ᵒⁿᵉ 𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 ⁿᵉʷᵗᵐᵃˢ ᵃᵘ (ᶜᵒᵐᵖˡᵉᵗᵉᵈ)

leaving

Thomas packs his backpack, Newt sitting on his bed while he does, bouncing his legs.

"Are you sure about this, Tommy?" Newt asks. "I really don't want you to have to give up your whole life."

"I don't mind." Thomas says. "My life is fucking boring. I could use a little excitement."

"Okay, but Tommy," Newt says, grabbing his wrist, stopping his movement. "This isn't a little excitement. You're running away with a fugitive."

"I can't just let you go alone." Thomas says, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. 

"Love me already?" Newt asks wryly.

Thomas chuckles. "Just come on."

After a few hours, they walk down the road, sneakers hitting the asphalt. 

"Where are we going?" Thomas asks. 

"Away." Newt says. "Maybe to Canada. And Tommy, we can't take any public transportation. Or taxis. We have to walk. We can't risk getting caught."

Thomas nods. "Okay."

"Are you sure about this?" Newt asks for the thousandth time, worry filling his eyes.

"Yes." Thomas says. "I'm not going back unless it's because you don't want me here. Because I want me here."

Newt looks at him. "I want you here."

Thomas smiles. "Great." Then he has a thought. "Where are we going to sleep?"

"Depends." Newt says. "We can't use hotels. We can't let them see us or know our names. You're in this now, Tommy. No going back."

"I don't want to anyway." Thomas says, grinning. 

"Why are you helping me?" Newt asks as they walk. "I really don't get it."

"Neither do I." Thomas says. "All I know is I can't not."

Newt suddenly hugs him. "No one's ever cared this much about me." He says. "Especially not someone I met yesterday. You're such a good person, Tommy."

Thomas hugs him back, putting his arms around his waist. "It's kind of hard not to care about you. Even if you have blown up a bank, you're pretty great."

"I told you, I didn't mean to," Newt says. "And besides, I've done worse things."

"What have you done?" Thomas asks, pulling away, looking at him, hands still on his shoulders.

Newt turns red. "Um...that's a conversation for another time. Ask me something else."

"Come on," Thomas says. "I've literally run away with you. If you don't want to tell me about your leg, fine, but you have to tell me what you've done. I'm so curious now."

"Well..." Newt says. "So...you know how I blew up that building?" 

"Yeah." Thomas says. 

"Well, it's kind of..." Newt pauses. "I kind of have...a power. Not a superpower or anything like that. Nothing at all like that, actually. But sometimes, when I'm scared or angry or...well, you know, things like that, anything I touch blows up. Sometimes I can do it on purpose, but not always. And when I was younger, I couldn't control it as well."

"I was scared." Newt says. "I was only seven. I didn't mean to. My parents lost me in the mall. I was just a little kid, I didn't know what I could do. It was the most scared I had ever been, at that point in my life. I went over to the wall and I pressed my palm against it and I blew up the mall. Every single person inside died, my parents included."

"I didn't mean to," Newt continues, a tear rolling down his cheek. "I never do. I try to control it but sometimes...sometimes I can't. I killed them. I killed hundreds of people. I killed my parents. So yeah, I've done worse. I've done worse than that. I've killed more people than I can count. But it's only sometimes on purpose."

"I'm sorry, I know now is not the time, but did you say only sometimes on purpose?" Thomas says.

"Tommy, you're missing the point." Newt says. "I can't tell you the worst thing I did, because that was on purpose. You would hate me. I swear to god you'd hate me. I've never told anyone."

"Well, if you've done these terrible things, how are you not already a fugitive?" Thomas asks.

"Oh, I am." Newt says. "It's just in other countries. I haven't been to Canada yet, so that's where we're going." Thomas's mouth falls open. "I'm more dangerous than I seem, Tommy."

"Clearly." Thomas says dryly. "What have I gotten myself into?"

"Oh, you love me." Newt says, linking their arms. "Now come on. We really should get to Canada by Thursday."

That night, they lay in a field off the side of the road. Thomas lays on his back. Newt's asleep and Thomas has his arm around him. Newt shifts in his sleep, resting his head on Thomas's chest. Thomas sighs. How the boy sleeps so easily is beyond him. 

Thomas wishes the world weren't so messed up. That Newt didn't have to run for mistakes. And he hates it, but he thinks he's falling in love with the boy. Thomas brushes a strand of hair from Newt's face.

Nothing is right. They shouldn't have to run away. He looks at Newt. He has so many secrets he never tells anyone. If Thomas had that many secrets, he's sure he wouldn't be able to sleep so soundly. But Newt does, somehow. Maybe it's because Thomas is there. Or at least, that's what he tells himself as he falls asleep. 

A/N: I don't really have anything to say. Thanks for reading and being generally amazing people. Love you guys. <3. Also, I'm only updating twice because I already had these written so yeah. Also sorry for not updating today, I was at play practice.