gonna get dressed up?”

“No.”
“Fair enough.”
Thomas tried to sleep but unnecessary thoughts plagued his mind.

Had he done the dishes? Was his homework completed? Had he got Newt’s- an annoying realisation hit Thomas, that he didn’t have Newt’s number. He tussled with the idea of asking Minho but he knew well that he’d only be met with teasing. He sighed and decided that he would have to give it to him at a later date. Eventually, he drifted into a deep sleep.

Minho woke him up by dragging him out of bed and passing him a jacket. They ambled out into the night after fixing themselves up slightly. Adrenaline coursed through Thomas’s veins as they passed people on the street. He wasn’t used to the nightlife and could barely remember the last time he had gone out late.

Once they passed Thomas’s workplace, they entered the bar that Newt had recommended. The place was moderately crowded and funky music swam through numerous speakers. A small stage stood bare at the side and Thomas silently prayed that Newt would appear up there sooner or later. Minho led Thomas further in and bought them drinks. Thomas just sat down and studied his surroundings. He hadn’t visited a place like this since his graduation. Minho returned and they talked about random subjects until a figure showed up on the stage.

“Hello?” They laughed into the microphone. A thick British accent. Thomas found himself, followed by Minho, walking right up to the front. Through the strobing lights all around them, Thomas doubted that Newt could see him but he didn’t want to call out and look foolish so he just looked up at his friend in awe.

“Thank you all for coming. Me and my band are going to be performing tonight for Micheal’s birthday. Can we get a cheer?” A few loud whoops sounded and Newt grinned. Thomas was awestruck by how charming Newt could be even talking to a large number of people.

“The music that me, Gally and Alby,” Newt pointed to the bass guitarist and drummer who were behind him, “have decided to play for you is a few songs by the Artic Monkeys. Are you ready?” A cheer sounded but Newt shook his head.
“I said are you ready?” The entire bar yelled out in chorus and Newt shouted to Alby, who started up the drums. As Newt strummed at his guitar, the recognisable tune of 505 filled the air. Every lyric that came out of Newt’s mouth sounded gorgeous and purposeful.

Minho shook Thomas’s arm and smiled, “He’s good, isn’t he?”
“Amazing!” They laughed and continued listening along. The song ended too quickly for Thomas’s liking but luckily for him, it was followed swiftly by Brianstorm. The melody floated around so perfectly that it left Thomas breathless. He could’ve sworn that as Newt sung the chorus, their eyes met. It may of only been brief, but those moments completely threw Thomas’s world off balance.

Chapter 3: Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?

It took Thomas a few moments to snap back to reality as the tune faded out. Many more people had gathered and were dancing in couples around him. He suddenly felt insecure about standing on his own but he couldn’t remove his eyes from the blonde in front of him. A couple more songs, No Buses and Snap Out Of It, filled the bar. Thomas had never really listened to the Arctic Monkeys before but he knew that they were going to be the only thing he listened to for at least a month.

Newt’s voice was just so perfect and carefree, it made the atmosphere around him feel electric. Thomas could’ve stood there all night but sadly the music had to end at some point. As the last few notes played and the crowd let out numerous cheers, Newt put his hands up. “That was supposed to be our last song, I know, but as it is a special occasion, we have one last tune lined up for you.”

A few whoops echoed around through the hubbub of chatter and Newt played a riff on the guitar. “This is for a special someone, I’m sure that they’re out there somewhere in this crowd. If you’re here, yeah. This is for you.” Thomas felt his heart rate increase and he forgot how to breathe. Could Newt be talking about.. him? Surely not. A song Thomas had never heard before started and immediately, all of the background noise in the bar stopped and couples danced closely.

“It’s not like I’m falling in love, I just want you to do me no good, you look like you could.” Yet again, Thomas saw Newt sneak a glance in his direction “Come on, come on, come on..” Newt’s voice was smooth and Thomas craved hearing it, “before the moments gone! Number one, party anthem,” some words of the song stuck out to Thomas but most of it faded out. He was too focused on how ethereal Newt looked in the spotlight.

“The look of love,” Thomas froze to the spot as the singers eyes fixed on him. In that moment, nothing else mattered. He couldn’t hear anything anymore, the only thing that existed were Newt’s eyes. The song ended, the band took a bow, then the speakers started emitting a loud hum of random music. Thomas stood in front of the stage, still awestruck and stunned.

It took him a while to peel his eyes away and notice that Minho was gone, “Probably snoggin’ some girl.” Thomas muttered to himself. Unsure of what to do, he walked over to the bar and ordered a drink, then another. He looked around at the scene and saw something that made his heart drop. Newt was sat in a booth with his band mates and a girl who was swooning over him.

He seemed content with the attention which only made Thomas hurt more. Why did he feel like this? “It must just be the alcohol.” He told himself. Then, as if it couldn’t get worse, Newt locked eyes with him and raised an eyebrow. Thomas quickly averted his gaze and stared down at his drink. Surely Newt was going to find him weird now. He was proved wrong when minutes later, a friendly hand clapped his back and a familiar person took a seat next to him.

“I thought you’d left Tommy!” Newt grinned and ordered a drink.
“Right,” Thomas suddenly felt unbelievably small, “uhh..nice singing.”
Newt smiled fondly and ran his hand through his hair, “Thanks. Y’know Tommy, why do you always seem tense when we chat? ‘M I scary or something?” He chuckled, amused at his own comment.

Thomas took a sip of his drink and looked away, “Sorry, just not good with people I guess.”
“Shame, you’re a nice guy to talk to.” Newt winked before drowning his drink. It took everything in Thomas not to run away. His heart was beating fast and his hands were shaking. He had never felt to nervous around someone this much before, was it normal?
“Let’s loosen you up Tommy boy.” Newt purchased a couple of shots and slid one over to Thomas.

“This is on me.” He winked again and chugged the liquid. Thomas copied and felt his throat burn.
“God, what is that?” He spluttered. Newt laughed and the sound made Thomas feel at ease.
“Don’t tell me you’re a lightweight?”
“..no…” Thomas looked up at Newt and smiled, earning him a grin.

The boys drunk a couple more drinks until Thomas felt slightly dizzy. A rosy tint had also touched Newt’s cheeks, showing his tipsy state.
“So,” Thomas decided to break the silence with his newfound, alcohol induced confidence, “who was that song for?” His speech was slightly slurred and Newt grinned.
“Someone here tonight, they caught my eye y’know?”

“Was it that girl you were with?” A melancholy cloud settled over Thomas’s thoughts when Newt didn’t respond right away, but he glanced up to see him lost in thought.
“No..” Newt’s fingers brushed against Thomas’s on the table, “no, nah. She’s just a fan girl I suppose. Can’t bloody escape them!” He laughed and Thomas did too, relaxing.

“Say, where’s Minho?” Newt looked around. Thomas shrugged, making Newt raise an eyebrow, “You mean he’s just left ya here?”
“Dunno.”
Newt pondered for a moment before pulling out his phone, “I’ll text him and say you’re alright so he doesn’t panic later on. He can be a total klutz sometimes.” Thomas watched Newt as he typed and his heart fluttered again. Was Newt showing that he actually cared about Thomas? Newt slid the phone away and placed his elbow on the table, propping his head up.

“So whatcha feel like doing Tommy?”
Thomas met his eyes and suddenly remembered something, “Hold on!” He grabbed a slip of paper and a pen from his pocket and etched down his phone number. Newt looked at him inquisitively as Thomas slid the paper across the table. “For you.”
“Is this my thanks for buying you drinks huh?” Newt grinned and pocketed the paper.

“Uhh,” Thomas suddenly felt flushed as the alcohol that was circulating inside of him faltered his confidence, “yeah?”
“Good that. Well, if I get rewarded with something each time I buy you drinks then I guess I’ll have to take you out more often.”
“That would be nice.” Thomas said quietly, looking away. He looked at the table and tried to hide his face but Newt laid his head on the bar and looked up at him. Their eyes met and Thomas lost his breath. “Uhm,” he tried to continue their conversation, “how about we sit in a booth?”

“Sure.”
Thomas stood and helped Newt up, feeling anxious when Newt didn’t let go of his hand and dragged him along. They walked to a booth where Alby was sitting with a guy. “Alby, Zart!” Newt sat down and pulled Thomas with him.

“This is..?” Zart smiled and Thomas sat up straight.
“Thomas. Nice to meet you.”
“You too.” They nodded and continued talking with each other. Thomas felt out of place and fidgeted with his hands.
“Newt?” He murmured to the blonde next to him.
“Mhm?”

“I think I’ll go buy another drink, do you want one?”
“Meh I’m good. Seeya in a minute then.”
Thomas shuffled away and took himself up to the bar. His head was swimming and he didn’t know if it was because of the alcohol or if it was just the effect Newt had on him.

He got his drink and turned back to the booth, only to crash into someone and spill his drink on them.
“Oh my, I’m so sorry!” Thomas stumbled back but a rough pair of hands shoved him to the ground.
“What was that for?” The guy growled and attempted to wipe himself. Newt appeared behind the guy and aggressively grabbed his shoulder, “What the fuck Gally?” Gally shrugged him off and Newt quickly pulled Thomas up from the ground.

“That idiot just spilled his drink on me and suddenly there’s something wrong with me?” Gally balled his fists and sneered.
“The pair of you are both drunk, calm it.” Newt looked between Gally and Thomas, then gently took Thomas’s arm, “I’ll take you home, c’mon.” Thomas obliged, too shocked by what had just happened to refuse- not like he wanted to though. Gally was glaring daggers at him. Thomas refocused his attention onto Newt who seemed pissed off.

“Sorry.” Thomas mumbled sadly once they left the building.
“Don’t start Tommy.” Newt sighed and smiled, wrapping his arm over Thomas’s shoulders as they walked.
“No but it’s my fault, I should’ve been more careful-“
“Nonsense. Gally is an angry drunk sometimes, he’ll regret it in the morning. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it.”
Thomas bit his tongue and just took in the evening.

The moon was shining beautifully above them, but the prettiest thing about the night was how Newt looked in the glow of the street lamps. His blonde hair looked golden and his eyes looked like warm chocolate. Thomas had almost forgotten about the fact that Newt’s arm was around his shoulders when Newt suddenly stopped and moved his arm to be around Thomas’s waist. “Careful there, you almost walked into the road.”

Newt smiled warmly down at Thomas which made the younger boy forget how to talk. They were so close-
Without thinking things through, Thomas pushed his head forwards and pressed his lips against Newt’s. It was Newt’s turn to be flustered as he turned red and stuttered when Thomas pulled away. Thomas had given way to the alcohol he had consumed and he had no clue what he was doing, but it felt right. Calmly, Newt smiled and ruffled Thomas’s hair with his other hand, “Let’s get you home Tommy.”

Chapter 4: Only Ones Who Know

Newt swayed slightly a they traveled but the trip was short. The boys walked in silence until they made it to Thomas’s front door. He cursed silently as he fiddled with his keys, fumbling to unlock his door in the darkness. Newt was resting on the wall beside him and Thomas could feel his eyes watching him.

He glanced up at Newt a couple of times before the door opened with a satisfying click. Thomas stepped in but noticed Newt wasn’t following him, instead turning away. “Wait-“ Thomas said a bit louder than he had hoped. Newt faced him and frowned, confused.
Thomas felt nervous but he smiled and nodded towards his staircase. “Don’t bother yourself by walking all the way home, just stay here tonight.”
“I really ca-“

“Newt?” Thomas pouted, his drunken state giving him more confidence.
The blonde boy huffed but a smile tugged at his lips, “I mean, if you insist.”
He joined Thomas inside and they both threw their coats onto the back of a chair before hobbling through the building. “So…” Thomas said casually as they walked past the kitchen, “want to play a game?”

“We’re both absolutely hammered right now so I can’t think of anything better to do.” Newt chuckled. Thomas grinned and grabbed a bottle of Minho’s gin from the kitchen. “What about truth or dare?”
Newt walked into the bedroom and sat on Thomas’s bed. “Don’t see why not.” His voice was slurred and Thomas laughed. He entered the room and sat opposite Newt. “Okay,” he popped the bottle open and took a sip, “truth or dare?”

Newt thought for a moment, “Truth.”
“Hmm… how long have you been in a band.”
“Aww, I thought we were gonna ask different sorts of questions.” Newt fake frowned and Thomas rolled his eyes.
“Just answerrr.”
“‘Bout a year.” Newt took a sip from the bottle and cleared his throat, “truth or dare?”

“Truth.”
“Not very daring are ya Tommy? Well, what’s your dream job?”
Thomas thought for a moment, “Teacher?”
“Wow, very cool.” He handed the bottle back and watched Thomas as he took another sip.
“Truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
“Boring. Uhh… are you dating anyone?”

“That’s the kind of questions I was thinking.” He grinned and shook his head, “Not for a while now.”
“And were they-“
“Wait your turn mister.” Newt rolled his eyes and took the bottle.
“Truth or dare?”

“Truth.”
“This is getting repetitive now.” He fake groaned and cocked his head to the side. Thomas just shrugged. “Alright then, do you like guys?”
Thomas was taken aback by the question. Out of anything, he hadn’t been expecting that. “Uh, are you?”
“Not your turn.” He watched Thomas inquisitively for a moment before sighing,

“I mean like, yeah sure. You only live once, gotta test the waters, y’know what I mean?”
Thomas nodded slowly and looked at the bottle, “Same here.”
“Cool.”
Thomas took a sip and stared Newt dead in the eyes, “Truth or dare.”
“Dare.” A newfound confidence had entered Thomas’s mind.

“I dare you to stay with me tonight.” There was no hesitation in his words and Newt stuttered.
“Y..you’re drunk.”
“So are you. Perfect combination.”
Minho still hadn’t returned but his bed was covered in books and loose paper.
“Uhm, I can’t stay in that bed though.”

Thomas looked up and frowned, “There’s still a perfectly usable bed here.”
“It’s occupied and you’re drunk. Ts’kay though. I’ll sleep on the floor.”

Newt wobbled swung his legs off the bed but a firm hand grabbed his collar and tipped him forwards. “You’re drunk too.”
Thomas looked at Newt’s eyes as he repeated his reasoning before laying back on top of his duvet. Newt made no further advance to argue and instead laid down beside Thomas, staring at the ceiling.

After a while of napping on top of the blankets, Thomas found himself feeling cold. He slid the duvet out from underneath himself and Newt before laying it on top of them. He assumed that Newt was already sleeping but he was proven wrong when a pair of arms wrapped around him and pulled him close.

“Newt?” Thomas mumbled in a weary but confused state. There was silence for a few moments until Newt hummed.
“We’re literally sleeping together right now. Never thought that’d happen so quickly.” He yawned. Thomas froze and his eyes snapped open. He suddenly gained awareness of his situation, as if all the alcohol he had consumed suddenly disappeared.

