Queenie was grinning ear to ear when Tina and Newt reached the picnic blanket. In fact, Tina was almost sure the entire park could see the delighted simper, given how hugely it sat upon her petite face. Had she not been happily tethered to Newt, Tina would have given her sister a playful shove. Jacob even seemed to catch on, judging by the smirk tugging his lips beneath his mustache. His was more subtle, but still noticeable enough Tina had to roll her eyes.
"Good to see you, Mr. Scamander," Queenie said as she scooted closer to Jacob to make room on the shrinking blanket for Newt. Tina returned to her place beside her sister while Newt planted himself — crossing his legs Indian style — next to her.
"Same to you," Newt said with a quick grin, tossing a hand through his wind swept hair, though it did little in the way of taming it. He turned to Jacob next, with the same enthusiasm, his smile playing around his mouth and eyes. "Hello, Jacob."
"Hey, pal!" he replied, jovially.
"You're well? Bakery doing well?"
"Oh yeah. I'm swell, the bakery's swell." Jacob's grin met his eyes as he reached for Queenie's hand. "Everything's swell."
Joy spread across Newt's face like wildfire — open and unabashed, transforming him entirely. His wide lips pulled tight across his freckled face, and his eyes squinted just enough to bring attention to the tiny laughter lines surrounding them. All at once, Tina realized how happy she was to see that smile, unequivocally thrilled to see him unburdened and sincerely happy. For most of her life, Queenie's wellbeing had always been the key to Tina's own, if her sister was upset so was Tina. She strove hand over foot to make sure her little sister knew only life's bliss, though it didn't always turn out that way.
Newt's joy, however, brought forth something profoundly more serene into her own life. The elation surging through her as she sat next to Newt, seeing him smile, and feeling his joy radiate from him, was unparalleled and strange in comparison to the joy Queenie's smiles usually lent. She'd never been the type of girl to fawn and worry herself over a man, but Tina was coming to realize if she wasn't careful she would lose herself in that peculiar euphoria. Never had she been so tempted to let go of reality and let herself fall into him. Someday soon, she thought, I will.
With an inward sigh to calm herself, Tina took back her half-eaten sandwich all the while trying not to continuously eye the scruffy haired, oh-so-charming, man sitting next to her. He was pleasantly enthralled in conversation with Jacob, chatting away like friends that had known each other their entire lives. She forced her focus away, but only slightly. Her eyes fell to where his fingers tapped lightly on his knee as though he were playing silent notes on an invisible piano. His faintly marred skin stretched and bowed as the tendons underneath moved accordingly. Tina's mind wondered, as she sat eating and watching his long fingers, if maybe he did know how to play such an instrument. Such a skill would probably seem trivial to him, knowing as he did far more practical uses for his hands in his dealings with beasts. Still, Tina remained mesmerized by the idle motion of his fingertips as she nibbled on her sandwich.
"Oh, here!" she heard her sister say suddenly, causing Tina's eyes to finally dart away from Newt's hands.
Queenie drew another sandwich from the wicker basket and handed it over to Newt with a grin. "I had a feelin' you might show."
Newt's brow wrinkled for a moment before his bewilderment molded into a smile as he took the meal.
Tina eyed her sister with heavy suspicion. "Do you have foresight now, Queenie?"
Her sister rolled her eyes spiritedly as she shook her head. "Nah, I just thought it would be best to come prepared."
"Well," Newt said. "I'm certainly glad — thank you, Queenie."
"'Course!" Queenie chimed, gladly. "I was hopin' you'd show soon. Teen's been a bit broody lately…"
Tina frowned, and suddenly felt as though she'd been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to. "What? No I hav—"
"Have too! And I get it, honey. You've been missin' your fella." She leaned against Jacob's shoulder, casually. "Look how awful I was before Jakey got his memories back."
Tina could feel her cheeks turning red. "I haven't been brooding though, have I?"
If she had made a point not to look at Newt before, she was definitely looking as far away from him as she could now. Sure, she had been a little moody on occasion because she was anxious to see Newt again, but broody?
Newt laughed. "Well, if it's any consolation to you, Tina, Theseus told me the exact same thing before I planned on coming to visit, though he wasn't nearly as nice about it." He paused and laughed again, this time his cheeks tinted a faint pink. "If I recall correctly the phrase he used was something like 'You miserable git, go see her, or by Merlin I will find a reason to arrest you'."
The three of them laughed, and Tina felt all her embarrassment begin to wane. To a degree, Newt's apparent pining had her feeling far less foolish about how smitten she was.
