Newt felt nervous to talk to Alby when he got back from his training that night. During their next break, he confessed to Alec his feelings for Alby and told him about the shower incident - which, big surprise, Alec already knew about.

They got back from the Maze as the sun set, about twenty minutes before the Doors were supposed to close. Newt followed Alec into the Map Room, sweaty from exhaustion and his clothes damp with sweat. After they finished mapping, Newt said, "I'm gonna go check on Minho and then talk to Alby. See you later."

"See you," Alec said, and they parted at the door to the Map Room.

Minho smiled as Newt entered the same room they'd put Minho in the night before. "Hey, you," Newt said, smiling as he sat down in the chair beside the Keeper's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"All right," Minho replied. "How was your first day of training?"

Newt's smile widened. "Great. Alec's really nice."

"Yep, that shank's cool." Minho grinned. Newt wondered if he should give Minho a hint or something about Alec's feelings for him. If it was Alby, Newt knew he'd appreciate it.

"Hey, Minho?" Newt said.

"Hmm?"

"Alec, um...he has something he wants to tell you, I think," Newt informed him.

"Yeah?" Minho asked, appearing interested. "What's that?"

"I can't tell you," Newt answered. "He should tell you himself, and I promised I wouldn't tell." He hoped Alec wouldn't be angry at him for giving the biggest dork in the Glade a clue. Newt chuckled at the thought.

"What's funny?"

"Nothing. Glad you're feeling better," Newt quickly said, squeezing Minho's shoulder. "I have to go talk to Alby. Need me to get you anything before I leave?"

"Nah, I'm good, man," Minho said. "Thanks, though." He offered Newt a genuine smile. Newt smiled back and left to go find Alby.

He found him talking to the Med-jacks, giving them instructions on taking care of Minho. Alby smiled and his face lit up when he saw Newt approaching them. "Hey," Alby said. "How was your first day of training?"

"We need to talk," Newt told him before he could wimp out.

Newt's suspicion must have showed on his face, because Alby was looking at him strangely. "Of course," he said, leading Newt into the Homestead and into his bedroom. "Everything all right?"

"I...I thought you liked Nick," Newt said.

"I do," Alby said, and the younger boy felt his heart sank. "As friends."

His heart lifted again. "Oh."

"What did you-" Then Alby's eyes widened in realization, and he nodded. "Gotcha."

"Er, yeah." Newt blushed. "Sorry, it just kinda seemed like, from a distance, you two were..."

"We're just friends," Alby reassured him. "Why?"

"Because, um..." God, this whole situation was awkward. Newt shifted uncomfortably. Tell him. It's now or never. "Alby, I'm in love with you," he confessed.

Alby smiled. "I'm in love with you, too, Newt." He stepped forward, closer to Newt than they'd been in a long time. Newt's heart fluttered as the dark boy gently took his hands, pulling the blond against him. Alby pulled Newt down for a kiss, their first kiss. Newt gasped against Alby's mouth and his eyes fluttered closed, a whimper escaping past his lips as he wrapped his arms around Alby's waist. "You shuck-face," Alby said between kisses, and Newt moaned softly in response. Alby deepened the kiss and Newt felt his heart about to burst with love as his knees grew weak. Alby's tongue brushed against his lower lip, and Newt knew he was asking for entrance. Newt opened his mouth and Alby licked Newt's tongue with his own. It was a weird feeling at first, but Newt liked it and pressed closer to Alby, their tongues twisting together as moans and whimpers filled Alby's bedroom.

Newt broke the kiss to pull Alby's white T-shirt over his head. "God, you're so bloody hot," he gasped out as he ran his hands down Alby's body. Alby groaned in response. "You're the hottest out of all these shanks." He felt Alby smile against his mouth as they stumbled over to the bed. Alby pushed Newt down on the bed, kissing him hard. Newt whimpered in desperation. He wanted Alby so badly, he felt his heart aching for him. "Alby," Newt said, pulling away from the kiss to meet the older boy's dark gaze. "I want you." He pulled Alby down for a kiss, the two devouring the delicious taste of each other.

And then Alby pulled away, and Newt sat up. "Alby?"

"Newt, we have to stop," Alby said, though Newt was pleased that he looked reluctant to stop. "We should take this slowly."

"Bloody screw slowly."

Alby laughed, pulling Newt into his arms. "I want you, Newt," he said. "But I would like to wait."

"Whatever you want." Newt kissed him, deeply, both of them smiling like idiots when they pulled back. "We can wait as long as you want."

Alby held him in a loving embrace. "So...I'm guessing you aren't in love with Minho?"

"Minho?" Shocked, Newt asked, "What makes you think I'm in love with him?"

"You just seemed so worried about him last night," Alby said. "You were holding his hand-"

"No, Minho and I are just friends," Newt said. "I just...got kind of emotional." He explained what happened, and what Minho had said to him.

"That shank!" Alby exclaimed.

"No, no, no, Alby, we're fine now. Everything's fine," Newt was quick to reassure his new boyfriend. "Actually, the part about me being in denial about my love for you was kind of true."

Alby laughed and kissed Newt's hair. "Well, I'm glad you aren't now."

"Me, too." They kissed again and Newt curled up against Alby in bed, out cold from exhaustion after his long day.

Alec stood hesitantly outside Minho's door, wondering if he should knock. The Med-jacks were keeping him in there until the Creators sent up a pair of crutches so the Keeper of the Runners could walk better. How ironic. Alec figured that his crush would probably go crazy laying in bed and not being able to run.

Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door. "Hey," Alec said, smiling and sitting down in the chair beside the bed. "How ya feeling, shank? Messed up your leg pretty bad, I heard."

"Eh, it'll be fine," Minho said. "Clint and Jeff can't keep me in bed forever and it'll heal."

"Yeah, not forever." Alec grinned. "Just till they get some crutches, which might be a month or so."

"Why do I get the feeling you came up here just to annoy me?"

"Because that feeling's true, shuck-face."

Minho shoved him playfully and Alec laughed. "Just because I have one broken leg doesn't mean I ain't stronger than you," Minho reminded him. And hotter, too, Alec thought, sighing internally. So, so much hotter. "Hey, um, Newt said you wanted to tell me something?"

Perplexed, Alec replied, "Uh, no I didn't. What'd he say?" Then Alec felt his eyes widen in realization. "That shank!"

"What?"

"He set me up!"

"Set you up for what?" Minho asked curiously.

Alec sighed in defeat. "Minho, I've really enjoyed, um, getting to know you since we've been Runners together." To his shock, Minho flushed. So Newt was right. The tough Keeper of the Runners did have a soft side. "I..." He trailed off.

"Hey," Minho said encouragingly, reaching for Alec's hand. Alec's eyes widened. "Tell me. It's okay."

Alec felt himself smiling. "I've never been good at words," he said before leaning in and kissing Minho. It felt so good and Minho pulled Alec close, tangling a hand in his short blond hair. The kiss deepened and Alec whimpered against Minho's mouth, pulling him close.

"You're shucking good at this, though," Minho said between kisses and Alec groaned in response.

Their kisses became more heated and desperate then and Alec said, "Minho, I want you. I-" Minho interrupted him with a kiss as Alec crawled on top of him on the bed, kissing him hard, their hands roaming the other's body. Minho ground his hips into Alec's, making them both groan in pleasure.

"You sure about this?" Minho asked him.

Alec stared at him with eyes filled with love. "I'm sure," he said.

AN: Hope you guys liked it! Updates soon :) Also, I just saw the movie Into the Woods tonight and OMG. You guys HAVE to see it! I totally recommend it! It's my new favorite movie now, so yeah, go see it.