The next time WICKED was playing at the pub Thomas was prepared. He put on a nice pair of jeans with a flattering short sleeve shirt and actually remembered to brush his hair. Rose was going with her friends to see WICKED that weekend so Thomas went by himself. He didn't mind, he was legitimately there to only see one person. He reclaimed his spot back at the bar, his hands feeling sweaty. He could shamelessly admit that he did some serious internet stalking of the guitarist. He learned that Newt lived with Minho and they had two cats. He learned that Newt wrote most of the songs for WICKED, with help from the other two of course. Maybe it was creepy, but Thomas tried not to think about that. He was just making sure he was well informed.
Newt looked impossibly better than the night before. He had on the same black jeans and boots but this time a tight white t-shirt with a jean jacket over it and a black beanie on his head. Thomas came to the conclusion that Newt could wear a garbage bag and still look good.
"See, I told Newt you'd come back."
Thomas turned around, smiling when he saw it was just Lizzy. "Hey."
She hopped up on the stool next to him before oncing him over. "You look good, you're like one hundred percent into guys right because if you're looking to reconsider..." She winked at him which made it clear that she was kidding.
"Newt didn't think I'd come back?"
Lizzy shrugged. "I don't know, he asked about it last night."
Thomas' heart clenched.
"Hey no little sister tonight?" Lizzy asked as she surveyed the area for the curly haired girl.
"She's with her friends somewhere or other. They're really into this live music groupie kind of stuff."
"And you're not?"
Thomas shrugged.
"So what brings you back then?"
"Your brother's band is good."
Lizzy smirked at him. "My brother's band hm? Not just my brother?"
Thomas almost choked. "W-what?"
"Oh nothing, I wasn't referencing the way your eyes popped out of your sockets when you saw him or when he got close to you and you nearly had a heart attack. I also totally didn't see you stalking him on instagram or anything weird like that."
Thomas groaned and covered his reddening face with his hands.
"Damn I really got beat out by my brother. I mean you don't have to be into me but him really?"
"I'm not into Newt," Thomas said quickly, his voice coming back to him. He internally cheered at how confident he sounded.
Lizzy made a face before putting her hands up in surrender. "Okay, bold of me to assume then."
Thomas was speaking before his brain could tell his mouth to stop moving. "Why? Does he like, have a girlfriend or something?"
Lizzy snorted out a laugh. "No Thomas. My dipshit brother is as single as they come."
Thomas bit his lip, hating how that made his heart skip a beat.
"I was kinda hoping you'd be here," Lizzy said as she ordered herself a drink. "You seem to ward off the creeps well."
This time Lizzy had on black jeans with a black and white striped shirt and a thrasher t-shirt over it. She really did look like someone he would associate with being related to Newt. They dressed a like, probably listened to the same music. If Lizzy hadn't told him Newt was older he probably would have assumed they were twins.
"I had fun last time, plus you guys really made my sisters week."
Lizzy smiled. "You saw the picture on their instagram? The one of you and Newt?"
Thomas nodded. "Yeah I saw."
"I know we didn't ask you if it was okay to post it, but I didn't have your number to ask and-"
"It's fine." Thomas cut her off. "Really."
Lizzy pulled her phone out of her pocket. Her lockscreen was of her and Teresa, they were both sticking their tongues out, it was cute. "You got snapchat?"
"Uh yeah." Thomas pulled out his phone and they exchanged numbers and snapcodes.
"Cool, now if I don't see you here I'll blow up your phone until you get your ass here."
Thomas huffed out a laugh. "Okay, whatever you say."
Lizzy smiled before turning to look at the stage. It really was sweet how she supported her brother. Thomas assumed he would have acted the same way if it was Rose up there. Although honestly, Thomas wasn't really all that into music. He listened in the car and had a few favorite songs but he didn't go to many concerts or know enough about a band to know the members' names. The thing was, the more he watched Newt play the more he wanted to be into it. Besides the fact that Newt was just unfairly hot and all around nice to look at, all three of them just looked so happy up there. The crowd looked like they wouldn't rather be anywhere else. He was starting to get why Rose liked coming to these so much, there was a type of vibe filling the otherwise quiet dive bar and it was kind of addicting.
It was the same routine as last time. WICKED finished playing, Lizzy disappeared and came back with the three others a few minutes later.
Newt nodded his head at Thomas when he saw him. "So you did come back."
"You told me I should."
Newt hesitated for a moment before sitting down in the barstool next to him. "You glad you did?"
Thomas nodded. "Yeah. I am."
"Okay, hi random guy. I realized that I may have been slightly intoxicated last time we met." Thomas jumped when a hand clasped his shoulder. "I'm introducing myself properly this time."
The drummer came around in front of Thomas and stuck out his hand. "Names Minho."
