I woke up in an unfamiliar place. The mattress beneath me was softer than what I was used to. The room was filled with a golden color as I slowly opened my eyes, the sun was setting and beamed through the windows. As I got my bearings I realized I was in the Med Bay. I sat up slowly, vaguely remembering what had happened that got me landed in here. Had I really passed out in a corn field? That seemed so pathetic to me. I reached for the glass of water sitting on the desk beside the bed, I was extremely thirsty for unknown reasons. I downed the glass quickly, wipping my chin when some missed my mouth.
A knock at the door startled me, I set the glass down and awaited my visitor. In walked Clint and Jack.
"What happened?" I asked before they had a chance to speak.
Clint checked a notepad on the desk, "Cally wrote that it was heat exhaustion." He sighed, "Makes sense, considering your symptoms."
I groaned, frustrated with myself for letting that happen, "I'm a bloody slinthead."
Jack cocked his head to the side, confused by my language, "What was that?"
I laughed at myself, "Sorry, been spendin' too much time with Newt."
"Ah," Jack nodded, "You know, you scared the klunk out of me when I found you passed out, face-down in the dirt like that..."
" 'M sorry, Jack, I'll try to be more careful next time."
He patted my back, "Where is Cally, by the way, Clint? She's always here I feel like-"
Clint snorted, "She does have a life outside of her job. I believe she is with Minho, Leah, and Ben."
Jack nodded, "Okay." Then he turned to me, "Do you need anything, Felix?"
I recite the first thing on my mind, "Newt-"
Jack smiled, surprised, "Haha... uh, okay. I'll go see if he's free..."
My face grew red and I looked down, "Thank you..."
Clint followed Jack out of the room, content with the state of my well-being. I continued to sip on my glass of water, I could tell I was very dehydrated. The more water I drank, the better I felt, but no amount of water could cure my embarrassment. How could I have done something so reckless to myself? I knew it was a hot day, why was I so stubborn to keep working without a break?
After minutes of ridiculing myself, there was a knock on the door.
"It's open," I announced. In walked golden boy himself, complete with a smile.
"Hey, 'Lix. Heard you wanted to see me?" He sat on the end of the bed, he was calm today, comforting.
"I missed you-" I chuckled, but my words were sincere.
His expression melted, "I missed you too... I was worried."
I nodded, "I know. Believe me, I'm kicking myself over how dumb it was."
"It was dumb," Newt agreed. "But shuck, Felix. I've done a lot dumber."
I laughed nervously, knowing where this could be going.
"Luckily," He sighed. "We both have friends who love us enough to forgive us for those dumb mistakes."
I thought carefully, playing with a loose thread in my sheets. "We do. I forgive you, Newt."
He looked up, meeting my eyes, "I... forgive you too... even though your mistake was on a much smaller scale than mine-"
I shook my head, "Doesn't matter. I put myself in danger, I made people worry about me. And from what I've gathered, you did something similar. You don't have to tell me, Newt... I know it's in the past, but I'm here for you..." I knew it was risky to bring up such a touchy subject with him, but it seemed like a good opportunity, and I wanted him to know my thoughts, life here was too unstable for him not to know.
Newt tugged a loose strand of his hair, "I- 'Lix I don't really know what to say, you can get so poetic that it makes me speechless, but... thank you." He rose and came next to my side, I sat up and he helped me stand by taking my hand. Before I even had the chance to stable myself, his arms were around my waist. He was hugging me. I immediately responded to his touch by hugging him back, one of my hands cradled the back of his head, holding it to my shoulder.
"I know I'm hard to be friends with," The boy whispered, "Thank you for staying...."
"You don't give up on people when they're at their worst. You offer them help..."
He pulled away, wiping his face. "I appreciate it."
I smiled, "I know you do."
***
After much hydration, my body had returned to normal by the next morning. Nick had deemed this day a day off, his reasoning was that we had worked so hard the previous day. Some Gladers were annoyed by it, one of them being Gally. He didn't want the Runners being away from the Maze, and I didn't blame him, but this break was needed and well-deserved. The newer arrivals give Gally a hard time, he isn't the nicest with strangers and misunderstandings happen in both parties. Gally used to be really friendly and welcoming, but then he was stung. The flashbacks he saw changed him, when his physical health returned, his mental health took a nose dive. Gally was more paranoid than ever, he didn't trust anyone.
Gally's story was always so tragic to me, and it was horrible to witness his trauma come out in anger and negativity. I wasn't justifying his way of coping with it, but what most newcomers never realized was that there was reasoning behind it.
"Felix!" Newt's voice snapped me back to the current day, I turned to him, he was holding two brown paper bags and a bright smile.
"H-Hi?" I said, unsure about what he was doing.
"C'mon," He laughed, holding out one of the bags to me. "Come have lunch with me."
I smiled, accepting the bag, "Okay."