“What the..?” He twisted to face Newt and the blonde boy had his eyes open slightly. Thomas was definitely blushing now. Here he was, laying in bed with Newt who was holding him- “am I dreaming?”
He accidentally asked the last bit out loud and Newt let out a small laugh. “Dunno.”

The laid in silence just looking at each other, until Newt smiled, “You did ask for this, correct?”
Thomas blinked lazily a few times and grinned, “Yeah.” He felt one of Newt’s arms under his back, the other over his waist and felt safe. He couldn’t think a proper thought as the gin reached his brain. This was okay though, as long as Newt was next to him, it was okay. Newt kept his eyes on Thomas and with their faces so close together, he leant forwards and connected their lips. Thomas froze but melted into the touch. “This is nice.” Newt murmured against Thomas’s lips.

Thomas hummed contentedly as Newt pulled away and shut his eyes. So much was spiralling through his head and he just wanted to sleep. Newt nestled his face into Thomas’s hair and the boys fell into a deep sleep beside each other.

Chapter 5: Fireside

Thomas slowly sat up in a daze. A bright light was peeking through the window and he shielded his eyes. It was only then that the memories of last night surfaced in his mind. Images of Newt laid beside him hit Thomas like a ton of bricks and he covered his face out of embarrassment.

He had been so stupid, getting drunk like that and bossing Newt around-
Thomas lifted his head and stared at the room around him. Newt was nowhere to be seen. Thomas debated whether everything had just been a dream but Newt’s cologne still lingered on the sheets beside him.

He laid back down and let out a groan. His head was still pounding from the alcohol and he stared at the ceiling. “He’s awake!”
A voice started Thomas out of his pity and a familiar face popped into view.

“Newt..?”
“Get your arse out of bed, I’m making breakfast.” Newt disappeared back into the kitchen and Thomas stared at where he had been blankly. Forgetting about his nauseating headache, Thomas kicked away his duvet and stumbled through the hall.

He was met with the delectable smell of bacon, eggs and toast as he entered his kitchen. Newt stood by the stove with a frying pan and Minho sat at the table with a newspaper.
“Wow, I didn’t know you could read.” Thomas smiled as he sat beside his roommate.

“Yeah?” Minho raised an eyebrow and lowered the paper, “Well I didn’t know you pulled bitches.”
“Is that supposed to be derogatory?” Newt pointed a piece of toast accusingly at Minho. Thomas laughed quietly but looked down at the table. Newt hadn’t corrected Minho, so did that mean they were…

“Oi, wake up a bit Tommy.” Newt grinned and slid a plate of steaming food over to him. He followed with Minho’s plate and then sat down opposite Thomas with his own. Thomas scoffed the food down hungrily and Minho laughed at him.
“Woah easy there.”

Thomas huffed but calmed himself. He hadn’t been aware of how much he needed to eat and was very thankful that Newt was a good chef. On the topic of Newt, Thomas felt the blonde’s eyes on him and sheepishly made eye contact. He didn’t really know what to make of last night but he definitely felt like a fool.

Newt had been drunk as well as him, surely he had only stayed with Thomas because it was better than attempting to get home? But at the same time, the way Newt was looking at him..
Thomas swallowed nervously and stared down at his food.

“I can feel the tension between you guys, stop it.” Minho groaned dramatically and rolled up his newspaper, whacking Thomas on the back of his head. “Stay out of our bloody business ya klutz.” Newt kicked Minho under the table and Thomas quickly stood and put his dishes in the sink, afraid to get caught in the crossfire.

Minho and Newt were very close but they always had to one up each other. Thomas glanced back to see Minho snatch all of Newt’s toast and stuff it into his mouth. “Hey! That’s the last time I cook for you.” Newt scoffed and grabbed Minho’s bacon.

“I hate to be the voice of reason here but can you two stop acting like children?” Thomas glared jokingly at them and flicked the kettle. Newt immediately stopped and sighed but Minho stole his cutlery quickly before folding his arms. “No come on!” Newt threw his hands up in the air but Thomas hushed him.

Newt grumbled but ate his bacon with his hands, flipping Minho off in the process. Thomas returned to making drinks but before he could ask what the others wanted, Minho beat him to it. “Coffee.”
“And you Newt?”
“Oh a tea please.”

Minho paused and chuckled, “Wow, so romantic- he doesn’t even have to explain how he likes his tea.”
“Because he takes it the same as me.” Thomas rolled his eyes at Minho’s comment.
“Shut it and let me have this cute moment. Wait- oh shit.”
Newt kicked Minho again, “Language.”

Minho waved him off, “I’ve got a running club event today and I completely forgot, Thomas can you make that coffee to go please?”
“Yeah sure, hurry then.” Thomas laughed as Minho scrambled out of the room and rushed to get ready.

“So,” Newt stood up slowly and stood behind Thomas as he carefully poured the drinks, “how are you feeling this mornin’?”
“Not too bad actually, thanks for breakfast. That was a total lifesaver.” Thomas smiled and tried to talk casually but he could feel himself blushing.

Newt was talking over his shoulder, watching him make the drinks with a tired curiosity, but Thomas could feel his breath on his neck. “Nah it was nothing.” Newt chuckled and rested his head on Thomas’s shoulder.

Thomas glanced down at him and found that Newt was already looking at him, “What?”
Newt smiled, “You’re pretty. Has anyone told you that?” Thomas knew Newt was flirting with him and couldn’t be bothered to play along.

“My mum.” Thomas finished up the drinks and Newt wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling him into a backwards hug. “Huh, well has anyone ever told you that you have the most soulful eyes?”
Thomas was taken off guard and didn’t respond, staring back at Newt, “No…” he breathed softly.

“Can you two stop flirting and hand me my drink?” Minho was tying his laces impatiently in the corridor and Thomas nodded, moving over to him. Newt reluctantly had to let go of Thomas and watched as the boy passed Minho the drink.

“Alrighty,” Minho stood and took a brief sip of the drink, “use protection and don’t do anything I would.” He quickly ducked out of the house as Thomas lobbed a shoe at his head.
“He’s such a wuss.” Newt snorted and handed Thomas his tea.

Their fingers touched in the exchange and Thomas almost dropped the mug because he was so nervous. Newt grinned and gently elbowed Thomas, “Are you always like this?”
Thomas smiled anxiously and walked back to his room.

Chapter 6: R U Mine?

The pair finished their drinks and stared out of Thomas’s window. “So…what do you wanna do?” Newt smiled and placed his hand on top of Thomas’s. Thomas stared down at their hands and lost his focus.
“Uhh, I-I don’t know..”
Newt chuckled and shoved Thomas playfully, “Calm your nerves mate, c’mon.” He stood up and pulled Thomas with him.

“Where are we going?”
“Out, it’s a nice day.” Newt dragged Thomas out into the hallway and passed him a scarf. Thomas smiled and got himself wrapped up. They were about to leave when Thomas looked Newt up and down before frowning.

“Aren’t you gonna wear a coat?”
Newt shook his head and smiled playfully, his hair falling into his face, “I’ll be fine.”
Thomas rolled his eyes, “You might catch a cold!”

Carefully, he took his scarf off and hooked it around Newt’s neck, accidentally pulling the blonde’s face close as he wrapped the fabric gently. Newt stared into Thomas’s eyes the entire time and Thomas felt his breathing stop. He slowly pulled away and shoved a jacket into Newt’s hands.
“Tommy..”

“Let’s get going.” Thomas smiled back at Newt and waited for him to put the coat on. Newt frowned but followed Thomas’s orders.
“Are you sure I have to wear this?”
“Yes.”
“I mean, if you insist.” Newt adjusted the jacket and stepped towards Thomas.

A question bubbled up in Thomas’s throat, “Newt?”
“Hm?”
“About last night..”
“Oh god, don’t even. We were pretty pissed weren’t we?” Newt laughed and grinned at Thomas. The answer strangely disappointed Thomas but he choked down the feeling.

“Y-yeah. But like, are we friends? Just-“
Newt raised an eyebrow, “Friends. Though it feels like we’ve known each other for a good while.” He linked arms with Thomas, oblivious to the brunette’s mental turmoil, and led them out the door. Thomas took them through a brisk stroll around the area until they made it to a quiet street. Newt admired the area as he let Thomas lead him along.

“Where are we going?” He asked casually, wrapping his arm over Thomas’s shoulders.
“On a walk, but there is a cool record shop that I wanted to check out.”
“Count me in,” Newt raised his eyebrows happily, but his eyes wandered to a small shop nearby, “but…”

Thomas followed Newt’s eyes and stopped in front of a plant shop. “A flower guy eh?”
“What? Not into that?” Newt chuckled as Thomas led him into the building.
“No, you just don’t look it.”
“Well you should see my apartment then.”

Thomas ducked away from Newt’s arm and faced him jokingly, “Is this just an excuse to invite me to your house?”
Newt shrugged and linked Thomas’s arm again, walking through the shop with him, “Not really, but if you want to then…”
Newt’s voice trailed off and Thomas elbowed him in the side.

The shop was small but very vibrant. Plants decorated the walls and sat in pots everywhere. Newt wandered up to some small shrubs on sale whilst Thomas admired the bouquets. They were beautifully arranged and decorated. One of them caught Thomas’s eye, it was bright yellow with specks of blue.

He turned his head and saw Newt in a conversation with the shop owner. Thomas gazed at his friend from afar whilst he talked happily. There were some small mannerisms that Thomas admired about Newt, the way he shifted his weight always onto one foot, the way he fidgeted with his hands, the way he sometimes tucked his hair behind his ear but it was too short to stay-

“Zonin’ out again?” Newt was walking up to Thomas with a smirk on his face. Thomas grinned sheepishly, embarrassed that he’d been caught staring, then Newt took his hand and the pair left the shop. Outside, the air had a slight chill and Newt hugged his shoulders.
“Glad you took that jacket?” Thomas gave him a lopsided smile.

Newt nodded and adjusted his scarf and tapped his bottom lip, “Happy about this too.” He winked and Thomas wrinkled his nose.
“You’re a strange guy Newt.”
“I’ve been told that a lot.”

The record shop was only a few minutes away and the boys rushed inside, eager to escape the autumn cold. “I can’t believe that it’s only Sunday.” Thomas mumbled as they warmed themselves up.
“Yeah, feels like we’ve been on a bloody holiday.” The pair laughed before they toured the shop isles.

There were hundreds of records, CD’s and posters and the boys took their time browsing. A song hummed quietly on the shop speakers and the sound of rain beginning to pour sounded at the windows. As Thomas rummaged through a folder of old band records, he felt Newt’s eyes watching him.

“What?” Thomas lifted his gaze and made eye contact. Newt just smiled and looked down. Thomas returned his focus onto the music and soon, they decided to leave after purchasing a couple of CD’s. “On second thought..” Newt grimaced and looked through the window, “it’s a bit of a downpour out there.”

“The cafe I’ve been recommended is right next door, we’ll be fine.” Thomas tied his laces and looked up at Newt.
“Sure that’s fine, but what about the walk home, do we just sit it out?”
“Oh…” Thomas stood and chewed his lip in thought.

“Huh,” Newt noticed a basket with a few umbrellas inside, “excuse me sir, are they for sale?” Newt looked over to the shopkeeper who was sat at the till with a newspaper and a cigarette.
“Nah, just take ‘em.”
“Thank you!” Newt grinned and grabbed the one closest.

He took Thomas’s free hand and together they ran into the street. Their surroundings seemed desolate but the cafe was busy. Thomas pushed his way inside and peered around for a table. Newt followed him with the umbrella packed away and frowned, “I don’t think we can stay here-“
A friendly looking woman approached them and held out a menu, “Do you need some drinks dearies?”

Chapter 7: 505

She looked as if she was in her fifties and wore a bright pink apron.
“Uh, yeah.” Thomas smiled politely. The lady nodded and led them to a small booth in the corner by a window. The boys sat facing each other and they studied the menus.
“I’m starving.” Thomas grumbled.

“Really? It’s only been a little while since we ate.”
Thomas raised an eyebrow and checked his watch, “It’s been like four hours.”
“Wait what?”
Thomas chuckled as he saw Newt’s confused expression.

“Time flies when you’re having fun.”
Newt shook his head and smiled at Thomas, “I suppose it does.”
Thomas ordered an English breakfast whilst Newt got a milkshake and a bagel. They ate in silence, just listening to the world around them.

“Hey!” Thomas yelped as Newt grabbed a hash brown from his plate. Newt stuffed it in his mouth and grinned before sliding his milkshake over to Thomas as a peace offering. Thomas rolled his eyes, “Is there another straw?”
Newt swallowed and stared at him, “I’ve bloody touched your mouth and you’re asking for a fresh straw?”

“Alright, you don’t need to tell everyone here, and I was drunk.” Thomas hushed Newt and took a sip of the drink.
Newt smiled, then cocked his head to the side, “Why did you order basically what I cooked you this mornin’?”
Thomas shrugged, “I wanted some more.”

“Is it as good as mine?”
“No way.” They laughed and continued eating, passing the milkshake over every couple of minutes. Eventually, they finished and just started chatting. “Didn’t you say it was a nice day earlier?” Thomas looked out of the window at the soaked street.
“I think I did, guessed wrong I suppose.” Newt chuckled.

“Huh, well…you said you had a house?”
“Mhm- fifty two Bakers Street. You should pop by, if you know what I mean.”
“Yeah no, I’m not a whore.” Thomas snorted, amused. Newt folded his arms and smiled at him. They must’ve been occupied for another hour before leaving.

The cafe was almost empty by the time they left and the world outside had come to a standstill. The boys walked cheerfully under the umbrella as they returned to Thomas’s house. “Did you leave anything at mine?”
“I don’t think I brought anything.” Newt hoisted the umbrella up slightly and smiled down at Thomas.

In that moment, Thomas’s heart fluttered again and his confidence wilted. A warm, fuzzy feeling filled his chest and he quickly looked away. He didn’t just like Newt anymore, his attraction to the man had blossomed into love. His mind spun as he thought about Newt. Did he like Thomas the same way or was he just being friendly?

“Tommy? Zoned out?” Newt patted Thomas on the shoulder gently but was grabbed by his forearms and yanked into a kiss. “Woah,” Was all he could muster when they pulled apart, “what- Tommy?”
Thomas had a firm grip on Newt but he slacked his arms and let go slowly.

“Uhm, Newt?”
“Yeah?” Newt’s eyebrows were furrowed and he was blushing from the kiss.
“I think I-I like you.”
Newt raised an eyebrow, “In a friend way? I thought we’d established this?-“
“No, I mean like as in love. I know we barely know each other-“
“Wait Tommy-“

They spoke over each other before Thomas hushed the blonde, “but I feel like I’ve known you forever and I…I like you.”
He cautiously glanced up at Newt’s face and to his horror, the guy looked taken aback and confused.
“I’m sorry.” Thomas muttered and turned, running alone back to his house.

“Tommy wait!” Newt shouted after him but Thomas was gone. Newt stood under the umbrella, staring at the direction Thomas had disappeared to. What had just happened? Confused, he trudged to a bus stop and dropped the umbrella, whipping out his phone and dialling Thomas.

No response.
He tried again but still, no response. Had Thomas given him the right number? He grumbled and texted him,
‘Thomas are you okay?’
‘Please talk to me.’
‘Is something wrong?’
Lost, he put his phone away and turned around, heading towards his own house.

Thomas made it to his front doorstep, gasping for breath. He didn’t know what he’d just done, and neither did Minho who opened the door with a concerned expression. “Man, you good?” He dragged Thomas inside and chucked a towel at him. “What happened?” Thomas didn’t respond and stared into space.

“Uh…I’m not sure. I-“ he grit his teeth and ripped his coat off, “I don’t even know. I’m going to bed.” Without answering any of Minho’s questions, Thomas rushed out of the hall and ran to their shared room before jumping into the bed. His head was spinning and he wanted to punch himself.

For some reason, he had panicked and not wanted to hear Newt’s answer, so he had ran. Who did that? Newt surely hated him now.
A couple of days passed and Thomas never picked up his phone, he was too scared. He returned to his school lectures and his normal life, but he felt empty. Over the weekend, he had really bonded with Newt and now he felt he couldn’t live without him.

This day, he decided to respond to Newt’s messages but was left on delivered. He stared at the texts blankly during one of his classes.
‘Hey, want to talk?’
‘Newt I’m so sorry.’
‘I miss you.’

“I’m pathetic.” Thomas told himself. It was Wednesday afternoon and the rain still hadn’t stopped. It was as if Thomas’s mood was controlling the weather. He got home and slumped on his bed. “Good day?” Minho asked him from behind his laptop.
“Something like that.” Thomas grumbled and chucked his bag on the floor.

“I ordered pizza,” Minho sat up and checked his phone, “they’re passing Bakers Street right now so it won’t take long-“
A sudden thought crossed Thomas’s mind, “Bakers Street…” he said out loud.
“That’s what I said, but don’t steal all the food-“

Thomas jumped up and pointed his phone at Minho, “I’m gonna go out.” He blurted before rushing to the door.
“But the weather?”
“I won’t be a second.”
“Okay, I’ll save you a slice!” Minho called but Thomas was already out the door.

Chapter 8: Do I Wanna Know?

Newt was lying in bed after his shower, staring at the ceiling. He had missed a few lessons and band practices but he wasn’t feeling well. His mind was still stuck with Thomas. The boy had been so sweet, so captivating, but he had turned his world upside down with one kiss then vanished. Throughout Monday and Tuesday, Newt had held his hopes up- maybe Thomas would message him back! But he was still waiting. He had left his phone somewhere in his room and it had buzzed a few times but it was probably just Alby reprimanding him for slacking off.

Newt didn’t care anymore, he just wanted his Tommy back beside him. Groggily, he peeled himself out of bed and trudged downstairs. The day was as miserable as the day Thomas had run off and Newt drunk a tea whilst looking out the window. Was it true that he had only known Thomas for a couple of days? It felt like a lifetime.

Without a warning, the doorbell rung loudly. Newt placed his drink down and paced to the door, only to be met with a familiar face.
“Tommy?”
Thomas was stood on his doorstep, soaked in the rain and panting. A fresh bouquet of yellow flowers were in his hands.

“Newt, I’m sorry,” he said in a small voice. Newt stared for a few seconds before grabbing Thomas’s arm and pulling him inside.
“Tommy what are you doing?” Newt questioned him, holding his shoulders an arms length away.
“I, I wanted to apologise and…I got you these.” He handed Newt the flowers and smiled sheepishly, looking at the floor.

Newt studied the flowers, they were a pretty shade of yellow with blue specks and their label told Newt that they were from the shop he had taken an interest in. “They were pretty so I thought I’d buy them for you,” Thomas’s voice trailed off, “I should go, sorry-“ he turned towards the door but was cut off by Newt who spun him back around and kissed him hard on the lips.

Thomas froze but quickly gained his senses and wrapped his arms around Newt, holding him tightly. Newt gasped for air when they parted and he stared at Thomas, still perplexed at the sudden appearance of Thomas.
“Why did you run?” He murmured.

Thomas looked crestfallen and fidgeted with his hoodie strings, “I was scared. Scared of your answer..”
“I like you too.” Newt stated sternly. The words shook Thomas to the core and he smiled weakly.
“You’re just saying that.”
“I’m really not.” Newt scoffed and took a step backwards.

He looked Thomas up and down and furrowed his brows, “Bloody hell, you are soaked! Why didn’t you bring a coat?”
Thomas shrugged in response and Newt ruffled his hair, “Eager eh? Well, never mind- just go up to my room and grab a couple of my things to throw on.” He ushered Thomas towards his stairs, “Third to the right.”

Once Thomas was gone, Newt beamed brightly and walked to his kitchen. An empty vase sat on his table and he propped up the flowers inside of it. The other plants in the roomed appeared dull and lifeless with their dark greens compared to the beautiful flowers which popped out with their yellows and blues.

Upstairs, Thomas navigated himself through Newt’s house and found his room. It was plain and dark blue but some potted plants livened the space up. Carefully, Thomas sifted through Newt’s wardrobe, pulling out a pair of joggers and a navy T-shirt. He got changed but couldn’t stop blushing.

The clothes smelt just like Newt and Thomas could feel the scent rubbing off on him. So much had happened and he wanted to jump for joy. Newt had said ‘I like you’, it all felt unreal. As he made his way downstairs, Thomas messaged Minho.
‘I’m at Newt’s house so I won’t be back for a while.’
Minho read it instantly and responded with,
‘Okay, be safe and don’t participate in unsafe sex.’
‘Minho wtf.’

Thomas sighed and turned his phone off, Minho could be annoying sometimes. Thomas could hear Newt flicking through his TV in the lounge as he walked. He passed the kitchen and saw his flowers which made him smile, Newt clearly liked them. In the lounge, Newt had a mug of tea and was sat on his sofa.

“Oh hey- sorry, do you want a drink? I made this before you arrived so..”
“No I’m fine, what are you watching?”
Thomas sat down slowly beside Newt. Newt grinned and shrugged, “Not sure, maybe Bohemian Rhapsody?”
“This feels like a date.” Thomas accidentally murmured out loud, making Newt laugh.
“If you want.”

As the movie started, Newt pulled up a blanket and they got cosy underneath it. All of the pain from the previous couple of days melted away and Newt hugged Thomas closely with one arm, as if he was afraid that he would disappear at any moment. Thomas on the other hand was content and watched the show, but he kept his focus mainly on Newt.

He was over the moon to be so close to the guy again and he mentally slapped himself for running off like he had. Newt never would’ve judged him, he had just overthought everything and stupidly panicked.
“Hey,” Newt said softly as if reading Thomas’s mind, “don’t beat yourself up over what happened. I understand what was going through your head.”

Thomas smiled sadly and rested his head on Newt’s shoulder, “I don’t deserve you.”
“I thought you were going to quit being sappy.” The boys laughed and embraced each other’s presence.
Night had fallen by the time the movie ended. Thomas had been awake until the very end but didn’t move, too afraid to wake Newt who was lying with his head in Thomas’s lap.

Instead, he had absentmindedly started combing Newt’s hair with his fingers and was nodding off himself. The sound of rain against the windows and roof had been soothing and it eventually lulled Thomas to sleep.

He only woke again when he felt movement. Slowly, he opened his eyes and saw a tired-looking Newt smiling and gently shaking his shoulders, “C’mon Tommy, we should go to bed.”
Thomas yawned and nodded, allowing himself to get helped up, but he shrieked when he felt his legs get swept off of the ground.

“Newt?”
“Relax, you’re tired.” Newt carried Thomas out of the lounge as Thomas held on to his neck for dear life.
“Are you marrying me or something? I can walk.” Thomas muttered and tried to sound annoyed but he didn’t mind the attention.

Newt grinned and carried Thomas up the stairs and the entire time, Thomas was in awe at how easy Newt made it look. They made it to Newt’s room and the boy laid Thomas on the bed before promptly collapsing beside him. Thomas chuckled quietly and draped the duvet over him.
“And you said I was tired.”

Newt hummed in response and he hugged Thomas tightly. In his half-asleep state, Newt mumbled, “Please don’t leave me again.”
Guilt and sadness filled Thomas’s heart and he let Newt bury his face into his chest.
“I won’t, I promise.”
And Thomas meant it.

Chapter 9: Fluorescent Adolescent

Thomas woke up early but didn’t move. Newt was still asleep and he didn’t want to scare the boy by disappearing. Instead, he relaxed and stared at Newt affectionately. His friend was hugging his torso and he felt slightly trapped. “Newt..?” He mumbled softly, running a hand through Newt’s hair. Newt stirred slightly and grumbled a few incoherent things. Wary of the time and his schedule for the day, Thomas sighed and shook Newt’s shoulders.

Newt looked up at him, confused, before realising his situation and grinning. “Mornin’ Tommy.” He yawned and let go, stretching and sitting up. Thomas copied and crawled over his friend to get out of the bed.

“I’ve got a couple of lectures and a shift today but we can hang out at the weekend again if you want.” Thomas said, standing and smiling down at Newt. “Can’t you stay?” Newt whined in response. Thomas just planted a kiss on the boys forehead and left the room. It took him a while to get his shoes on but by the time he did, Newt had left his bed and was stood nearby.

“Not even gonna stay for the morning?”
Thomas shook his head sadly, “You know I would if I could.” Newt watched Thomas and approached him once he stood up straight. “Have a nice day.” He leant down, kissing Thomas’s lips softly.

Thomas grinned and said goodbye, leaving the house. The air outside was cold but Thomas was in too much shock to notice. Luckily, his house was only a short walk away and Thomas made it back quickly. Inside, he was met with a smirking face, “So? Was he any good?” Minho stood in the hallway with his arms crossed. Thomas pretended to be irritated and pushed Minho out of the way but his smile never faltered. “By the look on your face, I think I know the answer.”

“Oh shut it Min, we only hung out.” Thomas sat down heavily on his bed and watched as Minho followed him in. “Dunno, did you leave in those clothes?” Minho gestured to Thomas’s outfit with his eyebrows raised. Thomas turned red and looked at the floor, “It was raining and he let me borrow his clothes. It’s literally nothing.”

“That’s what they all say.” Minho whispered jokingly and walked away. Thomas stared into space and fiddled with the hem of Newt’s shirt. It still smelt like him and Thomas felt dizzy. Slowly, he changed into some clean clothes and hesitantly put Newt’s clothes in to the kitchen washing machine. The thought of Newt’s cologne rubbing off was annoying but Thomas wanted to be polite and return the clothes clean.

The time was already nine thirty so Thomas had to walk briskly to his lecture. His teacher droned on about different formulas and medicines but Thomas was daydreaming. He stared blankly at his computer, Newt taking up all his mind. After some pointless note taking, Thomas packed up his stuff and walked to his workplace, Plant House.

Winston was sweeping the floors and almost jumped when he saw Thomas entering. “What do you call this time?” He sighed and stepped out of the way.
“I’m only five minutes late.” Thomas mumbled.
“Five minutes that could’ve been used helping me open up.”

“Hey, go easy on him,” Ben emerged from behind the counter, “the poor boy can’t help it. He’s in love.” Ben’s tone was mocking and Thomas paled, turning his focus onto his other coworker. “H-huh? Who told you?” Thomas grit his teeth and hurried to get himself in order. Ben just shrugged, “Minho told me.”

Thomas huffed in annoyance. He had forgotten that Ben and Minho did running club together. “Such a little snitch he is.” Thomas packed his bag away and fixed up his apron. Ben laughed and the conversation was left behind. The day went ahead like usual, with only Ben having to leave for his studies. It was quiet most of the time so Thomas had time to think about recent events in his life. He still regretted running away from Newt a lot but he was happy that the situation had been resolved. He was on a break when Winston approached him.

“Hey, uhh…someone is waiting for you.”
Thomas stiffened and stared at the floor, thinking about the last time someone had been ‘waiting for him’. The man had been aggressive and almost followed Thomas home until Ben stepped in-
“Thomas?”
Thomas sighed and stood, “Alright then. Let’s see what they want.”

To his surprise, the person who had requested him was someone he knew well. “Wow, I forgot that you work here.” Newt grinned. Thomas let out a sigh of relief and rested on the counter. “Is that so? Because I was informed that you were waiting for me.” He cocked his head to the side and stared amusedly at Newt. Newt looked Thomas up and down, smiling, “You look bloody good in an apron.”

Thomas felt himself blush and he rolled his eyes, “Just order.”
“Can I get…a kiss from the barista?”
“Properly.” Thomas groaned. Newt pretended to look sad but bought a coffee. Thomas chatted with Newt over the counter whilst Winston made the beverage.

Winston looked between the guys as he handed over the drink, “This the guy Minho was on about?” Thomas grinned nervously and nodded. “Go finish your break then.” Winston smiled and Thomas returned the expression before following Newt to a table. They talked about various subjects until the topic of music came up. “I’m doing more band practices to make up for the ones I missed, you should come along.”

Thomas glanced up at Newt, “Are you sure?” Newt beamed, nodding. Thomas smiled and studied Newt’s happy face. The boy could be adorable sometimes. “You gonna come see my show tonight?” Newt asked eagerly. Thomas thought over his plans in his head and frowned sadly, “I don’t think I can, I’ve got a dinner to attend, sorry.” Newt looked crestfallen but quickly pulled himself together.

“No, it’s cool. Who are you going out with?”
“Some friends, Frypan and a few others.” Thomas then elbowed Newt gently, “But I promise I’ll go see you next week.”
“Hey, Tom?” Winston called out to him, waving a tea towel.
“Gotta get back to work, I’ll talk in a bit.”
Newt smiled, “I’ll be waiting.”

Thomas’s shift only lasted for another twenty minutes and he found himself leaving with Newt once he finished. “How long until your practice?” Thomas started up a conversation. Newt thought for couple of seconds as they approached his car, “Uhm, probably like, ten minutes?”
“Ah, right.” Thomas said as they entered the vehicle, “Wait, could we stop by my house? I need to give you your clothes back.” He felt embarrassed saying the words out loud but Newt started the car without a second thought, “Yeah sure.”

The drive was short and Thomas bolted out when they pulled up outside his house. He rushed around, folding the clothes and putting them into a small bag, then going out. Newt was leaning against his car with a grin when Thomas made it back. The blonde opened Thomas’s door for him and in a few moments, they were back on the road. Music Thomas had never heard before filled the car and he stared at the radio curiously.

“Sorry, I hope you don’t mind.” Newt smiled awkwardly and turned the songs down but Thomas shook his head happily, “No, it’s nice.” Newt paused but grinned and leant back. The journey was relatively quick and they arrived outside of a garage. “Huh, I think this is where my friend Brenda works.” Thomas mumbled, looking around. He mentally slapped himself for mentioning her but Newt looked unbothered, “Small world.”

Thomas reached for the door but Newt held his shoulder, stopping him. Thomas watched Newt humorously as the blonde exited the car and opened Thomas’s door for him. “Thank you.” Thomas laughed and accepted Newt’s hand. The garage was large but Newt’s band only took up a small area. Alby waved to them as they entered but Gally looked slightly irritated. “You didn’t tell me you were bringing an audience.” Then, Gally frowned even more when he recognised Thomas.

Gally stepped forwards and Thomas froze, but he wasn’t expecting the words that came out of the guys mouth. “Ah shit, it’s you. Uhmh…sorry about shoving you and everything.” He seemed tense and Thomas relaxed.
“Oh right. Nah don’t worry it was my fault.” The guys shook hands and Alby grinned at them.
“Well it’s always nice seeing people get along but we need to get ourselves sorted, c’mon.”

Thomas sat down by a wall contentedly, pulling his laptop from his bag and attempting to finish some coursework. Alby played his drums briefly whilst Gally played a riff and Newt fixed up his guitar strap, “All set?” The others nodded and Newt played a few notes on his guitar, “I’m thinking we start with…Do I Wanna Know.”

Chapter 10: Baby I’m Yours

Melodic music filled the room and Thomas’s breath was taken away almost immediately. Newt’s voice melted his heart and the others’ skills on their instruments were perfect. Newt looked very focused and Thomas didn’t want to distract him by cheering so he attempted to focus on his work. Strangely, the atmosphere seemed to help him and he managed to get through his tasks effortlessly.

“How was that?” Newt said, directed at Thomas, after the music ended. Thomas stuck his thrums up, “Great!”
“Good that.” Newt smiled and turned to Gally, “What next?”
The boys played a few more songs until they were content with their skills and packed up. Thomas gave Alby a hand with collapsing the drums.

They started talking and Thomas found that Alby shared a lot of the same interests as him. As they spoke, Thomas felt Newt’s eyes on him and made sure to shoot him a few small smiles. Gally noticed and subtly pulled Newt to the side.

“So who’s that?”
“Tommy? He’s Minho’s roomie.”
“Yeah but,” Gally grappled for words, “who’s he to you?” Newt paused and stared at Thomas. He didn’t actually know what they were. “We’re friends, does that bother you?”

Gally let go of Newt’s arm and shook his head, “No. Just was curious.” Newt watched Gally walk away and then turned to Thomas who was approaching him. “So, what do you wanna do now? I’ve got a couple of hours to kill until I meet up with Fry.”

Newt was still confused by his conversation with Gally but cleared his mind. “I’m easy. Wanna go for a drive?” Thomas nodded and the boys hopped back into the car. Winter was fast approaching and despite only being four in the afternoon, the sky was already turning dark. Streetlights flashed on as they passed and Newt turned on the heating.

Music hummed through the speaker and they sat in a comfortable silence. Well, comfortable for Thomas at least. Newt had a big question to ask but he didn’t know what to say, “…Tommy?”
“Yes?”
Newt kept quiet for a minute and Thomas looked up at him, “Something wrong?”
“I, I just,” Newt grit his teeth and frowned, pulling up in a hidden side street.

“Newt?”
“What are we?” Newt suddenly turned to Thomas and worry was evident in his eyes. Thomas was taken aback by the unexpected question. “Uh, friends? I mean if you want to be my friend I-“
“Sure.” Newt cut him off. He stared out of the front window and tightly gripped on the steering wheel.

Slowly, he dropped his hands and undid his seatbelt. Thomas looked at him anxiously, “Newt..?” All of a sudden, Newt turned back to Thomas and grabbed his collar, pulling him in for a kiss. Thomas panted heavily when they parted and stared at Newt wildly, “What’s up with you?” Newt still had his hands fisted on Thomas’s collar and he looked down at the boy, their faces almost touching.

“Is this what friends do?”
Thomas froze and got lost in Newt’s upset eyes, “No..” he said, his voice shaking. Newt’s frown tightened and he let go of Thomas, turning back to the steering wheel. He was about to start the car up again when Thomas undid his own seatbelt and tackled Newt from the side , pulling him into an embrace.

“Tommy?” Newt spluttered in shock but didn’t pull away. Thomas pushed Newt against the car door and wrapped his arms around the boys neck, hugging him tightly. After a few seconds, Newt returned the action and smiled slightly. “What do you want to be?” Thomas murmured into Newt’s ear. Newt didn’t answer for a length of time but eventually responded with, “Yours.”

They remained together for a while until Newt glanced down at his watch, “Shit, what time did you need to meet up with your friends?” Thomas pulled away and frowned.
“Six?”
“Then we’ve gotta hurry.” Newt started up the car and Thomas chuckled, plugging himself back in. The trip back was short but Newt felt like he could fly, a large weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

He dropped Thomas off at his house before speeding over to the club he was performing at. Thomas waved him off before checking his phone. The time was already five-forty so he hurried inside. Minho was fussing around with his hair and barely noticed Thomas returning. “Minho?” Thomas called.
“Jeez- when did you get here?” Minho jumped.

Thomas laughed and got himself dressed up. “Hey Thomas? Do you have your date with you? Most of us are going in couples.”
Thomas paused, “Oh, no. He’s performing.”
“Ha- so you guys are dating.” Minho grinned.

“Whatever. Wait who are you with?”
“A girl called Harriet- met her recently when we went to the club.”
“Cool.” Thomas felt slightly insecure about being the only one without a date but he shrugged it off. Quickly, he sent Newt a text.
‘Good luck tn x’

With Minho yelling at him to “Move your arse already!” Thomas rushed out. The pair walked to a small diner around the corner where they were meeting and entered quickly. Frypan waved at them and they took up seats beside their friends. Brenda and Frypan were together, Minho and his date were together, Aris- a guy Thomas knew from his classes, and a girl named Rachel were together and two other girls that Thomas didn’t know all sat around him talking.

Thomas felt small so quickly pulled his phone up under the table.
‘Thanks ml, hope you enjoy your meal x’ Newt had texted him back. Thomas smiled at the message.
‘They’ve all brought their partners and I’m missing you so much :(‘
‘Even Minho?’
‘Even Minho.’
‘Damn, well I’ll be thinking of you as I sing tn x’

“Thomas?” Brenda looked over to him with her eyebrow raised. “He's just texting his boyfriend because he’s lonely.” Minho snickered. Thomas glared at him before quickly responding to Newt.
‘Love you x’
He slid his phone away reluctantly and cleared his throat, attempting to join in on the group conversation.

Chapter 11: The View From The Afternoon

Notes:

Pray for me guys I’m about to go on a plane and I am terrified 😭

The group conversations were mostly casual and after a while, Winston and Ben also showed up. They all ordered, ate and talked together. The night went on and Thomas was glad to be with all his friends but he still missed Newt. Later on, Thomas’s phone buzzed with a message and he smiled happily.
‘Wishing you were here with me x’
Thomas responded,
‘Same here x’

“Put your phone down.” Minho rolled his eyes and snatched Thomas’s device. Thomas shrieked and tried to grab it back but Minho had already passed it over to someone else. One of the girls that Thomas didn’t know held the phone with a perplexed look on her face. “Uhm, whose is this-“ her eyes widened as she read the contact name, “Newt? That’s my brother!”

“It’s mine!” Thomas shoved Minho and politely held his hand out. The girl gave it back and beamed, “How do you know Newt?”
“Minho introduced us, I didn’t know Newt had any siblings. I’m Thomas.” Thomas put his hand out again and the girl took it, “Sonya. Wait, Thomas?”
“Yeah?”

“Oh, no. It’s just…Newt was telling me about a guy he liked and I swear his name was Thomas..”
“Right, funny that.” Thomas chuckled nervously. Minho patted Thomas hard on the back, “That’s because this is his Thomas. They’re going out.”

Thomas grumbled and shook Minho off but Sonya just smiled, “Well I suppose we’ll have to get to know each other at some point. Nice to meet you Thomas.”
“Yeah, you too.” Thomas returned the smile then turned to Minho, “I hate you.”
“You don’t mean that.” Minho grinned mischievously.

After a little while, Thomas and Minho excused themselves and walked home. Night had fallen and the evening was cold. They passed Thomas’s workplace and Thomas heard the hum of music coming from the bar down the road, “Do you think Newt’s still there?”
Minho shrugged, “Probably.”
“I’ll call him, it’s safer for him to come to ours instead of going home.”
“He’s got a car and I’m sure his band mates can get him-“

Minho was cut off by the sound of an engine. They looked up to see Newt winding down his car window and grinning at them, “Need a ride?”
Minho called shotgun and Thomas sat in the back on his phone. “That’s when I told him…you alright Tommy?” Newt asked. Thomas raised his head and met Newt’s eyes through the rear view mirror. “Mhm.” Their eyes lingered for a few moments more until Newt continued his story.

Newt pulled into the driveway and Minho hopped out. “We’re here Tommy.” Newt turned and smiled at Thomas who had taken a brief nap in the back. “Oh, yeah right.” He nodded and moved towards the door but Newt grabbed his wrist. “Newt?” Thomas’s eyes widened as he was pulled into an unexpected kiss.

Thomas smiled against Newt’s lips and their eyes met as they pulled away. “Hurry your lovesick arse up Thomas.” Minho yelled by the front door. Thomas rolled his eyes and left the car, waving at Newt as he left and drove away.
Life continued for the boys, Thomas going about his normal business and spending every extra moment he had with Newt, even having the occasional sleepover when Minho was out or if Newt randomly picked Thomas up.

It had been around a month since they started dating and Thomas was caught in rain after his Thursday shift at Plant House. Jogging, he scrambled home with his bag held over his head. Without a warning, a familiar car drove slowly by him and the window wound down. Newt smirked at Thomas, “Need a lift home?” Thomas stared at him before sighing and lowering his bag.

Thomas rode shotgun and they hummed along to music on the radio. Thomas glanced out the window and saw that they had missed a turn. “Uh, aren’t you taking me home? This isn’t the way.” He chuckled. Newt shrugged, his smirk still vivid, “Oh no, not your home. My home.” Thomas felt slightly bewildered but he wasn’t too bothered by the event. This wasn’t the first time Newt had directed them to his own house randomly before.

Newt seized his umbrella as they parked up and he quickly ran out of the car to hold Thomas’s door open. Thomas grinned and stumbled into Newt, trying to avoid the aggressive rain. They got to the house with considerable speed and laughed as they tumbled through the doorway. Newt’s house was more amicable now and Thomas hung his coat up in his usual place. Newt kicked his boots off and jumped towards the stairs.

“I’m just gonna take a quick shower so make yourself comfortable.”
Thomas nodded in response and walked to the kitchen. The flowers he had given Newt were wilting and Thomas mentally noted to buy some more. He flicked the kettle and sat down heavily by the window. The early winter storms had been frequent throughout November but Thomas felt that the rain was therapeutic. He also didn’t mind the fact that Newt happily drove him around everywhere.

Despite the fact that he had managed to mostly avoid the rain, Thomas’s hair was still soaking wet. He tried to dry it with his shirt but it remained moist. He finished the tea before rushing upstairs and knocking on the bathroom door. “Newt?”
“What?” Newt shouted back.
“Can I come in? I need to use your hairdryer.”
“Okay.”

Thomas hurried in and diverted his attention away from the closed shower curtain. Newt’s bathroom was full of cabinets and Thomas searched around hopelessly-
“The drawer under the sink.” Newt said as if reading Thomas’s mind.
“Thanks.” Thomas grabbed it and turned to go.
“Not gonna join me?” Newt laughed out of sight. Thomas blushed slightly and huffed, “In your dreams blondie.”

He exited and dried his hair in Newt’s bedroom. After a few minutes of fighting with the cables and struggling with his hair, Newt waltzed in. Thomas noticed the entry but didn’t acknowledge him, too distracted with his miserable attempt at drying off. Newt stood and watched Thomas amusedly and Thomas eventually gave up. “Stop gawking and help, please?”

“Alright, just give me a second to get some bloody clothes on.” Newt sighed and tightened the towel that was around his waist. Thomas didn’t dare look away from the floor and he felt his face heating up as Newt changed beside him. Newt patted Thomas on the shoulder once he had trousers on and led him over to his bed, sitting him down before grabbed the hairdryer.

Thomas looked up at Newt but his eyes dropped when he saw the blonde’s exposed chest. Newt began talking but it sounded muffled to Thomas, “Then the guy approached me and guess wha- eyes up here Tommy.” Newt smirked and tilted Thomas’s head up with his finger. Thomas smiled sheepishly, “Sorry, zoned out.”
Newt raised an eyebrow, “Yeah right.”

Newt finished up and ruffled Thomas’s now dry hair, “You coming to the gig tonight?”
“Yeah, you planning on driving me?” Thomas grinned.
“Get your own bloody car,” Newt copied Thomas’s expression, “but sure.”

Chapter 12: Crying Lightning

After a couple of hours of talking and hanging out, Newt and Thomas headed out to the car. Newt warmed up his voice by singing whilst driving and Thomas watched him happily. They arrived at the same time as Gally and helped him load all the sound gear into the venue.

Thomas wandered in but Gally briefly stopped Newt from following, “I’m guessing that you two are still together?” Newt nodded, smiling.
“Good, because ever since you got with him you’ve been happier than ever.”
“Thanks Gally.” Newt punched his friend gently in the shoulder.

Thomas paced around as the first few partygoers entered. He hadn’t been to the bar in a few weeks and it felt nice to be back. After all, how many people got to see their partner perform love songs live?

The night began as usual and Thomas sat beside the stage, watching Newt from the side. Alby winked at him cheerfully, acknowledging Thomas’s presence. Thomas nodded back to the drummer. He was so glad that Newt’s band mates seemed to like him.

A couple of songs that Thomas had grown to recognise, including Baby I’m Yours and Arabella, played and Newt snuck glances at Thomas while he sang. Between songs, Newt added his own commentary and earned laughs from the audience.

As the performance came to a close, Newt gathered everyone’s attention. Thomas had moved to the front and was stood with his arms crossed, grinning. “Now, this song was never really one of my favourites,” Newt addressed the crowd.

“but I met a person who I now think of every time I hear it, so now it’s a golden favourite. Everyone, put your hands together for Number one party anthem!” The audience cheered and Newt strummed his guitar.

The familiar song wafted through the air and Thomas smiled sweetly. He recognised the song instantly because it always seemed to be playing on Newt’s radio when Thomas rode in his car. The lyrics also made Thomas’s heart flutter.

The chorus hit and Thomas was blown away. The scene was almost identical from when Thomas first watched Newt perform. The eye contact, the music, it was intoxicating.

“The look of love, the rush of blood,” Newt smirked down at Thomas as he sang, “the he’s with me’s,” Thomas paused. Did- did Newt change the lyrics slightly? No one else seemed to notice but Thomas felt giddy at the thought. Newt carried on singing, eventually looking away, and Thomas was blushing madly.

Thomas and Newt had been dating for around a month but Thomas still blushed at every little thing, it was just the effect Newt had on him. The song came to a close and the band received an astronomical round of applause.

Thomas cheered for them before walking over to the bar so he could wait for Newt. He ordered a drink and waited, then ordered another drink and waited, then… Thomas found himself feeling bored out of his mind and tipsy. Eventually, he saw Newt, Alby and Gally appear.

Newt walked over to the bar and ordered a drink, “Did you enjoy the show Tommy?”
“It was great!” Thomas beamed. Newt received his beverage then ordered again, “I need more then one bloody drink, my nerves are on edge!”

The boys laughed and took some shots until Alby rushed over and pulled Newt from his chair, “Sorry Thomas, we have some fans who want to meet our singer.” Newt grumbled but Thomas just waved them off.

“Have fun!” Thomas watched from afar and saw the fans Alby was talking about. They crowded the boys and requested photos. Most of them shuffled away, giving space for two girls to have a photo with Newt.

Thomas absentmindedly stood and picked up Newt’s drink and walked slowly over, ready to give Newt his glass when he was finished. From far off, he saw them have a conversation then saw Newt kiss one of them on the cheek for the photo.

Thomas felt slightly uncomfortable but didn’t mind too much, he knew who Newt wanted at the end of the day. Then, Newt turned and went for the other girl for the next photo. Thomas got slightly closer but he was relaxed, why should he feel nervous anyway? Newt was his and would never-

The girl turned her head and connected hers and Newt’s lips. Thomas froze in shock and horror. Newt blinked lazily a couple of times whilst the camera flicked shots. Thomas’s hands shook and Newt’s glass clattered out of his hand.

The sudden noise shook Newt out of his trance and his focus anchored on Thomas in an instant. The alcohol Thomas had drunken flooded to his head and he felt physically sick. The entire world slowed down and Thomas looked around.

Alby hadn’t noticed the interaction, Newt looked terrified and Gally- that was worst of all, Gally looked pitifully at Thomas. Pity. Thomas hated it. He spun around and stumbled to the toilets, clutching his stomach. “Tommy!” Newt’s mortified voice was lost in the hubbub of the crowded bar.

Chapter 13: Do Me A Favour

Thomas entered the thankfully empty bathroom and staggered to a cubicle. He knelt down and let out everything he had consumed in the past few hours. He was half aware of a hand circling his back as he choked.
“Sshhh, it’s okay, it’s okay.”

Newt murmured as he crouched beside Thomas. In a fury, Thomas wiped his mouth and shoved Newt back. “Tommy-“
“Out.”
“I’m sorry-“
“Get out!”

Thomas glared up at Newt and the boy looked distraught. Hesitantly, the blonde stepped back and closed the cubicle door with a shallow expression. Thomas turned back to the toilet and gagged.

Gally’s face haunted him. That unexpected kiss haunted him. The most horrible thing was the fact Newt hadn’t moved when it happened.

Newt stared at the cubicle door for a few seconds before walking over to the sinks and thoroughly washing out his mouth. He had been so lost after drinking that he had barely noticed when the girl touched his lips.

His glass crashing had sobered him up and when he saw Thomas’s expression, his heart shattered. He had messed up. No, he had fucked up entirely. The girl had tried to kiss him again but he had pushed her away, making a beeline for Thomas.

And now he was here, facing himself in the mirror. The sound of the cubicle door opening was quiet and Newt barely noticed Thomas walking out until they were both stood at the sinks. Thomas splashed water in his face and Newt looked up from gurgling the cold liquid.

“Tommy I-“ Newt reached his hand out to Thomas but it was slapped away. “Don’t buggin’ bother Newt.”
“I was- I am drunk! I’m sorry I didn’t even realise what was happening!” Newt pleaded. Thomas stared at the floor and turned away.

Newt grabbed his shoulder roughly, “You promised you wouldn’t run away again!” Newt shouted. Thomas tensed and slowly faced Newt. “I did,” he looked like he was seething, “but if you weren’t a cocky arse then I would stay!” Thomas yelled in response.

Newt dropped his hand and watched Thomas leave. His throat felt raw and his breath came in short bursts. Newt clawed at his neck and fell to his knees. Why wasn’t he breathing properly? Were his legs broken?

“Newt? Newt!” A voice Newt knew from somewhere called his name. A person stood in the doorway and stopped, staring at him. “No, no- fucks sake!” Zart’s jaw dropped and he ran to Newt’s side. The panic ate at Newt’s brain and he blacked out.

Thomas sprinted home faster than he had even run before. He knew what he was drunk and being unsafe but he didn’t care. “Minho?” He pounded at the door, feeling disoriented.

“Thomas what the-“ Minho swung the door open and glared at Thomas, “what happened this time?!” Minho grabbed Thomas and yanked him through the door. “Don’t wanna talk about it.” Thomas gasped shakily and ripped his jacket off.

He tried to walk to the bathroom but Minho dragged him back, “No. Talk.” Thomas grappled for excuses but Minho’s gaze was so stern that he cracked. “Fine! Newt kissed some other chick, you happy now?” Thomas bared his teeth, tears prickling in his eyes.

Minho’s brows furrowed and he quickly let go of Thomas, “Wh- no, huh?” Minho knew Newt so well, he would never do something like that…but the way Thomas was crying made him feel unsure about any certainty he thought he had.

All of Thomas’s anger melted away and he stifled a sob. Minho quickly pulled him into a hug and let him cry. Thomas managed to calm down and he thanked Minho before diving into his bed. So much was going through his head and he just wanted to sleep it away.

Thomas woke in the morning feeling terrible. He couldn’t remember everything from the night before but he knew that his life had crumbled before him. Slowly, he pulled himself out of bed and stared at the floor.

Minho sat on his own bed and he eyed Thomas warily, “How are you feeling?”
“Terrible.” Thomas groaned and held his head. Minho hummed but looked at Thomas sadly. “What?” Thomas mumbled, catching on.

“Well…” Minho’s voice trailed off slightly, “Gally and Zart were there last night and Gally messaged me,”
“Oh god where is this going.” Thomas grit his teeth and pulled his knees to his chest. “It’s not about you, it’s about..Newt.”
“Why? What happened?” Panic was evident in Thomas’s voice no matter how much he tried to force it down.

“He, he had a bad panic, anxiety, whatever attack in the bathroom.”
Thomas’s heart dropped, “No…” he whispered weakly. No matter how pissed Thomas was at Newt, the thought of the guy being hurt made him feel distraught.

Notes:

Sorry for spamming two chapters at once 😭🙏

Chapter 14: A Certain Romance

“He was alright in the end but he gave Zart a buggin’ heart attack!” Minho continued. They sat in silence as Thomas tried to respond.
“You should call him.” Minho blurted out. Thomas looked at him skeptically. “I doubt it. I mean, I’m the one who caused all this!”

Thomas bit his lip to stop himself crying and Minho frowned, “No. It’s no one’s fault so don’t blame yourself. It was just alcohol induced reactions, listen to me Thomas.” Thomas met Minho’s eyes and saw how sincere he was. “Get yourself cleaned up and call him, yeah?”

Thomas nodded and smiled at Minho, “Thanks Min.”
“See, I’m only an arse like, seventy percent of the time.” Minho grinned.
“Trust you to ruin the moment.” Thomas rolled his eyes and dragged himself to the bathroom.

After a long shower and a lot of procrastinating, Thomas found himself sat at his kitchen table. His phone laid a few inches away and he drummed his fingers nervously on the table’s surface. After another minute of almost losing his mind, Thomas snatched the phone and dialled Newt’s number.

It rung a couple of times and Thomas wanted to throw his phone but he stayed put. “Hello?” A small voice crackled into the speaker after an agonising wait. “Hi.” Thomas mumbled in response. He fiddled with the hem of his shirt whilst thinking of something to say.

“I heard,” Thomas sighed, “about what happened to you. Are you any better today?” There was no response for a while but it came quietly, “Yeah I am. Thanks for asking.” Newt’s voice was soft and Thomas’s hands trembled.

“I’m sorry about what I said-“
“I’m sorry.” Newt cut him off, “I shouldn’t of drunk as much as I had and been a total twit. Will-can you forgive me?” Newt’s voice broke on the last word and Thomas felt his heart bursting.

“Of course.” He responded quietly, smiling to himself. Thomas sensed Newt doing the same. “Do you want..to talk in person?” Thomas murmured.
“That would be nice,” Newt answered, “round mine later?”
“Sure.”
“Okay, seeya then,” there was a bit of hesitance with Newt’s words, “love you.”

“Love you too.” Thomas whispered softly. The call ended and Thomas looked up to see Minho standing in the doorway, “See? It wasn’t that hard. He was waiting for you to call, I just know it. Need a lift?” He jangled his keys and Thomas smiled.

The car ride was tense and Minho hummed to himself. Thomas stared blankly out of the window. A day ago, nothing would’ve been awkward between Thomas and Newt but Thomas was secretly dreading seeing his friend again. Would they have another argument? Did Newt actually hate him now?

“Uhm..me and Harriet broke up.” Minho started a conversation. Thomas smiled sadly at him, “How come?”
“Well, not many common interests I suppose. I think she was more into…girls. Though I have seen someone…” Minho’s voice trailed off but Thomas wasn’t done listening.

“Go on.”
Minho grinned, “They’re cute I guess, but I don’t know how to approach the situation. Have any advice?”
“Uhh,” Thomas thought for a moment, it felt awkward giving out relationship advice after his own one recently almost fell completely apart, “just be yourself. Then you’ll see if they’re a good one or not.”

Minho nodded, “Noted.” They went back to silence but it wasn’t awkward anymore, just empty. Thomas felt nervous as they pulled up to Newt’s house but swallowed it down. He was still going to talk to Newt, the Newt he knew and loved.

The problem was, a painful memory was starting to brew at the back of his mind. Minho pulled away so Thomas couldn’t easily reverse his decision, forcing him to knock on the door. There was no answer for a few moments so Thomas tried the handle.

He found that the door was open and stepped inside, “Newt?” There was no response yet again and Thomas felt worry flood his mind, “Newt?” He repeated with more urgency as he stumbled through the house.

Luckily, he found Newt asleep, curled up on the sofa. “Hey,” Thomas said softly and shook the blonde’s shoulder. Newt muttered something unintelligible but opened his eyes slowly. When he saw Thomas, he briefly paled but sat upright and coughed.

“Sorry, must’ve nodded off.”
Thomas nodded and sat on the floor, looking down, “Mhm.”
A silence descended over them and Thomas couldn’t help feeling guilty, “Uh-“
“I-“
The boys both accidentally got cut off and stared blankly at each other.

“Sorry, you continue.” Newt murmured. Thomas smiled weakly and began again, “I’m sorry about what I said…last night. I wasn’t acting myself.”

Newt frowned, “No, no you were justified, I shouldn’t of drunk so much and been slow.” Newt pressed a finger to his temple and Thomas pulled his knees up to his chest, “Well I’m still sorry. I,” Thomas started to talk but stopped himself.

Newt watched him, “Hm?”
“It’s nothing. Feeling better today?” Thomas quickly stood and looked down at Newt. “You asked that earlier,” his friend smiled, “but yeah, a tad. Not had something like that happen since school though so it was freaky.” Newt emitted a small laugh. He stood too and glanced at Thomas’s eyes.

“But what made it all worse was not having you with me.” Newt took a step towards Thomas as if asking for permission to embrace him. To his surprise, Thomas staggered back and put a firm hand on Newt’s chest.
“Tommy?” Newt mumbled feeling hurt and confused.

Thomas didn’t dare make eye contact with Newt and held back his tears bravely, “I..I can’t sorry- it’s just..” Thomas didn’t continue and Newt could see that there was something deeper than the altercation last night behind Thomas’s words. “What’s wrong?” Newt took a reluctant step back.

Thomas balled his fists and stared angrily at the floor, “Nothing.” He bit his lip as tears welled up. Newt’s eyes widened and he forced his feet to walk forwards. Ignoring Thomas’s sad attempts at pushing him away both physically and mentally, saying, “I’m fine!”, Newt pulled Thomas into a hug.
“What’s wrong?“ He repeated in a stern voice.

Chapter 15: There’d Better Be A Mirrorball

Thomas couldn’t respond for a while as he fought back his tears but eventually answered, “It’s nothing. Just…memories of a past relationship. It’s really no big deal.” He pushed himself away from Newt, attempting to look annoyed. Newt saw right through the act and took ahold of Thomas’s hand.

“Tommy, please talk to me.”
Thomas grumbled as Newt pulled him to the sofa to sit but didn’t fight him. “What do you want to know?” He huffed.
“I want to know what’s making you sad, and I am already aware that it is not just last night.”

Thomas fumbled for words and Newt squeezed his hand supportively. Finally, Thomas built up the courage to speak. “I dated some guy for a while but he hadn’t come out yet.”

He paused and took in a shaky breath, “So we never told anyone about us, and that was alright but-“ Thomas frowned, “I caught him kissing some girl in front of his friends. When I asked him about it, he just said that he ‘needed to keep the act up’, y’know?”

“No I don’t know.” Newt growled, “That was just him being an arse.”
Thomas sighed, “Well I believed him. I believed him for months. That was always his excuse when I caught him but it was fine, he was still not out yet, then…”

Thomas’s voice faded and Newt nudged him, “Then what?”
“I found him in bed with that girl. He didn’t even fucking notice me walk in so I stole his phone, went through it and found…everything.” Thomas grit his teeth and Newt winced.

“Oh man, I’m s-so sorry.” Newt rubbed Thomas’s back affectionately. Thomas scoffed, “Don’t be. He was an arse anyways,” he slowly looked up at Newt, “but when I saw you and that girl kiss, I got flashbacks and I was so scared that the situation would repeat and I-“

“Hey-shh, shh,” Newt continued rubbing Thomas’s back as Thomas stuttered, “I would never do that to you Tommy. I need you to understand that.” Thomas shut his eyes tight and tensed, “That’s what he said. He fucking told me that too!”

“I’m not him!” Newt firmly seized Thomas’s shoulders, “I’m not him.” He repeated, his voice softening. Thomas looked away and hugged himself, “Sorry.” Newt didn’t respond and instead laid back, pulling Thomas to his side.

Thomas sat quietly with his head on Newt’s chest. He hadn’t meant to trauma dump but Newt had willingly listened to him and provided comfort. Thomas’s old boyfriend would’ve just called him a wuss and told him to stop being over dramatic.

As the minutes passed, Thomas regretted ever doubting Newt. “I’m sorry.” He whispered, not really sure if Newt was still awake. “You’ve unnecessarily said that a hundred times.” Newt murmured in response, running a hand through Thomas’s hair.

Thomas was about to apologise again but stopped himself and smiled. “I’m glad you stopped by.” Newt added. Thomas hummed contentedly. There was a sudden knock at the door and Newt grumbled, “Come in!”

