Little lies - NEWT

{2.21}

THE MORNING CAME SLOWLY. No one could sleep so they all sat around a fire of mismatched kindling (some wood, some fabrics and other things that were easily burnt) and just relaxed. No one said anything substantial. There was the odd chatter, warning someone to move so they didn't get smoke in their eyes and simple check ups on everyone's well being, but other than that it was silent. Eden had to check over a few injuries. Jorge had managed to tear a large wound into the side of his arm and Thomas had succumbed to an awful nose bleed - courtesy of Janson- so she checked if his nose was broken. Thankfully it was not. She also checked over Vince, who had a few cuts on his face and various other members of the Right Arm who all came to her.

Eden seemed to quickly slip into the role her mother once owned.

When the sun had risen enough that they could see clearly, the group slowly began to split off to survey the damages. Newt and Eden both walked around hand in hand, surveying the rubble and burnt tents. Newt could not shake a particular thought in his mind. He had first had the urge to say something during their hug but couldn't do it with all the people around. The intensity of the ruge had only amplified when he watched her care for all those people that she didn't even know without complaining a second. It got worse again when she smiled at him briefly before continuing on with what she was doing. It was hardly the place for anything like this, nor was it the time. He didn't want it to feel rushed yet it had to be. In the space of twenty four hours, their lives had been threatened more than once and both had though the other could die. He did not want to die without telling her everything. He did not want to die leaving anything unspoken.

When they stopped on a small bench to take a break from walking around for just a moment, he found it impossible to keep inside. Especially when she leant her head against his shoulder and exhaled softly. "Pepper?" he whispered, clearing his throat as the words came out hoarse because of the lack of speaking for so long. She lifted her head and turned towards him with such concern in her eyes that he quickly continued to put her mind at ease. "At this point I don't even know if we're going to see tomorrow. So, I want to be completely honest with you."

Eden looked stunned for a moment, unable to see what he was getting at. "You've not been bitten, have you?" she asked quickly, eyes searching his for any signs of cloudiness that could signify the presence of Crank blood.

"No," he replied quickly, watching as her shoulders relaxed. "I've not been bitten."

"Thank God," she muttered, breath finally entering her lungs. Suddenly, Eden became aware of the cure that she had hidden in the bottom of her bra, the glass tube beginning to dig into her skin. She glanced towards the flattened medical tent, wondering if there was enough of the chemicals she needed in there to produce the vaccine.

It burst out of him, his mind unable to keep it in any longer. He stammered instantly, words becoming so scrambled that he couldn't make sense of all that he wanted to say. Nerves bit at his voice as he spoke, "I may not know a lot about life, or the world, but I do know that I've never cared so deeply for someone in all my life. To me, that and many other factors on a list that is too long to name them all contributes to love. I love you, Eden. And I don't expect you to say it back."

It was three words. Three simple words. Yet it was the three words that meant the most to everyone.

They certainly meant the most to her.

Eden mometnaitly became taken aback by the suddenness of the confession. Although everything about the milestones in their relationship had been rather sudden. Fate worked against them, it seemed.

"I love you, Newt," she replied, whispering so gently yet it shattered all capabilities he had of uttering a word. "More than I'll ever be able to explain."