Fantastic Beasts Stories

Newt & Tina: Communication Practice

Tina wanders into the Zouwu habitat, looking for Newt, and finds him with Jacob and Nagini. She smiles as the large feline surges towards him and nuzzles him, knocking Newt clear off his feet. Everyone’s laughter rings out, and Tina deems it safe to continue walking to her Magizoologist. Well, he’s not hers yet, but hopefully, he will be after the conversation she hopes to have with him.

“Tina!” Newt says over the great mass of the Zouwu. “Was there something you needed? Or have you come to say hello to Jessica?”

The lanky man crawls over her paw to scratch behind her ear as Nagini and Jacob pet Jessica’s silky fur.

“She’s healing nicely from our Ministry escapade. You can hardly see the scratches from the Matagots.” Newt frowns, and Tina puts her hand on his arm, knowing what he’s thinking.

“You were just trying to get us out, Newt. And she’s fine now! You saved her from imprisonment.”

He sighs but doesn’t move his arm, for fear that if he does, Tina will let go. “You’re right...”

They’re both silent for a moment until it becomes unbearable, so Tina removes her hand from his arm, wrapping it around her waist nervously as she tucks her hair behind her ear.

“Newt, I came here...” No, that’s not right. “I was wondering if we could talk. Alone.”

Newt suddenly looks like a deer in headlights: “Alone? I mean—of course.”

“Um, that—that’s great. We could just—the shed.”

“Yes, the shed.”

The two pick their way over to the extremely tall building, Nagini and Jacob looking after them with large grins on their faces.

“It’s... a nice day,” Newt murmurs once they’re alone.

“What?”

Newt stammers, searching for an elaboration. “I just meant—I mean, the nifflers haven’t stolen anything yet. That’s—nice. Um... There was something you wanted to discuss?”

Tina exhales shakily, hunching in on herself as she rubs her forearms nervously.

“In your letter, you said that you don’t believe in Aurors.” His eyes widen while Tina looks around the room, trying to find confidence in the cluttered room. “Yet, in Paris, you called me a middle head and said that I have eyes like a salamander. But... First, I want you to know that I wouldn’t change what you said for anything. But I want to know: what do those things mean?”

It takes Newt a moment of pondering to figure out what exactly Tina is asking, but once he does, he scrambles to answer. “I... it means that I... What I meant was that I care for you, Tina. I do, and I... I’ve thought of what I might say in a situation like this—where you ask me why I say what I say instead of explaining to you that I’ve lost sleep for thinking of you or that I missed you with all of my heart and soul.”

“Oh,” she whispers, her voice breaking.

Tina finds confidence in Newt’s eyes, and for a moment, it’s almost as if they’re back in the records room in Paris.

“I have so many things left to say...” he murmurs, his hand straying dangerously close to her own.

“What's stopping you?” Tina asks, taking a step closer to him.

They’re so close now that their hands touch, and with a sharp exhale from Newt, Tina intertwines their fingers. He looks at their hands in wonder, a grin spreading on his face.

“I just...” He squeezes her hand as the smile fades from his face as if to reassure them both that this is happening. “You’ve been so busy with your work, and we’re preparing for war... I just didn’t think it was possible—we’ll be apart so much, and I don’t want to finally have you to myself only to have it be like those nine months apart. I don’t want to have you to myself for a few minutes a day between missions...”

Tina bites her lip, tears gathering in her eyes, before resting her forehead against his. “But despite all of that, I’m still here.” She rubs soothing circles on his hand with her thumb, cupping his cheek with her other hand to direct his gaze onto her eyes.

“So you are,” he says softly, his hand reaching out to thumb away her hair exactly as he did on the docks, causing her breath to catch for a moment.

“I’m tired of waiting. I’m here, Newt. I’m here now, and I think we should take what time we have together and use it.”

Newt smiles for a moment, savoring her beauty. “It almost seems too much to ask... But I want to.”

He leans forward, so close that their breath mingles, and then their noses are touching, and then their—

“Merlin’s beard!” Theseus yelps, standing stock-still by the ladder.

Newt blushes furiously and Tina sighs, her cheeks slightly pink. She turns her head to Theseus and glares at him, silently threatening to tie him to another chair.

“So sorry. Tina, I have that report you asked for on obscurials. I’ll just—leave it here.” The older man quickly drops the folder on one of the wooden counters before scrambling up the ladder.

“If you need to—” but suddenly Tina's lips are covering his, her hands, cupping his cheeks. Newt’s hands autonomously go to her waist, and he pulls her closer as he moves his lips against her own.

“Uh, sorry for practically pouncing on you,” she apologizes sheepishly once they part, a small smile gracing her lips. “I just didn’t want us to get caught up with words again when kissing is clearly more effective communication for us.”

“Mmm,” Newt hums, pressing a kiss to her jaw just to the side of her chin. “In that case, we should practice communicating. We can never practice too much, right?”

Tina gives a small laugh, leaning towards her Newt again. Yes, he's finally hers—just as she is his.