The Defective Soldier || Newt

𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔼𝕟𝕕

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A sense of victory rushed through everyone's hearts as they watched, at the creeping end of the horizon, their homes, their peaceful place, their Safe Haven. The new recruits were by far the most excited, their shouts roaring far and mighty across the sea. Children laughed, jumping up and about to reach the rails, their little hands holding onto them for dear life as their faces lit up at what they rushed to call their home.

"Maybe we should change the name," mumbled George, who had to keep an eye out in case Bea got distracted and crashed the ship onto shore. "How does 'Safe Heaven' sound?"

Henry was quick to shrug the idea off. "Leave it. They're not going to call it anything other than 'home'."

"It is also the closest any of us has ever got to a home, really," William added, twirling the ring he had taken an enormous effort to clean until perfection around his finger. "And I think it might be the only one worth missing."

"Yeah," Henry laughed, "you don't have to swear on it. WICKED wasn't exactly cosy, was it?"

"It was fucking horrible." William shook his head. "So we'll better enjoy this one while we still can."

George showed him a side smile. "And what are you planning to do to 'enjoy it'?"

"Did someone place a bet on me proposing before Summer?" William asked with the same smile that played across his friends' faces.

Mae appeared out of the blue, a hand raised just so slightly as she said, "Me."

"Congratulations," William could hardly keep down a snigger, "you're about to win the whole pot."

The ship dropped the anchor at the Safe Haven's port. An absurd crowd awaited along the beach. They watched with curious eyes and expecting smiles the survivors of the Main Land's catastrophe, who they had seen wave from miles away into the sea. To none of the S's surprise, the mischievous pair jumped to action at the touch of sand. Vince had just begun his welcoming speech when the two ran off somewhere while giggling. The elder woman, holding onto a makeshift cane that Henry had specially crafted for her before boarding the ship, laughed it off and asked him to continue, as she assured the children would come back eventually. Vince glanced over the woman to acquire further confirmation, which he got right away.

"Just get on with it, Vince," said George. "I miss my bed, you know?"

When anybody else would have chuckled at that, Brenda pretended to feel offended. She crossed her arms and turned away from her brother, facing Gally as he stifled a laugh, which he got smacked for. Per Mary's request, and the general lack of disposition to listen to a long ramble after the long journey from both rescued and rescuers, Vince cut himself short and ended with his signature phrase, "Welcome to the Safe Haven".

The crowd dispersed at the right time for a few people to run past. Aris collided against William, who, tired and still recovering from his leg injury, faltered, making both stumble and fall.

"You want to welcome me or kill me, Aris? Pick one." William groaned, turning to his side to get his brother off him. "You can't have both... Well, actually..."

"No," Aris denied quickly, making his twin pout, which he outright ignored as they got up to. This time, he made sure to give a proper hug. "It's been too long."

"It's been a couple of weeks," William retorted, mockery in his every fibre. "You can't live without me, can you? Now, now, I would expect my older brother to be less needy."