Sapphire Stones

Mama Newt's having boy troubles

"Any idea of what job you're interested in, kid?" I ask the Greenie as I bandage his finger. 

"Not Slicer, that's for sure." He mutters, wincing slightly when I accidentally wrap the bandage too tight.

"That's alright. Most kids don't even finish their first day with that one. At least you didn't almost cut off Winston's arm."

His eyes widen. "You did that?" I grin and nod, the fond memory passing through my mind.

"He was trying to get me to cut the meat for dinner despite the many times I'd thrown up watching him do it. I kept on protesting, but he wouldn't have it. He took my hand in both of his and forced me to kill the animal. Long story short, I freaked out and threw the knife into the air and it landed just a few inches short of Winston. He's lucky too because it was his right arm that would've been chopped off and that's his good arm."

The Greenie bursts into laughter when I finish the story and it takes him a good five minutes to fully calm down. I'm laughing with him, both of us wiping tears from our eyes.

"Man, I'm sorry I missed that!"

"It was quite the show, if I do say so myself." I finish wrapping his finger. "Well, you're all set, kid. Do me a favor and try not to cut off any limbs."

"I'll do my best, Klutz." He replies. He stands up to leave, but I stop him, confusion knitting my eyebrows together.

"Klutz?"

"Yeah." The Greenie says with a shrug. "You call me kid most of the time, so I figured I should give you a nickname too. You fell this morning. Chuck told me that you're clumsy. Minho told me that you're always tripping over things even if there's nothing to trip over. You're a Klutz." He replies with a grin. I smile before ruffling his shaggy hair. "Is it okay that I call you that?"

"It's more than okay, kid." I reply with a grin. He smiles back, his eyes brightening.

"I didn't get a chance to tell you earlier, but I remembered my name earlier!"

"Really?! That's amazing! What is it?" I ask excitedly.

"Logan!" He replies happily, a wide, toothy grin on his freckled face. I smile before pulling him into a tight hug.

"Welcome home, Logan." I whisper, holding him tight. When I let him go, I notice his glassy eyes. He quickly wipes them before smiling, thanking me, and walking out.

🪐🪐🪐

"Jeffff!" I call out in a sing song voice. The other Medjack pokes his head around the corner, a look of slight annoyance written across his features. I ignore it. "Did you ask him?"

"Ask who what?" He snaps. I roll my eyes with a groan.

"Clint if we could leave early! I'm bored!"

"Organize the cabinets." He suggests.

"Done."

"Replace the old supplies."

"Done."

"Make a list of the supplies that we need."

"Done and done." I reply, closing my poetry journal. "I even picked a couple bouquets of flowers to brighten the place up a bit. I've done everything I could think of and now I'm just bored."

Jeff sighs before disappearing behind the wall. I can hear his and Clint's hushed voices before Jeff reappears.

"He said you're good to go, but don't go too far. If we get busy, One of us will come find you."

"You got it, Cap! Thanks!" I say, saluting him before walking out. I make my way to the Gardens when I spot Newt's blonde hair. I bound over to him, ruffling his hair. He jumps slightly due to the fact that he hadn't heard me approach, sighing loudly when he sees me.

"Shouldn't you be at work?" He asks, kneeling back down to continue pulling weeds.

"Clint let me go early." I reply, sitting down on the grass.

"You can't just skip work."

"I'm not, mom. I did everything I could do, so here I am."

"Don't call me a bloody mom."

"Don't act like a bloody mom." I mock. "Jeez, what's got your wand in a knot?" 

"Just not in a good mood." Newt grumbles, his back still to me.

"No shit, Sherlock. I could see your scowl from a mile away." He snaps his head back to glare at me, wiping the sweat off his forehead with his forearm. "Why are you in a bad mood? Boy troubles?"

"Archie." He mutters, his voice so soft that I almost can't hear him. Almost

"Archie who?"

"Archie as in the really attractive Builder who wants nothing to do with me anymore!" He says loudly, turning to face me in irritation. "We've been talking for weeks now, but the second I try to make a move, he bloody rejects me! Now, any time I try to talk to him, he leaves the room! If I approach him, he turns the other bloody way! Any time I get anywhere close to having a conversation with him, one of his friends starts talking to him!" Newt runs his hands through his hair, his face bright red. 

I stand up and wrap my arms around him, hugging him tightly. Newt hugs me back, his body slightly shaking with silent sobs. I just hold him closer, trying my best to keep him together. When we finally pull away, Newt quickly wipes his eyes so that the others won't see that he'd been crying.

"I really liked him too, Venny. Really liked him." He says quietly, his voice cracking slightly. "I thought he liked me too."

"He's an idiot if he didn't. Any guy will be lucky to have you, and I know that for a fact. You're the total package."

He smiles then, embracing me one more time. He mutters a quiet thank you against my hair before pulling away. 

I look up and see his eyes widen before he not-so-subtly points at something behind me. I turn around and see Gally with a big grin on his face as he looks down at me.

"You okay, Galpal?" I ask with a grin, poking his bicep. Both of his arms are behind his back. "What're you hiding?" I ask, trying to look around his arm to see what he's hiding behind his back.

Gally can't stop grinning, especially when he removes his arm from behind his back, a bouquet of flowers clutched in his hand. He hands me the flowers, a toothy smile permanently etched across his face. I can't help the smile that forms on mine or the tears that spring to my eyes.

"How about that date, Ven?" He asks, his blue eyes wide in anticipation of my answer. I grin, nodding my head enthusiastically before throwing my arms around him. It doesn't matter that the flowers that he gave me are already wilting. It doesn't matter that there are tears running down my face. It doesn't matter that everyone around us is staring, shooting Gally confused looks. He's holding me close to his body and that's all that matters. 

He's what matters

Him. 

Me.

Us.