Thomas's POV
I was holding my boyfriend's hand as we walked down the busy streets of New York. Newt and I were in The Big Apple to see my family, last night they finally met Newt for the first time after about half a year of us getting together. The meeting could not have gone better, Newt turned on his charming side and now my parents love him almost as much as I do. Now, we were touring the big city, walking around and looking in awe of the beautiful buildings that scraped the sky.
"Tommy, want to go eat? I'm starved." Newt asked, his accent warming his words.
"Sure. How about there?" I pointed across the street to a small café that didn't seem overcrowded with people.
He nodded and we crossed the busy street filled with cabs and bikers. We made it to the café, we entered and were greeted by the smell of pastries and coffee. We went up to the counter and ordered a coffee and bagel for me and a tea and muffin for Newt. I walked over to where Newt was sitting and have him his food and drink. We say there for a while, chatting and flirting a bit. When we were done, we threw our empty cups away and left the cozy shop, entering the cool air outside. Newt huddled into his dark blue jacket and we joined hands once again and set off, some people were giving us weird looks when they glanced at our hands laced together, but we ignored them.
"So, Newt, what do you want to do now?" I asked, squeezing his hand.
"How about some shopping? I could use a new scarf and you need to get a new jacket after you destroyed the last one." He chuckled.
"That was an accident!"
"How does someone 'accidentally' stuff their jacket into the garbage disposal?"
"Hmm... touché."
Newt laughed and dragged me into a department store. We went to the men's section and Newt started looking at jackets for me. I hated clothes shopping, but Newt made it bearable. He held up a black jacket and handed it to me. I put it on, and it fit perfectly.
"This one's good. Let's get this one." I said.
"Okay. Now you can walk around the store a bit while I find a scarf."
I nodded and walked off with the jacket. I walked around the store, looking at different things. I was getting bored after about ten minutes, so I texted Newt to ask him where he was. I sat down on a bench and waited for his reply, which I didn't get. I texted him again and waited. Still no reply. I started getting nervous, Newt always answers my texts no matter what. After another ten minutes, I started panicking, I stood up to go find him. He said he was looking for a scarf, they're in the back of the store.
Suddenly, I heard a loud alarm go off and people started running towards the exit. What was going on? Then the intercom beeped on.
"There is a fire in the back of the store, please exit the store. This is not a drill."
I swear my heart stopped beating. Newt was in the back of the store. I dropped the jacket on the floor and sprinted the opposite way a crowd was running. I called Newt's name as I pushed people out of my way, some calling for me to turn around and grabbing my arm. I tore my arm out of their grasps and bolted deeper into the store. My eyesight started getting blurry from tears that started to stream down my face. I finally started seeing smoke, I was getting closer to the fire. The smoke started getting thick, I started coughing and my eyes began watering even more from being irratated from the smoke. I made it to the back of the store, where the fire was strongest. White flame was erupting out of a ventalation system and spreading onto the shelves and carpet.
"Newt!" I screamed, hoping that he could hear me.
I didn't hear any response, and I looked for any trace of scarves because that's where Newt would've been if he was here when the fire started and couldn't get away. The smoke was looking into my lungs, and I had to crawl down onto the floor. I slowly crawled toward a shelf, doging all the flames that started eating the clothes. I looked behind it to see an unconscious person.
"Newt?" I yelled.
I grabbed the person's hand and dragged them out from behind the shelf. I looked at the person's face to see blonde hair and a grey jacket. Wait, grey?
This wasn't Newt.
I slung one of the limp man's arms over my shoulder and carried him, still looking around for Newt. I dragged the both of us around, squinting for more people. I saw another person, I ran as fast as I could to them, thinking it was Newt. It was a woman. I hurriedly picked her up and kept looking, my hope dying with each passing moment. Suddenly, I heard a shout come from behind me, I spun around and saw some men in strange clothes, maybe it was just the smoke getting to me. One of the men came up to me and took the man and woman from my grasp. He grabbed my arm and practically carried me to the front of the store. I struggled, trying to get out of his strong grip. I needed to get back in there to look for Newt. I couldn't lose him.
"Sir, please! Stay out here!" The man in the strange suit ordered.
"No! I have to find him! I'm not leaving him in there!" I screamed.
"Someone's still in there?"
"My boyfriend! Please!" I sobbed.
My head was spinning and my knees buckled from underneath me. I fell to the cold ground, the loud noises around me drowning into one big blur. I felt someone pick me up and set me down on an uncomfortable seat. They set something on my mouth and nose and told me to take deep breaths. I tried to, but sobs wracked throughout my body.
Eventually, I calmed down and my vision cleared. There were ambulances and people running about. I saw some fire men run into the building with a long hose and axes. I also saw some fire men carry people out, their faces covered with soot. Then, I saw one fire man carry out a man, he was skinny and had red Converse on. You could hardly tell, but you could see some strands of golden hair beneath the ash.
Newt.
I shot up, but a paramedic with red hair grabbed my arm.
"Where are you going? You need to get treatment, you inhaled a lot of smoke." He said.
"I have to see if he's all right. Please." I coughed.
Red Head looked where I was pointing to.
"Is that the guy you were screaming about when we pulled you out of there?"
I nodded, tears coming down. He let go of my arm and I ran as fast as I could toward Newt. He was surrounded by medics.
"Excuse me, sir, but you need to stay back." One said, keeping me away from Newt.
"Please, is he all right? Let me see him." I cried. "He's my boyfriend."
The medic nodded and let me through. I kneeled by Newt and took his hand, his usually pale face was now overtaken by ash and soot. I whispered to him while I stroked his face soothingly.
"C'mon baby. Wake up." I said softly.
Newt coughed and slowly opened his eyes a crack.
"T-Tommy?" He said hoarsly.
"He's awake!" One of the medics called out.
Somebody placed a breathing bag on his face and Newt closed his eyes again, savoring the clean air he was breathing. After a bit, they slowly removed it and checked vitals on Newt. He was fine, he just breathed in a lot of smoke.
"Newt, what happened?" I asked when he was awake again.
"I-I don't know. I was looking at clothes and then I heard a loud bang. That's all I remember before I woke up here." He coughed.
"It's fine. Just as long as you're all right." I said, kissing him softly.
"It's amazing how fire exposes our priorities, doesn't it?" Newt said with a small smile.
"Is this really the time to make jokes?" I asked.
"Maybe."
I chuckled lightly and kissed him again. Everyone was okay.
***
He was dead.
Newt was having breathing problems after the fire at the department store. We took it to get checked out, but it was to late. He died of lung problems. He inhaled to much smoke.
I lost him. Now, I was standing at the edge of one of the buildings that Newt and I looked at, the wind blowing through my hair. I was going to be with him again.
I took a deep breath.
And jumped.