A/N: It's time for chapter 5 now! I hope you're all having a lovely weekend. This chapter is one of my favourites and I had so much fun writing it! I wish you enjoy it as well! Keep sharing your thoughts with me, thank you!
And it's you and me and all of the people
And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you
Next morning Newt walked to the kitchen with weariness taking over his features. After he had woken up from the dream, he had barely slept at all. The lack of sleep would soon become his doom if he couldn't find a solution to restore his peace of mind.
Most of the Gladers were up and munching their breakfasts in quiet. There wasn't much chatter in the mornings as everyone was trying to blink the sleepiness from their eyes. Newt snatched an apple from a large bowl on the table and searched an empty table to sit at and sulk.
Newt was chewing his bite of the apple as a plate full of porridge appeared opposite him on the table with a loud clank, startling Newt out of his thoughts. As Newt blinked his eyes, Minho slipped into the seat on the other side of the table, smirking.
"Good morning, sunshine!" the Asian boy chirped. Newt just scowled and wondered what the bloody hell had gotten the other boy so buggin' cheery all of a sudden.
"Ah, having a bad day, then? Do share what's gotten your pretty face all scrunched up like that. Doesn't suit you, ya know," Minho mocked, taking a spoonful of the grey mash into his mouth and kicking Newt under the table.
Newt growled and grimaced, irritated. "Shut your hole, shank! Not everyone shares your bloody early birdiness. I'm definitely not in a mood to your yappings right now."
Minho frowned, a look of worry settling on his eyes, replacing the mirth quickly.
"Mate, are you okay? Now that I look at you, you don't look too good. What's buggin' you, really?" Minho asked him, leaning his elbows on the table.
Newt avoided Minho's eyes, swiping a frustrated hand through his hair. "It's nothing, Minho. I'm just tired. Why does every buggerin' soul keep asking that from me," he mumbled, taking another small bite of his apple to distract himself.
"It's a reasonable question, you know. I'm not gonna push you though. We all know where that leads.." Minho chuckled and shook his head slightly, earning another death glare from Newt.
Minho rolled his eyes and changed the subject. "Anyway, yesterday, there was some new stuff for Runners amongst the supplies. We got these new watches that..."
Newt found himself tuning out of Minho's babble as his ears registered other voices behind him. Newt turned his head slightly and caught a sight of Thomas conversing with Frypan.
The dark-haired boy was smiling and clearly joking with the cook as they both started sniggering to something he had said. As the boy finished collecting his breakfast, he nodded to Frypan and turned around, facing the room. Suddenly Newt found himself staring straight at those hazel eyes.
Newt's eyes widened a bit and quickly he whirled his head back to his own breakfast, his cheeks starting to burn slightly from the embarassment of getting caught looking.
"...you even listening to what I'm saying?" Minho stopped his excited rambling suddenly and glared at Newt with narrowed eyes. Newt bit his lip and was about to answer when he was distracted as Minho suddenly moved in his chair to glance behind Newt, spotting Thomas still near the counter.
Quickly Minho raised his hand, gesturing for Thomas while a grin spread over his lips again. "Oi, Thomas! Come over and sit with us!"
Newt froze. He stared at Minho with widened eyes, completely horrified by the turn of events. This wasn't at all how his morning was supposed to go. He opened and closed his mouth a few times but no sound came out. Minho raised his eyebrows at him, wondering his friend's odd reaction.
Eventually Thomas appeared beside Minho, sitting on another chair after the older boy had shifted to make some space for him. Minho clapped the dark-haired Greenie to his back, grinning widely. Newt kept his gaze on the table, stubbornly munching his apple.
"Morning," came Thomas's voice, a little unsure. Newt found himself inhaling his smell again and his eyes met Thomas's without a conscious thought. He swallowed hard and quickly tore his eyes away, nodding to the boy in acknowledgement, suddenly unable to open his mouth.
"Ignore Newt, he's been a cranky little bugger the whole morning," Minho chattered cheerfully and Newt scowled him yet again. "Wouldn't even listen to me telling him about our new Runner equipment," he continued with a disapproving tone.
That certainly seemed to spark Thomas's interest and he turned his watchful gaze to Minho, inquiring for more details.
