“Really? Because she sure seemed to recognize you.”
Thomas sighed. He wished he could explain to Newt what he knew; what he had seen. The visions, the messages from Teresa herself. But he couldn’t. He would seem crazy, and the last thing he needed was to lose Newt’s trust. He wasn’t sure what he would do if that happened.
He turned and locked eyes with Newt. His jaw was locked, his eyes fierce. There was something in them, something that Thomas couldn’t quite place. There was anger, yes, but something else. The thought passed quickly, but for a moment, he suspected jealousy.
Jealous of what? Thomas thought. My supposed friendship with an unconscious stranger? He dismissed the thought.
“You gonna say something or just keep staring at me all day?” Newt asked, clearly irritated. Thomas cleared his throat and looked away. He hadn’t realized he was staring.
“Sorry,” Thomas answered, heat rising in his cheeks. “It’s just a little startling, I guess. Here I am, thinking I don’t remember anyone, and suddenly someone comes along who knows me. It doesn’t make sense.”
Newt looked back down at Teresa, her jet-black hair sprawled out behind her. It had only been a couple of minutes since her arrival, and already she was causing trouble. For starters, she was a girl, which was strange enough. But she had said Thomas’ name. This lead to a whole new string of questions, ones that Newt didn’t want to answer.
“Someone keep watch on her,” Newt said, the anger fading to softness. He seemed exhausted from the whole ordeal. “I gotta go back to the Garden.” With that, he turned and left the shack.
Thomas knew Newt better than that. The last thing he wanted to do right now was go pick some berries or pull up weeds. After taking one last look at Teresa, and the note she brought with her, he turned and followed Newt out of the shack; he felt like he needed to talk to him.
He had lost sight of Newt but knew exactly where he was going. While walking to the watch tower, he thought about how well him and Newt had gotten along even though he had only spent a week in the Glade. He had always been helpful to Thomas, answering almost any question he had and treating him like a genuine friend, not just a Greenie. For that, Thomas was thankful. Almost everyone around the Glade except Chuck treated him like either a piece of klunk or some savior after saving Alby in the Maze. He wasn’t sure what he ever felt like, but Newt always made him feel like he was normal.
He climbed the rungs of the ladder and found Newt leaning over the railing, looking out at the Glade. Thomas stood there for a moment, watching. The bright sun reflected off of Newt’s strawberry-blonde hair, showing off each messy strand. His shirt was tight against his back, revealing the curves of his muscles underneath. Newt was surprisingly strong and built for someone who was tall and almost scraggly looking.
He walked over and leaned against the railing right next to Newt. Newt didn’t say anything at first; he didn’t even acknowledge that he was there. Thomas was about to say something when Newt beat him to it.
“I’m not mad at you,” he stated, eyes staring straight ahead.
Thomas turned and looked at Newt, not sure how to respond. He was relieved that Newt wasn’t mad; but then again, how was any of this his fault?
“You aren’t?” he asked after a moment’s pause.
“No,” Newt answered, looking down. “It’s not like you made her come up here, or anything.”
They stood there in silence for a little while, looking out at the Glade and its massive stone walls.
“I just--” Newt started, then stopped. He scratched his neck, looking flustered. “I just wish I knew what was going on. This place is filled with so many questions that we don’t have the answers to. Just when we start to figure out some, a whole wrench is thrown in the works.”
Thomas stayed silent, giving Newt a chance to say what was on his mind.
Newt finally locked eyes with Thomas. “When you first showed up, I didn’t think anything of it. Just thought you were another Greenie, thrown into the chaos of the Glade. But then you ran into the Maze, and another set of questions came up. Firstly, what the hell is wrong with you?”
Thomas smirked at that; Newt gave a half-smile in return, but it quickly faded.
“So then I need to decide what to do with you,” Newt continued, turning his body away from the wall and towards Thomas. Thomas mimicked the motion, listening attentively. “We have to punish you, because you broke the rules. No special circumstances for friendship around here.” That made Thomas smile again. “So I make you a Runner, one day in the Slammer. Gally’s pissed, but who cares? Everyone’s happy.
“And then, this bloody girl comes out of the Box with a note that says she’s the last one ever. Ever. What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t know,” Thomas sighed, breaking his silence.
“Yeah,” Newt said, his eyes insistent. “Me neither. But all of these questions are starting to get me pretty pissed off, if you know what I mean.”
“Yeah,” Thomas nodded. “I do.”
Newt looked down, then up again. Thomas wasn’t sure where Newt was going with this, but he wasn’t going to question him anytime soon.
“You’ve got me more confused then ever,” Newt murmured. Just then, Thomas realized how close he and Newt were actually standing. He also realized he wasn’t pulling away. Neither was Newt. He didn’t know why, and he found that he didn’t really care.
“What did I do to confuse you?” Thomas asked, his voice softer now, too. It was like some sort of blanket had engulfed the air around them, making everything slower, muffled. The air felt warm and sweet.
Newt gave a quick, quiet laugh. “Couldn’t tell ya. You’re just here, and so am I.”
Thomas let his eyes trail down from Newt’s eyes to his mouth. He didn’t know why. He didn’t know a lot of things lately.
“I get what you mean about questions,” Thomas started, eyes still locked on Newt’s lips. He didn’t move them away. “Teresa somehow knowing me has made me more confused then ever. And yeah, you have to.” He looked back up at Newt’s eyes. Newt’s eyes darted back up; Thomas wasn’t sure where he had been looking.
“This place is awful,” Thomas continued. “It really is. We’ve had our memories stripped, we’ve been trapped in this place with a deadly Maze full of deadly monsters, and we rely on the people who did all that to us to give us what we need to stay alive. It’s sick.
“But you wanna know something?” Thomas asked. Newt stayed silent. “It’s not all that bad. I’ve got some friends here, like Chuck and Minho. But I’ve got you, too.” Thomas swallowed, nervous. He wasn’t sure where he was going with this, or why he was even saying it. But it felt right. “You’re the reason I haven’t gone crazy yet, Newt.” He looked down, feeling himself blushing.
“You’ve helped me too, Thomas,” Newt added. Their voices were practically whispers now. “There are some days where I feel like running into the Maze, letting the Grievers get me. Or just sitting somewhere and doing nothing, nothing at all. Just give up.” Thomas looked back up. “But you never give up. You saved Alby and survived a night in the Maze without ever being in there. It’s incredible.” He paused. “You’re incredible.”
Thomas’ heart stopped for a moment. He didn’t know why. He didn’t know why he was looking at Newt’s lips again. He didn’t know why he leaned in and kissed them. He didn’t know a lot of things, but he knew one thing; Newt’s lips were very soft.
The kiss was slow and sweet. Thomas had never kissed before; if he did, he couldn’t remember. He certainly never thought he had kissed a guy before. But this was nice. Their lips pulled away and Newt started kissing him back, sparking Thomas’ heart. Thomas slowly moved his hands to Newt’s waist and pulled him in closer. Newt rested his hands on the small of Thomas’ back.
They stood like that for a while, just kissing. There was nothing lustful about it. Thomas could barely think but managed to wonder what would happen if someone climbed up and saw them kissing. He didn’t really care.
They finally broke apart, arms still wrapped around each other. They locked eyes, blushing; Newt smiled.
“Well, Tommy,” he murmured. “I didn’t see that one coming.”
Thomas laughed, rubbing his thumb against Newt’ side. “I guess I just love confusing you.”
Newt chuckled and pulled Thomas in for another kiss. The feeling of his lips made Thomas feel like maybe the Glade wasn’t so bad after all.