The next morning Tina woke up in her bed, comfortable and covered up in the blanket that she had found in one of Newt's cabinets. She knew she didn't have any right to use any of his linens without asking his permission, but he had been gone because of the kidnapping, and she didn't have a chance to ask. Besides the only blankets she ever owned had either been left behind at the wizarding shop at her old neighborhood or stored as evidence at the ministry.
So, the night she came back from saving Newt from his captors, she had pulled out a light blue blanket that was placed in a different section of her roommate's cabinets.
Tina had been using Newt's blanket ever since she went home alone after they had found him at the potion smuggler's warehouse. She had found comfort having it wrapped around her long, slender body as if Newt were doing it himself. She caught a whiff of his familiar scent and she wondered how she ended up in her own, warm bed when the last thing she remembered was dozing off in her chair after begrudgingly consuming her cup of tea the night before.
"Newt!" she calls out softly as she begins to stand up from her bed, wrapping the blanket around herself before exiting the room.
"Newt, did you…"
The view that met Tina as soon as she stepped into the living room was divine. Newt standing at the edge of the countertop sipping his morning tea, his wand pointed at the air while he was flipping a pancake in one of the pans on the stovetop. To his right were stacks of freshly cooked pancakes that were laid on one of Newt's ceramic plates that began to float across the kitchen towards the dining room table as soon as Tina entered the room. Newt turned around to glance at his roommate, who had just woke up, giving her a simple smile before turning back to the last batch of pancakes he was cooking.
"Good morning!"
"Good morning," Tina replied absentmindedly, still in shock as she watched a bottle of maple syrup and a saucer containing butter fly across the kitchen to the dining table. Her eyes travelled back to Newt and she was snapped out of her trance, realizing that she wanted to ask her friend about what happened the night before. "Did you, uhm…"
She couldn't get the words out, distracted by all the commotion that was going on in the kitchen that Newt had to finish her sentence for her.
"You dozed off last night," He explained, pouring hot tea into a cup for Tina, adding two sugars into it just like she did with her usual morning coffee. "You looked cold so I thought it was best to take you to bed. I hope that doesn't bother you."
"No, no, not at all," she replies as she pulls her blanket – Newt's blanket – closer to her to shield her from the cold morning air.
Newt catches a glimpse of the blanket he was all too familiar with and smiled at himself. It was his favorite and he had it since he was a little boy. He walks over to Tina and hands her the cup containing her morning tea before taking a sip of his own.
"Drink up," Newt says smugly as soon as he handed Tina her cup.
Tina glances at the brown liquid and grimaces, already aware of what her taste buds would have to endure for the entire week. She looks back up at Newt, who was grinning smugly as he continued to down his own cup of tea.
"Please tell me this is at least better than what I had last night."
"Well, I added sugar this time," Newt replies. "That way it'll taste a little less bland."
"Sugar, really?" Tina questions, her eyebrows almost reaching the roof of her head as she questioned whether Newt even wanted to win the bet that they had agreed on weeks prior. "In case you forgot, you're supposed to be convincing me that this," she raises the cup of coffee she was holding, "is far better than coffee."
"I am aware of that," Newt replies as returned to the stove to flip the last of the pancakes onto his own plate before walking over to the dining table and placing it in front of his seat. "just trust me. I have a plan."
Tina takes an initial sip and cringes a little at the familiar taste of tea despite it's slight sweetness because of the sugar that Newt had added. "And does that plan involve making me breakfast every morning to distract me from the fact that tea will always taste awful no matter what you do?"
He chuckles at her statement before looking up from under his eyelids and saying, "If that's what it takes."
"Well then, lucky me," Tina replies with a teasing smile, sipping her tea before taking the seat beside Newt as she eyed her pancakes hungrily.
Tina gives Newt a tentative look as if asking if he wanted to do the honors and butter his own pancakes first. He simply nodded in reply and gestured at the saucer of butter and bottle of maple syrup as if telling her she should go first. She understood and smiled at him in gratitude before beginning to butter her own pancakes.
As soon as Tina was done buttering her pancakes, Newt followed suit as Tina started to add small amounts of maple syrup onto her newly buttered pancakes before slicing them into equal portions.
"So, what're you gonna be up to on your first day back?" Tina asks while she was slicing her pancakes.
"I first have to head into the department to leave my findings with Mr. Hughes and then I'll be heading into Theseus' office for my debrief." Newt replied, taking in his roommate's reaction to his pancakes as she mhmmed at her scrumptious breakfast. "What about you?"
"Same for me," Tina replies as she stuffs down another piece of pancake into her mouth and takes a sip of her tea, completely numb now to its taste because of the sweetness of the maple syrup on her pancakes. "I think my debrief's just after you're done with yours."
"I just hope Theseus won't prolong it as much as necessary," Newt confesses, as he takes a bite off his own breakfast. "I just want to get back to work."
"You're not nervous are you?"
"No," he replied half-heartedly, fully aware that it was partially a lie because he was nervous of being alone in a room with his brother, but not for the reasons Tina might think so.
"Are you sure, because you sure look like you are," Tina asks, concern laced in her voice because she knew Newt was lying, since his demeanor had changed as soon as he mentioned the debrief.
Newt falls silent, taking a sip of his morning tea and trying to avoid Tina's gaze. Tina notices this and she immediately places her hand on top of Newt's to reassure him.
"You're gonna be fine," she comforts him, squeezing his hand lightly before returning to her breakfast and taking the last bite of her pancake. "just tell your brother everything that you remember and I'm sure he'll let you go."
Newt nods at Tina, relieved that she didn't know why he was really anxious to be in a room with his brother. Before he knew it she stood up and said, "Wait for me?"
Newt gave her a confused look.
"Let me just take a quick shower and then we can head on to work together," Tina clarifies as soon as she saw the confusion in his eyes. "You could go ahead though if you want seeing as you are all ready to go."
"No, it's fine," Newt stammers in reply. "I still have to finish my breakfast anyway."
"Thanks."
Tina gives him a smile before she rushes off to take a quick shower. Just as soon as she entered the bathroom an owl came swooping in through the open window and landed on the chair that Tina was sitting in previously. It had an envelope tied onto its claws, which surprised Newt because he was expecting it to be The Daily Prophet.
