The deep roar of the ship's horn thundered in Tina's ears, jolting her awake, and she awkwardly sat up from what she slowly realized was the lap of Newt Scamander; her cheeks turned a light rose as she looked him over. He was slouched against the window, his face buried in one arm as he gently snored, clearly undisturbed by the sound. It had been a few days now of sailing across the Atlantic—maybe four? The days had started to blur together a bit at this point—and it seemed that they were finally arriving.
"I can't wait to read it." Tina examined the brand new, freshly printed copy of his novel in her hands, heavier than she had imagined; the gold letters shined in the light as she slightly turned it, illuminating the title, and his name.
"...Would you like to live it?" He proposed, daringly holding his gaze at her as she looked up. His heart palpitated as he watched her look up from the book, his book, that she held in her hands. He did not expect the glossy shine in her eyes as she met his, or the trembling smile now upon her lips.
"I would like that very much."
She looked past him and out across the waters; the orange streaks of the setting sun peaked through the clouds, the ocean blue glistening, and the silhouette of the country now appeared on the horizon. She felt a flutter in her chest at the sight.
"N-Newt—hey, Newt—" She shook his shoulder with a bit more force than she originally intended, and he abruptly jerked, before hazily turning his head to her eager gaze.
He clumsily sat up in his seat, before following her eyes out across the sea, and a small smirk appeared on his face. Although he felt relieved to be finally arriving at their destination, more than anything he felt delighted at the sight of Tina's child-like wonder; her dark eyes were wider now as she watched the port growing larger in their view, and he too felt a flutter in his chest as he shyly watched her.
"Come with me." Tina backed away from the window now, standing up as she clutched her bag. Newt silently stood up as well, following her lead as she almost ran to the staircase at the end of the room, and up to the ship's deck. Without hesitation she made her way across it and to one of the guard rails, grasping it firmly as she still watched. He breathlessly caught up to her a moment later and clumsily stood beside her, taking hold of the rail in front of him. She felt as if she was flying as the open air forcefully rushed against them; she closed her eyes, the scent of salt and sea infiltrating her senses as she took a deep breath.
He did all that he could to fight the nausea that was rising in his abdomen—no matter how many dangerous situations he defeated and creatures he faced in his life, he had never been able to conquer seasickness. He closed his eyes as well as he tried to steady himself against the rail, as nearly impossible as that was when riding on the waves of the ocean.
Moments passed as Tina daydreamed, her attention lost in the captivating scene before her; she absentmindedly slid a couple of her slim fingers over Newt's hand, immediately breaking his focus from the battle with his stomach. He felt the heat rise in his face, flustered by her touch, and the only reaction he could manage was to awkwardly freeze as he stared out before them.
As soon as she realized what had happened, she withdrew her hand and grasped the rails once more.
"Uhm, Newt, I—"
"I've figured out the first place that I'd like to take you."
She turned her head to face him, as his light eyes shined against the sun. She gently smiled, holding her gaze for a moment before she turned back to the city approaching them.
By the time they arrived at the port, a calming drizzle of English rain fell from the skies; Tina stopped within a few feet of the exit as she looked around her in awe. The winding cobblestone streets spread out from where she stood in various directions, and along them stood several modest buildings; ranging from bakeries, to clothing shops, pubs, and inns. The soft yellow glow from the windows illuminated the streets like candles in the twilight.
Newt once again watched with delight as she took in everything before them, standing within a couple of feet just behind her; it had never occurred to him that the simple town that he called home since as long as he could remember could possibly mesmerize anyone, let alone someone who had been raised in such a large, bustling city like New York. He had been raised running through these streets, knowing by name every person who lived within them.
"Shall we?" He hesitantly interrupted, and she looked back and up at him. She simply nodded, her eyes creasing with her soft smile.
He led her down one of the roads before them, and they both slowly strolled as Tina curiously gazed into each passing window. She watched as a couple stood at the counter of their bakery, the husband behind the wife, as they flattened dough into the counter together; and then a blacksmith as he stood above his anvil, hammering the burning, fiery red metal placed upon it, and in another window she watched as a woman stood upon a stage in front of a small crowd, seducing the bar patrons with her sultry voice.
