Hello all! It took me a while, but here's the final chapter! If you're new to this story, I strongly recommend reading Slow Dance first if you haven't yet. Enjoy!
Chapter 3: One Step Forward
The sweet, comforting smell of cocoa is most welcome as it fills the small kitchen in the small but sufficient patient room of the Parisian wizarding hospital. Tina doesn't remember the hospital's name (much less how to pronounce it) as she enchants the ladle in the small cauldron to move in gentle, circular motions, slowly mixing the dark, hot beverage she had whipped up.
In the next room, her sister, Queenie, is laid down on the bed, weak but safe and steadily recovering from the events of the previous day. Next to her, Jacob sleeps uncomfortably on one of the chairs, his soft snores occasionally interrupted by his own incoherent murmurs.
Outside, the sky is still dark, but Tina hopes it won't be for much longer, considering this is the third time she's woken up that night.
The cocoa had been Jacob's idea. Even with Queenie safe now and with the two of them so terribly exhausted, sleep still could not come so easily to Tina and Jacob (they found they could only sleep for no longer than two hours at a time), and it had little to do with having to doze off on uncomfortable chairs. The events at Père Lachaise – now about twenty-four hours ago – would haunt their dreams for some time.
Queenie's brush with death had been a very close one. She was rather delirious when Tina and Jacob found her at the tomb, and when Grindelwald finally decided that she would not, after all, be of any use to him, he'd sent a burst of blue fire hurtling towards her, prompting Tina to apparate in front of her, just barely managing to extinguish them on her own. Leta had nearly perished herself, seemingly ready to sacrifice herself, before Theseus had stepped in to save her as Tina did Queenie. On top of that, they had lost Credence to Grindelwald, and the two, along with the rest of the dark wizard's followers, slipped through their fingers, leaving the best of the remaining group to extinguish the violent flames that had been left behind.
The young Legilimens had been left so physically and mentally drained by whatever dark magic Grindelwald had placed upon her, that her healer insisted she stay at the hospital for a few days.
In these frustratingly long waking hours, it helped to keep themselves busy. Yesterday afternoon, Jacob had gone out with Newt for some time and came back hours later with ingredients for hot cocoa and for several other dishes that they'd smuggled into the hospital by way of Newt's suitcase. Newt provided Jacob magical assistance in making dinner, happy to have even a small distraction.
At sunset, the three ate slices of Jacob's delicious chicken pie in silence in the kitchen, and saved a portion for Queenie, who slept through the latter part of the afternoon and hadn't woken since.
Newt and Tina remained, as per usual, quiet and mostly evasive of each other's gazes, only stealing a glance every now and again when they thought the other wasn't looking. When they did, they would sadly note the other's exhaustion and unhappiness, though neither had the energy nor the words to try to cheer the other (and Jacob) up.
Tina felt guilty for not having anything to say, especially knowing that Newt and his brother were going through the same ordeal as she and Jacob with Leta, who, like Queenie, was recovering from the injuries she had sustained in her own patient suite several floors up.
Jacob's silence was perhaps the oddest thing about it all. Tina had found herself staring at him more than a few times, each time feeling a twinge of regret in her heart whenever she caught his uncharacteristically dejected eyes staring distantly at his plate or at the wall. She swears she'll never take his chatty, cheerful energy for granted again.
Queenie had already woken up about a few times since arriving at the hospital, allowing the two sisters and the couple some time to talk (separately) about what had happened between them, which involved tearful apologies in both conversations. There was still a lot to discuss (between both the sisters and the couple), and they had promised to do so later on once Queenie had made more progress in her recovery.
Tina wordlessly summons a plain white mug from the shelf, then magicks the cauldron to pour part of its contents into the mug. Another flourish of her wand and the cauldron lands gently back on the counter, its pewter lid sealing away the remainder of the cocoa for later. She lifts the mug to her nose, breathing in to allow its sweet aroma to fill her senses. Her lips are touching the rim of the mug, ready to drink the hot beverage, when she hears a soft rapping on the door. She sighs, in slight annoyance this time, and puts the mug down on the counter and goes to answer the door.
It's a healer she expects to see, making rounds even at ungodly hours to check Queenie's vitals, but instead she sees him.
"Newt," she greets, unable to keep the slight surprise out of her tone.
"Hello," he says in return. His normally bright eyes are dull and bloodshot, surrounded by dark circles, and his already hunched posture seems even more hunched. There's a vulnerability to him that, she suspects, has little to do with exhaustion or lack of sleep, and despite every reason she has to keep him at an arm's length, she can't help the sympathy that floods her.
He's shifting slightly on his feet and his hands are fidgeting with his suitcase handle. "So sorry...I know it's late, but...may I come in?"
They sit quietly sipping cocoa in the small dining area in the kitchen. There, they were joined by Pickett, whom Newt had woken up and scooped out of his coat pocket before leaving it to hang on the rack next to the door. This left the bowtruckle initially cranky, whining in sleepy annoyance; but when his dark, beady eyes came to rest on Tina's face, his demeanor almost instantly changed to delighted. Tina greeted him with a smile and a few light strokes to his little cheek with her forefinger when he scrambled excitedly towards her across the small dining table, climbing up onto the back of her hand.
She'd set him back down to fill a saucer with some water for him to drink from, but at some point his curiosity had propelled him to abandon the saucer and stick his head into Newt's mug to sample some of the cocoa, ignoring Newt's warning about obtaining a bad reaction to the sugar.
Despite these few small, fleeting moments of happy distraction thanks to the blissfully oblivious bowtruckle, the air between Newt and Tina remains strained as the silence rolls on.
After taking his own sips of the hot drink, Newt's eyes stay fixed on his mug, his gaze distant and despondent. Tina thinks she hasn't seen him this way since after the subway incident in New York.
She decides to be the first to break the silence. "How's Leta? Has she woken up?"
"She finally has, thank Paracelsus. She fell asleep again just before I came here. Our parents will be by to see her in the morning."
"That's great," she assures weakly, internally kicking herself for how she can't think of better words at the moment.
"How is Queenie?" he asks in turn.
"She's been getting better. She wakes up every now and then, but doesn't stay awake for very long, which is expected. The healer said she can be released in a few days."
Pickett gives a squeaky little whine on the table between them, apparently not responding very well to the cocoa as Newt had warned. His tiny face is twisted up in discomfort, and on slightly wobbly feet, he saunters over to Newt's hand resting on the table, sits down next to it, and folds twig-like arms on the wizard's forefinger to rest his head on.
Newt's thumb comes up to stroke Pickett's head and Pickett hums appreciatively, further curling up into his caretaker's hand. The exchange warms Tina's heart – unsurprisingly, she has to admit – as Newt's interactions with creatures always do. She can't help the smallest of smiles that tugs at her lips as she watches the endearing scene before her, even daring a glance at Newt.
But then he glances up at her, and she immediately averts her gaze.
Another silence passes that feels longer than it is. Tina has put her own mug on the table and stares at it as though it might tell her what to say, what to do. She dares a glance at him and sees he's looking down at his lap, his lips pursed in deep thought.
The dim lighting of the kitchen underlines his two-day stubble. The top buttons of his shirt are undone, as well as his bowtie, and Tina finds her gaze lingering on the exposed skin of his neck and collar. Her eyes inevitably drift to his lips, bringing her back to the moment they shared yesterday at Père Lachaise.
The kiss was the last thing she had expected.
Upon entering the graveyard, which was already alight with blue fire, they had all split up into groups with different tasks: Theseus and Newt would go into the Lestrange tomb to find Credence and Leta with the help of some of Theseus' aurors, the remaining aurors would stay outside and help Flamel and Kama extinguish as much fire as possible, while Tina and Jacob's main task was to look for Queenie.
Flamel and Kama were the first to separate from the group to take on their job, and Theseus himself had gone off a few meters, looking towards the entrance of the Lestrange tomb – evidently formulating a plan – as Newt lingered by Tina and Jacob.
"Be careful, pal," Jacob told Newt.
"And you," Newt replied, looking to Jacob then to Tina. "Both of you."
For what felt like several moments, Newt held Tina's gaze, bright green eyes awash with unspoken emotion. Heart pounding from both Newt's gaze and the need to find her sister, Tina tore her eyes from the tawny-haired wizard to look to Jacob, nodding once to let him know they should get going.
