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socialxcatastrophe · 5 years ago

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Prom

Pairing: Hinata x Female Reader

Genre: Fluff- A tiny tease of smut >~<

Warnings: N/A

Word Count: 3,040

Summary: You going to prom with Hinata.

A/N: First Tumblr story. I’ve been working on this foreverrrr, @peaxhcringe finally made me finish and of course helped me when I got stuck because she’s cool. I hope you guys enjoy it! Let me know if you want a smut part two. ;)

~~~

“No, I have no idea what I’m going to wear!” You said disappointingly to your best friend and Karasuno’s team manager Kiyoko.

She pushed up her glass on the bridge of her nose and stared off in concentration.

“I know what you’re thinking, don’t worry it’s a not a money thing! I just can’t find one I really like.” You hated lying to her but if she knew you had been running low on funds she’d never stop until you let her help.

She sighed before pointing at the boys who were currently preparing for their practice game against Nekoma next week with a group of guys you hadn’t seen before.

“You idiot!” Kageyama yelled chasing around your boyfriend of 6 months, Hinata.

Hinata squealed bolting across the gym fleeing the scene of the crime. His eyes locked with yours as he had made his way towards the entrance which inevitably caused him to lose his focus and fall flat onto his face.

You giggled covering your lips as Hinata’s bright red face stayed buried on the floor.

“It’s no fun when you punish yourself,” Kageyama said before throwing a volleyball at the base of his neck.

“Hey!” Hinata’s voice echoed as he turned around scowling as Kageyama walked further away.

You walked over to him helping him get off his feet before rubbing your thumb across his cheek that had started to bruise.

You smiled pressing a soft kiss against it before saying, “You really have to be more careful, that’s the third time you’ve fallen this week when I come by.”

He blushed while rubbing the back of his neck, “I know but you’re distracting.”

His arms wrapped around your waist pulling you into a tight hug before pulling you across the shiny wooden floor.

“You know Y/N there is only less than a week left until prom, have you found a dress?”

He sat down on the bench and Yamaguchi’s eyes lit up as he was called in and the team switched positions letting him serve.

You sighed as Hinata raised his water bottle chugging down the rest.

“I can’t find one I really like.”

Kiyoko looked at me sadly a few feet from the bench. She knew you had been hiding something as you weren’t the kind of person to not be satisfied with all the dresses I had seen.

Hinata’s face dropped and he laid his head on your shoulder looking up at me with puppy-dog eyes. “You’d tell me if something was wrong wouldn’t you?”

You swallowed hard before saying yes and trying to change the subject.

He continued to frown and grabbed your hand in his before sitting up and scooching closer to you as they continued the game. We watched as Yamaguchi hit his serve and the ball flew across the court. I watched as Hinata’s eyes followed the ball’s every movement his hand gripping yours tighter as the opposing side knocked it back across the court.

“You know, I’m gonna be the ace one day,” he whispered his eyes focused on his team scattered across the floor, “and I want you to be there to watch!” he finished his eyes locking with yours.

Your face turned a bright red and you hid your face in his shoulder, mumbling “I know you will be” while Kiyoko let out a small chuckle from behind us. You just wish you were someone worthy enough to be by his side.

~TimeSkip 3 days before prom~

“Y/N! It’s beautiful!” Kiyoko gasped as you stepped out of the dressing room.

Your h/l hair was pinned back its h/c waves contouring your face as you spun around in a cyan floor-length gown. The top was a strapless heart shape design connected to the long straight bottom with a variety of rhinestones in between.

“I love it.” You whispered staring at yourself in the full mirror across from you. Your e/c fluttered as you looked yourself up and down admiring the design.

Suddenly, your eyes stopped as you reached for the price tag.

“Maybe I should keep looking…” You said rushing back to the changing room before Kiyoko moved in front of you blocking your way.

“Absolutely not.” Her hands ran across the pricetag before nodding in approval. “I’ll buy it.”

“What!” You shrieked grabbing it from her hands. “There’s no way I’m letting you buy this it’s too much!”

She sighed pushing up her glasses before saying, “Y/n I can afford it, you never let me do anything for you and I want this night to be special, I remember my first dance and I want you to remember yours.”

Your e/c eyes started to tear up as you jumped forward wrapping your arms around her.

“Thank you.” You whispered sniffling against her uniform.

“Of course, Y/n.”

~TimeSkip 3 hours before Prom~

Kiyoko pulled back your h/l h/c slowly curling the edges and letting them fall against your soft s/c skin.

As the final hair fell, the door to her apartment swung open with a smiling Tanaka holding a bouquet of lilac flowers to match her long lavender dress with a medium slit tracing the edge of her pale thighs. He matched by wearing a purple tie against his dark tuxedo. Behind him popped out Nishinoya in an orange tux with a black-tie smiling followed by Asahi in a regular black tux with a white tie.

“Oh, hey we just finished.” She said unplugging the curler and walking over to Tanaka whose face lit up as she smiled taking the flowers.

“Woah Y/n you look great!” Noya said followed by Asahi who hovered over him smiling as Noya’s excitement filled the room.

“You think so?” You said spinning around in front of the wooden vanity where Kiyoko had done your hair.

“He’ll love it.” Asahi said seemingly reading your mind.

You smiled whispering a “Thank you” before following Tanaka and the rest of the gang to the car.

“A limo!” You squealed running up to the shiny exterior.

“I know a guy.” Tanaka’s older sister said, rowing down the dark window on the driver’s side smiling as we gathered near the door.

“Big sister is the best!” Noya said excitedly.

We smiled getting in the limo, its red seats stretched out before us.

“How did you guys afford this?” You whispered picking a seat further away from them letting the couples sit together.

Tanaka smiled pointing to himself “I worked out a deal!”

His sister turned around with an eyebrow raised, “A deal to do my chores for the next 3 months.”

“Why would you say that!” Tanaka whined, hiding against Kiyoko, who rolled her eyes hiding a small smile.

By the time we had got there, Sugawara and Daichi were already by the doors waiting for us and they both had on matching blue suits with black bow ties.

“Welcome to the party!” Suga said, smiling as we all shuffled in.

“Have fun tonight, but don’t stay out too late. We have our practice game against Nekoma tomorrow, now let’s have the time of our lives!” Daichi’s voice rang out loud, a sense of pride behind it.

You smiled walking over to the punch bowl where Yamaguchi and Tsukishima were.

“Y/n!” Yamaguchi excitedly leaned forward in a yellow suit with a white bow tie while Tsukishima leaned against the table in his coral-colored suit with a white bow tie to match Yamaguhci’s.

“Hey.” Tsukishima said

“Hey, guys!” You said, pouring a glass of crimson-colored punch into one of the clear cups nearby.

“Tadashi, I’m bored, can we leave.” Tsuki said, laying his head on his shoulder.

I giggled as Yamaguchi a.k.aYams or Tadashi for Tsuki started to lecture him before a flash of orange in the distance caught your eyes.

Hinata walked in through the gym's doors his hair spiked in its normal fashion but his skin was covered in a black tux with a bright red bow tie and in his hand was a single red rose matching the flush behind his cheeks.

Following behind him was Kageyama in a white suit with a dark black tie who stood next to Yachi who was in a short, ruffled black dress with a white flower tucked behind her ear.

Hinata’s eyes locked with yours from across from the room and his mouth dropped to the floor as his eyes started to move up and down your body. You made your way over to him through the crowd stopping a few feet in front of him.

“Hey-”

“Y/n,” he said, cutting you off, “you look b..eau..tiful…” His speech came out in fragments as he looked at you. Your face grew a bright red as your hands laid against the edges of your dress that trailed slightly behind me.

“Thank you.” You whispered looking down at your matching heels in embarrassment.

His hand swiftly moved to your chin forcing your eyes to meet his again. His other hand pulled yours forward putting the rose in your hands.

Your breath hitched as he started to smile and leaned forward pressing a soft kiss against your lips.

For a moment your eyes were locked on each other before Kageyama waved his hand between us.

“Shouldn’t the newest couple be heading over there?”

We looked over as Daichi and Suga who were making their way to the dance floor soon followed by everyone else.

You both hadn’t noticed the slow song that had begun to play.

“May I have this dance?” He asked, kissing your free hand.

You laughed pulling him to the middle of the floor.

Being the same height as Hinata was probably the easiest part of the relationship as your arms wrapped around his neck the rose hanging delicately between your fingers. His arms wrapped around your waist as you moved slowly in sync with the beat.

“It’s beautiful.” You said pulling one hand between you both, twirling around the rose.

Hinata blushed as you and him watched the rose spin between you. This Town played behind you as Hinata’s face grew into a bright smile before he started to bite the side of his lips.

“Can I kiss you?” He whispered.

You nodded a pink flush under the skin of your cheeks.

He leaned forward, his lips even with yours as pressed against them. The soft and delicate touch, as if not to break you, caused your heart to swell.

His hands moved to the sides of your arms his fingertips leaving goosebumps against your skin. The kiss grew darker as the song started to change the beat speeding up as the new lyrics replaced the empty sound.

He looked at you differently as he pulled away.

“Hinata?” You whispered, concerned, never seeing this side before.

He suddenly leaned forward pulling you into a tight embrace.

“Y/N…” he whispered, his breath dancing on your neck.

A familiar feeling washed over as you ached to get closer to him. You didn’t want this moment to end. You could stand here, dancing forever in Hinata arms.

Kageyama walked over to us as Hinata pulled away, Yachi’s petite figure racing to keep up with him. Hinata groaned aloud as you both were interrupted.

“King and Queen of prom pick are about to start, if we miss it Daichi will make us run around the school fifty times let’s go short stacks.”

You stuck out your tongue at his ‘clever’ nickname grabbing Hinata’s hand in yours.

“He’s right, last time I made you late to practice Daichi threatened to make me run with the team, regardless of me just visiting, imagine what he will do if we both miss this.”

Hinata’s eyes grew wide and nodded letting you drag him to the corner of the gym where a makeshift stage was small enough to leave plenty of room throughout the area.

Since the room had darkened it was no surprise when a small spotlight lit up the stage, the music faded into the background and you held Hinata’s hand tightly, anxious to see who had won.

“Good evening Karasuno High!” Takeda yelled in excitement, accidentally so loud the microphone screeched.

He scratched the back of his head, his cheeks warming as a few students giggled from the crowd after the sound had stopped.

“I-I my bad guys...anyways who’s ready to give away some crowns!”

The crowd cheered as the nominees stepped forward. So many couples stood on the stage it was hard to see who was who.

“As you know voting took place over a month ago but today these students finally get what they’ve been waiting for!”

The band walked into the gym, a drumroll set to play as Takeda clumsily ripped open the envelope containing their names.

His face grew brighter as his eyes scanned across the card now in his hands.

“For the first time in Karasuno High history, the prom kings are Daichi Sawamura and Kōshi Sugawara!”

The team and you screamed at the top of our lungs as Tanaka and Noya ran on stage jumping on the two as they entered from the back of the crowd.

Kageyama smiled and Hinata jumped up and down screaming at the top of his lungs. Yachi and Kiyoko giggled and clapped while Yam’s face grew into excitement while Tsuki turned his face slightly away, hiding the small smile forming on his face.

Your smile took over your face as you watched Daichi and Suga hug on the stage, the team and your cheers drowning out the rest of the gym. Takeda places the larger crown on Daichi and the smaller on Suga, Daichi leaned over and kissed the brim of his cheek smiling brighter.

“That’s gonna be us one day.” Hinata says smiling, causing the butterflies in your stomach to flutter.

The rest of prom went by quickly, Hinata and you were growing closer every second of the night.

The gym started to slowly filter out, more and more students leaving, as we slowly helped Takeda clean up the mess.

You looked up and realized the clock was already half past twelve. Daichi and Suga left first, beckoning the rest of us to leave soon as well. Next was Tsuki who was being dragged by Yams towards the entrance after saying something about ice cream. Noya and Asahi left with Tanaka and Kiyoko, taking Kageyama and Yachi with them when Hinata insisted on walking you home since he lived only two blocks away and your house was much closer to the school than Kiyoko’s.

As we walked out, Hinata grabbed your hand, holding it tighter every time someone else looked at us.

