Brunch could not come soon enough. The moment Tina stepped out of Newt's magical case and back into reality, her empty stomach cried out with a ravenous snarl so loud she hugged her belly in a futile attempt to hush the beast within. A soft chortle followed the angry sound, bursting from Newt and into the stuffy upstairs air. It was an exuberant noise, spirited and affable, that made an ever-growing warmth coil in Tina's middle no matter how tirelessly she tried to fight it off. His hand was still on her back as the three of them came down the stairs – the warmth of his fingers seeped through the thin threads of her blouse and pooled on her skin. Friends – she emphasized – that's what he said.
Louise and Thaddeus were near the bottom of the stairs speaking with Thomas' parents. Newt's mother had changed from her trousers and sweater to a more fashionable dress, embroidered with intricate designs. Thomas' parents each had a suitcase in hand, ready to be on their way once their son joined them. There was little fanfare in their farewells; a hug and a kiss, with the lingering promise to visit come the end of summer all the while Tina stood off to the side focusing on the tips of her boots poking out from the hem of her skirt. When Louise's brother and his family had gone, the Irish woman called for Moxie the house elf to put the kettle on.
The meal followed a while later, and as it turned out, was a rather quiet affair with only the four of them. Tina suspected the house was truly empty at last, and Theseus and Lillian were well on their way to Paris for their Honeymoon. Newt spent the majority of brunch speaking of his plans to travel to Fiji – skipping over the part about the Ministry wanting him to take a team or assistant. Louise seemed the most interested in his story, watching her son speak of his passions fondly.
Thaddeus, on the other hand, inquired about magical law in America when the chance arrived. There was true curiosity in his voice; however, Tina got the impression Newt's father found MACUSA's methods primitive in comparison to the Ministry's. He did well to hide his persuasion; well enough that Tina elected to give him the benefit of the doubt, choosing not to press the matter. The conversation was fleeting; however, Tina noticed Newt kept a watchful – bordering on protective – eye on her from across the table for the entirety of the discussion. It was as if he was waiting to butt-in to her rescue at any moment, and Tina was secretly glad for it. She liked Thaddeus, but his intimidating aura made him seem as though he only saw through judgmental lenses.
Louise was peculiarly quiet – once more exuding that calm air that Tina envied. Her gray eyes spent most of the meal sweeping back and forth between her son and Tina. They were anything but subtle glances, but there was a deviously, delighted gleam to them that Tina had seen before in Queenie. She did her best not to dwell on what the Irish woman's possible thoughts were, though Tina had an inkling…
By the time rolled around for Tina to go back to the Ministry, a heavy weight of melancholy made her shoulders slouch.
"I already 'ad Moxie fetch yer things," Louise declared as she and her husband accompanied her and Newt to the open foyer.
Tina's brown case was waiting by the door with her long overcoat neatly draped over it. She scowled at the objects as if it was their fault she was feeling everything she was.
"Thank you, Louise." Tina drew the woman into a tight hug, close enough to commit her scent to memory. Much to her delight, Louise smelt like Newt, earthy, but sweet instead of bittersweet like her son. "For everything." She added just before she let her go.
Louise's eyes twinkled with the onset of tears, and she smiled affectionately, caressing Tina's cheek. "No need ta be thankin' me, dearie. It was a pleasure ta 'ave ya 'ere."
Tina felt tears again, but managed to fight them off with a couple blinks and a hefty swallow.
"Best of luck in your endeavors, Miss Goldstein. MACUSA, I fear, does not know how much better off they are with you on their team." Thaddeus extended his hand for her to shake, and somewhat hesitantly, she did. "Should you ever find yourself living on British soil and need work, you are always welcome at the Ministry."
Tina was sure she looked shocked, though she tried to mask the astonished expression behind a nod and a smile.
"Thank you, sir." She gulped.
"Thaddeus, please," he insisted with a slight smirk.
Tina matched his small grin and nodded. "Thaddeus."
Newt let out a breath, as if relieved by his father's behavior, and moved to retrieve Tina's coat. He guided her into the long garment while offhandedly muttering something about the rain. She'd forgotten about the lousy weather and frowned. Sometime during the goodbyes Newt had found the time to shrug into his worn blue overcoat that brought out the green in his eyes. He had her suitcase in his hand, and his wand already drawn in the other.
"Are you ready, Tina?" Newt's voice was barely an octave above a whisper. There was a sadness cowering under his tone that Tina felt all the way to her bones. She couldn't see his eyes completely, hidden by the spill of auburn hair, but she was sure he was on the cusp of tears as well.
Tina supplied a slow and shaky nod and chanced one more glance to his parents. "Thank you both again so much. I hope I get to see you again one day."
"Soon, I 'ope." Louise surrendered to her tears as she smiled.
Tina tentatively wrapped her arm around Newt's, and with a deep breath the two of them Dissapperated.
The Ministry was rather busy for a Sunday before noon, at least Tina assumed. The rush was visibly less manic, and more of a steady commotion that gave the illusion of a bustling workplace. Most of the fuss derived from the line of outgoing magical folk. The line didn't appear too long, Tina noted as they approached, and she wasn't sure if the short line was a blessing or a curse.
Newt still had his arm intertwined with hers, but hadn't so much as mumbled since they had left Featherbeak. Tina found his silence off-putting and wanted nothing more than for him to say something. His face was difficult to read – not rigid, but certainly not the usual blithe demeanor she usually found on his features. Instead his expression lingered somewhere between the two, and the vacancy it brought to his face made Tina feel the tension between them grow stronger.
When they reached the queue Tina rummaged around in her pockets until her fingers found her Floo Pass. She was pleased to find the documents still in pristine condition, though the booklet felt significantly heavier in her hands than she remembered it being. Tina frowned at the travel papers. She wanted to go home, wanted to see Queenie and to work, but that meant putting thousands of miles between her and the man at her side. Tina's heart could not seem to let go of him even though her mind tried to tell her otherwise. Her sour expression deepened.
