Pretending | Newt & Thomas

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It was the day before the winter break and Newt and Thomas were lounging on their beds - Newt with the fifth book in the Skulduggery Pleasant series and Thomas with his cell phone.

"Hey Newt!"

"Hmm?" The blond didn't even look up.

"Can I ask you a favor?", Thomas asked.

"Depends on the favor."

"Well ... you know this annual family reunion I told you about?"

"Yeah. What about it?" Newt had a bad feeling about this.

"Uhm ... wait, this doesn't work. I need to start at the beginning."

Now that had Newt putting his book down in record time. "What have you done, Tommy?", he questioned, sounding suspicious.

Thomas seemed to shrink before his eyes. "Uuh ... I maybe sort of told my mother that we're dating."

"You did what now?"

The brunet shrinked even more. "She was just being so annoying about me being single and I had already told her so much about you and she thought we were dating anyway and then I told her that you wouldn't be going back to England for the break and she just assumed that you would come along to the reunion and I just never corrected her."

"That's so typically you, I can't even be bothered to be mad at you", Newt said with a sigh. "Just tell her the truth then - problem solved."

"But she already told the whole family that I'd bring you as a date", Thomas said in a small voice.

The blond let out a frustrated groan. "I think I know what that bloody favor is. And I'm telling you 'no'!"

Thomas sat up straight now, leaning towards Newt. "But you have to!"

"No."

"But I need you."

"No!"

Thomas looked at him with big eyes, his lower lip quivered. "Please?"

Newt couldn't tear his gaze away from his friend but tried to stay strong. "No, Tommy. Not this time!"

"But I never ask you for anything."

"Are you bloody serious right now? You ask me for stuff all the damn time!"

"When was the last time I asked you for something?"

Newt raised an eyebrow - he knew that he'd win this one. "Literally this morning when you asked me to bring you your coffee into bed because you were too lazy to get up!"

"Okay, but the time before that!"

"Yesterday evening when you forced me to watch the new Supernatural episode with you even though I'm still on the second season."

"See - you do stuff for me all the time. So why not do me that teeny-tiny little favor as well?", Thomas questioned.

Newt gave him another suspicious look. "You can't just change your strategy half-way through."

"This is not the time for honorable fights, Newt. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do when he wants to survive his aunt Ingeborg." Thomas looked so dead-serious that Newt couldn't help but grin.

The brunet's face brightened at that. "Does that smile mean you'll help me?"

Newt rolled his eyes. "I guess."

Thomas jumped up and flung himself at the blond who cringed at the impact and closeness. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I owe you! I owe you so big, man!"

"Just please get off me!"

Thomas pulled back, still smiling brightly. "I promise, it won't be too bad. And it's only for two weeks."

Two weeks were a really long time. Especially since Newt had personal space issues and Thomas was the touchy-feeliest person he'd ever met and his family must know that.

The blond's thoughts must have shown on his face because Thomas gave him a sympathetic look. "Okay, maybe it will be bad - for you at least."

"I regret it already", Newt mumbled.

"Sorry, bro - no backing out anymore! You already agreed."

The feeling of impending doom grew stronger by the second.