In My Veins - Newtmas

Chapter 5

Thomas awoke with a jolt, sitting upwards promptly in the place he was laying and bracing his arms underneath him. Of course, the only joy he got, the only break he caught was in a stupid dream.

He was ready to jump, ready to sprint away from whatever danger awaited him, but no danger seemed to be there.

"No need for that here". Thomas jumped, spinning his head, nearly quick enough to give himself whiplash into the direction of the voice. His muscles relaxed on instinct as his eyes landed on Jorge, deciding that's who the voice belonged to.

"You're alright here Thomas," Jorge said slowly, delicately to be sure Thomas understood him and the weight of his words.

"What, what do you mean I'm alright?" Thomas looked around. "Where am I?"

Jorge's face fell into a natural smile, one that comforted Thomas with every extra smile line that was etched into his face.

"You're in the safe haven."

Thomas paused, drinking in the information before forming his questions. "But... but I thought, the city we just helped blow up was the safe haven" Thomas pondered.

Then he remembered their final destination, the one they always planned on reaching. With a journey as tough as theirs had been, it was hard to believe that anything could come after the act of survival, that there was an endgame at all.

But without even looking outside the tent that enclosed him, without waiting for Jorge to answer his questions, he knew this was it. This was the final destination.

And he felt safe. For the first time in a long time, he felt okay.

After a few hours of rest and aid given to him by the med-jacks, he was led outside his tent. He was reintroduced to a man he met at the camp, the one he stayed at briefly before Minho was taken by WCKD; Vince was his name.

He had become the leader of sorts for the colony. He had the essential jobs: making sure everyone had somewhere to stay, reuniting lost loved ones, figuring out how they would eat that night or next morning.

Thomas liked him, he seemed kind. He felt no need to question anything anymore which was a first. Vince looked Thomas up and down as he placed his sturdy hands on Thomas's shoulders, which seemed scrawny in comparison.

"You had to make it through a lot to get here, I'm so glad you did" he spoke with a smile. Thomas nodded in thankful acknowledgment.

"You're not the only one who made it, though, I think it's time you reunite with your friends."

Thomas's face lit up, flushing with joy and then immediate worry at the possibility that not every one of his friends would be there to greet him.

Seeing Thomas's panicked expression, Vince gave his shoulders a light squeeze and whispered knowingly, "Newt's especially eager to see you".

Thank god.

Thank whoever up above or below let Newt live. He knew they both made it on the jet, but until it was confirmed, Thomas wasn't able to relax.

Now that it was, all Thomas felt was butterflies doing intricate routines in his stomach, not because of nerves but out of beautifully eager anticipation.

"Let's go" Vince said. And so Thomas went.

His footsteps felt light as he walked with Vince to a larger group of people surrounding a massive fire that lit up the surrounding rocks and beach.

The groups laughed and hugged, talked and cried, but every interaction was priceless because Thomas knew it had been a long time since any of them had been allowed to feel their emotions in full force. You couldn't afford to let anything as trivial as emotions plague your mind when you were busy trying to escape a griever or a crank.

Thomas was thrown out of his thoughts and back into reality when his eyes landed on a tall lanky boy with dirty blonde hair, a boy he would know anywhere.

Suddenly the groups around him blurred, a tunnel of clarity taking shape between him and Newt. He broke away from Vince and ran, this time not away from something but towards it. And he had reached it.

Newt was facing away but Thomas threw his arms around him anyway, saying Newt's name into his back as he closed him in.

Newt was thrown off balance but it was only a split second before he had regained his balance and turned around with wide eyes to reciprocate the tight embrace.

"Tommy, took you long enough." He laughed into Thomas's shoulder, gripping onto his back tighter to hold them in that hug for as long as possible.

"It's good to see you, man," Thomas said in a low voice that was made only for Newt to hear.

That wasn't enough, that wasn't all he wanted to say, but before he had the chance to follow it up, he spotted the others standing around them. As he pulled away from Newt, a smile filled the lower half of his face as he greeted Minho, then Frypan, even Brenda was there.

The 5 of them stood in a small circle, laughing and simply enjoying the presence of friends.