Dear Newt // Newt x reader.

Chapter 8 - no one can mind their own business

Chuck had just arrived in the Glade and he was the youngest member of the community so far. I couldn't help but to feel a protective urge towards him and had been focusing my attention on him, somewhat "forgetting" about Newt for a while. It's not like I've actually forgotten about him. I just hadn't spent time with him, and my days with Chuck required sleep so we haven't had any "fun" lately.

However, Newt had a plan. He proposed building a new greenhouse for the tomatoes that had arrived with Chuck. This was a perfect opportunity for me and him to spend some time together alone.

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Me and him were about to start with it but then we both spotted Jaxon heading our way. "I thought you said we only needed two for this project." I whispered, Newt shrugged his shoulders as Jaxon walked up to Newt. He had gathered tools for the new greenhouse we were building.

"Hey, Newt, I heard you could use some help with the greenhouse. Want me to lend a hand?"

Newt hesitated for a moment. He appreciated Jaxon's offer, but he knew he wanted to spend as much time as possible with me. "Thanks, Jaxon, but I think y/n and I have got it covered."

Jaxon raised an eyebrow. "Just the two of you? That's a lot of work for just a couple of people."

Newt nodded, trying to hide his nervousness. "Yeah, but we've got a good system going. Besides, we don't want to slow anyone else down with their own tasks."

Jaxon looked skeptical but didn't push the matter. "Alright, suit yourself. Let me know if you change your mind."

As Jaxon walked away, Newt breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want anyone to know that he was in love with me , especially not Jaxon. He couldn't risk anyone else finding out and causing tension in the Glade.

Turning to me, he flashed me a grateful smile. "Thanks for having my back."

I returned the smile, my eyes sparkling with amusement. "What can I say? I know how to keep a secret."

They worked together in comfortable silence, the sound of their tools and the rustling of the plants filling the air. I could feel Newt stealing me glances as we worked, feeling a rush of affection every time I laughed or brushed a strand of hair out of my face.

We both knew we were walking a dangerous line, but we couldn't help it. He was in love with one another and he couldn't imagine keeping that part of himself hidden forever. But for now, we were content to work on the greenhouse with each other and enjoy the simple pleasure of our company.

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As Newt and I worked on the greenhouse, I couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment. I loved spending time with him, even if it was just working on a project together. But little did I know, our alone time was causing quite a stir among the other Gladers.

Right after leaving us, Jaxon had found Wade, Frypan, and Gally lounging near the fire pit and decided to share what he had witnessed.

"Hey guys, you won't believe what I just saw. Newt and y/n are building the new greenhouse together, and he turned down my offer to help." He groaned and sat down at the log next to Frypan.

"What's so special about that? They're just working on a project together." Gally said.

"Yeah, but it's Newt. He doesn't usually work with anyone else besides y/n." Frypan responded.

"And why is that? Because he's got a thing for her." Wade explained as he drank some moonshine Gally had managed to get. "y/n went nuts at me one time for calling her love, saying that it was only Newt who was allowed to call her that." he said, rolling his eyes as he imitated my voice.

Jaxon shrugged at Wade's comment. "I don't know about that, but it was pretty clear that they were enjoying each other's company. They seemed pretty cozy."

"You think they are shucking?" Wade said, no one was really comfortable thinking about that, they all had a respect for Newt and me but they couldn't help but to feel a bit of jealousy. They continued to speculate about what was going on between Newt and me and I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings or cause tension in the Glade.

But as Newt and I continued to work together, I found it harder and harder to resist the pull between us. And as much as I tried to deny it, I knew that I was falling for him too. He made me laugh and sometimes I would pretend to not know how to use the hammer so he'd offer to help me by putting his arms around me. 

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It took all day, but we finally finished, and I was feeling really tired. My muscles were sore, and my mind was numb from the constant work. We snuck into the kitchen to steal some pieces of bread that Frypan had just baked, but he caught us.

"Hey, Newt, that's for tomorrow's breakfast!" he scolded, not happy with seeing the second in command stealing from the kitchen. Newt turned around to defend himself, and when he did, Frypan noticed me standing behind Newt. 

"Oh, y/n, didn't see you there," he said, his angry face turning into a smile. "Sorry, Fry. We were a little bit hungry," I told him.

"Oh, it's fine. Take as much as you want, y/n," Frypan said, handing over a whole basket full of bread. "So I can't take some bloody bread, but y/n can?" Newt grumbled as I happily grabbed another piece from the basket, ignoring his pouting and frustration.

Newt invited me to eat the bread in his room, and I found myself accepting without hesitation. I wasn't quite ready to say goodnight to him yet. We settled onto his bed, talking softly about nothing in particular, only how good the bread tasted.

"I don't like him flirting with you," he finally said, and I sighed.

"Me neither," I replied. He put his arm around me and pulled me closer, his arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me in tightly against his chest. My head rested on his shoulder, and I buried my face in his neck, feeling his warmth and the steady rhythm of his breathing. He kissed my forehead, and without realizing it, I fell asleep.