When she woke, it was not of her own accord but instead due to a pestering ache in her head — the beam of sunlight did not help either. Sleep had blessed her with images of the afternoon in the park with significantly less Queenie and Jacob. Even in her dreams, Newt curled her lips into a grin that was grand and absurd. Tina had been bolder in her dream, even shameless to an extent — pulling Newt into her orbit every chance she got, stealing long and heated kisses no matter who saw. She could have lingered ceaselessly in the languid state of being, happy and content, but her body was not cooperating.
Tina didn't dare to open her eyes for a long while, hoping the Sandman would grace her with another visit and take her back to that dreamy meadow. Another five minutes she begged herself, wishing that sheer will could dispel the pounding in her skull. There was a twinge in her neck too, she realized upon trying to reposition herself out of the sun's ruthless rays, which was proving hard to ignore. Sleep was another step out of reach, it seemed. Not only did the irksome ache keep her from the sweet grip of slumber, it also told her that she wasn't in her bed.
Odd… The usual bite of the springs in her side and hip was instead replaced by the feel of a thin cushion... are my feet dangling? She knew she was taller than most of her female colleges at work, but not so much that her feet openly hung over the edge of the mattress. Thinking hurt her throbbing brain, but Tina was determined to figure out her location without the necessity of opening her eyes. All of her recent memories were foggy as she dove into them with investigative tenacity until Tina aptly deduced that the pain she felt in her neck and the suspicious status of her feet all pointed to the fact she was clumsily sprawled on her living room sofa.
Tina sat up slowly, recognizing the pounding between her ears as the devious repercussion of a bit of overzealous drinking. She could even still taste the spice of the Firewhisky on her tongue, stale and far less pleasant than she remembered it being.
"Good morning," a familiar voice greeted her nearby.
Tina risked only a squint fearing what effect the light would have on her headache, and her sure-to-be sensitive eyes. They adjusted in increments, each time she opened them a little more until Tina could make out Newt seated on the floor next to her. His back rested against the sofa as he mended one of his socks quietly. He looked so effortlessly at ease lounging on her floor tending to this chores as though he was home. Tina couldn't quell the frisson of delight the sight brought her, neither could she keep from smiling.
"Morning," she yawned a moment or so later, rubbing her temples in an attempt to subdue the aching in her head. "You, um — wouldn't happen to have any of that potion your mom makes, would you?" Tina added, only half jokingly.
Without hesitation, Newt brandished a half-empty phial from his trouser pocket, giving her a crooked smile as he handed it to her.
"Mother keeps Theseus and I well supplied — in her mind she must think we are both alcoholics." His tone was light despite seeming somewhat put off with his mother's assumption.
Tina thanked him as she removed the cork before tossing back the concoction with ease. The taste was putrid but the aftertaste was worse, it stuck to her tongue and the walls of her mouth long after she'd swallowed. It made her eyes burn and her nose wrinkle. In no time however, the light didn't sting her eyes and the throbbing began to lessen.
"Where did your mother learn to make this stuff?" Tina asked. She'd tried her fair share of sobering potions but none were so potent or effective.
"It's an old McAllister brew." he explained, continuing his sewing. "Most use mint and or chamomile along with other various ingredients but those mostly make the potion taste better and the results are temporary. The secret is the turmeric. It tastes bloody awful, but works wonders."
Newt finished his sewing with a sturdy knot, cutting the remaining thread with his teeth before shoving the needle in his trouser pocket heedlessly. When he stood, he looked more disheveled and unkempt than Tina was used to seeing him. His braces dangled freely off his shoulders, his shirt was untucked and mostly unbuttoned, while his hair was a messy halo of tangles atop his head. Suddenly, those foggy memories at the back of Tina's mind were clear as crystal.
Just as quickly as the imagery of their evening on the sofa spilled back into her brain, a heavy lump formed in the back of her throat she struggled to swallow. Tina felt the need to avert her eyes feeling blood rush to color her cheeks.
"Did I — um…" she swallowed again, easier this time. "Did I attack you last night?"