“You’re so protective.” You say before sticking your tongue out at him when his cheeks flushed.

“It’s your job.” He said innocently before noticing how you had slowed down.

“What’s wrong?” he said quickly jumping in front you, stopping you from going further without telling him.

His eyes instantly flew down to your feet as you moved one behind the other.

“It’s nothing, really my feet are just a little sore.”

His eyes stared at your feet for a moment, contemplating before leaning down, pulling them off of your feet.

“Now hold these.”

You quickly grabbed the shoes, your feet resting softly against the pavement before Hinata motioned for you to climb on his back.

“Hinata I-”

“I insist, Y/N”

You sighed before climbing onto his back, his arms tucked under your legs.

“You don’t have to do this.” You say muffled against his hair.

He chuckles, his laughter rumbling against your skin.

“I really want to Y/N.”

Your face flushes and he moves forward his feet dragging across the ground slowly as he watched them as if he were afraid he’d drop you.

Your house was getting closer now, just at the end of the street, right across from the next streetlight making your path bright ahead. You watched as Hinata’s feet grew even slower on every step. He finally stopped in front of your house, he gently put you down, the streetlight shining bright enough that you could see the dark cricles starting to form under his eyes as he stared at your front door.

“I don’t want to leave.” He whispered, looking back at you before his eyes shifted back to yours, his face suddenly bright again. “You’re coming to the practice game tomorrow right, I’ll save a spot for you next to Kiyoko, and I’ll win for you!”

His sudden burst of energy made you smile as you nodded leaning forward and wrapping your arms around him, your face buried in his chest.

“I had a lot of fun tonight.” You say muffled against his soft tux.

“Me too.”

He went quiet for a minute, the pavement growing cold against your bare feet. You looked towards your door which was under a small roof protecting the entrance knowing you’d eventually have to go in.

“Y/N.”

Your face turned back to his, his eyes staring at you, dark like they had been after we kissed.

“Yes?” You say in a whispered voice.

“I-I love you.”

Your face instantly turned a smoldering red as he stared at you, waiting for a response.

“I’m sorry-”

“I love you too.” Your voice was louder this time as you leaned forward pressing your lips against his soft pink ones locking with yours.

He hugged you tightly his mouth smiling against your lips. You felt his heartbeat quicken the closer you got, making you suddenly wish you were closer.

His arms started to trace the edge of your dress, his finger moving slowly against the material around your waist before following it to the bottom of your hips. You both had started to move out of the circle of light around you, where the street grew darker. You had only been together for six months but you felt closer to Hinata more than anyone in your life, even if you weren’t the best at expressing it.

His kiss slowly stopped as he breathed heavily against your neck. “Nekoma suddenly doesn’t seem so important.”

“What does..?” You whispered against his jaw.

He groaned, his eyes growing darker than you had ever seen them before.

“You.”

#haikyuu #haikyuu!!#hinata #shoyo hinata #smut #fanfic #anime #karasuno #hinata x reader

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lokidiabolus · 6 years ago

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Actors

Fandom: The Maze Runner

Pairing: Newtmas

(Jonipony: So this idea just came to me out of thin air, Thomas and Newt are actors who don't get along well together, but they have to do a love scene together for their characters and end up falling in love in real life. I was thinking maybe they forced themselves to spend time together in order to make their character's relationship seem more real and once they fall for the other person they can't tell if it's real or just their characters. And of course you can put your own twist or interpretation on it, you don't have to do just that. I think it could work for a longer fic or just a one shot depending on how you want to do it. Thank you so much for considering it!

Holy shit, I'm so sorry it took foreverrrr. I started writing it, then suddenly didn't know HOW to approach it, so I scrapped it, started again, scrapped it, wrote first 10 pages and stopped. Then returned to it after several months, wrote another set of pages, stopped. And now I FINALLY finished it, aaaaaaaaaa. Seriously, sorry it took ages lmao. Not even sure if it's what you've wanted, they seriously started to live their own life in there :'D)

Ao3 Version.

Maybe it would do you good if you spent a little more time together, off set.

In retrospect Thomas should have known it meant bad business, because as much as he liked his job and the series he was in, spending more time with Newt out of all people was not the best idea. Not that he could do anything about it – their producer and writer Jorge simply decided their characters needed to become less flat and also had the guts to say he was planning it all along, because representation. So Thomas’ until then completely straight character Stephen who liked parkour and Chinese food became miraculously captivated by a scientist Isaac, even though up until then they didn’t really have much screen time together.

When the morning read-through of the new episode revealed Jorge’s masterplan, Thomas didn’t know what to say or how to act. Him and Newt – they were like water and fire, and even though they didn’t clash loudly or made scenes, their civil behaviour had pretty low borders and they simply couldn’t be bothered to raise it. Up until today they didn’t even need to, because hey, one, two scenes per episode were only necessary evil and they usually didn’t even have the space to glare at each other much.

Thomas wasn’t sure how exactly it started – there wasn’t a girl they were both interested in involved, no role they both wanted and one of them got it, no pranks they played on each other that embarrassed them in public. There was nothing wrong with their interactions up until there was and Thomas couldn’t point a finger at it. The animosity was just there, sitting on the perch like a duck, ready to strike when they got into few meters wide vicinity of each other.

He didn’t know what exactly bothered him about that thin, blond nobody either. His appearance was pretty normal, maybe he just needed to gain a pound or two, and he had kind of unreal baby face, but apart from the lankiness and blond hair ruffled all the time, his looks were not that notable to irritate him. Neither did his British accent he usually concealed anyway or the way he talked to people. He just didn’t sit well with him, and quite frankly the antipathies were mutual and Newt wasn’t shy from showing him. So they kept their distances and interactions to minimum and everybody was happy.

Until Jorge fucked it up. And by fucking it up Thomas meant he started an apocalypse. Basically the series’ new couple was fancying each other because why the hell not, precisely after meeting in the university infirmary where Stephen ended after rather risky parkour manoeuvre that ended in few bruises, his friends who studied on the university thought it was a good idea to use the infirmary to patch him up, and then wild Isaac appeared, and his white coat and glasses apparently did it for Stephen.

As much as Thomas was concerned, he would say the plot was weak as morning coffee they had in cafeteria. But apparently where representation mattered, it was basically much better when no annoying drama got involved and it had a carefree flow, apart from the usual society problems Thomas kind expected to jump at them in the upcoming episodes somewhere.

“There are going to be snogging scenes.”

He almost jumped out of his skin when he heard the exasperated voice, and then once more when Newt sat heavily next to him and the chair squeaked.

“I just asked Jorge,” the blond added with a deep sigh and Thomas mentally ticked it in his to do list. He knew there were conditions like stunts and possible romantic storyline with physical exposure when he signed the contract for the series, but he had no idea his partner would be a guy he couldn’t stand even on his good day. Was this Jorge’s version of the get-along shirt?

“Amazing,” he commented and Newt hummed in agreement. Jorge recommended a solution for their antipathy – which naturally included more contact – but Thomas had a feeling it would only worsen their current relationship. So far he had no idea what Newt’s bad habits were because he never spent time with him, but if he added something seriously annoying to the already bothersome mix, murder would sound like a good solution.

“Let’s grab lunch together,” Newt stood up while glancing at his watch. “We can talk about it there.”

“Lunch,” Thomas repeated, because man, hearing that from Newt was seriously unreal. The blond looked at him with furrowed brows and took Thomas a second before he realized it was his way of saying: okay, we gotta work on our attitudes, so this is where it starts.

“Ye, you know. A place where they serve food for money,” Newt deadpanned. “I’m sure you’re familiar with the concept, at least from TV.”

“Just thinking if I want to ruin my day by spending it with you, is all,” Thomas shot back and it made Newt snort and shook his head.

“Great start, mop head,” he commented and started walking to the exit. “And they say I am defensive.”

Thomas wasn’t defensive, but maybe a little desperate.

***

“Look, I’m sure we both are professionals,” Thomas started when they finally found a free spot in a restaurant that led them to a secluded corner with small table and a candle in the middle. Thomas kind of thought this was on purpose, but he kept it to himself.

“Well, one of us definitely is,” Newt retorted without even looking at him, his eyes fixated onto a menu. Thomas wished he would order beer, so the waiter could tell him they are not serving alcohol to kids and he would have to give them his ID. “Your point?”

“We don’t need this torture,” Thomas decided not to snap at him for the time being. “It’s gonna be fine on set.”

That finally made Newt to glance at him.

“You think so?” he put down the menu and leaned a bit forward, his elbows on the desk. “So Jorge shouting at us because there is no chemistry whatsoever and it looks more like we want to kill each other, that’s fine by you?”

“He never said that,” Thomas disagreed stubbornly.

“He did,” Newt shrugged. “Sure, it was a year ago, but mate, I still feel like kicking your shin most of the time I see you, it kinda shows.”

“For you maybe-,”

“It shows for both of us,” Newt stopped him mid-sentence and sighed before getting back to the menu. “If you don’t believe me, ask the rest of the cast. Or the crew.”

Thomas didn’t need hear it from other sources to be able to tell Newt was right. The glares they occasionally sent to each other spoke volumes and he knew that, but he was almost sure it didn’t really show when they were on the set together, filming a scene. They were actors, it was their job to pretend to love people they didn’t fancy as much or at all, they were taking money for that kind of shit.

“So what’s your problem then?” he crossed his arms on his chest, looking at Newt expectantly. “Why am I on your shit list?”

“Why am I on yours?” Newt uttered lazily.

“I asked first.”

“It’s exactly this,” Newt finally stopped paying attention to the menu completely and closed it, then leaned back to the chair. “That thing you do all the time.”

“What thing?” Thomas raised an eyebrow and Newt gestured towards him with click of his tongue.

“That overbearing and unhealthy competitiveness,” the blond elaborated. “You hear an opinion and you immediately challenge it or you try to surpass it with me, me, me. Just talking to you about literally anything is a bloody waste of time because you’re unable to talk about anything else but you.”

Thomas blinked, then tilted his head to the side, and kept quiet. When nothing else from Newt came, he cleared his throat, just to be interrupted by a waiter asking for their orders and lighting up the candle between them with a weird smile.

Well, maybe not that weird, judging from where they were sitting. Thomas wondered what kind of bad karma was punishing him today, because he was slowly reaching his bullshit quota. Unhealthy competitiveness? Great! Maybe Newt could even make a whole psychological profile while at it!

“Don’t fry your brain, mop head,” Newt spoke up the moment the waiter left their table with orders. He reached for the candle and held his hand above the flame, changing heights like a kid that got a new toy. “I guess it’s just your thing. Rarely anybody acting like that realizes they are doing it. And if they do, they don’t care. Which is probably your case too.”

“Thanks, Dr. Freud,” Thomas forced out and pinched the bridge of his nose. The sole image of him having to pretend to be in love with this jerkface was making his blood boil. “I guess my reason is just that you’re such an insufferable brat I simply can’t stand you.”

“Well, it’s a start,” Newt uttered back and crossed his arms on his chest. “I propose to spend time together between sets, to go through the lines. If we won’t kill each other, I’m sure there is still hope for us to be able to survive the filming.”

“I refuse,” Thomas shot back without hesitation and it made Newt to bark out a laugh. “What.”

“Nothing, nothing,” the blond waved his hand, but kept on smiling and Thomas’ frown deepened. “It’s just that you’re such a kid all the time, it’s bloody hilarious.”

“If this is supposed to help me not to hate you, then you’re doing a very bad job,” Thomas warned him and then the waiter was back with their food, to which Thomas completely lost his appetite. Newt was still grinning at him like he won some sort of competition, and if it had been a race of who will get pissy first, Thomas had to admit he did lose.

“Hate is such a strong word though,” Newt commented with apparent amusement and pulled the plate with his lunch closer to him. “You shouldn’t use it so deliberately. What if there would be somebody you’d hate even more?”

“I don’t think it’s possible at this moment,” Thomas gritted through his teeth and it finally made Newt to stop with the nit-picking and his face turned a little more serious again.

“Alright, sorry,” the blond gestured with his fork. “Not going to push you anymore. Was just wondering how much you can take.”

“Not much more than this, I assure you,” Thomas said gruffly and Newt still had the nerve to smirk at him.

