Chasing Grindelwald

5: I Know I'm Right

NEWT
Newt let Tina feed the bowtruckles some crickets as he tossed pellets into the air for mooncalves. Their little heads bobbed up and down as they ate, which Newt had always found cute and fascinating. A younger one nuzzled his hand, its feathers soft against his fingers. He looked down into its huge eyes.
"Hello, Luz," he stroked the mooncalf's head. "Having a good day?"
Luz chirped and ran off with his friends as they played, their heads bobbing as they snapped at the last of the floating pellets.
"Newt?" Tina called. "Is this the...clingy one?"
Newt went over to see what the problem was; Pickett the bowtruckle clung to Tina's hand, appearantly enjoying himself. Newt snickered.
"Yes, that's Pickett," he agreed. "He...yes, he's the clingy one."
Pickett glared at him, but climbed onto his hands and clung to his fingers, crawling up his arm and hiding in his vest pocket. Newt sighed.
"Looks like he's coming with me, now," Newt said. "I'm pretty sure that was everything. Ready to go up?"
"Yeah." Tina was distracted by doxies that fluttered in and out of trees. "Yeah...let's go."
As Newt locked the door to the shack, Tina straightened up his desk.
"You don't have to do that," he smiled.
"It's fine," Tina said, her voice unsteady. "It's just...Queenie got me into the habit of cleaning things up when we were still in school. So now, it's sort of relaxing to clean."
Newt could hear the shakiness in her voice, like she was trying not to cry. "Are you all right?" he asked hesitantly, afraid Tina would ignore him or get irritated with him for being concerned.
"It's...Credence," Tina admitted, dropping pencils and quills into a drawer. "I thought he was dead, and...now that I know he's alive I just want to help him."
"Trust me," Newt said furtively, tucking the Swooping Evil into his vest pocket. "I want to help him just as much as you do. That woman seems nice enough to him in human form, though, and he wasn't visibly scared, so he'll probably be all right."
Tina took a deep breath and sat on the edge of his desk, her feet dangling. "Yeah, I know. It's just...hard. Especially with all of Grindelwald's followers going around..." Her eyes filled with sudden terror and she smacked her own forhead. "What if Grindelwald is looking for him?!"
Newt cursed mentally. "If he is, we have to warn Credence...but, we have to do it in an indirect way. Credence trusted you, right?"
"Well, yes," Tina said hesitantly. "Maybe not as much as he trusted Graves, but he did trust me."
"Maybe he still does," Newt said. "You can write him a letter, and send it to him with one of my owls."
"All right," Tina still sounded worried, but within ten minutes she had sent Credence a letter that told him to be careful and lie low, keeping an eye out for the bad guys. Tina signed the bottom, her lips pressed together as she slipped it into an envelope.
"It's good that you have so many owls," Tina said. "Do you think it'll just slip it under their cabin door?"
"Probably so," Newt said. "Poppy is a shy owl; she doesn't like seeing people unless she has to."
"Oh, good," Tina sighed with relief, looking tired as she perched on the edge of his desk again. "So, that's one thing taken care of."
"You still look worried," Newt noted.
"I am," Tina admitted. "Firstly, I lost my job, and there's not a big chance I'll be getting it back. But, more importantly, Grindelwald's followers are still out there, lookimg for me, and you, and maybe Queenie, too. Hell, they may even be after Jacob, for all I know! They took me so easily...I'm supposed to be stronger than that, Newt." Her voice cracked. "I...if it only takes two of his people to take me hostage, then what help will I be on this trip, when we're confronted by God knows how many?"
"Tina," Newt said gently. He walked closer, debating whether or not to take her hands. "You can get a job in a different part of the States, or you could be an Auror in England, if you still want to be an Auror. Now, about that other thing; they were disguised then. Now, they won't be trying to hide who they really are. You know their faces now; you can definitely beat them. They could have taken anyone as easily as they took you, because they had the element of surprise on their side. This time, you're prepared. You're already the most observant person I know. Now, you're alert. Not a fly could enter the room without you noticing."
"Thanks, Newt. I wish..." Tina looked past him to the wall. "I hope you're right."
"I know I am," Newt said quietly, taking her hands. She met his eyes. "You're more brave than all of them put together, Tina."
Tina only looked at him. For a second, Newt wondered if he had said something wrong. Then, she pulled him into a hug.
"Thank you, Newt," Tina whispered into his neck, her soft lips brushing his skin as she spoke, giving him goosebumps. "That means a lot, coming from you."
"I...you're welcome," Newt mumbled. He stroked her hair and wrapped his arms around her, wishing he could make her feel as safe and secure as she made him feel. He thought back to his mention of her getting a job in England...where had that idea come from? Newt didn't know, but a small part of him had hopes.
"Newt?" Tina's whisper was almost inaudable.
"Yes?"
"I promise I'll do everything I can to help you stop him," she said. "No matter what it takes."
"He will not win this war," Newt agreed. Tina held him tighter.
"Newt?"
Newt could feel his heartbeat as if it were amplified in her presence. "Yes?"
"...kiss me," Tina said, sounding like she regretted the words as soon as she said them. "Sorry. I know things are moving fas--"
Newt cut her off with a kiss. Tina pressed him to her chest tighter, making it harder to breathe. Getting caught up in the moment, she wrapped her legs around his waist. Newt picked her up, lifting her off the desk slightly and adjusting his arms so he could hold her easier.
Newt was sure he was suffocating. His face and chest burned like a furnace. Tina's legs and arms were like a trap; one he didn't mind being stuck in. Her mouth was warm and tasted like the cinnamon rolls they'd had for dessert. Her hair was soft, her back was smooth, she smelled like peppermint and cloves; Newt didn't want it to end.
However, after a few minutes they both had to breathe. It could have been awkward, but it wasn't. Newt set Tina on the desk again, and they broke apart, breathing heavily for a few seconds.
"We should probably go up," Tina said, sounding a bit disappointed.
"Yes," Newt agreed simply. He picked her up and stood her on the floor, gesturing for the stairs. "Ladies first."
Tina smiled at him, and they headed up the stairs, satisfied and ready for sweet dreams. Hopefully Queenie didn't invade them. Then, things might get awkward.
Okay, so...I know this is a more...lusty chapter than usual. But, I thought it could be good to have a balanced fluff-to-smut ratio. Did you like it? Should I write more like this? Leave a comment!
Also, thanks to everyone who checked out Dakota's book on my account: Skulls and Songs. Dakota definitely appreciates it!
--LunaPage :P