Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When Newt wakes up, it’s a slow process. He opens his eyes slowly, blinking against the harsh light. He’s disoriented and his brain has yet to catch up with the rest of his body. Taking in his surroundings he becomes aware of two things. First off, he’s alone. There’s no one else in the room and Newt can’t shake the creeping feeling something is wrong. All the other beds are empty and it’s dead quiet. Secondly, as his brain finally boots up, he notices there’s someone standing right outside the door. 

Janson.

Recognition floods through him, and he jolts upright much too quickly. Head swimming with vertigo and panic, Newt tries to scramble away only to meet resistance. Turning his head he realizes his wrist’s been cuffed to the bedpost. Out of the corner of his eye he can see Janson barking an order, and his heart leaps into his throat. In a desperate attempt to get free, Newt pulls against the restraint, hissing as the cold metal bites his skin.

How did he get here? His mind is racing and he can’t make sense of the thoughts, fear settles heavy in his stomach. The last thing he remembers is reaching for Thomas’ hand as he struggled to climb the train car. He remembers a hand on his leg, pulling, suddenly throwing him off what little balance he already possessed and sending him crashing to the ground. He could hear Thomas shouting his name, but it goes fuzzy after that. 

Even with blank spots in his memory, he’s smart enough to put two and two together. Wicked had gotten a hold of him, that much was obvious. They must have been closer than he thought when he started the climb to Thomas. Now he has to figure out where the fuck he is. Distantly he can hear the door opening and Janson walk in, can feel him watching. Newt freezes as the man begins to speak.

“Newton,” Janson says, mouth curling into a smile, “how nice of you to finally join us.”

Silence stretches between them. Like hell is Newt going to give Janson the satisfaction of hearing his voice shake. Janson merely raises an eyebrow at the boy as Newt tries to school his features. He stares blankly at Janson, jaw clenched, waiting for the worst. He has to fight the look of surprise when Janson motions for a guard to uncuff him.

“Terribly sorry about that. Just a precaution. Can’t have you running off, now can we?” Janson says, like he’s making a joke Newt should find funny.

He just continues to stare blankly at the man. 

Sensing the boy won’t talk, Janson orders the guards to haul him up and follow. The guards do just that, one reaching for Newt’s arm and roughly pulling him to his feet. Newt scrambles to get his footing, and nearly trips when the guards push him forward to follow Janson. Scowling, he does as he’s told. He walks behind Janson as the guards flank him. He doesn’t recognize any of the walls or staff as they walk. He realizes with a sinking feeling that he doesn’t have a clue as to where he is.

They continue down the halls, seemingly moving in circles. By the time they stop he can feel his leg becoming heavy. The fall really messed up his leg. When the door opens, and Janson steps inside, Newt fights the urge to scream. Teresa’s sitting at a table in the middle of the room, hands in her lap. She looks clean, well kept. She’s dressed in a lab coat with her hair up and out of her face. He can feel Janson’s smirk as he crosses the room. 

Janson turns to him then, and he was right. The bastard was smirking. “Have a seat, Newton. I’m sure you remember Teresa.”

She looks up at him then. He watches as surprise flickers across her face before she can contain it. Slowly, Newt moves and sits down across from her. He wants to ask if she regrets it, what she did. If she’s eaten alive by guilt; if her thoughts keep her awake at night. He wants to know if she even considered how her betrayal would affect Thomas. 

Because that’s really what it comes down to isn’t it? He’s angry -- God he’s so fucking angry -- but what he really cares about is if she knows how deeply she hurt Thomas. She hurt him in a way he can’t fully heal from. Newt’s seen it. The way Thomas flinches when anyone he doesn’t know tries to get too close. The way he can’t fully trust again. She scarred the other boy, and that’s something Newt cannot forgive. He hopes she can feel the angry simmering under his skin as he glares at her.

It’s been silent too long. Newt shifts his gaze from Teresa to Janson. The bastard still has that smirk on his face and Newt would love nothing more than to cross the room and wipe it off his ugly face. Teresa looks at Janson as well, and he simply nods. 

She turns back to Newt.

“Newt, I- I’m-” She’s tripping over her words, trying to look him in the eye. She can’t. “We need your help.”

Newt snorts, finding that hard to believe. She ignores him.

“We need your help, Newt. We’re so close to finding a cure. If we just had more to work with, we could help all those people out there. Please, tell us where they are.” She reaches across the table to put a hand on Newt’s, eyes pleading. 

“I’m not telling you anything you bloody traitor.” Newt snarled, snatching his hand away from  her. 

“Tell us where they are. I promise they won’t be hurt.” Teresa mumbled as she pulled her hand back, shocked at his outburst. “Just tell me where Thomas is.” 

Newt could feel his anger boiling over and that wouldn’t end well. How dare she ask him that, like she has some sort of claim on him. There’s no way in hell he would let Wicked have Thomas again. Not if he had any say in the matter. Clenching his jaw and digging his nails into his thighs, he leveled her with a look of contempt. 

“Please, Newt. I can protect him here. I’ll keep him safe, you know I don’t want to see him hurt!” 

She was pleading again, begging him. Newt kept his mouth shut. He would not let them have Thomas or anyone else. They all deserved a chance at life, unafraid and happy. He was not going to jeopardize that.

“Tell us where he is, Newton.” Janson spoke suddenly. It was an order. An order that Newt would not follow.

“No!” He growled, “I won’t let you touch him! You’re all a bunch of fuckin’ bastards. I won’t tell you anything.”

Teresa opens her mouth, but Newt rounds on her. “And you! You think you have some claim on Tommy?! You don’t own him and he doesn’t owe you a god damned thing! He will never want to come anywhere near you ever again. You hurt him, Teresa.”

He spits out her name like it’ll leave a bad taste in his mouth. She recoils under his tirade, shrinking in on herself. He’s spitting out the words aiming to devastate, venom in every word. His chest is heaving once he’s finished. It feels like he’s steaming, face flushed in anger, struggling to catch his breath. Teresa looks like she’s about to cry, eyes glistening, while Janson looks pleased.

“Ohh, how touching.” His smile is malicious. “Such loyalty to a boy who doesn’t love you.”

It’s like a slap to the face.

Teresa looks over at Janson, but he has his gaze fixed on the boy. Newt just stares at him, anger leaving him suddenly leaving only shock and Icy fear. He hadn’t meant to make his feelings known like that. Hadn’t meant to show his hand. Now Janson had ammo to use against him.

“Did I strike a nerve? I should have seen it sooner, the way you searched from him in a crowd, the way you put yourself between him and danger. It’s so obvious.” Janson stalks over to the table, grin still in place. He looks so smug and Newt wants to slam the man’s head into the table. “Tell us where he is and I promise Thomas will go unharmed.”

