hold me close, but not too close~newtmas

Chapter 15: Planning and Pondering

PRESENT

The Safe Haven

Thomas

If there was one thing Thomas had learned over the last six months, it was that nightmares never ceased.

They crept into his head, taking over serene, peaceful dreams, and left footprints in their wake. Darkness followed shortly after; screams and terror filled the space behind his eyelids, memories – sometimes unchanged, others mangled and wrong – replayed, and eyes as black as the night froze him where he stood...crouched...hovered.

They were there too when he woke, above him in the room glowing the colour of sunrise.

Thomas scrambled back, his arms meeting the cool rails of the hospital bed. He was trapped; he couldn't escape the monster with leaking eyes and spiderweb veins, he couldn't fight it off as it raised its hands –

"Thomas," it spoke softly.

That's not right, Thomas thought. His hand gripped the rail in fear and he turned his head away as the monster continued to approach.

"Thomas," it said again. But this time, through the growl, he heard a calm voice. "Breathe."

He was suddenly aware of his breathing. His chest rose and fell rapidly, emitting ragged exhales and wheezes. His body was trembling now, his lungs shaking with the movement. His throat was tightening and –

A hand on his own, causing Thomas to flinch. The monster had gotten closer without him noticing. It placed its hand over Thomas' and gently uncurled his fingers from where they were wrapped around the rail.

He looked down, expecting to see black veins spread across the hand, but there was only pale skin. His eyes snapped up to the monster again, except this time, its face had been replaced with Newts. The black had bled away and welcomed brown instead.

Thomas' heart stuttered in his chest and he closed his eyes, regaining what little breath he had left.

A minute passed, maybe two, before Thomas opened his eyes again.

Newt was still there, sitting with his legs crossed and a hand tentatively caressing Thomas'. He looked startled, as if he hadn't expected to see Thomas in such a state – which, in all fairness, he probably hadn't. Being woken by Thomas thrashing and screaming probably hadn't crossed his mind either, especially so soon after arriving at the Safe Haven.

Couldn't even let Newt have one nights rest, he scolded himself.

"You good?" the blonde asked, his voice gentle. Thomas swallowed thickly, lifting his eyes to meet Newt's but made no attempts to nod (or shake) his head. "Wanna talk about it?"

Thomas took a moment to think, twisting his body (and reluctantly slipping his hand out of Newt's) to pour himself a cup of water. It was tepid, leaning towards warm, but nevertheless, Thomas drank it.

"I saw it again," he said as he lowered the cup. "But we were here, at the Safe Haven."

Newt's hands were bound by chains, which were bolted into the ground. His face was crawling with pulsing black lines, and his eyes were focussed on Thomas as though he was his prey. He was screeching and snarling, moving to barrel towards Thomas but was stopped by the heavy, rattling chains.

The firepit that separated them was ablaze and Thomas didn't doubt that if Newt were to break free or be released, he'd charge straight through the fire to get to him.

His friends surrounded them in the crowd, cheering sadistically as the blonde and brunette stared each other down.

"Get ready to run, Thomas!" Gally yelled as he stepped around the chains. He disappeared behind Newt's body, out of Thomas' view. There was a faint click of a padlock opening...