I woke up earlier than Newt for some reason this morning but felt him still lying sound asleep under me. He had somewhere in the night pulled me over him completely, bringing me absolute warmth.
For a while, I just stared at him, memorizing every freckle and curve on his beautiful porcelain skin. A few minutes later, I wanted him awake. I leaned forward and gently left kisses on his cheek before trailing them down to the corners of his lips. I softly touched his lips and let the kisses linger so to better wake him.
He stirred under me lightly before, with his eyes remaining closed, kissed me back. We shared a passionate kiss before we both opened our eyes. His hair was fluffier and tangled like usual but it only made him look cuter, especially in the glowing orange light casted in the room.
"I wish I could wake up like that everyday," he smirked. I rested my head back on his chest and wrapped my arms around his neck.
"But I much more enjoy it when you're awake," I giggled. "Where are you working today?"
"Why? Do you want me to work with you, love?" He asked. I sat up and let him follow. We leaned against the two pillows on the bed with his arms around me.
"Could you?" I felt a little weird today after talking to Thomas about the maze and I knew we were short in the gardens anyway.
"Of course. Anything to spend time with you." We kissed again for a few minutes before agreeing to get up and get dressed.
Another few minutes were spent kissing as he sat on the edge of the bed and I stood between his legs. My hands were curled in his hair while his played with my waist.
"We have to go, love," he panted once we broke the kiss.
"Thank you for staying with me." He pulled me into his lap for a tight hug.
"Anytime, darling." We kissed again before getting up and walking with laced fingers to the kitchens.
We grabbed food and sat down together across from Minho and Ben who were both already almost finished with their meals.
"Morning lovebirds," Minho greeted us before digging into his food. I turned to my right where Alby had been walking the greenie to the wall of names for his to be carved in like the rest of ours. He was one of us now.
"Guys be careful today," I said looking back at the two runners.
"Aren't we always?" Ben snickered and rolled his eyes.
"Today just feels off. Please promise me you'll be extra careful," I begged. Newt slipped his arm around my waist and pulled me lightly into him.
"I promise, princess." Minho teased before continuing to scarf down the rest of his food.
We ate in silence like usual, just enjoying the company of the other gladers. Most of the other boys had been moseying to their tables and soon enough, most of the seats were filled. I don't know why but I had a weird feeling about the maze today.
"Ready shank?" Minho asked looking to Ben.
"Aren't I always?" The boys chuckled before saying goodbyes and jogging to the sealed doors. The second they made it, the doors slid open like an automatic door.
"You alright, love?" Newt questioned. I rested my head on his shoulder and tried calming myself of nerves.
"Yeah. Something's just... off," I whispered, feeling Newt shift in the seat so he could put his arm around my shoulders. I snuggled into him as he finished eating.
Alby and Thomas suddenly made an appearance when they took the empty seats Minho and Ben were just in. We welcomed them with smiles which they happily returned. I decided now to start eating my small meal in hopes to give Newt the rest.
"Morning Alby, greenie," I said not moving myself inside Newt's arms, except now he slid his hand down to my waist.
"Morning kids," Alby replied but Thomas kept his eyes on the open doors of the maze. "Oh Newt, I want you working in the gardens today. We're a little short this month."
"Oh well that fixes that question," Newt smiled down at me.
"What question?"
"I was gonna ask to work with Newt today," I said shyly.
"Y'know you don't have to ask. That's your job, remember?"
"What's her job?" Thomas asked.
"Her jobs complicated. She's a track hoe but on... special days, she works with Newt as second in command," Alby explained, to which Thomas just nodded and began eating. "I also asked the runners to come back early today. We got fresh supplies from the box yesterday and I wanna run it over with them. That means tonight I need Newt, or both of you." We nodded in reply.
I closed my eyes and placed my hand on Newt's leg just enjoying being with him. I loved him, any boy here could see that. I found comfort just by being next to him and he seemed to feel the same way.
"You two are too cute," Alby cooed, causing me to open my eyes and see his smirk. "You'll start seeing it greenie, those two are like the Glade parents."