Thomas shook it. "I'm Thomas."
"Oh yeah Thomas!" Teresa piped up as she stood next to Minho. "I talked to your sister last week."
"Yes, thank you so much for that," Thomas said to the gorgeous girl. "Seriously, it made her week."
Teresa smiled. "It's no problem, she's sweet. It's cool meeting people who like our music"
"Yo can we get a table?" Minho asked as he slung his arm around Newt's sister who scowled and tried to push him off.
"Wow Minho actually had a good idea for once!" Lizzy grinned as he successfully escaped Minho's grasp.
Minho flipped her off. "Fuck off freeloader."
"Hey," Newt snapped at the drummer. "That's my sister be nice."
Lizzy smiled smugly as Minho rolled his eyes and flopped down at a table. The girls followed him and Newt hopped off the bar stool assuming to do the same. Thomas made no effort to move, he felt weird barging in so he stayed put with the intention of finishing his drink and leaving.
"Hey," Newt said softly which made him jump.
"Yeah?"
"You coming?"
"I can?"
Newt snorted out a laugh and nodded before sitting down next to his sister at the table. Thomas sat at the end, pulling up a chair and sitting down with his drink.
Minho ordered three servings of fries which Newt kept stealing when he wasn't looking. Minho caught him once, snatched the beanie off his head and smacked him in the face with it.
Thomas smiled softly. They had a cute dynamic.
"So Tommy," Newt piped up, snapping Thomas out of his trance.
"Yeah?"
"Music, what do you listen to."
"Uh, not a lot," Thomas admitted as he scratched the back of his neck. "I kinda like Fall Out Boy, XAmbassadors is good and uh I like The Fray."
Newt thought for a moment before nodding. "Not bad actually. I kinda pegged you for a Sam Smith, James Arthur kinda guy."
"I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or take offense."
Newt huffed out a laugh. "Take it as neither, just a first impression."
"Well what about you?" Thomas asked, not wanting Newt to stop talking to him. "What's your favorite band?"
"WICKED obviously," Teresa cut in as she stole a french fry.
Newt rolled his eyes. "Okay cocky much?" Newt turned back to Thomas, cupping his hands around his mouth and whispering, "it's definitely Blink-182."
Thomas felt himself smiling. "I've heard of them!"
Newt scoffed. "You better have heard of them, they're like thee most iconic band ever."
"You just have a giant boner for Travis Barker." Lizzy rolled her eyes as she joined their conversation.
"Wrong, but if I could somehow fuck the California album I would."
He listening to Newt talk about music. His eyes lit up and he had the ghost of a smile on his face. From that short conversation he really could tell that Newt was born to have a guitar in his hand. Music was his thing, his passion, Thomas decided he wouldn't mind listening to Newt talk about it for hours.
Newt drummed his fingers on the table before looking at Thomas. "You wanna come outside with me?"
"What?"
"I need a smoke break."
"Uh yeah sure," Thomas stammered as he stood up.
"Be back losers," Newt said as he pulled the pack of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket.
Teresa held up a peace sign while Minho blew him a kiss. Lizzy facepalmed at the Minho's gesture but Newt just laughed.
Thomas followed him out the back door of the dive bar, where the dumpsters were. It wasn't a romantic invitation at all but Thomas' heart was still racing and his palms felt sweaty.
Newt pulled a stick out of his pack and ran his thumb hard down his his red lighter. A flame flickered out, catching the end of the cigarette. Newt put it between his lips, breathing in before turning away from Thomas and blowing the smoke the other way.
"It's not good for you," Thomas said softly as he watched Newt tap the ashes off the end of his cigarette.
The blonde boy raised his eyebrow. "Smoking?"
"Yeah it's not good for you."
Newt huffed out a laugh. "Tell me something I don't know."
Thomas watched him huff the smoke again, inwardly cringing as he watched the tip of it lite red as Newt breathed in.
"Why do you do it?"
"Why do I smoke?" Newt asked as he let the stick hang from his fingertips.
Thomas nodded as Newt turned away and blew out another stream of smoke. "I started when I was younger, now I'm stupidly addicted. Quitting was too much work so here we are." Newt went in for another hit. Thomas fought the urge to take it out of his mouth.
Thomas was quiet as he waited for Newt to finish. He threw the butt on the ground and put it out with his shoe, smushing it into the pavement.
"They're relaxing," Newt said as he put his hands in his jacket pockets and leaned back against the wall.
Thomas cocked his head in confusion. "What is?"
"My smoke breaks."
"Yeah?"
Newt nodded as he leaned his head against the wall. "Ten minute break from Minho's annoying ass."
Thomas smiled softly. "Come on, you love him. I mean, I've met you guys twice and it's obvious to me how good of friends you are."
