《 Skip a Beat 》

That's different

They sat in companionable silence for a long while.

Tina shifted closer to him, and he snaked his arm around her shoulders, hugging her close as they sat side by side for several minutes.

Every so often, Tina would murmur something quietly to start a distant conversation, but every time, it trailed off and was left hanging, neither of them feeling brave enough to continue talking normally, like nothing happened.

At one point, Tina rested her head on his shoulder, watching the room on an angle. A couple nurses stalked quietly from one door to the other, but nobody paid them any heed.

At least, not until twenty minutes later when the grey door squeaked open again.

"Am... I interrupting something?" wafted a voice like liquid gold through the room. Queenie peered around the door, and the pair abruptly jumped apart, blushing furiously.

She grinned. "Sorry. I just decided to drop by, since Teen didn't come home for lunch. I brought pastries!"

She wandered over to the bed and dropped a paper bag on the little wooden table. Tina peeked inside curiously. She stalled, then reached in and lifted something out.

"Cinnamon doughnuts?"

Queenie grinned.

"I thought you'd like them."

Pickett seemed impressed by the concept of cinnamon doughnuts, and he promptly climbed down from Newt's collar to try one.

"You'd think that such a skinny little Bowtruckle would have an appetite to match," muttered Newt, watching Pickett scoffing the remains of a doughnut.

Tina laughed, and it was the most beautiful sound that Newt had ever heard.

"Falling for someone?"

He looked up, denials on his tongue, to find both sisters staring at him; Queenie was smirking maliciously, and Tina looked halfway between confused and shocked.

"What?"

"You fancy her, don't you?"

Pink tinted his cheeks. "N-no?"

"That's not a question you're meant to answer with a question," she quipped, smiling lightly.

Newt ducked his head. Tina hadn't said anything yet. Even Pickett had gone quiet, discreetly starting on the next doughnut.

Queenie grinned. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me!"

Tina spoke up. "Who does he fancy?" She teased, smirking at Newt. He mumbled something she couldn't hear and averted his gaze.

Queenie opened her mouth, then looked toward Newt. He was staring at her pleadingly, his eyes wide and mouth hanging slightly open. Curiosity burnt through Tina like a flame.

"I'm not sure Newt would appreciate me spilling his deep dark secrets to everyone," said Queenie eventually, fighting a grin. Newt exhaled quietly, and Tina got the hint to shut up. "Doughnut?" She added, trying to steer clear of any awkward conversations. "Unless Pickett's eaten them all."

Queenie and Tina left an hour later to give Newt some peace, though he preferred their company over solace. Queenie managed to prise the bag of doughnuts from Pickett's iron grip, complaining that nobody else would get to try them if he started on a third.

Newt watched Tina close the door quietly behind them, then sank backwards onto his bed, thinking about how everyone was doing at home. The Goldstein sisters had told him, of course, but Newt wished he could come home with them and spend some time with his friends. No, not his friends... his family. It almost hurt to stay in hospital, day after day, while everyone was getting on with life at home. Newt missed them. They visited every day, of course, but it just wasn't the same. He missed his creatures. He missed being able to take care of them, and even though Tina gave him a daily update on how they were doing, Newt wanted more than anything to see them for himself.