“No.” The word is leaving his mouth before he can think.

“You can either tell us willingly, or we will make you. Choose wisely, Newton.”

“Go to hell.”

Janson’s expression sours and Newt feels victorious for a moment, then Janson’s spitting an order to grab him. He’s roughly grabbed and forced to stand. Newt sees Teresa shoot him a sorrowful look as they leave and he scowls. I couldn’t care less about how she feels. Turning his head he watches Janson lead them down more hallways. He can feel his leg aching in protest.

As they walk, Newt keeps an eye on the walls. He’s unfamiliar with this place and it leaves him feeling dizzy as he tried to map out where they are from what little he’s seen. As he’s watching, he notices an empty room. He shifts his gaze to the guards flanking him. They let him go as soon as they were out of the room. They’re each holding a gun to their chest and Janson’s back is turned. 

Taking a risk, Newt launches himself at one of the guards, grappling for the gun. Once he has a grip on it he rams it backwards into the guard’s chest. The guard stumbles back letting go of the gun in the process. As quick as he can, Newt turns to the other guard and shoots him in the chest, praying it’s set to stun. Before Janson can react more than turning, he’s slamming the butt of the gun into Janson’s spine, effectively winding the man. Suddenly there’s a hand in his hair -- that’s such a dirty move --  wrenching him backward. Pain explodes behind his eyes as he’s thrown into the wall. Gun still in hand, he raises it and shoots the guard in the leg. His captors taken care of, Newt runs to the empty room and shoots the key scanner as soon as he’s inside. 

The doors shut and for the first time since he woke up Newt takes a second to just breath. Surveying the room he tosses the gun to the floor, the resulting clatter echo’s through the room. It makes him sick to hold it. The room is mostly empty save for tables pushed against the walls. It takes a moment to realize it’s radio equipment. There are muffled voices coming from the screens and an idea pops into his head. If he can figure this out, he can get a message to Thomas and the others. 

Even with his leg screaming in protest and a dull ache blossoming at the base of his skull, he makes his way over to the closest screen. Throwing himself into the chair he begins to fiddle with knobs below the screen. He pushes his hair away from his face; it’s messy after being pulled out of its ponytail -- what with being thrown to the bloody wall and all. He knows what frequency he needs, he just has to figure out how to get to it. I don’t have much time. It won’t be long before Janson is breaking down the door and hauling me away.

There’s anxiety simmering under his skin as he fumbles with the knobs. His hands are shaking and there’s a lump forming in his throat. When he finally figures it out, he nearly misses the frequency he’s trembling so hard. He doesn’t even know if anyone is in the room right now, doesn’t know if anyone will hear him. The thought makes him pause. Is it really worth it to try? It may not reach anyone. Newt shakes himself. He has to try, even if no one is there, he has to try.

Pressing a button, he begins to speak.

“I don’t know if anyone’s there, or if I’m just wasting my bloody time, but I have to try. If anyone is there-” He chokes on a breath, “- you can’t come here. Tommy, if you’re there, you have to listen to me. You can not come here. They want you, they want everyone. I can’t let them do that, alright? I just can’t. So don’t come after me. Please, don’t come for me. I can’t let them take you, Tommy. Thank you for everything, keep them safe, and I’m-”

He’s not aware he’s crying until tears drop onto his shaking hands. This may be his last chance to tell him. He has to take it.

“- I’m so sorry, Tommy. I love you.” 

He takes his finger off the button.

He’s a storm of emotions as he cries, letting himself grieve. Newt knows he did what was right, but, god it hurts. He doesn’t know what Janson has planned for him, but it can’t be good. There are voices outside the door and he knows his time has run out. He’s scared, but he tells himself that it’s the right thing to do as the door opens. There are hands on his shoulders and he’s yanked from the chair. When he’s forced to turn, Janson’s face is thunderous. 

“I hope you’re proud of yourself, you just sealed your fate.” With that Janson turns on his heel and marches from the room.

Newt’s forced to follow by the hands his shoulders and this time the hands don’t leave. He doesn’t really notice when they stop walking. He’s so far in his own head the world around him has melted away. The blonde hopes that his warning was enough to keep Thomas and the others away. That maybe this time they’d be willing to leave someone behind.

 He’s led to a chair in the center of the room and forced down into it. Janson’s spouting nonsense about how he’s excited to try out the new tech on a person and the boy can’t bring himself to care. Newt knows he should be more afraid than he is, but it’s like he’s been separated from his body; just watching from above.

The last thing he hears before there’s pain in the back of his neck and darkness engulfs him is, “I warned you.”

Chapter Text

“-I’m so sorry, Tommy. I love you.” 

The room is a flurry of activity and voices around him as Thomas sits there, heart in his throat. 

I love you, I love you, I love you 

He can’t think, the words taking up all the space in his mind. Newt loves him. Newt loves him and he let him get captured by Wicked. They have Newt; they have him and there’s no way the other boy is going to be safe. They have to get him back. He can’t just leave him there, can’t just leave him alone with Wicked doing god knows what to the blonde. 

So don’t come after me. Please, don’t come for me. 

How could he say that? How could Newt ask them -- him -- to leave him behind when they fought so hard to get Minho back? He should know by now that Thomas doesn’t take orders well. Maybe he was hoping Thomas would listen and follow an order just this once, but he can’t. Won’t. They can’t lose Newt, he’d never survive it. The blonde is what keeps their little group together, what keeps Thomas together, the glue. Without the glue the whole thing falls apart.

I’m so sorry, Tommy, I love you.

Newt’s voice broke as he spoke his name. Thomas wants to cry. Or scream, or throw something against the wall, anything other than sitting there dumbfound. His emotions engulf him, panic thrumming under his skin, but he can’t move! He’s frozen.

Distantly he can hear someone calling his name.

Thomas, Thomas, Thomas-

“Thomas!” Minho barks. Thomas jumps, snapping his gaze to Minho. He’s standing over a map on the table, hands on either side of it. His gaze is laced with concern. “Did you hear what I said?”

Thomas opens and closes his mouth before shaking his head. The other boy gives him a small smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. He looks tired and Thomas doesn’t blame him. They just got away from Wicked and now they have to go right back.

“I said, we know where he is.” 

Now he’s definitely listening.

“While we were with Wicked they kept mentioning a city. We know there aren’t any cities left, but Jorge says he’s heard of the last city still standing. It’s here.” Minho points to a spot on the map not too far away from where they’ve made their base. “If we can get to it, we can find Newt and get the hell out.”

