What if?

Chapter 33

A few days later, as the night took place. Everyone gathered around a fire. The flickering light of the fire danced across the faces of the people gathered around it. Some were talking, some were laughing, while others simply sat and watched the flames. The air was filled with the scent of wood smoke and the occasional crackle of burning wood.

The party was lively, and there was a sense of camaraderie in the air. There wasn't a particular reason for this, they were just happy to be alive so they decided to celebrate it.

Newt and Thomas sat close to each other, their shoulders touching. They were sitting with their friends, enjoying themselves.

"I can't believe we're even alive to be partying like this," Thomas said with a smile as he took a sip of his drink, his gaze shifting over to Newt who was sitting beside him.

Newt chuckled, "yeah, we're pretty damn lucky aren't we." He took a sip of his own drink before turning to look at Thomas. "Who would have thought we'd make it this far."

Thomas let out a soft huff of laughter, his shoulder brushing against Newt's, "Definitely not me. I thought we were goners on multiple occasions."

"Oh, you mean like that time you decided to go on a suicide mission to get Minho and ended up getting us both captured?" Newt asked, a sly smile on his lips.

"Hey! I mean it paid off, look, I'm here now." Minho interupted them with a smile.

Minho sat down heavily on the grass beside them, a drink in his hand. "You guys talking about that whole 'rescuing me' thing?" he teased, a cocky grin on his face.

Thomas rolled his eyes, a small smirk on his lips. "Oh, you mean when we broke into WICKED, got almost killed by cranks, and narrowly escaped a collapsing building?" he said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Yep, that's the one," Minho replied, taking a swig of his drink. "Good times, good times."

Newt chuckled at the exchange between the two, shaking his head in amusement.

"Good times?" Thomas repeated, arching an eyebrow. "You call almost dying multiple times 'good times'?"

Minho shrugged, a smug grin on his face. "Hey, adrenaline rush, man. It's all part of the fun."

Thomas rolled his eyes again, a small chuckle escaping his lips. "You're insane, you know that?"

"That's what makes me lovable," Minho replied smoothly, winking at Thomas before taking another drink.

Newt couldn't help but laugh, watching the exchange between his two friends. "You two are unbelievable, you know that?" he said, shaking his head. "Can't believe your saying good times when you also thought I was dead."

Minho's expression softened at the mention of Newt, his playful demeanor fading. "Hey, we all had that moment, okay? But you're here now, and that's all that matters."

Newt smiled at Minho's words, his gaze shifting to Thomas, who met his eyes with a soft expression.

Thomas reached over and placed a hand on Newt's knee, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Minho's right. You're here now."

Newt placed his hand on top of Thomas's, intertwining their fingers together. "Yeah, I'm here," he echoed, still smiling. "And I ain't planning on leaving anytime soon."

Minho let out a whistle, "Oh, getting all mushy now, are we?" he teased, wiggling his eyebrows jokingly.

Thomas rolled his eyes good-naturedly, while Newt just chuckled, "Oh, piss off," he retorted, giving Minho a light shove.