Goodbye, My Danish Sweetheart

by History_Neek

Summary:

Goodbye, My Danish Sweetheart - song by Mitski

Newt is a hospitalised patient and Thomas is just passing by…

***
“Well hello again.” Newt was leant against the wall beside the door and Thomas jumped.
“Jeez, don’t scare me like that man.” Thomas smiled sheepishly and sighed. Newt just shrugged, “I heard my name mentioned so I wanted to check it out.” Thomas could feel his face heating up.
“You heard all that?”
***

This fic is being updated still with new chapters!! Feel free to comment with ideas and criticisms :3

Chapter 1: Making a friend

The hospital had become a familiar setting for Thomas. With his school life failing miserably and his mother’s poor health, he spent most of his time sat inside of the white, sterilised walls.

“Thomas, grab me a coffee will you?” Thomas’s mother called from her bed. Thomas looked up from his phone and sighed but obliged. Slowly, he ambled out of the room and out into the desolate corridor.

It was already the evening so a few halls were dim but Thomas knew his way around clearly. It had almost been an entire year since his mother had been admitted in for cancer care and the hospital was basically his second home.

He preferred it from his own house because he hated being on his own and in the hospital, there was always someone nearby. Thomas made it to the nearest drinks machine and slotted in some coins, watching the coffee pour with a slow hum.

Strangely, he felt a pair of eyes watching him. He turned around to see a tall blonde boy standing further down the corridor. “Hello?” Thomas asked nervously, his voice echoing.

“Oh, hey.” The boy replied and walked slowly towards him, pulling along an IV drip. Thomas watched him curiously, he was sure that he had seen this guy before. “Getting a drink too?” Thomas mumbled.

“Mhm.” The sound of the coffee machine came to a halt and Thomas quickly grabbed the cup and rushed down the corridor, muttering a brief goodbye as he passed the stranger.

The boy followed him with his eyes for a few moments before sighing and getting a drink. Thomas felt a strange nervousness but chocked it down. He probably was just feeling a little shy from talking to a new person.

“Are you feeling okay?” Thomas’s mother asked him as he came in through the door. “Yeah I’m fine.” Thomas handed her the drink and sat down heavily. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes until Thomas cleared his throat, “Do you happen to know a blonde boy?”

“I’ve met quite a few.”
“No, like, here.”
“What? Someone caught your eye?” Thomas’s mother winked and Thomas cringed.
“No! I just feel like I’ve seen him before.”

“Well, there is a lad who’s room is only down the corridor. His name’s Newt and the poor blighter hasn’t had any visitors for ages. Maybe you should talk to him and be friends.”
Thomas rolled his eyes, “So you do know him?”
“I believe so. I’ve chatted with him a few times at my Friday puzzle club.”

“That’s so random.” Thomas raised an eyebrow.
“Well don’t worry, I told him about you so he probably knows who you are.”
“Huh…” Thomas didn’t really know how to react.

“I’m…going to grab a snack. Be back in a bit.” Thomas got up and rushed away. Truthfully, he didn’t really want something to eat but he didn’t want to be stuck in an awkward conversation for any longer.

However, he regretted his decision as soon as he closed the door. “Well hello again.” Newt was leant against the wall beside the door and Thomas jumped.

“Jeez, don’t scare me like that man.” Thomas smiled sheepishly and sighed. Newt just shrugged, “I heard my name mentioned so I wanted to check it out.”

Thomas could feel his face heating up. “You heard all that?”
“Pretty much. These walls are as thin as bloody paper,” Newt chuckled, “Thomas, is it?”

Thomas nodded and stuck out his hand, “Mhm, Newt?” The boys shook hands and Newt nodded towards Thomas’s door. “I’m guessing that she’s your mother? She’s talked to me before and she always mentions her ‘dashing’ young son.”

Thomas laughed quietly, “I suppose that must be me then. Have I met your expectations?”
“Definitely.” Newt winked and Thomas felt butterflies.

“Well I better be off then or else the doctors are gonna tell me off again,” Newt grumbled, “but I’ll see ya around Tommy.”

Thomas nodded and watched Newt walk away. The boy fascinated him and now he was gone, Thomas suddenly felt lonely. Sighing, he shook off his thoughts and walked to the nearest vending machine.

Thomas woke up in his chair and stared at the ceiling. It was still dark outside and Thomas’s mother was still sleeping so he decided to have a walk around the hospital.

Creeping slowly, he snuck out of the door and strolled down the corridor. The lights weren’t on yet but the slowly rising sun illuminated the halls dimly.

Thomas had passed some rooms when he noticed a door open. His eyes straying, he peered in and saw a familiar person sat at a window.

Newt was overlooking the sleeping city below, his body bathed in the warm glow of the early sun. Thomas paused by the doorway and watched him curiously. Newt noticed Thomas’s reflection in the glass and a smirk crept onto his face.

“You can come in y’know.”
Thomas smiled sheepishly and muttered a good morning before entering. He sat down beside Newt and stared outside at the sky.

Pinks and oranges coated the clouds and the scene looked picturesque. The sight was beautiful, but Thomas couldn’t help sneaking glances at the boy beside him.

It was lighter now so Thomas could admire how Newt looked. His blonde hair glowed golden, his frame was pale but seemed strong-

“Something on your mind Tommy?” Newt shot him a sideways look, his smirk still on his face. Thomas met his eyes and felt his face heat up again. “Uhm…no. Nice day.”

Thomas cleared his throat and gestured towards the sky but Newt’s eyes remained on Thomas. Thomas looked at the blonde again and grinned, “Do you always wake up this early or could you not sleep because of me?”

“Could ask you the same thing. But…I guess I just like the sunrise. Reminds me that there’s a world outside of this bloody place.” Newt snorted, amused.

“Care to join me on a walk?” Newt stood and held his hand out to Thomas who accepted it with a fake annoyance.
“Well that’s what I was doing before you distracted me.”

“I distracted you eh? Was it my good looks or were you just lonely?” Newt pulled Thomas up happily.
Thomas chuckled but didn’t respond. The pair walked out and navigated the desolate hospital together.

Chapter 2: Hanging out

The hospital was quiet and the boys walked in silence, Newt still dragging along his IV drip. Thomas softly took a hold on the metal and smiled at Newt, “Let me.”

Newt looked confused but shrugged, “If you insist.” The sound of the wheels on the floor was the only noise around them but it was peaceful.

They made it to the coffee machine where they had met and Thomas pulled out his card, “Want a drink?” Newt raised an eyebrow and grinned, “Huh, so is this like a date now?”

Thomas turned red and purchased himself a coffee, “Yes or no?”
Newt put his hands in his pockets and shrugged, “A tea if that’s alright.” Thomas nodded and bought the beverages, passing Newt his drink carefully.

“I’m not made out of bloody glass Tommy, but thanks.” Newt laughed and the boys continued their stroll. The sun was rising quicker now and the sounds of doctors pacing the halls became louder. Reluctantly, the pair walked back to Newt’s room and sat down on his bed.

“So…” Thomas smiled, attempting to start up a conversation, “how long have you been here?”
Newt shrugged, “For a few years but I mostly pop in and out. I’ve been stuck here for a couple of weeks now which is the longest since my surgery but I might get to leave next week.”

Thomas nodded along, “And why are you here? You seem perfectly fine to me.” Newt looked at the floor with a grimace.
“Uhh, cancer. I got diagnosed when I was ten and had multiple surgeries but the bloody thing won’t go away. I seriously can’t believe that I spent my sweet sixteenth and seventeenth in bed.”

He tried to come across as easygoing, but Thomas could see the subtle pain behind his eyes. Thomas smiled reassuringly and patted Newt on the back, “Oh, well happy late birthday. Wait, did you say you could leave next week?”

“Yeah?”
“Where are you staying?”
Newt thought for a moment, “Well my sister Sonya has a apartment so I was planning on crashing at hers…”

“Oh, what about your parents?” Thomas asked innocently but Newt’s face went from sadness to anger and Thomas felt like he had overstepped. “How about you stay at mine?” He said a bit too eagerly.

Newt raised an eyebrow but didn’t oppose the idea, “Really? Is that okay with you and your family?”
“Well I hate living there on my own and my mother won’t mind, she’s moved in here anyways.”

A genuine smile flashed across Newt’s face before getting replaced by a smirk, “This is awfully kind despite the fact you barely know me.”

Thomas fiddled with the hem of his shirt and shrugged, “I mean, it works out both ways right? I get a roomie and you get a place to stay.” Newt nodded and elbowed Thomas gently.
“Thanks Tommy.”

“Nah it’s nothing…say, what do you do for fun around here?” Thomas studied the bleak surroundings of Newt’s room. Newt followed his gaze and shrugged. “Not much. I guess that there’s Friday puzzle club but the rest of the activities are either for little kids or old people.”

Thomas grinned, “I think puzzles are for old people too.”
Newt shot a fake glare at him, “Don’t even go there, puzzles are great.” They laughed and Newt swivelled himself so he was sat cross legged on the bed facing Thomas.

“I’ve got a couple of games, but don’t you have to go to school?”
Thomas wrinkled his nose, “I’m supposed to but I’m failing anyways and I’ve basically lived here for a month now. Actually, I’m surprised we haven’t met before.”

“I keep to myself a lot, but…” Newt’s voice trailed off, “I wish I got to experience school to be honest. My parents gave up sending me there because I was here all the time. If I make it to adulthood, I’ve got no chance at getting a job.”

Newt sounded slightly melancholy and Thomas’s heart ached with pity, “Of course you’ll make it to adulthood, just keep pushing. And with jobs? Maybe we could both sign up for the army. I don’t think you need qualifications for that.”

Thomas grinned and Newt laughed at his comment, “You expect me to win one battle then willingly join in with some more fighting? Yeah no thanks. Maybe we should just work at a coffee shop or something.”

“That might be better.” Thomas chuckled and Newt smiled at him.
“Well then, want to play Dobble or something?”
“God, I haven’t played that game since I was little!”

Newt pulled a tin out from his bedside drawer and shuffled some cards. “You’ve gotta match up the images but I’m warning you, I’m great at this.”

“Yeah? Then don’t expect me to go easy on you.” Thomas accepted the cards Newt gave to him and the boys started playing.

The game kept them occupied for a while as they stressed over stupid things and shouted jokingly at one another. They were halfway through their third round when a doctor entered.

She paused when she saw the boys, who took no notice of her. “Ahem.” She cleared her throat and Newt looked up.
“Oh right. I’ve got to have some vital stuff checked up and my medicine. Want to hang out later?”

“Sure,” Thomas smiled awkwardly and dropped his cards, shuffling past the doctor and out of the room. Newt waved goodbye to him and the door was closed.

Thomas had never really had friends before so now Newt was out of sight, he didn’t know what to do with himself. Usually, he would be reading or sleeping still but he felt the need to do something.

Newt’s words had resonated with him and Thomas felt a spark light within him. Ever since his father left and his mother was hospitalised, Thomas had almost given up on everything.

He barely went to school and slept all day in his mother’s room. The ties he had once had with friends and family slowly disappeared and he became alone with only his mother with him.

Now, in just a few hours, Thomas had met someone who was the complete opposite of him. Someone who was facing an unpleasant situation but was still…so full of life.

Slowly, he walked back to his mother’s room and thought about what he wanted to do with his life.

Chapter 3: Deep talks

Thomas sat on his phone for a couple of hours until someone appeared in the doorway. “Oh hello Newt!” Thomas’s mother smiled and waved at him. “Hello Miss Edi.” Newt waved back.

Thomas lifted his head when he heard Newt’s voice and the blonde chuckled, “So you really do nothing all day? That sucks.” Newt leant on the doorway and crossed his arms.

