Hello, reader, I hope you enjoy this fanfiction! II do not own The Maze Runner or any of the characters. This fanfiction is based off the song, Thirty Minute Break, by the Luka State. Viewer Discretion is advised.
The way you met him was probably the most bizarre way you have ever met someone. It happened last year, the year you moved into an apartment with your friends Thomas, Minho, and Teresa. It all happened on a cool October afternoon.
-Flashback-
"Titan, get back here!" you yelled as you chased after the male tabby cat.
This was the second time this week you had to chase down the cat. The first time he ran was out into the street. You had to chase him down at least fourteen blocks, then through about a dozen bushes, and then you and the cat almost got hit by a taxi when you chased him into the street. Because of this, your neighbors gave you the nickname American Idiot, which you were fine with because it was a song by the band Green Day. This time, the cat was running up and down the stairs that led to the upper floors of the apartment.
"Honestly, what has Teresa been giving this cat?" you said to yourself as you chased Titan back down to the fourth floor.
You braced yourself for another trip down the stairs, but instead of running down the stairs, the cat turned and ran down the hallway of the fourth floor. You groaned in annoyance and turned into the hallway, ready to start running, but you saw that Titan was rubbing his head against a boy's leg. The boy didn't pay any attention to you or the cat as he exhaled the smoke that was coming from his cigarette. Being as quiet as possible, you walked down the hallway to retrieve the crazy cat, but the boy turned his head. He looked at you and you looked at him.
The boy had long, blonde hair, his jaw was squared, and he was pretty tall. He also looked very scrawny, but you saw that his arms were a bit muscular with a few veins sticking out here and there. The boy looked at the tabby cat.
"This yours?" he asked in a thick British accent.
You sighed.
"Yes...and no. The cat belongs to my friend but we live together," you said, and he only nodded.
"So, your one of the shanks that live in the apartment bellow me?" he said and you nodded.
The boy flicked his cigarette off the side of the railing and watched as it fell to the pavement bellow. He turned towards you and held out his left hand. You could see a few veins sticking out of his hand to.
"Names Newt," he said and you felt a smile creep to your lips.
"My name is (y/n)," you said as you took his hand and shook it.
Newt's hand felt rough, but it was also soft and a bit warm. After shaking his hand, you dropped your hand to your side and then picked up the cat.
"It was nice meeting you," you said, giving him a smile.
You turned around and began walking away.
"Hey, hold up a sec!"
You looked back at him, watching as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Yeah?" you asked, and he gave you a shy smile.
"Well, we are neighbors…kind of, how about we hang out sometime?" Newt asked and you smiled.
"That would be nice…yeah let's hang out sometime," you said and began walking away.
"Good that," you heard him say.
The two of you did see each other almost every day and hung out on Fridays or Saturdays.
-End of Flashback-
Today was a cold Saturday night, so cold that you didn't want to leave your apartment, but tonight you and your friends were going out like you did every Saturday or Friday night. You stood up from the couch, slipped on your coat, wrapped your (f/c) scarf around your neck, and then slipped on your combat boots. Once you were ready to face the cold, you slipped your phone out of your pocket to text Newt.
"Hey, you ready?"
-Newt's POV-
Newt stared at the television screen as he took a sip of vodka from the glass bottle he held in his hand. When he heard his phone chime, letting him know he had received a text, he looked down at his phone and smiled when he saw that it was a text from you. His fingers began flying over the screen of his phone, replying to your text, but his long fingers froze when he heard someone walk into the room. Newt looked up and smiled as his girlfriend sat down on the couch next to him, drying her wet hair with a towel. It was obvious that she had just gotten out of the shower.
"Hey," she said, and he continued smiling as if nothing was wrong.
"Hey," he said, still smiling.
"I was going to order take out, is that ok?" she asked and he nodded.
"Yeah."
His girlfriend stood up and walked back to their room. Once she was gone, Newt stood up, pulled on his warm, winter coat, and then left the apartment. He walked down the flight of stairs to meet you, Thomas, Minho, and Teresa.
-Your POV-
You jumped around on the pavement, trying to keep yourself warm but it wasn't really working. You knew London was cold, but you didn't think it would be this cold!
"It's so cold!" you complained, and Minho nudged you with his shoulder gently.
"Stop complaining, (y/n)," Minho said, and Thomas chuckled.
You looked over at Thomas and Teresa, still jumping up and down, and smiled. The two of them were huddled together, hand in hand. They've only been dating for two months and they were absolutely adorable! This was your OTP, but Minho honestly didn't like the fact that his best friend was already in a relationship. Minho said that Thomas was missing out on the "bro code" or whatever he calls it to be with Teresa, but you honestly thought he was jealous because he was still single. Typical Minho.
