Everything was foggy around the edges. Lexie stood in the middle of the Glade, the fields stretched impossibly far around her, making her feel small. The air was deadly still yet everything seemed to be moving; shifting as though its place in reality wasn't quite determined yet. Arms wrapped themselves around her, her own arms, and she felt goosebumps beneath her hands. She realized slowly that they were hers, and she was truly freezing cold. Her own body felt tiny to her, too small to exist here, insignificant, yet she knew she did for the sole fact that everything hurt. She wasn't injured in any way, but to say it wasn't in part a physical pain would be diminishing it. It was painful in the way that was almost out-of-body; starting from the void within her chest and spreading outward. She should have brought a jacket to this place, it was so cold, but she didn't think she owned one, anyway.

The sky was pale and the grass was gray. Monochrome. She looked around, in slow motion, the world around her moving faster than she could keep up with. She felt dizzy. It had been more colorful here before, and more full. The sun had left her. No one was in the fields, and no one congregated in small groups around their work areas, completing the tasks of the day. The emptiness of the Glade echoed the empty pain within her. A panic creeped into the void. Where was Newt? He would be able to help her. She needed help.

Moisture coated her cheeks, and she wondered if it had begun to rain again. The crops wouldn't make it through another downpour. The trellises were too fragile. Reaching thin, almost skeletal-like fingers up to her face, there was no surprise when she discovered tears there.

She wasn't surprised because she was devastated. Everyone was gone. She was alone. The void in her chest was a hole, a black hole and she held herself tighter to try and keep herself in but it wasn't working. She was falling apart from the inside out, like water slipping through the cracks of fingers, never quite able to stop the flow. Sinking down to her knees, she leaned down on her hands, letting the icicle blades of grass shoot between her fingers. Lowering her cheek to the ground, her tears fell into the Earth, and she became part of the Glade.

Feeling stirring beside her, Lexie opened her eyes at the same moment a disgusted groan reached her ears. The first thing she noticed was the dull pain at the back of her skull and the annoying way the blankets were twisted around her legs. The room was filled with the light of midmorning filtering in through her window. It was bright, too bright, and she sighed in relief. Everything was still a little foggy around the edges, sure, but she was awake. The pain triggered by the bright light cemented her place in reality and was a welcome one.

Looking over to her impromptu bedmate, the last remnants of despair inside her nearly melted away, replaced by a sense of calm. Lazily rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands, Newt let out a steady groan that lasted the duration of his breath. Lexie couldn't help but giggle out loud at the sight of him; his hair was in disarray, all his blonde locks seemed to be pointing in different directions as though trying to escape his head. He was a bit paler than usual and as he lowered his hands she could see the dark circles that had formed there.

Newt shifted and turned to lay on his side in order to better glare at her, although she could tell it was half-hearted.

"I'm glad you're feeling so bloody chipper this morning."

Lexie smirked fondly in response, rolling onto her side in order to mirror him so that they were laying face to face. Despite the lingering sense of unease from her nightmare, the sight of her best friend beside her grounded her. She was feeling quite good.

"Well I'm glad you decided to drink half that bucket to yourself last night."

Newt squeezed his eyes shut as though the memory was agonizing, letting out another pitiful groan.

"Don't remind me. I think my legs are actually sore from all that dancing." When his eyes opened again he smiled softly at her, studying her face more closely. One hand reached up and he used his warm thumb to brush some wetness from the corner of her eye. The smile faltered slightly, the corners of his mouth turning down. "You're having nightmares again?" He sounded mildly surprised, and really, she was too. It had been quite a while since the last one, and he always heard about them.

Lexie looked at his damp thumb, having all but forgotten the gloomy nightmare from a few minutes ago. Her dreams had once been plagued every night with anxiety and distress, but that was several months ago, and as she found comfort in the Glade she had also found peace of mind. Or so she thought.

She sighed and clasped Newt's hand between both of hers, holding tightly, his presence a steady anchor.

"Not nightmares plural… just one. And it wasn't that bad." She lied. It was terrible, but she didn't want him to worry himself over her silly insecurities.

Newt's eyes narrowed briefly but then he yawned uncontrollably, and she knew immediately that he wouldn't press the issue. She was grateful. There wasn't much to say about it, and it wasn't worth rehashing. Perhaps if she ignored the memories of emptiness the void in her chest would stay closed. She squeezed his fingers in silent thanks, knowing he would understand.

"You look awful."

He laughed loudly, surely not expecting anything less than snark from her at this early hour, and shoved her shoulder lightly with his free hand.

"Yeah well you look just fine, shank! Way to let me make a fool of myself alone."

Lexie put on a faux look of appall, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Hey, I distinctly remember dancing with you for a majority of the night! And the reason I remember is because I have self-control and stopped drinking when you started getting blurry around the edges."

Newt rolled his eyes incredulously, stretching in an attempt to wake up his tight muscles.

"Oh, is that how you're supposed to do it? I rather thought you were just enjoying your little flirt session with our largest and most muscly Keeper."

Blood immediately flowed to her cheeks, giving her away, and she knew she couldn't properly deny it even if she tried. One of the things Newt was very good at was reading people, and Lexie was nearly an open book on the best of days. Add that to the fact that he knew her better than anyone this side of the Box, and it was a lost cause. A sigh of dejection escaped her.

"I am that obvious, aren't I?"

Rolling to a sitting position, he leaned back on his hands and looked down at the dark haired girl. He hummed in thought.

"Perhaps just to me, Lady Glader."

Lexie groaned and covered her face with her hands as Newt clambered over her and rose from her bed, albeit a bit shakily. Squinting at the light coming through the window, he grimaced.

"Today is gonna be shite. You should make it better by telling that poor sap how you feel about him already."

Peering through her fingers just long enough to shoot him a glare, he shook his head at her before exiting the room, making obnoxious kissing noises as he shut the door behind him.

'What a slinthead!' She thought, but there was no venom in the mental name-calling. Although he was sure to give her a hard time about it occasionally, Lexie felt incredibly fortunate that she had someone to share all of her fears and desires with in this otherwise isolated place. With no knowledge of herself and no bearing of her identity as it was prior to 7 months ago, she was still confident in the fact that she was an introvert. Her first inclination was always to shy away, to sit to the side, alone, and most people were content to let her be. Newt on the other hand always sought her out, both in the physical sense and in her opinions, and it was a wonderful change of pace to feel needed. To imagine what her life would be like here without Newt in it was terrifying, a feeling akin to those she experienced in her nightmares, and she had no wish to do so.

With one last whimper of protest she flung the covers back and rolled out of her warm bed. Judging by the angle of the light and the intensity of the rays as they fell upon her face, it was surely closer to lunchtime than breakfast, and Alby was just as surely annoyed that not everyone was up and working yet. The day after a bonfire night was typically a little more lax, naturally, but no one ever shirked their duties here. Rule 1: Do your part.

As that mantra floated around her mind, she changed into a clean pair of denim shorts and a black t-shirt. Deciding to leave her hair loose, it waved down her back as she ran her fingers through to rid it of any tangles before finally giving up and leaving the Homestead for the day.

The energy of the Glade was fairly low that day, with everyone sporting tired eyes and at least half sporting nasty hangovers to match. A better tasting brew was probably more dangerous, she was starting to realize. How good it tasted was proportionate to how much they drank, as was evident by the poor shape everyone was in this morning. It had tasted delightful. She'd forgotten last night to ask Gally what his new recipe was.

Remembering her conversation with him, she couldn't help but feel a small bit of hope, along with a large bit of excitement, bubble within her chest. It hadn't been her over-active imagination this time; he had actually approached her, held her hand of his own accord. Sure, it wasn't exactly a confession, but it was something. As to what 'something' really meant to her, she still had no clue, but the thought of more incidents similar to the one they had last night made her feel undeniably giddy.

As she played the night back in her mind, it rewound like a movie and her smile faded as she quickly remembered her unsettling encounter with Ben. It wasn't as though he had done anything wrong… he hadn't said anything odd, or even particularly out of the ordinary. No… it had been something in his eyes. Ben had always seemed somewhat of an open book to Lexie, and in fact to most people, a trait she could identify with and usually served to make him easy friendships. It never seemed like much of a mystery what his feelings or motives were. But the Ben from last night had almost felt like a stranger to her. Something was turning, ticking right behind his eyes that she couldn't identify.

The realization turned her stomach, but she couldn't pinpoint why.

Trying to put that train of thought to rest, Lexie wandered idly toward the kitchen, intending to snag a piece of fruit to start her day. The day after Box day was not only known for its horrific hangovers; it also meant a plethora of snacks and treats that they didn't always have access to. Perishables like fruit and pastries that had to be eaten quickly to enjoy them, and everyone was more than up to the task.

The dining area was quiet. Not completely uninhabited, but those who lingered seemed to do so out of necessity. Lexie supposed she was one of the lucky ones, as she didn't feel particularly sick, just a bit tired and worn out. Grabbing an apple from a bowl that perched on a nearby table, she bit into it, savoring the tart sweetness, and steeled herself for a days' work.

The rest of the morning passed as she expected it to. After she arrived at the workshop, which was empty as the builders were now in full swing into their addition project, she settled herself at the bench and resumed working on her pieces from the day before. As he finished the first couple bowls and spoons, she really got the knack of it and started producing finished products quite quickly. There was a lot of finesse in this type of work. They didn't have to be perfect, but she wanted them to be. She wanted people to be happy to have them. To help make their day a little more enjoyable. Creature comforts were a high commodity around there, after all.

As the afternoon sun beat down outside, heating up the small room around her, she paused to wipe the sweat from her brow. Leaning back a bit to admire her work, she was pleased. Woodworking was never something she had even thought of attempting, but it turned out her endeavors were worth more than just getting her out of the fields for a couple days. She was good at this.

The sharp whine of creaking floor boards to the right of her made her jump, and she looked towards the door, startled. Gally stood in the open doorway, nearly filling the emptiness of the door frame with his frame. If he felt worse for wear from the previous night's festivities, he didn't show it. He looked a bit dusty, his pants sporting patches of wood shavings and dirt, and his chest beneath his sweat soaked t-shirt hinted at the work of the day. The last of Lexie's lingering distress and thoughts of Ben dissipated and quickly turned into a different form of agitation.

He cringed a bit at his own noisy entry, looking every bit the bull in the china shop, and raised a hand to knock on the open door.

"Knock knock, girlie."

One corner of her mouth turned up at his sheepish expression, and she noticed (rather belatedly) that he was carrying a plate in his other hand. She inclined her head toward it.

"Hey… What's that?"

He looked down, suddenly seeming bashful, and she couldn't help but find him uncharacteristically adorable in that moment.

Though if I actually voiced that aloud, he would probably murder me.

"I just, well I thought…"

Her grin widened as he stammered for the appropriate words. She tried to contain it, because the last thing she wanted was for him to think she was making fun of him, but he was too cute. She wondered if she was the only one who ever got to witness him in a state of fluster. Before this week, she wouldn't have thought him capable. He seemed to wrestle with his choice of words for a moment, eyes lingering on the floorboards. Giving in, he sighed and walked over to the stool closest to her, taking a seat and depositing the plate on an open space in front of her. It was full of bread, chopped apples (her favorite), and even a bit of cheese, which was a rare commodity in the Glade and often rationed strictly. Her brows furrowed as her brain slowly grasped what was happening.

"I thought you might want some lunch. It's a bit after meal time now and I hadn't seen you leave the workshop yet. I know we all got a late start today, so I was worried you just forgot." He spoke softly, almost timidly, which was not an adjective she had ever used when describing anything to do with Gally. She wondered again if other people ever got to see this more vulnerable side of the masculine builder.

Lexie stared at the plate of food blankly, fairly certain that her grin was still plastered on her face. She was afraid to look up at him, because she didn't think she would be able to keep that ever present impulse to hug him at bay this time. He was worried about her. He had brought her lunch. He had spent meal time noticing that she hadn't eaten yet. He had left his work, made a plate for her, and made a special trip here just to deliver it to her.

She thought her heart might burst; she felt the sting of tears behind her eyes and immediately felt silly for getting so emotional over a simple plate of food. But the fact that he cared enough about her well-being to make sure she was fed tugged on some heartstring she hadn't noticed she had until now. She felt overwhelmingly important and needed in that moment.

"Lex… you okay?"

He sounded more worried than timid now, and his tone warned her that she was on the verge of making a fool of herself. Blinking rapidly, she let out a breathy laugh, grabbing an apple slice off the plate and biting into it. The tart juice coated her tongue and she instantly felt a little calmer. Sighing happily, she turned her body toward him so she was facing him on the stool.

"I'm better than okay. This is wonderful. Thank you." She couldn't keep the smile off her face. This was quickly becoming a habit around him. "I was just surprised you thought about me is all."

He quirked an eyebrow with mild surprise, but his posture relaxed slightly as he watched her idly chew on her bit of fruit.

"You shouldn't be. I think about you all the time." He said it matter-of-factly, as though he was telling her what the weather might be like today.

She froze mid chew as her momentary calm vanished, swallowing the last bit of apple whole.

What was that supposed to mean? All the time? Think about me how?

Her cheeks were surely beet red and her skin felt as though it was crawling with flame. She wasn't sure if the lump in her throat was from her rushed snack or the heart that was once again exploding in her chest. Why was it she always ran at one thousand degrees when she was around him? Her eyes were still wide, and she blinked a few times in rapid succession in an attempt to snap herself out of it. She debated what to do next. She could probably pretend like he never said anything and turn his attention toward her work. That would be the safest option. Least chance of her being humiliated, at least. His emerald eyes were zeroed in on her, clearly waiting for some sort of response. But what did he mean by that? She felt frozen in place, tied to the tracks as the train came speeding towards her. Taking a deep breath, she suddenly didn't feel like jumping out of the way.

"What do you mean, Gally?" Her smile had faded, replaced by a look that was equal parts hope and worry.

He sighed deeply and broke eye contact with her, and her heart fell on its own accord. There it was, then. She had read this all wrong. It shouldn't have been so surprising, really. Maybe he was just teasing her all along? She didn't think she could bear it. Feeling as though the train had ran her over without a thought and continued on its merry way, she wrapped her arms around herself and contemplated running from the room.

He looked towards their feet, perched on the respective rungs of their stools.

"Come on Lex, don't make me say it."

Her brows furrowed, but no words came to her. The lump in her throat was a boulder now, threatening to suffocate her. She simply waited, hugging herself a little tighter. Bracing for impact.

Sighing again, Gally reached toward her, slowly detangling her arms from around herself and taking one of her hands in both of his. She let him. Despite herself, images from the night before flashed through her mind, and she felt his calloused fingers run over her skin just as they had before. Although her mind was telling her to run and avoid any further humiliation, her body was still on fire, and the pit of her stomach did flips with each swipe of his thumb across the back of her hand. Her own body was betraying her.

His eyes met hers again, and she could tell he saw her apprehension. A look of surprise washed over his features.

"Lexie, what do you feel when I do this?" He squeezed her hand for emphasis.

I feel like nailing the door shut and finding some new uses for this workbench.

She blushed harder at her own thoughts. Damn body had a mind of its own. His hands were so warm over her own, she couldn't help but wonder what they would feel like coasting over other parts of her.

