Home For Christmas

VII

Newt opened his eyes to a blinding white light. "Oh fuck." He whispered, covering his eyes and squinting. "Holy shit did I die?" He sat up abruptly, immediately regretting it as the dizziness from moving too quickly hit him hard. "You can still get headaches in heaven?" He blinked, looking around. He put on his glasses and his eyes slowly began to focus. "You can still be cold in heaven?" He asked rubbing his arms as he shivered, slowly beginning to recognize his surroundings. "Heaven looks a lot li-"

"You're not dead." Hermann called out from the kitchen. He slowly began to enter the room with two plates of food. "And this is most definitely not heaven." He walked over and knelt down in front of Newt, surrounded by the glowing white light of the sun reflecting off the snow that streamed through the windows. It looked like he had a halo or some sort of glowing white aura around him.

"But you're like my guardian angel." Newt's eyes gleamed. "You look like an angel." He whispered to himself. He then smiled and his eyes lit up before he started talking again, effectively preventing Hermann from responding. "Dude is that bacon and eggs?!"

"Mhmm." Hermann sat down, placing one of the two plates in front of him along with a fork, knife and napkin.

"I could kiss you!" Newt said staring at the plate with almost teary eyes. Hermann seemed struck by the remark but quickly regained composure. Newt shoveled the food into his mouth and moaned grabbing onto Hermann for support as if he was about to fall. Hermann's eyes went wide as he turned to Newt.

"Newton are you-" he was cut off.

"Dude." Newt's eyes were closed. "Duuuuude." He opened his eyes again as he turned to Hermann. "This is so good." He ate more eggs and let out another moan. "This is so fucking good holy shit." He looked Hermann dead in the eyes. "I owe you my life." He covered his mouth to not be rude, as he was talking with a mouth full of food. Hermann choked on seemingly nothing and Newt just kept eating.

"Well I-" He was interrupted by another loud moan.

"Oh fuck me this is delicious." Newt closed his eyes taking another bite. He then opened his eyes again to see Hermann staring at him, his mouth slightly open in shock. "Oh shit am I being rude? I'm sorry man I just haven't had like actual good food in forever." He apologized continuing to eat. "I'm sor-"

"No no please you aren't being rude at all enjoy your food." Hermann motioned for him to keep eating as he began to eat as well. He noticed that Newt was almost done with the entire plate in a matter of seconds. "Would you- would you like some more?" He asked cautiously.

"Please?" Newt moaned through another mouthful of food. Hermann couldn't help but react to that one. His face turned bright red and he choked on his bacon. He coughed it up with the help of Newt patting his back and he reverted back to his stoic expression, blaming it on eating too fast, not chewing enough.

"I'll be right back with more." He said, his voice raspy and quiet.

"God thank you holy shit it's so good." Newt finished his plate and wrapped himself in the blanket to stay warm while he waited. After a moment he got up and followed Hermann into the kitchen.

"I really don't deserve half of the compliments but I'm flattered nonetheless." Hermann continued cooking. He realized Newt was just going to continue standing at a respectful distance while watching him so he spoke again. "Do you need something?" He asked over his shoulder.

"That's what I was about to ask you." Newt replied, approaching in the blanket.

"I beg your pardon?" Hermann actually turned his back to the stove to look at Newt in confusion.

"Like do you need anything? Or need help with anything? Like is there anything I can do for you? You're just doing so much for me and like I have to do something for you, y'know? Like I don't want to say to repay you because whatever you could possibly need there's no way it can equate to what you've done for me because you basically saved my life."

"I- you really don't owe me anything-" Hermann tried to protest but was quickly interrupted.

"But I do!" Newt argued laughing at how ridiculous of an argument this was.

"You really don't." Hermann put his hands out in a small barely noticeable sort of 'back off' motion.

"You saved my life! I would've frozen to death out there!" Newt motion to the door with his arms and was moving his hands around as he spoke.

"Anyone would've done the same." Hermann shook his head.

"They really wouldn't." Newt furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Hermann incredulously.

"It would've been cruel of me to leave you out there! Especially when I have so much to share! I have a roof, I have food, I have a bed, I have-"

"Fire." Newt interrupted, eyes wide.

"Yes! I have the fire! I couldn't just leave you out in the cold when I have-"

"Fire!" He said, more frantically this time.

"Yes Newton, the fire." Hermann sighed with a nod.

"No! Fire! Right there! The eggs! On Fire!" He was slapping Hermann's shoulder, he then rushed passed him to the flaming pan of what used to be eggs. "Uh shit! Uh!" He looked around trying to figure out what to do.

"The sink! The sink!" Hermann exclaimed, gesturing wildly towards the sink. Newt ran and threw the flaming pan into the sink and turned the water on. The air was instantaneously filled with the smell of smoke and loud sizzling. They both stood back, staring at the would-be house fire.

"So uh," Newt broke the silence. "I'm not actually that hungry." He cracked a smile.

Hermann laughed. He actually laughed at how incredibly stupid the comment was. It wasn't funny at all but it was so stupid he had to laugh. Newt smiled and turned to him. His eyes were sparkling and you could practically see the hearts floating from his head as he looked at Hermann's smile and listened to that laugh. He hadn't realized he was staring until the laughing subsided and Hermann was looking at him confused and red-faced. He immediately looked away as if that wasn't the most suspicious thing he could've possibly done. He glanced back to find Hermann's eyes on him, making him immediately look away again.

"Newton?" Hermann asked, ducking his head a bit to get a better look at Newt.

"Yeah?" Newt replied all too quickly. Hermann smiled at that as well.

"You've got something on your lip." He said with a quiet, almost inaudible, laugh.

"O-oh, do I? Haha uh silly me. I'll um I'll just-" Newt stuttered turning away a bit to lick at his lips.

"No I don't think you'll be able to get it with your tongue, let me." Hermann took a step closer and leaned forward, drawing nearer to Newt. Newt's eyes went wide as Hermann got closer before he snapped them shut and tilted his head up.