Fantastic Beasts Stories

Newt & Tina: Bow Tie Stares

The lid of Newt’s case suddenly flipped open, hitting the wall, and the freckled Magizoologist climbed out. The sound of it opening had startled Tina out of her trance-like state whilst reading her new mystery novel that Newt had bought her a couple of days ago (a very suggestive one centered on a British detective and his bold American lover; the third book in the series), and she followed Newt with her eyes as he turned around and closed the lid of his case.

He seemed to be a smidge (“just a smidge”) disheveled; his bowtie was crooked and his suspenders were twisted. Their coats hung on the coatrack by the door of Tina and Queenie’s apartment, and the fire was burning contentedly.

The brown-haired witch resumed reading about Brienna and Daniel’s steamy exchange as Newt moved to the small kitchen area to make himself a cup of tea with a flick of his wand.

“Cocoa?” he asked her in his usual fashion.

“Please,” she replied distractedly. “And thank you.”

Newt hummed in acknowledgment and joined Tina on the couch a few seconds later. She marked her page and closed her book, setting it on her lap before grabbing the mug of cocoa from Newt.

“How is it?” he asked in reference to the mystery novel.

“Worth every penny you insisted on spending,” the Auror replied with a teasing smile, taking a sip of her hot chocolate.

“Excellent.” He took a sip of his tea. “So... what are Jenna and Damien up to?”

“It’s Brienna and Daniel. And they’re currently... talking,” she answered awkwardly, blushing, because talking was a wild understatement.

Why did he have to ask that right when it was getting steamy?

Surprisingly, Newt got the hint and blushed, his eyes skittering to the floor. The two were silent for a few moments before Tina spoke.

“Newt.” She cleared her throat and continued softly. “You’re bowtie—it’s crooked...”

She set the mug in the air, leaving it to float as she tentatively reached towards the freckled man. Her nimble fingers quickly untied the ribbon of fabric around his neck, taking her time to reposition and tie it again.

She studiously ignored the fact that he visibly tensed up, and once she finished, gave a fleeting glance into his hazel eyes, unintentionally gazing; her eyes seemed to flit about as if memorizing all his facial features, or connecting his freckles to make constellations.

The Magizoologist nervously reached out his hand and redirected Tina’s hair behind her ear, and she sucked in a breath and swallowed the lump in her throat.

“Thank you,” he whispered sincerely, studying her eyes intently.

“It was nothing.”

Maybe to you, but it was everything to me.

A moment of silence, then:

“Tina, I—”

Suddenly the door to the apartment opened and Queenie walked in, prompting Newt and Tina to spring apart, blushing furiously. The blonde witch stopped in her tracks, pink coat halfway off.

“Oh, no...” she pouted, brows creasing. She resumed taking off the coat, but with increased speed. “I interrupted something between you two! I’m so sorry, I’ll just be in here if you need me!”

She escaped into the bedroom, leaving Newt and Tina to figure themselves out.

•••

I wrote pretty much this whole thing during this pool party I’m at, so thank me for being an antisocial ambivert! :/