Trials and Tribulations

Side Story I: Grocery Shopping

Newt really didn't see the purpose of a relationship outside of its most primal need. He'd been content sleeping with Minho out of basic necessity. Falling in love had been accidental on both their parts. Falling in love with Thomas, well, that hadn't been foreseen either. If he thought dating Minho was a handful, dating Minho and Thomas was another level of unbelievable complexity.

Compared to Thomas, Minho was easy. He was honest about his desires and had no trouble telling Newt when he absolutely hated something. No mushrooms on the pizza? No problem! Hate the way that cologne smells? Gone in a second! Want to play a game? Sure! Newt complied with Minho's wishes and found satisfactory compromises when both stumbled on an impasse. Minho listened to him and Newt did the same.

Thomas was not so simple.

He wasn't very forthcoming with his feelings—not for any effort of trying, of course. Thomas cared deeply for his partners and tried to comply with both their wishes, even if that meant he had to neglect his own. Newt found it endearing but worrisome. Thomas had special needs, to allow the boy to neglect said needs—especially the more problematic medical ones—had Newt gnawing his bottom lip in anxiety. Especially now, when the three of them were wandering the aisles of their local grocery store.

Minho took the lead, flittering here and there in every aisle for food that wouldn't perish quickly in their new dorm, but would fill them to satisfaction when eaten. Newt pushed the near-empty cart down the aisle, eying three boxes of cereal they had found that they—partially—agreed upon: a box of cheerios (for the health), frosted flake (for the sugar) and fruity pepples (for the sugary flavor).

Thomas walked alongside the cart in a leisurely pace. He kept his eyes on Minho as they walked, but Newt caught the boy's occasional glances at the cereal boxes, a worried glint in those chocolate brown eyes. He knew why, of course. The three of them had been friends for so long, Newt felt it was a feat to be able to read his boyfriend's body language so well. It also irked him how dense Minho was being when the track star didn't notice Thomas's hesitance in their choice of cereal, or that he didn't outright agree to wanting them in the first place.

He wanted to kick Minho in the shin. Or punch him. Punching would work too.

What bothered him more was Thomas's refusal to speak up. All he had to do was let Minho know he was allergic to two-thirds of their chosen brands. Newt didn't understand why Thomas was being so tight-lipped about it. It wasn't like Minho would shun him for it. Lots of people had food allergies. Hell, Newt had some! Did that make him weird? Of course not.

He guessed it was more than that. Thomas was still mortified about their failed adventure as a couple last night after all.

When Minho wandered far enough away from them, Newt cleared his throat, loud enough to catch the boy's attention. Thomas gave him an inquisitive stare. He glanced at the cereal boxes then back to Thomas, the question implied but unspoken. The brunet looked away, his brows furrowed in a way that reminded Newt of the times Thomas felt insecure (which was often, he noticed.) Thomas crossed his arms, brown eyes fixated anywhere that wasn't Newt.

"It's not a big deal." He muttered. "It's not like I eat a lot of cereal anyway." No, he didn't. He was lactose intolerant, but sometimes cereal was all they had to eat in the dorm when they grew tired of the cafeteria food and ramen noodles. "I'll just eat the frosted flakes."

"And when Minho finishes that off, then what? Are you going to let yourself starve or do you plan on upsetting your stomach with cereal you can't eat?" He was being impertinent but honestly, he was tired of Thomas letting them ignore his health.