“That’s what I’ve been telling him!” Thomas’s mother grumbled.
“What do you want me to do? Run a marathon?”
“I don’t think you’d survive a marathon.” Newt wrinkled his nose.

Thomas’s mother laughed and Thomas sighed, putting his phone away. “What do you want?”
Newt shrugged, “Company.”

“Then you could’ve just asked instead of being annoying.” Thomas rolled his eyes. “Have fun boys.” Thomas’s mother called to them as they left the room.

“Seriously?” Thomas groaned as soon as he shut the door.
Newt smirked, “Well maybe if I could text you then I wouldn’t have to walk into your room and embarrass you.”

“Is that just your way of asking for my number?”
“Maybe.”
“And no one’s making you embarrass me, you just enjoy it.”
“Nailed it.” Newt laughed.

Thomas sighed, his new friend was slightly irritating but he still felt much happier when they were together. The pair spent the rest of the day just getting to know each other and playing daft games until the sun set.

They sat at Newt’s window and watched the sky fade from orange to black. “What day is it today?” Newt murmured.
“Sunday?”
“Ah.” They sat in silence for a few minutes.

“You should go to school tomorrow.”
“Huh?” Thomas looked quizzically at Newt but saw that his friend was being serious.

“You should go to school. Get an education, get a job and get out of this hellhole people call a city.” Newt scoffed.

Thomas raised an eyebrow, “What’s so wrong about where we are?”
Newt thought for a moment, “I used to live in London, have I told you that?”

“I don’t think so.”
Newt hummed in acknowledgment, “Well I lived in London until I was diagnosed. I loved it there. I had friends, I went to school, I joined clubs. Then, my parents,”

Newt spat out the word parents as if it was an insult, “Found that the treatment for my cancer was only accessible in certain hospitals around the world. One of those hospitals is bloody packed but near here. That’s why I live in this place most of the time now.”

Thomas paused, “But aren’t you glad that your parents are trying to help you?”
Newt glared at Thomas but his expression softened when their eyes met.

“Not if I can hardly call them my parents. They were so happy to move to America that they bought a house far away from here by the beach on impulse and I can count all the times they have visited on one hand.”

“They bought a house on impulse?” Thomas’s jaw dropped. Newt raised an eyebrow, “Is that the only thing you got from my rant?”

“On impulse?” Thomas echoed, “Are you some sort of nepo baby?”
Newt stared blankly at Thomas before breaking out into laughter.

“I suppose you could say that.”
“Woah.” Thomas laughed with Newt before gathering himself, “So…do they like, buy you anything you want?”

Newt stroked his chin, “Pretty much yeah, but I hate asking.”
“Nah that’s so cool! If you hate them that much, why don’t you just take advantage of their money?”

Newt shrugged, “Never really occurred to me.”
Thomas’s jaw dropped, “What? Are you stupid or something? I would be doing that from day one!”

Newt winced at the word stupid but nodded along to what Thomas was saying, “Is there anything you want then? I can send them a text.”

“Definitely, but one thing I want firstly is your number so you don’t repeat what you did earlier.”
“Buzzkill.” Newt muttered but a huge smile was on his face.

The boys traded numbers and Thomas grinned, “So, anything?”
“I guess.”
“What about…” Thomas pondered ideas, “hey! Ask them for a tutor so you can learn stuff just like school!”

Newt beamed, “That’s a great idea- but would you do it with me?”
“Huh?” Thomas choked slightly.
“Get tutored, you’re out of school all the time so it would be a good opportunity for you as well.”

“Oh, yeah totally.” Thomas spluttered. He had zoned out slightly and only heard a part of Newt’s sentence, making him blush.

Newt caught on and smirked, “What? Something on your mind Tommy?”
“No!” Thomas quickly looked away.

“Wait, what was I talking about earlier?” Newt muttered.
“School and your shitty parents.” Thomas answered, glad to be changing the subject.

“Right..” Newt stared at Thomas again, “but yeah, you should really go to school. Do you have an idea about what you want to do when your older?”

“..No.”
“Hm. Well I think I want to be a teacher. That could be cool. You should try that out too! Imagine if we were both teaching in the same school.” Newt chuckled.

Chapter 4: Future plans

Thomas admired his friends idea and felt slightly guilty about not having one of his own, “That would be fun…but I’m not sure I want to go back to-“

“Please, Tommy? Please try and get your life together again.” Newt frowned and Thomas felt his heart skip a beat.

“I’m not good enough, I’m failing everything and you’re literally my only friend.” Thomas threw his hands up in the air.

Newt’s expression turned bitter but he sighed and sat up straight, “Well if you can’t do it for yourself, do it for me. I want to see you go far.”

Thomas was taken aback by the tone that came from Newt’s mouth. Even though he had barely known the guy for a couple days, Thomas knew he would never be the same.

The words hit Thomas’s heart and he subtly smiled, the determination on Newt’s face and the sweetness of his voice…Thomas was going to go to school.

He was going to listen to Newt. Hell, he would bloody jump of a cliff if Newt told him it was a good idea.
Thomas had realised he was in love and it was going to drive him insane.

“Fine.” Thomas cleared his mind, “I’ll go to school but you have to promise me something.”
“Anything.” The speed of Newt’s response…Thomas was on the verge of blushing like a maniac.

“Promise me that you will get a stupid tutor and follow that dream of yours.” Thomas stuck his pinky out and Newt fake gasped.

“Not a pinky promise!”
“Oh yeah-a pinky promise alright.”
Newt grinned and interlocked their pinky fingers, “I swear it.” The pair laughed like little kids and Thomas had never felt happier.

Suddenly, Newt’s phone started ringing. He jumped, grumbling, and pulled it out his pocket, “Damn, it’s my sister this may take a while. You hurry off home and I better not see your sorry arse here tomorrow.”

Thomas stood and winked at Newt, “You know you’ll miss me.”
Newt rolled his eyes and waved Thomas off before answering his phone.

Thomas strolled through the corridor with a new surge of hope within him. Newt believed that Thomas could be great. Newt believed in him. That’s all Thomas needed as motivation.

Grabbing his belongings and notifying his mother that he was going to their house, Thomas took the bus home. His house was dark and cold but he forced his feet to walk inside.

He hadn’t visited in over a month and he already missed the familiarity of the hospital. As soon as he set his bags down, he pulled out his phone to message Newt.

‘Made it back safely.’

‘Took ya long enough!’

Thomas smiled at Newt’s quick response and trudged to his room.

‘You should go to bed early so you make it to school on time.’

‘Awww but I want to stay messaging you!’

Newt pondered for a second as he typed.

‘How about you call me and we can talk while you get ready?’

‘Sounds good!’

No sooner had Thomas pressed send when a call from Newt came through. Thomas beamed and answered it immediately. “Hey! I knew you’d miss me.”

Thomas could almost hear Newt’s smile down the phone, “In your dreams. Now, are you packed and ready for school tomorrow?”
“Jeez, I’ve just got in, give me a second.”

Thomas pressed the phone between his ear and shoulder as he flung his boots off and hauled his bags up the stairs. “Do you actually have school equipment?” Newt mocked.

“Uhh…I have a pen.”
“Wow, that’s really gonna get you through school huh?” Newt groaned, “But oh well.”
“You sound like my mother.” Thomas wrinkled his nose.

Newt chuckled and his happiness was infective. After a while, Thomas managed to get dressed and sort of pack whilst being on call to Newt, which had gone from voice to video. “When are you going to bed? I’m tired.” Newt grumbled.

“I’m not stopping you from sleeping.”
“Hm.” Newt mumbled and laid down beside his phone, shutting his eyes. Thomas copied but looked fondly at the screen. It felt as if Newt was right beside him.

Newt’s breathing softened and Thomas sighed, reaching for his phone, “Goodnight Newt.” He ended the call and rolled over for some rest.

The day went quickly and Thomas felt disoriented for most of it. Despite not going in weeks, the school routine was engraved in Thomas’s mind and he had memorised his lesson plan too.

The only difference was that multiple teachers had pulled him aside and questioned him.
“Where have you been?”
“We need to talk about your attendance.”
“Is everything alright?”
“Can I talk to a guardian?”

Thomas waved them all off with the same answer, “My mum is in the hospital and I have to care for her. I can get her to call you?”
Every teacher responded the same, pity and a quick apology.

Thomas had no friends at school either. He spent both break and lunch sat hidden away, messaging Newt.

‘So you’re telling me I have to do this tomorrow too?’

‘Don’t be an idiot. Yes, and for the rest of the year’

‘I might die of boredom’

‘That’s just borderline dramatic’

Thomas grinned foolishly at his phone. Friends were a foreign concept to him but Newt was just so…easygoing, laid back, nice to talk to. Thomas wished that people at his school could be like him.

‘How’s the whole tutor thing going?’

‘Alright- parents paid, blah blah blah, and they’re arriving on Wednesday’

‘Nice! Could they do my homework too? I’ve already been set a ton’

‘Lazy’

‘Hey!’

Chapter 5: School

For the rest of the week, Thomas spent his mornings messaging Newt, the majority of the day working and catching up on his studies, and the evenings buying takeout and eating with Newt on a call.

Thomas had almost forgotten what proper food tasted like as he lived off of snacks and coffee at the hospital despite his mothers complaints. Now, as he sat eating a pizza in his kitchen, he felt strangely light and energised.

He hadn’t wanted to spend money on food but Newt had insisted that he ate so he obliged. If Newt told him to, it was the right thing to do.

Thomas’s life wasn’t actually half as bad as it had been before he met Newt. The boy he had only known for a few days had really changed everything around. Thomas wanted to spend every possible moment with him.

Unfortunately, Thomas realised that because Newt was preoccupied with a new tutor, he had no one to talk to during school hours anymore. Not wanting to be a loner, Thomas attempted to talk to some guys he had been friendly with before his absence.

“Can I sit here?” He asked quietly as he approached their table. “Yeah sure, Thomas right? Haven’t seen you in a while. Where’ve ya been?” A kid called Minho welcomed him over.

“Mum’s in hospital and all that. Haven’t missed school though.” Thomas joked and it earned a round of agreements. Sitting and looking around at the nice guys he was now hanging around with, Thomas smiled to himself.

Maybe school wasn’t going to be so rough after all. The weekend came quickly and Thomas entered the hospital in high spirits. It had actually felt quite refreshing being out of the sterile, white walls for a while.

The first room he went to was Newt’s. His friend was sat up in bed with a book and grinned when he saw Thomas. “Nice to be seeing you in person again Tommy.”

“Same here. You’re looking well.” Thomas noted Newt’s attitude which seemed even more lively than usual. “It’s been great having something to do other than sleeping and watching videos.”

“I feel you there.” Thomas smiled and sat down on the bed, “So…doctors still saying that you’re getting discharged Monday?”
Newt smirked, “Tomorrow actually.” Thomas cheered jokingly and they shared a high-five.

“That’s great! We can hang out-outside tomorrow then act like roommates from then onwards.”
Newt nodded slowly, “I mean, I’ll still need often checkups but I’m glad to be escaping this prison.”

“Well we better pack then.” Thomas held his hands out and Newt took them, getting pulled up. For the next hour, the boys packed up Newt’s belongings and emptied the room.

“Hopefully I won’t have to see this place in a while, otherwise all this labour has been for nothing.” Newt groaned as he zipped up a full suitcase. “Ugh Thomas you do it.” Newt frowned and gave up on the bag when it refused to close.

“Yes princess.” Thomas rolled his eyes and battled briefly with the zipper. The boys laid on the floor beside each other and stared at the ceiling. “Is your tutor coming to my house then?” Thomas spoke up.

