𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒, thomas ✓

twenty three.

23

FIREFLY

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An hour later and both teens had pulled their needles out and put their jackets on, Rosa was waiting by the tent entrance for Thomas but he stayed behind, pulling a metal box from next to a resting Brenda, who was already recovering from her recent dose of the cure.

Rosa felt her eyebrows knit together before she joined at his side, her eyes widening and filling with tears once they landed on the picture within the tin. "George," she let the name fall from her lips in an instant, barely audible to Thomas.

"He was my brother," Brenda croaked, her eyes watching Rosa's teary face, making her wipe it.

Thomas instantly regretted taking it without her permission, "Hey, sorry. Are you okay? How are you feeling?"

She disregarded the questions, "You remind me of him. He always saw the best in people."

"Where is he now?"

"I don't know," Brenda turned to face the two, "When we were kids, we were taken in my one of WICKED's camps. They gave us a bunch of tests. They didn't want me. They wanted him, though. They didn't even let me say good-bye."

"What was his name?"

"George."

Rosa wanted to tell Brenda what she knew about her brother, but the thought of telling her that George had been dead for two years was terrifying. She decided that telling her after she was fully healed was a better option, Brenda needed time to get better.

Thomas pulled out the chess piece that Chuck had carved a smile falling onto Rosa's face as she clutched the wooden heart around her neck.

"That was Chuck," Thomas started, taking Rosa's hand to show that it was okay to talk about it. But it hurt, it still hurt to think about his small, lifeless body after he launched himself in front of a bullet to save her.

"How did he die?"

"Saving my life," Rosa muttered as Gally's face appeared in her mind, she pushed it aside before leaning her head on Thomas' shoulder, letting a sigh leave her lips. She forced her feet to stand, "Get some rest."

Thomas and Rosa left a sleeping Brenda, walking out into the stiff, humid sun. Jorge, who had been waiting for them to leave the tent, pulled them both into a tight hug before pulling away, smiling at them. 

"Hermano, If anything were to happen to her I..." he shook his head at the thought of losing Brenda, almost as if his whole world would stop spinning without her.

"I know, I know. You should get in there and go talk to her," Thomas replied, patting his shoulder.

He then turned to Rosa with a smile, "I know about your mom, and I just want to say thank you. You helped Brenda and me far too many times, even after we betrayed you. The thought of the Right Arm being out there is what kept us going all these years, I suppose I owe you guys now."

He patted Thomas on the back one more time before entering the tent and leaving the two Gladers alone, Rosa took Thomas' hand before leading him away to where she had seen Minho, Newt and Frypan walk off not too long ago.

Before they had reached their three best friends, Thomas stopped in his tracks which made Rosa stop too. "What's wrong?" she asked, squeezing his hand.

"Rosa, back at the party..." he started, scratching the back of his neck, "I was about to tell you something, but I didn't. So I just wanted to say that, I love you. With everything in the Maze, the WICKED compound and the Scorch, I didn't have time to say something. But now that we are finally able to rest, we can finally settle down. And you don't have to say anything back, I know it's too soon, well not really because of before the Maze we were together, but I'm not saying that because we were before the Maze that we have to be now-"