Tired of Running

45|| glader pact

// if i keep morphing
they won't know that
what they're throwing
me's too slow \\

•
Harper was laying on her back, staring up ay the bottom of the bunk above her. Anxiety swarmed, panic bubbling up, threatening to take control again. She tossed and turned, the ruffling sheets alerting Newt. He rolled over in his own bunk, getting to his feet. Sighing, he knelt by her bunk. Harper heard movement; she rolled over, facing away from the wall.
"Newt..."

Minho's head appeared over the corner of his top bunk- above Harper, "Hey..." His eyes were squinted, clearly not awake,
"Are you okay?" Newt looked up at him,
"Are you?" Harper just shook her head,
"I'm fine... Just..."
Minho jumped down, sitting down at the end of her bunk. "Okay..." He sighed,
"What's wrong?"

Harper just hugged Minho in response.
Newt shifted, "Tomorrow..."
Harper looked up, "We'll be okay.
Harper, I promise you nothing is going to happen to us..." She just looked at him blankly, "Newt we both know that isn't true.
If the maze was just the first trial...things are just beginning." She shut them out further, rolling toward the wall and pulling the blanket over her head. Minho looked at Newt sadly before shaking his head and climbing back up to his bunk. Newt sighed, knealing near Harper's ear. "I swear to you.
I won't let anything ever happen to you."

~~~

Three in the morning.
She can tell it's three by the silence- besides few snores from Winston.
Her mind circled still.
The names.
The memories.
The loss.

Before she could force her emotions into a knot, the tears came. She gasped, the panic coming full force. Curling up, holding herself, trying to calm herself. Once again, there was a head looking down from above her. His eyes were sad, mouth in a clear frown. "Harp-"
She was on her feet, pulling herself onto his bunk. His arms were around her before she could speak. "Listen to me..."
He stared her directly in the eyes,
"Harper. Listen to me."
His dark brown eyes were melting- calming even in the inky black, "I'm going to take care of you. Nothing is going to happen to you."

Harper took a stuttered breath, "What if it's not me I'm worried about?" Minho sighed, his hand resting on her's, "We're going to find a way through it. Just like we did before."
"We lost so many- I don't want to lose anyone else. I can't." Her eyes were damp again, trying to blink them away, "I won't."
Minho, for once, stayed silent.
He didn't have any words to comfort her.
They just sat in silence, neither speaking, yet their presence being enough.

"Can I just stay here..."
Minho looked at her, a small smile invisible on his lips, "Of course, shuckface... Always."
That night, Harper fell asleep by the comfort of Minho. His arms wrapped around her, her face buried against his chest. Silently, he was in a deep, peaceful sleep.

~~~

"Minho. Harper. Um..."
The boys had gathered awkwardly around Minho's bunk- the two of them managing to be the only ones still asleep. Frypan and Jack were smirking to each other, Thomas looking slightly pale. Newt leaned back against his bunk, arms crossed, eyes burning dangerously.
He picked up the pillow from his bed, hurling it towards Minho's head. Minho was upright in a flurry of movement, "Whatever shuck threw that better pray to the Lord above I don't obliterate them!" Harper woke with a start, Minho's yelling scaring her out of her sleep.
His eyes caught Newt, glaring slightly,
"Dude." He slid to the floor, stretching.
"Don't look at me like that- she couldn't sleep.
Any of us would have done it."

Harper shrank back slightly; this being the last thing she wanted to deal with. She shuffled to the door, sliding her shoes on. Newt, of course, was there with her, holding her arm.
"Harper..."
She sighed, not meeting his eyes.
"Why didn't you wake me up?"
Harper remained silent, sliding her other shoe on. "Harper." His eyes were firmer now, but still kind. "I just don't want to bother you..."
"Harper."
"Newt- I don't need to be your responsibility. Minho was just closest okay?"
Newt looked genuinely hurt, and it killed Harper. But she was right- he had enough to deal with already. "But-"
"Newt... Really... Why does it-"
Newt grabbed her arms, stopping her,
"I would very much like you to be my responsibility. Please..."