“Are you not going to eat?” he pointed at Thomas’ plate and when Thomas made a face, he insolently stole a fry and ate it. Thomas was sure one of them was not going to survive the filming at the end of the season.

***

“Can you stop glaring at me?”

Thomas groaned and put down the script with a loud bang against the table. Newt was in front of him, in his stupid oversized sweater and crazy hair and Thomas was literally on edge.

“Does it matter? It’s just a script reading,” he growled at him and heard Minho next to him laugh. Jorge on the other side of the table shook his head.

“Thomas, pull yourself together,” he said with a strict voice he usually reserved on sets when they kept on butchering the lines, and Thomas wanted to point at Newt and shout it’s all his fault! But he didn’t, because of course not, that would be childish and something Newt apparently wanted to provoke out of him. That little blond shit was taunting him from the first moment they sat down in the meeting room and he kept on smirking at him even when there were no lines they had together, and Thomas felt his blood pressure rising. Seriously, this couldn’t be healthy.

“Sorry,” he managed to bit out and looked back into the script where he was supposed to be flirting with Isaac, but it got out of him as a death sentence. Even he heard that, so naturally there was no denying it, and Newt just had to point it out in front of everybody.

“Minho, continue from the second paragraph,” Jorge commanded and the room grew quiet. Thomas wondered if he could fake a voice loss for a month or two, maybe it would help him get his shit together while avoiding his co-star like a plague.

***

“Oi, come here.”

Thomas almost did a pirouette when a hand stopped him from his march out of the building, and before he could properly react, he got dragged inside of the now empty meeting room by Newt. The cast was already gone and most of the crew as well, the studio was filled only by low hum from cameras not yet turned off.

“What now,” he sighed unhappily and the blond leaned against the table and crossed his arms on his chest.

“How did you get hurt?” he asked and Thomas stared at him like he lost his mind. Hurt? Him?

“What?”

“How. Did. You. Get. Hurt?”

Thomas opened his mouth to call him an idiot, but then it hit him. It was the line from the script. Newt’s character line from the dialogue the two of them had and kind of failed in the script reading this morning.

There was a small moment of him wanting to leave, because he was still bitter about the morning scene, but Newt was apparently trying to make amends and Thomas would be against himself if he just left without even giving it a chance.

He shook his head and reached for the door so he could close it while Newt watched him from his spot, and then took a deep breath.

“Tried to conquer the walls,” he finally responded with his line and it was easier without people staring at him, expecting to bite Newt’s head off. “They kind of won.”

“I can see that,” Newt continued, the exasperation easily believable. He pushed away from the table and took several cautious steps closer to Thomas, then lifted his chin and turned his head from one side to another.

Right, injuries from the fall. Isaac was supposed to check them and treat them.

“Huh, you have really long eyelashes,” he said then and Thomas blinked. That wasn’t in the script, he was sure of it.

“Are you improvising or is it just a statement?” he broke the character too, tilting his head to the side and Newt let his hand fall back again.

“A statement,” he answered with a shrug. “Sorry. Just never noticed that.” Then he looked Thomas up and down. “This should get treated.”

Is he back in the rehearsing scene? Jesus.

“Are you always this on and off?” Thomas asked instead and Newt’s lips curled up in a smile. For once it even looked genuine.

“I might be,” he admitted. He was almost the same height as Thomas, but definitely thinner and lankier. With the oversized sweater he reminded him of a kid that got lost in a filming studio, especially with his baby face. “And I might have an idea too.”

“An idea?” Thomas crossed his arms on his chest, because hey, so far Newt’s ideas were only making things worse, so he was right to be wary.

“Like, I’m aware you don’t like me, and that’s fine,” Newt made a vague gesture towards them both and Thomas only nodded in agreement. The antipathy was there and he would be lying if he tried to tell him the opposite all of sudden, especially after yesterday. “So consider this – stay in character.”

“I do stay in character-,”

“I mean stay in character all the time you’re around me,” Newt stopped his immediate defence swiftly. “And I’ll stay in mine. So every time we will interact, just let Stephen and Isaac do it.”

“I don’t follow,” Thomas sighed in exasperation. What was that supposed to be about? “What if I’m going to need something not work related or-?”

“Stay in character even for personal-related things, for work things, for all things, with me,” Newt proposed. “Think of it as a roleplay? Ever done that?”

“Roleplay,” Thomas repeated the word with raised eyebrows and all he could think of was Dungeons and Dragons or something really kinky. “Well, not outside of work, I guess.”

“It’s a perfect way how to get into the character and understand him better,” Newt explained with strange happiness around him and Thomas gulped down the comment he probably did it a bit too often. “And maybe it’s what we need as well. If you think of me as of Isaac?”

It was true Isaac was rather interesting character – the show portrayed him as smart, a little geeky, but fun, and with sharp sense of humour. Apart from Newt’s own stubbornness and nasty comments it could be a nice change.

“Okay then,” he agreed in the end, because what was there to lose? Apart from some dignity, he mused, because as much as being an actor made his living, playing the character outside of it sounded more like a chore than fun. Then again – if he had to do that only around Newt, it could work.

“Great, it’s settled then,” another genuine smile and it felt like aura around Newt changed somehow, it was almost eerie. “I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah,” Thomas managed and Newt was out of the door in a second, leaving the brunet alone and confused. He was a little worried this state would be a norm around the guy from now on.

***

“Morning,” Thomas yawned on his way to the table, coffee in hand and several greetings echoed back at him, Newt’s included. It sounded friendly and Thomas had to do a double take before he reminded himself it was supposed to be that way because they weren’t them, but their friendlier counterparts. He seated himself across the blond and glanced at him out of curiosity, just to get another smile in response before he looked back at Jorge, leaving Thomas in slight stupor.

So this was how Newt interpreted Isaac? Thomas wasn’t sure if it made him uncomfortable more than his usual snide remarks for how big the change was, but at the end of the meeting he felt a little more relaxed around him at least, because apparently no verbal attack was coming. Newt behaved like there was no bad blood between them and the lines reading was easy and probably surprising for the rest of the cast. At least Jorge looked satisfied at the end, which was a small victory.

“Lunch?” Newt asked him at noon and Thomas thought it was fine to say sure more easily now.

They grabbed food and actually talked about non-work related things without any poison threw in, which made Thomas conflicted as hell. He felt like he was sitting on needles for about first 20 minutes in, during the menu studying and ordering and sipping his soda, like the attack could have happen anytime and he needed to be ready, but Newt sat on the opposite side of the table like a holy picture, smiling and telling him about a football game that happened last night (and Thomas missed it because sleep was too demanding) and not a single bad thing fell from his mouth. Not even a dirty comment about Thomas’ obvious lack of knowledge about football teams – Newt actually explained why he liked his own team (apparently family fixation, so he was a long-time fan) and what games have great moments in it and Thomas found himself relaxed and listening for the first time ever when in Newt’s company.

“You strike me as a sports fan,” Newt offered leisurely while poking in his food. He barely ate anything since he mostly talked, but somehow didn’t even look like he had the appetite.

“I’m more of a baseball fan,” Thomas responded easily and wondered if this was even allowed. Was he supposed to talk about himself or about Stephen? He made a mental note to ask Newt at some point, but so far it looked like the blond was talking about his own hobbies rather than about Isaac’s, but he couldn’t be sure. He knew Stephen was more into adrenaline sports, especially the ones he could do himself, rather than watching others to do it, but Thomas liked all his limbs intact and not broken, so he was mostly Stephen’s opposite. “Long time Mets supporter.”

“Nice. Watched baseball sometimes with my uncle,” Newt flashed him another oh-so-genuine smile and Thomas felt himself tensing again, alert and ready for a flip without any real means to. The difference from normal Newt and Isaac’s Newt was huge, to the point of worrying, and Thomas couldn’t help but wonder how much of a self-control it had to take for Newt to maintain this happy-to-go attitude with him when normally he was about to bite Thomas’ head off.

He took a breath to point it out, but then deflated when Newt finally started eating, relaxed and for the lack of better word vulnerable. Attacking him now in any way was low even for their normal interactions.

He kept his peace for the remainder of their break.

***

“You sound angry.”

Thomas stopped mid move when Newt’s words flew over to him, blinking in confusion. The scene was called cut a few seconds ago for another take and Thomas wasn’t really thinking about why, since Jorge didn’t really pinpoint anything being wrong. They were in Isaac’s lab, the crew around them busy as bees, preparing for another take, the cameras pointed at him and Newt with deadly accuracy.

“Angry?” he repeated and Newt walked towards him with thoughtful expression.

“Yeah, like. You’re mad about something,” he gesticulated between then while he stopped in front of Thomas. “I don’t know if it’s intentional. The script doesn’t really say he should be angry, but it’s kind of sharp from you?”

“Oh,” Thomas cleared his throat. It was actually a valid point. Not even an attack, more like an observation. Newt was trying to be helpful. Towards Thomas. Without malice. So weird.

“You’re right,” he admitted, taking the script to his hand from the table behind the scene, going through it. “I’ll try to soften it a bit.”

Newt nodded, still thoughtful, and retreated back to his spot. He was in the white lab coat and had thick, black glasses and wild hair and Thomas caught himself staring without any means to do that. He had seen him in his getup before, it was nothing new. Yet somehow it was like interacting with a completely different person and when Jorge came back and the scene played out again, he found himself talking softer and Newt’s eyes told him it hit the right spot.

The scene didn’t need to be repeated anymore and Jorge patted them happily on the back. Thomas pretended he didn’t see the smile Newt sent his way.

***

The days passed and the strange roleplay approach worked like a charm. Even the crew noticed and the cast was commenting on it at readings repeatedly, but without real heat. Neither Thomas or Newt elaborated though, and it was probably for the best to keep it at vague we talked it out.

He thought he was going to be much more opposed to the romance progression part in the story, but when the more intimate scenes started, Thomas didn’t have an urge to strangle Newt anymore, so he had to admit Newt’s idea wasn’t bad. The story romance was cheesy but slow and getting accustomed to Newt’s Isaac was no work, since they did that the whole time now.

“Gotta work on your stiffness,” Newt piped after the wrap up when the crew was packing up and they were putting costumes away. “You’re like a wooden board when we touch.”

“I guess that’s my default setting,” Thomas joked back because he had no idea what else to say. He was aware every time Newt touched him (and they weren’t even in the intimate part of touching yet), his body seized up and he moved like a robot for the remainder of the recording, mechanical and unattached. It wasn’t like he expected a punch or anything, but his brain didn’t get it yet. “I will work on it.”

He saw Newt nod in the corner of his eye when he was pulling the shirt over his head and then yelped when he got seized in a strong hug from behind, clutching him like a vice.

“What the-!”

“Practice.” Newt squeezed a bit more and then finally lost the strength Thomas would never believe he possessed in that lanky body of his. He still held on though and Thomas hung there helplessly like a doll. It was uncomfortable and weird angle too, but Newt didn’t look like he cared.

Well, when he ever did?

“This is not really helping though,” he commented with a huff, letting his arms fall and Newt barked out a laugh. He was plastered over half of Thomas’ back and his side, just holding him like a teddy bear, and his body was warm like a thermo blanket.

“Don’t worry, it will,” he assured him, gave him one last squeeze and then finally let go. Thomas wasn’t surprised by the big grin he had when he turned around to tell him off. So he let the words die in his throat and only shook his head.

Newt did the hugging thing every day after and Thomas resigned to his fate after a week (once he even leapt to Thomas’ arms without any warning except shouting sike! and Thomas had to praise himself for actually catching him properly while swearing like a sailor). He pointedly ignored Minho’s smartass commentary about it though.

***

It was usually Newt that approached Thomas on his own, either with some work-related questions or even a simple talk and for some reason Thomas started to expect their daily 15 minutes of freestyle since then. Maybe that was why today he was so weirded out when Newt didn’t really do that before the reading, or after reading, or for lunch. He saw him several times during the day usually staring into his phone or talking to somebody else, but he didn’t make a move towards Thomas at any given time. True, they there were no scenes involving them together scheduled, but normally it didn’t stop him.

Thomas, to his dismay, realized he grew restless.

