23 | The Promise

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 "Shh, love," Newt murmurs, his voice barely reaching my ears. "If we stay quiet, they might not notice us."

I nod almost imperceptibly, trying to slow my breathing so even I can't hear it. Newt does the same as he removes his hand from my mouth. The only thing that I can hear is the soft footsteps of the Careers walking past. