Chapter Ten

Newt rolled over to blink blearily at the figure who had thrown open his bedroom door.

"Wakey-Wakey brother dear."

"Oh piss off Sonya." he groaned, flopping back with a groan.

She flicked his bedroom light on and he whined, throwing his arm over his eyes.

"Now now. Upsie-daisies."

He threw a cushion at her. And then a pillow. And the water bottle from his bedside table. Her answering laughter was just insulting, and Newt whined again as he peered out at her.

"Why is your loopy arse in my room?"

Sonya just tipped her head to the side and smiled her annoying big-sister smile at him. He shot her a glare and covered his eyes again.

"Please vacate the premises."

He moaned, turning his face into his pillow to escape the onset of wakefulness. He'd planned to sleep in. She was ruining that plan rather thoroughly. And completely deliberately, he might add. Sonya gave a dramatic sigh, something she was very good at, and made a little sad noise in the back of her throat.

"I suppose i could just tell Thomas you're too busy…"

Newt lifted his face from the pillow to look at her fully, annoyed that that was probably exactly what she wanted. She grinned at his scowl, her eyes betraying her enthusiasm for teasing him about his friend. He rolled his eyes and glared.

"Spit it out, harlet."

Sonya rolled her eyes and feigned hurt. But then she giggled and leaned back out of his doorway, holding onto the doorframe on both sides like she always used to in their old house, when she was little.

"He's awaaaaake!" she called, and Newt woke up properly with a start.

Sonya simply smirked at his shocked expression.

"Oh yeah, did i forget to mention that lover boy is downstairs?"

Newt threw his duvet off and slipped from his bed in a single movement, already moving towards his wardrobe as he shot her another glare. Sonya simply giggled again as she turned to leave, tossing a wink over her shoulder.

"Better dress to impress, lovebird, he brought his friend."

Newt threw a shoe at her retreating back and it thudded against the door as she closed it with a bright laugh. Despite how he loved his sister she was infuriating, and she hadn't become any less so as she got older, not even under Harriet's influence. He refused to accept that she was right as he surveyed the contents of the wardrobe.

He always took this long getting ready on the holidays, okay? He liked to look… Nice.

It was just a pleasant coincidence that Thomas would be subject to his style choices today.

When he reached the living room Newt could already feel the embarrassment leeching into his face. Thomas was sitting awkwardly on the couch between a giggling Harriet and his sister, leaving Minho to lounge across the love-seat by the window. Newt could hear his mum bumping the frying pan on the hob in the kitchen.

He frowned at Sonya's coy and knowing smirk, and he was about to tell her to stop frightening off his friends too, before Thomas's reaction distracted him.

"Newt!" the brunette cried brightly, his face split in a sunny grin and his cheeks faintly pink. Newt felt his heart lurch in what was now a very familiar manner, his answering grin on his face before he'd given it permission. "There you are."

"Hey, Tommy. Hi Minho."

He tossed a wave to the asian boy and received a grin in response. The boy looked like he'd been enjoying the ribbing Newt just knew his sister was giving Thomas and he turned his attention back to Sonya with a suspicious look. She smiled sweetly back but he wasn't in the least bit fooled by her innocent act.

"You didn't tell me your Tommy was so handsome." Sonya taunted, her voice sing-song and her eyes glittering.

Newt could feel his face turning red, and there was a flare of irritation under his skin at her tone. He corrected her before he'd even thought about it, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

"It's Thomas."

He could feel his eyes widen, feel the horror splash itself across his face. Sonya was smirking. It was that really annoying, turn-your-face-hot-and-your-insides-squirming big-sister smirk of hers, the one that made him want to hit her and stamp his foot and shout on his mum.

It was ridiculous that even now, after she'd moved out and he'd grown up the feeling was still there. He couldn't look at Thomas, feeling incredibly uncomfortable in his own skin. Minho was sniggering, inspecting his nails closely with a grin on his face like the cheshire cat. Sonya laughed.

"Hear that Harriet? It's Thomas to us. I take it only Newt gets to call him Tommy, huh?"

Harriet laughed and Newt closed his eyes, wishing the carpet would swallow him up.

"Oh bugger off, Sonya. That's not what i meant."

"Oh? And what did you mean, brother dear?"

Well fuck.

She had him, and she knew it.

He looked uneasily at Thomas, noting how uncomfortable the brunette was looking, the tops of his cheeks a red Newt had never seen on him before. He threw his sister a glare, and she simply grinned widely.

The cat that got the cream.

"Piss off." was his reply.

He was saved further prodding by his sister when Thomas spluttered a laugh, catching it too late with his hand. When Sonya and Harriet looked at him in surprise the younger boy shrugged, looking amused at himself.

"Sorry. He makes me laugh."

Newt rolled his eyes, crossing his arms huffily. When Thomas looked at him Newt raised an eyebrow, pretending that he wasn't burning up from his bizarrely possessive little outburst.

"Really?"

Thomas shrugged again, grinning his cheeky, sunny grin at Newt and making his heart swell again with that familiar affection.

"What? Piss off. It's funny."

His mimicry of Newt's accent was exaggerated and drawn out and made everyone laugh. Newt stuck his tongue out at him, continuing his huff. He overstepped the line a bit when he stuck his bottom lip out in a pout to complete the look, but the way Thomas snickered and cocked his head made Newt want to kiss him. The urge was so sudden and unexpected that he flushed shyly all over, desperate to change the subject.

"I thought we were goin' for coffee?"

Minho rolled his shoulders and got to his feet with a lazy stretch. His smile was amiable, with the odd edge that Newt had come to recognise after their day together at Thomas's. It was a sort of cocky, sassy taint and it somehow suited him.

"Yes, to meet secret friends. We're dying of excitement, shank. Let's go, yeah?"

Anybody else commanding like that in another's home might come across as rude but Minho somehow didn't, his nature only just within the realm of polite. Thomas seemed as eager to escape as Newt felt though he didn't say so.

Sonya followed them to the door and sent them on their way with one last taunt.

As soon as they left the street Newt gave an exaggerated sigh and relaxed.

"Thank bloody god for that. My sister's buggin' crazy."

The others laughed as they walked along in the empty afternoon, the winter bite chilling them pleasantly. At least, Newt found it pleasant.

"So what the shuck is with you two and the secrecy then? Your friends aliens or something?"

Newt felt the bubble of excitement reappear as he flashed Minho a teasing glance. He'd filled Thomas in on keeping a secret as best he could without giving up Teresa's secret and for once Thomas hadn't questioned him incessantly but had simply nodded and agreed easily.

Newt agonised for hours over why it had been so easy.

Could it possibly be that Thomas knew?

Or did he just trust Newt so completely that he didn't question it?

Part of him truly hoped it was the latter.

"Somethin' like that."

He smirked as Minho chuckled so easily, so busy loving the secret and hoping he was right that he missed the way Thomas shot him an unreadably suspicious look.