“Yeah, it’ll be a bit like homeschooling I suppose.”
“Well if you’re gonna be home all day, you should learn how to cook so I can come back to a nice meal.” Thomas snickered.

Newt kicked him playfully, “Maybe I will, and I can amaze you with my totally existent cooking skills.” The boys laughed and Thomas felt at peace.

For the rest of the day, the boys did laps of the hospital and Newt was tested a few times by various doctors. Thomas sat in the room whilst it happened and Newt grinned at him.

“Can we throw a party after this? I think I deserve it for being brave with needles.”
Thomas scoffed, “And you say I’m dramatic.”
In the evening, the boys laid on Newt’s bed, talking about what they were to do.

“Since you had a boring birthday, how about we go out to eat tomorrow?”
“Unless you know how to cook, I think we’ll be needing to do that anyways.”
“Well what do you want to do then?” Thomas sighed.
Newt thought for a moment, “See a movie?”

“Done. We can go to the cinema in town!”
Newt nodded, “Hey, Tommy?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
Thomas paused, “For what?”

Newt turned his head and smiled softly at Thomas, “For giving a damn about me. I mean, if I hadn’t met you, I would be spending the next few weeks crashing in my sister’s spare bedroom.”

“Well you’re technically crashing in my spare bedroom.”
“No, my point is that..I love my sister but she is very busy with school and work so with you spending time with me and offering to take me out to places, it’s a nice change.”

Thomas met Newt’s eyes and returned his smile, “Your welcome. You deserve it.” Thomas stretched and yawned, “I think we should get some rest.” He sat up but Newt pulled him back down.

“Where are you going?”
“The floor?”
“Why?”
“Uhm, because..this is your bed?”
Newt rolled his eyes and moved to the side, “Two people can fit here easily, c’mon.”

Newt pulled the duvet over them and turned away leaving Thomas feeling nervous. Was he…sharing a bed with someone? A blush crept onto his face but he batted it away.

It’s just like a sleepover, Newt’s being nice in return for your offer to roommate, calm it. Thomas repeated the words in his head but his heart didn’t slow down. Turning away from Newt’s back, he curled up and went to sleep.

Thomas’s eyelids fluttered open and he saw Newt fiddling around with bags. “Huh?“ Thomas rubbed his eyes, unsure why he was in a bed- Newt’s bed. A soft light peeked through the window and Thomas braced his eyes.

“Sorry, did I wake you?” Newt frowned as he slung a bag over his shoulder.
“You look ready for a hike.” Thomas huffed and rolled out of bed. “God, I’ll have to change when I get back.” Thomas wrinkled his nose as he noted that he was in the same clothes as yesterday .

Newt smiled playfully. Thomas noticed that the blonde was freshly washed and he poked a finger at Thomas. “We need to get there first. Can you grab a bag?”

Chapter 6: Cinema

The boys carried the bags through the hospital and Newt got signed out before they left. Thomas offered to pay for a bus ride but Newt insisted they walked. Thomas admired his friend as he embraced the fresh air.

A light wind ruffled Newt’s blonde hair and he looked happy. He had colour in his cheeks from the breeze’s chill and Thomas could see he felt more alive. The walk was short and Newt peered around curiously as he entered Thomas’s house.

“Where will I be staying?” Newt asked. Thomas stumbled up the stairs with a grin, “Follow me.” The house wasn’t large, with two bedrooms and a shared bathroom, but it was cosy.

“This was my mum’s room but it’s all cleaned up and I don’t think she’s gonna be back soon.” A slither of pain found itself in Thomas’s voice and Newt patted his shoulder affectionately, “I’ll keep it neat for her.”

Newt focused on unpacking lightly whilst Thomas showered and changed. After getting himself ready, Thomas strolled down the corridor and stood in the doorway of Newt’s new room.

Newt was too busy folding things away to notice Thomas so the brunette cleared his throat, “What are you doing?”
Newt jumped, “Putting my things away?”

Thomas rolled his eyes and walked towards Newt, tugging him to his feet, “We can do that later but first, we’ve got some hanging out to do.”
Newt chuckled as Thomas took his hand, leading him downstairs and out of the house.

“Okay, okay,” Newt grinned and quickened his pace to match Thomas’s, “but before anything, can we get some food? I’m starving?” The realisation that they hadn’t eaten breakfast hit Thomas and hunger ate at him.

“Good plan.”
The boys walked themselves to a nearby restaurant and quickly ordered. “So,” Thomas said through mouthfuls, “still up for seeing a movie?”
“Definitely.” Newt grinned in response.

The town cinema was a small walk away and the boys headed off as soon as they had finished their meals, which Newt had insisted he paid for. Newt looked curiously at every shop and road they passed.

“Have you never seen a high street before?” Thomas joked. Newt elbowed him, “Yeah, but not this place. During the few times I’ve been allowed out on temporary leave, I always just go to my sisters house and mill about all day.”

Thomas glanced at Newt sadly, he felt bad for his friend who had been cooped up with no entertainment for possibly years. Newt met Thomas’s eyes and smiled, “That the place?” He pointed to a brightly lit building and Thomas nodded enthusiastically.

“Let’s see what they’ve got on.”
The cinema was small but there was a large array of movies playing. Thomas approached the lady at the front desk and smiled.

“Hey, could you tell me what movie you have on next?”
Newt looked around curiously before standing beside Thomas, grinning. The lady scanned her computer, “I believe we have Titanic on next, interested in some tickets?”

“Yes please.”
The lady pulled out a card reader and Thomas paid quickly. “So,” the lady looked between Thomas and Newt with a smirk, “is this a date?”
Thomas froze and he felt heat rising up his neck.

“Oh-no uhm..no-“ Thomas spluttered and he heard Newt laugh.
“The show will begin in room three in ten minutes.” The lady talked to Newt before ushering them away. The boys walked down the corridor and Thomas stared at the floor, embarrassed.

“She got you huh?” Newt chuckled as he held the door open for Thomas.
“Shut up.” Thomas groaned.
“You were totally blushing.”
“I was not!”

They bickered quietly as they found their seats. The lady had put them in the back centre so they had to awkwardly scramble past people. The movie began soon after and Thomas relaxed into his chair.

“Damn, we should’ve brought popcorn.” Newt grumbled as he eyed someone a few rows forwards. “Always thinking about your stomach eh?”
“Oi!”

“Shush!” Someone far away from them growled and Thomas ducked behind Newt. “Sorry..”
They watched in silence for a while until they began whispering again.

“Have you ever watched Titanic?” Newt nudged Thomas with his leg and Thomas had to pretend that the action didn’t make his heart beat faster. “Uh..no.”
“Really?” Newt stared at Thomas with wide eyes before smirking.

“We should’ve brought tissues then.”
“Oh god, what happens?”
“Well you know this is about the Titanic?”
“Yeah- wait does someone die?”
Newt laughed quietly, “Damn, you really have no idea. I’m not giving you spoilers, this is character building.”

Thomas begged for spoilers anyways but eventually relented when Newt refused to reply and sat quietly. The movie went on and Thomas was in awe of the storyline.

Eventually, some romantic scenes came up and the boys sat awkwardly as couples around them got, as Newt said, ‘comfortable.’ However, as the movie got to the end, Thomas was in tears.

He bit his lip in attempt to stop the show of emotions but failed miserably. Newt smiled weakly at him and gently, he reached his hand out and wiped Thomas’s tears away.

Then, Newt took Thomas’s hand in his, interlocking their fingers, and turned back to the movie. Thomas was in shock by the small gesture of affection and stared at the side of Newt’s head for a few moments.

His heart missed a beat and he swallowed the lump in his throat.
He had already fallen for Newt, hard, but this felt different. Damn it, he was literally a woozy teenager in love.

Thomas forced down a grin before looking back at the screen. As the final scene played out, Newt gave Thomas’s hand a supportive squeeze and looked at him, “How’d you like it?”

Thomas huffed, rubbing his face with his free hand, “It was so good but, jeez, why did it have to be so sad? Why aren’t you crying?”
“I’m just tough like that.” Newt grinned foolishly then sighed.

“I have a lot of free time so I like watching movies. This one’s a classic, I’m surprised this is your first time watching it!” The credits began rolling and Thomas helped Newt up, still hand in hand, and the boys left the cinema.

Chapter 7: Flirting

The boys spent the entire day attached at the hip. Thomas booked bowling, showed Newt the town library, and finally took him to dinner. The restaurant wasn’t overly posh, but it was quite fancy.
Newt smiled across the candlelit table, “Well this feels romantic, eh?”

Thomas rolled his eyes, grinning, “The birthday boy deserves only the best.”
“Tommy I turned seventeen almost two months ago.”
“And you had a rubbish day so I’m making sure you get treated.”

Newt scoffed, “You confuse me Edison, and I can’t help liking that about you.”
“That was deep.” Thomas mumbled through a mouthful of food. Newt wrinkled his nose, “Seriously? That’s one way to ruin a moment.”

“I’m hungry!”
Newt kept his poker face on for a moment before laughing, Thomas copying. They finished their meals, Thomas paying, and got up to leave.

As Newt stood, Thomas offered his arm out to him. Newt paused but accepted it, smiling. “I must say, we make one dashing couple.” He laughed as they strolled through the building.

“Couple huh?” Thomas grinned. Newt glanced down at him, amused, “I think you’re actually meant to be the one holding on to my arm because I’m taller, not vice versa.”
Thomas scowled, “Taller by a few centimetres!”

“Inches actually.”
Thomas pulled away but Newt slipped an arm around his waist.
“Relax, I’m joking.”
“Hm.” Thomas would’ve said more if Newt wasn’t holding him so close. His heart was practically hammering out of his chest.

Unfortunately for the boys, it had started to rain outside and they had no umbrella. “Damn, we should’ve driven.” Thomas grumbled. Newt hummed in agreement but slipped off his jacket, holding it up. Thomas stared blankly at him for a moment, making Newt chuckle.

“You gonna stand there like an idiot and get soaked or join me under here?”
Thomas peered up at the dark sky before shuffling closer to Newt. “Thought so.” Newt smirked.

The walk home was luckily not very far and Newt beamed as the rain hit his face. Thomas, not so much. He cowered under their makeshift shelter and hugged his torso, “How are you not bloomin’ freezing?” He huffed.

Newt shrugged, “Maybe you’re just weak.”
“You really know what buttons to push, Isaacs.”
“Then don’t get so easily wound up, Edison.”
“It’s my house we’re staying in, Newt.”
“So? Are you going to evict me already, Thomas?”

Thomas physically recoiled, “It sounds so weird when you say that.”
“Say what?”
“Thomas, you daft git.”
Newt smirked, “Aww, you like your nickname then? Tommy?”
Thomas elbowed him playfully in the side.

The boys made it to Thomas’s house partly soaked and Newt laughed as Thomas whipped him with a towel. “You need to relax man, I’m fine.”
“You might catch a cold!” Thomas continued attempting to dry Newt.

Newt rolled his eyes as Thomas fussed with his hair, “Stop acting like a mother.” He chuckled but there was something behind his smile. Thomas frowned lightly but didn’t push, Newt’s family life was none of his business.

The rain eventually stopped and Thomas got out a few board games. They played for a while, occasionally having petty arguments, but had a great time. “I bet we’re going to be sick of each other in a week.” Newt grinned after they had packed away.

“You think?” Thomas rolled his eyes amusedly. They ended up watching TV until the sun started to set. Thomas had his arm outstretched on the top of the sofa and Newt sat directly beside him.

He tried to casually move his arm away but Newt leant back and grinned at him. Thomas didn’t know how to react so just flicked Newt’s temple with his hand jokingly.