Conversation lulled as the four of them spent the early afternoon enjoying their picnic. In no time the sandwiches on wheat and rye were gone, giving way to the fresh watermelon Queenie had picked up at the market that morning. The sweetly subtle tang of the fruit was perfect and refreshing in the heat of the day; Tina particularly enjoyed watching Newt devour his slice as though he was an ill-mannered child. Still wearing his trademark boyish grin, face stained pink, cheeks bulging while the juices dripped from his chin. Tina couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight of him, suddenly all too aware how intensely tantalizing his lips looked with the fresh sheen to color them; a thought she shamefully let slip in front of her sister.
Queenie thankfully let the mental blunder pass with only a puckish grin accompanied by a knowing glance. Newt remained unsuspecting, seated happily, finishing his watermelon with one hand while hooking his pinky over Tina's on the blanket.
"I do recall that since the last time we've spoken, congratulations are in order," Newt said around a bite of strudel, a while later. Jacob had broken out an assortment of pastries, courtesy of the bakery, for dessert. "Have you set a date yet?"
Newt's question and general delight regarding Jacob and Queenie's forthcoming union was sincere, yet the reminder threatened to pucker Tina's lips as unfortunate reality crashed into her. She did her best to hide it, even though she knew her sister was well aware of the weight the unlawful wedding was causing. Ultimately, Tina wanted nothing but the couples' complete and utter happiness, however they chose to go about finding it. Even if it meant a secret ceremony with no extravagance or jubilation, Queenie was adamant that all she needed was Jacob. Tina supposed that was enough, but she'd always pictured her sister's wedding being so much more.
After what had felt like weeks of tossing the idea around, Queenie and Jacob — despite adoring the idea and the hospitality therein — had chosen to decline Louise Scamander's offer of having the wedding at their estate in the English country. The rejection was given with grace and a shower of gratefulness but the issue remained: venturing overseas was far more trouble than it was worth. As a No-Maj, Jacob's only way to British soil was by way of boat — an expense that could be put to better use elsewhere, be it for the bakery, the apartment Jacob would soon share with Queenie, or emergencies. Tina missed the Scamander clan; she missed Theseus and Louise —- mostly Louise — but no matter which way she tried to fight under or around Jacob and Queenie's logic, she never once found a flaw. Above all, she yearned for Queenie to have an honest and true wedding. England was the key to that dream…
"Nah, we ain't set a date yet," Queenie was saying with a doleful smile, leaning into Jacob's side. "We'll thinka somethin' eventually."
Newt wanted to frown, Tina could faintly see his muscles working to twist his lips, but he managed to keep them neutral, if even a little hopeful.
"That was mighty nice of your folks to offer to lend a hand, though," Jacob added, seeming to have also caught the pensiveness clouding Newt's features.
"My mother was rather down you chose not to come, I think." Newt paused, his focus falling to the patterned blanket they all sat on. "Even went so far as to offer to purchase each of you a ticket across the pond. Still, she understands and wishes you both well."
He was quiet a moment, seeming thoughtful as he stole another bite of his strudel, and then looked to Queenie and Jacob once more. "I am also willing to buy tickets to ferry you across the sea, as my wedding gift to both of you."
Queenie was already shaking her head before Newt had even finished speaking. "We couldn't let you do that, honey. It's awful nice, but we don't want ya wastin' money on us."
"It wouldn't be a waste," Newt argued, kindly. "It would be a gift."
As she often could be, Queenie remained resolute, issuing Newt a firm 'No' that was both sweet and final. Tina bit her lip, only to keep from screaming. It was greedy and somewhat selfish, she knew, that part of her wanted nothing more than for Queenie to accept Newt's generous offer. Tina would have paid for their trip had she not started to sock money away, saving it for when the time came for her to pay the rent on her own. Nevertheless, had the roles been reversed, Tina knew she never would have taken his money either.
Conversation faded for a time, seemingly snuffed out due to Queenies unwavering refusal to accept Newt's costly gift. They sat in silence as they picked over the remaining pastries until their bellies all but swelled with their hefty meal. Sunset was swiftly approaching, and Tina took to watching the sky paint itself in a fresco of moving colors, trying to steer her mind away from laws and weddings and illegal companionships.
After a while, Jacob brandished a pair of catcher's mitts and a ball, urging Newt to join him. He needed little in the way of coaxing, following the baker willingly into the nearby open field with an intrigued grin, ready to learn.
The sun's presence was still forceful enough to persuade Tina and Queenie to remain shaded under the tree, sipping what remained of their lemonade as they watched the men toss the baseball between them. It was such an ordinary sight, a No-Maj sight, but Tina found it unbelievably difficult to quell the joy in her heart; beside her, her sister's expression mirrored her emotions.