"Oh no one listens to me. It's (Y/N) they listen to," Newt chimed in but I stayed with my arms around his torso and head on his shoulder.
"It's just because I know the right time to say things. Like right now, we have to work so we're gonna get up and work, right?" I giggled.
"Good luck today shanks. You got greenbean here," Alby said patting Thomas's back.
We spent the day hunched over pulling out weeds and vegetables or wrapping vines around the poles made by the Builders. Newt and I realized quickly just how curious this greenie was, since he had a new question every two minutes. Most of them were about the Glade but some were about the people in it. We took turns answering the questions seeing as either of us could answer them. Plus, the greenie was getting annoying.
"Have you ever tried going down the box?" He asked digging holes for us to fill with seeds. Newt and I stood only five feet away, tying the vines to the poles.
"Tried it. Box won't go down without someone in it." I answered this one since he had already had four different theories as to how to escape the maze.
"Have you tried-" Newt cut him off this time so he couldn't finish the question he should have known the answer to by now.
"No we've tried it. Twice," he said leaning his arm on the poles. "Alright, trust me. Whatever you can think of, we've already tried. The only way out is through the maze."
I put on hand on Newt's back while reaching across his chest for the ties inside his bag. He had continued wrapping by now and smiled down at me.
Thomas had opened his mouth to say something else but I thought of a quick diversion to get him—and his questions— away from us.
"Here you wanna be helpful?" I asked and he suddenly perked up. "Go dig us up some more fertilizer."
Newt and Zart, who was kneeling in front of us the whole time, snickered at the confused dark haired boy. I tossed him the bucket that he ungracefully caught and retreated into the woods.
"I thought his bloody questions were never gonna stop," Newt chuckled and pecked my cheek.
I giggled and returned the kiss. "Neither did I."
We went back to work for a few minutes without any more conversation since we just enjoyed the silence, until it was broken.
We could hear faint yelling coming from the woods drawing our attention towards it. Suddenly, Thomas ran out of the trees with his arms flailing in every direction, screaming about needing help.
"Hey! Help!" He screamed. For a moment, I assumed he had stumbled upon a beetle blade that freaked him out. But that went away when a Runner came chasing him out of the woods.
Newt ripped the shovel Thomas was using out of the ground and ran with most of the other Gladers towards Thomas and Ben. Ben clutched onto Thomas's leg where he pulled him onto the ground and climbed onto him, pinning both of his arms down while spitting in his face.
"I saw you! You did this! It's your fault!" Ben frantically screamed at Thomas.
"Hey!" Newt yelled drawing Ben's attention. He swung the shovel towards Ben so the corner hit him directly in the head. The impact sent him flying off Thomas where Newt and Gally could pin him down. Chuck helped pull Thomas to his feet while he inspected the crescent shaped cuts on his arm. I'm assuming Ben did that while attacking him.
"What the hell happened?" Frypan yelled sounding almost furious.
"I don't know! He just attacked me!" I was busy looking at a small patch of red stained into Ben's white shirt. I came up behind Newt which suddenly drew some attention to where I was looking.
"Alright, life his shirt," Alby ordered, reading my mind. Gally pulled Ben's shirt up to reveal a wound. It was a deep circular stab wound surrounded by purple and black veins that sprouted to other parts of his body. He was stung.
"He was stung? In the middle of the day?" Gally asked using more force on Ben's arms since he was struggling a little more. All the while, Ben mumbled inaudible words.
We all looked at our leader for an answer. We normally would inject the grief serum into the Runner seconds after we found out, only we didn't have any left. For some reason, the serum wasn't a monthly item we got in the box and we had used up the last of it.
Alby did eventually arrive at a decision. "Put him in the pit." Ben started screaming on the ground while kicking his legs frantically.
"Med-jacks!" Newt hollered for help as Clint, Jeff, and a handful of Builders all ran to their side and lifted Ben off the ground. The rest of us could do nothing but watch our friends carry off another friend to the pits.