Eventually, their path led to a more secluded area, populated only by trees and cottages which stood upon small hills. She admired the landscape that surrounded them, untouched by modern architecture and industrialization, unlike where she was born and raised. It had been years since she saw so many towering, magnificent trees, matured for what must have been decades, or heard the sound of so many creatures, living as they were meant to, thriving in their natural habitat.
"This is beautiful, Newt." She breathed, still admiring everything around them.
He looked over to her for a moment, before he shyly looked back to the path in front of them.
"I-I'm glad you like it." He was honestly surprised at how much she was enjoying this first trip so far; he was unaccustomed to meeting others who appreciated, or even took a remote interest in the magnificence of nature the way that he did, if they even stuck around past his ramblings about his magical creatures—which was always one of the first things he talked about… if not the very first.
After some time, a meadow of unruly, tall grass that looked to span for miles appeared at their right. Newt abruptly stopped in his tracks, and then Tina stopped after a few strides, once she noticed he was no longer at her side. He couldn't help the subtle smile that appeared across his lips as he first looked at the field and then back to her.
"Wait, we're going in there?" With a hint of nervousness in her voice, she scanned the wall of grass.
"It's safe." He took a step towards her, a look of gentle reassurance in his eyes. She didn't budge, as her eyes moved back and forth from his to in front of them.
"I promise." Considering everything they had experienced together prior to this trip was anything but safe, she figured that walking around farmland would pale in comparison. She walked over to him, and looked up as she let out a sigh of resignation.
He smiled at her once more, feeling the excitement rise in his chest as he made his way from the road and into the meadow, and she slowly followed; with one hand she grasped at the arm of his jacket as they silently walked.
A few moments later they arrived at a clearing; spanning several feet were tufts of soft grass and clusters of flowers, as well as spots of dirt exposed from years of being treaded. At the far end was a pond, from which emanated the rough croaks of toads as they sat upon their lily pads, still as they called into the air. Tina gasped as she noticed the warm orbs that danced in the air as far as she could see; she squinted her eyes, unable to exactly make them out, but realizing their glow was too great for them to be fireflies.
"What… are those?" She stepped away from Newt and further into the clearing, her eyes fixed on a particular creature as it fluttered in the sky; she was taken by the enchantment as she observed it's delicate, graceful wings that glowed a mellow orange light. A light, playful hum could be heard in the air, which seemed to come synchronously from the creatures surrounding them. She impulsively reached out towards it, but it evaded her fingers and flew further up into the sky.
"Flitterbies." Newt finally answered, appearing right beside her as he also gazed at the magical beings.
"They're a species of moth. One of my favorites, actually."
She turned back to face him, her fascination growing with every word he spoke.
He felt a sudden rush of confidence from her interest, and he looked around for another moment before meeting her eyes.
"I've been coming here since I was a child," He started, clearing his throat as he looked down at the grass beneath him.
"…this has always been a, well, I suppose you could say, escape for me. When I wanted to be away from… everything, I came here. I've spent many nights laying in this grass, looking up at the stars, with these creatures—"
He raised his hand up above them, and a moment later a Flitterby delicately perched upon it; its luminous wings brightened the icy blue in his eyes as he affectionately looked down at his palm.
"—as my only company."
Tina could feel tears threaten to well in her eyes as she watched him, the look on his face as he invited her inside the slight glimpse of himself. She started to reach out to touch his arm, before the Flitterby suddenly fluttered away from him and playfully made its way towards her, and it perched on the tip of her nose.
They both simultaneously let out a nervous laugh, as the creature moved its wings for a few moments before it flew out into the air. A comfortable silence fell between them as they simply looked into each other's eyes, surrounded by the sounds of nature around them and the breeze that moved through the meadow.
"T-There is one more thing I would like to show you." Newt stuttered, unable to break away from her gaze. She subtly smiled, answering by gently taking his hand with hers. He felt the pink rise in his cheeks at her touch, briefly pausing before he was able to compose himself.
