Newt one shots Book 3

You know you don't have to ask

I stood and gazed out at the haunting scene before me. The skeletal remains of buildings jutted out from the barren landscape, surrounded by the decaying hulks of cars left to be swallowed by the shifting sands. The relentless sun beat down, baking the world into a dry, desolate desert.

I watched with a twisting tightness on my chest, at Newt.

He perched precariously on the edge of the rooftop, taking in the desolate panorama that stretched out before him, a stark contrast to the bustling activity of the nearby encampment. His worn boots, caked with layers of dust and grime, barely clung to his feet, the laces frayed and loose. The sun-bleached cargo trousers, once a deep shade of khaki, now bore the marks of countless journeys through harsh terrain, their fabric worn and faded. His once pristine white t-shirt had become a muted shade of grey, a testament to the passage of time and the rigours of his environment. The threadbare green button-down, missing several buttons, offered limited protection against the elements, while the thin red jacket, its collar turned up for added defence, shielded his neck from the unrelenting sun. His skin had tanned somewhat since our escape as if the sun was trying to bake him too. But I suppose we all had a bit of that. His blonde hair in desperate need of a trim seemed to glow gold in the sunlight.

I wanted to give him his space, he clearly wanted to be alone. I couldn't blame him after all, even after all this time together we still need our time alone. And given all we had lost of late... I didn't want to disturb him.

But he spoke up, "Hiding in the dark doesn't mean I don't know you're there love," He chuckled,

I let my smile break and went over sitting beside him, "Hi Newt,"

"Hi Y/n," He forced a smile back,

"Can I?" I asked my Y/e/C eyes peering into his brown ones,

"You know you don't have to ask," he smiled more genuinely and closed the gap between us letting us share a sweet soft kiss. When we pulled back his eyes flicked down at me and back up again, "Excuse me?"

"...What?" I feigned my innocence,

"That's my coat," He complained, "What are you doing with it?"

I looked down at Newt's fluffy aviator coat around me and blushed, "Wearing it,"

"Don't get smart with me," he chuckled kissing my forehead, "Is it keeping you cosy?"

"Mhm," I nodded,

"Alright, then you can wear it," He rolled his eyes, "But I want it back after dinner,"

"Fine," I sighed, "What are you doing out here?" I asked after a few moments of silence,

"...Thinking, Breathing, Existing I suppose,"

"Don't get smart with me,"

"Sorry," he chuckled, "It's complicated Y/n..."

"Do you want to tell me or..."

"I... I need to,"

"You don't have to tell me anything Newt,"

"I do. I really do." He nodded, "I... I can't hide this anymore,"

He sighed and slowly pulled up his sleeve, and there it was. Not a single word needed to be spoken. His forearm had grown pale, the veins below his skin in various stages of darkening, some only a pale grey, others black as night. Some of the more prominent veins had even raised up out of his skin, the infection crawling growing through him like ivy crawling into every crack and crevice. It reached his wrist and I didn't know how high on his arm it went as he only rolled it up to his elbow but it was clear it went beyond that.