Alby walked over to me and took a deep breath. "Can you tend to Thomas for now while the-"
"It's okay, Alby. I got it," I didn't mean to cut him off but I knew where he was going. He gave me a thankful smile before his face returned to the stern frown that was almost always there.
I spun around and lightly grabbed Thomas's arm. He wouldn't move his eyes off the group so I ordered, "let's go Tommy."
He followed with his one hand holding his forearm where the crescents were. I wasn't a Med-jack obviously, but it couldn't be that hard to put some bandages on them.
"What's gonna happen to him?" Thomas asked instead of walking with me. I sighed while looking up at him.
"Nothing good." I wasn't sure if I should be the one to tell him about what was about to happen. Tonight, Ben would be banished into the maze.
-----
Only a few hours went by until the time came for the banishing. As usual, the Keepers— including Alby and Newt— stood facing the maze doors while the other gladers stood perpendicular to them. The keepers were given staffs with wood strapped to the end to make a T shape and the other Gladers held long wooden spears sharpened to a point.
I stood in the back with Chuck and Thomas, not wanting to be this close the doors. I understood what would happen if Ben stayed here, but it still felt like we were sending him to his death. We may not be the ones killing him, but we were murders.
Minho came from the pits dragging Ben to the doors who was muttering things to Minho to plead his case to stay. The two moved through the gap of Keepers before they filed back into a line.
Minho pushed Ben onto the ground, cutting the ropes suspending his arms behind his head. He hunched over the ground while spitting black goo onto the floor. Even from back here I could see how sick and pale he looked. He wasn't Ben anymore.
Minho looked to Alby for reassurance before tossing the bag of Ben's stuff into the maze. Ben muttered more cries for help even though he subconsciously knew nothing would work. He was too far gone.
A gust of wind blew in from the maze indicating in twenty seconds, they would be closed. I could feel the tears filling my eyes knowing we were about to lose a Glader. Chuck must have noticed because he put his hand in mine. I leaned down and hugged him while facing the Homestead. I couldn't watch this happen.
"Poles!" Alby announced once the loud cracking and whining sound of metal began.
"Come on (Y/N)," Chuck whispered while lightly tugging on my hand. I followed Chuck through the Glade with our hands still together, trying to ignore the events unfolding behind me.
When we got to the entrance of the woods where my hut was, Chuck came in with me. I sat on the bed with my eyes staring at my lap. Chuck came and plopped himself down beside me.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Chuckie," I whispered after a few moments of silence.
"It's okay," he said while nudging my shoulder with his own. "I'm not gonna leave you though."
I wrapped my arms around him and rested my head on his shoulder. "Thanks sweetheart."
We sat there in silence for a few minutes before my door opened. Newt stepped into the hut and gave each of us a half smile.
"Hey Newt," Chuck said beside me.
"Hey Chuck. I think I can take care of her from here now. Go get some sleep." Chuck nodded before hugging me tightly and running out of the room.
Newt carefully stood over me as if he was afraid any moment I'd freak out and run away. As if I was a freaked out deer running into headlights and Newt was the car.
"I'm sorry Newt. I just... couldn't watch that," I sighed and looked back at my hands in my lap.
"Hey," he lifted my chin with his two fingers, "there's no need to apologize. I know that wasn't easy."
"I'm being selfish. You're the one who had to be brave and stand in front of Ben while he was screaming at you. I mean, I should be the one comforting you!"
He chuckled and took my hands in his. He forced me to look up at him so our wet eyes could meet. "It works both ways, love. You went through just as much as I did back there. You were just as strong as I was, darling. Don't ever doubt that."
A single tear slid down each of our cheeks when our foreheads met. I gently placed my hand on his cheek and rubbed it with my thumb like I did often.
"I love you."
"I love you more," he replied while leading me to our bed. We climbed under the thin sheet and pulled it up to our necks. I laid my head on top of his chest and tangled one of our legs at the bottom of the bed. One of our hands were intertwined on his chest and his other was buried into my hair, softly massaging my scalp.
The maze was sick and inhumane, especially when we did things like that, but at least I had someone to come back to at night to keep me sane. Newt was my sanity, and I was his.