Maybe it's Theseus again. Newt thought to himself, recalling the last letter he received from his brother in this manner. Probably thought it appropriate to tease me about Tina. Ha. If only he knew I cowered out.
Newt unties the letter from the owl and flips it over. He was about to open it up when he noticed that the handwriting on the front of the envelope didn't look like one he recognized. It looked daintier than his brothers.
Tina Goldstein
Newt stared at the beautiful script that was sprawled against the envelope containing the name of his roommate, not him. It was for Tina. Who could be writing Tina when she said she knew no one in London?
Just as he was about to lay the letter on the table for Tina to discover, the auror came walking out of her bedroom completely dressed, her hair still in disarray.
"Just give me a second to fix my hair and we can get going," she says from behind Newt, startling him in the process that he ended up shoving the letter hastily into one of his coat pockets instead of handing it to Tina like he was supposed to.
"A letter arrived for you," Newt says as soon as he managed to get his heart rate down a couple of seconds later. Still clutching the letter in his hand, he took it from his coat and handed it out in Tina's direction, waiting for her to take it from him.
Tina waves her wand at her hair and walks over to Newt, the latter watching how easily his roommates hair went from wet and in disarray to dry and neat. She reaches Newt just in time for her hair to hang from her head the way she usually wore it and she took hold of the letter and began inspecting it.
Newt's curiosity took the better of him and he asked, "Who is it from?"
Tina grimaces as she stares at the familiar script she knew all too well. "No one important."
Tina looks up from the letter and at Newt, giving him a reassuring smile before walking over to the fireplace and tossing the letter there where it immediately caught flames and burned almost immediately. She then turns back at Newt and says, "Shall we?"
Newt stared at Tina for a brief moment before nodding his head in agreement, following her towards the fireplace where they were going to take the floo network to work. He was curious as to why Tina would throw away a letter that seemed to bother her so much without bothering to read its contents. He wanted to ask her but he knew better than to do so.
He decided to let his curiosity go for now as he stepped into the fireplace after Tina. He then threw in an ample amount of floo poweder and yelled, "Ministry of Magic!" as tongues of green flames licked on his favorite coat, transporting him to the entrance of the place where he worked and where Tina Goldstein was waiting for him just a few feet away.
After stopping by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures to drop his report on the ashwinders (at least the things that he had discovered since his recent kidnapping), Newt immediately headed to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement where his brother was waiting for him to do the official debrief on his kidnapping.
The door to Theseus Scamander's office was open when Newt had walked up to it. He gave it a light knock before peeking into his brother's office and saying, "Hello? Theseus?"
Theseus was standing at the far left of his office, which was surprisingly large considering that the entire ministry was built underground to keep the muggles from suspecting wizarding activities. The head auror looked up from the file cabinet he was perusing through, looking for specific files he would be needing for the debriefs he would be conducting for the day.
As soon as he heard the familiar timber of his younger brother's voice, Theseus had managed to find the case files he needed and pulled them out of the file cabinet. He then walked over to his desk and placed the files he had just collected in front of him before he started to walk over to Newt, his arms wide open as he took his little brother in for a hug.
Newt stood awkwardly wrapped in his brother's arms as he could feel eyes on the pair of them from the aurors that were lurking outside Theseus' office.
Newt cleared his throat, wanting to be released from the hug that he had gotten himself into. "Uhm, Theseus. I don't think this is appropriate. People are staring."
The auror finally let his brother go before closing the door behind them.
"Please, sit down, Newton."
He does as he was told and sits in front of Theseus' desk as the auror walked over to the opposite side to lean against its chair.
The younger Scamander stared at the older, waiting for him to start the debrief so that he could get out of there and head back to doing what he does best, which was study magical creatures.
"So," Theseus began, his voice laced with interest which made Newt groan internally because he knew where this conversation was going. "How did things go last night?"
"Can we just get to the debrief, Theseus," Newt dismisses his brother's question. "I have a lot of work to do."
"Oh c'mon, Newt, don't be such a killjoy," Theseus moans as he sat down excitedly on his chair, proping his elbows up on the table as he does so. "I don't need the details, I just want to know if it went well."
"It didn't go at all," Newt replies in defeat, deciding to just tell his brother to get things over with.
"You didn't kiss her?"
"No Theseus, I didn't," Newt exclaimed silently despite his rising anger and annoyance. "I simply hugged her and thanked her for saving me."
"You hugged her?" Theseus repeated, judgment at his brother's choice of action evident in his voice.
"Yes, I hugged her," Newt confirms between gritted teeth, mimicking his brother's impression on the word 'hugged', trying not to lose his temper in that moment. "because that's what friends do."
"But I thought you wanted the two of you to become more than just friends?"
"I don't really see how this is any of your business, Theseus," Newt snaps as he looks down at the topmost file on his brother's desk, eyeing it instead of his brother. "now can we please get on to the debrief, please."
Theseus looks at his brother in defeat, knowing that this wasn't the right time to press on the matter. He sighs and opens up the file in front of him, asking Newt about the encounter at the wizarding shop where he got kidnapped up until the event before his rescue, not mentioning anything more about the events that happened last night that Newt would rather they not talk about.
Tina had been staring at her boss's door for a solid hour, her heart beating rapidly against her chest. Earlier that morning she was comforting Newt and telling him that he would do fine on his debrief despite the anxious look he had at breakfast. But this time she was the one who was getting nervous of facing her boss for her debrief.
She knew that Theseus had seen the little moment that she and Newt had shared in one of the rooms at the warehouse where Newt's captors were keeping him hostage. She was sure that it looked like she was going to kiss him and had it been any other auror in the department, Tina could have deflected any questions regarding that entire encounter with ease. But it was Theseus Scamander, not only one of the greatest aurors Britain has ever seen but also the brother of the man she had almost kissed.
What if he asks me about that? Tina asks herself in a panic as she waited for her turn for debriefing. What do I say?
I can deny it, can I?
Of course you can't! It was too obvious.
Maybe to you.
Shut up!
"Goldstein!"
Tina was snapped out of her internal argument with herself by the loud boom of her boss' voice reverberating across the entire floor. She felt herself blush in embarrassment as she walked over to his office, catching a glimpse of Newt leaving the premises as he walked towards the elevators.