Thomas went to sit up but Newt laughed and tugged him down again, wrapping an arm around his waist. The person who entered was Gally and he talked as he entered the room, “Hey, just me. I brought you some paracetamol-“ Gally paused as he stood behind the sofa and saw Thomas’s head pop up.

“Well it seems you two have made up then.” He crossed his arms and smiled. Newt grinned at Gally, “Yeah, thanks for the medicine mate-“ the sound of a snap echoed and Gally muffled a laugh, “Just gonna send this to the others, stop them worrying.”

“Wait-“ Thomas tried to get up again but Newt pulled him down, “Don’t worry yourself.” Newt murmured before raising his voice again, “And Gally- piss off.” Newt chuckled and Gally copied, “Have fun.” The bassist smiled and left the house.

Once Gally was gone, Thomas stared up at Newt with a confused expression but Newt took no notice, smirking and shutting his eyes. Thomas watched him for a few seconds before looking back down. What Newt had just done- it resonated with Thomas.

Newt had just subtly shown that he didn’t care being seen with Thomas. He had literally forced Thomas down to prove it too. Thomas beamed and hugged Newt’s arm which was still anchored around him. Newt squeezed him gently in return.

The pair remained like that until Newt had slept off most of his fatigue. “Damn,” Newt groaned and raised his head, “Tommy can you grab me one of the paracetamols Gally left?”
Thomas yawned, “Well I would if you let go of me.”

Newt huffed and reluctantly removed his arm from Thomas who stretched and lumbered over to the bag Gally had left. To his bewilderment, there wasn’t just medicine inside. “Uhh,” Thomas swallowed and pulled out a packet. Newt slowly looked up and had to stifle a laugh.

“did you ask him for these?” Thomas wrinkled his nose at the packet of condoms. “Nope. Just Gally being a dick.” Newt grinned. Thomas dropped the packet quickly and rummaged to find the paracetamol.

Chapter 16: Old Yellow Bricks

Things went back to normal quickly and Thomas found that the days were flying by. Christmas, partnered with many stressful exams came and went, and he soon found himself back at the bar Newt performed in. Shaking off his nerves, he strolled inside. Unpleasant memories threatened to choke him but he pushed them away.

Everything was okay. He loved Newt, Newt loved him. Putting on a smile, he went and searched for his boyfriend. Despite it being early and cold, the club was already quite full.

Late January winter had taken its grasp on the town so more people were wrapped up now, including Newt. Thomas smiled happily as he saw his friend standing around with the scarf he had given him wrapped tightly around his neck.

“Not too cold?” Thomas murmured, hugging Newt from behind. Newt immediately realised it was Thomas and smiled. “Yep. I’m hoping they put the bloody heating on though.”

Thomas laughed and let go, “Just tough it out.” They sat at a booth with some of Thomas’s friends, including Minho and Gally who appeared to be either fighting or flirting, and they were all passed drinks.

Thomas took small sips of it but noticed that Newt hadn’t touched his own one. “It’s not poisoned y’know.” Thomas raised an eyebrow. Newt stared at Thomas as if asking for permission and Thomas smiled, nodding, “I’m not gonna be angry if you drink, Newt. I trust you.”

Newt grinned and seized his cup, “If you say so, hey,” he drew his drink closer to Thomas’s, “here’s to us.” They clinked their glasses and Thomas echoed Newt’s words happily, “Here’s to us.”

After a while of talking and drinking, Alby, Gally and Newt were called away to get ready. Thomas relaxed in his seat and took in the surroundings. To his left, he glanced at Minho who was grinning foolishly at Gally’s back. “So that’s who you were on about?” Thomas winked.

Uncharacteristically, Minho turned red, “Shut it arsehole.” Thomas put his hands up mockingly, “Woah, I’m just saying- you’re practically making heart eyes at the bloke.” Minho elbowed Thomas but there was no malice in his actions.

The background music cut off and the sound of a voice came into focus. “Hello everyone!” Newt stood tall on the stage with his guitar hung around his neck. Thomas smiled over at him and Minho punched him in the arm, “And you said I was making heart eyes.”

Thomas ignored Minho and strolled up to the front. Looking around, he decided to sit at the side on the stage steps so he could watch the performance from the sidelines. Alby and Gally waved to him before starting up their instruments.

Newt began to sing and Thomas’s heart did a backflip. No matter what happened, Newt’s voice was always able to make him blush. Thomas zoned out for a while, entranced by the scene in front of him. When he snapped back, Newt was asking the audience questions.

“So how many of you here tonight are with their friends?” A large cheer followed and Thomas could see people raising their glasses, “Okay, okay. Well, how many of you are with a partner?” An even louder cheer erupted and through the commotion, Thomas saw a sweet moment.

Frypan and Brenda were sharing a kiss back at the booth and Minho had approached the stage to watch Gally. Turning his attention back to Newt, he caught wind of what the blonde was saying. “I’m with you guys, my partner is here too, but I can’t see him-“
“There Newt!” Alby’s voice seemed quiet compared to Newt’s microphone but he pointed at Thomas and Newt heard him.

“Oh, that’s where you went. Who wants to see him?” Newt asked the audience and they shouted in agreement. Thomas froze but Newt smiled warmly at him and his heart melted. Ignoring the aggressive stage fright he was feeling, Thomas stumbled up and over to Newt.

The crowd cheered him on and Thomas stood awkwardly beside Newt. “Relax a bit, we’re all friends here.” Newt grinned. Thomas looked away anxiously. The multiple eyes that were on him made him feel uncomfortable. Newt sighed with a grin and wrapped his arm around Thomas’s waist.

Before Thomas could process what happening, he was pulled into a kiss. Gleeful applause and whistles filled the air but it all faded out, leaving only himself and Newt in Thomas’s mind. He pulled away and Newt patted his back, whispering, “See? It’s not that bad.” And waving Thomas off.

Thomas sat on the steps again in a daze as the music continued. Newt had just outed himself in front of the entire bar and…no one cared- Newt didn’t care. He didn’t care about how people viewed him, he only cared about Thomas.

“And now, as it’s my tradition, put your hands together for Number one party anthem!” Newt chuckled and strummed at his guitar. The performance was drawing to a close and Thomas watched Newt contentedly.

The identifiable song started and Thomas was transported back in time to the night he had first fallen for Newt. Here he was, a month later, falling for him again.

“The look of love,”
A glance in Thomas’s direction.
“The rush of blood,”
A shy smile at the floor.
“The he’s with me’s,”
The subtle lyric change.
“The Gallic shrug.”
A proud scan over the audience.

Thomas picked up on every little detail about Newt. Every small motion and every tiny characteristic. To Thomas, Newt was mesmerising. The song ended and a deafening round of applause followed immediately. Newt bowed, said farewell and followed Gally off the stage.

Chapter 17: Arabella

The steady hum of the bar’s speakers switched on and a random playlist of music entered the airspace. Thomas ignored it, heading straight to the equipment room. Newt was sat inside with Alby and Gally but jumped up as soon as he saw Thomas. “How’d you like the show Tommy?”

“It was great!” Thomas beamed, his nerves still faintly jittery from standing in front of a crowd. Newt tugged Thomas in for another kiss and Alby whistled, “Get a room you two!” Newt rolled his eyes and dragged Thomas back into the main bar room.

“Did you see how Minho was looking at Gally?” Thomas asked in a hushed voice, looking around to check if Gally was in earshot. “Ha, yes I did. Wasn’t expecting that to happen so fast.”

“A bit of alcohol and flirting does wonders.” Brenda, who had appeared from out of the blue, added. “Hey Bren!” Thomas grinned and gave her a hug. “Gonna renew your engineering club pass?” The two started a conversation and Newt felt a pang of jealousy hit him.

The small feeling made him feel even worse about what had happened the previous week so he took himself to the bar in an attempt to forget about it. After Newt downed a couple of shots, Thomas and Brenda sat beside him, still in a deep conversation. The jealousy bubbled up more this time and Newt grumbled.

Thomas and Brenda both ordered their own drinks, gradually becoming more tipsy and Newt frowned. “Tommy?” He interrupted, placing a hand on Thomas’s thigh. Thomas stared at him, surprised by the gesture. Newt forced a smile at Brenda, “I think we should go home now, it’s getting late.”

Before Thomas could protest, Newt took his hand and pulled him away. It was even colder outside in the stale darkness of the night and the boys walked in silence.

“I’m freezing.” Thomas mumbled. Newt put his arm around his shoulders and held him close. Thomas debated what to say for a while but eventually got his words out.

“Why did you rush us out?” He looked up at Newt who was staring straight ahead with a solemn expression. “Jealous eh?” Thomas added. Newt glared down at him but a smile tugged at his lips.

“So what if I was?”
“You’re an idiot.”
“I’m your idiot.”
They laughed together and Thomas recalled the first time they had walked together after one of Newt’s shows.

When they made it to the road, Thomas stopped. “Newt?”
Newt peered down and Thomas hooked his finger around the scarf by Newt’s throat and pulled him in for a kiss. “Getting all nostalgic are we?” Newt smiled when they pulled apart.

Thomas felt more and more disoriented as they approached his house, and it seemed like it was the same for Newt. They both wobbled as they walked and giggled stupidly whenever one of them tripped over.

“Want to stay the night?” Thomas grinned as they entered the building. Newt shrugged, “Well, I don’t think Minho’s gonna come back here tonight, if you know what I mean.” Thomas chuckled and looked at Newt from across the hall.

“Don’t look at me like that.” Newt scoffed as he took his boots off. “Like what?” Thomas took a testing step towards Newt and the blonde reciprocated, lumbering forwards and running his hand across Thomas’s collarbone.

Thomas woke up, breathing heavily. His head hurt like hell and his vision swam. As he struggled to pull himself into a sitting position, a gut wrenching feeling stabbed his gut.

Slowly, Thomas turned to see Newt asleep beside him, but this was different. “Shit.” Thomas gawked at the blonde who was shirtless and barely covered by the duvet. His hands trembling, Thomas stared down at himself.

He too wasn’t clothed and hickeys trailed from his neck to his stomach-
In a flash, Thomas shoved Newt’s shoulder, turning him onto his back, and laid his eyes upon the matching love bites on the other’s skin.

Thomas scrambled out of the bed, instantly sobered up, and crawled to find his clothes. Newt stirred and raised his head, peering down groggily at Thomas. “Mornin’.”
Newt didn’t seem phased by the circumstances and Thomas stared at him blankly.

“Morning?”
Suddenly, the door opened and Minho joined in with the awkward staring competition. He quickly slapped his hand over his neck to hide a hickey and smiled sheepishly, “Didn’t think you’d be up so early.”
“Could say the same ‘bout you.” Thomas croaked.

“Seems like we all had fun last night.” Newt raised his eyebrows. After a quick attempt at getting ready and dressed, the trio sat in the kitchen eating cereal. “Why’d you not cook again? Thomas didn’t please you this time?” Minho snickered.

“It’s because I’m bloody tired. You want to try?” Newt rolled his eyes.
“What? Cooking or pleasing you? And I’m pretty sure the former is easier.” Minho sneered. “Shut it, both of you.” Thomas groaned, “We all feel like shit so let’s not be arses.”

Minho went in the shower for a while so Thomas and Newt cosied up in Thomas’s bed, watching a movie on his laptop. “This is romantic.” Newt sighed. Thomas looked at him quizzically, “Was that in jest?”
“I have no clue what that means.” Newt wrinkled his nose with amusement and planted a kiss on Thomas’s forehead.

Chapter 18: Brainstorm

“So, Newt…do you remember the line up of songs you played that night I first went to watch you play?” Thomas looked at Newt quizzically. Newt smiled and nodded, “I believe I do.”
Thomas shifted nervously, “Was I just dreaming or were a couple of those songs dedicated to me?” He immediately cringed internally at his words but Newt just laughed.

“Maybe. But, Arctic Monkeys have released a few love songs so you could’ve been hallucinating.” He poked Thomas’s cheek and smirked. Thomas rolled his eyes, “I don’t know if I want to kiss or slap you right now.”
Newt quirked an eyebrow, “Hopefully the first one.” Thomas swatted his head and he chuckled again, “Though seriously, I thought you would’ve gathered it by now..” he shrugged.

Thomas stared blankly at him for a moment, “Gathered what?”
“You’re so slow.” Newt grinned and flicked Thomas’s temple, “Those songs were kinda for you, and I thought you were aware.”
“Huh? How was I supposed to know?” Thomas folded his arms. Newt dramatically put his head in his hands, “You are more of a dumb blonde than my sister, honestly,” he groaned.

“I am not!”
“Shush, anyways..hmm, I wonder what could’ve given the fact I was singing for you back then away. Oh, I know! Maybe the eye contact, the smiles, the way I was singing..at you!” Newt tilted his head to the side and Thomas wrinkled his nose. “Okay, okay, no need to get sassy with me.”
“I’m hardly being sassy!”

After a while of talking, Newt left the house so Thomas and Minho decided to catch up on their studies. Well, attempt to at least. Thomas noticed that Minho was beaming at his phone and coughed to get his attention, “Who are you texting Min?” He chirped innocently. Minho’s smile turned into a scowl and he grumbled, “You already know, don’t be stupid.”

He glared at Thomas but then his features softened slightly, as if he suddenly felt anxious. “Can you go elsewhere tonight? I have..someone…coming over.” He pulled at his collar nervously. Thomas paused for a moment as he put the pieces together, “Why would I need t- oh…” his eyes widened and he grinned at his roommate, “Going back for round two already then huh? Was Gally that good?” He gestured towards the still visible mark on Minho’s neck, causing the black haired boy to seethe.

“Shut up!..Can you go though?”
“Sure, but I wanna talk to him before I leave.”
“What? No!”
“Aw, then I guess I’ll have to stay here tonight.”
Minho groaned, “Ugh, fine..just don’t be weird.
“When do I ever act weird?” Thomas pouted.
“All the time.”

Thomas ignored Minho’s comment and turned on his phone, sending Newt a quick message.
‘Minho’s kicking me out tonight, seeya later.’
He looked back to his laptop and straightened his posture with a smile.

Gally came around soon after and seemed slightly taken aback that Thomas was there. “..Hi?” Gally mumbled as he locked eyes with Thomas. Minho hadn’t realised Gally was there so Thomas took his chance. “What’s going on between you and Minho then?” Thomas swivelled himself in Gally’s direction and nodded for him to sit down. Gally sunk slowly onto Minho’s bed, “Seriously? None of your business.”

He looked away and his collar slipped, revealing a mark similar to the one on Minho’s neck. Thomas smacked his hands over his mouth to stifle a laugh but failed miserably. “What?” Gally’s eyes flicked back to him with a hint of annoyance. He quickly noticed what Thomas was looking at and grimaced, pulling his shirt up, “Just don’t.”
“Nope. How long has this been going on?”