When he saw Newt again in the hall, he decided to be a big boy and start conversation on his own, even though he had no idea why. He grabbed two cups of coffee on the way (one with milk and sugar, one purely black) and let his legs carry him all the way towards his blond nemesis, who was staring into his phone again.

On one note Thomas hoped nothing serious happened, and that care alone surprised him. Just a month ago he wouldn’t give a rat ass about Newt’s problems, so this was definitely new. And concerning, really.

Then again that’s what you get when you act like a decent being, I guess.

“You seem awfully quiet today,” he greeted him with an outstretched hand holding the cup and Newt glanced up from his phone with badly masked surprise. Thomas would even say it could equal a shock for a split second before he mastered it enough to hide it.

“Oh,” he let out, kind of lamely, and Thomas had to clear his throat for the blond to notice the coffee. When he finally took it, Thomas felt a wave of relief he wasn’t turned down. Somehow, he already dismantled most of his defence mechanisms against this guy; it would suck if he allowed being vulnerable now just for Newt to blew it out of blue.

“It’s black,” the blond commented when he sipped the coffee, his brows furrowed. Thomas made a humming noise.

“You drink it black, as far as I know?” he offered and Newt’s eyes searched for his. It was a weird look, like he didn’t know what to do or say.

It’s just a coffee though, sheesh.

“I do,” he replied after a moment.

“Okay.”

“You remembered,” Newt added a little more hesitantly. “That I drink it black.”

“Yes?” Thomas raised his eyebrows. “I mean you always drink black, it’s kind of easy to remember?”

“No, I mean…” he stared a bit more, but then averted his eyes. “Never mind. Thanks.”

The uneasy feeling of something being wrong creeped into Thomas’ stomach almost instantly. He stood there in complete stupor, no words coming out of his mouth, paralyzed of the sudden change he got so easily unaccustomed to in a span of several weeks. Newt was not looking at him and Thomas wanted to ask if the roleplay was over and they were about to be mean to each other again, but couldn’t get it past his lips.

“So, what do you want?” Newt finally asked and it was bizarre to hear now. What would Thomas want from his colleague he spent few weeks talking daily to about any possible thing? Gee, who knew. Was him doing the first step not allowed?

He didn’t say anything because he had no idea what would be an appropriate response Stephen would give. At this point he drew blank even for his own reactions. When Newt glanced at him worriedly, he wanted to ask why the hell was he making that face, but at the same time didn’t want to know.

“And here we can see two awkward roosters in their natural habitat,” came suddenly from behind them and an arm landed on Thomas’ shoulders, almost making him spill the coffee. Minho shook him like a rag doll, grinning from ear to ear. He didn’t even hear him coming. “Never saw courting so painful than with you two, I swear.”

Newt made a face and Thomas felt his stomach drop somewhere between his legs.

“Fuck off,” he shot out and shook off Minho’s arm unhappily, pushed his coffee to his hand and left the hall like a tidal wave.

He ignored his phone for the rest of the day. It was constantly beeping.

***

He had never seen anybody with deadlier puppy eyes than Newt had. The moment he arrived on set and before he could even greet anybody and get a cup of coffee, the blond was there, gazing at him with the ultimate weapon of mass destruction, and it didn’t get any better with time.

“Okay, I’ll bite, what’re you doing?” he finally confronted him, arms crossed on his chest, and Newt gave him almost a full body shrug. The meeting room was half empty and Newt was following him around the whole day like a sad dog. Thomas didn’t even read the messages from yesterday and already knew they were from him and what approximately they said.

“Trying to make you feel sorry for me, naturally,” he replied with ease. “Is it working?”

“Sorry for you,” Thomas repeated with raised eyebrows. “For what?”

“For being a target of somebody’s ire.”

Somebody as in Thomas, no manual needed.

“Shouldn’t you be doing that at them in that case?” he decided to play the game as well, because for some reason the Newt’s Isaac was back and yesterday’s Newt’s Newt departed once more like a glitch in Matrix. Thomas didn’t lose any sleep over it, but then again, he went to bed so late there was almost no sleep to be talking about.

It wasn’t because of Newt though. Why would it be, even?

Newt made a face at him, but the puppy eyes resumed right after.

“I don’t know,” he shrugged again. “They’re stubborn.”

“That so.”

“Yeah,” the blond took few steps closer. “Need them not to be mad. Want to kiss them.”

“Wait, what-,“ Thomas barely get the words out and Newt was already in his personal space, hands on his cheeks and leaning in and Thomas felt like he was losing balance for how much he was trying to avoid him, and would probably fall flat on his ass if Newt didn’t grab him around his waist to prop him back up.

“Nice gymnastics, you two!” Minho shouted from the table and Thomas felt the heat rising up in his cheeks, his body pressed against Newts’ from their chest to their knees while he heard others snapping pictures of them.

“Are you fucking nuts?!” he hissed at Newt in a hushed whisper and the blond grinned, not letting go.

“Nah, but I’m helping,” he had the audacity to squish Thomas’ cheeks and Thomas grabbed him by his wrists to stop him. Newt didn’t budge and that unnatural strength was beginning to make Thomas worry.

“To my grave, yeah, you are,” he growled and Newt laughed quietly while his hands finally let go of Thomas’ face.

“It’s today, you know,” he said with a smirk and Thomas frowned. “The snogging scene. It’s today.”

“It’s today?!”

“Today.”

Thomas blamed Newt for not knowing and not checking the plan yesterday and for the sleep and bad mood too – and quite frankly even for the spoiled food he found in the fridge because Newt was weird and out of what Thomas was used to and it threw him off more than he thought it would and it sucked.

The hands on his cheeks were back and then there were also lips on his own, smooching him like grandma visiting on Christmas along with obnoxiously loud mwuah and the cameras snapping were even louder now, throwing Thomas into a murderous spree.

“You-!”

“Meet me in five at the trailer and let me snog you right, dog,” Newt stopped him from the outburst and pinched his cheeks, then let go. “No homo.”

“Fuck you!” Thomas barked with his chest heaving at Newt’s retreat back, and the blond glanced back at him and smiled.

“No u.”

And left.

***

In retrospect coming after Newt to the designated meeting spot was a bad idea, but Thomas had seen red and didn’t care. He had no idea what the hell was the blondie thinking and he was about to shake it out of him if he had to, truce be damned.

“My, don’t you look ravishing,” Newt greeted him between the doors with a chuckle and if Thomas was just a bit angrier, he would probably greet him back with a fist in his face.

“I thought you said we’re going to be fucking civil with each other,” he barked instead and Newt tilted his head in silent question. “Your stupid roleplay shit! And then you pull this out?”

“What’s this?” the blond opposed calmly. “Don’t tell me you’re angry over one smooch. What’re you going to do after the rehearsals with the crew watching us make out? Kill me?”

“Listen-,”

“No, you listen,” Newt stopped with an exasperated sigh. He ran his hand through his hair, making it even messier than normally, and his shoulders sagged down as if he flipped a switch. “I’m sorry I was a dick yesterday. I guess it threw you off and it’s my fault, and I want to make amends.”

Thomas opened his mouth in opposition before it dawned on him that Newt was, in fact, apologizing. He had to do a double take and run it again in his head until he was sure he heard him right, and it still didn’t really make it as believable.

“Oh,” he let out.

“And also, I wasn’t lying about the snogging shooting, so,” the blond took a step away from the door and gestured for Thomas to enter. “I’m sorry and let’s try it before we look like complete idiots in front of everybody else.”

Let’s try to snog, that definitely wasn’t something he thought he would ever hear from this guy. It must have showed in his face since Newt’s mouth curved up in obvious amusement.

“I know right? What’s been happening to us lately,” he commented on it like he read Thomas’ mind and then reached for his shirt and pulled him in the trailer. Thomas wanted to comment on how damn stupid it must have looked to anybody outside, but Newt was already kissing him without even a word of warning and Thomas was too stunned to move.

There was a pressure and a hand on the back of Thomas’ neck, but other than that nothing else really happened and then Newt was pulling away, looking at him with mild annoyance.

“Can you do something better than the dead fish lips?” he asked and Thomas blinked, his vocal cords not working in the slightest. He could imagine all kind of things happening with Newt – a fist in his face, a vicious prank of sitting on a pin, but being kissed when not in front of a camera (since that’s where it was supposed to happen) was not one of them.

“Uh oh,” the blond stepped away. “Did I break you?”

“I think so,” Thomas heard himself saying. He couldn’t really recall much about the kiss, his brain drew a blissful blank, not even how long exactly it was, but he knew it happened. “Little warning next time?”

“Isn’t the shock value counting as a plus point though?” Newt‘s face relaxed and even smiled and Thomas shook his head.

“Not if you aren’t trying to cause me a heart-attack,” he commented sternly and then took a deep breath. “Fine, okay. I’m ready.”

“So clinical,” Newt rolled his eyes and took a step forward but Thomas’ hand flew up and spread in the middle of Newt’s chest, stopping him. “What now?”

“Is it supposed to be Isaac to take the lead?”

It was a valid question, because Thomas didn’t see Isaac as a leading man for this kind of thing. But then again, he purposely left the snogging scenes be so he couldn’t say.

“Yes,” Newt shrugged. “Think nerds don’t take initiative?”

Thomas rumbled but let his hand fall down.

“You didn’t even read it, did you,” the blond smirked. “You left those scenes alone.”

It’s not like Newt could read Thomas mind, but lately it felt like he did and it was terrifying.

“Maybe,” he let out grudgingly.

“You’re adorable.”

“Shut up, nerd.”

“That’s not very Stephen of you,” Newt commented with a grin and he looked so smug Thomas couldn’t stand that. He grabbed the blond by the collar of his stupid striped shirt and pulled him forward until their lips met in the middle, along with Newt’s yelp somewhere in between.

It was mostly just pressure with almost no movement of the lips, like proving a point he could do it as well without warning if he wanted to, and for a while it kind of worked, since Newt was standing on the spot like a frozen statue.

“Hmm,” Thomas pulled away with a cocky smile, drinking in Newt’s wide eyes. “Can you do something better than the dead fish lips?”

“Jesus fucking Christ,” the blond breathed out and quite frankly Thomas expected him to lean back in, since he presented it as a challenge, but still didn’t think it would be open mouthed and pushing and that there is going to be tongue involved right off the bat. He made a muffled noise when Newt stepped even closer and grabbed Thomas by his waist, bringing them chest to chest, kissing him so deeply it made his head spin.

Was it supposed to be like this? It didn’t even feel like simple kissing anymore, but make out with the way Newt’s hands started to travel over Thomas’ back and his sides and hips and even fucking squeezed his butt few times. He was tilting his head and pushing into Thomas so insistently it felt like he just wanted him horizontal in near future and Thomas felt his body moving backwards, step by step until his back hit the wall and he made another muffled noise that should have showed his discomfort but Newt probably didn’t even hear it.

It felt like forever before Newt finally pulled away, drawing in a shaking breath, his eyes still closed and lips almost red. Thomas couldn’t help but think he looked like he was ready to shoot a porn scene, with his ruffled hair and heavy breathing and like, everything, but quickly got rid of the thought. Newt, out of all people, definitely didn’t look erotic to him. No fucking way.

“You done?” he croaked out, cursing his own voice to be so weak in a situation like this, and Newt finally opened his eyes, almost black how his pupils were blown wide and had the audacity to shook his head.

“Not in the slightest,” he replied in a low voice, so low Thomas barely heard it, and his hands, up until now resting on Thomas’ hips, travelled up, dragging over Thomas’ shirt up to his neck, warm and sure. The silence in the trailer was almost suffocating, making Thomas hear his own heartbeat so clearly he was almost sure Newt had to hear it too.

“Newt-,”

“Not at all,” the blond didn’t let him speak, his thumbs started caressing Thomas’ jaw and before Thomas could at least ask him what the hell was wrong with him, he was already being kissed again, gentler this time, but not less lewd with all the tongue, and Thomas found out he couldn’t move, like his body rooted to the spot. The blood was now roaring in his ears and he was goddamn confused about it, because it was Newt kissing him, Newt being here, crowding him against the wall in the trailer, holding him on the spot by caressing his neck and his face and kissing him like he wanted to do it for ages and then some. The same Newt he hated to bits just a month ago, who was bitter and sarcastic and never said a nice word to Thomas.

