The Boy In The Box (Newtmas au)

Chapter 1

Newt's POV

"It's time", Minho says. I look at him, tears forming in my eyes. We've been best friends ever since we were six years old. Minho, Alby and I. We were inseparable. But two years ago, Alby went missing. One day he was there, the next he was gone. Many people, police departments, searched for him, but Alby was never found. So it was just Minho and I.

But now Minho is leaving me. He's moving to Korea with his fiancée to start a new life. A life without me. Soon he'll be on the plane and I won't be able to see him anymore.

"I don't want you to go, Minho", I sob slightly. How bloody pathetic is this? A twenty-five year old man crying in an airport because his friend is leaving him.

"I have to go, Newt. This is my new beginning. And you'll have yours too, I promise that. By the way, we're still going to see each other. I have to come here to visit you and you'll have to come to visit me. We also still have a wedding planned, so I promise we'll meet again."

I hug him. I hug him like I've never hugged him before. Who knows how long it'll take for me to hold my best friend again. I didn't get the chance to hug Alby like this, so I want to make up for it with Minho. I say: "I'm going to miss ya, shank." Yeah, we have this kind of slang made up. Something we say to each other and the world. Swear words that aren't swear words to the world, but are to us.

"Yeah, me too. But I really have to go now. Wouldn't want to miss my flight." We hug one last time and say goodbye. When he's out of sight, I whisper: "Goodbye Minho. I hope life will be good for you." 

I walk to my car and when I'm finally in there, I break down. I start crying uncontrollably. I can't keep it in anymore. I have nothing to lose anyways. I already lost the only things I ever had: my two best friends. Both of them are gone now. And I can't take that. The only thing that might take my mind off of things right now is alcohol. So that's what I do. 

The nearest club is a greasy looking night club. Pink neon letters on the wall dip the street in a strange pink glow. Two tall body guards are standing in front of the entrance, letting people in and out. I walk their way, they look at me and open the door. I walk inside to a heavy smell of alcohol and sweat. Multiple bodies are pressed against each other, slowly moving along with the music. I take a seat on a bar stool and order a beer.

The lady behind the bar hands it over to me and says: "Here, this one's on the house, handsome." I dryly reply: "Thanks." She continues: "The name's Nadine." I answer without much emotion: "Newt." 

Halfway through my drink, I realise something. This is not what I want to become. I don't want to get drunk. Getting drunk is a bad idea. It'll make me forget now, but it'll crush on me even harder tomorrow. The woman, Nadine, says after a few minutes: "I know you're here for a reason. If you want to talk about it, you can come  to my place after my shift is over." She winks at me and I mentally cringe. It is not that she isn't pretty, because she is. It's just that... I don't really like girls. I like boys. It has always been that way.

"Uh, no thanks, I'm good." I quickly reply. I can see her annoyed look and she shrugs "Whatever" before walking away from me. I finish my drink and make my way towards the exit. The bodyguard asks: "Already done partying?" I nod. He laughs and lets me out. "See you another time!" he shouts. 

"Yeah, sure." Probably not. I walk back to my car, but it is dark, the dim light of the street lanterns being the only source of light to illuminate the dark streets. It's quiet, and I start walking a bit faster. Even though I'm twenty-five and pretty tall, it scares me a bit to walk down these deserted streets in the middle of the night, alone. 

Voices make me stop dead in my tracks.

I want to run away, but my curiosity gets the best of me. I start to follow the sounds and I soon find out where they come from. A small alley, just a few steps away from me, is obviously not empty like the rest of these streets. I move closer towards the corner, trying to decipher the words coming from the mysterious people.

"Give me the thing", a man with a deep voice growls. Another person answers: "I told you, I don't have it. I can't give you something I don't have." I know I should probably run away, because this definitely sounds like trouble, but I surprise myself by staying. I even take the risk of peeking my head out from behind the wall.

Only two men are standing there. One of them is bald and has a piercing going through his eyebrow. I believe he's about thirty-five. The other looks younger, about my age. His dark hair is up in a messy quiff and he is wearing a black leather jacket. If it were a different situation, I'd say he's hot. Hell, even in this situation he is bloody handsome.

Distracted by the boy in the leather jacket, I only realise what is happening when the bald man hits him in the face. The younger boy falls to the floor and the other one kicks him. He says: "You're getting away with it today, Greene, but if this happens again, I promise you it will be way worse than this." The man walks away, out of the other end of the alley, into the darkness of the city. When he's out of sight, I quietly walk towards the brown haired boy.

He lays still, eyes barely open, groaning in pain. A purple bruise is forming on his jaw where the bald man hit him. I speak up: "Uh, excuse me. I saw what just happened. Can I help you?" The man growls: "Just leave and don't call the cops." But I stay.

"I can't leave you here like this. Let me at least bring you home." I can't leave a person, bruised like this, here in the middle of the night. He snorts: "Good luck with that. My roommates won't let me in anymore, so I'll just stay here for the night." I gasp. Now I definitely can't leave him here. Think, Isaacs, think. I come to the conclusion that the only option is taking him to my place.

"You can stay the night at my place. The name's Newt. Newt Isaacs." The boy looks in my eyes for the first time and says: "I'm Thomas Greene. And thanks."

I pick him up and put his arm over my shoulder, helping him walk. I continue the road I was walking earlier, to my car. Only now I am not alone anymore. Only excited for what else this night has to bring.

Who is this person called Thomas Greene? What was he doing out there? So many questions swivel through my head, but the first thing I need to do is get him safe. That is my first goal right now, and I won't stop until I get there.