“It was a one time thing! Only last night!”
“Sure, and now you’re back for more.”
Gally was gagged. He opened his mouth to speak but shut it again with a growl, “Fine. What do you want to know?” He said in a monotone voice. Thomas grinned at his small victory, “Do you like Minho? As in like like?”

“You’re an idiot.” Gally frowned.
“I’ve been told that on multiple occasions. Now answer the question.”
Gally remained silent for a while but Thomas saw a small smile creep up onto his face, “Yeah..” he breathed, “I guess, but don’t tell him.” Gally glared at Thomas with the ferocity had he held the first time they crossed paths.

“Yep.” Thomas slapped a hand over his heart, then looked around to see if Minho had returned yet. He had not. “I’m pretty sure he likes you too.” Thomas murmured. He fought back a grin as he saw Gally’s eyes light up. “Really?” He seemed to excited and Thomas chuckled, causing the blonde boy to scowl again. “I swear, if you’re just messing with me..”
“No seriously,” Thomas frantically waved his hands, “he likes you.”

Gally looked slightly unconvinced but his shoulders relaxed, “Okay.”
“So..tell me Gally, how long has this been going on?”
Gally huffed, “Has what been going on?”
“I don’t know, you two becoming ‘friendly’ with each other?” Thomas did a fake gag, “Sorry, I don’t even want to imagine how Minho is in a relationship.”

Gally laughed quietly, “We’ve been texting for a couple of months I think. I got his number way back, maybe when you and him came to our first band performance?”
“Damn, that was ages ago!”
“I know, but we only started properly messaging after Newt’s…panic attack.”
“Ah.” Thomas deflated slightly and Gally smiled sympathetically.

“We both got drunk last evening, things escalated, words were exchanged, then I woke up with him in my bed.” Gally shrugged and Thomas nodded along. Minho entered the room and froze, staring between Gally and Thomas, “Uh, hello.” He plopped down beside Gally and stared at Thomas, “Oh no, what have you two been talking about?”
Thomas put a finger to his lips and winked, “Don’t worry yourself about it.”

He grabbed his overnight bag and headed towards the door quickly, “Have fun you two!” He cooed and ducked out of the door. He strolled briskly down a few roads until he passed a familiar shop. The flower store him and Newt had visited together. Smiling fondly, Thomas entered and surveyed the bouquet section. After a few moments of browsing, he picked a bunch, paid for them and left. The petals were a vibrant orange with specks of red.

Thomas put his headphones on and cradled the plant in his arms. Newt’s house was a walkable distance away and he felt relaxed. Songs by the Arctic Monkeys played and he found himself studying the lyrics. Of course, he knew the choruses of most the songs from hearing Newt singing all the time, but he had never realised the song meanings. He found himself beginning to blush madly and bit the inside of his cheek.

He made it to Newt’s house and knocked on the door. “It’s open!” A voice from inside called out. Thomas smiled to himself and entered. Sliding his shoes and coat away, he strolled to the kitchen and removed the last, wilted bouquet of flowers he had left there from a vase. Carefully, he untapped the new flowers from the paper packaging they were wrapped in and placed them in the pot with a delicate softness.

He was picking up the old plants when he heard a hum behind him. “They’re nice.” Newt smiled. He was stood in the doorway and walked over to Thomas. Thomas turned to him and crossed his arms, old bouquet in hand. “Sorry for the intrusion.” He leant back on the kitchen table. Newt came face to face with him and tilted his head with a grin, “Anytime.” He leant in for a kiss but Thomas stopped him by shoving the dead flowers into Newt’s hands.

He teasingly pushed past Newt, leaving the blonde boy stood in the kitchen with dead plants in his hands and a sly smile. “Tommy..” Newt swivelled and called the boy. Thomas didn’t respond and Newt sighed, putting the flowers down. Subconsciously, he grinned as he went to search for his partner.

Thomas was stretched out on the sofa and was flicking through television channels. Newt tutted and walked around the couch, leaning on the back of it by Thomas’s head. “What do you wanna do then?” Newt murmured into Thomas’s ear. Thomas looked up and planted a small kiss on Newt’s jaw, “Hang out.”
“Hang out..” Newt echoed.
“Mhm.” Thomas smirked. Newt smiled down at him, “If you say so.”

Notes:

I forgot I wrote this fic! This chapter idea came to me like muscle memory :D

Chapter 19: Secret Door

The day flew by and Thomas found himself in the passenger seat of Newt’s car on a late night drive. “What did you say you wanted?” Newt asked as he pulled into a drive through. “A blue slushy.” Thomas mumbled as he scrolled through his phone. “I’ll second that with a red one.” Newt grinned.

Thomas yawned, “Sure.” Newt glanced at him quizzically for a moment before chuckling to himself. Thomas raised an eyebrow and looked at him, “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing.”
Thomas shook his head knowingly and looked out the window.

“Hey, I’d like to order a raspberry slushy and a blueberry slushy please.” Newt chirped down a speaker as they rolled through the drive in. “Okay. Come around to the window.” A voice crackled back at them. They pulled up, paid for their drinks, and then got back on the road.

Thomas sipped contentedly at his drink and stared at the dark sky through the windshield. A quiet song hummed in the background from the radio and Thomas turned his gaze to Newt fondly. “You feeling cold?” Newt hummed and flicked the heating on. Thomas nodded, the late January air was starting to get to him.

Thomas barely noticed when Newt pulled off the motorway but soon realised that they weren’t just driving for fun anymore. “Where’ve you taken me then?” Thomas spoke up, peeking out of the window. Newt slowly moved the car forwards with a smirk on his lips.

Thomas then saw where they were. An outdoor car cinema. “My my, you are a master of secret dates mister.” Thomas grinned. Newt just shrugged and parked the car up, not too close to the screen, but central enough so they had a good view.

“What’s playing then?” Thomas murmured. Newt checked a leaflet he had stashed away in his pocket, “Some soppy movie, Titanic or something.” He shrugged and flashed Thomas a happy grin. Thomas rolled his eyes, “You’ve taken me on a movie date but aren’t sure what the movie actually is? Ridiculous.”

“Okay, okay, it says Titanic here, so let’s just settle down and watch this film, eh?” He elbowed Thomas lightly. Thomas stifled a laugh, “Whatever man.“ The film progressed and Thomas got quite absorbed by it. However, his awestruck daze was interrupted.

In the corner of his eye, he saw Newt smirk and his immediate thought was, ‘Oh god. What’s he planning?’
Newt then batted his eyelids innocently, “You know Tommy, I’m really tired..” he yawned, stretched an arm up, then brought it back down around Thomas.

“Newt Isaacs, you sneaky son of a bitch.” Thomas chuckled. Newt planted a kiss on his cheek then went back to watching the movie, his face a mixture of happiness and satisfaction.

A romantic scene played out and Thomas held onto his slushy, looking at the straw awkwardly and attempting to savour every sip. Newt did the same, but made a move. “Is my tongue red?” He asked, sticking his tongue out.

Thomas nodded and beamed, “Does that mean mine’s blue?” He opened his mouth and Newt grinned, “Yep. Well, why don’t we make purple then?”
“…Okay! Can I have a sip of your drink first though, ‘cause I don’t trust you with mine.” Thomas smiled.

“For Christ’s sake.” Newt took a deep breath, stared into Thomas’s eyes, then pinched the boys chin. “You’re doing so well in your further education, but can’t pick up on it when I’m trying to flirt.” He murmured the words closely to Thomas’s lips.

Thomas’s eyes widened and his smile got bigger as he listened to Newt’s words, “Please explain, I’m so very, very confused.” He teased, watching Newt keenly. The blonde boy didn’t waste another second and moved his head slightly to the side, connecting their lips.

Even after all the time they had been together and all the moments they had shared, Thomas still felt butterflies and adrenaline every time Newt was near him, let alone kissing him. The world outside of the car faded away and Thomas shut his eyes.

He worked his hands up into Newt’s hair and felt Newt pull him closer. Thomas wished this could last forever. When they pulled apart, their faces remained close together. Newt stuck his tongue out and Thomas huffed amusedly, “It worked, now it looks like you just gave Tinky-Winky a blowjob.”

Newt quirked an eyebrow and smirked, “That’s a good idea, I could give you-“
“Don’t you even try and finish that sentence pretty boy.” Thomas cut him off and scowled with fake annoyance. Newt shrugged and put a hand on Thomas’s thigh, leaning closer to the shorter boy again.

“You’re not even here for the movie, are you? Did you only drive me here to make me fall even harder for you?” Thomas hooked Newt’s collar with his finger and pulled him closer. “Why’d you say that?” Newt glanced at his lips.

“Because it’s definitely working.” Thomas breathed and yanked Newt’s face forwards, connecting their mouths for a second time. Neither of them realised that the movie credits were rolling until the final few other cars around them began to drive away.

Thomas leant back happily in his seat and Newt fixed up his shirt before turning the engine on. “Where to now then?” Thomas grinned.

Notes:

Sorry for not updating in ages- I’m really ill at the moment 😭

Chapter 20: Big Ideas

“So you’re telling me, everyone’s invited? What the hell does that mean?” Newt grunted, “You planned an event at my house- without telling me?”
“Relax, it’ll be fun!” Minho grinned and reclined on Newt’s sofa. Newt pinched the bridge of his nose, “I think we have very different versions of fun.”

“How come? Our friends can meet up your house, and we can all party!”
“Your friends, actually, and you’re talking about like, thirty plus people! And what are we even celebrating?”
“Dunno. That’s what makes it more exciting.”
“How does Tommy live with you?”

The boys bickered back and forth, neither one realising Thomas had entered Newt’s house with some shopping bags. He stood awkwardly in the doorway until he found a moment to speak, “Uhm, what are you guys talking about?”

His friends jumped and stared at him, their tense expressions melting away, “Oh hey Thomas. Newt over here is being the grinch-“
“You just invited an army of people around my house without telling me!”
“I knew you wouldn’t say yes so I was just saving time!”

Thomas rolled his eyes and went to the kitchen, putting away the groceries he had bought for Newt. When he next entered the lounge, he knew who had won the argument. Newt was angrily sulking on the sofa and a triumphant looking Minho was sat on the floor. “There’s gonna be a party here tomorrow, you may as well go and tell everyone.” Newt grumbled.

Thomas cracked a smile and pulled out his phone, “If you say so.”
It had been a week since Thomas and Newt’s date and outings like that had become more normalised (because Minho was constantly kicking Thomas out of their apartment so he could have Gally around.)

As much as Thomas feigned annoyance, he didn’t mind. It just meant he got to spend more time with Newt. Today however, Minho had decided to change things up a bit, which translated to: piss Newt off as much as possible. “Hey Winston,” Thomas chuckled down his phone, “there’s a party at Newt’s place tomorrow. Are you and Jeff down to come?”

“Oh for sure, who else is going?”
“I’m gonna ask Ben next, but basically every mutual friend you know is gonna be there.”
“Count me in!” A crackly voice- presumably Jeff’s- echoed in the background of the call. Thomas laughed, “Alright, see you there then.”

“Drinks are on me!” Minho shouted as he burst through Newt’s door, wielding two crates of beer. “Christ, when did you leave?” Newt shrieked.
“Twenty minutes ago- you didn’t even notice me leaving?”
“Stop bickering you two, you’re doing my head in.” Thomas groaned.

Newt flipped him off and Minho just snorted, placing the crates down, “Yes mum.”

And just like that, the party began the following evening. Alby and Ben had been the first to arrive and Ben helped Alby set up the speaker system. Newt secretly snapped a picture of them and sent it to Thomas, ‘I’ve got a new ship x’
‘Newt, as much as I love you, you can’t just ship our friends together’

‘I can and I will’ Newt responded before slipping his phone away and going upstairs, locking himself in his room for some peace and quiet. Winston and Jeff arrived next and they greeted Ben, then introduced themselves to Alby. Sonya, Harriet, and Aris, who were Newt’s sister, her friend and her girlfriend, brought some food and started up the music.

‘I’m not coming out of my room until you get here’ Newt messaged Thomas as he sat on his bed, listening to the music thumping downstairs. ‘The party is at your house- and you’ve been kicked up to your room already? That sucks x’
‘Why am I in love with you :[ x’

Frypan and Brenda arrived together and Frypan had cooked up enough snacks to recreate the Last Supper, which had everyone watering at the mouth. They were swiftly followed by Gally, Zart and Clint, who were all doing the same college course. Zart and Clint immediately got chatting with people, leaving Gally stood awkwardly on his own. “C’mon Minho.” He grumbled under his breath.

Then, of course, Thomas and Minho were slightly late. They slunk through the door and pretended to have been there for a while, but Gally only jokingly scoffed at them, “Seriously? I’ve been standing here like some creeper for ages!” Gally hissed and grabbed Minho’s hand, causing the shorter boy to burst out laughing.

Thomas smiled watching them, they matched each other’s energy so well. After saying his hellos and meeting some new people, Thomas snuck upstairs and made his way to Newt’s room. “Newt..” he grinned and knocked on the door. He heard movement and chuckled as the door immediately swung wide open and he was yanked inside.

A hungry pair of lips met his and he closed his eyes, “Well hello to you too.” Thomas murmured when they pulled apart. Newt had a frown on his face and he dragged Thomas over to sit on his bed, “I’ve been so bored, if I go down there then Sonya will start bringing up embarrassing stories and I can’t risk it.”

“Jeez, how bad are these stories?” Thomas ruffled Newt’s hair and received an elbow in his ribs. “Don’t even start. She’s the worst.”
“Aw no, your sister is so nice!”
“Nope, she’s more like Gally than me.”

“Huh, do you have something against Gally eh?” Thomas raised an eyebrow. Newt stared at him blankly before grinning and holding back a laugh, “Oh, no- it’s just a joke we’ve got. Gally’s my cousin and we sometimes believe that him and Sonya are more like siblings than me and her..”
…
“WHAT?”

Newt laughed, “Why are you so confused about that?”
“Huh-uh..why didn’t you tell me?” Thomas stuttered, “How come I didn’t know this?”
“You never asked.” Newt shrugged. “And anyways, it’s not that big of a deal.”
“Nuh uh- this is quite pivotal information.” Thomas pouted.

Newt only laughed harder at that. Thomas pushed him over on the bed, “If you weren’t so pretty, I would’ve smacked you for laughing at me by now.”
“You? Fighting someone? Yeah right.”
“Oh you wanna bet?” Thomas grinned and leant over Newt.

“Yeah actually, I might be into that.” Newt beamed back and him and propped himself up on his elbow. In a blur of movement, Thomas shot forwards, pinned Newt’s shoulders to the bed, and kissed him once more. It was messy, but Newt weaved his hands into Thomas’s hair nonetheless and they laughed against each other's mouths.

“So that’s where you went.”
Thomas’s soul almost ascended to heaven when he heard a voice in the doorway. The boys slowly turned and looked at a rather smug Brenda, “Fry owes me ten now, I bet him that I’d find you two kissing. Now c’mon, you’re missing the party!”

