The Tributes from the Maze (Newt/OC)

Blonde Barbie

When Newt and Ariadne finally got to dinner everyone else had been served and was already eating. They found their friends sitting at a long table at the back corner of the giant hall.

"What took you shanks so long?" Gally asked suggestively, his mouth full of bread.

"Sorry, we got held up and lost track of time." Newt apologised, ignoring the comment, and shot a knowing glance at Teresa.

It appeared that she had taken Newt's advice as she was in an animated conversation with Thomas, Brenda and Minho.

The food was delicious. Cooked potatoes with lamb and peas in a tomato salsa with the side of toasted bread with melted butter and goats cheese. It was the best food he had tasted in a very long time.

After dinner, they were served dessert. Actual dessert. There were fruit platters with sweet, red strawberries, fresh bananas, apples and pears with banana bread and marshmallows. Minho had grabbed a handful of the stuff and shovelled it all into his mouth. Then there were pots with three kinds of melted chocolate to dip things in. It was heavenly. Once everyone had stuffed themselves to their maximum capacity the hundreds of inhabitants filed out to sit on the logs around the campfire.

"You are a hazard to society." Newt laughed at Minho and Thomas, who were trying to stuff as many marshmallows as they could in their mouth at once.

"And a bunch of cowards. Do more." Gally snorted.

"Whilst you boys have fun with your antics, I'm going to go get us some drinks." Ariadne laughed.

After their serious conversation earlier the two had spent some time together reminiscing on old times and falling back into their comfortable and effortless friendship. Newt watched her go with a smile, thankful that despite everything they had gone through they were here with each other now. They had actually made it to freedom, like they had always talked about.

"Dude, are you sure you don't need any medicine?" Minho grinned.

"Why?" Newt frowned as he came back to reality.

"Because you've got the love bug." Minho jeered and shoved his blond friends shoulder.

"Lame. So, so lame." Thomas shook his head.

Teenagers had gotten up all around them and were dancing and cheering along to music that blasted from the sound system. It seemed as though it was inevitable for a civilisation almost entirely made up of teenagers to get wild every now and then. The trio of boys spotted Brenda dancing in the crowd with Teresa. Thomas smiled at this, glad that the girls were no longer biting each others' heads off.

"I wish someone would choose a slow song. I wouldn't mind a dance that I can actually do without stepping on everyone's toes." Ariadne shouted over all the noise and she stepped over the log from behind him and took up a spot on the grass.

She passed around a few bottles of a suspicious amber liquid that looked almost identical to Gally's secret recipe. Almost as soon as she had gotten comfortable, leaning against Newt's legs, the fast-paced music transitioned into a slower tune.

Newt smirked down at her and offered her his hand. "Would the lovely lady like to accompany me on the dance floor?"

The raven-haired girl rolled her eyes but smiled all the same as she took his hand and let him lead her through the crowd of teenagers to an empty space. Deciding to play it safe, he rested both hands on her waist and maintained a safe distance between their bodies. The last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable and ruin the friendship they were falling so comfortably back into, despite having been apart for almost four years. Ariadne slid her own hands up to his shoulders and avoided making eye contact. Making their own routine of small shuffling steps and sways, they slowly got closer to each other. Ariadne managed to hook her arms around Newt's neck as his own inched closer together on the small of her back. It was almost as if the world had faded out around them as they were entirely enraptured in each other. The way Newt's thumbs caressed Ariadne's back over the fabric of her jumper thrilled her. Newt was content in the fact that he was managing to make her blush. When they finally took the time to pay attention to the tune they were dancing to, they realised how fitting the lyrics of the song were to their situation.