But not long after she's turned away, she feels a hand firmly grasp her wrist, effectively pulling her back. She turns and with a gasp, hits Newt's torso with her own. Her hands land on his chest, while his catch her firmly by her waist. She glimpses the blazing look in his eyes – determinedly eyeing her lips, then her eyes – before he cups her face and presses his mouth to hers.
Warm hands softly cupping her cheeks and the firm, desperate brush of his lips on her own knock the breath out of her. She easily melts into the kiss and is only half aware that her hands are grasping the lapels of his coat, tugging him closer. When the two part, eyes dazed and breath slightly ragged, Newt looks as though he is about to say something when a voice startles the pair.
"Newt!" It's Theseus.
Still, he keeps his eyes fixed on hers, even as they reluctantly let go of each other; all the while an elated but confused Tina searches his eyes until he turns away from her and runs off to follow his brother.
As she turns away too, she spots Jacob standing off to the side from her peripherals, waiting for her, and she doesn't have to look at him to know he's smirking. Face burning, she grabs him by the elbow so they can look for Queenie.
Tina's feels her face flame as her mind replays the memory. Regaining awareness of Newt sitting across from her, she stands up from her chair, picks up their empty mugs (but leaves Pickett's saucer on the table), and brings them to the counter to clean, happy to have an excuse to hide her flushing face.
It's after she's cast the cleaning charm that she hears him softly speak her name.
She lets her eyes close for a moment when the sound of her name on his lips pulls at her heartstrings. She slowly turns to face him, and sees he's come to stand now too, his tired eyes directed to the floor.
"I...I know that I don't deserve your forgiveness after everything that I've done, nor do I expect you to forgive me–"
The resignation in his voice breaks her heart. "Newt…"
"No, please," his voice remains soft but his plea is fervent. She closes her mouth, allowing him to continue. "Tina, these last few months, I haven't been able to stop thinking of you, and what I did to you. I know I probably don't deserve your forgiveness, let alone a second chance, and I'm not expecting either of those from you; I just want to apologize to you...properly. So hopefully you might resent me a bit less."
He takes a deep breath. "I've spent too much time running away from how I feel – about Leta and her engagement to Theseus...about you – that it's kept me from truly moving forward. Not only that, but I've also managed to hurt all three of you in the process. Most of all you.
"I'm so sorry, Tina. Despite what you told me before, I never should have let you get that close only to break your heart. You didn't deserve that. So please don't tell me it wasn't my fault when I know that you've been hurting because of it...because of me."
He steps closer to her slowly. "And about what I did…at the tomb…I–I know it must have confused you a great deal, and for that I apologize profusely…" he looks up from where he was looking at her shoulder to her eyes before continuing, "but I can't apologize for doing it – for kissing you – and mean it when I do. Because I wanted to. Kiss you, I mean, n-not confuse you."
He grimaces at his own words, but continues. "I just wanted you to be certain about my feelings for you. I told you before that I wasn't certain about them, but I am now. Tina, my feelings for you haven't gone away, they've only grown stronger. And I know that you must resent me so much at the moment that you wouldn't even consider it…but if I hadn't so horribly buggered things up between us, and you didn't resent me, and I still stood a chance…I would ask for your permission to court you."
Her eyes widen slightly, but she doesn't say anything.
Though he doesn't seem too surprised by her reaction, he is quick to explain. "But I don't want you to think that this has to change anything between us. In fact…if you should decide that you no longer wish to see or hear from me again, then…then I'll respect that, and do as you wish. Whatever you want, Tina."
He hangs his head, his shoulders tense as if he were bracing himself for a blow.
There's a long pause as Tina racks her brain for the right words – where does she even begin?
"Newt," she finally says in a soft voice, clearing her throat when her voice breaks. "I don't resent you. I could never resent you."
Her confession has him looking back at her immediately, several emotions playing up on his face in a mere few seconds – relief, disbelief, elation.
"I've been running away too. Queenie and I haven't spoken to each other in months, and when MACUSA asked me to come to Paris to work for a while, I accepted…instead of staying and trying to make things right with her, like I should have, I ran away."
And now, look what's happened to her, Tina thinks as her eyes flicker over to the door that lead to the room where Queenie laid in bed in the weakest state she had ever been in her life. Tears threaten to spill over as the memory of nearly losing her sister – still too fresh – briefly overtakes the present reality that Queenie is in the next room, sleeping. Alive and recovering.
