No Better Version of Me Than When I'm With You

Chapter 7

Chapter Summary: interview results and garden shenanigans.

A/N: If part of this chapter feels like a songfic, I'm sorry lmao

------

It was late Sunday morning when Thomas got the notification. He was at the dining room table, filling out forms for work when his phone buzzed and his heart leapt into his throat at seeing the U.S. Citizens and Immigration Services name pop up on the screen. Before he even opened the notification he was on his feet and out the back door to where Newt was gardening.

"Newt!" Thomas called, unable to keep the glee from his voice as he skimmed the words on the screen. "Newt! It's here!" He called again, and his husband whirled around, eyes wide at his tone.

"Is it really?"

"This is to notify you that your application for permanent residence has been approved." Thomas read from the screen, glancing up to see Newt dropping his gloves and rushing towards him. "It is with great pleasure that we welcome you as a permanent resident of the United State - oof!" He staggered with the force of Newt's hug, arms tightly around him. He laughed, sheer relief making his knees go weak.

"Oh my god we did it. Tommy, we did it!" Newt's voice was hoarse, like he was fighting back tears.

"I know! I fucking know!" The smile that widened on his face felt permanent, and he saw it mirrored in Newt's as he pulled away from him and hopped on the balls of his feet, entirely unable to contain the joy that had flooded his system. "This calls for a celebration." Thomas turned on his heel and walked back inside to turn on their speakers. He hit shuffle play on his Jams playlist, and turned back around to see Newt walking out of the kitchen with the bottle of champagne they kept in the fridge just in case and two flutes in hand, smiling as wide as ever.

He held up his phone to video as Newt sent the cork flying and champagne burst from the bottle, frothy and sparkling. He sent the video with the caption 'Guess who's officially a permanent resident!!!!!!!' to the group chat before setting his phone down and accepting the glass Newt handed him. Tapping his glass to Newt's he smiled broadly. "To successfully gaming the system."

"To successfully gaming the system!" Newt cheered through bright laughter before they both took a drink. One song ended and another came on, and Thomas shot his head up and looked at Newt.

Newt met his gaze and laughed, shaking his head resolutely. "No, no - I won't." He said, fighting down a grin.

"Come on," Thomas pleaded, beginning to dance to the beat of the song. "You know I can't not dance to this song."

"Oh, I know." Newt shot him a teasingly exasperated eye-roll.

"I like my water with lemon and lime, that's 'cause they're better combined, kinda like us, you and I." Thomas sang along to the upbeat song, reaching out for Newt's hands. When Newt pressed his lips together to keep from laughing and shook his head again, Thomas reached over and picked up the tv remote instead, deciding to use it as his microphone. If Newt wouldn't join him, he'd just be as ridiculous and dramatic as possible until his husband felt he had to intervene and dance with him. Surely that would work, right? "If you a fruit you'd be a fine apple, if you a word you'd be the fine print. I'd like to try my hand at time travel, so you could walk by me again."

Thomas sang into the remote, dancing with his whole body to the beat, swinging his hips and shaking his shoulders. He looked Newt up and down and winked as he sang the time travel line, and he was graced with a laugh and cheeks that reddened slightly. But still Newt sat, one hand wrapped around the stem of his champagne and the other resting on the cushion beside him. Still singing, he stepped closer and plucked the glass out of his hand and set it down on the coffee table, to an astonished looking Newt. He then grabbed his now free hand and pulled him up. "Never put your dreams under mine, we a team, aint a thing, heard me sing like a bunch of times. Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it turned into a butterfly."