Tina pauses briefly and looks in the direction of the elevators, catching Newt's eye in the process. She smiles weakly at him, the question 'how did it go?' etched on her face. Newt simply shrugged his shoulders in answer before the elevator doors closed in front of him.
Before the elevator took off, Tina caught the sadness in Newt's eyes. It made her wonder what might have happened in the room she was about to head into for Newt to be wearing that facial expression instead of the optimistic look he always seemed to have on.
Theseus cleared his throat at her when he realized that she wasn't moving. Tina was snapped out of her trance yet again by her boss before she finally walks into her office to begin her debrief.
The head auror closes the door behind them, holding his hand out to Tina to offer her a seat as he said, "Take a seat, Goldstein."
The new auror does as she's told and sits in front of her bosses desk, staring at the thick brown folder that she handed in earlier that morning. It had contained all the necessary information about all the three cases she had helped solve.
Theseus returned to his desk, sat on his chair, and began perusing through the folder that Tina had previously been staring at.
A silence passed between the two aurors as the senior was reading Tina's report. She fiddled nervously with her hands as she watched her boss read through the report she had finished only the night before.
It felt like time dragged on by very slowly as Tina watched Theseus read the last few pages of her report on all of the three cases she solved. When he reached the last page, he cleared his throat, closed the file and looked up at one of his most promising recruits.
"Well," Theseus began, as he let out a breath before looking at her. "it seems you're not only an observant and skilled auror, Goldstein. You're also thorough with your paperwork."
"Thank you, sir."
"It seems you've covered everything that I was going to ask you today," Theseus remarked, impressed with Tina's report as he walked over to the file cabinet with the two files from cases he had finished debriefs on. He tucked both files back into the cabinet before looking back at Tina and continued, "so you're free to go."
Tina was sure her jaw dropped. She wasn't used to not being grilled on her cases, especially after they were solved. Back when she worked for MACUSA, President Piquery always found loopholes in her work that it usually took them a long time before they finished debriefs. It's what made her practice thorough report writing.
"Are you sure, sir?"
"Yes," Theseus answers, tucking his hands into his pockets before walking back to his desk. "besides, most of my questions on the case involved the beasts that you and my brother have discovered which were the center of these cases. Ash, uhm, ashmakers or something."
"Ashwinders," Tina corrected, trying as hard as she can to hide her laugh.
"Yes, those pesky creatures," Theseus confirmed with a chuckle, amused that he got the name wrong. "My brother has managed to provide me with enough information about them and your report has all the connections and ties between all three cases in them clearly stated, so I have everything I need. Thank you, Goldstein."
"You're welcome, sir."
"You may go," Theseus says with an amused smile, not bothering to correct Tina for calling him 'sir' when he had told her before to drop it.
Tina stands up from where she was sitting and started walking towards the door.
"Oh, Goldstein," Theseus calls out just as Tina was about to open the door of his office, the head auror remembering that he had a favor to ask his colleague. "Can I ask a favor of you?"
"Anything, sir."
"Can you keep an eye on Newt for me?"
Tina stares at her boss in shock, unsure what to make of what he just asked her. Her heart began beating fast against her chest as her mind raced with lots of questions all at once, one of which was did Theseus ask this of her because of the scene he saw at the warehouse? They weren't close enough for him to be asking personal favors and they both knew that. But Tina knew that Theseus was asking this of her because she was probably the only person he knew that would care enough about Newt to keep him from harm.
Stop overthinking, Tina. She thought to herself. He's probably asking you this because you're Newt's roommate.
She turns to face Theseus, swallowing before she nodded at him. She then exited the head auror's office and headed back to her own cubicle to read on some of the new cases that were placed on her desk, her mind filled with so many questions after that request by Theseus Scamander.
Tina hadn't seen Newt all day. She had been swamped with work. After reading all the new cases, Longbottom had called her to help him in arresting some of the remaining smugglers that they didn't manage to send off to Azkaban yet. As soon as she came back from the arrest, Edwards came careening into her cubicle asking for help in one of his new cases and it took most of her afternoon.
As soon as she finished consulting on Edwards' case it was already time for the weekly auror meeting they had wherein aurors who headed different cases that were brought to the department reported their findings and any updates they've had so that everyone was up to speed in case they are needed in any of the cases.
This week's meeting took longer than usual because both Shacklebolt and Scamander decided it was a good idea to praise Tina when she gave an update on all three cases that their department managed to close because of her. The attention left Tina unsettled, she blushed as she gave her report and blushed even harder when Theseus had requested a round of applause for their new recruit and her initiative and resourcefulness despite being the newbie.
By the time Tina was heading back home it was almost late into the night she was sure that Newt would be asleep. Her stomach began to growl in hunger as soon as she reached the fireplaces at the entrance of the ministry. She immediately stepped into the fireplace and muttered her address, deciding that she'll just try to cook herself dinner at home.
She arrived at home, the room she just popped into was pitch dark which confirmed her suspicions that Newt was already asleep. She walked over to the fridge and grabbed a few greens and bread from inside it, deciding that she was too lazy to make anything fancier than a salad for dinner.
Tina walks about the apartment quietly as she prepared her dinner, waving her wand at the plates and ingredients as they assembled into a salad mid-air. She ate her dinner in silence, her thoughts drifting back to her boss' request to check up on his brother.
It's a little odd that he asked me that. Tina told herself as she munched on her salad absentmindedly. I mean, yeah sure Newt and I are friends and roommates but, why would Theseus ask me something that personal? We're not friends.
Tina continued to munch on her salad and the on the piece of bread she had cut out until it was all consumed, still trying to figure out what her boss was thinking.
Once she was done with her dinner, she simply waved her wand and the dishes and kitchen cleaned themselves up. She started to take off her coat, something she realized she forgot to do when she arrived in her haste to get some food in her stomach. She then walked over to her room to grab her PJ's and then over to the bathroom to take a quick bath before she headed to bed.
As she began walking from the bathroom to her bedroom, she glanced at the door of Newt's study-turned-bedroom. She had Theseus' request ringing in her ear so she wasn't able to help herself. She walked over to the hardwood door and placed her ear on it's smooth surface, hoping that she could hear Newt's snores (she didn't even know if he snored if she was being completely honest).