Later on, the boys sat on Thomas’s balcony and watched the sky. Thomas tried not to notice the fact that their hands were just touching but it was the only thing he could think about.

Newt seemed to be oblivious and kept his eyes trained on the sky’s vibrant colours. Thomas watched him with a sense of curiosity. Newt was unlike anyone he had ever known and he couldn’t help finding the boy captivating.

“You need to be less obvious when you stare Tommy.” Newt sighed, a faint smile on his face. Thomas just shrugged and turned his gaze onto the sky. The pretty colours looked like a painting and-
Thomas froze.

Newt moved his hand on top of Thomas’s and interlocked their fingers. This wasn’t the first time they had held hands but oh boy was Thomas nervous. His gaze darted down involuntarily and Newt laughed.

“You’re cute when you blush Tommy.” Newt gave Thomas a lopsided smirk before looking away again. Thomas was at a loss for words. Newt was probably only just teasing him but his heart rate was through the roof.

“Shut up.” Thomas grumbled, which only made Newt beam brighter. Thomas didn’t mind though, he adored Newt’s smile. After the sun fell past the horizon, Newt helped Thomas up and they headed inside.

Things were quiet as they got ready for bed and Thomas couldn’t help thinking that something subtle had shifted between them, like a faint line had been crossed. He didn’t bring it up though because he didn’t mind it.

Thomas brushed his teeth as Newt rummaged through his medicine bag. “Can I grab a cup of water? I need to swallow some pills.” Newt called from his room. “You’re my roommate now, you don’t have to ask.” Thomas answered.

Roommate. Thomas liked the fact that Newt was going to be living with him, he was great to be around. Newt joined Thomas in the bathroom a while after as Thomas was washing his face and stood close to him, very close.

Their sides were touching and Thomas hoped that the face cleanser he was rinsing off covered his redness. Newt smiled at him as he combed his hair but didn’t say a word. Thomas got cleaned up and hurried to bed.

His mind was racing as he heard footsteps fading outside his room. Newt had technically been flirting with him all day, but he couldn’t tell if the blonde meant it or was just teasing him. It was agitating. Still, Thomas guessed he had a lot of time to figure that out now as Newt was now in the same house as him.

Thomas stared at the ceiling as he recounted the days events. They had been to a food joint together, seen a romantic movie, gone bowling, visited a library, gone to a restaurant and then watched the sunset side by side. Every single activity, well maybe not the first one, all screamed ‘date’.

Thomas smiled to himself. Even if Newt wasn’t flirting seriously, Thomas still felt attached to him. They had known each other for almost two weeks yet it felt like a lifetime. “God,” Thomas murmured quietly in the darkness of his room, “the fairytales were right, this is what falling in love feels like.”

Chapter 8: Tutoring

Thomas woke up to bright lights piercing his eyes. “Mornin’ sleeping beauty.” Newt laughed as he pulled open the curtains. Thomas hissed and pulled the duvet over his head, “Five more minutes..” he whined.

Newt yanked the duvet back, “No chance.” Thomas finally scrambled out of bed after Newt threatened to pour water on him and the boys walked downstairs to the kitchen.

They ate cereal in a comfortable silence as the news played in the background. “So whatcha doing in school today?” Newt stirred the cereal around slowly.

Thomas shrugged, “Got a chemistry test to look forwards to. How about you?”
“Huh?”
“I-I mean your tutor, sorry I should’ve worded that better.”

Newt smiled, cocking his head to the side, before speaking, “Yeah, she’s coming over here at nine and will be leaving by four. I’m getting taught English right now.” Thomas nodded as he stuffed his face.

Thomas had a shower and got ready quickly. His school was close so he walked and he felt jealous that Newt got to stay home. “What time did you say your tutor was coming?” He called Newt from his room.

“Nine, why?” Newt answered from the bathroom. Thomas hummed as he checked his bag for books, “Well it’s only eight now, how about you walk with me?”

There was silence for a moment until Newt spoke again, “Yeah sure. Let me get ready though.”

Thomas waited by the front door and when Newt eventually descended the stairs, he couldn’t help gazing at his friend. Newt had his hair combed in a parting, a polo shirt underneath a knitted sweater and a bright smile.

Thomas crossed his arms and leant against the wall. Newt met his eyes and raised an eyebrow, “What?” Thomas grinned, “And who are you going out with today huh? You look ready for a romantic date, who’s the lucky girl?”

Newt scowled, “I’m wearing nice clothes because that’s all my parents let me buy you git. And don’t worry, I’m not seeing anyone, lucky you.”

Thomas rolled his eyes and opened the door. The walk was only ten minutes long and the boys marvelled at the nature surrounding them.

Thomas had never really noticed all the towering trees and dense foliage on either side of the path he took but Newt seemed to admire it right away.

The cold morning air filled their lungs and all Thomas’s hidden anxiety about school fleeted. Newt being near him seemed to give him that sense of security.

They parted when the school was in sight and Thomas strolled up to the building but snuck glances behind him. To his surprise, he saw Newt leaning against a lamppost and watching him enter the school.

The blonde seemed to chuckle slightly and he waved to Thomas before turning around. Thomas bumped into someone before he could turn back around again.

Luckily, it was only Minho. “So who was that?” The black haired boy put an arm around Thomas’s shoulders pulled him along.

“My…roommate.” Minho studied him for a second, “Is that what they’re calling it now?” He snorted and Thomas jabbed him in the side.

“Don’t give me all that crap, I’ve seen you making goggle eyes at Gally recently.”
“I have not!”
“You definitely have.” Alby appeared and walked on the other side of Minho, teasing him.

The day was boring like normal, though Thomas was pleased with his test score, and he found himself sat at his usual lunch table. He had grown to recognise everyone there and had learnt their names.

There was Minho, Alby, Frypan, Gally, Brenda and Winston. They were all very lively which Thomas was glad about. He could just sit at the side and watch them have fun contentedly.

At the end of the day, Thomas trudged home. He got to his door and swung it open, only to get spooked. There was a girl he didn’t recognise standing in the hall going through a bag.

“Hello?” Thomas mumbled. The girl looked up to him, perplexed, then smiled. “Hey, you must be the infamous Thomas, right?”
Thomas frowned but nodded, “Yes?”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Newt’s tutor Teresa.”
“Oh shit I completely forgot you were gonna be here, sorry.” Thomas laughed nervously and shook Teresa’s hand.

“Also..what do you mean ‘infamous’? Am I on a wanted list or something?” Thomas joked as he put away his shoes and bag.

Teresa shrugged, “I’m not probably meant to say this but I will anyways. He,” she gestured to the living room, “goes on and on about you if he gets the chance.”

Thomas felt his face heat up and quickly turned to hang his coat up. “Really?” He tried to sound casual.
“Yep.”
“Positively I hope?”
Teresa laughed, “You could say that.”

Thomas now felt nervous as he followed Teresa into the lounge but relaxed when he saw Newt attempting to solve a puzzle.

The blonde was too concentrated to notice him and Thomas found it cute. Cute? He almost slapped himself. “Afternoon.” Thomas walked past Newt, heading towards the kitchen. “Oh hi Tommy.”

Newt looked up, smiling, and Thomas tried to ignore the spark in his eye that appeared as he said Thomas’s nickname. “I’m gonna make tea, would you guys like some?” He ambled to the kitchen as he called out.

“Yes please.” Teresa nodded. “Mhm.” Newt focused back onto his puzzle, his face contorted into a concentrated scowl.

Thomas was boiling the kettle when he heard a whoop of joy from Newt. Thomas smiled softly to himself at the sound. He then heard Teresa and Newt conversing as they discussed another activity.

He poured three drinks and carried them out on a tray. Quietly, he set them down on the lounge table and sat back in order to not interrupt their next lesson.

Teresa handed Newt some lined paper and asked him to copy out a paragraph from a book she had given him. Thomas saw how Newt’s face fell slightly as he stared down at the paper.

Newt wrote a couple of words before cursing and asking for help. Thomas felt bad for his friend, could he not write properly? He seemed to text alright. But then, he saw Newt squinting as he peered at the book.

“It’s too hard to read, it’s all blurry.” Newt pouted, “I also..don’t know how to do that letter.” He said quietly and pointed at a ‘p’. Teresa smiled reassuringly and took the pen from Newt, drawing the letter on the page.

Newt copied it a few times before huffing happily. Thomas leant back against the armchair and watched Newt fondly. Teresa checked her watch and grimaced, “It’s nearly four. I think I’ll finish this drink and then go, okay?”

Newt bit his tongue as he studied the book but nodded.
“So, Thomas, how old are you?” Teresa took a sip of her drink. “I’m turning seventeen in November.”

Teresa smiled, “Well enjoy your last month as a sixteen year old, apparently it’s the best age.”
“I don’t think so, I’m gonna have to get a job and sit through exams soon.” Thomas groaned.

“Well if you need help, feel free ask me okay? Newt has my number so you can ask him if you want to call me.” With a polite smile, Teresa finished her drink, packed up her belongings and left Newt with some homework.

Chapter 9: Glasses

Newt stayed in the living room, trying to read a book, for another half hour. Thomas sat quietly and meditated. The only sounds were the rustling of paper and the occasional sip of a drink.

Thomas also noticed that Newt was still straining as he was reading. “You alright?” Thomas looked over to him. Newt’s eyebrows furrowed as he squinted his eyes further.

“Yeah…uhm, I..” he stopped and Thomas frowned. Newt didn’t really want to admit he was struggling and it made Thomas feel bad for him.

“Can’t read it?”
“I can read it!” Newt snapped. He glanced at Thomas but his eyes were soft. “Sorry. I..I can read…”
“I know. Maybe, if it’s blurry, we could get you some glasses?” Thomas responded carefully.

Newt’s shoulders slumped, “Yeah. That’s probably a good idea.” He smiled awkwardly and Thomas grinned back at him. “Let’s go then.” He jumped up and Newt paused.

“What- like, now?” He stood up and rushed after Thomas. “Yeah! The closest shops to us close at five so we’ve only got half an our, c’mon!”

Newt laughed as his coat was lobbed at him and he followed Thomas out the door. Thomas jangled his car keys, “Hop in.” He held the passenger door open for Newt before walking over to the driving side.

Newt messed with the car radio as Thomas drove. “Wait, Tommy?”
“Yeah?”
“How come you can drive? You’re not even seventeen yet.”

Thomas drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, “My mum taught me before she got ill.”
Newt raised his eyebrows, “So are you breaking the law right now?”

“Technically?” Thomas sunk back into his seat nervously. He had been hoping that Newt wouldn’t ask that. Newt just smiled and returned his focus to the radio.

He had just found the channel he liked when Thomas parked up and turned the car off. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Newt groaned. Thomas laughed and got out the car, opening the door for Newt.

“Very gentleman like.” Newt grinned as the door was closed behind him. “Shush.” Thomas muttered and directed Newt into a shop. Thomas spotted the reading glasses stand and dragged Newt over to it.

“Do I just..try them on?” Newt looked over the rack. Thomas pulled a pair off and balanced them on his face, “Think so. How do I look?” He batted his eyelashes and Newt wrinkled his nose.

“We’re here for me, not you.” He slipped the glasses off of Thomas’s face and put them on his own. “Woah.” He looked around, then at the small print on the other glasses.

Then, he peered into the mirror and frowned, “Maybe I’ll try a different pair.” Newt scanned over the stand and occasionally picked out a pair and tried them on.

“Tommy do these look alright on me?” He asked for the twentieth time. Thomas stroked his chin as he thought, “I prefer the ones you had on before.”

