pretty eyes ~ newt

chapter 29: the safe haven

"and you understand now why they lost their minds and fought the wars"
you are in love, taylor swift
—

My head lays gently on Newt's chest, one hand playing absentmindedly with the hem of his shirt. He has one arm hooked lightly around my body, his fingers rubbing soft, lazy circles into my back. I can hear the quiet beating of his heart through his shirt, his chest moving up and down in a steady rhythm.

Our bodies are tangled closely together beneath the warm sheets, my muscles relaxing underneath his touch. The private tent we're sharing is dark save for a single dim light, hanging from the center of the tent. It provides just enough of a warm glow for me to see the boy's features clearly, his blonde hair splayed out against the large pillow.

"Can I play with your hair, Isa?" Newt murmurs, and my lips curve up into a slight smile. I nod in response, and his fingers trail upwards to thread in and out of my messy strands of long black hair. The motion is strangely comforting, my breathing slowing even further as my eyes flutter closed.

But my eyelids lift open once more when I feel his lips press a kiss into my hair, and I tilt my head up to meet his gaze questioningly. Newt's hazy brown eyes have a glimmer of an apology as they stare back at me, his lips twisting into a sheepish smile.

"Sorry love, didn't mean to wake you."

My cheeks blush pink when he calls me love, but I give him a reassuring smile.

"It's okay Newt, I shouldn't fall asleep on top of you anyways. I'll crush your lungs," I mutter back bashfully, lifting my head off of his chest. But the boy makes a quiet noise of complaint as I do so, slightly tightening his hold around my body.

"No s'fine, I want you to stay," he mumbles back, a trace of a whine in his usually serious voice.

I chuckle softly as he tries to pull me back onto his chest. "C'mon Newt, I gotta turn off the light anyways. I'll come right back, promise?"

I give him a small smile, shaking my head in amusement as he begrudgingly nods. He lifts his arm from around my body, and I detangle my limbs from his with some difficulty before standing to my feet. Stretching out my legs briefly, I pad over to where the lantern hangs in the middle of the tent, and switch it off with a quiet click.

I turn to walk back towards the bed, seeing that Newt's rolled over onto his side to watch me. I laugh at his mildly sulky expression, a fond smile lacing my features as I lift the covers and gladly climb back into his waiting arms. He gently pulls me back into his body immediately, his taller frame curling around mine as he holds me close.

One hand loops lightly around my waist, the other reaching up to softly brush a strand of hair out of my eyes. My eyes crinkle slightly at the edges at the motion as we lock eyes, my hand moving up to play with his soft blonde hair.

I watch as Newt's dark brown eyes start to droop sleepily when I run my fingers through his messy locks, his breathing slowing to a steady pace. My lips curve up slightly in content, my heart melting at the sweet sight.

"You're so beautiful," he whispers faintly, eyes starting to roam across my face. "Like...really bloody beautiful, love."

"You're sweet," I chuckle quietly at his words, resting my forehead gently against his as I reply softly. "...you're beautiful too, Newt."

I see his lips pull up into a warm smile, before they capture mine in a soft kiss.

"God, I swear I could kiss you forever," he mumbles breathlessly when we pull back, his eyes dark and hazy, and my cheeks turn a light pink.

"Me too," I admit with a small curve of my lips. My eyes trail over his features slowly, still in disbelief that he's mine.

"You're the prettiest person I've ever seen, you know," I breathe quietly, and the corner of his mouth pulls up into a smirk.