I Will Build My Love A Bower

Hi, I'm a 22-year-old woman who somehow avoided the four solid years of The Maze Runner series hype (despite being a teenage girl at the time) and has only just watched the films last week in the midst of a depressive episode. I now have a new hyper-fixation and FAT crush on Will Poulter. So have this shamelessly self-indulgent garbage, because I don't understand why so many of you bitches simp for Newt's skinny twink ass when the tall strong builder boy with freckles is RIGHT there.

I haven't read the books, so this is mostly based on the movies and whatever information I could find on the Wiki page.

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Marie

Marie worked in the kitchen. At first, there had been a lot of stupid comments about her belonging there, or it being the only job for a girl. But Frypan didn't give her the job because she was the only girl. He gave her the job because she was good at it, as the boys soon came to find. They also came to find it wasn't a good idea to mess with her, after Marie had sneakily dumped enormous amounts of salt into their bowls at dinner.

"Don't bite the hand that feeds you." She had told the offending shanks. They learnt their lesson, and she was afforded the same begrudging mutual respect that was given to the other Gladers. Truth be told, Marie liked her job. Cooking felt... familiar. Comforting. Frypan and Jim were good company, she got to avoid the fierce sun in the shady confines of the kitchen, and her tasty meals had quickly made her popular. Plus, there was something immensely gratifying in the way the Gladers eyes lit up at the smell of fresh baked bread in the morning, or at the sight of a hearty stew at the end of a long day. Here in the Glade they only had each other, so if she could provide her family some much-needed comfort through good food, then she was happy to help.

Today was Box day, and Marie was in a rare excellent mood. The box had held the spices she'd been asking for and a new pig to fatten up, the Greenie looked like a promising new Builder, and tonight she would have the chance to let loose a little at the bonfire. The good mood seemed to be infectious, as Frypan was encouraging her humming for once instead of asking her to shut the shuck up.

"You gonna perform for us tonight songbird?" He called over.

"Depends how much of Gally's brew I drink!" She shot back, and Frypan and Jim both laughed.

Box days were also a favourite of Marie's because dinner was always a barbeque, which meant no prep time chopping veggies or peeling potatoes. The three of them worked efficiently together, and before long they were piling up the dishes for the Sloppers to take care of. Frypan dismissed them for the day, and Marie headed straight to the showers. The smell of the kitchen had a habit of clinging to her skin, and she'd rather not reek of meat and grease at the bonfire. Especially not when Gally would be there...

Marie's feelings for the Keeper of the Builders was her most closely guarded secret. She already faced enough teasing and ribbing just for being a girl, good natured though it may be. She couldn't imagine how badly she'd be ridiculed if any of the Gladers found out about her little crush. But try as she might, she just couldn't shake her feelings for Gally. At first she had tried to tell herself it was just physical. He was tall, and broad shouldered, and strong, and she was only human. It was only skin-deep, there was no depth to her feelings. But after a few months in the Glade, Marie had to accept the truth. She liked Gally because he was a good leader and (as much as he tried to hide it) a good person. She saw how he would pretend to be a hardass in front of new Greenies, but it was his voice she overheard in the dead of night, quietly talking to the kid who'd woken up from the terrible nightmares they all had. He would roll his eyes when Alby got a little too tipsy and started calling them all his family, but it was Gally who worked into the night, checking the stability and safety of every building his team put together. Gally had grumbled the loudest when Marie had come up in the box, complaining she'd only distract the Gladers from their duties, but a week later he'd come to her with a scribbly sketched plan for her own little room off the side of the Homestead, mumbling that she might want some privacy. All Gally wanted was to keep everyone safe. He was caring, and dedicated, and thoughtful, even if he didn't want to show it.