He turned away and started to lead her further towards the left of the clearing, and they met a wall of towering grass once more. She didn't hesitate as he led her into it and through several feet of tall, gentle grassland, gripping his hand tightly as they walked.
They reached another clearing, but this time a humble, deteriorated home and the remains of a wooden stable stood before them. Various plants had overgrown in every place accessible, vines twisting up the posts of the stable as well as the sides of the home; there was no sign of life, nor had there been, most likely, for years.
He continued to lead her, walking slowly toward the fragile wooden stables that appeared to be hanging on for dear life, collapsible by a strong enough breeze. Tina quietly observed each stall as they walked through it, traces of the hay which once provided comfort for the animals inside in each corner, before they reached the end of the structure. Newt gazed into the last one, lingering for a few moments before he spoke, but he didn't break his eyes away.
"This is where I met the first love of my life… Autumn."
Tina's expression quickly gave way to her confusion, and he nervously laughed once he looked over to her.
"She was the first Hippogriff I ever met. One of the main reasons I became a Magizoologist."
She slightly threw her head back, a quiet laugh of relief escaping from her throat as a feeling of relief washed over her. For a brief second, she thought he meant that he kept his girlfriends in horse stables. A sudden chill passed through, the darkness of the night having already cloaked over them for some time, and only now did either of them notice.
"D-Do you want to…" Newt nervously gestured towards the back door of the cottage, and Tina immediately walked past him to go inside.
With a loud, drawn out creak the door opened as he pushed it forward, and they were greeted by complete darkness. He reached inside his jacket and grabbed his wand, then waved it in the air as every lamp before them began to burn. He slowly slid his damp jacket from his shoulders and down each arm, before he lazily placed it on the side of one of the sofas in the front room.
Tina stepped inside, once again examining her surroundings as she entered, before she closed the door behind her. She also took off her jacket, placing it on top of his. The home had clearly been unoccupied for years, but still showed signs of the life it once had; in the sink sat a couple of dishes, covered in dust, but had once been covered in food that had been enjoyed; upon a wall hung a calendar, marked with elegantly written plans for the month, and two pet dishes sat upon the floor at the end of the kitchen, one for water and one for food, empty but forever waiting to be refilled for its owner.
"Is this your… your home?" Tina asked, her voice a couple of octaves higher as she felt her emotions rise within her.
"Yes. It is." Newt calmly answered, as he stood behind her once more. She leaned back into him, instinctively reaching up to touch one of the hands that rested upon her shoulder. He grasped her hand, bringing it down as he started to walk over to one of the sofas. She hesitantly followed, and they both slowly sat down.
"What happ—"
Newt tightened his grip on her hand in response, looking down at the hardwood floor, still perfectly covered by intricate pieces of oak.
"I-I don't really want to talk about…"
His voice trailed off, his head still bowed as he went quiet.
"Okay." She could feel that she was nearing his personal boundaries, and she leaned into his chest, her hand still in his. He took a deep breath, struggling to control the nervousness rising throughout his core, as he raised his other hand to rest it gently upon the top of her head. After some time of comfortable silence they naturally fell into each other, Tina's body resting against his as they laid down, and he absentmindedly began to stroke her hair. He raised his wand and also lit the long abandoned fireplace before them, and although the flame initially struggled to catch, a tiny, stable fire began to burn.
She nestled her head into his chest a bit as she watched the weak flame gradually expand, and they laid together in the comfortable warmth.
"Goodnight, Newt." Tina tiredly spoke against his chest, as she felt herself slowly drifting away to sleep.
"Goodnight, Tina."
He held her close as he started to drift into sleep as well; the scent of salt, ocean, and rain lulled him away.
A/N: So here begins their travels around the world! For those who might be familiar with my other works—yes, another Newt/Tina story! Haha. I'm just so obsessed with them. I can't help it… ;(
I've had this idea in my mind for a while now but haven't had the time to start writing it until now, so I hope you like it—I'm very excited to write about their adventures meeting all of Newt's "Fantastic Beasts". :P
Thank you so, so much for taking the time to read the beginning of my story, and please let me know what you think!