Safe in Your Arms

Chapter 28

Tina woke up is a strange state of excitement. She wasn't sure why she was so excited. Then she remembered.

I'm going to supper with Newt today. We're going on our first date.

She was suddenly nervous.

What if this doesn't go well? she wondered. First dates have a habit of going wrong.

Tina climbed out of bed and changed. She heard the rustling of sheets behind her and turned to see Nagini sitting up in her bed.

"Good morning, Tina," the girl said sleepily.

"Good morning," Tina responded, grinning.

Nagini laughed. "You're very excited."

Tina's grin widened as she straightened the things on her dresser.

"You really love Newt, don't you?"

Tina turned and leaned against her dresser. She let out a happy sigh. "I really do. He's so sweet and kind and loving." She laughed. "Now I'm starting to sound like an idiot." She paused. "The thing is, I've never known what real love was. I thought I was in love with Tolliver but now I see that it wasn't really love. I loved him but I didn't love him nearly as much as I love Newt."

Nagini got to her feet. "It's good to see you so happy," she said.

Tina grinned again and pulled open the door. She left the room and nearly walked straight into Newt. His arms circled her before she could react.

"Good morning," he chuckled, pressing a kiss to her lips. Pulling away, he stared at her intently.

"What?" she asked, suddenly self-conscious.

"I still can't believe this is really happening," he breathed. "Every morning when I wake up I'm afraid it was all just a dream and then I remember it's really real."

Tina leaned forward and kissed him again. "It is real," murmured. "It's very real."

Newt released her and they made their way downstairs. Jacob was already there and Nagini joined them shortly. When they finished breakfast, Newt went down to the basement. Tina and Nagini went into the living room to work on magic. A few minutes after they started, the front door opened and Bunty came in. She quickly dashed through the room in the direction of the basement.

Tina and Nagini glanced at each other.

"Go talk to her," Nagini whispered. 

"What?"

"I assume she's upset about you and Newt and I know Newt's not going to talk to her so you should."

Tina sighed and looked towards the basement. "Alright." Slipping her wand back in her pocket, she made her way down into the basement. She found Bunty relatively quickly. The woman had started working immediately. 

"Bunty?" she asked hesitantly.

Bunty spun around. "Tina!" she exclaimed. She quickly pushed past her.

"Bunty, wait," Tina called. "I want to talk to you."

"Well, I don't want to talk to you," Bunty said but she stopped anyway.

"I know why you're upset."

Bunty spun around. "Do you?" she challenged.

"Yes," Tina responded gently. "I know how you feel about Newt. I've seen how nervous you get around him."

Bunty sighed and looked down. "I always knew he didn't feel the same. I always knew he never even noticed me but somehow seeing him with you was -- it just confirmed--" She broke off. "I -- I'm happy for you, I really am, and I hope the two of you will be happy together."

"Th-- thank you," Tina stammered, momentarily taken aback.

Bunty laughed slightly. "Besides, you're one of the only friends I've ever had. I'm not going to throw that away just because Newt likes you more than me."

"So, we're still friends?"

"Yeah."

"That's good."

They stood their awkwardly for about a minute. Bunty was the first to break the silence.

"I need to get back to work."

"Right."

Tina stared at her reflection in the mirror. She picked up her hairbrush and ran it through her hair once again. She sighed.

This is about as good as it's gonna get.

"You nervous?"

Tina glanced at Nagini. "A bit," she admitted.

"You'll be fine. You're going out with Newt. What could go wrong?"

"Well, considering the situations I've been in with him before, a lot could go wrong," Tina laughed. "But you're right. It'll be fine."

Tina got to her feet and smoothed down her blouse. "Wish us luck."

Nagini grinned at her. "I would but I don't think you need it."

"Thanks." Tina pulled the door open and made her way downstairs. Newt was waiting for her, pacing back and forth in the living room. She hesitated on the last step. She could hear him speaking.

"But, Jacob, I--"

He broke off when he noticed Tina. She slowly made her way over to him.

"You look beautiful," he breathed.

Tina gave him a curious look. "I look exactly the same as I always do."

"And you always look beautiful."

Newt and Tina both blushed and glanced at their feet.

"Let's go," Newt said presently.

Tina nodded and followed him to the door. They pulled on their coats and left the house. Newt took Tina's hand and Disapparated. When they appeared in an alley, he released her hand and motioned for her to follow him.

"Newt," she groaned. She caught up and grabbed his hand. "We can hold hands, you know."

He looked sheepish. "I know. I'm just not used to this."

Tina offered him a smile and they continued walking. Newt led her to a small No-Maj restaurant. It was a lovely little place. It wasn't anything Tolliver would have taken her to. They went inside and were escorted to a small table in a corner. They ordered their food and fell to talking. It was easy to talk to Newt. When she had gone on dates with Tolliver, he had done most of the talking and she had been content to just listen. However, when she was with Newt it was easy to talk to him, both of them swapping stories about different things, mostly magical creatures. Their food came and they ate slowly, trying to make the experience last as long as possible.

When they finished the meal, Newt paid the bill and they left the restaurant. Tina took his hand and they laced their fingers together. They began walking through the streets of London, not caring where they were going. They talked occasionally but were mostly content to walk in silence, merely enjoying each other's presence. 

Eventually, Tina released Newt's hand and slipped her arm around Newt's waist. He responded the same way and pulled her closer, holding her to him. As they continued walking, they heard the clock strike eleven.

"It's getting late," Newt observed quietly.

Tina looked up at him. "Let's go home."

He looked down at her curiously.

"What?" she asked.

"You called it home."

She offered him a smile. "That's because it is home."

A/N: Yay! I actually finished it today. Issues didn't get in the way. Hopefully, they won't tomorrow either. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Please vote and comment.

Have a good day!

Bye!