With her ear pressed against the door, she could hear Newt's silent breathing and some muttering. She smiled at herself at the thought of Newt talking in his sleep. She wondered what he could possibly be talking about, what he looked like while he was sleeping.
Despite herself, Tina twisted the doorknob and cracked open the door. She knew it was an invasion of privacy, but she did promise his brother that she would check up on him.
She was ready to smile, ready to feel happy watching Newt so peaceful in his sleep. But the sight that met her concerned her. Instead of seeing Newt serene and peaceful in his sleep, she was met with his makeshift bed in disarray and with Newt's face scrunched up in concentration, his entire body tense as if he was trying to fend off someone in his sleep. He flipped over to his other side, his body still tense with his arms held protectively over his body, as if he was ready to attack someone who came near him, someone who wanted to hurt him.
Sadness started to spread across her face as she walked over to him, placing one of her hands on his sleeping form.
"Please, no," Newt mutters in his sleep, sweat starting to form on his forehead as he talked. "I've told you everything I know."
"Sssshhh," Tina soothed him, running her hands against his arm.
Newt didn't wake at Tina's touch. Instead, he seemed to relax as soon as Tina's hands started stroking his arms in an attempt make him feel better.
He went from tense to calm. But he still continued to mutter and plead in his sleep that it led Tina to believe that he was having nightmares about his time with his kidnappers. She felt a pang of guilt as she listened to what he kept muttering. If she had found him faster, he wouldn't have had to endure so much of the torture he probably did.
Tina didn't leave Newt's side until he stopped talking in his sleep. It was almost 1 am when Tina had finally gotten herself into bed, deciding that it was time to get some rest herself because she had work the next day. She glanced back at Newt one last time, smiling as she did so because now he was calm, relaxed, serene. As if on cue, Newt smiled back, giving Tina butterflies in her stomach as she closed the door behind her and walked over to her own room for a very peaceful night's sleep.
The next morning Tina woke up again to Newt making breakfast for the two of them. He was really determined to distract her from whatever awful mixture of tea he had prepared for her that morning it actually amused her.
Tina yawned a good morning at Newt, rubbing the sand from her eyes as she sat down in her usual spot at the dining table. To her right was a teacup as expected but it had a milky color to it.
Milk. Tina thought to herself sleepily as she took it willingly this time and brought the cup closer to her lips. I hope it helps make this taste better.
She then took a sip from her cup, testing the hot liquid first if whether or not she'd like the taste. She had to admit that the milk made the drink a little less awful, but it wasn't good and it wouldn't help change her mind about tea.
She was about to ask about breakfast when Newt walked towards the table with a platter of scones in one hand and his own cup of tea in the other.
"When did you have time to bake scones?" Tina asked, curiously eyeing the pastries that Newt had just placed on the table for them to eat.
"I didn't," he replied, waving his wand to summon a jar of raspberry jam and butter to the table. "I stopped by the coffee shop yesterday on my way home to buy them considering that I also sort of promised you an entire week of breakfast to accompany your morning tea."
Tina smiled in amusement at the thought of Newt going above and beyond for her, just to convince her and change her opinion on his favorite drink. Somehow the thought of this made drinking the tea with milk from her teacup feel like less of a chore.
Newt and Tina ate their breakfast in silence, the both of them happily munching on their scones and comfortable in each other's presence. Both of them occassionally caught the other staring at them, which lead to boughts of laughter echoing through the dining room at their actions.
Tina finished first again and went on to do what she now considered her morning routine of taking a shower in haste so that she and Newt could get to work on time. Newt tidied up the table with just a flick of his wand after he finished his own breakfast just in time for Tina to come walking out of her room, ready for another hard day's work.
The two roommates then headed for the ministry like they did every morning since Tina had decided to take Newt up on his offer for her to stay with him for a while. They said their goodbyes to each other as they parted ways at the elevators and headed to their own respective departments.
On Wednesday morning, Tina was woken up by the smell of eggs and some bacon cooking in the kitchen. Her stomach growled at the idea of breakfast with Newt yet again.
I should suggest we have more tea weeks next time. Tina thinks to herself gleefully, her eyes closed as she takes time to appreciate the brilliant smell of poached eggs wafting into her bedroom. Newt seems to be good in the kitchen.
Tina then drifts off into the kitchen, her eyes still closed, using only the smell of whatever her roommate was cooking guide her. She was familiar with Newt's apartment so much by now that she weaved past obstacles until she reached the dining table and sat in her usual spot.
Newt smiles as he sees Tina sit with her eyes closed, amused at how adorable she looked doing so. She looked like a nine year old getting out of bed because of breakfast at the same time still trying to catch up with some sleep. He then turned back to the pot in front of him to scoop up the last poached egg before laying it on top of the brown, crispy bacon he had laid on top of a buttered English muffin. He then waved his wand at the container beside him which contained homemade hollandaise sauce he had prepared prior and squeezed a sufficient amount on top of the eggs. Finally, he took the two plates, one for him and one for Tina, from the countertop and laid them on the table.
"Eggs benedict?" Tina asks in shock as she finally had the strength to open her eyes and inspect her breakfast, part of her shocked that Newt knew how to cook something this elaborate.
"I figured if I was to make you breakfast, I should at least make something that would remind you of home," Newt replies as he blinks at her innocently, smiling as he did so.
"Oh, uhm, thank you," Tina was thrown at Newt's effort for the week so far and it's only halfway through it. "I always loved having this for breakfast back in New York."
"I hear it's a great pair for the concoction of tea I have for you this morning," Newt smiles as he hands her her teacup which had slices of lemon and orange floating in it.
Tina looks at the teacup and then back at Newt, raising her eyebrow at him as soon as she saw the slices of lemon and orange. Newt returns her look with a look of his own, a challenge in his eyes for her to take a sip of the tea he had for her that morning. She shakes her head at him and takes a sip, delightfully surprised at how good the drink tasted with the addition of those fruits.
Newt was amused when he saw approval in her face he just had to say, "Did I get it right this time?"
