" WHITE BLOOD " T. MAZE RUNNER¹

twenty-one.

[CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE]

~

Eleanor slowly followed Newt down the dark hallway towards his room, running her hand along the wall to guide her in the right direction. The entire Homestead was quiet- except for the occasional snores coming from a room that they passed- and she was sure that everyone could hear every footstep that she took in the rickety hallway.

Eleanor followed Newt into his room, quietly closing the door behind her. She was thankful for the faint moonlight that shone through the open window, for she was finally able to see. Her eyes immediately made their way towards Newt, surprised to find him looking rather flustered as he stared at her expectantly.

"What's so important that couldn't wait until tomorrow, Newt?" Eleanor questioned, a hint of annoyance in her tone as she stifled a yawn. She was tired and was finally beginning to get comfortable in her bed when Newt came, only to ask her to leave her warm bed so that he could talk to her.

Though Newt didn't even answer right away. Instead, he made his way towards his bed on the far side of the little room, throwing the covers back and laying down on the squeaky mattress. "Please, just come lay with me, Ellie."

His request surprised her at first, and Eleanor stayed frozen to her spot as she stared at him. Her mind immediately went to Minho and what the Runner had said to her the night before. She didn't want him to win that stupid bet, and not only because she didn't want to give up her bacon to him (although that did play a role in it), but instead because of her own self pride. Though the way Newt stared up at her was expectant and almost pleading, and his bed looked so welcoming. Eleanor sighed, giving in to her conscious that was screaming at her to lay with the boy that had been on her mind for so long. She slowly climbed into the bed beside Newt, slipping under the warm covers and turning so that she was facing him. She felt rather awkward, mainly because she was unsure of what to do as she rested her head on the pillow beneath her.

Newt settled down on the pillow beside her, running a hand through her hair gently and tucking a strand behind her ear. "I care about you, Ellie, a whole bloody lot. I just feel this constant need to protect you because I don't want anything happenin' to you and-" he paused for a moment, licking his lips as he stared down at her with rose-tinted cheeks. "Can I put my arms around you?"

Eleanor couldn't believe what she was hearing, she was simply speechless. Feeling utterly helpless in front of Newt, she could only nod in answer to his question, a smile slowly growing on her face with each passing second. Newt wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. Immediately, she relaxed against the warmth of his arms, and she buried her head into his chest with a smile on his face. Eleanor felt completely defenseless as she listened to Newt's heartbeat, the soothing sound calming her nerves and causing her own heartbeat to slow down a bit.

"Is this why you came and got me?" She asked with a cheeky smile. "You just missed me that much, huh?"

Newt chuckled lightly, his chest vibrating against her as he did so. "You have no buggin' idea."

Eleanor stayed silent for a moment, simply enjoying the feeling of pure bliss she felt as she laid in Newt's arms. Then, she once again remembered Minho's cheeky smirk that he wore on his face when Newt came and got her that night, and she frowned slightly. "Minho won the damn bet," she grumbled, more to herself than anything. She wasn't looking forward to the teases that were coming her way the following day, there was no doubt that it would be the topic of conversation between her and Minho for the following week.