AFTER SUCH A GRUELING DAY, mentally and physically, the seven were rather glad when Eden called the walking for the day. She had found the perfect spot for them to spend the night just as darkness surrounded them and the stars became visible once again. Frypan made a fire, which they all sat around and ate various items of food to try and combat the hunger that roared in their stomachs. Silence was the norm for this particular day, everyone was too into grief to mutter a single word. It was mostly processing time for most but for a few it was a time where they relieved all that happened with Winston and couldn't help but cry to try and relive the pain. Tears did not stop falling down some peoples faces, especially Frypan who had such a look in his eyes that it pained her to look into them too deeply.
Newt sighed softly, breaking the silence as he spoke slowly, "If Winston can get infected we should assume so can the rest of us." Eden, who sat next to him, nodded along with what he was saying. She had been thinking the exact same thing for the past hour, to try and distract herself from thoughts about Winston. It worked, mostly. Then suddenly a realization swept over her mind and body like violent waves of the sea. That one peculiarity that she had seen in Thomas' blood. The reason his blood made the cure because that one peculiarity was so strong. Much stronger than anyone else's. She shared that peculiarly, so did Frypan. It was not in Winston's. It was not in Newt's. Nor was it in Minho's. She had never tested Teresa's blood but had the suspicion that her blood contained the peculiarity. The single component that she now believed contained the one thing that could combat the flare. Guilt swept over her just as quickly as the realistion had, her cheeks reddening with the panicked thoughts. To tell or not to tell. She did not know what to do. Could she tell them that their death is more imminent than everyone else's? Would it cause more harm than good? Most likely yes. Plus she did not have definite proof.
"I never thought I'd say it... I miss the Glade," Frypan almost whispered, his voice heavy with tears that streaked his face.
Eden could not handle the progressing melancholy that enveloped all of the seven that made the circle around the fire. She broke the circle, standing to walk away from it all quickly. She only walked a few paces away from them all, choosing to sit on a rock that faced the opposite direction so she could be alone with her own thoughts. She needed that more than she needed the escape that came with company. She watched the stars in the distance, the gentle breeze that somehow still had the power to move the sand around them and succumbed to the gnawing in her mind that had snuck up on her.
After a while, she did not quite know how long it had been, two arms wrapped around the top of her torso and hugged her tightly. She would have been frightened, having not seen the persons face before hand, but a particular aura had let her know who was approaching just before the arms made an appearance. She sunk back into him, letting her mind still for just a moment before the thoughts crept back in again. Newt could die, he could become one of those creatures. As he peppered kisses across her jaw, the one thought drummed in her mind.
There was no way in hell she would let that happen.
☪
"WHAT'S THEIR DEAL?" Aris whispered, doing all that he could to make sure the people he was talking about would not hear. Eden and Newt were far too in their own little world to even care, despite the fact that she had heard the briefest snippet of their discussion. Those sat around the fireplace all looked toward the two, as if it was second nature, and watched as Eden muffled a laugh away. Everything about them hinted toward the relationship they wanted to keep secret. The look in their eyes, the relaxation that the other felt around the other, the way that they were inclined together and almost mirrored the others posture. Their sides were pressed together comfortably, his arm draped around her back as he apparently got a great kick of hilarity out of something she had said. It was nice to see something so happy against the depressing atmosphere. Refreshing even. A hope for some sort of norm despite everything else that was going on.
"Is it not obvious?" Thomas added, having thought the relationship between the two was common knowledge. It did not take an idiot to see, especially when overhearing some of their leaternight discussions. Those were the times topics got deep, often about the future and their likeness to survive. Thomas tired to tune them out all he could but the fact remained that he liked to hear about them, it gave him ideas of things to talk to Teresa about. Aris remained silent, not answering the question with speech or expression. "Apparently they've been like this for years, I think something else happened after she got out of the hospital though."
"Oh it did," Fry whispered back, grinning widely.
"Gross," Minho grimaced, shaking his head of the very thought.
"You're just mad that you owe me now," Fry continued to girn only this time it had more of a smug smirk paired with it. The laughter sounded out in such a way that Eden flipped her head toward the fire, squinting with suspicion. Suspicion that she found went away with a quick distraction from the one sat next ot her.
Minho looked up slowly, brow furrowed as he frowned, "What?"
"Remember? The bet we made when we first saw the two of them really talk."
He sighed, whispering, "Clunk."
☪
"HOW'S THE SHOULDER?"
"Fine actually, I haven't had any trouble with it for days," Eden replied in some sort of brief astonishment. She absentmindedly pLaced her hand over the top of her arm, feeling the fresh bandage underneath. She had been changing it periodically, well more Newt had reminded her to do so, just so it didn't get infected. It was healing insanely well for a recent gunshot wound, infact she would probably say that the wound itself was a wound no longer. More of a scar that itched from time to time. She laughed as another thought popped into her mind, "Maybe the exhaustion took away the pain."
"Possibly," he agreed with a sharp exhale that could be seen as laughter. She chose to see it that way, given that his expression quickly contorted into one of concern and seriousness,. "You should really get some sleep Pepper."
"I do try, I just find it difficult...I'm not used to sleeping around so many people," she paused, glancing back to make sure no one was listening to their conversation. "With Minho's snoring, Thomas' night chats and Teresa's nack for going for walks at all the wrong times... I've not slept for a long while."
Newt blanked for a split moment, not within his mind but with his actual presence in existence. She didn't know what had happened, nor did she think it would be good to ask. Instead she just took his hand as he stood and offered it to her. She did not question a single thing, verbally, as he lead her away from the fire and the people that surrounded it. Newt stopped at the perfect distance. One where he could no longer hear the chatter around the fire but close enough that he could still feel the heat coming from it. It was an oddly cold night for the desert. She would have thought the cold winds would have been welcomed in comparison but they were the complete opposite. The time of cold that got under many layers and forever lingered deep inside muscles. And bonus, there was a large piece of shrapnel stuck up in the sand that acted as a block from the wind. The perfect, secluded spot for two.
She smiled brightly as they both settled themselves down in the cool sand, using the fabric that had once covered their faces as a blanket of sorts. The piece of fabric was so small that they had no choice but to huddle together tightly, closer than they ever had to when sleeping in the same hammock back at the Glade. Neither minded one bit though, seeking the warmth that came with the other. Physically and mentally.
Eden fell asleep quite quickly, exceptionally quickly even. Newt wanted to make sure she slept before he even tired to, just in case they needed to move or anything similar. He simply held her close and listened to her slowing breaths. Once he was pretty sure she was asleep, he moved his own head in such an uncomfortable way but so he could see her face. Her lips were parted ever so slightly, soft breaths escaping from them rhythmically. Despite the cold, there was a slight pink to the surface of her cheeks, visible though the dirt layer that covered absolutely everyone head to toe.
The whisper escaped his lips before he could even think of stopping it, "How can you still look so bloody beautiful?"
Eden and Newt were exceptionally well rested next morning, though their newfound energy did not last long when batting the miles they had to walk. Especially considering they had run out of water.
YOU ARE READING
Little lies - NEWT
Fanfiction❝ I just wish you could see the way that I feel about you.❞ ❝ Show me.❞ - EDEN had spent the whole of her life, that she remembered, trying to find something within the chemicals that she was given every month. She had not found anything until a cer...