"It's much better today than all the days before," Tina admitted with a nod, laying the teacup back on its saucer and slicing a piece off of her eggs. "I'll give you that."
Newt shakes his head at her antics and takes a tentative sip of his black tea before he began with his breakfast.
Tina was delightfully surprised at how the eggs benedict had complimented the citrusy flavor of the tea she had just had and couldn't help but love today's breakfast, even admitting to herself that today's flavor of tea wasn't that bad.
"I'm excited for tomorrow," she admits as she took the last bite of her eggs and took a final sip of her tea before crossing her arms over the table.
"Finally going to admit that tea is better than coffee, Goldstein?"
"Never," Tina replies almost immediately, her face etched with a playfulness in it. "I just meant I can't wait to see what sort of grandios breakfast meal you'll have planned for me tomorrow."
"Oh c'mon," Newt said exhasperated. "just admit it you're starting to like tea now too."
"I liked this one," Tina relents, pointing at her teacup, smiling playfully at Newt.
"Just you wait, I have two more days to prove to you that tea is better."
"Bring it," Tina replies in challenge as she got up and began cleaning up for the both of them, feeling a little guilty that she hadn't done any share of the housework since tea week began.
"Oh, I will," Newt says as he takes the plates from Tina and does them for her, gesturing to the bathroom to tell her to get a move on.
The auror simply shakes her head and allows her roommate to do the chores. It amused her that she and Newt had formed this little routine since tea weak had started. He prepared breakfast and cleaned up after them as she takes a shower before the both of them finally head to the ministry and a hard day's work.
Newt,
I'm sorry for doing this to you again. I've been called on early to the ministry and might have to skip breakfast (and tea) for today. I'd say bring me a cup to work but I'm not entirely sure I'll even be at the ministry with all the cases I've got to help out on.
I'll make it up to you, I promise.
Tina
Newt frowns as he reads Tina's letter on Thursday morning that informed him of her absence that morning. It was lucky that he only planned sandwiches for breakfast and he hadn't even begun making them.
So, instead of pulling out his wand and preparing breakfast for him and his roommate like he's done the past three days, Newt simply brews himself his morning cup of tea and begins preparing himself for a hard days work. He was a little disappointed that Tina wouldn't be able to join him for breakfast since he had gotten so used to the domesticity of sharing a morning meal with her, but he understood that her job was important to her.
He chugged down his morning tea without even bothering to eat breakfast and proceeded to take a shower before he headed to work.
It felt awfully lonely as he walked about the house as he prepared for work, part of him so used to the idea of having Tina around and having someone to go to work with. He tried to think of what it was like before she had come to live with him and it made him feel even lonelier.
The week before he planned on taking things to another level, he planned on kissing her with the encouragement of his brother. But this morning had reinforced his decision of not doing any of that anymore, now and in the future. He knew he'd lose her someday because she'd find an apartment of her own, but at least if he did, she'll still be in his life. His fears of losing her the way he did Leta still ate at him and he knew that he didn't want that to happen with Tina.
So, he walked to the fireplace and transported himself to the ministry to head to work, his mind distracted as thoughts of Tina and her whereabouts flooded his mind.
Tina came home late that night despite her plans to arrive home early to have afternoon tea with Newt. They had agreed upon giving the other five days each and she wasn't keen on not holding her end of the bargain. She'd have to extend tea weak until Saturday now because of the amount of work she had been doing since successfully closing three cases.
Tina arrived at home through floo network that night. She was met yet again with a dark room that was lit by only soft trickles of light from the streetlamps from outside. She removed her coat and levitated it towards the coat rack, dusting off particles of soot off as it floated. She then flicked her wand to light the room so that she didn't have to walk around the dark room blind.
The room was tidy and so was the kitchen. Tina walked up to the fridge and was about to try and look for something to eat when she was met by a small piece of parchment with Newt's neat handwriting sprawled against it's surface.
Tina,
I didn't know if you were going to be home tonight but in case you will be, I've taken out a box of peppermint tea leaves for you to brew. I know I should be the one making this for you for tea week, but since I don't know when you'll be home, I thought it better for you to brew it for yourself. Besides, you already know how. Time to put those tea brewing skills to practice.
Newt
To the top of the parchment was a box of loose tea leaves as Newt had stated in his letter. She smiles at herself as she begins to open the box, as she looks back at the note to read the last few words on the piece of parchment.
P.S. I like to drink a little bit of peppermint tea to relax after work. You've been so busy with work lately, I hope this helps you relax like it helps me.
Tina smiles at the last sentence. Not only has Newt made tea week very domestic with all the breakfast food he had prepared for them, he also made it personal by sharing his own different secrets when it came to his favorite drink. A warmth started to spread across her as she started to tuck the note into one of her pockets before boiling some water.
Tina leaned against the countertop as she waited for the kettle to wheeze. She then added the peppermint tea leaves to the kettle as Newt had taught her from before and waited for the tea to steep the right amount of time. She then poured herself a cup, deciding not to add anything to it at the fear of making it worse. She started to sip on her tea, her taste buds surprisingly not protesting at it's taste. The drink left a cooling, tingling sensation on her throat that made Tina appreciate the drink a little more.
She was about to pour herself another glass, a surprise she readily welcomed, when she heard glass break from inside Newt's room. Tina's protective instinct as an auror began to kick in as she quickly abandoned her teacup and went dashing for Newt's room She yanked open the door and had her wand readied in case she needed to cast a spell if it was an intruder.
"Please no!" Newt exclaimed as he tossed and turned in his bed, sweat trickling down his forehead. "I told you everything I know!"
He's having nightmares again. Tina frowns as she tucks her wand back into her pocket, partially relieved that the broken glass only came from one of the jars Newt had in this room and not a burglary as she thought it would be.
Tina walks in and closes the door behind her, walking towards Newt, ready to sooth him the way she did a few nights ago. She was only a few inches away from him when he let out of blood curdling scream that gave her goosebumps. She had never heard Newt scream this way before and it made her believe that he had been downplaying what actually happened during his kidnapping. Now that she thought about it, they had never talked about what happened. They just went back to their usual routine and it made Tina feel a little guilty. What kind of a friend would let this happen? She should have checked up on him.