"I feel…" she searched for the words that were correct without being lewd. She didn't want him to think she wasn't taking this seriously. "… like my heart is going to beat out of my chest. Wonderful. And scared. Is it hot in here?"

He laughed at her openly then, and she frowned, instinctively trying to pull her hand away from him. He held fast onto her.

"No, please Lex, I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh at you. You're just so damn adorable." He tried to stifle his open laughter, opting for chuckling instead.

Insecurity caused her to sweep the compliment under the rug, and she glared at him.

"It's not funny! Gally, I…" here comes that train, "… I really like you. And when you touch me, hell when you even look at me, my stomach ties in knots and I can't think straight. I feel like I'm on fire. I go to bed thinking about you and wake up thinking about you. Wondering if you'll talk to me that day. Hoping we can really talk, the way we do when you look in my eyes and you light up like no one has ever really heard you before."

Lexie stopped, running out of breath just as the small bit of anger she was holding onto faded fast. It was quickly replaced with mild horror at her rushed confession.

What the hell am I doing?

Gally's chuckles had abruptly subsided sometime during her speech, and his eyes now bore into hers with an intensity that she was no stranger to seeing, but it had never seen directed at her. She was reminded of the previous night, as she had watched him in his element fighting in the ring. Alert. Focused. She gulped.

Target acquired.

Gally tightened his grip on her hand, as if she were capable of escape, and pulled her forward slowly. His lips were parted, he looked hesitant and his eyes left hers to dart down to her full lips and back again as he eased her closer. Panic and unease rose in her again. What was happening? She hadn't had time to think this through. Their actions here had real, very real consequences for her life. Unwittingly, images of Ben flashed in her mind, filled with anger and hurt. Her most recent nightmare floated to the forefront of her thoughts; feelings of abandonment and isolation broke free of their weak restraints within her, and before she knew what was happening she was resisting him, trying to pull back and put some much needed space between them.

A look of confusion broke the intensity on his face, but he dropped her hand, releasing his hold on her and leaning back to his original position. The spell was broken and Lexie took a deep breath. She watched as his face, just a moment ago completely open to her and vulnerable, closed entirely. He stood quickly, turning to leave.

"I'm sorry. Guess I read this wrong." He spoke without inflection. Not mean, not cold, but disconnected. "I… won't bother you anymore."

"Gally, no-" She caught his forearm just as he tried to flee, hopping down off the stool to stand in front of him. Her indecisiveness was not lost on her and she said a silent prayer that he wouldn't lose patience with her entirely, shake her off and walk out the door without a backward glance. But he stopped as soon as her skin made contact with his, and she was surprised at the slight tremble she felt in the lean muscle there.

He stared down at her, his features schooled to be intentionally bland, but she could sense the tension in him as he waited for her to continue.

Lexie opened her mouth to speak, but quickly realized she had no idea what she was supposed to say. She was never good at delicate situations, didn't know how to tip toe around sensitive subjects. This was the first time in her memory that she didn't know the right answer, didn't know what the right course of action was. So how exactly was she expected to convey to him her deepest, darkest fears?

He continued to look into her eyes. Waiting patiently. Giving her time to work through it. His sincerity shone through even as he attempted to put his guard up. And then it struck her that this was Gally. One of her most trusted friends here in the Glade, and therefor in her entire conscious life. She wasn't alone; he would help her with this. If klunk hit the fan, he would be there to clean it up with her. And Newt – her other half would never abandon her, of that she was sure. The thought of upsetting any of the other people in her life – images of Ben flashed behind her eyes yet again – still made her stomach churn. But shuck it, she had been writhing with anxiety for nearly a week now, and something had to give.