Everyone turns to look at Vince, whose face is pinched. The man runs a man down his face. He sighs, crossing his arms. He’s about to speak when the radio crackles to life. For a second Thomas hopes it’s Newt. He pretends not to feel crushed when it isn’t. There’s a voice talking about sectors and sends them all scrambling. Someone yells ‘hit the lights!’ before they’re plunged into darkness. After a moment, Vince and Thomas make their way outside and look up in time to see a berg passing overhead. 

This has been a persisting issue since they settled here. Wicked’s been looking for them nonstop since the valley and it’s gotten worse since the rescue mission. There’s a berg flying overhead at least once a day. There’s a pit forming in his stomach as he realizes they can’t stay here much longer. He looks over to Vince and sees the same realization settle over the older man. 

Vince turns to look at him, gloom written on his face. “I’m sorry, Thomas, but-”

“- We can’t stay here.” Thomas finishes for him. “I know.”

Thomas turns on his heel and walks away. He feels sick.

------

It’s the middle of the night when Thomas slips out of bed. He makes his way out of the room, grabbing his bag as he goes. He’d packed some things as soon as he was alone. He refused to leave Newt behind, and it would be a long trip to the city. He didn’t necessarily have a plan, but then again when did he ever really plan. Keeping as quiet as he can, Thomas makes his way through the base, heading for the cars. Once he’s outside he takes a deep breath and pulls on his jacket. Technically it’s Newt’s jacket; the one that's lined with fleece that reaches over the collar. He’d left it behind before the mission and the brunette couldn’t just leave it there. 

In a moment of weakness, Thomas grabbed the jacket. It was Newt’s and he wanted to keep the older boy close, just needed a reminder of what he was fighting for. It still smells like Newt, too. Shaking himself, Thomas makes his way over to the cars. When one of the car doors seemingly opens on it’s own he startles so badly that he’s surprised he didn’t scream. He sighs in relief when Jorge pokes his head out of the door.

“Get in, Hermano.” Jorge’s got a smirk on his face as he slips back into the car.

Reluctantly, the brunette moves toward the car. He sees Brenda in the passenger seat and isn’t really surprised. She smiles at him as he opens the car door. Minho and Frypan are in the backseat, shuffling around to make room for Thomas. A lump forms in his throat and he manages to choke out a thank you. He didn’t want to involve anyone else, but his friends knew him too well.

“You didn’t really think we were gonna let you go by yourself, did you?” Brenda snarks without heat and there’s a soft smile on her face.

“Couldn’t let you have all the fun, ya shank.” Frypan claps Thomas’ shoulder.

Thomas doesn’t think he’s ever appreciated his friends more than right now. He makes eye contact with Minho and the other boy smiles. He can’t help but smile back. 

“Let’s go get your boy.”

Thomas pretends the flush in his cheeks is from the cold.

-------

Meeting Gally was unexpected. 

He’d thought the taller boy had died back in the maze; they all did. Thomas was so surprised to see him that he briefly forgot his resentment for him. But then it passed and that anger was back full force. No one tried to stop him as he threw himself at Gally, landing a punch square in the boy’s jaw sending him staggering backwards. People are shouting and there’s guns being cocked as Thomas flung himself at Gally once again, crashing to the floor. Readying another punch, Thomas realized Gally isn’t fighting back. He was just taking it. He’s looking at him like he’s waiting for the second punch, hands help up in a pacifying gesture. 

Scowling, Thomas rolls off the other boy and stands. Gally slowly gets up with his hands still raised and scans the others. “I probably deserved that. Anyone else?”

When no one moves, Gally lowers his hands and sighs. “It’s good to see you shanks again.”

“How are you alive?” Asks Minho, eyes trained on the taller boy. His expression is guarded and there’s something akin to relief. Gally doesn’t answer right away, he just stands there staring at Minho. There’s a moment where no one moves or makes a sound. 

Then Gally’s shrugging and he leans down to pick up his gun. “After you guys left, Wicked saved me. They brought me here and after some time I managed to escape. Joined up with these guys.” He says as he makes a sweeping motion with his arm. “What are you guys doing here?”

“We’re here for Newt.” Frypan says, still staring at Gally like he’s seen a ghost.

“Wicked took him.” Thomas chokes out.

Gally looks at him then and he feels his cheeks burn. Gally looks between Thomas and Minho expectantly. Minho, the only one who seems to have a grip on his emotions, fills him in on everything that happened. Thomas would’ve laughed at the boy’s expressions had he found the energy. Now that they’re so close to Wicked, to Newt, it’s like gravity is pulling him down. He’s suddenly so tired that it’s a miracle he hasn’t collapsed. 

Minho comes up next to him and he sags into the raven haired boy, thankful for the comfort. He’s still talking to Gally and he’s got that soft look on his face; the one he saves for the things he secretly loves. It's a look he hasn’t seen since the maze. Thomas heard the rumors that those two had something going on when he arrived in the glade. At the time he didn’t really care, all he wanted was answers and rumors about who was dating who wouldn’t get him anywhere. Now though, looking between them, he sees it. There was definitely something there. Maybe there still is. He’s pulled from his thoughts as Minho finishes talking.

“Now we need to get into the city. We have to find him.” While Minho’s face may say something else, his tone is full of determination.

Gally nods and Thomas swears he sees the corner of his mouth twitch. “I might be able to help you with that.”

--------

Thomas hates this plan. Seeing Teresa for the first time after months, working for Wicked no less, creates a storm of emotions that he doesn’t really have time to sort out. He’s angry at her -- he’s angry that she betrayed them, that she didn’t come to him while she was trying to make a decision -- but he’s also glad to see her safe. It’s a strange mix to say the least. Deep down he knows he doesn’t hate her, but he wishes he could. It would make everything so much easier if he could just hate her like the others. She betrayed them, hurt him. And yet here he is going back to her because she’s their only chance.

He kinda wants to punch Gally again. 

When he asks her if she regrets it, she pauses; and that’s answer enough for him. She doesn’t regret it. Anger grips him and he wants to scream at her, but he says nothing with a clenched jaw as Teresa tells him ‘I’d do it again’. Thomas’ response is much softer than he planned; it feels like he’s choking on the word, and it comes out all gentle and broken. Then Gally’s pulling the bag over her head and he’s able to shift his focus to getting them out of the city undetected. 

Minho is there as soon as they walk into their makeshift meeting room. The other boy reaches up and gives Thomas’ shoulder a squeeze. He knows how much the brunette hates doing this; what a mess he’s become without Newt beside him. He gives Minho a tight smile as Gally drags Teresa toward the center of the room. He can feel the bitterness coming off of Brenda as the bag is pulled from the other girl’s head. No one in the room is happy to see her. Even Frypan is tense where he stands with Brenda.