Was this some sort of revenge, maybe? Some elaborate prank he played, maybe with a camera rolling from a hiding spot, so he could laugh about it later with others? His let’s try it before actually shooting the scene in front of the crew now blurred together with unreasonable making out and Thomas was damn sure they didn’t need to do this much up until who knew when in the shooting.

Yet he still didn’t push Newt away. Hell, he even participated in the kiss – slowly, maybe, hesitantly, but he wasn’t just taking it like a figurine either, no matter how hard he would try to deny that. So when Newt let go of him with a slow exhale and his hands slowly fell from Thomas’ neck, Thomas was at loss of what to say. He couldn’t really accuse him of anything, though maybe he sort of wanted to, but words simply didn’t come.

“Well,” Newt finally broke the silence, stepping away. “I think we’re good.”

He cleared his throat about three times and it felt awkward, like the reality caught up with him and now he was internally screaming. Thomas was surprised his own inner monologue stopped instead, only accompanied by a low hum of his thoughts.

“Right?” the blond finally looked up from the floor he was hypnotizing since the kiss ended and Thomas stared back at him in silence. He could still feel Newt’s mouth on his own and he licked his lower lip without even thinking about it and Newt’s eyes followed the movement with wide eyes.

“Right,” Thomas said eventually, refusing to try deciphering that particular look, and left before Newt could say anything else.

***

Hiding was a wrong word to use for Thomas’ current behaviour. He wasn’t hiding at all. He didn’t have a reason to hide, what happened was Newt’s initiative and Newt’s alone. If he ever wanted to make Thomas guilty about it, Thomas was ready to kick him back with something equally nasty, like you were the first who stuck his tongue into my throat or grabbing my ass or rubbing against me – which he was by the way, he totally was at some point but Thomas didn’t want to think about that. Hell, he tried to push it out of his mind the whole time between sets while reading the incriminated scene in the script (damn Newt being right about Isaac taking initiative, damn him), up until he couldn’t anymore because it was the scene, and Newt was standing in front of the camera already in the white lab coat and crazy hair and Jorge was talking to him about something and Thomas felt his legs turning to jelly.

“Oi, don’t look so scared,” Newt’s voice flew over to him, making Thomas’ stomach make a double flip. “We practiced, right?”

“If you call that a practice…” Thomas uttered under his breath, but at least he felt little less intimidated when the Newt in the trailer with almost black eyes and heaving chest and red lips bruised from kissing got replaced by this cocky shit again. Jorge was behind the camera and Thomas had to mentally praise him for not grinning at them like a loon and making it even more awkward.

Because if anything, awkward definitely fitted the description the best and probably even more so after the practice Newt put him through. At least most of the crew left, even though they usually only did when there were more intimate scenes involved, but Thomas was still grateful he didn’t need to try and ignore Minho making faces at him from behind the scene.

When the camera started rolling and their lines flowing in, Thomas was surprised he didn’t feel nervous as much as he thought he would. If anything, he was anticipating, because he knew how Newt felt already against him, so when the blond stepped close with the scripted line and touched Thomas’ chest in the middle, he was ready for the tongue and teeth and hands everywhere and maybe even the butt touching because Newt did that plenty.

But then there was pressure on his lips and a gentle touch of hand on his cheek for split second and then Newt was pulling away, eyes downcast, small smile playing on his, no, on Isaac’s lips, and it was over.

He couldn’t help but gawk at him, and quite frankly wasn’t even surprised when Jorge ended the scene and called him out for looking like somebody just told him he lost the raffle for a teddy bear and demanded a retake.

“Uh, yeah, sorry,” he responded sheepishly and they started anew, the marks, the lines, the touch on his chest, the fucking innocent peck on his lips, the small smile scripted to a tiniest detail, the end. Thomas still gawked and Jorge let out a sigh, giving them ten minutes before trying again.

“What’s wrong with you?” Newt asked him like there was nothing wrong going on, like he didn’t just endlessly grope him in the trailer and then kiss him here like grandma on Christmas visit. Thomas wanted to tell him, he wanted to throw it in his face, but he just couldn’t bring himself to.

“Sorry,” he repeated, clearing his throat. Jorge didn’t say anything about the kiss, only about Thomas’ bewildered expression, so there probably wasn’t anything bad about it, but it still felt like… nothing. In comparison, at least.

“You really did look like somebody stole your cookie though,” the blond poured oil into the fire and had the audacity to smirk as well. “Didn’t we practice?”

“Not enough tongue here, I guess,” Thomas bit back and felt a small amount of satisfaction when Newt averted his eyes with small hitch of his breath.

“Well, it’s not really in the script,” he mumbled after, almost grudgingly and Thomas took a deep breath.

“Interesting,” he commented. Nothing else. Newt kept his eyes casted on the floor, looking stiff and uncomfortable and Thomas wondered if he kept quiet long enough, if he would elaborate. He did not, not until Jorge got back, sent Thomas questioning glance and he managed to muster a smile.

The camera rolled again, the lines, the touch, the kiss, Thomas forced himself to look happy and Jorge was looking satisfied at the end. He even praised him with a pat on his back and when Thomas turned back towards Newt, he realized the blond was already gone.

Typical.

***

They didn’t have any shooting together the next day and Thomas frankly wasn’t surprised he didn’t even catch a brief glance of Newt. Probably for the best too, since his mood was so bad, he would probably only bark at him and neither of them needed that. He barely slept, his thoughts kept on swirling around the weird intimacy Newt showed him and then proceeded to be shy about it, and it just didn’t make any sense.

“Newt called in sick,” Minho told him around lunch, sitting next to him when Thomas nursed his coffee and only nibbled his food with fork. He ordered Chinese and it was great but his appetite probably called in sick as well.

“Mhm,” he let out. No surprise there, probably. Thomas thought he should have been relieved but quite frankly nothing much came.

“Didn’t text you?” Minho asked, eyebrows raised and Thomas sipped his coffee.

“Nope,” he responded coldly. “Am I his mum or something?”

“No, but you do spend lots of time together lately,” his friend shrugged. He meant well, probably, but obviously wanted some gossip too. Thomas couldn’t blame him. “Thought you’d know.”

“Nah, he’s sulking now,” Thomas uttered and Minho’s expression changed to a surprised one. “Better leave him to it, I guess.”

“Sulking cuz of the snogging?” Came a question and Thomas had a fleeting panic reaction of Minho knowing about the trailer make out, but he squashed it fast. “I thought it went well?”

“Yeah, was fine,” Thomas waved his hand. “He’s just being weirder than normally about it.”

“Huh,” Minho propped his chin on his palm. “Thought you’d be the one freaking out, not him.”

“Same.”

“But maybe it’s cuz he likes you,” his colleague offered with an absolute calm. “So kissing you sorta flipped his switch?”

Thomas glanced at Minho with a sigh. It probably looked that way from outsider’s point of view, he mused. Newt suddenly being nice to him, asking him to go for lunch together and then having all those weird quirks like hugging all of sudden or smooching him in front of everybody and all in all being quite affectionate, so coming to a conclusion of falling in love was logical. They didn’t know it was Isaac’s character and Isaac’s quirks and Isaac’s affection that Newt played, that it was part of the deal between them. All fake and calculated, all according to plan… until the trailer. Or so Thomas thought, because even though Newt was so confident in there, in the aftermath he just looked vulnerable and guilty, as if he took it too far but didn’t know how to remedy that.

Thomas kind of wanted an explanation. Anything would do, really, but Newt didn’t say anything, so Thomas decided to ignore it as well. Not that it was possible to just forget about it, but not talking about it worked.

“You know what,” he pushed away the plate and put down the coffee. “You’re probably right. He’s totally in love with me and he stayed home cuz he has to think of an elaborate love confession that will sweep me off my feet.”

Minho made a face but left him alone. Thomas was really looking forward to his day off tomorrow.

***

NEWT: So now you’re sulking?

Thomas blearily looked at his phone, the clock showed something past nine in the morning and he would never believe a text alert could actually wake him up.

THOMAS: What

NEWT: You’re not here, so I’m asking if you’re sulking

THOMAS: Weren’t you the first one to sulk yesterday?

NEWT: Called in sick

THOMAS: Yeah, aka sulking.

NEWT: I was sick, not sulking

THOMAS: Convenient.

NEWT: Was throwing up

THOMAS: Sure you were.

NEWT: C’mon, were you lonely?

THOMAS: Just enjoyed some peace and quiet for a change.

NEWT: You were and now you’re sulking

THOMAS: It’s my day off, Romeo. Fuck off my DMs.

NEWT: Wait, what

THOMAS: DAY OFF. LET ME SLEEP. FUCK YOU.

NEWT: In that order?

“Jesus fucking Christ,” he groaned and plopped the phone next to him on the bed, ignoring how it beeped several more times. He planned to sleep the whole day.

***

NEWT: Jesus, it’s so boring here without you

THOMAS: You’ll live.

NEWT: You should stop by

THOMAS: I don’t want to get molested, so no.

NEWT: Molested? Preposterous

THOMAS: You’re an old pervert.

NEWT: I’m quite young tho

THOMAS: Still a pervert to the boot. Touching my butt and all, no manners.

NEWT: I never said I have manners

THOMAS: I already knew you didn’t have any manners, trust me. No illusions.

NEWT: See so don’t act surprised

THOMAS: I was hella surprised, but I admit not really about the practice kissing as I was about the scripted one.

NEWT: Oh yeah not enough tongue

THOMAS: Like you got all shy.

NEWT: I got all professional

THOMAS: So the practice was all personal?

Thomas wasn’t surprised when no reply came.

***

NEWT: Sorta was personal yeah

The clock showed something past 7 in the evening and Thomas didn’t expect Newt to reply anymore. It took him three hours, but the text actually came and Thomas was staring at it with Who framed Roger Rabbit playing in the background.

THOMAS: Took you three hours to come up with that?

NEWT: If you didn’t notice I’m at work

THOMAS: No, I didn’t, you’re bothering me the whole day.

NEWT: I’m making it more pleasant you mean

THOMAS: No, not really.

NEWT: Liar

THOMAS: So what was personal about it?

NEWT: Your butt was

“Fucker, you just can’t give me a straight answer, huh,” Thomas grumbled, debating with himself if he wanted to continue the pointless conversation or not. Newt was all bold over the phone which was frustrating – in person he would never tell him all these things.

THOMAS: So you decided to practice some French on me cuz of my butt.

NEWT: Huh that sounds like a better excuse than the one I had prepared

THOMAS: You’re so fucking annoying. Just tell me wtf it was already or I’m turning my phone off.

NEWT: Damn you so mean today

THOMAS: Turning it off.

NEWT: Nononono wait

Thomas frowned and sent a question mark instead. He would rather to hear it personally but if Newt needed to hide behind the texts, maybe it was for the best.

NEWT: I’m totally in love with you and wanted to kiss you and grope your butt cuz yolo

THOMAS: Fuck off.

NEWT: What it’s a legitimate reason and also totally believable cuz Minho said so

THOMAS: Maybe you need better friends.

NEWT: Please love me back baby

THOMAS: You’re not my type.

NEWT: Don’t break my heart :(

THOMAS: I don’t like blond people.

NEWT: You don’t like … WHAT

NEWT: ARE YOU FOR REAL

NEWT: YOU HEATEN

THOMAS: Blond people are meh. All stupid. No brains, ever. It’s the bleach.

NEWT: Bleach! But I’m natural c’mon

THOMAS: That’s even worse. You were born with small to none brain already. You’re doomed to be an idiot for the rest of your life.

NEWT: Oof you real mean now

THOMAS: Newt.

NEWT: Yes

THOMAS: Seriously. Be honest with me.

NEWT: I’m honest. I’m really a natural blond

THOMAS: Do you like me or something? Or you hate me and thought it was a good prank? Or you went with the flow and sort of didn’t think of consequences cuz the kissing was nice? Did you freak out after and did the lame kissing thing during the scene on purpose? Or did you want to throw me off by it?

NEWT: Yes

THOMAS: Yes which.

NEWT: Just yes you can pick the one you like the most

Thomas turned his phone off and left it that way for the rest of the day.

