Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them...Continued.

22: Right Response

TINA
Tina wasn't sure what to do at first; Newt Scamander, the most timid person she could think of off the top of her head, had come up to her and pulled her into a hug. What should she say? She hugged him back as soon as she recovered from her shock, resting her head on his collarbone.
"I remember you said that earlier..." she said quietly, almost whispering. "But I didn't think that you'd heal that fast."
"I'm glad I did," Newt said into her hair, his lips brushing her scalp as he spoke. "With help, of course."
"Of course," Tina said, turning to face his neck. Goosebumps erupted on his skin, and he shivered. Tina only held him tighter. What was he thinking? At times like she she would have given anything to have Queenie's ability, just for a glimpse into Newt's mind. His fingers started tracing patterns gently between her shoulder blades. It was her turn to get goosebumps.
"I could go shopping with you someday this week after work," Tina said, breaking the silence. "Help you choose a suit."
"Sounds good," Newt said, continuing to trace patterns on her back.
"I'll need a new dress..."she continued, but she stopped. She liked the silence. The only sounds were the fire crackling in the hearth, their breathing, and the faint sound of cars in the streets outside.
   If Newt was good at anything other than taking care of his creatures, it was being quiet. He was an expert. Even his breathing into her hair was muffled. Tina thought vaguely that being quiet must be a useful tool when dealing with dangerous creatures.
   She also thought about how different it was to hold him in real life, rather than in a dream. First of all, in the dream, everything had a bit of a glossy quality. Like a blurry photograph, or an impressionist painting. Second of all, it didn't feel nearly as real. It had felt real in the dream, of course; but now, comparing it to this....the dream was nothing more than a dream. She could feel his heartbeat, she could feel his breathing, his warmth. His breath smelled like the cinnamon roll from Jacob's bakery. His skin smelled like the minty burn ointment. Tina could feel the fabric of his shirt. She ran her fingers through his hair. Again, good decision.
    His fingers tracing patterns on her back moved to her neck, swirling and tapping. It was her turn to get goosebumps. Newt pulled away slightly and kissed her cheek. Tina thought it was a good thing it was dark, because he would be laughing at how red her face was if he could see it. But much too soon, he kissed her forehead and pulled away, his hands sliding down her arms and lingering on her hands before he let go.
"I should get some sleep," he said quietly, studying the fireplace, the flames flickering in his kind eyes. Yes, he was definitely good at being quiet. "I know I slept most the morning, and I could stand here with you all night...but truthfully I'm very tired."
"Yeah, I'd better get some sleep, too," Tina said, trying not to aound disappointed. "Sleep well." And she stepped forward and kissed his cheek before turning on her heel and walking to her room, feeling colder all of the sudden, without his arms around her.