Maybe this was why Theseus asked me to keep an eye on Newt. Tina thought to herself as she tries to sooth Newt by running her hands across his forehead amidst his screams. He knew this would happen. Of course it would happen.
Tina berated herself for not thinking about it in the first place. Newt wasn't trained for what happened to him like she was, like all the aurors of the ministry were. He was a ministry worker who caught caught in the crosshares of a case that was way outside his call for duty. Newt was a skilled wizard, he could handle his beasts and he was pretty good with his wand, but it did not mean he wasn't susceptible to torture.
God knows what they did to him in those few days they held him captive. Tina thinks to herself yet again, worried for the man in front of her as he continued to scream for his captors to stop. Images of Newt writhing in pain as he was being tortured began to flash through Tina's head she felt the hairs on her back prickle.
"Ssssshhhh," she says in an attempt to sooth him, hoping that it would have the same effect it did before.
It didn't.
Newt continued to struggle in his makeshift bed it made Tina worry even more. Most of the linens he had wrapped around him were damp from all the sweat he had been producing as he tried to fight off his imaginary captors. Tina felt helpless as she continued to sooth him, wiping drops of sweat off his forehead using a piece of cloth she had conjured up.
"Aaaaahhhh!" Newt screamed, his left hand immediately flying to his left cheek, just over the non-existent scar that had been there the week prior because of the cut his captors had inflicted on his face.
"Newt!" Tina exclaims, finally giving up with her gentle carresses when she realized that they were no longer working.
He tosses yet again, his right hand flying past Tina, almost hitting her in the face. She was thrown back by the sheer weight of Newt's body, landing only a few inches away from his bed as she hit herself against the door of the room. She fell to the floor, feeling pain radiate from her back to her shoulders.
"I've told you what you need to know," Newt pants in his sleep, his body splayed against the makeshift bed as he continued to talk to his imaginarry captor.
Tina watches in horror as her friend continues to talk, rubbing the back of her shoulders to alleviate the pain radiating there.
"I'm not telling you that!"
"Telling them what, Newt?" Tina whispers as she begins to walk back towards him, hoping that she could at least wake him up. She reaches him, pinning him down against the bed, hoping that he was finally too tired to struggle.
He tenses for a bit, as if aware that someone was pinning him down. She loosens her grip on his shoulders and sits on the side of the bed that Newt wasn't occupying. She runs her hands against his trembling body, his shirt damp from all the sweat. His face was laced with fear but also with strength and determination. Her hands travelled to his face, unconsciously carressing his cheeks. Tina swore Newt smiled at her for a split second before his face scrunched back up in concentration.
"Leave her alone!" Newt exclaims once again it startles Tina, her hands flying away from his face. She finally gathers the courage to scoop him up and gather him in her arms, pulling his head against her shoulders so that he was leaning into her.
"Leave who alone, Newt?" Tina asks in a hushed voice, not even expecting him to answer her in his delirium.
"Tina."
His answer surprised her. She turned to look at him, expecting him to be awake finally because of his nightmare. But he wasn't. He was still fast asleep, his eyebrows knitted together and his body still tensed and defensive.
She continued to stroke his arm, pulling him closer to her as he continued to mutter her name in his sleep.
Tina's heart was beating fast against her chest, partly because she wanted to help Newt but didn't know how and partly because of him muttering her name and his closeness to her. They hadn't been this close since the incident at the warehouse, and it was bringing back all these emotions inside of her that she had been trying to stamp out of her.
Flashes of what Newt looked like after they had found him started to pass through Tina's mind. She remembered what it felt like to run her hands against the huge gash on his cheek, what it felt like to see his right eye bruised and his body limp. She could feel the weight of his body against her own, how weak he was that night and how tired.
"And you had to relive it every single night since you came back," Tina whispers sadly to the both of them, fully aware that Newt couldn't hear her because he was beginning to calm down and settle into deep sleep. She could feel him relax in her arms, his breathing beginning to slow down, and his body starting to relax and become less tense.
She climbs onto the bed, shifting herself and Newt so that they would both fit. She finally decided that she wasn't going to be sleeping anywhere else but here tonight. She pulled Newt's body closer to hers so that he wouldn't fall, the two of them now sharing a makeshift bed that was only supposed to be for one person.
Newt started to shift in Tina's arm as if trying to free himself from her. She softly places her hand on his forehead and brings him back to her, letting his head rest on her shoulders.
"I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Newt," she says in a low voice, fully aware that he couldn't hear her. She then inched closer to him, resting her chin against his forehead.
Newt's breathing started to even out, his body started to relax in Tina's arms. A few silent minutes passed between the two of them, Newt wrapped in Tina's arms and Tina resting her chin against Newt's forehead, cradling his head in her arms.
Tina continued to hold Newt, continued to reminisce the night they had found Newt all beaten up and bruised. She remembered how she held him close to her, how she caught him when he couldn't hold up his own weight because of how weak and tired he was from the torture. She remembered how she had tucked his head in the crook of her neck and how she buried her own in his. She remembered how his familiar scent had mixed with with the blood and sweat that had dried and how badly she just wanted to make everything better for him.
Terrible thoughts of Newt having to go through that again started to fill her mind. She pulled him closer to her protectively, planting a soft kiss on the top of his forehead as if reassuring him that she wouldn't allow anything like that to happen to him ever again. She then remembered what it felt like, having his scarred cheek brush against her own, how the world seemed to slow down until they were face to face. She remembered how Newt had stared hungrily at her lips and how much she wanted to kiss him that night. She probably would have if they weren't so rudely interrupted by Theseus.
Tina looks down at Newt and admires how calm and serene he already was despite his screams earlier. She smiled, loving how handsome he looked and how perfectly the light from outside had hit his face, highlighting his closed eyelids and the freckles on the top of his nose. Her eyes travelled even further, now settling to stare at his lips. She looks back up to his eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of their beautiful green hue. She was sadly disappointed, the back of Newt's eyelids meeting her beautiful brown eyes instead.
He won't even remember. She thinks to herself as the feelings she had been trying to hide started to bubble inside her. Her eyes (as well as her thoughts) drifted back to his lips while she bit at her own. She began to lower herself, shifting her entire body so that she was no longer cradling Newt's head. She settled his head on one of the pillows he had transfigured from who knows what in his study before finally flipping over to her side so that she was now face-to-face with Newt. She used her hands as her pillow as she continued to stare at Newt, her eyes immediately finding his lips.