In all honesty, Thomas thought that Newt looked beautiful in all of them but Newt didn’t want to hear that. “These ones?” Newt held up a blue, rectangular pair.

“No that one.” Thomas pointed to a circular gold pair and Newt grinned, putting them on. He checked his reflection before turning to Thomas.

“You sure?”
Thomas looked up at Newt and his heart skipped a beat, the boy looked gorgeous. “Absolutely.” He did a thumbs up and Newt nodded, slicking his hair back.

“Okay. Where’s the counter?”
Thomas guided Newt to the till and the blonde paid for the glasses excitedly. The lady behind the counter smiled sweetly at Newt and Thomas couldn’t help feeling defensive.

She was pretty, he’d give her that, but Thomas didn’t like the idea of her taking a fancy to Newt-
“Tommy?” Thomas was shaken out of his thoughts by Newt.

“Yeah, let’s go.” Thomas grinned nervously. They left the shop and hopped back into the car but Thomas noticed Newt frowning. “Newt?”

Thomas peered over to him as he got his seatbelt buckled. Newt was holding the receipt for the glasses and turning it in his hands.

“Uhm…I think that lady just gave me her number?” He said it like a question but laughed slightly. Newt was right, the lady had scribbled out her phone number on the back of the receipt.

Thomas felt a pang of jealousy, “Are you gonna ring it then?” He grumbled, turning the engine on. Newt gave him an unreadable look before scrunching the receipt up, “Nah, she’s not my type.”

He chuckled and Thomas felt himself relax. He felt guilty about his newfound relief but he couldn’t help it. “So…” Thomas began to drive, “if she’s not your type, then what is?”

He saw Newt gaze at him in his peripheral vision, “Why’d you ask?” Newt murmured. Thomas swallowed, “Just..wondering.”

Newt smirked, “How about you tell me what your type is Tommy?” Thomas bit his lip. There was a new type of tension in the car and it took everything in Thomas not to accidentally crash the vehicle.

Newt laughed and the conversation was left as that. The radio came on again and Newt unwound his window, sticking his head partly out.

“Careful, you don’t wanna be decapitated by a lamppost or a passing car.” Thomas snickered.
“Don’t worry so much.” Newt grinned. Thomas watched him for a split second with awe.

Newt’s hair whipped around in the wind and he looked so alive. Thomas almost missed a red light from getting distracted.

Once they were home, Newt dived eagerly back into his book and Thomas saw how joyful he looked now. Not wanting to disrupt him, Thomas ordered food in the hallway.

What was it Newt had said he liked? Fish and chips? Thomas searched for nearby food places and called them up. The food arrived at five-forty and Thomas excitedly presented it to Newt. “I got dinner.”

Newt’s eyes flicked up briefly from his book before he did a double take. “Fish and chips?” He grinned as it was placed in front of him, “I haven’t had any of this since I left London!”

“I figured.” Thomas smiled and snatched a chip from the plate. They immediately dived in to the food and Thomas played the TV in the background.

Chapter 10: Movie night

They finished their food and chatted for a while until Newt suggested they watched a movie. They got into their pyjamas before arguing over Thomas’s dvd’s.

“We should watch Into The Woods.” Thomas waved around a dvd case. “No, we should watch Blade Runner!” Newt picked up another disc.

After a bit of back and forth banter, the boys decided on Blade Runner because Thomas caved much to Newt’s satisfaction. Thomas also confessed that he hadn’t seen the film before and Newt insisted it was good.

They cosied in under a blanket on the sofa as the movie started. Thomas didn’t want to admit it but Blade Runner scared him slightly. Newt noticed him flinching and laughed, wrapping an arm around him, “You okay?”

Thomas felt giddy from the slight embrace and smiled foolishly, “Yeah..” Newt rubbed Thomas’s arm absentmindedly as he watched the movie, subtly pulling Thomas closer against him.

Thomas could barely focus on the movie now, his heart was hammering in his ribs. He allowed Newt to hold him and hesitantly rested his head on the blonde’s shoulder.

Newt seemed okay with it and Thomas exhaled happily. He felt content and safe, causing his eyes to droop. With a yawn, he shut his eyes briefly.

He hadn’t even realised he was asleep until he came to his senses. To his shock, he was laying in Newt’s lap.

Newt was engrossed in the movie still and was running his hands through Thomas’s hair. Thomas’s eyes widened and his breathing hitched.

Newt noticed and smiled down at him, “Hello sleeping beauty.” He didn’t stop threading his fingers through Thomas’s hair and Thomas felt himself blushing.

He tried to speak but the words were catching in his throat. “Sorry.” He murmured and sat up. Newt reluctantly pulled his hands away, “You’re missing the best bits.”

He nodded towards the television. Thomas had to basically rip his eyes away from Newt. His mind was racing but he sighed and settled back into the sofa.

There seemed to be a fight of sorts in the movie and Thomas felt slightly disturbed. He yawned again and stretched but felt a hand on his shoulder, “I hate this bit but there’s some good dialogue.”

Newt whispered against his ear. Thomas forced himself to watch the screen but his eyes seemed to be magnetised to Newt.

In the movie, a character spoke out, “The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long...and you have burned so very, very brightly Roy.” As the character spoke, Newt rested his head on Thomas’s shoulder.

“I’d close your eyes for this next bit.” He murmured. Thomas didn’t listen and witnessed some gruesome scenes. Newt stayed put on his shoulder so Thomas decided to focus on that instead.

The movie continued and Thomas subliminally put his arm around Newt, his hand resting on his friends hip. Eventually, the final few scenes came around and Thomas felt absorbed by the story.

“I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die."

Thomas noticed that Newt was lip syncing the speech under his breath and smiled. The film came to an end but both the boys kept perfectly still, as if worrying they would shatter the moment.

“So, that depressing thing is your favourite movie?” Thomas huffed. Newt nodded tiredly, his hair tickling Thomas’s neck softly.

Thomas pulled the blanket further up over him and Newt gently before shutting his eyes. He had school in the morning but maybe it would be best to get some shuteye…

Thomas opened his eyes groggily. Sleep still fogged up his mind and he groaned. It took a few seconds to realise his predicament.

He was laying down on his side next to Newt on the sofa. That was already enough to make him blush, but he quickly discovered another thing.

His face was pressed against Newt’s chest and Newt’s arms were wrapped around his waist. Thomas felt his heartbeat begin to thunder but took a few deep breaths.

He had no idea what time it was but the lounge appeared to still be dark. Calming himself, Thomas decided to make the most of this moment and nestled his face further into Newt’s chest.

Thomas drifted in and out of consciousness for a while until Newt woke up. Thomas pretended to be completely asleep and he felt Newt shift slightly.

Instead of pulling away, Newt sighed and squeezed Thomas ever so slightly. “Tommy..” Newt whispered into Thomas’s hair, “it’s time to wake up.”

Thomas could hear the reluctance in Newt’s voice which only made him blush more. Newt moved, propping himself up on his elbow, and Thomas whined, “No…”

Thomas squinted his eyes open and Newt smiled down at him, running a hand casually through Thomas’s hair. Thomas pressed his face against Newt’s chest again and swore he could feel his friends heart rate increase slightly.

Newt checked his watch, “It’s six twenty, you should start getting ready.” Thomas didn’t answer and Newt grumbled, sitting up.

He slipped out of Thomas’s grasp and climbed over him before stretching and heading to the kitchen. Thomas missed Newt’s warmth immediately and curled up into a ball.

A few minutes later, he felt a hand skim over his waist, causing goosebumps to rise on his skin, and a pair of lips brush against his ear, “Sit up Tommy, I made you some breakfast.”

Chapter 11: Checkup

The day repeated with a similar pattern. At school, Thomas learned some new things about his friends. Apparently, Minho and Brenda were siblings who had struggled with their previous parents but had been adopted by their new dad, Jorge.

As they explained the situation to the group, Thomas thought of Newt and his sister. What was her name? Sonya? Thomas felt like he wanted to meet her. Newt always said how she was so supportive and caring.

Things were also moderately the same after school but instead of hanging out and having a movie night, Thomas had to drive Newt to a checkup at the hospital.

Newt seemed distant the whole ride there, “Want to talk?” Thomas murmured as he steered them through the town. He didn’t have to ask if Newt was okay, he could tell he wasn’t.

“Not really.” Newt huffed, resting his chin on his hand and staring blankly out the window. “Fair enough.” Thomas shrugged.

He saw in Newt’s reflection the ghost of a smile on his face, that ceased his worrying for now. Newt was ushered away by doctors the minute they stepped in so Thomas wandered around.

He decided to check up on his mother but was confused when he entered the room. “Hello?” He asked as he poked his head in.

His mother was sat up in bed and a man Thomas didn’t fully recognise was sitting beside her in a chair. “Thomas! I wasn’t expecting you.” Thomas’s mother smiled.

Thomas smiled back but eyed the man warily, “And who’s th-“
“This is your uncle, Vince. I asked him to stop by because..I’m worried about you Thomas.”

His mother patted the bed beside her and Thomas strolled over, perching on the cot. “Why are you worried about me? I’m doing a lot better than a few weeks ago.”

Thomas offered a smile but his mother waved him off, “It’s not that, it’s just…I feel so terrible. You’re just a kid and you have to fend for yourself alone.”

“I have Newt. We’re a pretty good team.” Thomas shrugged. Vince quirked an eyebrow. “He’s my roommate.” Thomas explained.

His mother hid a giggle behind her hand, “Yeah, roommate.”
“What?” Thomas scowled, “We’re roommates.”

Vince looked between the mother and son before realising what was being implied, “Oh, oh! You don’t have to lie to us kid, we won’t treat you any different.”

Vince smiled sheepishly and Thomas covered his face with embarrassment, “He’s not my boyfriend- can we change the subject?” He pleaded.

“Fine,” Thomas’s mother waved her hands around, “despite the fact you have a so called ‘roommate’, you’re still young. I just wanted Vince to check in on you guys every now and again.”

“Fair enough.” Thomas nodded and smiled at Vince. He checked the time and said his goodbyes before searching for Newt.

The boy was sat in the waiting room and Thomas instantly felt guilty about disappearing, “Sorry for leaving.” He mumbled and sat beside Newt.

“Nah it’s okay, your mum doing well?”
“Mhm, though she basically asked my uncle to babysit us.” He wrinkled his nose. Newt huffed amusedly, “I didn’t know you had an uncle.”

“Neither to be honest, but I think I met him on my tenth birthday? Not sure. He seems chill though.” Thomas put his hands behind his head.

“Chill?” Newt scoffed, snickering. Thomas glared at him but forgot his annoyance once he saw Newt’s happy expression.

“Mr Isaacs?” A receptionist called. Newt and Thomas stood and went over to the desk, “Consultation room five.” The man pointed down a hallway.

The boys thanked him and started walking, “I thought you’d already been tested.” Thomas asked, nudging Newt with his shoulder.”

“I have but they want to discuss the results with me.”
“Ah.” Something about that made Thomas feel uneasy but he didn’t mention it.

The room was nicer than Thomas had anticipated and a kind looking doctor greeted them. “Mr Isaacs I presume, and you are..?”
“Edison. Thomas Edison.”

“Oh, do you have a relative here by any chance?” The lady flicked through a paper file. “Yes, my mother.”
“Makes sense, I recognised the surname. Anyways,”

She typed something up onto her computer and smiled, “Good news for now luckily. We’ve seen no growth or movement with any of the cancerous cells.”

Newt sighed with a sense of relief. “Of course we will need you to come here for checkups every so often, but because there’s been no change, you’re free to stay outside of the hospital for a guaranteed few weeks.”

Thomas felt relieved this time. Without thinking, he found Newt’s hand and squeezed it. “Now I would like you to sign some paperwork for me, can Thomas wait in the entry room please?”

