"I have a couple of meetings at MACUSA today," Tina informed Newt at the breakfast table, chewing on a slice of toast while going over her notes. She looked up at him. "I should be done by three. Lunch?"
Newt was reading a letter, his own toast half eaten. His frown caused Tina to put her toast down and lean forward and snag the envelope. Mr N Scamander, Kolowski Apartment, New York. The seal was a MACUSA seal.
"What do MACUSA want with you?" She asked curiously, returning to her breakfast.
"President Picquery wishes to meet with me. Two thirty this afternoon," He turned the letter over to see if there was anything more, "That's all that is written." He handed the letter to her and continued with his breakfast. "So lunch at three sounds perfect."
Tina read the letter. There wasn't even a vague notion as to what the meeting was about. Tina assumed it would be something creature related as she wasn't invited as well. She and Newt were considered something of a package deal at both their home ministries, it had transpired.
"Well, tell you what, I'll wait in the coffee shop of MACUSA until you're done," Tina stated, handing the letter back and beginning to pack her notes up, brushing crumbs from the pages as she did so. "What are you gonna do this morning?"
"I thought I'd help Jacob at the bakery, what with the lack of sleep," Newt admitted. "I think Queenie might be getting tired of my being here trying to help her with Aurora."
"I think she likes the company," Tina smiled affectionately. "And I think you might be more of a hindrance than a help at the bakery! Newt, we cook basics. Jacob and Queenie are artists. Pastry artists, but artists nevertheless."
"I'll ask what they prefer," He smiled as she stood up. "Have a good day at work dear."
Tina pulled her files together and slipped them into her bag. When she looked up, her coat was slung over the chair next to her and Newt was sliding her hat across the table barely looking up from the newspaper. She saw the tips of his ears turn red. Biting back a smile, Tina quickly readied herself for the day, before slipping round the table and giving Newt a kiss on the cheek.
"See you later, don't get into any trouble while I'm gone," she teased, ruffling his hair and taking great pride at the red blush up his neck.
"I could say the same for you," he called back, his cheek to his shoulder so he didn't have to meet her gaze.
"Bye Newt," she sang, slipping through the door.
"Bye Tina," he whispered, pushing away any pretence at reading the paper and returning solely to picking at his breakfast. He would have to feed the beasts soon. He was startled when Jacob slid into the chair Tina had vacated moments before.
"Please don't come to the bakery with me," Jacob begged, wild eyes. "Or if you do come, suitcase stays here and you do what I tell you."
"Well, I just want to help you both," Newt said quietly, "If you would prefer I didn't come to the bakery, I can find something else to do."
"It's not that I don't love you Newt," Jacob tried explaining, "You're like a brother to me. But the only job I'd have for you is the tills. And you get so stressed out over No-Maj money. Especially American money. I'm trying to help us both out here. Besides. Quee got a bit upset when she heard you thinking you were botherin her. She would have come out and scolded you herself, but she was enjoying the domesticity of you two out here."
"Queenie reading my thoughts was one of the reasons I wanted to go," Newt admitted. "I forget that she can do it, and then she starts trying to talk to me about dates for Tina. And… it makes me uncomfortable."
"She won't now you've said something," Jacob said firmly. "Stay and help her with the baby. Like Tina says, she likes the company."
Newt nodded. A thin wail set up in the next room.
"Sounds like my daughter wants some attention," Jacob grinned, and Newt didn't need to be a Legilimens to see how happy he was. "I'll bring her in here to spend some time with Uncle Newt. Queenie wanted a bit more sleep after the ruckas we had last night."
Newt nodded his acceptance and quickly finished his breakfast, ready to resume his role as Uncle Newt.
….
At two fifteen sharp, Newt wandered into the MACUSA main lobby, hands in his pockets and staring around him with interest. It was a majestic building, and he never really had the time to appreciate it. Tina hated being late, and apparently she indulged him too much and she always seemed in a rush when they were here.
Absently, Newt wandered over to the lift, and requested the President's office from the house elf.
"How you today Mister Scamander?" The elf grunted. Newt was surprised, usually the lift elves weren't much for conversation.
"Very well thank you, Oblug," Newt stammered, "And yourself? You haven't had too many ungrateful people in today, have you?"
"No mor'en usual," The elf grunted, pulling back the gate to let Newt out. "Have a good day mister Scamander."
"You too Oblug," Newt bowed his head in thanks, before setting off down the gilded corridor to the President's office. He paused in the doorway. He had met with Serephina Picquery several times over the past three and a half years, but the more recent visits had been with Tina, or at least one other person present. He wasn't entirely sure what to expect, and he was more than a little nervous.
"Mister Scamander, you can come in," The majestic voice of the MACUSA president floated through the door. Perhaps floated wasn't the right word. Newt wasn't sure Picquery had ever floated in her life.
He gulped, straightened up, rolled his shoulders back and tried to imitate Tina as much as he could, before pushing open the door.
…
Tina wasn't expecting Newt to be waiting in the café for her when she entered the atrium. She was half expecting him to still be in with the President. She definitely wasn't expecting to see the pretty new young thing working the coffee stand to be leaning towards Newt, one of her dainty little hands supporting her pretty little head as she listened, enraptured, to a tale Newt was telling. And Newt, he was animated, poking the copy of Fantastic Beasts with energy as he detailed something or other. Tina felt something hot in her stomach, just watching Newt interact with this very beautiful young woman. She tried to reason that Newt probably didn't realise the woman was flirting with him. She had no reason to be jealous.