***

It was Newt’s day off, Thomas knew that. Maybe that was why he went to work less stressed than in an opposite situation, but hated it all the same. Stressing himself over Newt was never really a thing, but he was always somewhere on his mind even before, though only because he found him annoying. But now it was different, tugging in the back of his consciousness and demanding attention 24/7, which quite frankly started to be a problem. Yesterday text exchange didn’t help matters either – it actually only made it worse.

“Wasn’t it your day off? You look like shit.”

Thomas stopped abruptly when Newt’s voice came and then there was coffee in his field of vision and a veiny hand that was holding it, and Newt stood there in white shirt and jeans, offering him the cup.

“Whose fault you think it is?” he barked and didn’t take the coffee in defiance. Newt looked guilty and it served him right.

“Yeah, I know,” the blond admitted and Thomas heard the sound of the cup hitting the table while he was on his way to the changing room. “Look, I’m sorry.”

“You came here today to tell me that?” Thomas refused to look at him. “You could have sent a text. You’re good at that.”

“You turned your phone off,” Newt opposed and caught up with him enough to walk beside him now.

“I told you I would if you keep that up,” Thomas uttered and was glad nobody else was here yet, since hearing them arguing about this was honestly slightly embarrassing.

“I know.”

He didn’t say anything else and Thomas was at the end of his rope.

“Jesus, what else do you want from me?” he finally stopped and looked at the infuriating man next to him in anger. “I played your stupid roleplay game, your practice game, your texting game and your hugging spree and I just don’t want to anymore, I’ve had enough. So just tell me the punchline already so we can go back to hating each other without pretending we’re fine!”

Newt took a deep breath, then another and another and then gnawed on his lower lip for several seconds, keeping Thomas in painful suspense. It made him want to leave him be and just close this chapter of his life, but then Newt finally opened his mouth and said: “I think you’re a bloody prick.”

Thomas stared at him, not really sure how to react. It took several deeper breaths from Newt and then he was talking again, this time in a lower voice.

“I always disliked you,” he said gravely. “You were just so opinionated and stubborn. I thought we could never bloody get along and then Jorge decided to put our characters together and I thought it’s the end, that we’ll kill each other eventually and it’s going to suck-,”

“Why-,”

“Let me finish,” Newt stopped Thomas’ speech quickly. “You bloody wanker, jesus. You just. Made things so hard, so needlessly complicated, I just couldn’t take it. Even at the first lunch you were so full of yourself, so confident you were in the right, it was maddening.”

“Holy shit, why-,”

“Just let me!” This time Newt raised his voice and it echoed in an almost empty studio almost eerily. Thomas shut up. He felt his body shaking and couldn’t even say why, his nerves were like too tightly bound strings.

“You insufferable…” Newt took another deep breath. “I just don’t get it. I don’t fucking know who I love. You or Stephen. I just don’t know who of you two is the one I just can’t leave alone; it’s making me so bloody frustrated.”

Thomas opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Newt would probably tell him to shut up again anyway.

“I kissed you back there, in the trailer, because I thought we gotta, cuz if I did that without you getting used to it, we would fail so hard,” Newt continued and started pacing back and forth, back and forth. “I thought it was smart of me, to just bait you, to make you angry so you wouldn’t protest. But then I kissed you and it all went to shit.”

He stopped, glaring at Thomas from under his blond fringe. He looked angry but at the same time not really.

“You played your part and I played mine and we clicked. You were still struggling, but you were nice to me and I was nice to you and I think it was kind of fun to do that, to play around like that. But now I don’t know. Now you’re here and I know it’s you who is angry at me, but it was you who I texted as well and I’m still bloody attracted to you-,”

“You’re not making any sense,” Thomas finally managed to say, silencing Newt to a complete stupor. “Me or Stephen, what’s that even supposed to mean? I’m me, for fuck’s sake, nobody else.”

“The you that hates my guts,” Newt pointed out with arms crossed on his chest.

“You hate my guts too!” Thomas barked and took a step forward.

“Well not anymore!” Newt copied him and then they were standing in each other’s personal bubble and everything was hot and frustrating and Thomas wanted to punch his lights out so bad, but he grabbed his shirt instead and mashed their mouths together.

There was not even a fraction of second of hesitation on Newt’s end. He grabbed Thomas’ head between his hands and immediately deepened the kiss like he was drowning and Thomas was the only air supply, licking into his mouth so insistently and pulling them together from head to toe, every part of their body touching. Thomas couldn’t breathe but he didn’t even want to, falling into the same frenzy, the same heat and rhythm of tasting, tasting, tasting and more, more, more.

“You just piss me off so much,” Newt was growling against his lips, biting and sucking in between the words. “You always have your way to press all my buttons like you have manual somewhere-,”

“Oh come on,” Thomas pulled Newt’s hand that insistently grabbed his butt away, imprisoning it in a steel grip. “You think you’re hard to read, you spoiled brat?”

“Yes, I am,” Newt struggled to break free and succeeded after a moment, immediately returning his hand on the spot Thomas wanted to keep him from. He even squeezed as if in victory. “You were bloody begging me yesterday to tell you why I frenched you in the trailer-,”

“Begging?!”

“You were pleading-!” Newt devoured his mouth again and Thomas found himself pressed against the wall again but now with Newt’s knee between his thighs, pressing up, making him whine. “You wanted to know, you needed to know what’s going on, you were so cute-,”

“Jesus, I hate you so much,” Thomas struggled against the hold but he only made the friction more insistent and instead of a curse a moan escaped his lips, only to be swallowed by Newt’s mouth closing over his again.

“You don’t mean that,” Newt purred into his ear once he moved his lips to Thomas’ neck, biting it with an obvious intent to leave a mark. “You actually like me, don’t you~.”

Thomas, to his own horror and maybe also relief, realized that he actually did like the guy. And to add to his even worse revelation – it was Newt who he fancied – the foul mouthed and frustrating brat rather than the all likable Isaac persona he was using.

He decided to keep it to himself.

#the maze runner #tmr #newtmas #newmas #prompts #jonipony

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sneezingpotatoes · 6 years ago

Text

OMG WHAT?! I'M ACTUALLY POSTING?! IKR XD It's been foreverrrr xD BUT I'm back with yet another new fic with Reuben and Draco LOL This fic takes place after Draco is feeling better and Reuben catches his cold. DON'T ASK ME ABOUT THE OTHER FIC CUZ... LOOOOL I DUNNO HONESTLY XD Sorry my mind is a mess and can't seem to focus on finishing an actual story so UsE yOuR iMaGiNatIoN on how the other fic ended xD Or who knows... I might go back to it and finish it later xD BUT HERE'S THIS! *\(x.x)/*

“Heyyy, Reubennn~! Hellooo!! Open the damn door already!!!”

High-pitched yelling was heard from outside, which forced Draco to quickly sit up on the couch. He looked around, scoping through the pitched black living room making sure that everything was still in place and untouched. After one more quick sweep of the place, he sighs in both relief and irritation, becoming fed up with the loud racket that was taking place outside of the door.

“Who the hell is it?!” He snarled deeply as he approached the front door.

“It’s me, Lirin! Wait, Draco? Is that you??? Where’s Reuben?!”

The rugged man opened the door and glared at the young woman standing in front of him. She was holding a tray of hot chocolates in her hands while doing a light jog in place, trying to keep her body heat up with her teeth chattering from how cold it was.

“I dunno where the hell he is, and I don’t give a crap either.” Draco grunted as he headed back over to the couch and collapsed into it. Lirin mocked him behind his back as she entered the warm home and locked the door behind her. Even though she still found the the rugged man attractive, she hated Draco’s grumpy attitude and found him a little more enjoyable while he was drunk anyway.

“Why is it so dark in here?” The woman asked as she flicked on the lights. Draco winced in response and hissed: “I was trying to sleep before you came and woke me up!” Lirin pouted at the grumpy man and sat the hot chocolates down on the coffee table. “Well excuse me for trying to do something nice, gramps! Who in the hell goes to bed at 10 anyway, you old fart!?”

“Hey, I’m not old…! And don’t call me gramps!” Draco defensively fired back. Lirin teased the rugged man and stuck her tongue out at him, giggling in a taunting manner. “Why are you even here?!” Before Lirin could say anything in return, the turning of the doorknob steals both of their attention as they watched Reuben enter the house.

“Reubenn~!!! Welcome home!” Lirin cheered as she lunged forward for a hug from the lanky gentleman. Reuben accepted the hug in surprise, being shocked from seeing his cousin in his home without a warning. He should’ve known by now though, seeing how this wasn’t the first time, nor the second that Lirin had shown up in his house and startled him. She was always so unpredictable and random.

“What a pleasant surprise.” Reuben says through a few light coughs into the curl of his fist, feeling worn out from his day of work. It wasn’t like he didn’t want her company; He was just so exhausted and he had planned to finish up a few things and head straight to bed.

“I brought hot chocolate~!” She cheered as she handed both of the boys the now room temperature cups. She was always bad with timing, and the drinks were already starting to cool, seeing how she had made them two hours before she had showed up to his house.

The gentleman forced a half-assed smile nonetheless, and nodded his thanks as he sat on the couch opposite of Draco. He didn’t want to upset the poor girl, and it was very thoughtful of her. Draco, on the other hand felt differently, and snorted at the cup, grimacing after he took a sip of the drink.

“Where the hell’d you get this shit from?!” Draco asked, dumbfounded by how someone would purchase something that tasted so foul.

“I made them, you dickhead!” She yelled defensively. If not for the fact that Reuben were a clean freak, she’d have thrown her drink at the asshole and bopped him upside the head. Instead, she bit her lip and clenched her fists onto her cup, feeling her nails piercing thin lines into its sides.

“Do us all a favor and just stick to the martinis.” The rugged man muttered underneath his breath, triggering the fellow bartender.

“Draco, enough.” Reuben stated grimly.

The gentleman glared directly into Draco’s dark blue orbs, giving him a chill like no other. At first, the rugged man glared back intently, with the attitude of ‘You’re not the boss of me’, but after the room went still for a few moments, Draco finally cracked and gave a dismissive ‘tch, whatever’ before sinking deeper into the couch in silent defeat. He tried his best to ignore Lirin as she childishly stuck her tongue out at him in victory.

“Lirin, I do appreciate your kind gesture of bringing us these delightful hot chocolates, but I must get some work done and retire for the night.” Reuben sighed and massaged his pulsing temples.

She pouted in response, but understood that being a pediatrician wasn’t an easy task, and that he was always busy, so this wasn’t anything new to her. She was used to barely seeing the busy pediatrician, even on her off days. With the click of the front door, Lirin was gone without saying a word.

Reuben felt slightly guilty, of course, but it was also business as usual. He just didn’t have the time nor the energy to entertain his guest properly. We’ll try again when I get the day off, he tries to reassure himself in order to get that heavy weight of guilt off of his back. The gentleman glares at the rugged man lying on the couch in dismay, still appalled by his grotesque behavior.

“You shouldn’t say rude things like that to people, you know.” Reuben stated blandly as he audibly yawns and leaves the couch to set up his laptop on his grand office desk.

Draco only grunts in response, not willing to entertain the scolding conversation that’s trying to form. The gentleman kneels down to rub his Black cat that was obediently sitting down in the cat bed right beside his office desk, cooing at the magnificent creature before he sat down and began glossing over all of his unread emails. He rubbed his eyes, sighing and already feeling his head begin to pulsate more fervently just by looking at all of the emails he had to respond to.

“Draco, fetch me a glass of tea, would you?” The gentleman ordered, not even attempting to disguise it as a question. He had already begun typing away, fingers gliding across the keyboard as if he’d performed this dance a million times before. If he weren’t so invested into his work, he could’ve sworn he heard Draco scowl and cynically get up from the couch with a huff. What was worse, living out on the streets, or living with this silver spoon fed- ‘fetch me a glass of tea’ having- Stiff upper lip looking moron? Draco had to constantly ask himself. Nevertheless, the latter was always the better option, whether he liked it or not.

A few moments later, the rugged man returns with a cup of steamy green tea that he sets beside the hardworking man in a huff, still irritated with the whole matter. Reuben stifles a few coughs into his fist and reaches for the tea cup, still keeping his eyes on the laptop screen and scanning all of the text on the dimly-lit screen.

