Tired of Running

21|| strangers here

// i'll carry
your world \\

    •
    Harper stood next to Minho, eyes watering.  Alby stood across the table, staring down at the miniature scale of the maze, obviously in deep thought.  "Okay..." he took a deep breath, "No one can know about this."  Harper nodded, eyes falling, "What about Newt..."
Alby looked at her, nodding once, "I think...Newt already has a suspicion..." 
Harper frowned, it was true; Newt had lost all hope of there being a way out a long time ago.
Harper still hoped.  At least false hope was still something... 

Alby left, looking defeated.  Minho leaned down on the table, scanning the scale. 
"Hey..." His eyes shifted to Harper, seeing it was obvious she was upset, "It's going to be okay..."  "Yeah."  Harper shook her head, pushing the door open and exiting.  Minho frowned, watching her leave in a rush.  She was too smart to be comforted with a lie. 

    Newt leaned against his shovel, head tilted, catching his breath.  His hair was tussled in every direction, his skin shiny with sweat.  Harper smiled, taking him in.  If she was going to be stuck here for the rest of her life, at least it would be with Newt.  As she thought about it, it really could be worse; sure there were grievers, but she had a family here, and they had started a home.  Giving up on getting Newt's attention with silence, she kicked his shovel out from under his arm, causing him to nearly fall.  Harper let out a laugh as Newt spun around with an annoyed look.  His face softened immediately as he saw Harper; a smirk tugged at his lips.

"Hey..."
Harper sighed, sitting in the grass, squinting up at him. "Hey to you..."
Newt sat down next to her, "How's the maze?"
Harper frowned, "The same..." Newt nodded, not looking disappointed, "I figured..."
Harper fidgeted slightly, staring down at Newt's hand; his fingers brushed against hers, resting in the grass. He knew. He had known for a long time, "Newt..." His soft brown eyes fell on her, "Harper..." he grinned cheekily. "I...should tell you..." her face fell as it met his, "There's nothing left to map... Minho— we— have found all of it..." She searched the boy's face, trying to read him. His face remained the same, not changing the slightest, "I know..."
Newt nodded, resting his hand on Harper's knee, "I ran that maze every day— until i shattered my leg—" Harper shuddered at the memory, "We found a lot... But I started realizing eventually there would be nothing left to find... I knew there was no shucking way out here." His eyes fell, fingers brushing blades of grass. Harper leaned on him, wrapping both arms around his middle, "I'm sorry..."

Newt returned the embrace, "Why are you sorry? If we weren't stuck in here, I wouldn't be with you, would I?" He smiled, kissing her cheek. "No..." Harper just shook her head, "But you deserve better than this." Her eyes started filling with tears again, "You deserve so much shucking better...."  Harper hugged Newt tighter, burying her head against his neck.  He was soaked in sweat and slightly smelly, but it was his familiar smell.  Newt rubbed her back and let out a sad sigh,
"Hey, I'm gonna be alright..."
He kissed the top of her head,  "As long as we're all together...and safe... It's all alright."
Harper nodded, her body relaxing.  He was right; they were all together as a broken, dysfunctional family- still, their messed up family had more love and took care of each other more than anything. 

~~~

    Minho circled around, watching Harper closely.  She had a tendency to tackle hard; especially if you took your eyes off her for even a second.  It was a good thing, considering she was surrounded with hormonal teenage boys all the time.  Harper was the only one who had ever beat Minho, but he convinced himself that he let her win.  Newt stood in the front, watching his two best friends sparring again. 
"Come on, Harper!"  He smirked at the girl, watching her eyes focus on Minho. 

Across the glade, laughter and raised voices were heard.  Winston fell off the log he was occupying, laughing at something Frypan had said.  Gally sat with his group of builders smiling widely, downing more of his drink.  Chuck sat next to Winston, watching in annoyance as another boy spilled his full glass on himself.  Harper didn't know what was in the stuff, but she had learned to not drink too much of it.  Even a single glass made her throat burn and her insides tingle.  There was always boys who ended up drunk, stumbling about and laughing loudly.  This was the case now, for a large majority of them.  Harper laughed, watching them link arms and wobble across the grass.  If they were stuck here, they may as well have a good time.  Newt watched them all sternly, one arm around Harper tightly. 
Minho refused a third glass which Jeff had offered him, setting his own down in the grass.  "So you shanks have anything you want to say?"
"Say?"  Harper raised an eyebrow.
"Any jokes or stories or anything?"
Harper tilted her head, thinking, "No... 
You've been with me in all my great and terrible moments."  Minho just nodded. 

He stared at the fire for a while, lost in thought, "I have a story."
Newt sat up, drawing his attention to Minho.
"So a while ago- a long time ago— months after you came, some of the boys were still flirting with you, thinking they were funny."
"Oh you mean the boys you threatened to beat up?"  Harper looked at him with an amused smirk.  Minho's smirk faltered,
"Yes. Well. Anyway."  He sat up straighter, "Newt always griped about how you didn't stop them, whined about how one of them was going to try something on you."  Newt sinked lower in his seat, giving Minho a betrayed look.
"Anyway, one day, while me and you were in the map room, he told everyone the next person who touched you would lose at least a  finger."  Harper smiled at the now red faced Newt, "I think I can beat the boys up myself."  She smirked cheekily.  Minho shook his head, laughing, "My point is, this shank has always had some kind of thing for you.  Even from the beginning he was protective of you..."  Newt's embarrassment subsided; all this was true, he wasn't embarrassed or ashamed of his feelings. 

Harper smiled, pulling Newt closer and resting her head on Minho.  Her boys.  All she would really ever need to be okay were sitting on either side of her.  She put an arm around both of them, sighing contently.  Harper had found no shock in any of the news.  She had sensed Newt's feelings- from the beginning.  He had always been protective of her, always been right next to her, always the first to comfort her.  Minho had obviously known too- the whole glade now knew.  But what Minho doesn't know, is that Harper is also conscious of his feelings for her. 

He hides it from everyone well, but he can't hide anything from her.  It wasn't evident at first. Minho treated her the same as everyone else; a little nicer since she was a girl- mostly he just backed off on the yelling and name calling.  But then the looks and the smirking and the physical contact- it all became more than friendly.  Friendly was a nice status, but then it all changed, even her thinking.  It was still changing; including her feelings.