Tina inched closer to Newt, feeling his slow breathing against her face as she got closer and closer to him. Their faces were only a few inches away and Tina could feel the lump in her throat, her breath hitching at the thought of finally kissing him.
This is wrong. A voice inside her was saying. You shouldn't be doing this, Tina. It's wrong.
She inched even closer despite a million different voices screaming at her to not do this. She felt their noses brushing against each other, gasping silently at the cold feel of Newt's nose against hers, taking in one final breath before finally moving closer to him and planting a soft kiss on his lips.
His mouth was soft against hers and Tina could have sworn that he was kissing her back. She pulled away almost as soon as she kissed him, panic starting to rise inside of her at the thought of Newt being conscious.
She looks at his sleeping form, trying to determine if he was still asleep. "Newt, are you awake?"
The man beside her didn't reply nor did he move.
Tina lets out a sigh of relief, coming to the conclusion that she might have just imagined Newt kissing her back. Her mind seemed to be playing tricks with her because it knew how much she wanted him to like her too.
Her heart was racing and her thoughts were a mess, clouded with so many things all at once. Guilt over kissing Newt without asking permission. Giddy at the thought of getting the chance to kiss him even if just once. Longing for him to kiss her of his own volition. Curious if he would ever feel for her what she felt for him and if they'd ever become something more than just friends.
A lot of things were going through her head she wanted to scream. She manages to calm herself down, her heart rate approaching its normal rhythm as she settles back in bed with Newt. She knew staying by his side tonight would confuse her even more, but he needed her there beside him even just for one night.
"I just hope you never find out what I did," Tina whispers to Newt's sleeping form as she settles in beside him, keeping ample space between their two bodies. She sighs and admires his face one last time before finally closing her eyes and allowing herself to fall asleep beside Newt Scamander, vowing to take this secret to her grave and to never let her emotions get the better of her next time.
Tina had woken up earlier the next morning in Newt's makeshift bed. She was half-expecting to wake up in her own bed, hoping that what happened the night before was just a bad dream. She felt shame at the thought of kissing Newt while he slept, it sent waves of regret throughout her entire body.
"Better start looking for a new apartment, Goldstein," Tina mutters to herself as she got out of bed and walked out of Newt's room.
As soon as she opened the door to Newt's room, Tina's senses was met with the most divine of smells. She walked lightly, from the door to Newt's room across the living room and glanced at him. He had his back against her, lazily resting his weight on his right side. The whole kitchen smelled of freshly made waffles it made Tina's stomach grumble in anticipation.
Newt opened his waffle maker and extracted a freshly cooked waffle from it and placed it atop three waffles he had previously made. He then turned towards the dining table and was caught by surprise by the presence of his roommate, who he thought was still asleep.
"Tina," Newt said a little startled, his hand still holding onto the plate containing their breakfast for the day. "Good morning."
Tina smiled at him and greeted back simply, "Good morning."
The pair gave each other brief, awkward smiles before breaking eye contact with each other as they walked to their respective seats at the dining table. Both Newt and Tina fidgeted in their seats, both of them trying to avoid the other's gaze. The awkwardness between the two of them was palpable. Tina questioned whether or not it was because she kissed Newt the night before and he knew about it or if it was because she slept in the same bed he did the night before. She wished she didn't have to bring it up, but she knew if she didn't the awkwardness would carry on through the whole day. So, she decides to break the awkward silence first, since it was her who slept in her roommate's bed without him knowing.
"Newt, about me sleeping in your bed last night – "
"Yes, about that," Newt interjects nervously, avoiding eye contact with Tina as he tried tol down his discomfort. "I was going to ask but I just didn't know how to."
Tina grimaces, the awkwardness that had settled between the pair of them becoming even more palpable. She tucks her hair nervously behind her ear before she began her recollection of what happened from the night before, trying to strengthen her resolve so that she wouldn't end up talking about the kiss.
"You were screaming in your sleep," she says simply as she raised her eyes in an attempt to look at Newt.
"Oh," Newt replies, catching a glimpse of Tina's eyes before his own tried to look anywhere else. "I – I, uhm…"
"You've been having nightmares," Tina finishes his sentence for him, knowing that he didn't know how to admit to her what he had been going through.
Newt looks up at Tina in surprise, their eyes finally locking on each other's for more than just a brief pause. "You knew?"
"I caught you muttering in your sleep a few nights ago," Tina finally admitted, recalling the first night that she had soothed Newt in his sleep and how she almost stayed in his room that time.
She frowns at him sadly, inching closer to him as she anchored her elbows on her thighs in an attempt to look at his eyes and find out what he was thinking. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what?" Newt replies in denial as he looked into her deep, brown eyes before averting his own.
"Newt," Tina presses, facing him and leaning towards him as if to let him know that he could talk to her about anything.
Tina knew that Newt was trying to avoid talking about what happened during his capture. She would never force him to talk about something as traumatic as what happened to him, but she felt like they needed to, especially after everything that she had heard since he came home.
She reaches out for him once again, laying her hand on top of his in comfort, hoping that this time it would work in helping him open up to her. "There's no point in denying it anymore, Newt. I heard what you've been screaming in your sleep."
Newt continues to avoid Tina's gaze as she tries to plead with him to talk to her. But he simply wouldn't. Tina huffs in frustration as she lets go of his hand and slumps back onto her chair.
"They tried to torture information out of you," Tina supplied for him, deciding that maybe that would make him feel comfortable talking about the kidnapping with her. "But you denied to give them any more than what they needed."
Newt lowered his gaze, staring at his freshly cooked waffles that have now gone cold so that he wouldn't have to look at Tina. He couldn't admit to her what happened in that warehouse because he'd have to tell her something that would ultimately destroy their friendship and that would make him lose her as a friend.
Tina wasn't taken aback by Newt's attitude. She had seen this in many a civilian who had been through traumatic experiences they haven't been trained for. She didn't want to force him, but she knew that if Newt didn't deal with it or at least talked about it with someone he would never get a good night's sleep.
