"Felix?" A gentle hand was on my back, rubbing me awake. "'Lix, wake up."
I opened my eyes to find myself huddled in the comfort of Newt's chest. My arms were wrapped around his waist and I was turned in to him. We had fallen asleep up here.
I pulled away, rubbing the sleepiness from my eyes. I sat up, "What time is it?"
Newt smiled, shrugging, "I haven't got a clue. It's dark though. I just woke up a few minutes ago to you shivering... I didn't want to move you to grab any blankets..."
My heart melted a little, touched that Newt cared, "Uh, thanks..."
"Here," Newt stretched over and grabbed a big blanket from the corner.
I took that as an invitation to get back into my position against his chest. I pressed my cold nose into the blanket as Newt held one hand to my back and one in my hair, playing with it slowly.
"Thank you," I mumbled softly.
He nodded, "Go back to sleep, 'Lix."
I shook my head, "But you're awake... I wanna stay up with you-"
"We've got a lot to do tomorrow, Felix..."
"Newt, I'm awake now. It'll be hard for me to fall back asleep."
He sighed and I knew I had won, "Fine."
"Favorite meal. Go."
Newt chuckled briefly, "Orange chicken and fried rice, you?"
"Beef pot roast, but the orange chicken is really good too."
He nodded, "Mhm, Leah and Fry do a good job of cooking."
"What do you think they talked about in the Keeper's meeting?"
He shrugged, sighing, "I don't know. The herbs dying, the wack weather... maybe the Greenie?"
I yawned, wiping automatic tears from my eyes. I didn't know why, but whenever I yawned my eyes would just instantly water up. "I hope we figure something out for the Glade..."
"Me too."
I moved on from that topic, it felt too real and present. "Do you remember anything before The Glade?"
Newt smiled, "A little bit... I remember a girl... my sister. She looked just like me, but smaller, younger. And I remember Minho, believe it or not. I get the feeling that he and I would cause many shenanigans."
I perked up, "A sister!? What's her name? Do you think she's in the Glade?"
Newt burst out laughing, his body shaking us both as he moved a hand to cover his mouth. I blushed and laughed with him, finding his reaction charming. He took a deep breath, trying to recover from his wheezing, "No, no. I don't remember her name, so I wouldn't know if she's in the Glade or not."
"Why'd you laugh so hard?" My brow furrowed.
Golden boy snorted and tucked a small piece of my hair behind my ear, "Because the way you were so happy and excited, it just... made me so stupidly happy."
"I-" My blush deepened, I was starting to get really warm suddenly. He smirked, knowing how flustered he made me, he pressed a kiss to my cheek and pulled away with his eyes closed.
"Ask me something else," He hummed, his heart as his beating rhythm.
"What's this between us?"
He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, "I don't know. What do you want it to be?"
I laughed nervously, I didn't know how to reply. Yes, I wanted Newt to be mine but, was that too possessive? Are we moving too fast?
Newt smiled, knowing of the fear and wariness in my hesitation, "It's okay, 'Lix. We don't have to figure it out now."
"But-" I tried to argue.
He held a finger to my lips, "Shh. I'm not going anywhere, Felix. Now please, go to bed."
I rolled my eyes, "Yeah yeah."
***
The next morning I woke up to a thick substance dropping onto my face. I wipe it away and immediately jumped when I saw that it was bird poop.
"Mother fucker-" I started.
"Felix?" Newt called from across the treehouse. "What are you- oh." He turned and burst with laughter, seeing the mess on my face.
"How the-?" He questioned between gasps.
I grumbled, wiping the rest of it away with the bottom of my shirt, "I don't wanna talk about it."
Newt snorted and grabbed the blankets and the cooler. "Well we should head down, we've got work to do."
I groaned, knowing he was right, "Fine."
***
"Where the fuck have you been?!" Cally yelled at us from the edge of the woods.
I blushed, and held the blankets tighter, remembering that what happened last night wasn't a dream.
"Treeh-" Newt started to explain. However Cally continued to go off on us.
"I tried finding you guys last night for forever! I thought you might wish to hear about the meeting! But nooo! You're off hunting rabbits in the forest or worse!"
My brow scrunched, "Worse?"
Her shoulders slumped and her voice lowered, "I don't know Felix. We thought that maybe the two of you were stuck in the Maze."
"Why would we be anywhere near the Maze?" Newt asked calmly.
Cally crossed her arms, her body language shutting herself off, "Ever since Gally had the grand idea to run into the Maze out of nowhere, it's always been in the back of my head that someone else will two. And worse, it'd be one of my friends. When the two of you went missing... I didn't know what to think!"
I walked up and put my arms around her shoulders, leading her away from the woods, "It's okay, Cal. We're fine, and Hiro knew where we were."
She nods, calming down, "What were you guys even doing anyway? There's so many bugs in those woods at night-" She shuddered. Newt walked up to my other side, discretely holding my hand.
I smirked, "I'll tell you later."
Cally sighed, leaning away from me as we reached the dining hall. "Leah is waiting to give you the debrief. I've got cleaning upstairs to do. Next time you randomly decide to go missing, please tell me. My anxiety would appreciate it very much."
"Of course," I agreed.
After she went upstairs, Newt spoke, "I feel bad..."
I squeezed his hand, "Don't, she'll be okay."
"Well look what the cat dragged in," A new voice announced, sending my hand to go flying out of Newt's.
"H-hey, Leah," Newt coughed.
She rolled her eyes, sitting on too of one of the picnic benches, we sat across from her. I dropped the blankets on the floor, not particularly caring about them.
"So what'd we miss?" Newt asked.
"Well for starters, our medical supplies are rapidly depleting. And we've come to the conclusion that WICKED is cutting us off, it's the same with the underground water supply beneath the herb garden." She picked at her nails.
"Why would they do that though?"
"Beats me. Maybe they finally decided that we failed, and they're killing us off."
"Holy shit-" I mumbled.
"I won't let it happen." Newt said, determination seeping through him.
"I'm not sure we'll have a choice, Newt. Not if they're stopping our food supply..."
"Well, Felix that's your job now." Leah continued.
"What do you mean...."
"By majority vote, you've been upgraded to Keeper of the Track-hoes."
"Really?!"
Newt turned to me, his expression glowing, "Felix, that's awesome!"
"Uhh," I laughed nervously. "But what about Zart?"
Leah shrugged, "He's the one who proposed it. Saying that you worked harder than him, you're able to teach others better, and you understand the job more."
"Oh wow...."
Leah grimaced, remembering something else, "That isn't all though. An idea was suggested that we try to escape through the box. When the box goes down, one of the Gladers is tied to a rope a guided down after it. Since Nick and Alby thought it was a good idea, they are deciding to go through with it the next time the box comes."
"When's the next supply drop..." Newt asked, he wasn't glowing anymore.
"Tomorrow," Leah replied.
"Wh- who are they gonna send down?"
"Nick."
"Oh my god-" Newt doubled over, attempting to not vomit.
"Why the shuck-?!" I couldn't even finish my objection, but hurt to much to think about.
Leah clenched her teeth, bitter about the decision. I got the feeling she didn't like the idea any more than Newt and I. "He volunteered. Saying that if he wasn't willing to do it then why would they try at all?"
"I don't like this idea..." Newt mumbled.
Leah shook her head, "Me neither... but it's giving some people hope, there's no changing his opinion so there isn't any use in scaring people."
"How does Alby feel about this?" Newt asked.
"Cautious, but willing to attempt it."
"I can't believe this..." I gasped. I was never extremely close with Nick, but he's always been there, it'd be strange if he...
If he suddenly wasn't.
I decided I didn't want to think about it.
Newt took my hand, noticing my anxiety, not caring if Leah saw or not.
Leah sighed, I figured she was angry and bitter about the decision that was made. "Here," She walked to the counter, grabbing two plates of pancakes. "I'm assuming your asses skipped breakfast. They're cold but fresh. Eat up, I'm off to attempt to talk some sense into Nick." She put her hair up into a ponytail, she was already sweating.
I shook my head, "I- I'm not hun- hungry." I couldn't form words, all that was coming out was gasps of breath.
"Please, Felix... please try." Newt attempted.
I dropped his hand, standing so I was able to pace about the pavilion. "It's not, it's not fair! Why does it have to be him, Newt?! Why... why does it have to happen at all?"
Newt stood too, approaching me carefully, "Felix, it's gonna be okay, Nick wants to do this."
I pulled at my hair, "No no no no, Newt, this isn't right." I was crying now, my panic taking control of me and everything spiraling everywhere.
"It isn't. But it's out of our control, love." Newt slowly grabbed my hands, removing them from my hair and pulling them to his chest. "You can't control it, but you can control this. Do you feel that? It's my heart, beating, and pumping, keeping me alive. I don't think it'd be doing that if you hadn't shown me happiness."
I breathed.
"I'd like you to continue to show me happiness, Felix... if you want."
I nodded.
Newt nodded back, "Now please... just breathe."
"It's so much-" I cried.
His thumb made circles on my hand, "I know... I'd make it- make it all stop if I knew how."
I wrapped my arms around his waist, "Please... just hold me."
"As you wish."
***
I knocked on the door to the Med-Bay, I desperately needed to see Cally. Cally was, in many ways, my diary. I confided in her my everyday happenings. This includes my crush over Newt, and it was only fair that I updated her on that matter.
It wasn't only one sided, I knew many personal things about Cally as well. I listened when she needed to talk, much like she did for me. People need people like that in their lives. Someone to turn to and unload on, without having to worry about being given all these 'solutions.' No, when someone comes to talk to you about something 99% of the time they're simply looking for someone to listen to them.
"Come in," Cally stated. she was lying on the cot, reading a book.
"Hey Cal," I greeted.
She rolled her eyes, closing the book and tossing it onto the desk, "Got some... news to tell me?"
I rolled my eyes back, "Always so nosy."
She shrugged, sitting up in the bed to make room for me, "Tis my job, little brother."
"We are literally the same age, Cally." I sat at the edge of the bed.
"We don't know that for sure, Felix! And since I am obviously so much more wiser and sophisticated than you, I must be your elder!"
I held up my palms in defense, "Fine, old lady."
She gasped in false surprise and threw a pillow at me. "Never mind then, Felix. But please, tell me what happened with you and Newt last night!"
"Nothing, nothing!"
She gave me a disbelieving look, "You know I don't buy that, now spill!"
I smiled, remembering the night fondly, "Well he surprised me with a sack lunch, but he took me to the back corner of the woods. And told me to look up, Cally, in the tree was a treehouse."
"Damn, he went all out!" Yeah, he literally did.
I nodded, "Mhm. And so yeah, we ate our food and later in the evening popped out some of Gally's specialty and got tipsy. Then he kissed me and it was just... everything. It was just pure euphoria."
"The right people have a way of doing that to you..."
A/N: my apologies for how late this is guyssss, but summer is now so maybe updates will get better? idk i make zero promises. also, did anyone get my princess bride reference? pls say yes, i will cry