Tina physically straightened in irritation when she saw the blonde put her hand on his arm as she laughed prettily. She watched as Newt started, and looked at the blonde with wide eyes, as if he had only just realised she was there. He started to stammer, looking round the atrium, eyes darting up to the clock. A little spitefully, Tina decided to watch a little longer, as Newt had taught her in the field.
She watched as the blonde young woman leant forward some more to ask a question, and Newt answering while avoiding looking at her face. Deciding that he was uncomfortable enough, and he was sufficiently preoccupied explaining how Nifflers were terrible housepets (they should know, their little terror was constantly escaping), Tina made her way towards the table.
"Hey," she called out softly, Newt looked up to her and smiled brightly in reply. Tina couldn't work out if he looked relieved to see her. The girl, for she really was a girl, barely out of Illvermory, looked up to Tina with feigned interest. "Sorry I'm late, I thought you'd be longer."
"No, no," Newt beamed. "The President wanted to discuss some things we can talk about later, but I thought I'd surprise you! Tina, this is…. Elpheba Moonstyle?" the blonde nodded, holding out her perfectly manicured hand. Tina shook it firmly. "Miss Moonstyle, this is Miss Goldstein, my good friend and travel companion. She will be able to tell a story or two about the nifflers!"
Tina dropped her folders on the table and sat down, dragging Newt's cup of tea towards her and starting to drink it. She was satisfied to note the droop of Miss Moonstyle's shoulder at this act of familiarity.
"Have you told her they are awful houseguests and regular Houdini?" she asked Newt. He nodded. "Ok there was this one time when Bennie snuck past us in the middle of the night and raided the train compartment we were in travelling across Russia. We woke up and he had stuffed himself full of any gold he could get his paws on. It took us hours to get the compartment back together again! And I had to sacrifice an earring to stop him from sulking for the next few weeks!"
"You didn't have to sacrifice an earring," Newt reminded her, "You just couldn't bear him sulking. You're a soft touch when it comes to Bennie."
"Well, hhe just looked so upset when you took the gold doorknob off him and enchanted it back on," Tina shrugged "Besides, you know he leaves my stuff alone if I give him the occasional shiny treat."
Newt looked scandalised, "Is that how you do it? He always goes crazy with my things when we leave him alone too long."
"That's just punishment for leaving him," Tina snorted. She turned to an uncomfortable looking Miss Moonstyle. "They don't make good pets, take it from us!"
"Oh, yeah, Mr Scamander was saying… so, you two travel together? Are you a magizoologist as well?" The young blonde asked politely.
"Oh, no," Tina laughed, finishing the tea. "I just travel with him, keep him out of trouble, liaise with the local ministries. Just, that sort of think y'know? I've picked up quite a bit about the creatures we have with us, and the travelling is amazing… but no, I'm not another magizoologist. One of us needs to have our head in reality."
"Tina is an auror," Newt said proudly, his hand on the back of her chair. "She works for MACUSA and is researching international law enforcement operations. She really is far more brilliant than I am."
"Aw, Newt, I didn't know you cared," Tina teased, her heart swelling listening to him talk about her like that. "We'd better get going. We're babysitting tonight remember?"
"Oh, um," Baby Blondie looked shocked at the abrupt end to the conversation. "Perhaps you would sign my book as well, Miss Goldstein, if you had a part in it…"
"I haven't had a part in this one," Tina tapped the front cover of the first edition. "But we're just finishing up the second edition, so keep an eye out Miss Moonstyle. It was very nice to meet you."
Newt echoed Tina's sentiments, quickly standing up to help Tina into her coat, knocking his chair to the floor as he did so. He stammered an apology. Miss Moonstyle held out a quill.
"If you don't mind Mr Scamander," She fluttered her eyelashes prettily.
"Oh, um, of course," Newt leant forward and quickly scribbled his name in the front cover. She looked disappointed that there was no message. Tina had to stifle a laugh at how obtuse Newt could be. They made their goodbyes, and headed to the door, arm in arm. Once outside, Tina broke away to laugh out loud.
"Mercy Lewis, Newt!" She chortled. "How you didn't notice that girl was flirting with you is beyond me!"
"That's flirting?" Newt looked flustered, Tina nodded in confirmation. "I did wonder why she seemed so interested in the nifflers… how did she recognise me?"
"I hate to break it to you, but you're pretty much a household name, and we were in the wizarding paper the other day," Tina reminded him, regaining his arm and matching his stride towards the alley they could apparate to Kowolski's in.
"Thank you for rescuing me," Newt said softly. "I didn't quite know what to do."
"That much was clear," Tina chuckled. She stopped him, "But seriously Newt, weren't you interested? I mean, she is young, gorgeous and interested in your animals…?"
Newt looked at her keenly, with the same stare she had seen him employ with his animals at times. Then he smiled.
"I prefer brunettes," He said simply, tucking her hair behind her ear and then walking off.
"You have got to stop doing that," Tina muttered to herself, turning to follow him. "Not unless you're actually going to follow through."
…..
Inside the atrium, Elphba Moonstyle watched them leave. A member of the auror department, sat a table over, leaned across to talk to her.
"Listen doll," he started, an easy smile on his face. "You never stood a chance on him. That's Goldstein's Brit. You may have heard the term. We've got an office pool goin' as to when they'll get hitched. It's year three now, so, don't go worryin' your pretty little head about it. Scamander's off limits. You've worked that out, so now we can say, welcome to MACUSA. Warn the next new girl."
With that, the elder man returned to his coffee, and Miss Moonstyle returned to her counter, wondering why, of all the young men she could have talked to, she found the one who belonged entirely to someone else.
…
A/N I just wanted to do a Newt being flirted with, Tina getting jealous and then swooping in and being all -back off, he is my hubby. I may do a companion piece of Tina getting flirted with.