As you continued to jump around, you heard someone coming down the stairs. It was probably just another old man. Looking to see if it was Newt anyways, you smiled when you saw that it was him.
"Hey, sorry I'm late," he said and you nudged him playfully.
"Apology NOT accepted! I'm freezing over here!" you said and Newt smiled.
It was nice to see him smiling.
"Alright, let's go," Thomas said as he and Teresa led the way towards the small bar that they went to.
As Minho walked behind Thomas, talking to Thomas about…whatever boys liked to talk about, you stayed behind the group with Newt. Since Newt walked with a limp, he was much slower than the others.
"So, how are you today," you asked and he shrugged.
"Good, I guess," he said, and you smiled.
"That's good."
As the group walked on, you talked to Newt and also listened to Minho, Thomas, and Teresa's conversation about…model trains? Probably model trains. The night was pretty quiet, well it was until someone behind the group broke the silence.
"Newt!" a girl called as her boots clomped against the pavement.
Newt turned around and bit his lip. The girl came up to him and threw her arms around him and he hugged her back.
"Hey," he said as he pulled a smile, a fake one in fact.
The girl pulled away and looked at you and your friends.
"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?" the girl asked and Newt chewed on his bottom lip.
"Guys…um, this is my girlfriend, Stephanie," he said, and all at once your mouths fell open.
You have been friends with Newt for at least a year, going on two, and now he tells you about his girlfriend?! Inside, you felt your heart break…just a bit.
"The couple is Thomas and Teresa, that's Minho, and this is (y/n)," Newt said, and Stephanie smiled.
"Nice to meet you all!"
"Yea, you to…" you mumbled as you walked beside Minho, leaving Newt behind.
You felt guilty for leaving Newt behind, but you needed sometime to process this, which was going to take some time.
-Time Skip-
You stared into your glass of water, trying to block out Stephanie's voice as she went on about her and Newt this and her and Newt that. Sure you were upset and maybe just a bit jealous, but you decided to pretend everything was fine until Thomas said it was time to head home…which you doubted would be soon. Thomas and Teresa were having their own conversation and drinking cocktails…a lot of cocktails. You didn't drink because you were afraid you'd get addicted and besides what if something happened? That was another good reason not to drink.
As you stared at your reflection, you felt Minho wrap his arm around you. Newt wasn't the only one you were close to, you and Minho were pretty tight, and he could tell if something was upsetting you.
"What's wrong, (y/n)?" Minho asked as he took a sip of his beverage.
"Nothing, I'm fine," you said as you brushed some of your (h/l), (h/c) hair behind you ear.
"I know you better than that, so what's wrong?" Minho asked again and you stood up.
"I'm going to the bathroom," you announced and then left the table.
You made your way towards the entrance of the bar to pop outside to get some fresh air. It wasn't just that you needed sometime to process the whole girlfriend thing, but the bar was also stuffy and you badly needed some fresh air. As your hand grabbed the handle of the door, you turned it, ready to step outside into the cold night, but a voice stopped you.
"(Y/n)."
You looked over your shoulder and frowned when you saw Newt.
"Yeah?" you asked as you turned to face him.
Newt rubbed the back of his neck and looked into your (e/c) eyes.
"You've been quiet ever since we got here, what's wrong?" he asked, and you sighed.
"Oh my gosh, why is everyone asking me that? I'm fine!" you said, and Newt only shook his head and stepped closer to you.
"You're not fine, I'm not that stupid," he said, and you sighed softly.
You leaned against the wall and buried your face into your hands. You felt tears sting your eyes, threatening to spill over, but you didn't let them. You wouldn't cry in front of him.
"It's…complicated,' you mumbled, and he continued to look at you.
"How so?" he asked.
You couldn't lie to yourself now, it was out of the question. You loved him, oh you loved him! But, you could never tell, not now not ever.
"I-it will probably take a while to explain," you said, rambling, and Newt gave you a smile.
"I've got all night," he replied as he gently took your hands into his.
They were still rough…yet they were so warm. You squeezed Newt's hands and stepped closer to him. You looked up into his eyes.
"Newt, I-," you started to say as he pulled you into his arms and held you close.
You found your hands gripping his shirt as he pulled you closer to his chest.
"It's ok, you don't have to say anything," Newt said, not wanting you to feel pressured.
You nodded and buried your face into his chest. You breathed in his sent…he smelled like shaving cream.
"Thank you," you whispered, and he gave you another smile.
"Your welcome."
The two of you stood together in the entrance of the bar, not letting go. You didn't want to let go, not yet. You wanted to enjoy the moment while it lasted. Even though you couldn't be with Newt, not now anyways, you were still going to be his friend. However, you still didn't understand the whole situation about Stephanie. You opened your mouth to say something, but Newt quickly released you from his grasp. Confused, you gave him a look, but then looked into the direction he was looking at. It was Stephanie.
"Newt, what are you doing?" she asked, and Newt bit his lip.
"It's not what it looks like, I swear!" he said, and Stephanie stormed passed him, leaving the bar.
Newt looked at you, his eyes telling you that he was sorry and then he took off after Stephanie. Something didn't seem right. Something seemed very…off about Newt and his girlfriend's relationship. Now thinking about it, why didn't Newt ever tell you and your friends that he had a girlfriend? Was he embarrassed or was it something else? As you pulled your scarf secure around your neck, you bolted out of the bar, making your way to the apartment. You had a bad feeling about all of this.
-Newt's POV-
Newt ran up the stairs and around the corner, chasing after his upset girlfriend.
"Stephanie, can we just talk about this?!" he yelled.
Stephanie tried slamming the door shut behind her when she got into the apartment, but Newt grabbed the metal door, bruising his hand in the process. Once she had ran to another room in the apartment, Newt walked inside. Slipping off his coat, he threw it onto the floor, and walked over to the fridge, grabbing a cold bottle of whisky and took a big sip. As he leaned against the counter, he turned his head and looked at his girlfriend.
"Look, I-," Newt tried to say, but was cut off.
"GET OUT!" she screamed as she threw a glass plate at him.
Newt fell onto the floor, his hands over his head to protect himself from the shards of glass. He dodged shards of glass here and there as Stephanie continued throwing things at him. As he dodged another glass bottle, he felt a shard of glass hit his cheek, cutting his flesh in the process.
"Stop it, you're hurting me!" he cried.
She ran over to him, kicked him in the ribcage, and began beating him with her fists.
"This, is nothing compared to the pain you've brought me all these years!" she screamed at him, and Newt closed his eyes tightly.
After a minute of taking her beating, he crawled away from her and ran as fast as he could to the bathroom. Newt slammed the door, locked it, and turned towards the mirror. He looked like complete klunk. He ran his fingers gently over the fresh new cut on his cheek and sighed. Grapping the fabric of his t-shirt, he pulled it over his head and tossed it onto the floor. There was a cut on his chest, a big, ugly bruise forming under his left breast, and multiple bruises on his arms. This, was normal for him, but he has had all he could take. He had to get out.
Newt opened the door of the bathroom, and looked around the apartment. Stephanie was nowhere in sight. Sighing, he walked through the apartment and then walked out the door. As he leaned against the metal rail, he lit a cigarette and breathed in the smoke. Even though he promised you he would stop, he still smoked one now and then.
-Your POV-
You had only been on the first floor when you barely heard the screams. In complete panic, you jogged up the stairs, passing Newt's girlfriend on the way up. What happened to him? As you ran up to the fourth floor, you turned down the hallway, still running, but froze when you saw Newt. He looked horrible! His pale skin was covered in bruises and you could see the cut on his cheek. You walked towards him, tears stinging you're eyes. You felt like that this was all your fault.
"Newt," you whispered as you approached him.
Newt threw his cigarette over the metal rail and looked at you.
"I'm sorry," he said, and you shook your head.
You walked up to him and hugged him tightly. You couldn't help but cry.
"No, it's not your fault! I'm sorry, I had no idea!" you said, sobbing, and Newt only held you closer to his chest.
"You had no idea, so stop crying, I hate seeing you cry," he said, his voice cracking up as if he was about to cry himself.
You stayed in Newt's arms for a while, crying into his chest. For a whole year, he has been suffering, and you didn't even notice a thing. You cried for a while, but when you calmed down, you wiped your nose on your jacket sleeve and held his hands.
"You must be freezing, c'mon let's get you inside," you said softly.
Newt nodded in reply and followed you as you led him down to the apartment that you shared with your friends. Once you were both inside, you slipped off your coat, scarf, and combat boots, and led him to the bathroom. You cleaned out the cuts on his cheek and chest and then placed a band aid on both of the cuts. After his wounds were dealt with, you grabbed him a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt from Thomas's closet and handed them to Newt.
"Go get dressed and I'll fix you something to eat. Is chick noodle soup ok?" you asked, and he nodded.
"That's fine with me," he said and went to the bathroom.
You walked into the small kitchen and began searching for a can of chicken noodle soup.
"Did Minho eat it?" you asked yourself as you dug through the cabinet and smiled when you finally found the can of soup.