Queenie's okay. She'll be okay. We'll be okay.
She takes a deep breath. "Newt, I told you before that my feelings for you wouldn't change," her eyes flicker over to his face. "And they haven't," she finished on a whisper.
His answering sigh is soft, but heavy with the weight of his relief, and his own watery eyes blink at her in disbelief and wonder.
"Newt, I want…" You! her mind yells. She swallows. "I want the same thing as you. I want us to try again."
But just as a bright, beautiful smile begins to grace his features, she continues: "But I don't think we should, just yet. Not right away." She offers an apologetic smile and takes his hands to squeeze them, willing him to understand. "I have to make things right with Queenie first. She needs me. And I'll have to go back to New York and report to MACUSA."
"Of course," he replies, smiling back and nodding understandingly as his hands squeeze back and his thumbs resume feather-light strokes over her knuckles. "I stand by what I said, Tina – whatever you want, I've got you."
The flutter in heart at the sincerity in his voice and his words is so ardent, she thinks the sheer intensity of it would be enough to lift them both off the ground. His calloused hands are warm and steady as they hold hers. Safe, strong, familiar.
"Promise me you'll talk to your brother and Leta. We both nearly lost people we care about, people we've avoided facing, and I don't want us to keep running away until something even worse happens."
"I will," he vows firmly. "I-I tried…to come see you…in New York, I really did, but they've…the Ministry's banned me from international travel…I only came here – illegally – with Jacob when we found out that Queenie had followed you here," when he locks eyes with her, he looks apologetic and worried. "I don't think the Ministry will take so kindly to that…might even lock me up in Azkaban."
"They won't do that," she assures, the certainty in her tone making his brows lift slightly. "Because if they do, they'll have your brother and myself to answer to."
His expression morphs into an amused one, the corners of his lips quirking upwards and green eyes twinkling with mirth as he remembers Tina and Theseus' formidable display of magical prowess at Pére Lachaise. "Now that I'd like to see."
She chuckles softly. "We'll write to each other. We'll find a way."
"Yes. Yes, we will," he breathes, taking her hands up to his lips so he could press a soft kiss to her knuckles, looking her in the eyes as he did so. She's glad to see him looking much happier than he did earlier. "You know, your eyes really are…"
"Are what?" she tilts her head in question, brows furrowing slightly.
But he averts his gaze back to the floor and suddenly looks ashamed, lowering their entwined hands and loosening his grip slightly, though not letting go. "I'm not supposed to say."
"Newt?" she says softly, trying to catch his eye.
He returns his gaze back to her face, and, gathering courage from her smile, releases her hands to dig into his pocket and show her the picture once more. "It's interesting because your eyes in newsprint...see, in reality they have this effect in them, Tina...It's like fire in water, in dark water. And I've only ever seen that...I've only ever seen that in….s...s…"
The answer comes to her instantly, and warmth spreads giddily throughout her body from her chest out to the top of her head and the tips of her fingers and toes. "Salamanders."
Back in New York, in the apartment she shares with her sister, Tina's copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them sits in the bottom drawer of her nightstand. Knowing that Newt had poured out his heart and soul into it, and that he had taken her advice on the title made it impossible for her to throw it away, even after the engagement party had left her so heartbroken. So, much like her feelings for the author, she locked the book away and hoped to forget about it.
But now, it seems she doesn't have to keep her feelings buried anymore.
The look that lights Newt's face is one that Tina never thought she would see anyone hold for her. The initial disbelief washes away to reveal a look of pure wonder and relief. It's so bright and striking that Tina finds herself breathless as her face breaks into a wide smile. She suddenly feels so happy and light that even when her tears finally pour down her face, she doesn't mind at all, knowing they are now for joy. Newt's resulting expression mirrors hers, from the smile down to the tears. A small laugh bubbles up within her and seems to banish much of the heaviness she had been carrying for the last few months.
She knows from his letters, from his reluctance to interact with other people, his comfort with creatures, and from his awkwardness and carefulness with her. For so long, he had avoided the company of other humans, having become so accustomed to their rejection that he had learned to expect it and retreated into his world of magical creatures.