"Ain't we lucky, Teenie?" Queenie mused, dreamily. "I doubt most girls find such swell fellas like we have."
Instinctively, Tina's first thought was to argue the assumption her sister was reaching towards, but in that moment, she couldn't bring herself to do it. Every smiling glance Newt threw her way tickled Tina's insides delightfully and she found herself wanting more and more of that strange sensation.
Queenie was sifting through her thoughts for an answer; Tina recognized that familiar tingling, and from the satisfied smile stretching across her face, she had found in that sea of musings exactly what she was hoping for.
"Why don't you girls join us!" Jacob shouted suddenly, waving freshly conjured baseball equipment.
Tina glanced down at the dress she wore, mentally noting how very not sporty it was, and began to shake her head. Queenie, however, sprang up, tugged Tina to her feet with unforeseeable strength, and pulled her out into the field behind her excitedly. Tina watched Queenie heedlessly kick off her t-strap heels and Tina swiftly followed suit. The grass was cool beneath her stocking feet; it tickled her ankles as her sister pulled her along until the four of them stood in the open meadow.
Tina was not well informed of the rules regarding No-Maj baseball; all she knew was that the games drew crowds like no other event in town and it was to be played with a bat and a ball. Jacob walked them through the basic principle of the sport before he and Newt eventually thought up rules befitting only four players. It wasn't dissimilar to baseball, even after Newt suggested a few techniques from a British sport called Cricket. Bases were still a key part of the game the two of them had invented but instead of four there were two; essentially Home and first as Jacob pointed out. The start was slightly messy but in time they had mastered their made up sport.
The sun was almost hidden behind a forest of trees when Tina stepped up to the makeshift plate for her final go at batting. She and Queenie were leading, a good three runs ahead of the guys; victory seemed inevitable. All she had to do was reach the base before Newt caught the ball and make it back to home on the next pitch. Her sister was cheering her on, giving Tina that extra boost as she readied herself. Feeling brave, she threw what she hoped was an intimidating glower to Jacob, who was currently pitching. Newt was several yards beyond him, off to the side, guarding the only base she had to reach that play. The smirk he wore was smug and devilish, causing her to sharpen her glare to keep her focus. The sight of him, sweating and looking mischievous —- hair a wind beaten mess — was almost enough to thwart her concentration. Tina shifted her feet and tightened her grip on the wooden bat, stalling long enough to hone her focus away from Newt and his charming smirk.
The play began, and nearly ended, with surgical precision. Jacob had a good arm for pitching. The ball came right to her, bouncing once (as was the decided rule) before Tina gave a swing to send the ball flying. Jacob dove to the ground, with a bit of a nervous chuckle, narrowly avoiding the soaring ball as Tina dashed to the base…
For a moment, Tina thought she'd collided with Newt, having felt herself stop suddenly, and unwillingly. There was shade over her, and in her mind she knew the sun hadn't sunk that far under the horizon. Confusion flooded her as she looked around finding trees and the open meadow several yards of abundant foliage behind them. Newt was the only one in sight. He was chuckling, breathing heavily, just as she was, and looking pleased with himself.
Before she could scold him for ruining her nearly perfect play, his lips crashed against hers in a quick, but deep pull that had her forgetting what she was upset about. Her body reacted instinctively, feeling her weight dissolve with the press of his mouth on hers.
When their lips parted much too soon, there were stars in Tina's eyes and she pressed herself against the trunk of the tree behind her to keep from falling.
Newt was smiling when he pulled away, his focus not meeting her eyes. "I couldn't wait any longer," he admitted. "Forgive me, Tina."
His cheeks flushed pink for a moment, and his eyes moved to meet hers. His lips tasted like watermelon and the honey glaze from the pastries: the very thought of them had Tina reeling. She tugged him by the fabric of his unbuttoned waistcoat until his body was pleasantly pressed against her own. Her hands snaked slowly behind his neck, where her fingers tangled in his coarse hairs at the back of his head as she pulled his mouth back to hers.
"There's nothing to forgive," she murmured before kissing him a third time. And she meant it.
A/N:I got to sneak in a little alone time for Newt and Tina there at the end, but I've got plenty more to come in this story! Hope you enjoyed!
Furthermore, you can follow me on Tumblr fandom-non-sense
That is where you can keep up with my progress, check out my favorite works by other talented authors and even find a link to keep me caffeinated so I write quicker ;).
Also HUGE thank you and shout out to my betas CuivienenGazer and katiehavok. They are the true heroes here and I owe them both so much for making these chapters readable.