Thomas tunes out most of the conversation. He’s been on the receiving end of Gally’s posturing enough to know what he’s saying; he’s just talking tough and all big in an attempt to scare Teresa, to coerce her into their plan. Minho is sitting next to him, but the other boy is staring at Gally. It’s that look again. Even though the taller boy is cursing and threatening someone, Minho looks so softly at him. Thomas hopes they can reconcile whatever they had in the maze. Minho deserves to be happy; even if it’s with someone like Gally.

He’s pulled from his thoughts when Teresa starts shouting.

 “Even if you got in, you wouldn’t get far. Your implants would alert everyone! Not to mention  you need an authorized thumbprint to access the upper levels! Your plan won’t work!” 

“That’s what we have you for, you’re gonna help us.” The boy has his back to Thomas, but he knows Gally’s grinning. “Now what about Newt?”

Now they definitely have his attention. 

“What about him?” Next to him, Minho scoffs.

“Where is he? You have to have seen him while you’ve been here. These two need their boy back.” Gally jerks his thumb over his shoulder. Teresa looks over at Thomas and he really wishes she would stop doing that; looking at him like she’s sorry, like she actually cares about them. Her face is pinched and she suddenly looks close to tears. Gally obviously sees it, as he leans closer to her voice just a little softer. “Tell us what you know.”

Teresa’s eyes flit over everyone in the room, fidgeting with her sleeves. When she finally opens her mouth to speak, she actually sounds remorseful. “They brought him to me as soon as he woke up. He was angry-”

Minho buts in with a snarl, “He has every right to be!”

Teresa flinches, but keeps talking, “I know. I kept asking him where you all were and he wouldn’t budge. He kept shouting about how I had no right to any of you. When we started talking about Thomas -- you have to understand that I just wanted to keep you safe!” She’s pleading, speaking directly to Thomas now. “I just wanted you back. I wanted to show you that we are doing the right thing. But- but that really set him off. I knew he cared for you, Tom, but I didn’t realize how deep it went. Janson used it against him.”

He feels sick.

“He stopped talking after that. When he didn’t budge, Janson took him away. There was a commotion, but I don’t know what happened. I didn’t see him again for a while after that. But when I did see him again, I-” She looks like she’s going to be sick, “He wasn’t himself. He was just off. He didn’t walk the same, didn’t talk the same. He didn’t even look like he cared. It was like he was a completely different person, Tom. I don’t know what they did to him, but it’s not good.”

He’s definitely going to be sick. His heart is beating too fast, his vision starting to swim. Thomas shoots up from his chair and stumbles out of the room. The thought of Wicked having done something to Newt makes him so scared and angry he can’t think straight. Bile rises in the throat at the mere thought of it. His stomach clenches painfully as he blindly stumbles away; his head is swimming and he doesn’t know where he’s going. He eventually collapses and empties his stomach on the concrete. Thomas gasps for breath, choking on air that feels too heavy. Faintly, he’s aware of a hand on his back; rubbing circles in a soothing motion. 

Logically he knew that Wicked would do something to Newt, but this is the most unsettling outcome. How can you change someone so drastically in such a short amount of time? Why would they even do that; why go through the trouble of changing someone? They clearly have a bigger plan for Newt, and Thomas isn’t sure he'll be able to handle the answers. 

He’s known for a while that Newt was more than just a friend to him. The blonde boy was beautiful, in every way. He was just so good; taking care of people and making sure they were doing okay. Sacrificing himself for those around him. Newt’s always there to pick him up or kick his ass when the situation called for it. His smile and reassuring words would lift his mood without question. Newt knows him better than he knows himself sometimes. Newt is his glue and without him, Thomas is crumbling.

He needs to get him back; he will get him back.

Thomas tries to pull himself together, taking deep breaths and just taking the moment to work through the adrenaline. The soothing circles on his back haven’t stopped and he can’t help but lean into the touch. Shakily, Thomas pushes himself into a sitting position and looks up to see Brenda staring down at him. She’s giving him a reassuring smile but he knows she’s worried. 

“Thanks, Bren. I’m okay.” He tries to give her a smile, but judging from the way she frowns, he clearly failed.

“No you’re not, Thomas, and that’s okay. Just take your time.”

Her hand is still on his back as he leans against her. They don’t speak and Thomas is immensely grateful; he doesn’t think he could handle taking right now. Minutes pass and eventually he pulls himself together enough to stand. Once Brenda has deemed him okay, they head back into the room. Gally and Minho are sitting close, heads bent together and talking. Brenda leads him over to Teresa who makes quick work of taking out his implant and once that’s done, Gally and Minho fill him in on the plan. 

Brenda and Frypan will get the kids out of the city once they free them. Gally and Minho are going undercover as guards; escort Teresa around so they can free the kids and get whatever else they need. Gally is going to rally the people outside the city walls with the promise of full control of the city. Thomas is going straight to Janson to get Newt back. He refuses to take any other role. He has to be the one to get him back. 

If the other’s have a problem with it, they don’t say anything. They do throw him a few concerned looks as they get ready to put their plan in action, but he’s so focused and determined that he barely notices. It’s up to him to get Newt back. 

Thomas is the one Wicked really wants, afterall. 

---------------

It’s almost immediate, the way the guards swarm to him. His implant may be gone, but they know who to look for. They drag him around the building and Thomas can only hope they’re bringing him to Janson. He isn’t sure what he expected the inside to look like -- granted he hasn’t seen any buildings that weren’t crumbling and eaten away by the scorch -- but it wasn’t this. It looks too much like the facility they were taken to after escaping the maze.

He’s shoved into an elevator, pushed all the way to the back, while the guards stand in front of him. They don't say anything, but it’s clear they have orders. It’s funny, you would think he’d be nervous or full of adrenaline, but he’s calm. All he can think about is getting Newt back and that seems to be enough to push down all his worries - and look, he’s known to be a worrier, so much so that the others would probably tease him if it wasn’t life or death, so that’s saying something - and focus on where’s he’s going. 

When the elevator finally stops, they pull him from it and lead him down the hall. If you could even call it that; they’re on either side of him, one had on his forearms, pushing and tugging him in every direction. They lead him around the halls, turning left and right at seemingly random times. Everything looks the same here. 

When they finally stop in front of a door, Thomas is a little more thankful that he’d admit. One guard lets go of him briefly to unlock the door and then grabs him again as the door slides open. That calm he was feeling? It dissipates the second he lays eyes on Janson. The older man is standing near the windows looking out, hands resting behind his back. He looks over his shoulder when the door slides closed with a soft shnk. There’s a desk against one wall --  it’s covered in bookshelves, how many books does this guy need? -- and a sitting area against the other with a small table littered with papers and cups.

Janson turns on his heel to face them. “Ah, Thomas, how nice of you to join us.” He’s got a smirk on his face and Thomas really wants to wipe it off his face. “I knew you’d show up eventually, couldn’t leave your friend behind. You know, I’m almost a little disappointed. This was much too easy. I expected more from you, Thomas. He expected more from you.”

“Where is he?” Thomas snarls, twisting his arms in an attempt to free them from the guards’ grip. He lets out a grunt as he’s roughly pushed to his knees, arms held behind his back.

“Oh yes,” Janson looks all too smug, “Let’s get him in here. Newton!” He turns his head slightly as he calls for the boy, eyes never leaving Thomas’ face. A door on the wall slides open, and suddenly there’s Newt. He’s so relieved he almost doesn’t notice that something is wrong.

Almost.

It’s obvious the second the blonde moves. Teresa wasn’t kidding when she said he was off; his whole demeanor was different. His movements are smooth, it’s like his limp has seemingly disappeared, or he’s hiding it better than he used to. His hair is tied back -- it looks clean like it’s been freshly washed, his face devoid of any dirt -- and he’s still got a few strands framing his face. His clothes look brand new and just as clean as his hair. 

Newt’s eyes are what really throw him. Those brown eyes, normally so full of warmth, are empty and unfocused, almost glazed over. He looks like Newt on the surface, but looks completely different the closer you look. And Thomas has always looked closer when it comes to the blonde.

Newt walks over to Janson’s side and turns to stare at Thomas. He thinks he sees his eyes flicker with something, but he can’t be sure. Thomas hopes his emotions aren’t all over his face, but if the way Janson’s smirk seems to get wider is any indication, he’s failing. 

Even when Newt opens his mouth to speak, it sounds wrong, “Hey, Tommy.” The use of his nickname -- the one reserved for Newt, and only Newt -- nearly breaks him. His voice is soft, but there’s a sarcastic tone underneath it.

“Newt?” Thomas whispers, voice threatening to break. Newt just stares blankly at him looking almost bored. He isn’t sure how to feel, so he latches onto his anger and shouts at Janson. “What did you do to him?!”

The older man just laughs and it makes Thomas cringe. “Well, Thomas, you see, Newton refused to give you up. He was so loyal to you, refusing to cooperate, and well he couldn’t have that. I gave him a choice, he could either give you and the others up willingly or we would make him. And, well-” Janson smirks at him again, “- he chose the hard way. 

I really did try to let him off easy, get him to tell us on his own. But Newton is stubborn and he fought back. But now! Now, he’s complicit. We took all his pain and fear away.” He turns to Newt then, placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder. If Thomas didn’t know the blonde as well as he did, he would’ve missed the way he tensed ever so slightly. He feels a glimmer of hope; maybe Newt is still in there. “Tell him what we did for you.”

Newt gives Thomas a soft smile as he speaks.

“They saved me, Tommy. I’m not in pain anymore, I’m not scared anymore. I don’t have to worry about surviving out there anymore, don’t have to worry ‘bout where our next meal will come from. Something you could never do,” Newt moves toward him, leaning down in front of him and places a hand on Thomas’ cheek. “You broke my heart. But now, I’m free from that pain. Don’t you see? I’m safe here, we’re safe here. Don’t you want to be safe, Tommy?”

Thomas tries to fight the urge to lean into the boy’s touch, but fails miserably, and leans into his hand. It’d been days since he’d seen Newt and even if he wasn’t himself, Thomas allows himself to be selfish for just a second. There’s a lump forming in his throat, but he refuses to cry. Instead he pulls away from Newt’s hand and glares at Janson.

“Let. Him. Go.”

Janson laughs again and it makes him angry. Newt straightens up and steps back. Janson reaches for the boy’s shoulder again. “You can have him, if you really want him. But for a price.” There’s a smile stretching over the man’s face, and Thomas watches as Newt stiffens ever so slightly. “Give yourself up. Tell us where the rest of your little resistance is, and he can go free.”

“No!” Thomas growls, trying to free himself. Janson’s expressions sours, and Thomas takes immense satisfaction from it.

“Fine,” Janson huffs, “but I’ve been a terrible host, haven’t I? You two must have much to discuss. I’ll leave you to catch up.” Janson motions for the guards to release the brunette, once he’s free, Janson heads to the door with the guards in tow. “Let me know when you’re ready to make a deal.” He whispers to Thomas as he passes, then he’s gone.

There’s a pause after they’re gone. He and Newt are alone now. The blonde’s just standing there, eyes empty as he gazes at Thomas. He’s moving toward Newt before he realizes what he’s doing, reaching out to shake the older boy’s shoulders. 

Newt frowns in confusion as Thomas begins to shout at him, “Newt! Newt you gotta fight it!” He’s about to shake him again when Newt suddenly shoves him away. His frown turns from confusion to anger -- It’d be the hottest thing Thomas had ever seen if he wasn’t in danger -- and then he’s a flurry of punches and jabs.

Thomas ducks away and tries to dodge the best he can, but he doesn’t want to hurt the other boy. That’s the last thing he’d ever want to do. He manages to duck out of the way of a punch aimed for his stomach and darts behind Newt, shoving him away. As the blonde stumbles his ponytail sways and that’s when Thomas sees it;  a chip on the back of his neck, no bigger than a clothes button.

That was definitely not something Newt had prior to getting captured and suddenly things start to connect. That thing has to be how they managed to brainwash Newt. But now that he has this information, he isn’t sure how to use it. He doesn’t know what would happen if he tried to take it off the other boy. Newt takes advantage of Thomas’ distraction and a punch collides with the brunette’s face, sending sparks of pain up his cheek.

“Stop fighting, Tommy,” Newt says, landing punches and kicks that Thomas tries desperately to block, “This would all be over, if you’d just stop fighting. You don’t need to worry, everything will be okay.” He’s got Thomas on his back, straddling his waist, hands around his throat. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore, you’ll be safe here with us. All your pain will just melt away…”

Newt’s hands tighten around Thomas’ throat and tears spring to his eyes. His hands claw and Newt’s, gasping and trying desperately to dislodge the blonde. “N-Newt, please…” Thomas chokes out, and he watches as Newt’s face softens.

Newt loosens his grip, and Thomas watches as recognition washes over Newt’s face as he scrambles back slightly; his eyes change, no longer glazed and unfocused. He’s staring directly at Thomas’ eyes with a look of mild horror coloring his features. But it’s gone almost as soon as it arrived. 