So few had ever understood him.
But she does.
They barely realize how close they are to each other until a loud yawn is heard from the next room, startling the both of them and making them turn towards the source.
Footsteps are heard before Jacob appears in the doorway, looking tired and slightly disgruntled. He sees them and his expression lightens up to form a small smile. "Hey guys," he greets, smile widening as he looks between the two of them, registering their closeness. "Is uh...is everything okay?"
Tina feels her face flame, but she can't help a small smile, either, and she notes the same of Newt when she looks over to him. "Everything's okay."
It didn't take much longer for the sun to rise, so Jacob, thrilled (despite his own tiredness) to have his friends all together, sets about to make breakfast after Queenie blinks awake.
Tina is automatically at her side, helping her to sit up in bed. Newt follows, setting his case down at the foot of Queenie's bed. He carefully eyes the blonde witch in her still frail state, ready to help Tina if need be, but she seems to have everything under control. He offers Queenie a quick, sheepish smile when her eyes land on him, then shyly averts his gaze, suddenly remembering her mind-reading abilities.
Tina summons a mug of hot cocoa from the kitchen and offers it to her sister, who takes it with a grateful smile, before pointedly eyeing Newt and Tina as she takes her first sip, clearly reading both of their minds as she drank.
When she parts from her mug with a contented sigh, she smiles at both of them and reaches for her sister's hand. "I'm happy for you – both of you."
The two return her smile, both blushing brightly. Newt leaves the sisters to talk and slips into the kitchen to join Jacob, who flashes him a knowing smirk while folding scrambled eggs on a frying pan. Newt's face, barely having lost their pink tinge from Queenie's words, flames up to a full flush once more at his friend's knowing look.
Delicious aromas fill the small kitchen within minutes as Newt stands by and watches his friend work his own kind of magic. Jacob works with a practiced ease, formidable and comfortable in his element. Newt wonders how much more superb his friend must look in his bakery, remembering that Jacob once told him he loved to make people happy with baked goods.
Just before they leave to bring the plates over to the other room, the portly baker turns to him, a serious look on his face. "Hey Newt, I never got to thank you...y'know, for the collateral."
"Oh…erm–" Newt begins, already shaking his head self-effacingly.
"No, no, I mean it, pal," Jacob presses. "You have no idea how much it means to me, to get to do this for a living. To tell you the truth, I didn't think I'd make it anywhere outside that canning factory, 'specially after the war..."
"It would be a great disservice not to let you do this," Newt easily replies. "You may be a muggle, Jacob, but that doesn't mean you hold no magic inside you. This is the power you hold, and it makes you and many others so happy."
Jacob is so deeply moved by his friend's words that for a moment he is at a loss for words. "Oh," he finally croaks out, reminding Newt of his reaction a year ago, when Newt had told him that he'd never forget how he had helped him. Jacob would never forget how Newt had helped him either.
Newt sees the hug coming and receives Jacob warmly in his arms when the latter envelops him in a bone-crushing embrace. He doesn't care, though, and happily lets his arms wrap around his friend – his best friend, there was no denying it now.
When Jacob releases him, he sniffs and wipes some tears away, then nods. Newt pulls his wand from his pocket and with a flourish, the plates and glasses lift off the kitchen counter and begin to float out the door and into the adjacent room. Even after everything he's seen and been part of, Jacob watches the simple demonstration with wonder in his eyes. Smiling, he turns to walk into the adjacent room, ready to surprise the Goldstein sisters.
Tina summons a chair and sits beside her sister, keeping their fingers laced together. Despite her outward silence, Tina's thoughts are a deafening swirl of guilt and remorse as she stares sadly at their entwined hands. Queenie, feeling equally guilty, speaks up. "Don't apologize, Teenie. I already told you, I'm the one who should be sorry."
The brunette witch suddenly feels an almost overwhelming urge to cry and squeezes her sister's hand as more tears well up. She allows her sister to hear her thoughts, fearing she'll sob if she so much as opens her mouth. You're all I have left. I should have listened to you about Jacob. Maybe that would have protected you.
"But you did protect me," Queenie presses, her other hand also reaching out to hold Tina's. "I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you."