Thomas stood, thanked the doctor and patted Newt’s shoulder, then left the room. He felt pleased that Newt was okay and it left him in a high spirit.

Notes:

Jorge being a dad to Brenda and Minho is everything to me <3

Chapter 12: Revision

“That went well.” Thomas smiled as they drove home. Newt seemed to be much happier too, “Yeah.” He hummed.

They continued in silence for a bit before Thomas spoke again, “I was just thinking-“
“Woah, don’t do too much of that Tommy, you might hurt yourself.”

Newt gave Thomas a cheesy grin and Thomas scowled, “I didn’t even get to my main point!”
“Just warning ya.” Newt put his feet up on the dashboard and crossed his arms.

“Well, as I was saying,” Thomas grumbled, “how about you invite your sister over for a chat? I’d like to meet her.” Thomas felt cheerful as Newt’s face contorted into glee.

“Really? Wow, meeting the family already eh? This relationship is progressing fast.” Newt snorted. Thomas cringed, “You’re insufferable.”

“And I take pride in it.” Newt smirked, “But, yeah I’ll talk to her. She’ll probably ask to bring her girlfriend though.” Newt rolled his eyes. “Jealous she got someone before you or something?”

Thomas raised his eyebrows teasingly. “Who said I don’t ‘got someone’.” Newt shrugged. Thomas immediately regretted talking.

“W..what?” He stuttered. Newt’s grin grew impossibly larger, “I can’t tell if you’re flustered or jealous right now.”
“Neither.” Thomas growled.

Newt began to laugh and Thomas couldn’t help copying. They got home quickly and Thomas felt as if a weight had been lifted off his chest. Newt was well and could stay with him for longer.

“What are you smiling about?” Newt smirked as they cleaned up the kitchen after a failed attempt at making soup. Thomas shrugged, “You.”

Newt’s eyes widened in surprise but his smirk melted into a genuine smile. “Okay.” He huffed. Newt managed to successfully cook some pasta and the boys sat in the living room, laughing over stupid jokes.

Their routine continued and days began flying by. The doctors had declared that Newt’s health had improved drastically which made Thomas relieved, but something different was stressing him out.

Exams were fast approaching and he felt entirely unprepared. He had started revising with Minho during breaks and spending more time studying at the weekends.

Thomas had an important biology test on Tuesday and so had spent the entirety of Saturday cooped up in his room.

Newt had approached the door multiple times, asking if he wanted to hang out and handing him food, but Thomas politely declined. “Sorry, I’m really busy,” and “I’m not hungry”- Newt was sick of the excuses.

Sunday went by exactly the same and Newt had begun to feel increasingly worried. Thomas had spent hours flicking through books, scrolling on his laptop and writing notes.

Newt was glad that Thomas had rekindled his interest in getting an education, but this was obsessive and unhealthy.

After Thomas refused yet another meal, Newt decided that enough was enough. “Tommy..” he opened the door fully and let himself inside.

Thomas was sat facing away at his desk, “I already said I’m not hungry-“
“It’s not that.” Newt interrupted, “you’ve been working for almost forty hours straight, can’t you rest?”

He approached Thomas and hugged the boy from behind. “I’ve got to study, there’s an important test on Tuesday that I can’t afford to fail-“

“I know, but we can’t have you falling asleep from exhaustion during it, can we?” Newt murmured the words into Thomas’s ear. Thomas didn’t remove his eyes from his laptop but Newt could sense that his demeanour had shifted slightly.

“Suppose not, I just..” Thomas took a deep breath, “I missed all of that time at school to keep my mum company and I skipped a lot of important lessons. And-“

He cut himself off and tensed. Newt continued hugging Thomas’s shoulders, “And what?” He gave Thomas a gentle squeeze.

He felt his friend relax slightly. “I want to get a good grade for you.” He said bluntly. Newt blinked a few times before echoing, “For..me?” He said slowly.

Thomas nodded and hesitantly met Newt’s eyes, “You’re the one who encouraged me to go back to school so it only feels right that I put enough effort in to make you proud of me.”

Thomas rambled on quietly and Newt hung onto every word. He bit back the urge to respond with a sarcastic or humorous remark and just smiled.

Thomas was being vulnerable now, talking about his true thoughts and feelings, Newt rarely got to see this side of him. “I’m glad you’re working hard Tommy, I really am, but I miss you.”

Newt sighed before continuing, “I’ve barely seen you all week because you’ve been preoccupied and you didn’t even look at me yesterday.”

Newt let go of Thomas and planted a hand on his shoulder, turning the spinning chair around so Thomas was facing him. “Have a break Tommy, please?” Newt held his hand out expectantly.

Thomas exhaled tiredly but a smile crept onto his lips, “..Fine.” He let Newt pull him up and drag him downstairs. He was shoved back on to the sofa and handed the television remote.

Newt went to make some food for him so Thomas reluctantly picked a film. He decided on Oliver and laid back onto the couch, which was a lot more comfortable than his desk chair.

Newt returned from the kitchen with two hot chocolates and the reheated lasagna that Thomas had refused earlier. Newt cosied them up under a blanket and Thomas settled down.

Chapter 13: Quality time

As he held his drink with his hands and watched the movie, Newt leant on him contentedly. Thomas’s heart felt truly touched by his friends actions and he smiled.

Newt had forced him to stop stressing over work so he could have company. It was sweet. Thomas thought over all of his and Newt’s recent interactions and his pulse sped up slightly.

They routinely spent quality time together, they shared clothes sometimes, they stargazed, they had stupid jokes, they cooked for each other- attempted at least, and they even fake flirted.

Well, Thomas said ‘fake’ but he did truly mean every compliment and comment he gave Newt. He just had to hold out hope that the blonde felt the same way.

“…vie?” Newt was looking at Thomas keenly and Thomas froze. “Uhm, pardon?”
Newt laughed, “I asked you if you were paying attention to the movie but I think I got a solid answer.”

The boy grinned before shaking his head amusedly and focusing back on the film. Usually, Thomas would’ve countered with a witty remark but today, he bit his tongue.

Instead, his smile widened and he watched the side of Newt’s head fondly. The impending anxiety about the exam had been locked away at the back of Thomas’s mind, leaving him feeling at peace.

After a while more of zoning out, the movie became background noise. Newt briefly left the room to clear up so Thomas snatched up all of the blanket and sat in the centre of the sofa.

When Newt returned, he paused and crossed his arms, “Care to explain how you ended up in the middle of the couch after I left for a minute?” He raised an eyebrow.

Thomas rested his arms on the back of the sofa, grinning and shrugging, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You’ve perked up a bit.” Newt scoffed before putting on a fake scowl.

“There’s no room for me to sit! Stop manspreading.” Newt wrinkled his nose at Thomas. Thomas responded by stretching his legs further apart and sticking out his tongue.

“Fine. If you’re gonna be annoying now,” Newt lumbered towards Thomas with a smirk, “then I’ll just have to work around it.”

Before Thomas could react, Newt sat in between his legs and leant back on him. “Hey- get off!” Thomas flinched. Newt folded his arms again and shook his head, “Nah, this is comfy. I think I might have a nap.”

He yawned before shutting his eyes with a grin, pressing his back against Thomas’s chest. Thomas was frozen but he could feel a blush creeping onto his face. God was he glad that Newt was facing away from him.

The movie ended and neither of them moved. This wasn’t unusual, they normally sat around and chatted for a bit, but Newt was already sleeping.

Thomas had subconsciously wrapped his arms around his friend and didn’t know what to do. He needed to get prepared to go to school in the morning but didn’t want to move away from Newt.

The dilemma tore him apart and he groaned internally. “Five more minutes.” He whispered into Newt’s hair. He hummed and relaxed back into the sofa, Newt resting in his arms.

Five minutes became twenty and Thomas grimaced as he checked his watch. Cautiously, he pushed Newt up slightly so he could slip away and he laid the blonde back gently on the couch.

“Night Newt.” He murmured and placed a small kiss on the boys forehead before disappearing upstairs. He packed his bag, got ready and threw himself into bed.

He had one day at school before a line up of tests began. He didn’t want to do it, but how could he give up? He had promised Newt that he would go to school, that meant that he was going to work his arse off and succeed.

The morning went by in a blur though the boys didn’t talk as much as usual. Thomas told himself that they were both just tired and hurried off to school.

As soon as he stepped inside, he was tackled in a bear hug, “Hey man!” Minho jumped at him with a grin. “Jeez, you almost gave me a bloody heart attack!” Thomas yelped.

He clapped a hand over his mouth afterwards, had he just spoken like Newt without meaning to? Minho didn’t seem to notice and dragged him along.

They walked through the school, meeting Ben and Gally on the way. “You seem chipper, win the lottery over the weekend or something?” Gally blinked groggily as Minho elbowed him.

“Well you seem grumpy, who shit in your cornflakes this morning?” Minho countered. Ben and Thomas shared a look before hiding their laughter behind suspicions coughs.

Thomas was glad to have his friends, they were all crazy and partly irritating but they were funny. Gally shoved Minho, causing Minho to shove him back, then things escalated and Ben ended up in a bush.

“Library?” Minho asked Thomas as they left fourth period maths. “Mhm, missed out on some studying last night..” Thomas’s voice trailed off as he recalled spending time with Newt.

“Aww you’re blushing…who did you hook up with?” Minho grinned and jabbed him in the ribs. Thomas rolled his eyes and ignored the comment.

“Where are you guys off to?” Gally joined them. Thomas shrugged, “We’re going to study in the library, wanna come?”
“I’ve got nothing better to do.” Gally hummed.

Thomas glanced at Minho and wagged his eyebrows. Minho glared daggers at him but Thomas swore he could see a blush form on his face. “He could do you.” Thomas mouthed. Minho’s nostrils flared, “Shut your bitch ass up!” Minho mouthed back.

Gally, entirely oblivious, spoke up, “Are you guys also doing the test on Tuesday?”
Thomas nodded, “Yeah. Aren’t we, Minho?” He smiled innocently at his friend. Minho’s eye twitched, “I guess.”

Notes:

The Minally evolution has fortunately begun 🙏

Chapter 14: Old friends

The boys spent the whole of their lunch break revising and comparing notes. Thomas made sure to nudge Minho every time he noticed the boy’s gaze linger on Gally for a while too long.

When Thomas returned home, he spent a while watching Newt and Teresa before returning to his desk. It must’ve been an hour before Newt went to check on him.

“Hey.” Newt leant on the doorframe, “How was school today?” He took a few steps inside and Thomas turned his chair to face him.

“Good. Spent lunch revising with Gally and Minho- I think they’ve got something going on to be honest.”
Newt thought for a moment, “The runner one and the one with buzzed hair?”

Thomas smiled, Newt did listen to his brief descriptions of his friends when he rambled about things at school. “Yeah.”
“Nice. How are you feeling about the exam?”

Thomas thought for a moment, “Worried, but I’ve got a predicted seven to eight in all my sciences, so I think I’ll be okay.” He frowned as he thought and Newt grinned at him.

It was only a simple look but it sent waves of reassurance through Thomas, as if everything in the world was suddenly alright again. Thomas was about to ask Newt about his day when the doorbell rung.

They shared a quizzical look, “Maybe Teresa left something? I’ll get it.” Newt shrugged and rushed downstairs. Thomas turned back to his work but heard his name called not even a minute later.

“Thomas, it’s your uncle.”
Thomas hurried to the lounge and smiled awkwardly at the guest, “Sorry, I was revising.”
Vince shook his head, “No need, what are you revising for?”