Tina held out hope for embarrassments sake that what she remembered had been part of the dream she had fought to hold onto, but his state of being said otherwise.
To her relief, Newt met her question with a laugh as he sat down next to her. "You were being very eloquent with your advances last night, yes."
Tina felt her blush deepen and the intense wave of embarrassment she felt had her stomach churning. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, even if he did sound amused and pleased by the entire incident; instead she kept her focus solely on the rug and its patterns beneath her feet.
"No harm done, Tina," he added, as if doing so somehow would make the shame she felt disappear. It didn't.
"I'm so sorry, Newt," Tina husked out when she finally found her voice. Somehow, she would have rather endured the headache than her embarrassment.
"Don't be," Newt urged, gently rubbing his open palm back and forth across her back. His kind touch alleviated some of her apprehension almost immediately.
"I enjoyed it, if I'm to be honest," he admitted, and then his cheeks flushed red under his smattering of freckles.
Little by little the awkward atmosphere began to fade, and finally Tina looked at him, worrying her bottom lip, with an expression she hoped would convey how thankful she was for his understanding. His eyes were heavy on her, watchful and smoldering with compassion. It was seldom Tina had the chance to admire the changing blues and greens of his eyes — so often he kept his focus askew. She never minded though. In truth she found the trait oddly endearing, as it made those rare moments where their glances met that much more meaningful.
However, Tina was very aware how utterly not subtle Newt's glance had become. He was drinking her in as though he could see through to her very soul, and Tina bit her lip a little harder feeling the stirring in her middle. The urges only grew when he stole a glance to her lips. With how closely he was setting next to her, and the absolute sinful urges coursing through her in that moment, it would have been so easy to kiss him.
"Your sister and Jacob will be expecting us soon," Newt said softly.
His focus never strayed and he also seemed to be struggling to keep from acting on whatever he was thinking.
"Right." Tina had completely forgotten about breakfast. She moved away slowly, trying not to seem disappointed. "I'll go get ready."
As she moved across the length of her apartment to hide behind the privacy of the pocket door, she was pleased to feel Newt's gaze upon her. It filled her with enough satisfaction to deter that pang of disappointment even. She grinned at the odd sensation his watchful eyes stirred, knowing she'd never been the type of woman to turn a gentleman's head as she strolled by. Tina had always been fine with that. Newt however, was one head she was suddenly delighted to see turn for her.
Tina chose a pair of light gray slacks from her chest of drawers, tired of feeling vulnerable in the dress she still wore. A sigh broke past her lips as she glanced at the assortment of ordinary blouses her collection had to offer. None of them were particularly overtly feminine or inspiring apart from one. The cotton garment buttoned up the front with pearlescent beads and featured a lower cut neckline than Tina normally chose. The collar flared fancifully, and the sleeves were cuffed at three quarter length. Still, the article was only white in color, which usually would've been satisfactory if Tina wasn't feeling the way she was.
She held it at arm's length glaring at it through narrowed eyes as if to scold it for being so plain. Queenie used charms all the time to alter the color of clothing; Tina had seen her do so a dozen times or more. With a shrug and no small amount of wishful thinking, Tina brandished her wand and murmured the charm she'd heard countless times. Before her eyes, the stitching stained a pastel lavender — the same shade as the dress lying at her feet.
Much better, she thought as she quickly buttoned the blouse and slipped on her usual brogues. She finished the outfit off with a casual blazer of a matching gray to her trousers and her precious locket.
Newt was back to looking posh and presentable, waistcoat buttoned, jacket on. Pickett's two leafy appendages swayed out of the top of the breast pocket of the waistcoat like a living pocket square. There seemed to be another disagreement happening between the two, but eventually, the Magizoologist was able to coax the creature back into his hiding place.
When his focus turned to her, a toothy grin spread across his freckled face; it was dazzling and bright like the sun shining in through the translucent sheers dressing the windows.
"Lavender is your color, Tina," he said in awe. "Truly."
"You think?" Tina glanced at her blouse unable to see what made the color so remarkable, but glad she had used Queenie's spell nonetheless.