Queenie's words have her older sister crumbling before her; Tina lets herself sob silently, eyes screwing shut as she bows and rests her head on the bed by their joined hands.
"The law is your job, Teen," the younger sister continues, growing more emotional herself from seeing her sister, usually so strong, in such a state. She strokes Tina's dark hair. "And your job is everything to you."
You are everything to me, Tina thinks, not lifting her head from the bed as she continues to cry.
"I know," the blonde admits after a few moments, voice trembling as her own tears begin to fall. "You've always done your best to take care of us – of me. Ever since Ma and Pa died, you've always thought of me and not you. But you oughtta think of you, too. Besides," her tone becomes lighter as a knowing smile creeps up her face. "I'm not all you have left."
Tina suddenly springs back up, lifting her head if only to shake it and scoff at her sister's capacity to tease her even at a time like this. It's all in jest though, as she's powerless to fight off the smile that comes to her lips and the surge of warmth that rushes to her face. Queenie giggles through her tears, happy to see her sister smiling again.
Warm brown eyes look into clear blue ones as the two sisters smile at each other, relieved to be in each other's kindness and company for the first time in months.
The relative silence (now in the air and in both their minds) is comfortable when Tina thinks to her sister, Jacob is a wonderful man.
Queenie squeezes her hand in thanks. "So is Newt," she counters playfully, chuckling when Tina blushes.
Then Tina thinks her next thought with utmost certainty. But my sister will always come before any man.
Queenie's smile widens, blue eyes sparkling with mirth and a hint of mischief as she whispers, "Ditto."
Tina chuckles, standing up to wrap her baby sister into a warm hug that is instantly reciprocated. Sighing contentedly, she drops a kiss to Queenie's hair, and speaks her next thoughts. "I love you."
Queenie's arms squeeze tighter around her waist. "I love you."
"Breakfast is rea–oh."
The two women, not parting from each other's embrace, turn their heads to the direction of the kitchen. Jacob has stopped in his tracks and looks embarrassed to have interrupted the sisters' moment. Behind him stands Newt, wand held upward, looking equally dumbstruck. The slew of floating plates, glasses and utensils he had been guiding into the room now halt suspended in mid-air, surrounding the two boys who were unsure whether to proceed.
"Y'know what? It can wait," Jacob says, smiling awkwardly, holding up both hands in apology and looking ready to step back into the kitchen to give the two women some space.
He and Newt don't get to, however, because the sisters finally part from their embrace and laugh, suddenly remembering the tears in their eyes and on their cheeks and wiping them away.
"Come here, you two, and bring the food with you," Queenie laughs as she and Tina sniffle and wipe at their faces. Tina stands and turns away, embarrassed.
The boys do, relaxing though still looking apologetic. Jacob goes over to Queenie and leans over to peck her on the lips, while Newt sets down the food and dining equipment on a nearby table and walks over to Tina, who was now standing by the window and facing away from them.
"Are you alright?" he asks softly, already reaching into his pockets — they always carry so many different things, if he could only remember which one he'd put the handkerchief in, or did he leave it in his coat by the door…?
Tina takes his hand, halting his movements and thoughts. She squeezes and smiles gratefully all the same, touched by his concern. "I'm fine. Really."
He searches her eyes until he decides he believes her, then returns her smile and intertwines their fingers. The sunlight from the window strikes her dark, glistening eyes and the sight of it takes Newt's breath away. Fire in deep water.
Tina, for her part, notes the sunlight kissing his freckled skin, and how the light makes his eyes look hazel, a ring of golden brown flowing from dark pupils then fading into a pale green. The warmth of his hand on hers is the only thing that can make her look away from him; she looks down at entwined hands and smiles, pleasantly surprised by how natural it felt to reach out for his hand and hold on to it.
But she realizes, as she redirects her gaze back to his eyes, that it had always felt natural to be holding his hand – in a tight grip as they ran down a dark corridor in the depths of MACUSA, with a reassuring squeeze as one waited patiently for the other to find the right words, or in a tender clasp as they swayed slowly in each other's arms on a beautiful spring evening…
Ding ding ding!
The two are startled back to Earth when they hear three loud, bell-like chimes. They turn towards the sound, and sure enough, Queenie is holding a fork to a glass, and she and Jacob wear smirks as they watch them. Tina's face burns at the implication of Queenie's action – a wedding tradition for getting the bride and groom to kiss.
Queenie's smirk widens upon seeing their faces. "Care to join us?"
Tina and Newt wonder whether there's a limit for how many times a person can blush in a day.
The four of them sit and eat their delicious breakfasts in companionable conversation, courtesy of mostly Queenie and Jacob, while Newt and Tina were content to listen and communicate with glances and shy smiles.
Queenie is sitting up in bed with a breakfast tray propped up on her lap, Jacob is seated at one side while Tina and Newt are at the other. The younger Goldstein offers Newt an apology for their meeting at Newt's London residence, which he is quick to forgive, telling her it was a delight to see her and Jacob again and only wishing it had been under better circumstances.
Queenie happily congratulates Newt on his success as an author and gasps in delight when she learns (from reading his mind) that a second edition has been greenlit. Tina sends her younger sister a warning glance, wishing she would allow Newt to speak for himself, but it's half-hearted and easily melts away into a smile when Jacob joins Queenie in congratulating Newt, and Tina glances over at the bashful Magizoologist and feels a swell of pride in her heart.
Despite his slight embarrassment, Newt's heart warms as he considers, for what feels like the first time, his ease with his friends. Considering all the things they had been through, it was a wonder to even be alive, so it was absolutely beyond belief that they were all in the same room together, happily chatting away as if they'd never been apart.
After a visit from a healer, the remainder of their morning together is spent baking. Queenie told Newt about Jacob's creature-shaped confections, and Jacob excitedly trots to the kitchen, knowing he and Newt had bought enough ingredients to make a batch. But Queenie wanted to help, so Newt and Tina summoned all the ingredients and necessary kitchen tools to the bedroom area and assisted Jacob to speed up the cooking with magic.
Queenie points her wand at an oddly shaped clump of dough sitting on the flour-covered tray on her lap. It consists of a knob stretching out to an upward spike on one side, and supported by four stout little legs. With a wave of her wand, the dough cooks to a golden-brown and expands to a general but recognizable shape of an erumpent, and the smell of freshly baked bread fills their senses. She hands it to Newt, who examines it with admiration.
"That's the one that chased me down Central Park," Jacob muses, the memory dancing in his eyes.
"I remember," Tina chimes in, the corners of her mouth curling up. "Although, the uh...dance that Newt did beforeit chased you was even more memorable."
Jacob and Queenie (seeing the memory played out in the other three's thoughts) laugh as Newt turns beetroot, smiling bashfully himself.
Their laughter fades just as they hear a knock on the door. Tina is on her feet to answer it and returns seconds later. "Newt, it's your brother."
Their eyes follow Newt as he makes his way to the door, until he comes back into the room looking somewhat disappointed. "I've to, er...our parents are here to visit Leta...I should…"
"Oh...of course," Tina says, trying to keep her own disappointment out of her voice. Of course he had to be with his family, and they were only a few floors up; there was no reason to be disappointed by it.
The room is quiet, the other three watching as Newt collects his suitcase and puts on his coat. When he's done, Jacob stands and gives him the erumpent pastry wrapped in baking paper.
"Thank you," he says, accepting the gift with a grateful smile.
"Come see us again, okay, honey? And let us know how Miss Lestrange is doing." Queenie smiles at him in her sweet way.
"I will," Newt promises, meeting the younger Goldstein's gaze briefly before looking to the floor. His head turns slightly to Tina's direction, and when she doesn't say anything, he looks up at her almost expectantly.
Suddenly flustered under his gaze, Tina only manages, "I'll see you out," and gestures to the door. She can feel Queenie's eyes on her as she follows Newt outside, and she mentally throws an embarrassed shut up! in her direction.
They both pause outside the door, which Tina closes, knowing her sister will be listening with her Legilimency anyway.
The hallway is clear, Theseus has gone ahead, and they're both grateful to be given some privacy.
Newt turns to face her, eyes trained on her shoulder. He's trying to think of something to say, or wondering if he should even say something at all – had the words they'd shared earlier been too much or not enough? Had he made his intentions for her clear? Or had he been too forward?
"I'm sorry about–"
"No, don't be," Tina insists kindly. "You should go. Be with your family. I'll be here with mine," she finishes with a small smile and a cock of her head towards Queenie's door.
