Scene: Newt had noticed the change.
Y/N was quieter. Flinching when people got too close. Avoiding the garden beds entirely.
Then he saw it—just a glimpse. A bruise on her arm, half-hidden beneath her sleeve.
He cornered one of the Med-jacks. "Who treated her?"
The Med-jack hesitated. "She said she fell. But... it looked like a slap."
Newt's blood ran cold.
He found Lana near the shed, laughing with a few builders. "We need to talk," he said, voice tight.
Lana rolled her eyes. "About what?"
"About the bruises. The ones you gave her."
She smirked. "She's not as tough as she acts."
Newt stepped forward, fury simmering. "You don't get to lay a hand on her. Ever."
Lana scoffed. "She asked for it."
Newt didn't yell. He didn't threaten. But the look in his eyes made Lana back away.
That night, he searched for Y/N. He knew where she'd be.
The pond was quiet. Y/N sat curled up, arms wrapped around herself, tears slipping silently down her cheeks.
Newt knelt beside her. "I know."
She didn't speak.
"She hurt you. And you didn't tell me."
Y/N wiped her face. "I didn't want you to see me like this. Weak."
Newt's voice cracked. "You're not weak. You're hurting. That's not the same."
She looked at him, eyes full of shame. "I thought if I stayed quiet, it would stop."
He pulled her into his arms. "You don't have to stay quiet anymore."
Newt's Reaction (retelling the moment):
"She didn't cry out. Didn't tell anyone. Just carried the bruises like they were hers to bear."
"But I saw them. And I saw her. And I swore no one would ever touch her like that again."
"Because love isn't just holding someone close. It's standing between them and the pain."