They sat in the living room as Newt went to make tea. “Some big science exam tomorrow.”
“Ah, you any good at science?”
“Mhm..my teacher told me I’ve got an above average passing expectancy.”

“That’s very good.” Vince smiled and they sat silently for a moment. “Uhm..” Vince pulled something out of a satchel he was carrying, “your mother sent me here to check in and deliver this.”

He passed Thomas a heavy book and fidgeted with his hands, “She wants you to have it. It’s a photo album.”
Thomas stared at the album and opened it slowly.

Immediately, he was hit with a wave of nostalgia. Pictures of his first birthday, of his late dad, his first house, small things he had forgotten about.

“Thank you.” Thomas beamed at Vince. Newt returned from the kitchen with drinks and eyed the book, “What’s that Tommy?”
“It’s a photo album.”

Newt instantly placed down the tray he was carrying, snatched the album and sat beside Vince. “Oi!” Thomas yelped. Newt grinned as he flipped through the book, “Aww, these baby photos are adorable!” He cooed.

Vince laughed alongside Newt and Thomas felt himself go red, “Stop! There’s embarrassing photos of me in there!” He tried to reach for the book but Newt passed it to Vince who hesitated but held it up high.

“We’re just looking kid.” Vince shrugged. Thomas pouted and folded his arms but sunk back into the armchair he was on. Deep down, he was actually glad that Newt and Vince seemed to be getting along.

Both of them chuckled as they scanned the pages. “That’s me!” Vince exclaimed and pointed at a photo. Thomas curiously peeked over and saw a picture of his fifth birthday.

A younger Vince was holding little Thomas up as he blew his candles out. Thomas’s mum and a few kids where there, but also a man Thomas didn’t recognise.

“Who’s that?” He tapped the paper. Vince’s smile subtly dropped and he grappled for words, “..He was an old friend I had. We lost contact though because we…disagreed on something.”

“What happened?” Thomas pressed. Newt shot him a ‘I think we should change the subject look’ but Vince answered, “Uh, it’s nothing, really. We were- roommates, but, y’know…life happens.”

Vince seemed crestfallen so Newt flipped a few pages, “Wait..” he stared at a particular photo that had caught his eye, “Where was this taken?”

He shoved the book into Thomas’s hands. Thomas looked at the picture Newt was talking about and dived into his thoughts, “That was taken in..Brighton?”

A few memories washed over him and he smiled, “A year after my dad passed away, my mum took me to England for my ninth birthday!” He looked at Newt happily.

Newt, however, didn’t seem to share the enthusiasm. He instead looked shocked, “Your birthday, so around November seven years ago?”
“Yes..?”
A smile crossed Newt’s face and his eyes widened.

“No way..” he whipped out his phone and scrolled through his camera roll before showing a photo to Thomas. “November twenty eight, seven years ago, Brighton beach.”

Thomas stared at a photo of nine year old Newt. A brunette boy was further back and waving at the camera. Vince looked at the picture, then at the boys in front of him.

“Christ, you two have met before, when you were kids.”
“That’s crazy.” Thomas’s smile widened impossibly further. He studied the photo album more and found a similar picture to Newts.

“We’re both in this one too- that’s so cool!” Thomas tapped the page excitedly. Newt was buzzing, “I would’ve never made that connection before, I don’t even know what to say!”

Thomas looked Newt dead in the eyes and smirked, “Well then, I guess, nice to meet you again.” He held his hand out and Newt took it, “Nice to re-meet you too Tommy.”

Chapter 15: Power cut

They all spent a while talking and laughing until it got late. They were halfway through a heated discussion about pasta- Thomas stating it was overrated and immediately getting shut down, when the power went out.

The lights in their house all blinked off and Thomas shrieked. “What the hell?” He looked around, trying to get his eyes to adjust to the light. Newt turned his phone torch on nervously.

“A power outage? As of this day couldn’t get any crazier.” He grumbled, swinging his phone around. “Agh- you’re blinding me!” Thomas hissed as the light hit his eyes.

“You’ll live.” Newt snorted. Vince stood and searched for the light switch, trying it multiple times unsuccessfully. “Well this sucks.”

They all kept quiet for a moment, unsure of what to do, “Vince, how will you get home?” Newt suddenly asked. Vince frowned, “I’ll drive?”
“Yeah but-“

Newt pointed out the window, “The bloody street lights are out too, it’s not safe.”
“Hm, I’m sure I could try and risk it..” the older man muttered.

An unpleasant memory of something Thomas’s father had said hit Thomas and he quickly responded, “No need, why don’t you just crash here? You can take my room.”

Vince stared at him, “Really? Only if that’s alright-“
“Of course!” Thomas smiled and nodded towards the stairs, “Let me show you around.”

After an hour of attempting to function in almost complete darkness, Vince settled into Thomas’s room. “Are you absolutely sure that this is oka-“
“I already said yes, now don’t fret. You’re free to stay however long you need.”

Vince and Thomas smiled at each other before Thomas left the room. He trudged down the corridor then paused, where would he sleep? “Sofa it is.” He muttered.

He walked towards the stairs and slowly passed Newt’s room. The boy had somehow found a candle and was reading sat up in bed, his glasses falling down his nose.

Newt noticed Thomas and raised an eyebrow, “Where are you off to Tommy?” He pushed his reading glasses up.

Thomas shrugged and stopped walking, leaning against the doorframe. “You gave Vince your room?” Newt hummed as he focused back on his book.

Thomas pondered for a moment, “Well he’s a guest, and my uncle, so it feels wrong to make him sleep on the couch.” They didn’t talk for a moment until Newt huffed amusedly.

“So you’re stranded now, huh?”
Thomas watched him curiously for a minute, then frowned, “Mhm.” But then, he titled his head and smiled innocently.

“But it will be so cold downstairs…” he sulked and Newt laughed, placing his book down, “Oh, fine. Come over ‘ere then.” He shuffled over on his bed and Thomas’s eyes practically lit up.

He dived beside Newt on to the bed and Newt smirked, folding his arms and laying back, “You’re eager.”
Thomas grinned, “How could I not be, we’re having a sleepover now.”

Newt jabbed him in the ribs, causing him to yelp and them both to laugh. “Alright, well let’s at least get comfortable.” Newt yanked the duvet from under Thomas then laid it over him.

“Blow out the candle.” Newt peered at Thomas who nodded and cut the light off. Happily, the boys settled into the bed in the darkness.

After a few moments of quiet, Newt spoke up, “Tommy, I think your problem is that you’re too kind and trusting.” He turned his head towards Thomas with a solemn expression.

“Where did that come from?” Thomas rolled to look at him. Newt thought for a second, “I mean, it’s not a bad thing, but it makes me worry for you slightly.”

There was a beat of silence, “You had known me for less than a day when you offered to let me stay here with you. And now, you’ve only just reconnected with Vince and instantly gave up your room to him-“

“But Vince is family!”
“What about me.”
Thomas paused, Newt had clocked him. He swallowed. “To be honest, you felt..” Thomas barely managed to place the word, “familiar.”

“Really?”
“Yeah. From the moment I saw you, you were just different. It was like I was connected to you somehow. Though I guess we just found out an hour ago why that was.”

He chuckled and Newt cracked a smile. “Well…do you remember that?”
“Remember what?”
“Your holiday, meeting me. I think I do, slightly.”

“Not really..” Thomas murmured, but he looked into Newt’s eyes, “Tell me about it.” Newt blinked a couple of times before turning onto his back. “I was there with my sister, Sonya..”

He scrunched his face up as he thought, “My nanny too. It was before I found out about my illness. I remember you though. You approached us and asked if we wanted to dig a hole to Australia.”

Thomas laughed quietly, “I’ve always been ambitious.”
“We immediately agreed and that was fun. Sonya, who was eight, kept asking why you talked funny and you had to explain that you were from America.”

An unreadable look flashed across Newt’s face and he stared blankly at the ceiling. “When our parents announced we were moving to America, Sonya asked if we were going to visit you.”

Thomas felt a warmth inside his heart, “Wasn’t that a year after we met?”
Newt hummed, “I suppose so, but I guess you were really memorable.”

Newt turned and smiled softly at Thomas. Thomas returned with a grin but felt his face flush, he hadn’t realised how close their faces were as they laid down.

Thomas’s eyes betrayed him and wandered to Newt’s lips. Before Newt could notice where Thomas was looking, Thomas turned himself away. “Night Newt.”
…
“Goodnight Tommy.”

Chapter 16: After school

Thomas stumbled home in a trance. He had done it. He had sat through his first major exam of the term. He would be getting his results back in a week and he absolutely dreaded it.

What if he failed? Had he done good enough? His mind was racing. His hands still shook with left over adrenaline as he tried to unlock his door.

To his surprise, he was almost knocked out by a hug when he stepped inside. “Fu-“ he immediately relaxed when he recognised Newt’s cologne. “Hello to you too.” Thomas huffed when he was finally released,

Newt beamed at him from ear to ear and Teresa laughed from her viewing position in the lounge, “I think you scared him Newt, so come back here.” She called.

“Well done for getting through that buggin’ test, I’m proud of you.” Newt patted Thomas’s shoulder before dashing into the living room.

Thomas exhaled slowly, “Did you have to spook me like that man?” Thomas shouted as he kicked his shoes off. “It was necessary!” Newt yelled back.

The relief of finally having the test over and done with settled in Thomas’s mind and he sat on his armchair, watching Teresa show Newt some arithmetic formulas.

Their lessons could be seen as simple from the perspectives of outsiders but Thomas knew that Newt had been working hard all day, catching up on all the time he had spent out of school.

Teresa finished, said her goodbyes, and left after another hour. Thomas hadn’t shifted from his spot in the armchair and had nodded off. “You alive?” Newt kicked him.

Thomas’s brows furrowed, “I think?” His eyes fluttered open and Newt stifled a laugh. “Well you better wake up sleepyhead, my doctors appointment is booked half an hour earlier today and I don’t want you to make me late.”

The boys sat in the car as they waited for a red light to turn. Newt was humming along to a song on the radio whilst flicking through a leaflet. “What’s that?” Thomas asked.

Newt stopped humming, “Information on what type of Cancer I’ve got. I picked it up in the reception the last time me visited.” He continued reading the paper and humming.

Thomas felt slightly off put. It was strange, the word ‘cancer’. He heard it quite often from his mum, her doctors, Newt, his doctors. They all seemed quite calm about it which made Thomas confused.

It was a dangerous illness that terrified him. What if it took away the people he loved? He glanced at Newt and shook his head. He shouldn’t be stressing, if Newt was fine then he was fine.

The visit to the hospital went the same way it did every other time. Thomas went to see his mum as he waited for Newt and bumped into Vince again.

“Hey kid.” Vince smiled as Thomas entered the room. “Hi.” Thomas grinned then glanced at his mum. She was a little more pale than usual but seemed like her usual self.

“I heard that Vince got stuck at the house due to a power outage!” Thomas’s mum exclaimed. Thomas nodded, “Yeah, the lights were functioning by the morning and Vince left by seven in the morning, it was no biggie.”

Thomas shrugged and his mum smiled. “I also heard about that whole old photo bonanza.”
Thomas sat up eagerly, “Oh yeah! Who would’ve thought huh?”

His mum shrugged, “I didn’t know who those kids were but they were very sweet, there was a girl too, right?”
“That was Sonya! Newt’s gonna ask if she wants to come around.”

Thomas sighed and stretched his arms, “Newt was also telling me what he could recall, he’s got a great memory.”
“I always told that boy at our puzzle club that he had good brains,”

Thomas’s mum smiled proudly to herself, “and I recall you telling me that you found him familiar.”
“I did, funny eh?” Thomas grinned.