Newt meets her gaze, and in his eyes she catches a glimpse of the things he wants to say to her. She hopes he sees the same in her own eyes, and hopes it's enough for now.
"Well," Newt breathes. "I should, erm…" He makes a small gesture to the elevator down the hall, but lingers in his spot. It's difficult to tear his eyes away from hers.
He reminds himself this isn't the last time they'll see each other, that he can just as easily come by later on, that she doesn't hate him after everything, that she's willing to let him court her when she's ready, and that she wants to see him again. So he takes one last look to commit her dark, hopeful eyes to memory and turns away.
He's barely covered three steps when he hears her call his name, and he turns to her automatically, his heart racing when he sees her walk over to him. She pauses to look him in the eyes, before the corners of her lovely lips turn up slightly and she leans closer, her hand coming up to cup his cheek and draw him nearer to her.
Soft, warm lips lightly touch his other cheek and his heart bursts with joy. This wasn't her first time doing this, but the last time she'd done it, she had been saying goodbye. This time, she's promising that they'll see each other again; it makes his stomach flip and he tries to steady himself as he catches her scent – the faded vanilla of her shampoo, the homely warmth and sweetness of hot cocoa.
She pulls back sooner than he would like, lingering for only a second before darting back to the door, leaving him dazed. When she turns back to look at him, he hears Pickett chirrup merrily as he peeks his head out.
Tina beams radiantly, the lightness of her laugh bursting like a light in a cold, dark room as she waves back at the bowtruckle. Newt would later wonder if, after all this time, Pickett can feel his heart pound from sitting inside his breast pocket.
When she stops waving she shifts her gaze back to Newt, and her smile becomes somewhat shyer, but no less happier, as a faint flush stains her cheeks. She's tired and sleep deprived, but she's never looked lovelier to him.
They keep their eyes on each other even as she twists the doorknob and takes her time stepping inside, until she closes the door.
Newt stares after her for a few moments before catching himself and turning back to walk towards the elevator, only slightly surprised by the newfound spring in his step. By the time he reaches it, his smile hasn't left his face yet. He knows it won't leave for a while, and Theseus and Leta (if she's awake) are likely to give him knowing smirks, and Mother will definitely ask about it.
He remembers Tina's comment about being with their respective families, and faster than he can stop himself, his mind conjures images of her being a part of his family. Several visions flood his mind all at once: of looking after creatures together, waking up next to her smile, Tina wearing a ring that matches his own…
The elevator chime startles him out of his daydream. He steps inside the compartment then presses the button for the right floor, trying to focus instead on the very present image of Tina's smile. He'd gotten her to smile again, and that was a most wonderful step in the right direction.
Now, he'd try and amend things with Theseus and Leta, as Tina would with Queenie and Jacob.
It didn't seem like such a horrid thing now, he thought. And maybe it was only because his cheek still tingled from the touch of Tina's lips, and his heart was still soaring from the sound of her laugh and the sight of her lovely, sparkling salamander eyes – in his elation, it was hard to tell. A great many things in the future remained fearsome and uncertain, but a few other things had just turned around for the better, and that was enough.
He walks to Leta's patient room to meet his parents, brother, and future sister-in-law, with a spring in his step.
A/N: I'm so terribly sorry that I took so long to update this! That said, thank you so much for reading this and Slow Dance, and generally for being so supportive and offering me kind words throughout these installments. It means so much to me and I hope this chapter was worth the wait.
I hope you didn't mind the canon divergence too much; even as I began to write this chapter before CoG came out and already had an inkling that Queenie would join Grindelwald, I just couldn't see myself writing that (or killing off Leta) because I felt it would complicate things to the point of extending this story, which I wanted to only have three chapters. Also, I just really wanted to heal my broken heart by writing a scene with the quartet all together again.
I've said before that I have planned an alternate happy ending for Slow Dance, so if you're not yet sick of this ficverse then let me know if you would like me to write it up!
You can find me on Twitter and YouTube mrsmaisels, I've got some Fantastic Beasts edits on both those pages, as well as on my Tumblr clairelizabeths.
Again, thank you all so much, and please let me know your thoughts. Have a lovely day!