I followed him into the woods, getting confused looks from varying people. "Newt, what are you-"
He clapped my back, "You'll see." He didn't respond to my following questions, only guiding me deeper into the trees. The farther back into this corner of the Glade you venture, the thicker the vegetation becomes. By the time Newt finally stopped walking, the trees were big enough to hide behind and the grass was halfway up to my knees.
I was tired of walking, even though it wasn't far. Newt may have had a disadvantage with his leg, but his endurance was still much better than mine. "Newt, what the klunk?"
He smiled, enjoying the fact that he knew something I didn't, he pointed up the largest tree, "Look." I followed his arm upwards, near the top of the tree was the bottom of a wooden platform. Newt used his fingers to whistle loudly and a rope ladder falls from the top of the platform. I used my hand to shield my eyes from the sun as I looked up and I could see Hiro making her way down the ladder.
"Thanks Hiro!" Newt said when she was on the ground. She nodded to him and Newt started up the ladder.
Hiro grabbed my shoulder, pulling me towards her, "Don't mess this up," She whispered.
I blushed, not knowing what she was talking about, "What-?" But she was walking away before my question could finish.
Newt gazed down at me, "What are ya waiting for? A bloody invitation? Come on, 'Lix!" He waved me up.
I swallowed, attempting to fix the dryness in my mouth. "Oh my god..." I mumbled, placing the paper bag between my teeth and ascended the ladder.
I met Newt at the top, stepping onto the platform I realized it was more a tree house. There were pillows thrown about and multiple lanterns illuminating the area. A cooler was in the corner, no doubt holding Gally's infamous alcohol.
Newt was sat on a pillow, criss-cross-applesauce, in the corner next to the cooler. He was already digging in to his sandwich.
"Newt-" I laughed, awestruck. "Did you do all this? Why?"
He smiled that same smug look again, his gorgeous blond hair falling into his eyes, "I had the Builders do this for me, er, for us. I wanted to thank you."
"For what?" I breathed out, sitting on a pillow across from him.
He looked up, confidence radiating off of him, "For being my boy- best friend!"
I laughed nervously, "You don't have to do grand gestures because we're friends-"
"But I want too! You've done so much for me, and I've never wanted to spend so much time with anyone else." He set down his sandwich, "I- ...Felix, you make me excited to wake up for the next sunrise every time I lay down in my hammock at night."
"Newt-" I say, flabbergasted and blushing. "I'm just doing what any decent person would-"
He rolled his eyes jokingly, passing me a jar from the cooler, "Oh cut the modesty, Felix. I don't know... I just like you. I like hanging out with you, being with you, I-"
"You like me?" I interrupted. Newt had a strange way of showing his affection, but if this was it-
He shrugged, "I mean... I wouldn't do this if I didn't..."
My chest filled with joy, I had won the golden boy's friendship. However, I was about to win a whole lot more.
***
An hour later and the remains of our lunch packages were sprawled across the beautiful tree house. I had moved closer to Newt, sitting next to him rather than across from him. He and I were drunk, laughing and singing the afternoon away.
I sighed, "Oh, Newt. What are you planning on doing with place?"
He grinned at me, slurring his words, "It's just for us, 'Lix! I mean, Hiro and a few builders know about it but-"
My eyes brightened, "Just us?"
He leaned in to me, resting his head on my shoulders, sending chills down my back from his unexpected touch. "Just for us," He whispered, slipping his free hand into mine.
"I like this," He continued. "I like us. And I'm so bloody drunk but-"
I rubbed my thumb over his, soothing him. I nodded and looked ahead, "No, I know what you mean..." I turned back to him, "For the record, I like you too-"
He met my eyes, his breath hot against my face, "Good." That was the last thing he whispered before unhooking our hands to cup my cheek to pull my face to his. Newt kissed me, and it was everything I had imagined it to be. He smelled and tasted of alcohol, but I couldn't care, because it was me and him and we were alone. Our clothes twisted against each other as I pressed myself closer, my hands finding their way into his tangled hair. I wanted to stay there forever, and part of me felt like Newt did too, but both of us knew we couldn't. Newt pulled away first, his breath ragged.
"Whoa-" I verbalized.
Newt laughed nervously, fixing his hair that I tousled, "I'm sorry, I-"
"No- no. Please don't apologize..." I scooted away from him, holding a pillow to my chest as a defense mechanism. "To tell you the truth, Newt... I- I've wanted that for a long time..."
The golden boy exhaled, blowing hair from his eyes. He wrung his hands together, "Well if we're bein' honest... so have I."
I smiled, more comfortable now that our confessions were out of the way. I shuffled until I was comfortable and I laid down, my head resting in Newt's lap. He reached out and played with my curly hair, I closed my eyes, savoring the moment.
"We are so gonna get teased for this," He joked.
I smiled, "Good."
A/N: AYOO bjoghaoe guys i had so much fun writing this chapter. It was very Newlix heavy, which is my way of possibly making up for the late chapter. Anywayssss lemme know ur thoughts! <3