You sat the can of soup onto the counter and grabbed a pot from the cabinet the pots and pans were in. You filled the pot with water, boiled it, and then poured the soup into the pot. As you stirred the soup, you felt two arms wrap around your torso. You turned your head just enough to see Newt.
"It's almost ready," you said, and he smiled.
"Good that," he replied as he laid his chin on top of your head.
You finished cooking the chicken noodle soup and then poured it into two bowels. You turned off the stove, grabbed two spoons, and sat the bowels on the table. You sat down and watched as Newt feasted on the soup. Taking the metal spoon in your hand, you began eating your own bowel of soup. Both of you said nothing to each other until Newt had finished his bowel of chicken noodle soup.
"Man, that was delicious, thanks, (y/n)," he said, and you smiled.
"You're welcome," you said before taking the last bite of your soup.
Once you were done, you carried both bowels to the sink, washed them out, and then sat them gently into the sink. You turned towards Newt and leaned against the counter.
"You can take the bed, I'll sleep on the couch," you offered, and he shook his head.
"No, I don't mind sleeping on the couch," he said, and you sighed.
"Please, I insist!
"No, thank you, but I'm fine with sleeping on the couch."
For a few seconds, the two of you continued arguing back and forth until you both started laughing. This argument was pointless, and was going absolutely no where!
"You've had a rough day, please just take the bed," you said, and Newt walked over to you.
He gently laid his hands on your shoulders and looked you in the eye. His cheeks were a light shade of pink.
"This argument is going nowhere…how about we both just sleep in the bed or on the couch," he said, and you felt your own cheeks turn pink as well.
"But, that would be weird! I mean we're just friends!" you blurted out.
Newt's cheeks turned red as a tomato as he pulled you closer to him.
"(Y/n), listen to me," he said, and you looked up at him.
"What is it?"
You felt his heart rate increase and his breathing quickened to. Was he ok?
"I know it's a bit sudden, but I like you!" Newt blurted out, and you stared at him.
Your eyes widened and you gripped onto his shirt gently.
"W-what?" you said, blushing, and Newt's face was now completely red.
"I. Love. You."
You let out a sigh, a sigh of happiness and hugged him tightly. You couldn't believe the words that were coming from his mouth, you couldn't believe that this was happening. You buried your face into his chest.
"Newt, I love you to," you whispered, and he chuckled.
"What was that, (y/n)?"
You punched his chest playfully and as gently as you could.
"I said I love you! Geez, Newt, listen to people when they talk," you said, laughing, and he laughed to.
You held Newts hand in one of your hands, and then gently ran your fingers through his blonde hair with the other. You hoped that he was ok with you touching him, you didn't want to make him uncomfortable.
"Is this ok?" you asked, and he nodded.
"Better than ok," he said, and you smiled, glad that you weren't hurting him.
As the two of you stood in the middle of the kitchen, embracing each other, you felt Newt cup your cheeks and turn your eyes to meet his. He stroked your cheek gently with his thumb.
"Thank you, for being such an amazing friend and for always being there for me. I didn't tell you what was going on…because I didn't want you to worry. Don't worry about me, (y/n), I'm going to be just fine as long as I have you and the others."
Before you could say anything, Newt leaned down and pressed his lips to your own. At first you were shocked, thinking things were going too fast, but as you kissed him back you noticed that he meant no harm. The kiss was soft and gentle. As the kiss continued, you felt his long fingers brushing through your (h/l), (h/c). You wanted to stay like this forever, but you both needed air…and the moment was also ruined by none other than Minho.
"Finally, finally after months of crushing you two are finally hitting it off! Well, this is a good day for me!" Minho said, and looked at a drunk Thomas.
"Well, Tommy, I believe you owe me twenty dollars."
"Hold on, you were betting on us?!" you and Newt blurted out, and Minho smiled.
"Of course, what are friends for?" Minho replied and then left to put Teresa and Thomas into their own rooms.
You and Newt looked at each other shyly and then began laughing. How did you not see this one coming? After a good laugh, you looked at Newt and began fumbling with your hands.
"So does this mean we are in…you know a relationship?" you asked, and Newt shrugged.
"I'd love to be in a relationship with you, but I think I need some time," he replied, and you nodded.
You completely understood.
"Alright then, well get some sleep, I'll see you in the morning," You said, turning towards the living room, but he grabbed you wrist.
"Stay…with me," Newt said, and you looked at him.
"Are you sure?" you asked and he nodded.
"Yea, I'm positive," he replied.
Once everything was settled, you walked into your room, changed out of your cloths into a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt, and then crawled into bed. You watched as Newt crawled in next to you, and blushed as he held you close to his chest.
"Yea…this is ok," he whispered and then closed his eyes.
You watched as he dozed off, and soon you fell asleep in his warm arms.