As soon as the decision was made in her mind, fate effectively sealed, she was instantly hyper aware of him. His body was so close to hers, mere inches separating them, and he towered over her without trying. His presence made her feel small, delightfully delicate and feminine, as though he could wrap himself around her and act as a shield against the rest of the world. And she could smell him now. Oh, his smell was intoxicating. All warmth and earth and musk. She was trembling now, too, and she didn't mind if he noticed. Tension was coiling within her, at a spot below her naval that felt deliciously sinful and scary all at once. Her hand, with small fingers still wrapped around his forearm, tugged him down toward her, her other finding the front of his shirt above his abdomen, bunching it up and holding on for dear life. Realization and relief dawned in Gally's eyes and any guard he was constructing crumbled away as he acquiesced, leaning down to meet her halfway.

His lips brushed hers uncertainly at first, and her initial reaction was one of surprise. Everything about Gally was rough, abrupt, and unyielding; she expected kissing him to be much the same. As her eyes fluttered closed, she realized he was still waiting for her. Unsure even now of what her decision may be. Perhaps even afraid of scaring her away, not that she should be surprised at this point. That thought brought about an irritation at her own behavior. She had never been any good at talking, and now she was instilling doubt in him as well – better to just show him how she felt.

Her hand abandoned his forearm to slide up his bicep, coming to grip the back of his neck as she pressed her soft lips firmly into his. They shared a mutual sigh as something finally snapped between them, overwhelmed as their anticipation finally reached a head. He tasted exactly as she had imagined he would so many times before; spice, pine, and some unidentifiable thing that she had given up trying to place. Uncertainty gone, he responded immediately, gripping her hip firmly with one hand, the other sliding behind her neck to mirror her hold on him. He closed whatever distance remained between them, pulling her body flush against his as he leaned over her and poured every bit of tension between them into the kiss.

Her skin was tingling with hot lightning although her body had broken out in goosebumps. Every hair standing on end and every nerve ending was alight. Every minute movement of his lips traveled straight through to her core. The fingers gripping her neck sent shivers down her spine. The hand wrapped around her hip kept her firmly in place against him, and the fact that he could completely overpower her both excited and terrified her. The trust she had in him quelled any primitive fears she held, and she kissed him back with everything that had been building in her.

He used his grip on her to tilt her head, deepening the kiss, bringing their mouths together over and over again until she thought that maybe breathing was overrated. Surely she could die happy now. Feeling a bit more brave than usual, she allowed the hand that hand been bunched up in his shirt to travel a bit lower, finding the hem and slipping her hand under it to feel the taught skin there. She felt him shiver in response and pull her even tighter against him. As though sensing her growing need to come up for air, he left her lips only to trail his own along her jawline.

Eyes widening, Lexie gripped his neck tighter as she let herself take in the new sensation. She felt keenly aware of every small bit of skin he touched as he skimmed feather light kisses along her sharp features, eventually reaching a sensitive spot just under her ear. He paid extra attention there, licking and sucking until her knees felt weak and she was gripping his waist for support. When she felt his blunt teeth take hold of her, pressing firmly in a heated love bite, it was as though a fuse was lit inside her. She could feel the effect his ministrations were having, the slickness between her legs. She moaned loudly into his ear.

She stiffened, surprised at her completely uninhibited outburst. Feeling the sudden change in her body posture, he finally broke his kiss and leaned back enough to look at her. They both breathed heavily as they looked at each other as if for the first time, tension not broken but paused for a moment. He slid a hand to her face, holding her so gently that she could almost forget he had just moments ago bit her hard enough to leave a mark, and that she had loved every second of it.

He heaved one last sigh and his breathing began to slow to a normal rate. His features were unreadable but his eyes were bright, searching hers for any sign of distress. Looking at him, out of breath, hair disheveled because of her effect on him, was possibly the sexiest thing she had ever seen in her short memorable life. He ran his calloused thumb across her cheek.

"You okay in there?"

She smiled. A chuckle bubbled out of her on its own accord and she hung her head, pressing her forehead against his chest. She let one hand join the other underneath the hem of his shirt, lightly skimming her fingers along the heated skin there. Something in her was completely satisfied that she was finally able to touch what she had only been able to admire for so long. She didn't think she would tire of it any time soon.

"Next time, warn a girl before you turn her into a puddle."