[the maze runner]
i've been lost. but as i find him again, it feels like
such a relief. a fresh breath of air. peace, at last.
[newt x male!oc]
cover art by the beautifully talented @obviousoph
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AS SOON AS THE SUN BEGAN TO PEEK THROUGH THE CLOUDS, HE WAS AWAKE. He sat up and rubbed his tired eyes. He hadn't slept very well, but at least he'd slept. Scanning the area around him, he realized he was one of the very last boys to wake up. Most of the cots around him were empty, and he could see a group of Gladers already working in the garden from afar.
He eventually forced himself to put his shoes on and get up. Taking a deep breath of the fresh air and a moment to enjoy it, he watched the hustle and bustle of the Glade. Some of the boys were already making their way around the field carrying tools while some were standing around a shack that needed fixing.
"Hey, Greenie!" someone called and he searched the field for the owner of the voice. It was Nick, who was coming towards him with a large grin.
"Sleep well?" Nick asked, putting a hand up underneath his eyes to shade them from the sun.
He scoffed in response, shaking his head lightly. Nick pursed his lips but quickly changed the subject.
"Well, breakfast is ready for you in the Cookhouse. Go on and eat. I'll find Newt and you can get your tour over and done with," Nick continued.
He looked over his shoulder at the Cookhouse and when he turned back, Nick was gone. With that, he took a deep breath and headed toward the Cookhouse.
The cook, who said his name was Frypan, was inside and had eggs and bacon ready for him. He thanked Frypan and picked a table to sit at. Nobody else was in the Cookhouse, so he ate in silence. It was almost peaceful until Frypan started hollering questions at him from the other room.
"Your name come to you in your dreams last night?" Frypan's thundering voice startled him at first, making him jump in his seat.
"Oh, uh--no I don't know my name yet," he shouted back to him, his smile fading as he was reminded that he was still the Greenie.
"Ah, don't worry Newbie. You'll get it soon," Frypan said in an attempt to reassure him. He gave Frypan a smile but didn't reply, finishing his eggs in silence.
When he was finished, he brought his plate and utensils to Frypan in the kitchen. He took them and they both exchanged smiles again.
"Hey, you wanna know something? Something I don't tell most people. Some of the newer guys don't even know this," Frypan said.
He barely caught what Frypan was saying over the loud clanking of pots and pans. But he stood in the doorway and continued to smile, waiting for Frypan to tell his secret.
Frypan seemed hesitant at first. "Okay, okay. My real name's Siggy," he blurted out, erupting into a fit of laughter.
He broke out into a grin in response to Frypan's confession. "Really?" he said in between his laughter. "Why do you think Frypan is better?" he teased, hoping he wouldn't take it the wrong way.
Frypan collected himself before answering, "I think it suits me better than Siggy. Siggy sounds stupid, don't ya think?"
He was still laughing and quite frankly, he didn't want to stop. The feeling felt so foreign, so unorthodox. He loved it. "I don't know, I kinda like Siggy," he shrugged, resting his hands on the table.
Frypan shook his head. "Now don't be goin' around calling me that, Newbie."
He and Frypan smiled at each other once more when suddenly the door into the Cookhouse swung open. Newt came sauntering in, standing in the doorway for a moment with his hands at his sides. He locked eyes with Newt, who quickly averted his gaze and shuffled into the room.
From behind him, Frypan seemed to be stifling a laugh. He turned back to the cook and felt a sudden urge to shake his hand or give him a hug for how friendly he'd been. Instead, he merely thanked him and left the kitchen to join Newt at the table he'd sat at.
Newt was resting his head on the table, tapping his fingers on the wood. He didn't seem to be annoyed or upset like yesterday, but nevertheless, the Greenie approached him with caution.
"Morning," Newt muttered, pulling himself up. "Are you ready?" he stood up, his question obviously rhetorical. The two of them headed back out into the fresh air, stopping just outside of the Cookhouse.
Newt exhaled deeply and tried a smile. "So, where do you wanna start?" he cocked his head and without meaning to copy Newt, he did the same. They both shared a laugh at their mirrored actions, and he answered his question with a shrug.
They both looked up at each other at the same time and stayed like that for a moment, and in that moment he was able to really get a good look at Newt's facial features. The night before, Newt's eyes were inky and off-putting. But under the sun, they looked alive. Big brown eyes staring back at him. The dark, puffy, circles underneath them were evidence of his sleepless nights. He recalled what Newt had told him the night before,"You're not the only one who comes out in the deadheads to be alone." Just by looking into his eyes, he was able to discover just what Newt had meant by that. However, his smile covered it all up. It seemed to calm his nerves, Newt's smile. It gave him hope.
Newt's head fell to the ground. His ears turned red and he cleared his throat. "Well, you should probably start by lookin' round at the Glade and not at me," he said tonelessly.
He quickly nodded, embarrassed that Newt had called him out, and pointed at the nearest shack. Newt flipped around and acknowledged his choice.
"Ah, alright then," Newt took a deep breath and motioned for him to follow. He stayed behind him, looking around at the other boys who, for once, weren't staring. That helped him relax a little. He felt himself loosen up and he picked up his pace, passing Newt and heading towards the first stop of the tour.
Newt caught up with him, his face scrunching up in thought and his eyes on the building in front of them. "This," Newt rested his hand against the door and pushed it open. "is the Homestead. Keepers sleep here mostly. Rest of the guys sleep out in the Gardens. The second floor only has two rooms where we keep Gladers when they're sick. There's a room in the back for Gatherings. And uh, I dunno if Nick showed 'ya but there's a toilet in the back there, too." he said timidly.
He nodded along to Newt's words, deciding to keep his questions until the very end. Newt shut the door and sighed, frowning up at him.
"I don't like this. All this tension between us. I mean, yeah, we got off on the wrong foot. But, we're probably gonna be stuck here the rest of our lives," Newt laughed nervously and glanced up at the Greenie again, waiting for him to answer.
