Author's Note: Hey guys! :) Yes, I did that - I married off Thomas and Teresa. Please don't judge me, Teresa-haters. She's my favorite character and I was really sad when she died in The Death Cure, so I wanted to give her and Tom a happy ending. Also, I sorta kinda married off Minho and Brenda... hope no one hates me for that either. Reviews please! :3
It is four months after Thomas woke up in the Safe Haven.
Four months after the other Gladers rescued Teresa from the remains of the Last City.
Four months since Thomas decided to forgive her.
It wasn't an easy choice. He spent many nights tossing and turning over it, wondering. But a lot can happen in four months.
Old wounds can begin to heal, physically and emotionally. The survivors of WCKD's experiments can finally begin to start their new lives.
Which for Thomas means something he never thought he'd even consider.
The decision didn't come out of nowhere. Two months earlier, Minho and Brenda got married.
Thomas has to admit he felt a little jealous about it, but he also has to admit what he's been thinking ever since Minho and Brenda first met: his sarcastic and prickly friend has a much better shot with a spitfire like Brenda than Thomas ever could.
The leaders of the Safe Haven allotted Minho and Brenda their own tent and now they live there among the other shelters full of people who are barely more than children, just as lost and confused as everyone who first shows up at the Safe Haven. But the strange thing is, Minho and Brenda are happy. For just a little while at least, they've seemed to be able to forget what came before.
And that's exactly what Thomas needs too.
He stands in that tent now, trying not to laugh as his friends fuss about his tux. Well, not a tux really, more like a black coat that, unlike most of the other clothes to be found around here, has managed to survive being ripped up and soiled by the harsh terrain. But since it's the closest thing they have to anything someone would want to get married in, he's standing in it being accosted by Brenda, who's been telling him for the past half hour that his bow tie's crooked. Who knew where they managed to find a bow tie out here? Minho's lent him his own best pants too, which for Safe Haven standards are jeans on which only one of the knees is torn. Thomas would have been fine in the t-shirt and slacks he was wearing the day he woke up in one of the medical huts, but Frypan, who has apparently become an expert on women since he arrived (Thomas has yet to see Frypan outside his tent without being surrounded by at least three girls) insisted that you don't wear that sort of thing to a wedding. Even a wedding out in the middle of nowhere.
"Thomas, just HOLD STILL FOR GOD'S SAKE." Brenda practically strangles him trying to fix the bow tie. On his way to secure Thomas' shoelaces (which are attached to old-fashioned Oxfords someone donated from three tents away), Minho slips up behind her and gives her a peck on the cheek. Brenda swats him away but Thomas knows she liked it.
"Get out of here M, I told you to go check and see if they're ready!"
Minho smirks and says, "How can I leave when my lady's flirting with the competition?" but slips out anyway after putting a leaf in Brenda's hair when her back is turned. Thomas notices and knows Minho will have a mouthful of violently affectionate insults and probably an equally violently affectionate hug coming for him when Brenda finds the leaf, but he decides to keep his mouth shut.
"There." Brenda finishes with his tie and looks him up and down. "Now you're ready." Her dark eyes are sparkling and Thomas knows she must be thinking back to her own wedding. Things happen fast in the Safe Haven. "Nervous?" she asks. And then she hugs him around the middle and Thomas has to hug her back with his head to the side so that he doesn't knock the leaf out.
Minho chooses that moment to poke his head back in and announce, "The shuckiest shuck-faced bride is ready for her shuckiest shuck-faced-"
"Shut up!" Brenda smacks his hair lightly and then opens one of the tent flaps for Thomas. "Out you go, Shuck-face."
Thomas emerges into the sunlight to see a crowd of people gathered on the shoreline at the edge of the beach. And in the middle…
Thomas stares. Whatever they've been able to do with the limited supplies they have in camp is impressive considering most of it's salvaged. Teresa's dark hair has been pulled back in some kind of complicated braid, and a necklace with a soda-can tab pendant glints around her neck. She's dressed in a light gray gown someone's obviously made from an oversized trench coat, and she's barefoot in the sand. But she looks beautiful, and Thomas doesn't think he's ever seen her look better.
As if she senses him watching, Teresa turns her head.
Don't be a creep, she jokes in his mind, then somehow projects a picture of her hitting him with a shoe.
Thomas laughs. Speak for yourself. Even from here he can sense how excited she is.
The ceremony begins. Vince officiates even though everyone knows he's not ordained. It doesn't matter. Everyone's just glad to be together for this special kind of Gathering. They have a regular one every week, but it's always different for things like this. Plus, Thomas thinks, the object of their weekly Gatherings isn't usually two people making out in front of a crowd.
Teresa speaks in his mind again. Hm, that's inappropriate. Really not helping your creep vibe here. He's standing in front of her now, her hands in his while Vince goes through the same speech he made for Minho and Brenda's wedding. You'd better not miss, Teresa thinks at him, referring to the kiss. Neither of them had had much practice before coming to the Safe Haven. Thomas purposefully sends Teresa back an image that makes her cheeks turn red, and he enjoys the look of pretend hatred she shoots back.
"Thomas." Vince gets his attention. "Are you ready?"
Thomas looks at Teresa again and sees his own anticipation reflected in her eyes. He turns to Vince.
"Yeah, I am."
It's the best kiss they've managed yet. The whoops and hollers of the assembled kids ring around them as Thomas releases Teresa and holds her close, looking into her face.
Didn't miss, he says in her head.
Her cheeks are flushed with joy. Well, are you going to kiss me again then?
He does, and he doesn't think he's ever been happier before in his life.