Falling

Coat

"Do you think the creams got enough lemon zest? What about the Niffler bread? Is it too sweet? How about the icing on the demiguise?" Jacob was pacing at an alarming rate in front of the dining table as he gestured to the group. Newt and Tina were almost cuddled on the sofa, well Tina was resting her feet against Newt but it was still giving Newt butterflies when Jacob had called everyone into the kitchen. With previous events indicating that being called with such an urgent tone indicated panic and duelling the household rushed into the kitchen with their wands ready to be met with trays of bread, pastries and cakes, many shaped like creatures. Newt had heard of Jacobs shaped baked goods but he did make an involuntary squeak of excitement at all the creature shaped foods making Tina chuckle beside him.

Only slightly annoyed that he thought someone was dead or Queenie was back he sunk into the vacant chair between Theseus and Tina (The former still looking smug after mentioning his firewhiskey bend) and reached for a Niffler bread. They munched happily for a few minutes but then Jacob started to pace and ask incessant questions.

"Jacob they taste great" Tina exclaimed after several bites
"Great? You don't think it needs-"
"Jacob that bakery is going to be a Kowalski's" Jacob seemed to calm down slightly at Tina's words and stopped pacing but he still kept making odd fidgety movements.
"Mr Kowalski you're reminding me of my brother moving like that" Theseus commented casually as he watched yet another bout of awkward wiggling and staring at his shoes. Newt narrowed his eyes slightly at his brother but was presented with an Occamy bun by Tina before he could more vocally protest. Jacob began rapidly packing his case (the correct one this time) with the groups favourite pastries before straightening his tie.
"I suppose it's go time" after a chorus of 'good lucks' Jacob turned around and left nervously fiddling with his case.

"I hope he gets the job we could all do with a bit of progress" Theseus murmured once the door closed to a general grunt of agreement. After some more solemn silence, Nagini piped up
"I wonder if they're okay. I mean he wouldn't hurt them would he?" Nagini didn't mention anyone specific but everyone knew who she meant. Tina's eyes creased in worry and she slid down the chair she was sat in, discarding half of a leftover pastry.
"I honestly don't know" Tina murmured with a blank expression "He needs them to be on his side willingly b-b-because he kn-knows we're g-going to struggle to fight them" suddenly the blank expression started morphing and Newt watched Tina's eyes fill with tears as her lip began to tremble. Yet tears refused to fall and Newt knew she was still under the illusion that everyone needed her to be strong and that any tears would destroy that. Newt knew she needed comfort just like the night before but he was so dangerously out of depth with the entire situation he had found himself unable to think clearly. His mind produced choppy answers when suddenly
"For goodness sake, Newton THINK! What does father always do when Mother gets worried?" Came the intrusive Theseus-esc voice.

Without thinking too much further he abruptly stood up and offered Tina his arm. When he and Theseus were younger his mother never liked to show them when she was scared or worried so her father always took her into another room before any weakness was shown. One day a younger Newt and Theseus decided to follow behind them and they saw their usually prim and proper father cradling his mother as she sobbed into him.

Abruptly he stood up and awkwardly offered his arm to Tina. She appeared too inside her mind to refuse and allowed herself to be led through the hallway and up the stairs as Newt refused to speak in fear he'd say something foolish. Pushing open the door to his bedroom he had given to Tina he then led her to the bed. She sat down with her eyes still shining with tears but a confused expression on her face. Newt braced himself for the awkward verbal vomit he was about to partake in and stared at the ground next to her
"T-Tina I know you're used to being the strong one being the older sibling and an Auror. Which means you're used to being quiet and crying alone but just remember you can always cry in front of me b-because you don't have to be the strong one anymore and please please don't be strong for me" He said it at a mile a minute but to show his sincerity he lifted his eyes to hers as he finished.

Instantly Tina's confused expression broke. Tears began flowing down her face and she let out a choked sob. With no further thought, Newt opened his arms slightly and Tina leaned into him, shaking against his chest. Despite it being less than 24 hours since she last sobbed into him, Newt was struggling to detect the part of his brain which usually began to scream in protest at the proximity. It was bubbling away but it was mostly drowned out by the flush of success that Tina willingly cried in front of him and not out of desperation. However, now he was sat there on his bed that Tina was currently sleeping in with her sat on his lap as she sobbed into him he realised how much he did not know how to comfort people. Last night he had practically been on autopilot with his usually suppressed need for closeness freely controlling his actions but now he had no idea. So he did nothing. He sat there with the woman that less than a year ago arrested him upon their first meeting crying into his shirt.

Eventually, her breathing slowed slightly and he could no longer feel fresh tears falling. He dared to lean away slightly and look at her face to see her eyes still bright but her face relaxed. She had obviously felt him shuffle and looked up at him directly before resting her cheek higher upon his shoulder, her beautiful salamander eyes and hair softer than Dougals in perfect view.
"Th-Thank you Newt" She whispered so softly it sounded like a sigh. She leaned back into him but continued to look at his face as he slowly moved from looking at the top of her head to looking into her dark eyes.

The more he looked at her the more he felt almost a magnetic pull towards her. His heart started beating faster and he started to lean his head down towards her slightly parted lips. Tina orientated her lips towards him and began moving upwards. Their faces were centimetres apart, their noses brushing. Newt glanced one last time into her eyes which were now shining with hope and moved to close the gap. Just before Newt could meet her lips the door burst open and a man ran in.
"GUYS I GOT THE JOB! I'M A LONDON-"Jacob stopped at the end of the bed mid-sentence and gasped audibly. They immediately pulled away and Newt glanced down at Tina's wide eyes, groaning internally. He realised a second too late how it must have looked with Tina sat on his lap, leaning into a kiss, and joined Tina's spluttering.
"L-Look Ja-cob-"Newt began
"N-No-thing is happening we were just-" Tina scrambled to continue
"Oh, I know 'just what you were doing" Jacob smirked "I'll let you two get back to it" He winked at Newt suggestively making him shuffle his hands awkwardly before bounding out the room. Behind the shut door, they heard
"Theseus!Nagini! You will NEVER guess what I JUST walked in on!"

Tina groaned in response and jumped off his lap obviously trying to find his eyeline again but Newt's eyes were firmly covered by his fringe.
"S-Sorry I don't know what-"
"Newt?" Newt stopped his stumbling and looked slightly more at her
"Just Thank you" Both of them blushed at her sentiment. After a beat, Tina murmured
"I think I'm going for a walk"
"O-Okay" Newt got up as well and they walked back downstairs. Newt noticed it was drizzling lightly and looked over to see that Tina's coat was missing from the rack. He reached over and took his own coat off the rack before handing it to her with a small smile.
"It's um starting to rain" She took it off him mirroring his smile and then said
"I'll be back soon Newt" and left with his peacock-blue coat wrapped around her tightly.
He let the small smile morph into a slightly dopey grin and he rejoined the group sat in the living room.