Newt’s eyes unfocused again, expression going stormy and Thomas wastes no time wiggling a leg free from under the boy and kicking him backward. He regrets it almost immediately; Newt goes flying back, his back colliding with the small table in the sitting area. The back of the older boy’s neck meets the edge of the table with a crunk, and Thomas desperately hopes it was the chip. 

Newt shouts in pain, hands moving to claw at the back of his neck. “Newt please! You have to fight it! I don’t want to hurt you!” Thomas knows he’s begging at this point, but he can’t find it in himself to care. He just wants this to end.

Newt just laughs, low and sarcastic and says “But you’ve already hurt me. You broke my heart, remember? And now I’m free of that heartache.” He stands slowly as he speaks, tilting his head at the other boy with a mocking look. He looks out of breath and his face is pinched like he’s in pain.

He lunges at Thomas again, and against his better judgement, Thomas fights back properly. He doesn’t know how much time he has before Janson comes storming in or the others come looking for him. He needs to end this now, so even though he hates himself for doing it, he fights. He gives just as good as he gets; they’re trading punches and stumbling as they go.

 “How long are you going to drag this on, Tommy? You’re just hurting us both.” Newt says, and suddenly there’s a loud bang. Glass comes raining down and it takes Thomas a second to realize that the glass from the windows have shattered. 

Newt turns his head to look at the now shattered windows and Thomas uses that distraction to grab Newt by the shoulders and push him toward the bookshelves. He lands against them with another crunch, hair coming loose from the ponytail, and Newt’s laughing at him again. “Just give up, Tommy, you can’t win. This is pathetic.”

“I’m not giving up on you, Newt!”

“Then you’re a fucking fool- ACK!”

Thomas watches helplessly as Newt seizes up, shouting in pain. Newt stumbles forward and then to the side, dangerously close to the shattered windows. When Newt looks up at him, his eyes are clear again, bright with pain and unshed tears.

“Why are you here, Tommy? I told you to stay away you bloody idiot.” His voice is soft and raspy, like he’s screamed himself hoarse, but it’s undoubtedly Newt.

Thomas feels tears of his own welling up, “I know. I couldn’t leave you here. You tell me you love me and then tell me to stay away? I couldn’t do that.” He gives a watery laugh, “Besides, you know I don’t take orders well.” Newt’s own soft laughter is music to his ears. 

Newt’s shaking as Thomas takes a step closer, holding out a hand. “I’m gonna take you home, Newt! We’re gonna be okay!” He tries to smile but he’s crying. He’s just so sacred and tired, he just wants this to be over.

“Promise?” Newt asks timidly, tears falling down his cheeks.

“I promise!”

Newt reaches out his hand slowly, “Please, Tommy. Please…”

Their hands are close when Newt lets out a bone chilling scream. He throws his head back as the rest of his body seizes and shakes. There’s electricity snapping against Newt’s skin and crackling out into the air. Fear grips Thomas as he watches brown eyes roll back and Newt goes limp, falling backwards out of the destroyed windows. Calling Newt’s name, Thomas lurches forward to catch him, but he’s too late, and Newt goes down; without thinking, Thomas throws himself out of the window after him. 

He wraps himself around Newt’s body as they fall. 

To say he was expecting to hit water would be a lie. He didn’t even bother to look before he’d jumped out that window, so focused on keeping Newt safe. The realization that he isn’t dead, but underwater with a boy who is very much not conscious right now, takes a second. Hitting the water was a shock and the cold has sapped his strength, but he uses what little he has left to pull them from the water. The minute they’re both on solid ground, Thomas checks Newt’s pulse, pressing two fingers to the boy’s neck.

The pulse is weak, but it’s there and Thomas is so relieved he’s crying again. They're both alive and it won’t be long before the others come looking for them. As the adrenaline leaves -- or lessens rather -- he becomes aware that the city is quite literally on fire. People are running through the streets throwing and smashing things. Everything has a hazy orange glow and there’s thick smoke settling over the city. It seems the people decided peace wasn’t an option, and that certainly explains the broken windows.

When Janson appears in front of him, Thomas is more than a little shocked. He thought someone would’ve taken care of him by now, especially if he’s been walking around the city, he can’t imagine the people would take kindly to someone who works for Wicked. Thomas forces himself to stand with wobbly knees even as his whole body screams in protest. Janson gets closer, clearly pissed and out for blood. 

His vision goes fuzzy the closer Janson gets, and he’s suddenly very dizzy. His whole body feels weak. He crumbles to his knees and Janson is close enough to get a clear shot. There’s a gunshot, but he’s so exhausted Thomas collapses fully and the dark claims him.

Chapter Text

He isn’t sure what he was expecting paradise to be like, but it wasn’t this. It’s not a bad thing, quite the opposite in fact. The safe haven reminds him so much of the glade -- maybe that should be a bad thing, but the glade was Newt’s home for as long as he can remember. It’s nice, really, the sense of normalcy this place brings -- the comfort.

They’ve set up on the shore of a large island. Huts and tents are scattered around the clearing, the kitchen and medical tent to one side. There are small farms and gardens a little ways off from the clearing. People are already tending to them and some are constructing more huts. Kids are running around, people are smiling. A sense of peace has fallen over this little community of theirs, and Newt has never been more grateful.

There are still large gaps in his memory. He still doesn’t remember anything before the glade, but there’s chunks of time he can’t remember while he was chipped. Chipped . Newt still isn’t sure how he feels about the whole thing. He can’t even remember most of it -- though maybe it’s a mercy, not knowing. The things he can remember though, hurt. He remembers some things he said, but not the context. The one thing he remembers with clarity though, is right before the pain; the moment of clarity he had as he fought the control of the chip. Thomas promising to bring him home. 

Thomas. Tommy . The other boy came after him, even when Newt told him not to. He wants to be angry, he really does, but he can’t stay mad at Thomas. In the end everyone made it out alive, made it out safe. He’s just happy the love of his life is okay - or as okay as he can be.

It’s been three days since Newt woke up and he spends most of his time next to Thomas’ bed. The younger boy still had yet to wake up. Even with the reassurance that he’ll wake up, Newt worries. No one really knows what went down that night at Wicked, except for Thomas and Newt -- but Newt can’t remember. 

“He’ll be okay. You two took quite a fall and his body is healing.” Teresa tells him as she looked him over. “He’ll wake up, Newt. I promise. ” 

He found himself trusting her, against his better judgement. She was one of the only doctors they had, it wouldn’t make sense for her to lie. He’s still surprised to see her everytime she comes to check on Thomas. He’s not sure why. It makes sense that they would rescue Teresa too. She was their friend once, and Thomas always had a soft spot for her. Like a sister , Thomas had said when Newt asked about the two of them.

