No Better Version of Me Than When I'm With You

Chapter 2

Chapter Summary: Priorities are realized, routines are made, and questions are asked.

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"Well that looks like it's going smoothly." Minho chirped from behind Thomas as he struggled to fit one end of the couch through the front door.

"Shut up and help me." Thomas replied, glaring at the amusement on his friend's face.

"Alright, alright," Minho acquiesced, moving to lift the other end of the couch and tilted it at an angle. Thomas followed his lead and it finally fit, the two of them making their way to the living room to set it down. "You know, you being an engineer and all, I'd've thought you could figure that out on your own." Minho teased, dusting off his hands. "Speaking of help though. . .where's your boyf - sorry, husband?"

Thomas rolled his eyes, flopping heavily down on the couch. Minho joined him a moment later. "He had to work today- "

"It's Saturday."

"I know, he got called in for some reason, maybe they were short some staff or something. And so I thought I'd get started on moving some furniture in."

"You just bought a house, and you thought buying new furniture was a good idea?" Minho asked, looking around at the randomly placed armchairs from their vantage point on the couch, which sat almost into the kitchen of the open floor plan.

"C'mon, even you know we couldn't keep that ratty old couch from college." Thomas retorted lightly, mentally planning out where he would position all the furniture in the room.

"You've lived here a week! Don't spend all your money at once." Minho chuckled, shaking his head.

"I've saved up for this for a while, Min, I'll be alright."

"Just make sure Newt is, too." Minho gave him a slightly more serious look, and Thomas met his gaze evenly.

"Literally nothing else has changed besides some paperwork and the way I file my taxes, you know this. We told you everything."

"I give it six months, tops."

"Before. . .?" Thomas frowned, confused as to when the conversation shifted from finances to his friendship with Newt.

"We started a pool, you know." Minho replied, ignoring his question. "Well, we've had it for a while, but now's the real test. My bet is six months before you and Newt get together. Brenda's saying it'll take a year. Fry's with Brenda on the year estimate, and Gally thinks it's already happening, but y'all are too good at keeping secrets from us. I think we'd know, though." Minho shrugged, as if he hadn't just dropped a bomb into the middle of Thomas' world. They had a bet going?

"How long is "a while"?" Thomas asked incredulously, unsure how the hell he had missed his closest friends starting a bet over him and Newt. He'd known Minho had always teased them about getting together, but a bet?

Minho hummed, looking around for a second, "Since junior year."

Thomas gaped at him, "Two years? Two years! You've been – I- "

"Our timeline got pushed up a bit since you went and got fucking married though." Minho laughed, shaking his head. "I originally said it would be sometime-"

"Okay, okay, stop. I don't need the specifics of when you thought Newt and I were gonna start dating. It's never going to happen." Thomas interjected, unable to believe what he'd been hearing from Minho's mouth. Did Newt know? He needed to ask him, and was extremely tempted to grab his phone and text him right then. Instead he texted Brenda.