Newt huffed out a laugh. "Yeah the fucker's alright."
"How did you guys all meet?" Thomas asked as he crossed his arms over his chest. It was a little cold but he was having an actual conversation with Newt so there was no way he was going to ask to go back inside.
Newt thought for a moment. "Well it's obvious how I know Lizzy. Uh Minho, I met him in middle school in band class actually." Newt shook his head. "Teresa, uh Minho was trying to get with her for like two years in high school. It never really worked out romantically but we ended up liking each other a lot and started hanging out more. Somehow we got on the topic of music and we threw this band together and now a few years later we're actually not doing too bad."
"You guys are pretty good."
"You know you don't have to lie Tommy."
"What?"
"If you actually don't like it you can say so."
"But I do!" Thomas frowned.
"So what about you?" Newt asked, clearly trying to change the subject.
"What about me?"
"You know what I do, what do you do?"
"College right now, sometimes I tutor for money on the side, or on breaks I work at a restaurant, it's not too bad and I get tipped well."
"College boy huh?" Newt look amused. "Whatcha goin for?"
"What's that look for?"
"Nothin, you just keep proving me wrong."
"Currently I'm majoring in business, I should graduate next year but basically then I'm just going onto grad school."
"Yeah?" Newt actually looked interested. "And what do you want to do with that?"
"Management probably."
Newt made a face before nodding.
"Why do you keep doing that?"
"I just didn't expect that."
Thomas rolled his eyes. "You need to stop judging people so quickly."
Newt just hummed at that and looked up at the dark sky. "We probably should go back in, it's cold."
Thomas nodded in agreement, ignoring the pang of sadness he felt in his chest.
Newt made a face before opening the back door.
"I think you should quit smoking," Thomas blurted out, almost screaming at his filter for not working.
Newt looked back at him with a weird expression. "If I stop this habit Tommy, I'll just find a new one to become addicted to."
With that Thomas followed him back into the dive bar, he was heading back to the table when Newt stopped and pointed toward the stage.
"Come on quick detour."
Thomas followed him back to the stage, going with him behind a black curtain.
"What are we doing back here?" Thomas asked as he followed Newt to a small table.
"Just gotta pick up my kid."
"What?"
Newt fished around under the table, smiling when his hand landed on something. He pulled out a giant case and placed it gently on the table. "I don't like leaving him back here by himself."
Thomas almost laughed when he realized Newt was talking about his guitar.
Newt wiped off the case before opening it up. The guitar was red and black. It was honestly so much cooler up close.
Newt slid his pick out from under the strings and motioned for Thomas to come closer.
When he was close enough Newt placed the pick in his hand.
Thomas gave him a confused expression.
"It's for your sister. To thank her for being out biggest fan."
"Newt you don't have t-"
Newt was already closing his guitar case and lifting it off the table. "It's just a pick Thomas. I have about a million. Just give it to her okay?"
"Okay."
Newt smiled before leading him back out to the main part of the bar, his guitar in hand. Thomas put this pick in his pocket as he followed him back to the table.
How was it possible that he was so fucking perfect?
When Thomas got home that night, his chest felt light and he had a stupid smile on his face. After Newt and he got back to the table he hung out with the four at the table until three am when he was finally sober enough to go home. He checked his phone for the first time that night when he was back in his apartment. He had eighteen texts from his little sister which made him roll his eyes.
Pretty much all of them consisted of something along the lines of "oh my god you're hanging out with Newt I can see you at the table" and "THOMAS" or even "oh my god you totally like him".
Thomas texted her back a string of words getting across the message "mind your own business kid. I don't like Newt."
He also had a snapchat from Lizzy. He opened it, smiling when he saw it was a picture of Newt. He was flipping off the camera with his beanie practically covering his entire face. It looked like he was laying down on the back seats of a car. The caption said "fucker drank too much".
Thomas sent back a picture of him rolling his eyes saying "get home safe". He smiled as he flopped backwards onto his bed. He figured Lizzy would be sending him several pictures of Newt which was really not a bad deal at all. He fished his headphones out of his nightstand, plugging them into his phone when he got a hold of them. He went onto spotify and downloaded all of WICKED's music. He felt that if he was going to keep going to their shows he had to at least know the songs.
They were good, so good, like insanely good. Teresa's voice was beautiful, she was insanely talented. The music was also amazing, Minho drums and Newt's guitar parts flowed together perfectly. He purposely listened to the guitar parts, smiling to himself when he pictured Newt playing the sound.
Thomas fell asleep to the album. His phone hung limply from his hand and his headphones had fallen from his ears. He snored softly on the top of the covers that he hadn't even bothered to get under. He was asleep when the snapchat notification "newt added you as a friend!" popped up on his phone.
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