ridiculous (darling) man
Rating: T
Pairing: Newton Geiszler/Hermann Gottlieb
Summary: "20: things you said that I wasn't meant to hear"
Or: Newt's crush is out of control, and Newt and Hermann finally get together
They cancel the apocalypse. Together. Newt and Hermann, canceling the apocalypse, together. Okay, so maybe the actual destruction of the Breach was by Pentecost and Chuck (rest in peace), but they deserve at least some of the credit. Plus, like, they did it together. Together. Has he mentioned that they did it together?
"Yes, you did, Newt," Tendo sighs, exasperated. "Like, fifty times, man. I swear. Are you drunk?"
Newt squints at him, trying to see properly through the cracked glasses, uncertain if the J-Tech's expression is one of annoyance or amusement. Or both. Both is good. "No, but, dude, did you hear what I said? Hermann doesn't hate me! He doesn't hate me!" The second part is more of a sigh as he gazes off into the distance.
"Newt, buddy, you can't drift off one me," Tendo waves his hand in front of Newt's face, and Newt snaps to attention, blushing a bright scarlet. Tendo rolls his eyes. "Newt, you're ridiculous."
Newt lets out a dramatic gasp. "Me? Perish the thought!"
"I concur with Mr. Choi," Hermann appears, settling down into the seat next to Newt, and Newt blushes even harder, burying his face in his hands with a groan. "Are you quite alright?" Hermann questions, and Newt bites back a scream.
He has this under control, alright? Like, he's been able to deal with his—embarrassing—crush on his—way too hot—coworker for the last ten years just fine, but now he's suddenly reduced to a pile of mortified ash whenever the man in question is mentioned and/or is in his vicinity.
He has no clue why.
Well, alright, that's not true.
It may have a tiny bit to do with the memories that leaked over during the Drift. Specifically, the memory of their first meeting, from Hermann's point of view. Apparently, Hermann had fancied him for quite a while before they met, even going so far as to think of him as charming and awe-worthy and way too bloody handsome. Unfortunately, Hermann seems to have gotten over it rather quickly when Newt opened his mouth—and, like, Newt doesn't really blame him. He was barely twenty and nervous as all fuck, and he came off as really, really insulting.
Apparently learning that your crush of ten years had a crush on you for a bit before you ruined any possible romantic feeling he had for you is one of those things that makes Newt turn into a blushing, stuttering teen again.
Lovely.
It only gets worse from there on out. Newt attempts to avoid the physicist without seeming like he's, you know, avoiding him, because Hermann doesn't deserve that. So he's not avoidingHermann, he just…has places to be when Hermann's around. Other places. Away from Hermann.
Fate, of course, intervenes. He's laying spread-eagle on his bed, having just kicked Tendo out of the room, when there's a knock on the door. "Oh my godTendo, go away—I'm not gonna tell Hermann I—"
And he stutters to a stop. Because it is most certainly not Tendo who's standing in his doorway, but rather, by sick, sick chance, Hermann himself. Newt stares at the man in uncomprehending horror.
"What, exactly," Hermann says, sharply, "are you not going to tell me, Newton?"
"Nothing!" Newt squeaks, cheeks heating.
Hermann narrows his eyes, striding across the room to glare down at Newt imperiously. "Tell me, Newton."
"No!" Newt huffs, "nope, no way, man. Uh uh."
"You've been avoiding me," Hermann points out, leaning against the door frame, as astute as always. In this case, unfortunately astute.
"I have not!" Newt protests, hotly. Hermann stares at him. Newt stares right back.
"You shouldn't lie, Newton," Hermann says, finally. "You're astonishingly bad at it." Newt throws up his hands in defeat.
"Okay, fine," he grumps. "No need to be mean about it."
"Where else would I find the daily joy I get from making your life harder?" Hermann deadpans. "It's all I live for."
"So, just to be clear: you're not going to tease me about this if I tell you, right?" Newt checks.
Hermann's eye-roll is epic. "Newton, unless you're cloning a kaiju or keep lockets of Brendon Urie's hair under your bed, I see no reason I should," he placates. Newt makes a face.
"Mann, I never get that stuff, it's like—creepy, like, what're they gonna do, make a Brendon Urie voodo-doll or something?" He shakes his head. "Anyway. Okay. Okay, alright."
"You're stalling," Hermann points out.
"Well maybe I just want to stare at your handsome face for hours on end!" Newt snaps, before he realizes what he's said and curses himself for having no brain to mouth filter, ready to try and play it off as a joke. But Hermann is—
Well, he's frozen, for lack of a better word. Maybe he said it more genuinely than he'd thought. Oh god, okay, this definitely ranks in the top ten most embarrassing thing he's done. It's like, number two, right after practically shouting, "HI I LIKE KAIJU WHAT ABOUT YOU?" at a blind date due to nerves.
Hermann's face is doing a thing, which, huh, weird. "That's funny," Newt says, trying to break the ice. "Your cheeks are, like, coral, dude, you okay? You got a fever or something?" He reaches over to place his palm on the physicist's forehead, but Hermann grabs it in a deathlike grip.
"What on earth do you mean?" he growls.
Newt lets out a nervous laugh. "Uh, funny story—"
"What do you mean?" Hermann demands, nostrils flaring as he breathes.
"Well what do you think it means, genius?" Newt snaps, "I like you, okay? Like, a lot. And I get that you don't like me in the same way, so let's move on and ignore this—"
Hermann's grip on his wrist tightens, and Newt bites back a yelp. "Do not presume to know my inner thoughts, you aggravating idiot," Hermann bites back, and surges forward, capturing Newt's lips.
Newt lets out a surprised eep that dies before it goes anywhere, and reciprocates, free hand coming up to the back of Hermann's head in an attempt to anchor himself.
Hermann kisses hard and ferocious, like he's a hunter and Newt's his unsuspecting prey—hah, that's a weird metaphor—and it's not perfect in any sense of the word—Hermann's glasses are clacking against Newt's, and he's getting a crick in his neck from the odd angle—but Newt really, really, really wants more. A lot more.
They break apart, Hermann's pupils blown, Newt panting slightly, and he says, "Just to clarify, you actually like me, right? Like, this isn't just to let off stress—you'd actually be willing to…be together?"
Hermann stares at him for a moment before his shoulders begin to shake, and he buries his face in his hands. It takes a moment for Newt to realize that the hiccupy noises are actually laughs, and he flushes. "Hey! I had to check!"
"Newton," Hermann croaks, still breathless from laughter, "you ridiculous man. Of course I'd like to be together with you."
Newt grins, thinking, fortune really does favor the brave.