"I do," he said. "It compliments your complexion nicely, and — er — your eyes, too."
She was tired of blushing, but Tina could feel another working its way to color her cheeks. There was no stopping the sudden rush, it seemed, no matter how much she tried to stifle it.
"Thank you," Tina managed, forcing her focus to the tips of her shoes so he wouldn't see the color he'd brought to her face. Complements she could handle if they were in praise of her ability to duel or do her job; ones that came from her appearance were a foreign concept that brought her more disbelief than pleasure.
They both stood a moment, each of them suddenly unsure of where to look.
"Well," Tina said doing her best not to seem flustered by Newt's comments. "Ready?"
He nodded, seeming glad she was the one to have broken the silence, and held out his arm for her to take. Tina easily joined herself to him, removing her wand in one fluid movement.
A moment later, they appeared outside of the Kowalski apartment above the bakery and the next moment, Queenie was yanking them over the threshold before anyone could knock. She greeted them both with quick hugs and cheerful hello's before turning back to the stove where she had a plethora of things cooking. The smell alone, permeating throughout the multi roomed apartment was mouthwatering. Tina's morning had been so eventful; between the hangover and the embarrassment, she'd paid no attention to her hungry stomach. It snarled and gargled at the rich scents and the promise of breakfast.
Newt chatted with Jacob seated at the table adorned with a bouquet of fresh daisies and a white lace tablecloth. Tina perched herself there as well, fondly watching her sister navigate the kitchen with ease. Queenie was perfectly matched for the necessities of domestic life, wearing it proudly and happily. She danced merrily over the tiles beneath her t-strapped heels, humming along with the jazz on the radio as she put the final additions on their breakfast feast.
The meal was wholesome, consisting of a near endless supply of French toast, grilled sausages and fluffy scrambled eggs, all seasoned to perfection. The only sound in the apartment was the clink of utensils against porcelain plates and the lazy sounding tune over the wireless, each too hungry and too entranced with the savory flavors to spoil it with words.
Queenie ate with her pink lips pulled in a perpetual grin, and Tina wasn't foolish enough to think it had nothing to do with the way Newt kept glancing across the table to her from under his fringe. Quickly, Tina ushered every personal thought behind her Occlumency shield to keep safely away from her sister's nosy mind. The likelihood that her sister had already fished every intimate and embarrassing memory from her night with Newt was high, but that wasn't going to stop her from trying to keep her private life private no matter how futile it was.
Coffee and tea followed their meal once Queenie had set the dishes to tend to themselves in the sink with a wave of her pearl handled wand.
"So," Queenie started, taking a sip of her tea. "Did you come by boat or Floo this time?"
Newt's hand brushed the outside of his jacket pocket where Tina figured his illegal trinket was hidden.
"Neither, actually." He swallowed, tossing a seemingly apologetic glance Tina's way before continuing. "My brother gave me a portkey as a remarkably late birthday present."
Tina had to bit her lip to keep from smiling at the timid way he glanced at her, appearing the guilty criminal once more.
"I have no idea how, or from whom he had commission it. To be honest I was concerned it was some practical joke and I'd end up stranded who knows where."
"So it works then?" Queenie asked, leaning across the table as though the whole notion was riveting.
Tina had seen that look in her sister's eyes before; the cogs and wheels were definitely turning.
Newt nodded in reply to Queenie's question. "More or less." He paused a moment and met Tina's eyes with another apologetic look before continuing. "I appeared right in the middle of your flat, which is obviously quite rude. Thankfully, no one was home at the time. I plan to have my brother fix that first thing when I'm back in England."
"I wouldn't have minded," Tina said before she thought better of it.
The unabashed comment sparked Newt's mouth to twist into a faint smile as he brought his cup to his lips. It was so small a gesture, but it oozed with a cheekiness that made Tina's chest delightfully tight.
"So you got this portkey from your brother, and it takes ya all the way to and from New York to England?" The smile that had been at play on Queenie's lips had grown even wider, matched by the widening of her eyes as though she'd come upon a grand realization.
