ᵒⁿᵉ 𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄 ⁿᵉʷᵗᵐᵃˢ ᵃᵘ (ᶜᵒᵐᵖˡᵉᵗᵉᵈ)

Twenty Two

Newt wakes up on his birthday to Thomas kissing his forehead. 

"Hey." He says softly.

Newt rubs his eyes and sits up. "Hey, Tommy." He says hoarsely. 

"Morning, birthday boy." He says, kissing him. 

"What time is it?" He asks as Thomas sits on the edge of his bed.

"8:03." He says.

Newt laughs. "It didn't need to be that specific, Tommy."

Thomas shrugs. "Well, I was."

Newt smiles. "Why do you have to be so goddamn perfect all the time?"

"It's just to torture you." Thomas says. "It's solely to torture the person I love."

Newt chuckles. "Come here."

Thomas climbs into bed next to him. He kisses him, pulling him closer. Newt puts one leg on either side of him, kissing him. 

Then, the door opens. 

"Newt, get off of him." Lizzy says. "You have to come down or Mom will come up and I don't think you want that."

Newt rolls his eyes and Thomas blushes. Lizzy walks out and Newt hops up. 

"Come on, Tommy." He says, grabbing his hand. 

They walk down the stairs.

"Thomas, how long have you been here?" Newt's mom says. "And why did I not know?"

"I just go here." He says. "Sorry. I'll go."

"No, don't." She says. "You can stay for waffles."

Thomas grins and Newt laughs. 

"Thanks, Amelia." He says, sitting next to Newt at the dining room table. 

"I am sorry about Lizzy." Newt says.

"Are you kidding me, I love her." Thomas says, laughing. 

Newt chuckles. "I know you do."

After waffles, Newt and Thomas sit in the living room. Newt plays with Thomas's fingers. 

"I like summer." He says. "I like not having to know what day of the week it is. I like the no grades. The no responsibility. I like being with you all the time. No one telling me I can't. Telling me I shouldn't. I just like summer."

Thomas wraps his arm around his shoulders. "I like it too. The being with you."

Newt smiles, leaning into him. "You're my favorite person."

Thomas kisses him softly. "And you're mine."

Newt sits in the backyard in a lawn chair. Thomas sits next to him, their hands intertwined. Newt's mom made him have a party. If you can even call it that. It's just both of their families. She said she'd bake a cake, refusing to buy one like she does every year. And just like every year, she ended up buying one. 

Music plays, a little too loudly, but the good kind of too loud. The kind that almost hurts but doesn't quite. Newt swings their arms. He leans back, watching their little siblings run around. 

"Hey, Tommy?" He says, turning to look at the other boy, who looks at him too.

"Yeah?" Thomas says, squeezing his hand. 

"Are we..." He pauses. "Do you think...Do you think that we'll be together even when we grow up? When we're older? Do you think we'll get married someday?"

Thomas looks at him. He breathes out, a soft laugh. "I hope so."

"Really?" Newt says, sitting up straighter. "Or are you just saying that?"

"I mean it." He says. "At least, right now I do."

Newt gets out of his chair. He sits next to him, half in his lap. He rests his head on his shoulder. "I love you," He says. "Maybe a little bit too much."

Later, the pair sit in Newt's bedroom, eating leftover cake. 

"I like cake." Newt says. "I like the icing the most." 

Thomas chuckles. "You're so cute."

Newt kisses him. He leans back, putting their plates down. He lays across the bed.

"I am tired and it is entirely your fault." He says.

"You do know how that sounds, right?" Thomas says.

"I meant you're the one that woke me up so early, smartass." Newt says. "You know that."

"I know." He says. "I'm just saying what it sounds like."

"Well, don't." Newt says, propping himself up on his elbows. "Don't say what it sounds like." 

Thomas laughs. "I'm sorry. You make it too easy." 

"I don't do it on purpose!" He cries. 

Thomas laughs harder. "I know! I'm sorry! I'll stop!"

"You're a teenage boy," Newt says. "What else would I expect of you?"

"So are you." Thomas says.

"Yes, but I don't say those things." He says.

"Well," Thomas says. "You do. But not the same way."

Newt laughs, rolling his eyes. "Whatever, Tommy."

Thomas leans over and kisses him. Newt falls back at the sudden contact. 

"Jesus, Tommy." He says. 

"What?" He says, feigning innocent. 

Newt rolls his eyes. "Nothing." And he kisses him again.

A/N: Sorry for the short-ish chapter. Anyway, thanks for reading. Love y'all. <3.