His mother just clasped her hands and batted her eyelids, “The red string theory.” She said happily.
“The what?”
“Don’t worry yourself about it,” Thomas’s mum waved him off, “now go find your boyfriend before he gets angry at you for abandoning him.”

Thomas frowned, “I told you, that was only one time- and he’s not my boyfriend!”
“Keep telling yourself that.” His mother teased him as he left the room.

Thomas found Newt, sat with him through a consultation, then drove him home again. “When did you say Sonya was coming around?” Thomas asked, sparking a conversation.

“Friday, I’m pretty sure. Her girlfriend Harriet is coming too, if that’s alright.”
“No that’s cool, just need to figure out what to have for dinner.”
Newt laughed, “Always thinking about your stomach, aren’t you?”

Thomas would’ve swatted him if his hands weren’t firmly on the steering wheel, “Shut up..” he groaned. That evening, the boys played an aggressive game of uno before turning on the TV.

“Hey, Newt?” Thomas asked. Newt looked over at him and tilted his head. “How come you’ve got such a good memory? You seemed to know a lot about the holiday we met but I don’t.”

Newt frowned and looked back at the television, “I guess I just kept thinking about it.”
“Why?”
Newt looked as if he was struggling with something in his head.

“..It’s a happy memory, something you want to keep a tight hold on when you’re stuck with nothing to do a lot.” Newt was referencing his time at the hospital and Thomas felt pitiful.

“Oh, right, sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Newt looked back over and smiled at him. Thomas felt his heart skip a beat, there was something Thomas could’ve place behind Newt’s eyes.

Smiling back, Thomas turned his face down back to his study book and leant into his armchair. He had more assessments scheduled this week but he wasn’t worried anymore, he was excited to see what scores he would get.

Chapter 17: Meeting Sonya

Friday came faster than Thomas had expected. He managed to sit through his Chemistry and Physics exams so his sciences were complete. Next week, he would have to get prepared for English and Maths, but he wasn’t bothered.

That was because in three more weeks, it would be Winter break. Thomas had bought the ingredients for spaghetti bolognaise and was cooking when the door went.

He went to get it and saw two girls standing outside, “Hey, come inside.” He smiled at them and held the door open. Luckily for Thomas, Sonya was very talkative and started a conversation in no time.

“Hello! You must be Thomas, I’ve heard all about you.” She grinned and shook Thomas’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you Sonya,” Thomas then looked over at Harriet.

“And you, Harriet I presume?”
“Yes, thank you for having us.” They shook hands and Newt finally emerged from the kitchen.

“Tommy you can’t just leave pasta unattended!” He exclaimed but then calmed when he saw his sister. Sonya rushed to him and squeezed him in a tight hug, “I haven’t seen you in ages!” She grumbled.

Newt laughed, “You’re gonna choke me idiot.”
“You deserve it. But..it’s good to see you out of the hospital, how are you feeling?”

They all sat in the living room with the food that Newt had managed to polish up. Thomas was in the armchair, Newt and Sonya on one sofa and Harriet on the other.

“Did I tell you what me and Tommy discovered the other day?” Newt said suddenly. Sonya paused, “No?”
Newt placed his bowl down and reached for the photo book.

“There’s a photo of me and you in here! You’ve met Thomas before, on that holiday to Brighton..” Newt flipped through the book and Sonya did some mental calculations.

“That was…ages ago-“ the book was placed in her lap and she saw the photo. “That’s me?” She smiled and tapped the picture that had a blurry little blonde girl in the background.

“Yep, I’m there,” he pointed to a blonde boy, then traced his finger over to Thomas, “and that’s Tommy. Wild eh?” Harriet peered over and smiled, “Aw, you were so cute Sony.” She pinched Sonya’s cheek before sitting down.

“Pfft, I was not. But look, I was taller than Newt back then.” She smiled and nudged Newt in the side, “He’s older than me by a year but only managed to grow taller than me when he was fifteen.”

“Not true!”
“It so is.”
Thomas chuckled as he watched the siblings bicker, he decided then that he liked Sonya and Harriet, they were fun.

“There’s some really embarrassing pictures of Tommy in here.” Newt quickly changed the subject and pointed to another photo.

“Hey, you don’t need to put me like that man!” Thomas frowned lightly. The group all talked some more and discussed old stories.

Newt left the room to wash up and Sonya unexpectedly turned to Thomas. “So, Thomas, how long have you known my brother?”

Thomas suddenly felt nervous, “Since September?” He shifted uncomfortably. Sonya cracked a smile, “Cute, did you go trick or treating together in October then?”

“No?”
“Shame, that was technically me and Harriet’s first date.” She smiled at her girlfriend, then back at Thomas. “He’s told me a bunch of good things about you and I believe him, you seem like a nice guy.”

Thomas relaxed and grinned, “I try my best.”
Sonya nodded, then spoke slowly, “Please, try and take care of him for me. I worry about him all the time.”

She frowned towards the kitchen, “I’m glad you welcomed him here, otherwise he’d probably be back in the hospital now. He usually has to sleep on my sofa then gets scolded by his doctors.“

Sonya seemed slightly upset and Harriet moved to comfort her, “You try your best with him, but you’ve got to go to school too.”
Sonya nodded, then smiled warmly at Thomas.

“Thank you.”
Thomas beamed back at her, “Don’t thank me, he’s actually been helping me a lot around here. It’s a pleasure to ‘look after him’.”

Newt returned and they went back to a normal discussion, but Thomas felt more comfortable and happy. Sonya trusted him, that meant he was doing something right.

The girls left later on and Thomas helped Newt wash up, “Say, Sonya said she’d heard a lot about me, how come?” He smirked and watched Newt.

Newt’s face went hot and he turned away, “No reason.”
“You sure?” Thomas walked up behind him. Newt’s shoulders tensed and he hissed, “Seriously, Sonya?” He cursed his sister under his breath.

He then faced Thomas again and whipped him with a tea towel. “Mind your bloody business.”
Thomas laughed and the conversation was left at that.

“What do you wanna do over the weekend?” Newt mumbled as he brushed his teeth. Thomas hummed as he dried his hair from his earlier shower, “Minho asked if I wanted to go bowling with the group, should I ask if you can come?”

Newt shrugged, “Sure. It would be cool to meet them all in person.” Newt finished brushing his teeth and as he passed Thomas, his hand ever so slightly brushed Thomas’s back.

Thomas squeezed his eyes shut as his heart raced. As soon as Newt was out of earshot, he mumbled to himself, “Stupid crush.”

Chapter 18: Early morning

That night, Thomas texted Minho and asked about the bowling meet up.

‘Hey! Who’s going to the bowling tomorrow?’

‘Me, you, Bren, Gally and Fry. Oh and Chuck.’

‘Who’s Chuck?’

‘Omg it was hilarious- Gally’s parents are forcing him to bring Chuck with him! He was ranting on FaceTime with me about it for literally an hour.’

‘That sucks for him…soooo tell me about your FaceTime with Gally, when did that become a thing?’

‘I hate you.’

‘Anyways I was gonna ask, can I bring Newt? I don’t wanna leave him alone this weekend because I kinda did last weekend.’

‘Aw, will you miss him when you’re out?’

‘Uh I guess?’

‘…Well you talk about him so much I’m beginning to miss him too so sure.’

‘I do not!’

‘Whatever helps you sleep at night. Also go to bed, I need my beauty sleep and you’re disrupting me.’

‘Tryna look good for Gally are you? - night.’

‘I would rather die- night bro.’

Thomas turned his phone off and smiled at his ceiling. He had a feeling that tomorrow was going to be fun.

Newt’s alarm went off at six and Thomas stormed into his room, half asleep. “Turn that stupid alarm off! Everyone in a five mile radius can hear it.” Thomas grabbed Newt’s phone and pressed the off button.

“S’rry.” Newt slurred and turned over. Thomas rubbed his face groggily, “We’re not going out ‘til three, budge up.” Thomas shoved Newt over and climbed into the bed with him.

“What are you doing?” Newt yawned and pulled the duvet away from Thomas. Thomas yanked it back and got cosy, “I’m having a nap, that’s what.”

“Why in here, go back to your own bed.” Newt whined.
“Be quiet.” Thomas put a cold hand on Newt’s shoulder, making the blonde hiss. “You’re so annoying.”

Thomas put an arm over Newt and shuffled closer to him, “I asked Minho about the bowling and he said you can come.”
Newt exhaled, “M’kay.”

When Thomas woke up next, it was eleven. Him and Newt hadn’t moved so he peeled himself up. “C’mon, we should get ready now.” Thomas sat and stretched.

Newt pulled the duvet over his head and didn’t get up. “Newt..” Thomas huffed and pulled the blanket back down, “You’re usually the one who wakes me in the morning.”

Newt rolled over to face him and his eyes blinked open, “I’m tired.” He frowned. Thomas sighed and ran a hand through his hair before smirking. “If you don’t get up now then I will literally carry you downstairs.”

“Pfft, sure.” Newt shut his eyes and went to turn back around but Thomas stopped him. Before Newt could fight back, Thomas picked him up by his sides and hauled him over his shoulder.

“Tommy put me down!” Newt was jolted wide awake and pounded Thomas’s back with his fists. “Nope.” Thomas took a few unbalanced steps before leaving the room.

“I’ll get up! I’m literally awake now! Tommy!” Newt slumped, giving up with hitting Thomas. Thomas laughed and put him on his feet. “There we go, now get dressed and I’ll make breakfast.”

Thomas grinned, patting Newt’s shoulder. Newt scowled and put his hands on his hips, “I’ll get you back for that.” He swivelled on his heel and Thomas rolled his eyes amusedly.

He made jam on toast and was setting it out on their small kitchen table when Newt strolled in. Thomas did a double take, his heart backflipping.

Newt was wearing jeans and a white shirt that was unbuttoned. Thomas couldn’t tear his eyes away from Newt’s chest and swallowed hard.

Newt was adjusting his sleeve and frowned, “Does this shirt look okay?” Thomas didn’t respond and Newt looked at him, “Tommy?”

“Ugh..yeah, sure.” Thomas managed to shift his gaze to the floor. Newt smirked and started buttoning up his shirt, not saying another word.

Thomas took a few bites of his toast then spoke, “…We’ve got a couple of hours until we go so after I get dressed, I might head into the garden and try-“

“Woah, woah-“ Newt waved his hands around frantically, “Repeat that?”
“I might head into the garden-“
“Garden?” Newt stared at him. Thomas nodded slowly, “Am I missing something?”

“Th-we have a garden?”
“..yeah?”
“We. Have. A. Garden..?”
“Yes, what’s up-“
“How the bloody hell was I not aware of this? I love gardening! Take me there right now.”

Newt stood up and Thomas awkwardly got to his feet, “Okay..?” He got up and walked to the other end of the kitchen, swinging open a door.

Newt’s jaw dropped, “That doesn’t lead to..what?”
Thomas laughed, “Where did you think that door lead to?”
“I-uh, like an electrical cupboard or something?”

Thomas pushed Newt out the door and shut it behind them. Newt smiled and looked around. The garden was overgrown with ivy crawling over brick walls, long grass, a small shed and some rickety plant beds.

Newt strolled forwards, “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me there was a garden, I’m definitely going to clean this place up in summer.”

He turned around and smiled warmly at Thomas. Thomas leant on the door with his arms crossed, “Well there’s a lawnmower in the shed there so you can get started now if you like.”

Newt tilted his head before ambling over to the shed, “Sure, now go and get dressed. Don’t want you making us late.”

“You’re always so stressed about being on time.” Thomas tutted and opened the door.
“It’s called curtesy.” Newt flipped him off.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 15 of The Maze Runner