"My flat in London, specifically," Newt divulged nonchalantly.
A rapid stream of emotions flooded Queenie's face all of which seemed to be varying degrees of excitement, though, Tina had trouble catching all of them. She also seemed to be the only one to have noticed the grandeur of her sudden enthusiasm.
"What is it, Queenie?" Tina asked cautiously, wishing she were the one who could read minds in that moment. Newt's attention had even shifted to the blonde witch upon hearing the concern in Tina's voice.
Her sister didn't satisfy them with an answer though, not directly, at least. Instead, she all but leapt from her seat at the table, narrowly avoiding catastrophe as the tea cup closest to her would have crashed to the wooden floor had it not been thwarted by Newt's quick reflexes.
"Jacob!" she shouted.
Alarm was quick to weigh onto the bakers brow as his fiancé danced around to his side of the table jovially.
"Why don't we elope to England!?"
Jacob choked out a nervous cough as the confusion on his furrowed brow sank deeper. "Queenie, doll. We already talked about this. We can't afford a trip like that."
All at once, Tina knew exactly what had sparked her sister's sudden excitement. Newt seemed to catch on too; she watched his confusion slowly turn into a grin.
"Newt's portkey!" Queenie explained. "We can use Newt's portkey!"
She looked to Newt for permission; he was nodding before Queenie managed to form her words. "Of course! My portkey is perfect — I have no idea why I didn't think of that."
Jacob looked pale and utterly lost as to what was happening while Queenie stood beside him practically bouncing. "Wait, wait, wait. Hold on a sec. What's a portkey?"
"A portkey can be any item that is enchanted with powerful transportation magic," Tina explained. "It works sort of like Apparition. It's also illegal to have one…" she threw Newt another sardonic glare and fought a smile seeing the tips of his ears turn endearingly pink.
"Your brother gave you this?" Jacob asked Newt, still trying to catch up.
"Yes."
"And it can get all of us across the ocean...to London?" The confusion was slowly leaving his features, becoming more hopeful.
"Yes," Newt assured him with a grin.
They were all quiet a moment letting the space fill with a cheerful calm that seemed to come solely from Queenie. Tina was sure she had never seen her sister so happy or alight with such vibrancy. Like Jacob, Tina was slow to catch up with the speed the morning had suddenly taken. It was like shock almost, as though the notion of them traveling to England on a spur-of-the-moment type adventure had not completely sunken in yet. One thing she was sure about, was that Tina was not about to deny her sister the opportunity even if she herself was still coping with the idea.
"This is perfect!" Tina said before Queenie could sense the slight apprehension deep within her.
England was after all the place Tina had been hoping they would eventually get married. The laws were much friendlier to unions such as theirs. Maybe MACUSA would even overlook their marriage if they wed on British soil. Tina hoped so anyway.
Queenie beamed brighter than the sun, and rushed to scoop Tina into her arms. "Oh, Teenie. This is so great!
"What about your dress though?" Tina tried not to frown.
"I've actually been workin' on one. It just needs a bit more tweaking to make it perfect," Queenie said before disappearing into the room she and Jacob shared muttering excitedly about fabrics she needed.
"Teenie!" Queenie shouted from the other room. "You and Newt go pack! We ain't gotta be back at work till Wednesday, Jacob and I will be over when we've got all our things together!"
Leave now? Tina wanted to argue, and she would have; thinking up some excuse about needing a plan on where they would stay once they made it to England. Newt however, seemed eager to let them all stay at his flat.
An air of bewilderment settled as they lingered at the table a minute longer before running off to pack. It was as though the stars had suddenly aligned, and it made Tina's skin tickle with anticipation, though she wasn't sure if it was out of excitement or shock.
A/N: I almost forgot to post this chapter! . So very sorry! I spent the weekend at Cedar Point riding roller coasters and getting obnoxiously sun burned with a group of friends; thus I've been a couch potato all day, literally doing nothing until it clicked I had not yet posted this! Thankfully this is one of the longer chapters so hopefully that makes up for the lateness!
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.