Newt continued to avoid her gaze and remained tight lipped, which frustrated Tina even more. She sighs, not wanting to use what she had next, knowing that it would open up a can of worms that she herself didn't want spilling.
"You also said my name."
Newt's green eyes immediately flew up, locking with Tina's brown ones. The two shared a silent connection, a silent conversation going on between the two of them.
"You were trying to protect me from them," Tina states sadly, figuring out from the previous night that the 'her' that Newt meant was herself.
"Yes," Newt admitted silently, fiddling with his own fingers while avoiding Tina's gaze. "They were trying to get information on where you lived so they could kidnap you as well."
Newt finally found the courage to look up at Tina, locking eyes with her again and finally finding the courage to tell his story in her eyes. "They thought I was holding back information to protect the case. They thought they'd get that info from you."
"But you didn't cooperate, so they tortured you."
Newt nodded at Tina, amazed at how she always managed to finish his sentences.
"You didn't need to do that, Newt," Tina says with conviction, angling her body closer to Newt to make him see that she meant it. "I could have handled them."
"You wouldn't have solved all three cases if they had gotten to you," Newt pointed out, wanting her to understand why he endured what he'd been through for her. "And like I said the day you rescued me, I know how important solving the case was for you. I had to keep you away from them. I had to protect you."
"And again I'm telling you, solving the case was important to me," Tina replies with concern, reaching out for his hand yet again and taking it in both of her own to reassure him. "But not at the expense of losing you."
Newt smiles thankfully at Tina, squeezing her hand in gratitude the same way she always squeezed his hands to comfort him.
"Thank you," Tina says finally, smiling at Newt before leaning back against her chair and turning her attention back to the breakfast that Newt had prepared.
"Anytime."
The pair smiled at each other thankfully, the feeling of comfort starting to settle between the two of them. They both turned to look at the waffles that have now gone cold and took one each. Tina glanced at her teacup, seeing that it smelled of peppermint, like what she had the night before. She looked up at Newt, raising her eyebrows at him in question. "Peppermint tea? Again?"
"Of sorts," Newt shrugged in reply as he smothered a little whipped cream over his cold waffle before topping it off with a few mixed berries. "I wasn't entirely sure you enjoyed peppermint tea especially since you left a kettlefull by the countertop last night…"
"Oh, no, no," Tina interjected in haste, not wanting Newt to think she didn't like what he had her drink the night before. "I loved it, it tasted better than the crap you had me drink before."
Newt chuckled. "Did I just hear you say you loved tea?"
"Anyway," Tina replied with an eyeroll, not bothering to answer Newt's question because she would never admit defeat. "I just had to leave it there because I heard something break from your room," Tina continued, explaining what had happened the night before. "You were having a nightmare, so I didn't have time to drink some more."
Newt nodded in understanding. "Well then, I'm pretty sure you're going to love this one."
"What's in it?" Tina asks out of curiosity, bringing the hot drink closer to her nose as she took in its aroma.
"Peppermint tea," Newt answered playfully.
"Obviously."
Newt chuckles and continues. "I squeezed in some lemon and orange because you said enjoyed that, I also added a little bit of honey to add some sweetness."
Tina takes an initial sip of the warm drink, her face contorting to an expression of satisfaction. "I like it."
"You mean you love it." Newt teases as he took a sip of his own drink and shoved a large piece of whipped-cream covered waffles with a few berries into his mouth.
"Don't be too smug, Scamander," Tina replies in challenge as she followed Newt's example and placed whipped cream over her waffle and added a few strawberries into it. "Need I remind you that you also loved that cappuccino during coffee week."
Newt chuckles, amused that Tina would never admit defeat. He completely understood why. He didn't admit back then that coffee was as good as if not better than tea and he sure as hell was sure Tina wouldn't do the same thing. He gave her another quick glance as she start to sprinkle a little cinnamon over her waffles before returning to his own to slice off a big portion and stuff it into his mouth.
Newt looked past Tina's head as he chewed on his breakfast, seeing the clock he had positioned on the wall behind her and realized that they were running later than usual. He nodded in the direction of the clock, gesturing Tina to look at it as he said, "We better hurry or we're going to end up late."
The two of them started to shove pieces of waffle into their mouths Tina was convinced one of them would choke soon enough. She managed to finish before him, so she hurriedly levitated her plates to the sink, not even the least bit guilty that Newt would have to do them for her again this morning since they were running late. She then rushed into the bathroom to take a quick bath, leaving Newt to do the chores like he has done the entire week.
Newt managed to pat the last cermaic plate dry before Tina came marching out of the bathroom with her hair wet in disarray. He watched as she quickly brandished her wand, pointing it at her hair like she did every morning so that it would magically fix itself.
A million thoughts started to race through Newt's head. He knew he had to tell Tina about it soon. He had initially planned to before she had brought up her sleeping in his bed. He meant to ask her about the kiss they shared from the night before. He meant to tell her that he was awake for all of it, that he had kissed her back and that he felt bad for feigning sleep when she called out his name.
His thoughts were in disarray, his emotions more so. He didn't know how he felt about what happened between them from the night before, he didn't know what to make of it. Tina kissed him first. Did that mean that Theseus was right after all? Did that mean that all his fears of losing her as a friend were unwarranted?
He peers over at her, observing her keenly as she finished up fixing the collar of her blouse. His heart started beating hard against his chest as he finally came to a decision. No more words, no more talking. He's finally going to do what he planned on doing since her left his parent's estate. He marches over to her, determination etched all over his features and his heart beating so hard against his chest he was sure it would jump right out. He reaches Tina, the latter shocked by the sudden appearance of her floppy haired roommate.
"Newt wha–"
Before she could finish her sentence, Newt grabs her by the waist, pulls her closer to him, and presses his lips against hers.
A/N: I'm going to let you all in on a little secret. This entire chapter has been written since December (since the last time I updated the fic). And the reason it has been delayed for so long is because I can't seem to get the ending right. But somehow, I decided that less is more, so this is what I ended up posting. I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Now I can finally start writing what I had originally planned for this fic: adventure and romance. Let me know what you think about this chapter and thank you so much for still sticking with this story despite the late updates.