The Safe Haven (A Newt x Reader Story)

Chapter 17: The Warmth That Wasn't Yours

***This chapter will contain more sexual and mature themes. Keep that in mind before reading. 

Also, just assume the chapters going forward will have have more increasingly mature themes, so just expect it going forward, so I don't have to keep warning y'all. 

ANYWAYYYY ENJOY!!!

In a frustrated mess, you shoved the jacket that was once keeping you modest off your shoulders to leave you completely bare, with nothing but the trees keeping you hidden. You glanced back to make sure no one was being perverted, especially Gally. Although when you looked back, Gally was nowhere to be seen on the beach anymore, and Newt was standing at the tree line, his back turned to you. You decided it was safe to continue getting dressed, and you began to tug on the clothes that Newt had brought you, despite your skin still being very damp, causing the clothes to cling to your body. You realized quickly, though, that these were not your clothes, but rather they were undeniably Newt's. The shirt was soft and smelled faintly like pine and something warmer underneath, something entirely him. The shirt was too big, the sleeves falling past your hands, and the pants sat loose on your hips, tied tightly with the drawstring, but they made you feel safe being wrapped in something familiar. For a single moment, you imagined slipping into them under better circumstances, maybe laughing as he rolled his eyes and handed you his shirt because you claimed you were "freezing" even when you weren't. Maybe being able to wear them with pride.

But tonight? Tonight, you just felt humiliated and utterly frustrated.

You took a few steps away, ready to head back to Newt, who waited on you patiently, but a chill crawled up your spine, raising goosebumps across your arms. Your eyes drifted to where the jacket still sat discarded on the ground, lifeless but heavy with significance. You stared at it for a long second, your pride warring with your logic. You were still cold. And that jacket had kept you so warm... So warm.

It's not like you were wearing it because Gally gave it to you. You were simply desperate for warmth.

With a sigh, you walked back and hesitated only a second before slipping it back on. The weight of it settled around your shoulders like a quiet secret, and you hugged it close without thinking. It was still warm, and the fact that the sleeves hung past your hands allowed you to keep your hands warm as well. With a sigh of warmth quickly heating your body, you stepped out from behind the trees.

Newt stood a few paces away, his back turned respectfully, standing guard in front of the tree line. You almost smiled. He was giving you space, but still there and still protecting you. He heard your footsteps and turned slightly, not fully committing to turning in case you weren't modest yet. His face lit up when he saw you dressed again, but that smile faltered the moment his eyes landed on the jacket draped over your frame. He didn't say anything at first, but you could feel the shift in the air between you.

"You're still wearing his jacket," Newt finally said, not quite harsh, but not soft either.

You sighed and pulled it tighter around yourself, avoiding his eyes. "I'm cold."

"That's not the point," he muttered. The way his jaw tightened told you this was bothering him more than he wanted to admit.

"Newt, nothing happened," you said quietly, the edge of your stubbornness fading beneath the guilt creeping up your throat.

"Then tell me what did happen." His voice wasn't raised, but it was firm. "Because when I left, you were drunk and in the ocean. And now? I come back to find you half-naked on the beach, wrapped in his jacket, while he makes smug comments and acts like the hero."