He may not be able to forgive her, but he’s willing to be civil, to give her a chance. 

She was gentle with him when he first woke up. He’d been so disoriented and scared, panic attack quickly approaching. She helped him through it, talking softly and breathing with him. She was gentle when he cleaned his wounds and patched him up, mumbling quiet apologies whenever the blonde hissed in pain.

“Those wounds will scar,” She said after patching him up, “but the chip is gone. It doesn’t have power over you anymore.” 

Teresa sent him on his way after that, telling him to get dinner and some rest. Minho all but tackled him when we walked toward the kitchen, joined by Gally and Brenda. Frypan brought out the food and they all sat together at a table talking about everything and nothing. He can’t help but think this is what peace looks like.

Newt’s pulled from his thoughts by movement. He looks over to where Thomas is laying and is greeted with brown eyes staring at him. 

Newt nearly toppled over in his haste to stand, “Tommy!”

“Hey.” Thomas smiled, pulling himself up into a sitting position.

“Hey? Hey? You nearly die and the first thing you say is ‘hey’?” Newt swats at Thomas’ shoulder, but he’s smiling. “Bloody hell, Tommy.”

Thomas suddenly moves closer then, hands reaching out for Newt’s hips to pull him closer. His eyes flit over the blonde, concern etched into his features. “You’re okay? No chip? No- No injuries?”

Newt almost wants to laugh. Of course Thomas is worried about him and not himself. He always made sure the others were okay before taking care of himself. Newt just shakes his head, overly fond and full of affection.

“M’okay, Tommy. Got some nasty scars, but I’m in one piece. Promise.”

“Good.”

Thomas lets his head fall into Newt’s stomach with a sigh of relief. Newt smiles and places his hands in the other boy’s hair. They hold each other close for a while; it feels like hours but it couldn’t have been more than a few minutes. They’re both so happy and relieved to see the other alive and safe that they just need a moment to themselves. 

Teresa interrupts them a couple minutes later, coming to check on Thomas. She freezes in the doorway when they turn to look at her. Newt thinks Thomas is going to pull away, but he does the opposite, pulling the older boy impossibly closer to him, grip on his hips tightening. 

There’s a long pause before Teresa recovers and makes her way over to them. “Glad you see you awake, Tom. How’re you feeling?”

Thomas looks up at Newt with a smile, “Never been better.”

He feels himself flush as he rolls his eyes.

------

They throw a party that night.

It’s well into the night when they get the bonfire going. Everyone’s laughing and drinking -- just enjoying the peace. Thomas is pressed against Newt, ankle to shoulder, as they sit together against a log. It’s very similar to that night in the glade, it makes Newt smile. They’re sitting a little ways off from the others. Newt finds it difficult to be in high energy situations more often lately, but since Thomas woke up the two of them have been joined at the hip, so where Newt goes, Thomas goes.

“Hey.” Thomas says, nudging Newt with his shoulder, “You alright? You look a little spacy.”

Newt hums in response. “M’alright, Tommy. I’m just tired.”

“You’re always ‘just tired’. What’s going on, Newt?”

Thomas says his name so softly, Newt wants to cry. There are so many things going through the blonde’s head right now, he’s overwhelmed. They’ve all been traumatized, some more than others, and right now he can’t stop thinking about his time at Wicked. He still doesn’t remember most of it, but he remembers the feeling of it now. The hopelessness of not being in control. The feeling of being violated by Wicked, they took his autonomy away and he can’t even remember what they made him do. It sits heavy, the guilt in his chest, but he doesn’t even know what he feels guilty for.

It’s overwhelming. It feels like that thing that drove him to jump.

“What happened, Tommy? That night?” Newt asks quietly, looking out at the sea. “What did I do?”

“It wasn’t you.” Thomas says quickly, firm but kind. “What happened that night wasn’t you, okay? I’m not gonna let you blame yourself.”

“I feel so guilty, and I don’t know why. What did I do, Tommy? Tell me.” Newt looks Thomas in the eye, practically begging.

Thomas looks at him for a moment, eyes searching the blonde’s face for something. He must find whatever he was looking for because he takes a deep breath and begins to talk.

“We don’t know much about what happened before we arrived. We could only go off what Teresa told us. She said you weren’t yourself, but she never saw you do anything. She could only catch glimpses of you. We made a plan to get you and the other kids out. I went straight to Janson to get you. He seemed so excited about what they'd done. He called you in and you just kinda stood there staring at me. He told you to tell me what they’d done for you, so you did. You told me you were happy, safe. You told me I broke your heart.”

Newt feels like someone punched him in the gut.

“You asked me to stay, but I knew it wasn’t really you saying those things. I told Janson to let you go and he just laughed. He told me I could have you back as long as I gave everyone up. I told him no, but part of me wanted to say yes. I just wanted you- needed you back. He left us alone and you turned angry. You... tried to fight me. I didn’t want to fight back, but you-” Thomas pauses, sucking in a breath. “You were going to kill me. So I fought and you yelled things at me. Said you were free of the pain I caused you, called me a fool. We struggled for a while and eventually the chip started to break. You were starting to gain control and I told you I wasn’t giving up on you.”

“I remember that part.” Newt whispers around the lump in his throat. “I asked you why you were there, told you to stay away. But you said you couldn’t do that and promised to bring me home. But I don’t remember anything after that.”

“The chip broke completely. It- fuck, Newt. It was bad. It shocked you. I could see the electricity. And then you collapsed backwards, out the open window. I didn’t even think, I just jumped after you.”

There’s a long pause. They just sit in silence as Newt processes the information. He hurt Thomas. He hurt Thomas and he can’t even remember. Tears threaten to fall but Newt tries to blink them away. 

“I- I’m so sorry, Tommy.”

“No no no, hey. This isn’t your fault.” Thomas reaches out to grab the other boy’s hand, holding it to his chest. “Please, this isn’t your fault.”

“You could’ve died trying to save me, Thomas.” 

“I don’t care. Alright? I don’t. I would do it again, if it meant keeping you safe. I’d do it again. You’re what pushes me forward, Newt. You're my anchor, my glue. Without you I fall apart.” 

The tears spill over before Newt can stop them. He slumps against Thomas, cheeks wet. “You’re my hope, Tommy.” Newt says shakily, “ You keep me going. Without you I give up. From the moment you ran into the maze, I knew I’d follow you anywhere. And I’d do it all over again.”

