TMR reacts

Chapter 3

Newt was confused.

The first thing on his mind as he came out of unconsciousness was that it felt like someone was pounding a hammer inside his skull. His vision slowly came back, along with the realization that he was laying in an unflattering position on the floor. He tried to roll over, but a wave of nausea overtook him, forcing him to lay still.

He bit back a groan and reached for his head. He decided he would need to lay there for a minute or two before he could get up. As his hearing came back, the sound of male voices started to get clearer and clearer. He tensed, not able to make out what they were saying. But as he listened further, he decided that the people talking were not going to be an immediate threat. They sounded... comforting, somehow. Familiar.

He deemed himself ready to get up. But, as he started to push himself off the ground, a wave of memories hit him, forcing him back down. He remembered getting bitten, breaking Minho out of WICKED, the fight on the streets. After that, it got murky. He grasped at his recent memories, trying to pull together what had happened.

He remembered... oh. He remembered Tommy. He remembered giving Tommy his letter, him trying to carry Newt to the ship. Then he remembered feeling angry with him because he wouldn't let Newt kill himself. Some of that old frustration trickled back in.

Why wouldn't he just let me die? It would have been better for everyone. I'm only bloody holding them back.

Then he remembered fighting Tommy, trying to get his knife, and then... nothing.

Oh. Newt realized. I must have died after that.

He felt a bit of triumph. Now they won't have to deal with me and my cranky-ness anymore.

So then, He thought, This must be the afterlife. Or wherever people go after death. That explains why I feel great and not cranky.

Newt decided it would be better to talk and ask for help first, rather than get up and walk over. If the people talking were WICKED, then he would lose the element of surprise, but they don't know what row he's in, so he can sneak behind them. Also, it gives him more time to regroup his thoughts and get ready for a fight.

"Where am I?" The voices stopped. He braced himself for an onslaught of bullets and those weird stun guns WICKED is so fond of, but nothing came. All he heard was a gasp and soft footsteps, seemingly coming in his direction. When they stopped near his row, Newt thought Fuck it and stood up.

His first feeling was panic.

Why are they here? They shouldn't be here! They should be alive!

"You shouldn't be here! You should be at the Safe Haven!"

The panic suddenly turned into self-hate. "I failed... I failed you guys."

For standing in front of him was Thomas, and farther away was Minho.

~~~

Minho's emotions were already in shambles. First Alby showed up, Absolutely not dead. And then Newt just stood up. Alive. And not a crank, from the looks of it.

His breathing quickened. He couldn't deal with this. His thoughts started to spiral, going back to that horrible awful day when Minho lost his brother in everything but blood. But if we followed that train of thought, he would crash. And he can't crash right now. So he decided to focus on the events in front of him.

Thomas was obviously having a similar experience as Minho. And Newt... Newt was talking frantically to himself, trying to figure out why they were here and "You should be alive" and "How could this happen". He was working himself up. His hands started to shake.

Then Thomas let out a strangled "Newt", full of all the heartbreak he endured since Newt's death, and grabbed Newt for a hug. I was as if a dam had broken within Thomas. He sobbed into Newt's shoulder, his hands gripping Newt. And Newt's hands slowly began to rise up, Until he was hugging Thomas as tightly as he could, whispering "Tommy" every once in a while.

MInho felt the tears rise up once again, and this time he didn't try to stop them. He was here, He was alive, He was Right in front of Minho. A watery smile came to his face, unbidden.

As he watched Thomas and Newt embrace, Alby said what was on his mind. "God, why don't they just kiss and get it over with." Minho snorted. "Couldn't have said it better myself." Anyone who had brain cells could see the tension between Thomas and Newt.

After a minute or two, the pair reluctantly broke out of their hug. Newt ran over to Minho, his limp becoming more pronounced. God, Minho missed that limp. It was one of the things that made Newt Newt.

Newt stopped right in front of Minho and clutched his shoulders. Minho sniffed, but made no move to wipe his tears away. Newt grinned and pulled Minho in for a hug.

He melted into that hug. It had been so long. After almost four years of being with Newt, working together, sharing experiences together, being captured by WICKED was hard, because he was on his own. But he always knew that he could be rescued. That he could see his friends, his family, again.

But then when he was rescued and reunited with Newt and Thomas, He only had a second of bliss before he was walking up to Newt's body and falling to his knees because Newt was gone. He wasn't going to get up again. And then he almost lost Thomas, so he vowed that he would give his all to help and protect his family, even if he loses himself. He cannot lose another person.

Newt broke the hug, tears sparkling in his eyes. He arched an inquisitive eyebrow at Minho. "Have you been taking care of everyone?"

Minho nodded. "Always."

Newt added on. "Have you been taking care of yourself?"

Minho hesitated, because the truth was, not really. He had been so focused on checking in with everyone else he didn't take the time to check in with himself. Newt sighed, and started to give what Minho was sure would be a very good lecture on self-care, but stopped and looked around in astonishment, along with Minho, Thomas, and Alby.

Because a shit ton of people just appeared on the floor.

Ngl this chapter's kinda cringy, but I just wanted to get something posted. How's everyone's summer going? Also, if you want me to include a ship (other than Newtmas, just comment and I'll see if I can make it happen :)