𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐒, tmr x tw | ✓

10: Hug and Heart

Scott stands up and walks over to his friend.

"Is it you?" asks Scott.

"Hey, Scott," says Thomas, not knowing what to say. Maybe he doesn't have to say something immediately. Scott looks at him in a way that's asking if it's okay to hug him. Thomas nods, accepting the hug gratefully.

The two boys let go of each other when someone walks into the room. She's confused at first.

"What's going on?" she asks, walking further inside. She stops in her tracks when she notices Stiles.

"Stiles?" asks Melissa, as if she can barely believe her eyes.

"Melissa," says Thomas.  Before Thomas can say anything else, he's being hugged tightly.

"Oh my god, Stiles!" she says happily. "I'm so glad to see that you're alive."

"Likewise," replies Thomas. "I kind of need to breathe, though."

"Yeah, of course," laughs Melissa as she lets go of the boy. Melissa and Thomas have a lot to say, yet they don't. Instead of telling him everything she's been wanting to tell him, she starts about something else, afraid that if she starts, she'll never be able to stop. "Who are your friends?"

The gladers introduce themselves. It's easy to tell they're glad they've found them already and are still alive.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Melissa," says Melissa, after Scott said somewhat the same. "We have a few rooms if you'd like to sleep there. You must be tired. I'll get you something to eat, we can talk tomorrow."

Could this wait until tomorrow, to tell them about the nogitsune? Thomas feels bad for possibly bringing their lives in danger. Maybe he shouldn't have come to find them. I'll tell them tomorrow.

Melissa showed them some rooms. They haven't seen anyone else yet. Maybe they're not here, perhaps they're gone. She and Scott open the doors to the room(s). 

"We'll see you tomorrow," says Scott. "Can't wait to catch up." They say goodbye and the door closes behind them.

All of the rooms are attached. They have door openings but no doors. There is one door though, that leads to the hallway they came from. All the rooms were once painted white, now only having paint crumbling off at several places. There's a horizontal yellowish line painted in the middle. The windows appear to be made out of thick glass. They're not clean but you can still see through them. There are very dim lights in the corners of the rooms. You would barely be able to see the lights from outside, but they do their work inside. 

There's a door leading to a balcony. Some of the gladers lay down on the beds. The rooms are square-shaped with every room having one to three beds. Other than the beds, all that's occupying these rooms are a small broken clock and an empty water bottle.

Not that long after their arrival, Minho goes toward the door and walks onto the balcony. Noticing he isn't back yet after a while, Newt and Thomas walk out, too. They close the door a little behind them.

"You alright, Minho?" asks Thomas, sitting down next to him, on the floor. Newt sits down on the other side of Minho. 

"Mhm..." he replies. It's supposed to mean 'yes', but Newt doesn't buy it.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asks, looking in front of him. The balcony-railing is closed up with shelves, so you can't see anything ducked, or on the floor, like the three boys. Minho hesitates a little before talking.

"That room looks a lot like the one they put me in at WCKD," says Minho quietly. Newt and Thomas wouldn't have been able to hear it if they weren't sitting right next to him. It's been a while since he talked to anyone about this. "I don't think I can sleep inside of there."

Thinking for a little while, Thomas says: "I'll get some blankets. I'll stay with you."

"Me, too," says Newt. "Unless you'd like to be alone for a while..."

"No," says Minho quickly. "But you really shouldn't sleep on the floor for of me, there are beds here," he adds quickly, somewhat anxious.

"It's okay," says Thomas. "I really don't mind sleeping on the floor. Especially if it makes you feel better."

"Me, neither," says Newt. "Really."

Minho smiles at his friends, feeling grateful for having them.

And so they talk and comfort each other until the moon is at its highest. They fall asleep together on the balcony, underneath a sky full of stars. Their hearts are full of warmth, taking in more space than regret, guilt, and anger. For the first time in a long time, none of them have nightmares.