Chapter 21: When The Sun Goes Down

The music was fully blasting by the time the boys made it downstairs. People were talking, singing, laughing and generally causing chaos. Newt sighed and leant against the wall, completely regretting allowing Minho to take over his house.

Meanwhile, Thomas stood beside him and handed him a drink with a grin.
“You seem bloody chipper.” Newt muttered, swirling the drink in its glass. Thomas shrugged and leant against him slightly, their hands brushing.

“That’s because I’m having fun. You, Mr. Grinch, are just in a strop. What’s up with you?” Thomas poked him in the side.
“They’re trashing my house..” Newt pouted and gestured to their friends all around them.

Thomas smiled casually up at him, “I’ll help clean up in the morning, don’t sweat it.”
Newt scowled, then let his shoulders drop, “Whatever.”
“Hey, Newt!” A voice echoed across the room, cutting their conversation short. Both of the boys looked up and saw Brenda stood by a karaoke machine, beckoning Newt over.

Newt gave Thomas a pleading glance but Thomas ignored it and shoved him forwards, “Go on.”
“I don’t want to!”
“Too bad, we want you to.”
And so Newt ended up stood in front of a crowd of friends and mutuals, grudgingly singing a rendition of a randomly selected Adam Turner song.

Thomas watched him amusedly. He could tell that Newt was only putting on the act of being annoyed, as every now and again a stupid smile tugged at his lips. Newt received an over the top applause afterwards and he gave a half hearted bow before quickly rushing to Thomas, “Fuck that was awful.”

“You already know it wasn’t.” Thomas murmured and pulled Newt in for a brief kiss. Whistles, likely Frypan, and “Get a room you two!”, the curtesy of Minho, immediately followed but the boys ignored them, laughing together.

At around twelve, things became more unhinged. Alby had started up a drinking game somewhat an hour ago, and the unbeaten champion so far was Gally. “How do you even play?” Newt scoffed, folding his arms and eying the rows of drinks on his table.

“‘Ts simple, you just try’nd drink all the shots the fastest.” Gally leant on the table, grinning. “I’m in.” Thomas jumped forwards, but Newt pulled him back by his jumper hood, “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“Pfft, let Thomas make his own decisions, honestly. I bet you’d put a collar on him if he let you.” Minho approached and clapped a rough hand on Newt’s back. Newt brushed him off, “Shut up.” and Thomas only laughed in response. “Hey Gally, I’ll play.” Minho put a hand on the table and stared at Gally expectantly.

Thomas tugged Newt’s head down and whispered in his ear, “Can’t wait to see how this goes.”
“Same here.” Newt smirked.
“Alright then,” Alby stood at the head of the table with his hands on his hips, Ben unusually close to his side, “ready? Three, two, one- go!”

Minho downed five in less than a second. Gally had only managed six by the time Minho finished all ten, “Gah..done!” The shorter boy whooped. Gally blinked in disbelief, “Huh, how the fuck did you do that?”
“Talent.”

Thomas was half expecting Gally to shout or act out like he had when he was drunk back at a party all those months ago, but instead, he raised an eyebrow and Thomas swore he could see a grin flash on his face. Newt read Thomas’s mind, “Damn, being near Minho so much really has messed Gally up in the head.”

“Shush, Gally’s in love..” Thomas snickered.
The first few people began leaving by one. Jeff and Winston went first, holding hands and profusely apologising for leaving “so soon”. A few more trailed out after them, but Thomas wasn’t really sure who.

He too had joined in on Alby’s game, and he was feeling lightheaded and energised at the same time. Newt didn’t leave his side once for the whole night, and even waited outside when he had to use the bathroom. Secretly, Thomas found it adorable.

“Is he always this clingy?” Ben joked. Thomas rolled his eyes with a lazy smile, “I wish.”
Newt kicked him, then went right back to leaning into his side. Eventually, Thomas felt his build up of adrenaline fade and put a hand on Newt’s arm, “I’m tired now.”

“Really?” Newt tilted his head, “But there’s still so many people here, you can’t leave me to interact on my own..”
“Well I’m going to your room so you can join me if you want.”
Newt was pulling him towards the stairs with a relieved expression in a matter of seconds.

Thomas chuckled as he was yanked in for a kiss at the top of the stairs, “Woah, calm it mate.” He murmured and put a hand on Newt’s chest. Newt looked down at him and his pupils were dilated, his breath smelled like alcohol and his hair was a mess.

“Wanna do something stupid?” Thomas made a move forwards. Newt slipped a hand around his waist, “Definitely.”
Their lips met again in a blur of drunk euphoria. Newt got backed into his doorway and he fumbled to grab the doorknob but it wouldn’t turn.

“Wh- fuck..” he muttered through breaths and went back at the handle. Locked. Newt stared at Thomas in disbelief as the brunette cracked up laughing. “No, this isn’t funny- there’s people in my room!”
“Better leave ‘em to it them, you’ve got a spare room right?”

“You bastard.” Newt groaned before hurrying down the hall to his guest bedroom, “Whoever’s in there is gonna get their arse or arses whooped tomorrow I swear to god.” He grumbled as he pushed himself and Thomas through the door.

Thomas slammed it behind them and cut off Newt’s rant.

Chapter 22: Pretty Visitors

Thomas mumbled incoherently and stretched out his legs before turning onto his side. He felt the mattress beside him and found it to be empty, cold. His eyes fluttered open and the warm light coming from the window momentarily blinded him.

“Shit..” he croaked, his voice hoarse. He could barely recall anything that happened last night but a lot of it came flooding back to him when he saw someone walk through the door.
“Morning. You alive?” Newt strolled in with a dressing gown loosely draped over him and a mug of something in each hand.

“God..it feels like my guts have been rearranged.” Thomas tried to sit but gave up and let Newt come to him. “Yeah, sorry about that. I think I went a bit overboard last night.”
“No shit.”
Newt smirked, “Need some ibuprofen?”
“What I need is someone to sedate me.”

Newt slumped down on the edge of the bed, put both mugs on the side table, and then pulled a packet of the medicine out of his pocket. “You’re well prepared.” Thomas yawned and accepted the packet, fiddling with it as his hands refused to cooperate with his brain.

Newt took a long, slow sip of his drink, tea probably, and smiled sheepishly down at Thomas, “But sorry, if I hurt you-“
“Don’t be.” Thomas shrugged and gestured for Newt to pass over his drink.

They sat in silence for a while, their ears still ringing from all the chaos last night, until Thomas broke the ice. “So, who was in your room eh?”
Newt’s jaw locked, “Dunno. They’re still inside. I’m, well, we’re the first awake.”
“Who else is still here?” Thomas hummed.

“Brenda and Frypan passed out on the couch, uh..my sister’s with Harriet on the kitchen chairs. I can’t see how sleeping there’s comfortable for them but whatever, but I’ve got a few messages from the ones who left saying they got home safe.”

“That’s good…do you have any guesses for the room stealer identities then? I think it could be Alby and Ben, they were all over each other last night.”
“That’s a bit of an exaggeration,” Newt drummed his fingers on his mug, “but it could be them I guess.”

“Ooh, what about Aris and his girlfriend? Y’know, what’s her na- Rachel, maybe them?”
“No..I think they left soon after Jeff and Winston.”
“How about-“

“Look, if we go through everyone then we’ll be sat here for hours. C’mon, I need your help tidying.”
“..What? But it’s so early!”
“You promised you’d help me dimwit.”
“Well I never..promised-“
“Don’t pull that crap on me.”
“Okay fine, fine.”

Thomas had to brace himself against the wall as they staggered downstairs. “Do you want me to carry you?” Newt offered, holding both now empty mugs into one hand. “Oh please, you can’t carry me with one arm. You’ll drop me for gods sake.”

“You’re phrasing it like a challenge.”
“I’m not! I can walk!”
“Are you sure…”
“I’m bloody sure!”
A surprised smile settled on Newt’s face, “Hey, you’re beginning to sound like me. Fancy that.”
“I hate you.”

After loading up the mugs, a few plates and a ton of glasses into the dishwasher, Newt kicked Sonya awake with “Brotherly love.” and then dragged Thomas around the entire downstairs to clean.

They woke Brenda and Frypan as they were packing up games in the living room, and Brenda hissed at them, “No..it’s too early.”
“That’s what I said.” Thomas huffed and continued working.

After a while, they managed to restore the house to its near former glory, and kindly kicked out Brenda, Frypan, Harriet and Sonya in the meantime. All that was left to do was wait for the mystery room crashers.

It wasn’t until three in the afternoon that movement was made. Thomas and Newt were curled up together, watching the television, when-
“Morning.”
…
“Gally?” Thomas’s jaw dropped.
“Yeah.” Gally yawned and sat down next to them as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

“Afternoon,” Newt corrected, then glared at him, taking a deep breath, “I’m guessing Minho is still asleep in my bed then.”
“Mhm.”
“..You do know that there’s a guest room here, right?”
“Sure.”

Newt deadpanned him, “So fucking someone in my bed was an artistic choice then.”
“Pretty much.”
“Oh my god- if you weren’t my cousin then I’d kick you out of the band right now!”

“Sweet.”
Thomas glanced between the two boys awkwardly. Gally rubbed his eyes and finally looked back at Newt, “Alright I’m sorry, but he were drunk and kinda horny so we just went for the closest spot that had a lock.”

“Gross.” Newt made a gagging sound. Gally whacked the side of his head, “You can’t be saying anything fucker, I can literally see hickeys on Thomas!”
Thomas could feel himself turning red as he regretted not putting on a shirt. Newt elbowed Gally in the ribs, “Well this is my house so I can do what I like.”

None of them noticed Minho standing in the doorway until he coughed and glared at all of them. He had a wild head of bed hair and Thomas couldn’t help choking back a laugh, “You look like shit.”
“I feel like shit.” Minho spat.

Minho still had a really drowsy morning voice and Newt saw Gally swallow thickly. “Whore.” He mouthed.
“Go fuck yourself.” Gally whispered back.

Notes:

Two chapters in one day??? I’m as surprised as you atp

Chapter 23: Star Treatment

“Thomas?”
“Not now Newt, I need to submit this paper by tonight-“
Newt opened the door anyways and waltzed into Thomas and Minho’s room. It had been a couple of days since the party, and Thomas’s final exams were coming up thick and fast.

“What’s the paper about?” Newt leant against the wall, arms crossed, sunglasses still on. Thomas groaned, not even turning to look at his boyfriend, “Uh..future dreams, jobs you want to try and experience, yeah.”

“Nice.” Newt took a few steps forwards and rested his chin on Thomas’s head, “So what’re you writing?”
Thomas ran a hand over his face, “Not too sure. I’m meant to be talking about medical school and next steps, but I’m stuck.”
“That’s your future dream?” Newt blurted out. Thomas finally glanced at him, “Huh?”

“Oh, no, I just thought…do you want to be a doctor? You don’t seem too enthusiastic about it.” Newt pushed his sunglasses up, propping them up on his head. “I’m just tired.” Thomas muttered, backspacing on an entire paragraph. “Tommy.” Newt crouched down beside Thomas’s chair and looked up at him, “That’s not true.”

Thomas stopped typing and just stared down at Newt blankly. What was he supposed to say to that?
“A teacher,” Newt began but stopped himself, before huffing and rapping his knuckles against Thomas’s small desk, “that was a dream of yours, right?”
Thomas blinked, he couldn’t even remember discussing that with Newt, “How?-“

“When we first met. That night after the show when we got drunk, we came here and before you passed out- you started rambling about life. How your parents are fuckers, how you want to be a teacher, how much you like me..”
Thomas had to lock his jaw to stop it dropping, how did Newt have such a good memory?

And also, “You knew? You knew then that I liked you? And you still stayed?”
“Don’t be daft, I’ve liked you since we first talked. When you called me gorgeous I knew I had stuck bloody gold.” Newt winked at him. Thomas could feel his face heating up and he glared at his laptop, “Still, what can I do now? I can’t just go against what my parents have paid for.”

“Sure you can.” Newt stood back up and put his hands on Thomas’s shoulders, “Your parents have paid for your college, but have they already paid for medical school?”
“..Well, no but-“
“Then relax! Save up some money, then go get a degree in teaching. Y’know what? Become a science teacher! You’re halfway there already.”

Thomas had to pause for a moment to fully process what he was hearing fully. Newt had a point, but he didn’t want to be a disappointment. Newt read his crestfallen expression and gave his shoulder a supportive squeeze, “It’s your life. Don’t let me or your parents choose for you, you have to make the decision.”

And with that, Newt pressed a kiss to his temple and turned on his heel, quietly leaving the room. Thomas sat silently and subconsciously listened to fractions of Minho and Newt’s conversation out in the kitchen. Newt’s words also rang in his head, “You have to make the decision.”

Thomas rested his hands on the keyboard, then pressed a key. Another. Another. His hands were now working rhythmically, moving faster than he could think. A few minutes turned into an hour, and he submitted his paper way before the deadline. That evening, he laid on his side in his bed facing his laptop.

Minho had long since fallen asleep, his soft snores being occasionally audible, and Thomas looked over at him. Minho. His best friend, with a supportive family and a life already worked out. Then, his eyes flicked back to his laptop screen. A singular button glowed brighter than the rest.

‘Enrol’.

He had found it a while earlier, a school further out into the countryside, close to the sea, that ran an apprenticeship scheme for aspiring teachers. It wasn’t cheap, but with enough effort he could potentially afford it. Plus, it only needed a good set of GCSE’s and a degree in any teachable subject in order to get accepted.

It still felt risky though, doing this. What would his parents say?
His father had called him last week, catching him by surprise.

***
“Thomas. How are you doing?”
“..Dad. I’m good. You?”
“Same. Have you been focusing in school? Your teacher emailed and said you’re doing well.”

“I try my best.”
“Good. Remember what I told you, education before relaxation.” Thomas’s father chuckled. Thomas did not, “Yeah.”
“Hm. I have to go now son, so be good. And stop hanging out with that boy so much, people might think you’re gay.”

Thomas took a deep breath, “Dad, he’s my boyfriend. I’ve told you this.”
“Yeah but people like..him, they never stick around long. You’ll find a good girl soon enough.”
“..No. But, okay, sure. Bye.”
“Bye-“
Thomas ended the call.
***

No, he couldn’t think about that. If he wanted to live and feel free, he was going to make his own decisions. With Newt’s face fresh in his mind, he reached out and clicked the button, before slamming the laptop shut and rolling over. A small smile tugged at his lips, a new story could finally begin.

Notes:

Thank you so much everyone for your support!! It’s crazy to think I started this only a few months ago, and I apologise for the very irregular updates.

I am quite tempted to write a part two of this, maybe a short about Thomas and Newt continuing on with their lives as proper adults, but I’ll just have to wait and see if any ideas come to me.

Until then, I want to thank you all again as this is becoming my most popular fic, and it’s all thanks to you guysss :3

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of N1PA
• Part 81 of The Maze Runner