Til The Stars Don't Shine

Chapter 16

"So, Tina. Where have you been hiding?"

Tina rolled her eyes at the man in front of her.

She just left work and he was waiting outside the building.

"I haven't been hiding, Tolliver. Just avoiding."

"Well, babe, it's great to see you again!" Achilles took Tina in his arms. "Can we start over?"

"What are you talking about?" Tina pushed herself away.

"I want another chance," Achilles pleaded. "Let's just forget our past year together and start fresh."

"I'd love to forget our relationship ever happened. Ever."

"Great. I'm Achilles Tolliver." The man shook Tina's hand.

"Look, Tolliver, I want to move on. Not back."

"No fresh start? No blossoming relationship?" He pouted.

"Not between us, at least."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Achilles," Tina looked him in the eye. "I'm in love. Deliriously in love with one Mr Scamander. Not with you."

Achilles deflated. So it was true. Theseus had stolen Tina's affections.

"Tina, is he bothering you?" Speak of the devil.

"No, Theseus, it's fine, he's just being irritating."

"So, how long have you and your Mr Scamander been together for?" Achilles sneered at Theseus.

"About a month now. But I've been in love with him for basically over a year."

"While we were dating?!" Achilles scoffed.

"It doesn't matter anymore, does it, Tolliver?" Theseus put a protective hand on Tina's shoulder.

"We were together for 8 months, and all the while, you were in love with someone else?!"

"Perhaps I needed a distraction from my true feelings, which I weren't fully aware of at the time." Tina turned her cheek. "Theseus, let's go home."

And with a Pop! they were gone.

Achilles gaped after them. Was he just a distraction for 8 months?

He knew that he wasn't the best person. And that the way he treated Tina was unacceptable at best, but hell, he loved her. He actually loved her.

He had never been in love before, and his parents' marriage was rocky for his entire life. So how was he to know how to treat a lady, especially one as fiery as Tina?

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"Bunty, mind if pass me the kelpie feed?"

Bunty swooned at the sight of Newt's wet shirt and went over with the bucket.

"Newt, how do you do it?" She smiled at him. "They all love you, it's so impressive."

"Instincts, I suppose," Newt shrugged modestly, feeding the kelpie.

"What else have I missed around here? You haven't called me in for about a month now."

"The nifflers escaped a couple weeks ago," Newt sighed, petting the kelpie, who sprayed more water on him.

"Do you remember when we went into that big lockdown when they first escaped?" Bunty giggled. "We ran around for hours."

"That we did," Newt chuckled. "We've become experts at finding them, haven't we, though?"

"You are quite good at finding things, Newt." Like a way into Bunty's heart. "What about the Graphorns? You found them. It's astonishing, truly."

"You keep me humble, Bunty," Newt smiled at her and the redhead's heart almost stopped.

"Newt? Are you down here?" A voice called from the top of stairs.

"Yes, darling!" Newt's whole demeanour changed as he called back up. He and Bunty spent their afternoon relaxed and slow, but in an instant, he was energetic and excited.

Tina appeared at the bottom steps and Bunty's heart sank all the way down to her shoes.

They had to be together now, if Newt was calling her 'darling'.

Or perhaps they had gotten close and it was a very sweet and very platonic pet name?

Bunty noted Tina's double-take as Newt dove back into the Kelpie pool.

Instead of commenting though, she turned to Bunty instead. "Hello, Bunty. How are you? I hope Newt hasn't bothered you too much."

As if he could. Bunty could spend forever with Newt Scamander and never get tired of him.

"Hi, Tina. I'm well. And Newt has been just fine."

"I doubt it," Tina teased as she strolled over to the pool, occasionally petting creatures as she passed. "He can get oh-so annoying sometimes."

Bunty knew that she was only teasing, but the urge to defend Newt was overpowering.

"Of course not! He's just very passionate about his work that it can get distracting at times, but it's mostly endearing."

"That it is," Tina agreed, coming to stand with them just as Newt and the kelpie resurfaced.

"Hello, darling. How was your first day back to work?" Newt wiped his hair out of his face.

Bunty pretended to busy herself so she could stay close by.

"Quite productive. Achilles bothered me a bit after work, but I'll pull through. He has no control over me anymore."

Bunty watched as Tina raked her eyes up Newt's soaked shirt to his wet hair.

"But you are the perfect person to come home to after a long day at work. I do have to say that the view is particularly nice today, even more so than usual."

Newt blushed crimson as Tina laughed.

"I love you so," Newt murmured and pressed a soft kiss on Tina's lips, which she returned with a smile.

Bunty froze in place. 

Oh.

A/N

Remember when I said that I would update monthly?

Haha yeah. 

Thank you to everyone who's still reading this book. I know the pain of fics that barely update and I apologise.

I have my mom's old MacBook Pro now, so I finally have a keyboard to work with. Once I got it, I finished the rest of this chapter in one night, after working on it for 4 months.

Stay safe and wash your goddamn hands!

- Fangurl_700

PS. AVPM reference! Hufflepuffs are particularly good finders! (Even if they don't want to be, like when you're finding out that their work assistant is in love with you.)