Silence settles over them. They’re both crying now, staring at each other. Newt still feels overwhelmed but it’s not in a bad way. His brain is a mantra of Thomas, Thomas, Thomas . All he wants to do is wrap the other boy in his arms and never let go. So he does just that, throwing his arms around Thomas’ neck and pulling him as close as possible, hiding his face in the other boy’s neck. He feels Thomas’ arms wrap around his waist, just as tight. 

Suddenly Thomas pulls back, not far, but just enough to see Newt’s face. “Is this a bad time to tell you I’m in love with you?”

There’s a pause where Newt just takes in the other boy. His cheeks are flushed and he’s got tears in his eyelashes. He’s absolutely beautiful. His mouth is curved into a timid smile and Newt really wants to kiss him. 

Newt chuckles and says, “ Thank god. ”, before pulling Thomas into a kiss. It’s soft and chaste, just lips pressed together, but it’s perfect. Newt pulls back slightly.

“I’m in love with you too, you bloody moron.” Their lips brush slightly as he speaks and then he’s sealing their lips together again.

Chapter Text

Thunder rolls over head as Thomas jerks awake. Instinctively, he reaches out for Newt but the other side of the bed is empty. Panic shoots through him and he blots upright. He scans the room and sighs as his eyes land on Newt standing in the doorway. He feels a little foolish. It’s been months since they took down Wicked and yet every time he wakes to find Newt gone, he panics. 

Newt was taken from him once, he won’t let it happen again.

Newt has his back to him as he stands shirtless in the doorway. His hair whips around his neck and shoulders, exposing scars that travel from his neck and shoulders down to his lower back. It’s dark, but Thomas can make them out as he eyes adjust. Those scars are just another physical reminder of what Newt’s gone through. He’s beautiful, Thomas thinks, scars and all.

Lightning strikes overhead and he watches Newt tense. Thomas isn’t sure what the blonde is doing, watching a storm that can only be bringing back memories. Thomas slides out of bed and moves toward the blonde. He wraps his arms around his boyfriend’s lithe frame and pressed a kiss into his shoulder.

Newt hums and leans back against Thomas’ chest. “What’cha doin’ up, Tommy?”

“Storm.” Thomas mumbles into the boy’s shoulder, “Why’re you up?”

“Couldn’t sleep.”

It’s Thomas’ turn to hum in response. They’ve only had one or two storms in the months they’ve been living here, but everytime one passes, Newt’s never able to sleep. Minho can’t either, he’s noticed. But that’s what he has Gally for. And that’s what Newt has him for. 

Thomas starts peppering kisses over Newt’s shoulders and nape. He feels more than hears the blonde’s breath hitch and he can’t help but smile just a little. Newt makes a pleased noise, sinking further into Thomas’ chest as he starts leaving open mouth kisses along his throat. He kisses up Newt’s throat to his ear, reveling in the way Newt shivers when he whispers “This okay?”, wandering hands thumbing at the skin below his navel. 

Suddenly Newt is leaning out of his arms and for a split second Thomas is worried he crossed a line, but then Newt reaches out to pull the door closed and turns to face him with dark eyes. He crowds Thomas up against the wall putting his hands on the wall on either side of his head, effectively boxing Thomas in. 

“Absolutely perfect, Tommy.” Newt whispers against his lips, smirking as Thomas’ breath hitches, heart pounding.

He isn’t sure who moves first, but they’re kissing and Thomas’ mind goes blank. It’s a heated kiss, firm pressure and exploring tongues. He brings his hands up to tug at Newt’s hips in an attempt to bring him closer and Newt moves into him willingly, moving his thigh between Thomas’ legs and slotting their hips together. He’s so overwhelmed by Newt, his hips, his mouth, he almost doesn’t realize Newt’s got his hands above his head until he tries to reach out only to be met with resistance. 

Newt’s got one hand in his hair and the other is holding his wrists in place above his head as he attacks Thomas’ mouth with hungry kisses. It’s unbelievably hot and he can’t help the whine that tears from his throat. Newt smirks against his lips and grinds against him, laughing softly as Thomas breaks the kiss to throw his head back with a moan. He’s already hard but he can’t find it in him to be embarrassed. Newt drives Thomas crazy, always has, and he likes to think he has the same effect on the blonde. 

“Fuck, Newt .”

There’s lips on his neck, kissing, nipping, and licking all the way up to his jaw and across his throat. Thomas tips his head to give Newt better access, their hips moving together in rhythm. He’s moaning Newt’s name and babbling nonsense but Newt loves it. Newt lets go of his wrists in favor of getting rid of Thomas’ shirt, letting his hands slide up Thomas’ chest as he goes. Thomas kisses him as soon as the shirt is off, hard and desperate. Their chests are pressed together and the skin to skin contact feels amazing.

Newt’s hands are in his hair again as he walks them backwards towards the bed. He’s a little disappointed, he kind of wanted Newt to fuck him against the wall. He feels his face heat even more when Newt laughs, realizing he said that out loud.

“Maybe next time, Tommy.” Newt says, turning them around and pushing Thomas down against the bed when his legs bump the edge. “Right now, I really want you under me.”

And how is he gonna say no to that?

They make quick work of stripping down and then Newt’s climbing on top of him and kissing him hard. He kisses down his jaw and neck to his chest, sealing his mouth around Thomas’ nipple as he slips one finger inside him. Newt leaves marks all over Thomas' chest as he fingers him open, going from one finger to two and then three. By the time Newt’s sliding into him, he’s already close to the edge. 

Newt sets a rough pace and it’s so good. He’s groaning above him and repeating Thomas’ name like a prayer. He gets a hand between them and pumps himself in time with Newt’s thrusts, moaning against his lips. He’s so close and tries to say as much but he’s not sure he gets the words out. But Newt seems to understand, brings his mouth to Thomas’ skin and bites down on the juncture between his neck and shoulder. 

Thomas’s arches as he’s thrown over the edge, coming between then. Newt fucks him through it and it only takes a few more thrusts for Newt to follow him over the edge. They lay there for a moment, satisfied and warm. He whines at the loss of contact as Newt stands up, grabbing Thomas’ discarded shirt to clean them up.

Once that’s done, they cuddle up together, the blankets thrown over them.

“You alright?” Newt asks after a beat, eyeing Thomas’ neck and chest. “I could’ve gone a little less crazy with the marking.”

Thomas just shakes his head and pulls him into a soft kiss. “I’m great. You should know by now that I like it.”

“That’s good.” Newt says after they pull away, “Because everyone needs to know your mine.”

“God, I love you.”

He groans and Newt just laughs at him, pulling close to his chest.

“I love you too, Tommy. Now get some sleep.”