WHATEVER IT TAKES • THE MAZE RUNNER

oo7 , (flame.)

With a stretch Arthur was walking his way back to his hammock with Newt close behind him, placing a hand on his upper back whenever he stumbled and if anyone saw the pink that dusted his cheeks it was because of the heat he had previously sat in front or even his exhaustion. In his sleep-riddled mind, he was just glad Newt was none the wiser.

"A Track-Hoe?" Arthur placed his hands on his hips as he stared down Newt and Alby with his eyebrow raised. "You calling yourself a hoe Newt?"

Time passed fast, with Arthur constantly running and spending time with everyone when he came back. After the first year, Arthur still places his line on the tally wall but he doesn't like to think about the total amount of days he's been here. Makes him feel old

"No, are you calling me a hoe?" Newt raised his eyebrow at Arthur who tilted his head in faux thought before nodding causing Newt's eyebrows to raise.

"I am yeah. You're great though" The blonde boy rolled his eyes at Arthur with a small smile playing on his lips. Alby sighed before shaking his head at the two boys and patting Newt's back with a sympathetic smile.

"Don't let Arthur distract you Newt." Alby gave the two a look before walking off to go make sure everything else was in order, and because he was unable to deal with Arthur's teasing. 

"Yeah, don't let me distract you Newt!" Arthur was speaking through laughter as he was slapped on the back by Minho who dramatically winked at Newt. 

"Impossible Arthur, you distract everyone." Minho was enjoying whatever was going on between Newt and Arthur. It provided good entertainment when he was bored, which was quite often and the blonde boy always got riled up so easily. Arthur was harder to embarrass but never produced a boring result when he was.

"Fuck off Minho, I'm great company." The boy made a disbelieving noise.

"Sure... Are you planning on skipping leg day?" Minho moves round from behind Arthur who looks at him through the corner of his eye before turning back to Newt.

"Go do leg day, I'll 'be a hoe' in the gardens." He chuckled at Arthur who rolled his eyes at the boy before holding his hands up in a surrender position.

"Alright, I'll see you when I get back Blondie." The brunette backed away a few steps before jogging off leaving Minho and Newt behind.

"Dude." 

"Shut up, go run." 

Newt walked through the Glade, keeping an eye on everything as he passed. He noticed Gally in the corner of his eye who was working on another building that the blonde boy couldn't quite place what it was. He spotted a few other Gladers walking along the Glade on their way towards their jobs and sighed. It had been over eight months since he got here and how far it had come still baffled him.

"Arthur back yet mate?" Alby spoke from behind him and Newt shook his head, glancing back towards the Maze where Arthur had yet to emerge from.

"No, he hasn't." He tore his gaze away from the opening only to see Alby making his way towards it.

Newt immediately started following, a bit slower than Alby. "He should be back, why isn't he back?" The questions came rapid fire from the blonde boy but it took a while to actually get a response from the older male who looked annoyed.

"Typically, as you know he just stays out late. Cuts it close." Alby folded his arms as he stood in front of the maze next to Minho who was looking at the sky.

"He wanted to go separate today. Alby it's about to close." Minho tapped his foot and searched with his eyes before pointing to something. "I see him!" 

There Arthur was, sprinting as he looked behind him. The signature clicking loud and clearer than it ever had been.

The doors began inching closed and Alby was taken back to the first time Arthur did this the same worry encompassed his gut as more gladers gathered to watch and everyone was on the edge of their toes.

Right before they sealed shut Arthur slid through the doors and into the Glade, falling onto the floor, his chest heaving and hair plastered to his forehead. His head bowed down as he gagged. Sensing what was going to happen, Alby began telling everyone to leave While Minho pat his back. 

tw vomit mentioned 

The remainder of the lunch he was given for the Maze spewed out onto the grassy floor. He took a deep breath before being cut off again by another wave of nausea sent him back towards the floor. 

After gasping for what felt like hours Arthur finally muttered the first words he had done since he threw himself back into the glade. 

"I fucking saw one."

Arthur lay in a Med-Bed, his face covered in scratches and a bandage wrapped around his waist. For the first time, Newt sat in the chair next to him. 

Arthur was picking at the bandage around his waist, his top shredded and destroyed so he just just covered by the bandage until they could find a replacement. He could feel Newt's eyes drilling into him every now and again.

"What." The brunette muttered his voice grumpy and tired as he side glanced at the boy. He had been smothered to death by Alby and Zart, typing him so tight in bandages he might as well have been a mummy and his favourite shirt was ruined. 

"Stop picking it at, you've started to bleed again." Newt grasped Arthur's hand that was picking at the bandage and held it. With a huff, Arthur left it alone and gripped Newt's hand back.

After a while Alby comes back with Arthur's spare shirt and with a whine he puts it on, the cold slightly releasing its hold on him. Once it was placed on and he had painfully laid back down he held out his hand for Newt to grasp it again with a playful smile shot his way.

"You need to come back earlier Arthur, that's not a request." 

Arthur gritted his jaw. "I was coming back early. I tried to but it cornered for me! I told you this!" Newt gave his hand a warning squeeze when his voice raised.

"I know. I'll leave you be." Alby gave a brief nod before placing a hand on Arthur's shoulder and looking at Newt. "Watch him." 

Arthur let out a long groan of frustration as Alby left before shifting, his bandages digging into his side. "You gotta be nice Artie, You'll set a bad example." Newt rubbed his thumb over Arthur's knuckles, dusting over each individual creasing.

"I'll write it down that nearly getting killed actually brings more attention to me rather than less. Try not to do it next time." The brunette grumbled as he turned his head slightly to face Newt who rolled his eyes at Arthur. 

"Right, because you do this daily obviously" Arthur shrugged at the boy's sarcastic response before yawning, resisting the urge to stretch his arms that had been cramped up in one position.

The constant talking gets slower before eventually coming to a pause. There Arthur was, sprawled as much as he could be on the Med-Bed, his mouth slightly gaping and snores filling the air around him. His hair was messed up somehow and flopped over his face as he slept.

With a glance at the sleeping boy Newt stood, having plans to come back later but having to get back to his job for now. He leaned over Arthur and brushed his hair back from his forehead before placing a short kiss on his forehead and walking out.