"Are you alright?" Newt asked, taking notice of her furrowed brow and pursed lips. His features had softened with concern spreading across his face – green irises brimming pools of black.
She took in a deep breath and forced a smile. "Yes, I – uh – don't like waiting." Tina frowned slightly – good one, Goldstein.
She refused to meet his eyes, choosing to cast hers over the line of people in front of them. Tina was finding it difficult to look at him without feeling a wave of sadness and longing wash over her. Friends… friends… friends…The word bounced around in her brain like burning spell fire off shields, and each impact prodded her tender heart ruthlessly.
"You just seem…"
"I'm fine," Tina insisted coldly.
Newt's jaw clamped shut and his focus fell to the brown boots he wore. He took a sharp inhale through his nose, blowing breath from his lips and saying nothing more. The sight of him triggered a surge of guilt and she sighed.
"Sorry," Tina murmured, quickly coming up with another excuse. "I'm just not looking forward to Flooing back home— it's almost nauseating."
That performance was easier to sell; it wasn't a lie. Tina was not a huge fan of that specific form of magical travel. It yanked and pulled her, leaving her stomach sloshing and her body covered in soot - altogether an unpleasant experience. Newt's grimace dissolved only slightly as he nodded in agreement, but he remained silent.
When they reached the front of the line the attendee that greeted them was far less cordial than the young witch who had welcomed Tina to the Ministry initially. The lazy-eyed wizard took only a few quick – rather mechanical – glances over her paperwork, all while leering over the booklet at her judgmentally. Tina was happy to return the glare, adding her own indiscrete amount of chafe, and made a point of not thanking the man when he finally reissued her pass. With a disgruntled huff, Tina shoved the papers back into her pocket and reached for her case still in Newt's hands. He wavered only a moment, casting a glance between it and her face before finally surrendering the piece of luggage.
"I – er – hope you'll allow me to accompany you to the hearth." Newt kept his eyes solely focused on her shoulder and teetered back and forth from heel to toe.
"Only if you want to," Tina told him, secretly hoping he would.
His eyes swiftly moved to hers, mild disbelief sparkling in them. "Of course I want to."
Like a gentleman, Newt once again offered his arm, and Tina slid her own around it against her better judgment. Suddenly it was Christmas again, only this time she was the one leaving. The familiar scene played out in her head as they glided over the black marble floor. Those memories flooded over her, making the emotions she'd felt in December resurface. All that sorrow of no longer being next to him twisted and pulled at her aching heart once more, while in her head that word seemed to be screaming. By the time their feet stopped, Tina felt sick and her heart was beating a rhythm fast enough she could dance to it.
"This is it…" Newt's voice didn't break when he spoke, but Tina could still detect the grief in his tone.
"So it is…" she mumbled. Tina pulled her arm from his and let it dangle lifelessly at her side. Her stomach churned and her mouth was suddenly dry; she found herself unable to look at the hearth or at Newt. A lull passed between them, short but evident enough to elicit the emotions writhing inside her to burrow deeper.
"Tina." Newt gently turned her to face him, laying his hands on her shoulders. "Tina, please look at me." Calloused fingertips brushed along the edge of her jaw – leaving goosebumps in their wake – and he tilted her chin until her big brown eyes met his.
"Before you leave, you must know that having you here this weekend has been the happiest I've been in some time…" His eyes were searching hers, deep and smoldering with a desire Tina recognized in herself, but her words remained unspoken, staining her tongue. He swallowed, pink suddenly tinting his cheeks and ears. "…As for the moment we shared…I apologize for being so impudent, but I admit I am not a bit sorry it happened."
Immediately that hateful, haunting word ceased it's screaming. He did remember, and he did mean it. Relief and joy flooded into the void her mind had been digging into her heart. A wide smile spread across her face, so unbelievably tight that it almost hurt. Happy tears brimmed her eyes, and she wanted to kick herself for letting her mind torment her heart.
Tina dropped the case in her hand with an echoing thud and flung her arms around Newt's neck, bravely smashing her lips against his. The unexpected force nearly knocked him to the ground, but Newt's nimble feet quickly adapted to the sudden weight, and he delightfully folded his arms around Tina – pulling her as close as she could be to him. He smiled into the urgent press of her velvet lips and a low purr vibrated from his throat at the feel of her fingers tangling in the hair at the back of his head.
Tina pulled her lips from his, suddenly feeling hot and more than a little bemused with herself. Newt was smiling at her, his wide lips more alluring than ever. They held each other for a long while, Newt playfully circling the tip of her nose with his, flashing the grin she loved to her core.
When she finally freed herself from his arms slowly, taking her case in one hand and Floo powder in the other, Tina stepped into the hearth. "Don't you dare wait so long to come and visit me, Mr. Scamander," she teased, forming the implied threat around shaky breaths and a grin.
His smirk deepened and he kept his eyes only on her. "Yes, Miss Goldstein," he promised, just before green flames engulfed her.
A/N: See! It all worked out! :D I just couldn't let this story end without a little bit of angst. Yes, this is the last chapter, however there is an epilogue that I'll be posting on Saturday the 24th! So keep a look out for that. If you follow me on tumblr you'll know that I'm currently working on a deleted scene of sorts for this, that is Newt and Theseus at his Stag party. I'm not sure when that will be posted, but it will definitely be the next.
You can follow me on Tumblr fandom-non-sense
that's where I post progress and links to my fics if you guys are interested.
Also HUGE thank you and shout out to my beta onebethatatime and katiehavok. They are wonderful and I owe them both so much for making these chapters readable.