At first, Draco wanted to growl a feisty ‘you’re welcome’, but on the other hand, he also understood how busy he was. Even though he had only been living with him for about a month, each of those days were filled with work that didn’t stop even when he came home. Defeatedly, Draco turns off the lights and collapses onto the couch and watches the man type away on his laptop.

Reuben bit back a cough before taking a sip of his green tea, closing his eyes from the welcoming warmth against his scratchy throat. He releases a gentle sigh, seeing how his throat was still scratchy even after he took a few more sips from the warm mug. He had hoped that the warm green tea would’ve cured his throat since it had been irritated all day, but to no avail. Setting the mug down, he returned back to his laptop, responding to more emails about previous procedures and scheduling new appointments with different patients. It was the same cycle. He would go to work early, come home late, work on his laptop, and then go to sleep. He would usually breeze through the paperwork now, seeing as how he had been a pediatrician for quite a while, but tonight was a little troublesome for the gentleman. It seemed that no matter how fast or how long he would be typing, the emails would never end; more would come one after another.

Reuben removed his glasses and cautiously grabbed a tissue from beside his laptop, folding it in half before he brought it up to his nose and massaged the now tickling appendages. He didn’t really mind the sneezing itself, seeing how the sneeze was a natural occurrence in the human body. The only time he would have a problem were if the sneeze were messy and germ infested, which is what he had been subjected to two weeks prior. The number of cold patients turning up in the clinic hadn’t helped his case either. The gentleman took in a shallow breath before twitching into the tissue, releasing four short, rapid sneezes.

“Ktsh! Hihhk’tsh! ‘Kttsh! Huktsh!”

He released a shaky sigh as he continued to massage his faintly ticklish nostrils. Even though he had finished sneezing, the tickle had just died down again, never leaving him entirely. After feeling certain that he was finished for the time being, the gentleman gently blew into the tissue and placed it into the garbage can beside his feet before putting on his glasses and returning to his emails. Absinthe stirs in her bed from the sudden event and rubs up against her master’s leg in concern, feeling as if something is off with the man.

“Did I trouble you Absinthe?” Reuben asks as if expecting a verbal reply from the cat, in which he receives a soft purr and another gentle nudge against his leg. Draco audibly sighs and shakes his head at the fact that Reuben changes into a completely different person when he talks with his cat… And just at the fact that he talks to his cat like an actual person. “It’s quite alright, dear girl. N-not to… Not-hihH”

The pediatrician freezes and snuffles lightly, feeling his nostrils twitch from the current irritation. Before even having the time to process anything, he lurches forward slightly above his laptop, teeth clenched and eyes slammed shut from the possessive tickle.

“Heh’ktsh! ‘ksh! ‘KTTSH! ‘Isshn!”

“Bless you.” The rugged man audibly grunts at Reuben, seeing how he couldn’t fall asleep for two minutes without being awoken by a cough, sneeze or sniffle from the man.

Reuben only releases an impatient sigh in return as he straightened up his glasses and grabbed for another tissue, quickly trying to expel as much of the sickly fluids as possible. A soft purr is heard as Absinthe leaps onto his lap in sympathy, trying to provide her owner with at least some kind of comfort. If the gentlemen weren’t so caught up in his mess, he could’ve sworn he heard Draco curse from the couch.

“Are you sick?” The rugged man asked, completely disregarding Reuben’s suffering as he cracked an eyelid open to study the pediatrician.

“So it would seem.” Reuben replied grimly through his damp tissue.

Unlike the rugged man, Reuben was an impatient person. He wasn’t going to hide the fact that he was coming down with something or that he felt ill. It all just seemed childish and like a waste of time, seeing how the truth would be revealed sooner or later anyway.

He was aggravated that his sorry excuse of an immune system would allow him to catch a measly cold at a time like this. It was inevitable though. Even if he hadn’t taken the rugged man into his home, the constant contamination of his cold patients would’ve gotten into his system regardless. He couldn’t blame the entirety of the situation on the rugged man, but he sure did clinch his fist from recollecting every moment Draco hadn’t covered his mouth to sneeze or cough, and each time he wiped his nose with his hands and instantly infected one of his appliances.

“Kshn! Eh’ktsh…! ‘Ish’u…Hh-huh…!” Just thinking about that baboon and his shenanigans made the gentleman dip forward into the tissue blanketing his palms with ticklish explosions. He firmly grabs Absinthe, making sure that she doesn’t fall off of his lap as he takes another deep inhale.

“Welp, sucks for you.” Draco responded blandly. “Shaddap with the sneezin’ already. ‘M tryna sleep here.”

“Hhuh-Issh’ueh!! Guhh.” The gentleman only snarled in response as he massaged the bridge of his restless nose. He could feel his head roaring in the back of his skull from all of the pressure slowly building up like a kettle setting on a hot stove. Draco had no intentions of caring or taking care of him. He was a grown man, and a pediatrician of all things. He knew all of the tips and tricks better than he did. The rugged man closed his eyes once again, too exhausted to even humor the situation further.

Reuben hazily grabs a fresh batch of tissues and instantly blows into them and getting nowhere. His sinuses we're beginning to clog up from his constant sneezing, making it difficult to breathe out of his nose alone. He mumbles a brief curse underneaths his breath before deciding to get up to take some Benadryl. He knew himself all too well, knowing that once he started sneezing, it would take forever for him to stop unless he did something about it. And if he were going to get some sleep tonight, he was definitely going to need some aid.

Absinthe hops down from his lap and follows the lanky gentleman into the restroom, cautiously watching every move of the gentleman. Reuben smiles at his favorite feline with a thick sounding snuffle as he shows her the bottle of Benadryl that he's about to take.

"Once I take this, you'll have to wake me up if I sleep through my alarm clock again, understood?" Reuben asked the innocent cat as if he were a commander issuing out a soldier to the battlefield. The cat only glared at the gentleman with her dark lavender eyes and gave a soft 'meowrr' in response. Reuben chuckles to himself and takes the recommended dosage of Benadryl before he returns to the living room and sits back at his desk.

Draco was now, and finally passed out on the couch with a deep snore that filled the still room. He was happy now that he could work without having to worry about that baboon interfering with his concentration.

About 30 minutes pass of soft clacking of the keyboard, constant soft sniffles (In consideration of Draco), a steady pulsing headache, and stifled coughing that never fully escape his chest, Reuben can tell that the Benadryl is starting to take effect. He can hardly read the text in his Excel document, and everything was zooming in and out of focus. He tries to rub his eyes to clear away the blurriness and the oncomming rush of fatigue, but it does absolutely nothing. The gentleman finally rests his head down on his office desk in defeat and instantly joins Draco into a deep slumber.

Something cold and wet gliding across the ear of the gentleman and stirs him awake. He giggles drowsily at the tickle in his ear and swats away whatever is pestering him. His giggling stops abruptly as he is greeted instantly by an unnerving tickle in his nostrils. Before he can comprehend anything, he sloppily stifles a quad of sneezes with his head still resting on the desk.

"Hahh-Ngxtsh! 'gxtssh'! Nxt-ngtxsh'iew!! Nnghh..."

The last stifle escapes from him as his head is in a world of pain, and he's sure his head would've exploded if he fully stifled the last one. He reaches for the tissue box and grabs a handful, instantly emptying out all of the gunk that had been trapped in his nostrils. He feels relieved that his nose isn't stuffy anymore, but now it won't stop running. He sighs and sniffles a few times before noticing Absinthe obediently sitting on top of his office desk with a tilted head, studying her poor master. He gives her an appreciative rub and grabs his laptop to check the time.

8:07am. Bloody hell.

He quickly stands up, now frazzled from how late he is and rushes for his bedroom to quickly change his clothes. He's already three hours behind schedule, no time for a shower or breakfast.

He scurries around the place, barely grabbing everything that he needed without forgetting his cellphone about 10 dozen times before he actually grabbed the damn thing, still groggy from sleep and the remnants of Benadryl in his system. He absentmindedly walks out of the house without his coat on and instantly does a 180 to retrieve it before heading to the subway station. He figured he wasn't suitable to drive in his current state and that the subway would just be easier for him.

After 10 minutes of speed walking through the chilly December weather, a bout of pushing and shoving through crowds of people just as in a hurry as he was, and a slip and a slide onto a cold handrail squished in-between a heavy set guy who was standing too close for comfort behind him eating an omelet that had a strong scent of onion that made him slightly nauseous, and a young teenager standing directly in front of him that wore a cheap smelling perfume with a strong floral scent to it, Reuben honestly thought this was the end of the road for him. He could already feel his nostrils start to leak heavier than before, as if his nostrils were drooling over the scented perfume the teenager was wearing. He sniffles rapidly as he squishes his arm between the other bodies standing around him and pulls out his handkerchief, gluing it to his nose, already feeling his nose tickling with a burning passion. He feels his nostrils twitching underneath his own hand and blinks away allergic tears as he stares up at the bright subway light.

"Ahh-hHUH... HheH-hh... NngHhk!"

He felt powerless against the chest inflating hitches and the burning in his nose. He didn't want to sneeze on the subway at all, seeing how it was gross and unsanitary, and he knew that he wouldn't want someone to sneeze on the subway if he were standing right in front of them either. It didn't help that his nose was already tingly from the sickness his body was already trying to fight against, and now another catalyst has entered his stream that his body feels the need to expel.

With another deep hitch, he twitches harshly into his handkerchief, desperately clenching all of his muscles so that he didn't dip forward onto the teenager or lean backwards too far into the man's omelet.

"HhaH-'Isshmff!! H'issh-issh-t'isshmmf! HhuhH...!!"

Reuben shook his head being overwhelmed with the restless tickle. Even after his sneezes, the tickle felt the exact same.

The teenager scooted her right head phone back into her hair as she looked behind her at the lackadaisical man with a disgusted glare. She flinched when Reuben sneezed two more times and hissed: "That's gross..." To him as she turned back around and attempted to scoot forward but only moved about an inch away from him. Reuben didn't even have time to feel embarrassed, for his nose was stealing all of his attention. He blew his nose, releasing a thick gurgling sound and grimaced when his nose twitched yet again and caused him to dip forward with force and power.

"HhHHE'Ngxt! Nngxt! HhUH'Ngxt-Ngxtsh... NNGXTSH'UEH! HH'EGTSHH'IUMMF! MMPFF'UE! MPHFF-MFF!!"

Reuben gripped the cold handrail above him tightly, trying to keep himself from tilting over backwards. He was beginning to feel light-headed from both the perfume and the strong onion scent, and he was starting to feel claustrophobic from both the wheezing in his chest making it hard to breathe and from everybody standing so close. The lanky gentleman rubs away the allergic tears with his soaking handkerchief and sighs. He knows he's going to need some tissues soon, since his handkerchief is already way beyond wet and he knows that he forgot to grab a travel pack this morning while he was rushing out the door. He thinks about asking the teenager in front of him, but he doesn't bother seeing how he had already grossed her out enough and she probably doesn't want anything to do with him, so he looks behind him to ask the omelet man.

"Y-you would'd happe'dhh... to habe ady dissues, would you?" He croaked, instantly coughing chestily into the damp handkerchief which makes himself grimace.

The omelet man gives Reuben an odd look, but hands him the stack of brown napkins nonetheless.

"Here, take 'em. Looks like you need 'em a-hell-of-a lot more than I do, that's for sure." The man chuckled as he continued to chow down on his half eaten omelet.

Reuben offers a congested chuckle as well, with a hoarse 'thagk you very buch', in return, instantly shoving his beyond used handkerchief back into his pocket, and instantly gurgling into the brown napkins. He winces when the napkins shred his now reddened, ticklish nostrils. Well sure they weren't any ordinary soft tissue, but it'd have to do the job for now.

One stop away from the pediatric office, and almost half of the people he boarded with aren't on the subway anymore. He actually managed to grab a seat and relax without a strong onion or floral scent torturing his sinuses. Although the teenager had gotten off of the bus two stops ago, the scent had lingered and teased him a bit, but it wasn't too bad. He was honestly just so exhausted. What a bad start to the day.

"You have arrived to: Herrigton Ave." The automated voice announced throughout the subway, flinching the gentleman out of his light snooze. Despite all of the rest he'd gotten, he still felt fatigued and worn.

Reuben releases a long sigh as he snuffles to himself and gathers all of his belongings before getting off of the subway and heading towards the pediatric office. He hurries as fast as he can to the building, not wanting to linger in the cold weather any longer than he has to.

