Thomas Brodie Sangster Imagines

Newt// Can't Hide It Anymore

Word Count:1126

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I subtly pull the sleeve of my jacket down further over my arm. The other Gladers and I had finally found refuge from the Scorch and from WICKED in the camp of the Right Arm. After unexpectedly finding with some friends of Aris', they led us back here.

They welcomed us with food and a promise of safety. After the discovery that Brenda had been bitten while separated from the rest of our group, a woman named Mary took her into a shelter, saying with the blood of Thomas, she could make something for her called the "Bliss."

The rest of us were led to another tent, and they gave us clean, warm clothes to change into, taking Teresa and me into another tent, away from the boys. A couple women handed us each a pile of clothes and gently pushed us each into our own private areas to change.

And that's how I ended up here, running my fingers over the scarring bite of a Crank on the forearm of my left arm. When we had a run in with a swarm of them in an abandoned mall, Winston got stuck while trying to save the rest of us, and Frypan and I had to pull him out. The Cranks still managed to dig their nails into his stomach, and one of them lodged its teeth in my arm. No one noticed my injury, and when we ultimately lost Winston, I decided to keep quiet. I didn't want to worry anyone else, and frankly, I didn't want to accept that it had happened anyway.

When I changed into the clothes that had been given to me, I tore a strip off of the bottom of my old shirt, wrapping it around the bite, so it wouldn't stain the new shirt and be noticeable. After I wrapped it tightly, I tied it off, pulling the long-sleeved shirt over my head, followed by a thin sweatshirt and a thick jacket. The warm clothes felt like such a luxury. We hadn't had them when we were stuck out in the Scorch, and the temperature would drop drastically during the night.

I wandered out of the tent, tossing the torn shirt in a campfire before I went looking for the rest of my group.

I finally spotted them, huddled around a fire, eating bowls of warm soup. Grabbing my own, I sat down with them, placing myself beside Newt.

"Hey," Newt smiled at me. I just nodded in response, not looking at him. He frowned. "You okay?" I nodded again, taking another bite of my soup. Newt seemed to accept my answer, turning back to the conversation.

Fry and Minho were recounting our adventures in the Scorch to Aris' friends we had found, whose names I had discovered to be Harriet and Sonya. Newt would interject on occasion, but I didn't participate. I barely even listened, staring at a patch of grass at my feet.

After I had finished my soup, I had laid the bowl on the ground beside me and began picking the sand and dirt from under my nails.

Suddenly, Newt grabbed my hand, pulling me up to my feet. "Here come with me."

I furrowed my brows as we walked along, Newt pulling me through groups of people and around other fires. He reached the edge of the camp and kept walking.

He finally stopped when we were a little ways from the camp, and pulled me to the side, behind a hill.

"Okay, (Y/N), what's wrong?" Newt asked, finally releasing my hand and crossing his arms over his chest. "What's going on with you?"

"What are you talking about, Newt? I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Something's going on in that head of yours, but I can't figure out what!"

"I'm fine, Newt. Really."

"Stop saying that! You're not yourself anymore! You always want to be alone, when you are with us, you never talk to us, and you won't even look me in the eye, (Y/N)!" Newt waved his arms around as he spoke, worry all over his face. He suddenly spoke quietly. "Those are all the things I did back in the Maze before I..."

"Really, I'm fine," I started to back away from his and walk back to the camp. "Don't worry about it."

"(Y/N), stop," Newt reached out, grabbing my arm to keep me from walking away.

"Let go, Newt!" I tried to pull my arm from his grasp, but his grip was too tight. "Stop it! Let go!"

I flinched as his thumb dug into the bite, gritting my teeth and letting out a small whimper before I could stop myself.

Newt instantly let go, and I stumbled back. He looked shocked. I didn't know what to do, and we just stood there in silence for a few long seconds.

"Take off your jacket," Newt said.

"Newt, I-"

"Please," he looked at me with sadness in his eyes. "Just take it off." I slipped my arms out of the sleeves and let it drop to the ground. He gently to my arm in his hands, pulling the sleeve up and untying the makeshift bandage.

As he slowly unwound it from my arm, he glanced up at me a few times, and the tears welled in my eyes. When he finally peeled the last of the bandage of, he crumpled the cloth in his hand as he let out a small breath, staring at the bite.

"(Y/N)..." he said in no more than a whisper. The tears flowed freely down my cheeks. "W-When?" he asked hoarsely.

"Back at the mall," I sniffled. "When we were pulling Winston out from the door."

His eyes were glossy when they finally met mine. "We can still fix this. Mary can give you that serum she gave to Brenda, you'll be okay."

"You heard what she told Thomas," I exclaimed. "She'll always need more! I'll always need more! There isn't a cure for this!"

Newt pulled me into his chest, my tears dampening the fabric of his shirt. He placed a kiss on my hair and rested his cheek on my head. I felt his chest shake lightly with sobs of his own. 

"Hey," he said softly, pulling my face away from his chest and placing his hands on either of my cheeks. "We can't give up hope- you can't give up hope, okay? We may not have a cure right now, but we'll find one. I'll march right into bloody WICKED to get it if I have to, you hear me?"

Through the tears, I managed to crack a small smile at him.

"Come on, let's get you down to Mary." I nodded, and he took my hand, leading me back toward the camp.