Thomas Imagines (The Maze Runner)

Linked (Part Two)

You must have made some sound deep in the back of your throat, or else looked utterly unwell, because Newt turns to you, brow furrowing slightly. "Y/N, you alright?" You shake your head roughly, holding up a hand as if it'll do anything to calm the worry in his eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine. Didn't get enough sleep last night, I guess."

Newt shrugs, starting to face the Greenie again to continue on with his spiel of the Glade, but Thomas isn't looking at the blond boy anymore. Instead, he's taking a hesitant step forward towards you. When he speaks, his voice is full of doubt and confusion, but it's so utterly Thomas that you have a hard time believing that it's actually coming from the dark-haired boy in front of you and not merely echoing out from your head like usual.

"Do I know you?" You force a sympathetic smile, shaking your head. "Afraid not, Greenie. Everyone loses their memory before showing up in the Maze." Thomas frowns at that, but there's still hesitation in his eyes. "Are you sure? You seem familiar." Newt chuckles quietly at that. "Your flirting techniques could use some work, I think. This is Y/N, she's a Runner. We'll talk more about that later. Now, come on, she may be the only girl on this side of the Maze but she's not all that interesting."

You scoff at that. "Newt, you're awful. Telling him lies already. I'm fascinating." Newt grins as you lightly shove his shoulder. "Sure thing, Y/N. You tell yourself that." You roll your eyes, although when you turn back to Thomas one last time your smile falls slightly flat. "Ignore what he says, he's just jealous that everyone loves me. See you around, Greenie." You can feel Thomas' eyes on your back as you go, and it takes everything in you to not double back and stay there, just to make sure that you weren't hallucinating and he won't disappear the second you look away.

Instead, you force yourself to walk back to the Map Room, where Ben and Minho are just adding their finishing touches to the ongoing map of the Maze. They don't look up when you enter the room, too used to the three of you flitting in and out to pay this sudden appearance much attention. You fold your arms across your chest, taking in the last few segments of the maze replica. "Find anything interesting?" Ben shakes his head. "A few more twists and turns, nothing major. Looks like we're close to finishing, though. All we need is a day or two more."

You nod. "What do we do then? When we have the full Maze mapped out, what next? How do we find a way out from here?" It isn't a Greenie's question, something to be laughed at by everyone else. You've been in the Glade for months now, a couple more than a year. You know the answer before the other Runners even look up at you- no one knows at all. Mapping the Maze is all you have, and if you don't find an answer in the last few sections, you likely won't ever.

Ben sighs. "We'll find out in a day or two, I guess. See you around, Y/N. I'm getting some dinner. Frypan better have made something good." You and Minho wave the boy goodbye as he leaves, closing the door behind him. Only then does Minho look up at you, voice soft when he speaks at last. "Are you alright, Y/N? You look worried. If it's about the Maze, you know as well as I do that we'll find something to do."

This is when you know that you must look really bad- you and Minho thrive on making jokes and trading sarcastic remarks like Gally trades blows in his makeshift fighting ring. Even when things are bad and the two of you lack any hope of ever making it out of the Maze, you always find a way to make the other laugh. If he's already past that facilitator, needing to make sure you're alright that much, then this mess with Thomas must have affected you more than you thought.

You shake your head, forcing a smile once again. "No, it's not that. It's nothing." Minho, however, refuses to take no for an answer. "Is it the Greenie? Did he bother you?" You shake your head even more fervently. "No, not him at all. I guess it is the Maze in the end. Do you ever wonder what we'd find when we leave? Would it be anything good? What if we go to the trouble of making it out of the Maze and we wish we never left in the first place?"