"Where have you been? I literally spammed your phone and left you 10 voicemails." Lani interrogated the lanky gentleman with haste as soon as he enters the building.

Reuben glared at the caramel skintoned woman with confused eyes and snuffles thickly as he brings up an index finger to rest above his upper lip. He hadn't received not one notification throughout his entire journey to his workplace.

"That's impossible." Reuben refuted as he struggled to pull out his phone. "I don't have any--" he interrupts himself with a defeated sigh as he realizes that his phone was dead. He must've been too caught up in his work and sickness to even think about putting it on the charger. "Blast it."

Lani solemnly approaches the sniffling man and rubs his shoulder. She hadn't realized how terrible he looked as he barely managing to stand in front of her. His droopy eyes barely able to focus on her ashened gray orbs, his runny red nose constantly scrunching up from his light rabbit-like sniffling, with his face starting to turn a soft shade of pale.

"Listen, don't worry about it... Patrick already handled your first three patients, and I'm sure I can find someone to cover you for the rest of the day. You should go home and get some rest..." She informs the pediatrician, voice still coated with concern.

"I'll be okay." Reuben says with a sigh, not sure if he believed his own words, but stood by them nonetheless. He was upset that he already missed 3 of his patients and he didn't want to miss anymore of them. Lani furrows a brow at the sick gentleman and shakes her head in disapproval.

"You're not in well enough condition to even be here right now, let alone to see a patient!" She exclaims, feeling upset that Reuben is pushing himself so hard.

"I only have a slight cough and runny nose. If this is qualification to stop me from seeing a patient, then I fear for all of the sick and injured." The gentleman refuted, watching Lani give him the side eye.

She definitely knew that he was hiding more than he lead on, but she gave him an obviously annoyed sigh and flipped through her logs and handed him a document. After giving Reuben one last cold and spine chilling glare, she began to speak.

"... The Anderson family has been waiting for about 30 minutes now, so you should hurry." With a huff, she swivels back around the marble counter and takes her seat at the front desk, almost instantly returning back to typing on her computer. The gentleman releases a heavy sigh of relief and shoots a glance back at the Divine woman.

"Thank you, Lani. You truly are incredible." He says as he heads down to his pediatric office. Lani hides the flush in her cheeks as she subtily watches the gentleman walk down the hallway.

Reuben gives his nose one last good rub and a deep shuffle that causes him to cough a few throaty coughs on to the upside of his hand before he enters the office to greet his patient and the family.

"Good morning, everyone. Please excuse my absence." He announces to the family, already needing to sniffle again as he applies a squirt of hand sanitizer.

The family returns the greeting in relief, being grateful that somebody showed up to assist them.

"Oh, I don't mind! I get to miss school so you can take all the time you need." A little girl sat on his medical table, swinging her legs back and forth with a shy smirk on her face. She looked to be about 9 years old.

"Ahh, school! I don't miss those days." Reuben chuckled as he flipped through his clipboard of records. "In that case, let's figure out whatever it is that is causing you so much discomfort." Reuben scrunches his nose with a series of light sniffles, starting to already feel the need to sneeze gradually becoming bothersome. He pressed the upside of his hand against his nostrils, subtly trying to stop his nose from beginning to twitch softly underneath his hand.

“Tell the nice doctor what’s wrong, Abel.” The mother cooed at her daughter. At first Abel hesitated, but then she nodded and looked at Reuben with solemn eyes.

“So my throat really really hurts all the time, and it hurts a lot when I swallow things.” She said shyly as she fiddled around with a hole in her jeans.

The gentleman sat there struggling to pay attention to the child, seeing how the persistent itch resting in his nostrils were definitely making it a challenge. Normally his sneezes were so quick and to the point just like he was, but at this moment he could tell that they wanted to make him suffer.

“How lo-onghhH…” He clears his throat, followed by a sniffle and starts his sentence again. “Hh-How long has your throat been hhH-hurt-tingghh…?”

He trailed off and held his breath, trying to bite back any more hitches that wanted to make him sound silly in front his patient. Why now of all times? He thought to himself. Couldn’t it wait until after he was finished diagnosing his patient?

“Umm, I think its been hurting for like three days now? I don’t remember…” She gave a wry frown, feeling upset that she couldn’t give him solid information.

“It’s alright.” Reuben reassured, taking a deep swallow in hopes of swallowing down the itch along with it, but failing. “It sounds a lot like strep, b-but I’ll take a swab for testing just to be sure, ok?” His last sentence sounded slightly rushed, but the family didn’t notice, since the girl and her parents nodded in understanding.

It took all of his will power to stop himself from rubbing at his nose. He sniffled lightly as he grabbed the Q-tips, trying to at least bury the itch down to a tolerable level, but instead made his eyes start to water from the flare of the itch. He blinked a couple times, fighting to keep his eyelids open, but eventually failed as he felt them flutter shut. He instantly brought up his cupped hand, expectantly waiting for the sneeze to make itself known.

“Sir, are you alright?” The mother asked, concern coating her voice.

After he heard the mother ask that question, he could feel the stares of her and the rest of the family directly on him, as they too were waiting for the sneeze to finally release. He felt partially embarrassed but that feeling instantly vanished as the tickle flared up and teased him, causing his jaw to slack open with a deep hitch that followed.

“HhhH-uh…!” The gentleman stepped back away from the girl as to not sneeze near her and he internally sighed, seeing how the itch had died back down to an irritating level just as fast as it had come.

“Are you feeling okay, mister?” The little girl chimed in, just barely cutting through his own battle with his annoying itch.

Reuben nodded slightly, still concentrating on the tickle. He knew that he looked a mess, but the tickle was so unpredictable that he didn’t want to make a fool out of himself anymore than he already had.

“Yes, I’b fide. Judst dhought I was goi’g to s-sdeeze.” Reuben replied, wincing at how much congestion was piling up in his sinuses. He released an irritable sigh as he grabbed a few tissues from off of the counter and blew his nose. He knew that he needed to do a heavy blow, but in respect of his patient he released a soft blow into the tissues, that still sounded wet and gross, but not too unbearable. And no, that nose blow didn’t do anything for him but make him sound and look sick, and make his nose a light shade of pink.

He sighed, getting fed up with his irritating nose, feeling the itch become inflamed since he blew his nose, but it still wasn’t strong enough to actually make him sneeze. He grabbed the Q-tips once again, and approached the child and told her to say “Ahh” so that he could examine her throat and get a sample of her saliva. She gave a weird look at Reuben, seeing his tired frame slumped in front of hers with his mouth slightly open taking in uneven breaths, his droopy, tired eyes beating down into hers, his slightly twitching nose that was now clearly moist and practically leaking from all of the tickling he had been suffering through. Despite seeing this, she complied, closing her eyes and opening her mouth wide, giving Reuben full view of the inside of her mouth. It didn’t look good. He could see little red bumps coating the roof of her mouth, with white pus pockets as well. He took mental note of that.

The easy part was finished, now for the hard part. The swab. He didn’t want to press too hard on the back of her throat, or hit her uvula and make her gag, nor did he want to sneeze during the procedure and injure the patient. Reuben released a quick sigh and chestly coughed briefly over his shoulder. He just needed to finish up with this patient so that he could take all the time he needed to coax out the sneeze, or do whatever – He just needed a break.

Reuben took in a shaky breath and slowly guided the Q-tip into the child’s mouth, clenching all of his muscles while trying his hardest to keep his hand from shaking, and trying his hardest to ignore the burning tickle in his sinuses. While getting close to the back of the child’s throat, Reuben feels his body release a quick shutter from how uncomfortable it felt when a strand of clear phlegm tried to peak out of his left nostril. He sniffles out of habit and causes the itch to erupt like lighting a stick of dynamite and feeling it explode right inside of his nose. Instantly, he pulls his hand out from the child’s mouth and tries to quickly duck his face into the crook of his elbow with his teeth clamped shut, turning completely away from his patient and her family.

“hhH-H’IEGTTZSH!!” The first sneeze was desperate, wet sounding and forceful. He wasn’t quite fast enough to land it in the crook of his elbow, so it partially sprayed mist out into the open and onto his arm.

“Bless you!” The girl yelled, shocked from the loudness of the abrupt sneeze.

“Eh’ktsh-I’SSH…!!”

“Bless you, bless you!”

“Hh’ktsshsh!”

“Bless you!” The girl giggled from both enjoying saying bless you so many times and from peering over the pediatrician’s shoulder to reveal the look on Reuben’s face as he pulled his head out from his elbow. She had to look past his loose, disheveled beige locks to see his nose softly twitching and the distressed, hazy look on his face, signaling to her that he still wasn’t done.

“Hah-hh… E-excuehh-HhUH… Huktshn!”

“Bless you!”

“Eh’SSH! ‘Scuse be.” Reuben croaked, voice now thick and strained from the well overdue sneezes.

“Bless you, mister! Wow!” The girl exclaimed in awe. “If I ever sneezed that many times, I would die!” Reuben tried to apologize, knowing how disgusting and messy he looked through glossy eyes and constant sniffling.

“Don’t apologize for something you can’t help.” The mom instructed, giving Reuben a look of concern. “We all get sick, and that includes doctors too.”

He weakly shook his head, still feeling the tickle burning away at his nose as he released muted pants that made his chest bounce with each breath. He felt truly awful, but at this point he didn’t much care how he looked anymore. He just wanted the itch to leave him alone. It had caused enough havoc with him, and he wanted it to stop. The gentleman grabbed a handful of tissues and instantly blew into them, sneezing two more tired sneezes, while having them get muffled during the blow and from the soaked tissues, but he still received two cheerful ‘bless you’s from the girl. He couldn’t help but smile at the child and the pureness in her heart for blessing him so many times.

“Thangk you both.” Reuben croaked before dipping into his elbow again, releasing deep, chesty coughs into it. The sneezes seemed to open up his throat, making it scratchier and drier. On the last cough, he heard a slight rattle in his chest, which shocked him and the family in the room with him.

“I'm no doctor, but I know that doesn’t sound good…” The mother implied, with a questioning tone.

She was right. It didn’t sound good, and it didn’t feel good either. Reuben sighed and blew his nose once more into a fresh round of tissues, feeling like he had just been booted back to square one, with the subtle itch taunting at his nostrils again. So close yet so far. It felt like he was always on edge, waiting for the sneeze to build up, or for it to continue to linger in his nostrils so heavily that it made him continually breathe through his mouth.

“Alright Abel, let’s continue with the procedure.” Reuben suggested with a snuffle as he applied his hand sanitizer and picked up the Q-tip. Abel nodded and giggled at the gentleman, pointing at his face this time. He gave her a confused look at first, but then noticed that his glasses had been askew from the sneezing fit. A sheepish grin coats the man’s face as he defeatedly straightens his glasses and runs a hand through his hair as the little girl opened wide once again so that the gentleman could grab the samples that he needed. This time, it went smoothly with no issues, besides the faint hitches from the pediatrician, or the subtle sniffles he would release. “Alright. I’ll get this to the lab; they’ll do a couple tests and I’ll come back to let you know what steps we need to take after we get the results back.” Reuben informed them as he quickly left the room. He starts to release a well needed sigh as he massages the bridge if his nose, but is abruptly interrupted by Lani shoving another document into his face.

"How'd your first patient go? Great. Next patient is Alexander. Ryan had to leave early, so I told him you'd be willing to take over for his patient. You are, aren't you?" Lani asked, hoping that she had caught Reuben red handed and that he was about to give up and take the rest of the day off.

"O-of course." The gentleman says, startled as he tried to straighten up his posture and accept the document. Lani is silent for a moment.

"... Okay. Alexander just needs a simple check up. Shouldn't be too hard on you."

The gentleman nods his thanks and quickly heads into the restroom, needing a short break before he sees his next patient. He rubs his face with a few handfuls of cold water, trying to wake himself up and to give himself a bit of refreshment, and then he wipes away the beads of water into a paper towel. He knew that he didn't look 100% like himself, but it didn't matter. He was going to stay and finish his day off work regardless. He didn't want to let his patients or his co-workers down.

#sickfic #snz #snzfic #my ocs #snez #cold #sneeze #sneezefic #snezfic #original #sick #allergy #allergies

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