"Newt, this place is amazing." I looked out at the sea that laid beyond; he'd suggested we go out to eat somewhere, but I certainly hadn't expected this.
"Truly," he agreed, although his gaze wasn't on the ocean. It was on me, and his eyes were twinkling with an excitement I'd never seen before.
"Newt?"
"Yes?" He sounded alarmed, as though he had been caught doing something wrong.
"Why did you really bring me here?"
He looked down and sighed, and I wondered what could possibly be going through his mind. I had just figured he wanted to spend more time together, as friends; neither of us had really seen much of each other recently, and I had been under the impression that he had wanted to catch up on life. I found myself questioning this as he fumbled around in his pocket.
In one almost swift motion, he knelt down on one knee and pulled a small, circular item out of his pocket, presenting it to me as though the very item was filled with pride. (I say 'almost', as he nearly dropped the gift and he was shaky to get to his knees.)
I gasped as it dawned on me. He was holding a ring. He... Newt Scamander was proudly holding a ring in front of me.
"Newt. I... What?" was all I could muster.
"I. Uhm. Okay, here goes. Ever since I laid m-my eyes on you, I knew you were the one for me." He spoke fast, as though he was reading from a script, and I wondered if he really had rehearsed this speech.
"I love that your favourite animal is a niffler, and that your eyes sparkle when you smile. You will always have a place amongst my creatures, if you... want to." He seemed breathless, and I had to smile. The effort he must've gone to in order to make this evening work; it astounded me. I was surprised, to say the least.
I knelt down on the floor beside him, and cupped his open hand with my own.
"Newt," I began, grinning. "This evening has been amazing, and this is... Well, this is totally unexpected. I honestly had no idea you felt that way, and Newt, I love you too." His lips spread onto a smile, and my heart skipped a beat. There was no way on Earth that a human could be this adorable.
"But as tempted as I am to say yes, don't you think we should, uh, try exploring being with each other first? Maybe rather than, uh, skipping ahead a few chapters. What do you say?"
He responded by nodding slowly, his eyes on the floor. Was he embarrassed? I did hope he didn't regret doing this.
"Newt, hey." I placed my finger underneath his chin and nudged his head up, to meet his eyes. They looked far away, as though his thoughts were already churning away in the background.
"Listen, I really did love this. It was super thoughtful, and I'm really surprised. I had no idea you liked me, and the fact that you feel strongly enough to go out and buy a ring is amazing. Some day, I would love to have that life with you; the married life, where we tend to the creatures, and perhaps raise a few of our own. But not yet. I've been dreaming of this for years, so, if it's alright with you, I'd like to take things slowly."
A smile perked up on his face as he realised I wasn't rejecting him. There was silence for a few moments, before Newt simply said:
"I would like that very much."
I leaned forward and kissed him on the nose; his nose twitched under my lips, which made my heart swell with warmth.
He pocketed the ring, and we sat there on the ground, watching the ocean with my head rested on his shoulder and our minds on the same subject; a future with one another.