The two of them engaged in excited conversation about the Runners and their equipment and Newt found himself totally ignored. His eyes kept sneaking glances at the boy opposite him more often than not. The boy's whole appearance seemed to glow somehow as he listened to Minho rambling about Runners and there was no mistaking the passion in his voice as he offered his opinions. Newt really couldn't wrap his mind around it, wondering how it could be possible for a Greenie to be that keen on becoming a Runner.
At times his eyes would linger on the boy's mouth for a little too long and few times he was caught when Thomas's eyes swept over him at the same time. Newt tried to composure himself as best he could every time but he didn't notice Minho's pensive gaze scrutinizing the two boys before him.
"You'll make one hell of a Runner some day, Thomas. I'm sure of that," Minho stated, grinning.
Newt watched as a wide smile spread over Thomas's lips for the praise. "So, is it decided, then? Have I been chosen as a Trainee?" There was no mistaking the utter excitement in his voice.
Minho opened his mouth to answer but Newt suddenly cut in.
"No, nothing's decided yet." Both Minho and Thomas startled a bit, hearing his voice again after his long silence. "You still have some proving to do. The decision of your future job here will be done by the Keepers, depending on how you've managed with each of them and the work. Not long to go anymore, though. The Gathering will be held by the end of the week, I suppose."
Thomas nodded slowly, playing with the napkin he'd taken from the counter.
"What's left for you, then? I thought you had already tried out every job possible here," Minho asked, sitting back in his chair after having finished his breakfast as well.
Thomas glanced at Newt before answering.
"If I'm right, it's my last day with the different Keepers. I'm yet to spend a day with the Builders," Thomas explained and eyed Newt with a question in his voice. Newt nodded curtly.
"Oh man, good luck with those shuckheads! I hated that day back when I was a Greenie. Gally's been one buggerin' bastard since his very first day. Can't stand the guy," Minho shuddered at the memory of his Builder day.
"Yeah and Gally's not the only bastard in that lot," Newt muttered darkly as his hands turned into tight fists under the table.
Thomas watched him with a frown on his face as Minho suddenly declared it was time to start the day's work. They all started to rise from their chairs and took their dishes to the counter.
"See ya around, shanks!" Minho grinned at them and without waiting for a response, he quickly made his way out of the kitchen, leaving Thomas and Newt by themselves.
They glanced at each other warily and just as Newt couldn't stand the tension between them anymore, there was a shout at the door.
"Hey, Greenie! Get your lazy butt outside and quit trying to put off your responsibilities! It's time to work," Gally sneered, a group of Builders in tow. Newt noticed Ben amongst them and his gaze hardened immediately.
Thomas straightened his spine and glared at the boys, clearly irritated. Newt took one glance at him and took a step forward, opening his mouth before Thomas could react.
"I would've liked to see you even up and about by this hour when you were Greenie yourself, Gally. Not much to brag about there," Newt shouted back at the Builder.
Gally's face darkened as he narrowed his eyes at Newt. "Shut up, Newt. Come on, Greenie, we don't have all day to waste for chit-chat," Gally ordered, starting to back away with the other Builders following suit.
By Newt's side, Thomas seemed more or less taken aback. Suddenly he cleared his throat and seemed to gather himself. "I guess I'd better go," Thomas muttered after the Builders had backed off. "Thanks for standing up for me. You wouldn't have needed to do that, though."
Newt noticed Thomas's tight jaw and guessed the boy wasn't all pleased by his interference. He elbowed the younger boy lightly to the side, a small smile playing at the edges of his mouth. "I know you're one tough Greenie, Tommy. I know you could've handled it yourself, too. Gally's one irritating shank and he won't go easy on you today. Try not to end up into the Slammer, 's all I say."
Thomas's lips twitched with amusement and his eyes sparkled as he looked at Newt.
"We'll see about that," Thomas quipped and started to retreat to the door finally.
Something flickered in the pit of Newt's stomach and suddenly he stepped forward and seized Thomas's arm, stopping the boy in his tracks. Thomas turned around, looking at Newt's hand around his arm curiously.
"Just.. Be careful today, Tommy," Newt whispered. Thomas raised his gaze and their eyes locked.
Thomas smiled at him. "I will be."
Newt let his arm go and his fingers brushed Thomas's skin a bit too longer than necessary. Then Thomas was walking towards the door again, leaving Newt standing in the middle of the room, his heart pounding wildly in his chest.