《 Skip a Beat 》

S is for Seers

"Who?"

Her hesitation was visible- only for a split-second.

"The girl who's picture you carry."

No, you aren't watching this again...

Not again.

Block her out, block her out block her out, block-

"Newt!"

He opened his eyes.

Tina was hovering over him, concern dancing in her eyes. Feeling began to creep back into his leg- it was aching more than usual.

"Are you alright?"

He nodded. Then, surveying his surroundings, suddenly gathered that he was sitting on the edge of the bed. The crutches lay discarded on a nearby chair.

"What happened? Did I fall?"

Tina fiddled absently with her thumbs, tilting her head slightly.

"Eh- kind of."

Newt held her stare- half because her eyes were unbelievably captivating, half because he wanted a true answer.

"And... did-" He hesitated, scanning his surroundings again. "Did you catch me?"

Newt immediately recoiled. It was funny how he could say something in his head and it sounded fine...

Tina gave an uncertain shrug.

"Kind of."

"Oh..."

They held each other's stare. Silently, almost as if to see who would move first. Then dissolved into chuckles. Nervous giggles- more like. It felt strange, to bring up a topic even vaguely close to their... relationship of sorts.

A risky thing to touch, this new, fragile feeling between them.

Tina sat down next to him after a moment- a silent gesture that they'd continue later.

"You blocked me out alright that time. Might've been the wand again... but it was probably you," she informed him by way of conclusion.

Newt cut her a sidelong glance, his curly fringe falling into his eyes.

A beat passed, and Tina looked back.

"I've seen that look before." Tina offered him a tentative, lopsided smile.

"What look?"

"That one. See, you're doing it now!"

"I'm not doing anything!"

"Yeah, you are. What are you thinking about?"

Newt almost had to stop himself from blurting out you. Instead, he averted his eyes toward the ground, the corners of his lips tugging upward.

"The alliance will begin its downfall," he murmured eventually, purposefully keeping his gaze trained downwards. A thought suddenly tugged at him from the back of his mind.

"Come again?"

Newt straightened, still not quite looking her in the eye, but not too far off. "The prophecy said: Only when the true to heart heal the blind victim... only then will the alliance begin its downfall."

Tina's brows knit together in confusion. "Grindelwald and his acolytes refer to themselves as the alliance."

Then they widened at the realisation of the words she'd just uttered.