The Glade | Newt x Reader

Chapter Twenty

-Newt's POV-

It's hard. Seeing her run into the maze everyday. For all I know she could be running to her death. But I can't do anything about it. I feel helpless. All I can do is watch the doors in hope she'll come back to me. Alive and well. I shouldn't have let her agree to becoming a runner. But I can tell that she's doing what she loves; running. So I let her, because I want her to be happy.

Today is Y/N's fourth day of running the maze. I wake up early every morning and wait until she gets back every evening. My favourite part of the day is when she comes running through those doors, glowing with sweat and talking about her run. My least favourite part is the waiting, and then remembering that she has to go back out the next morning.

I'm waiting for her now. It's about half an hour until the doors shut so she should be back in the next ten minutes. When she first started I asked her to promise me that she'll come back atleast twenty minutes before the doors close, just to be safe. She's kept her promise for the most part. Except one day where she came ten minutes before the doors shut. Even the slight change of time made me worry something had happened.

I pace outside the entrance of the doors. I'm trying to convince myself that in any second Y/N is going to turn around the corner of the maze walls and run down to greet me. But the same anxious feelings take over when it gets close to the doors shutting. Intrusive thoughts try to pry their way into my head telling me she's not going to make it back. Finally I hear the patter of footsteps echoing out from the maze. I glance up and see Y/N jog around the corner with Dominic in tow. She is breathing heavily from the run, but she is smiling widely. I let the anxiety release it's grip.

"How was your run?" I ask as she slows to a walk and pulls up beside me.

"It was good. I ran farther today. More coverage," she replied in between deep breaths. 

"Oh, is that so? That's good." I love seeing her after her run. She looks alive and so happy.

"See you tomorrow Y/N," Dominic says as he walks by, and Y/N nods in return. He holds my stare for a couple seconds before continuing. I still don't trust him. Maybe it's just because I'm jealous of how he gets to spend the whole day with Y/N, when I only get the evenings.

"You still don't like him do you?" she asked.

I turned to look at her, "No. And you still want to be a runner?"

"Yup. You know that answers never going to change," Y/N laughed and reached for my hand.

"I can hope," I replied, as I intertwined our fingers and began leading her to the mealtables. Every time we touch I get the same electric feeling throughout my body. I crave it, and wish I could be around her more often.

We round the hut's corner and step into the view of the tables. Most of the gladers are already seated and eating. The thick scent of gravy and mashed potatoes drifts through the air. I consider dropping Y/N's hand when I see all the stares but hold on anyways. None of the gladers are used to anyone physically touching her. And it's not like we are an official couple or anything. But when Alby basically abandoned rule four, everyone assumed somebody would get a shot at her. I know that lots of guys have been wanting to shoot their shot, I've heard them talking about it. But none have had the chance to since she became a runner and I've been with her when she gets back in the glade.

I pull her by the hand keeping her close to my side as we walk to the back of the food line.

"Where do you want to sit?" Y/N asked.

"It doesn't matter, you pick. I'll go wherever you go," I smiled and gave her hand a quick squeeze.

Soon we reached the front of the line and Fry plopped mashed potatoes on both of our plates with some gravy poured on top.