"Let's go upstairs, yeah?" Newt's usually mellow brown eyes were worn out, tired, broken. "I need to talk to you." He held the door open for me, waiting for my footsteps. The way he looked made me doubt myself. Why did he look so crumpled? Sad? I suppose it couldn't hurt to hear him out...
I followed him, all the way into the house, up the rickety stairs, down the hallway, to a room. Newt's room. I'd never been in there before. I always felt like it was a fairy tale kind of thing, him having a room that he slept in. Newt sleeping did not suit his increasingly bruised under eyes.
He didn't say a word as I stepped into the plain space. Bed folded and made, sheets crisp, the whole clean freak thing. A far stretch from my treehouse that I considered my own artistic mess, with clothes littering the floor and random junk stuck wherever I could fit it. The one thing that did seem to liven up the place was a plant on his bedside table, perfectly manicured and cared for. Taking a closer peak I saw that this was no regular leafy spirit. It was a Venus flytrap.
My moodiness dropped significantly just by spying the little creature. I thumbed over it's leaves, marveling at it's teeth. So sharp, so spiky, so tempting...
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Newt said, siding up next to me. His thumbs looped in his belt holes. Here he was telling me what to do again. After everything that happened downstairs? Really?
"Why?" I retorted, swinging my finger dangerously close to the green bear trap-like mouth. "Is Audrey gonna bite my hand off?" The words had a little more edge to them than expected. I softened myself up with mumbling. "That's Little Shop of Horrors in case you didn't know." Newt took a seat on his bed, urging me to pull up the lone chair in the room, across from him. I complied, dragging the chair slowly across the wood. He gave one of the plant's leaves a small stroke.
"It's not you I'm worried about." An unusual smile curled up his lips. "It's little Lizzie that needs protection. The plant's aren't able to get food from the sun if you touch them. They waste energy by closing their mouths." His lips twitched around as he curled the leaf around his finger. "Do you get it? Lizzie like lizard, which is kind of like Newt."
"Except for one's a reptile and the other's an amphibian." I blurted. Uh oh. Unease riddled my stomach. I hope I didn't ruin his plant moment by being such a smart ass again.
"Yeah I guess so." Newt murmured, removing his coddling touch from Lizzie. "I wanted to talk to you about two things y/n. One's a little hard to talk about and the other is really difficult to talk about. Which one should we do first."
"First one." I said softly, a caring lilt buried deep within my voice. It seemed like Newt was really troubled by these things. I wasn't his friend anymore but I still had the unnerving urge to help him feel better. Newt nodded, taking a hand and pushing the front of his hair back, ruffling it. Then he said it.
"I'm gay."
I felt my eyes widen a little from his declaration. Taking in what he had said, processing it. It made sense, I wasn't going to lie. All of those quick glances he had shot to the different guy's...very similar to my own. My heart stopped. That must've been the reason why I was getting out of my chair and enveloping him in a warm hug. We squeezed each other tightly. mending any bond that had been broken. Newt was my friend. Always.
"It's okay." I breathed. "It's normal. Me too." Newt pulled back from the hug, absolutely bewildered.
"You two?! But Gally?"
"I swing both ways Amphibatwink." I teased. "Y'know, play for both teams?"
"Really? So I'm not that alone then."
"Nope. Let's just say that if I'd been put in a maze full of girls I would've thought I had been killed and sent straight to heaven." That was true. "Probably wouldn't have gotten harassed over there either." Newt grinned, our conversation became lighter, more relatable.
"I can just imagine you." He chuckled. "You would've charmed the pants off of those girl shanks."
"I bet I would have." I sighed at the thought. "Can't wait till we get out of the maze and I can see a girl again. I like Gally but still, girls are always just nice to have around, comforting almost." There was a moment of silence, it wasn't uncomfortable, it was enjoyable. Gave me time to think about all the things see could talk about now. "So." I said, my eyebrows raising. "Who you got your eye on? Danny's kind of cute, eh?"
"Danny!?" Newt was sent into a fit of laughter, roaring. "Danny is not cute y/n, Harvey on the other hand is sort of decent."
"Harvey!? That boy can barely tell his right from his left!"
"He's got nice arms!" Newt defended. "Who knows if he'd even be into me."
"Newt are you kidding me? This was a maze full of fifty guys before I came along, you can't tell me that not one other person isn't gay or at least into guys."
"I guess you're a little right."
"Oh I'm definitely right. I am totally going to get you a boyfriend!"
"No no no y/n." A panic flashed in his eyes. "I don't really want to tell everyone yet, only Minho and a few others know."
"Oh." I scratched at an itch on my face. "The old closet, huh?"
"For now yeah." He sniffed, rubbing his neck. He didn't want anyone to know so that's what would happen. No one would know. I reached for his hand, patting it.
"Alright then, but if you ever did want to come out I wouldn't stop you y'know. Now what about the second thing?"
"The what?"
"The other thing you were going to tell me."
"Oh, right." His eyes drifted back to that wretched somberness. "Well I think I'll save that one for another day."
"Okay." I comforted him with a smile. "Take your time."
_________________________
"How's your hangover treatin' you?" Gally asked, sat up in our bed. It had been hour since I'd seen him. Been alone with him.
"Gone." I said, pulling on my nightgown. He was staring at me when I turned back around. Just like he had been doing the day before. I allowed it. Just this once.
"That's good. Bet it was a bitch in the morning."
"You were right." I breathed a light laugh, getting into bed next to him.
"You and Newt are friends again-" I cut him off with a quick kiss, turning to flip off the light when Gally caught my hand pulling me back. His hands felt extra rough, must've been building something difficult today. He held one of mine in clasped in both of his. Gally caught me by surprise. A pleasant surprise. He laid a few kisses on my hand. Each one sending flutters on my skin.
"What're you-" It was his turn to shut me up. A short kiss, gone too soon.
"That's it." Gally smirked, reaching over me. A hand on my lap to support himself while he switched the light off.
"Tease." I grumbled. We were quiet in the dark before cracking up into laughter.
"Oh you're one to talk!" Gally scoffed.
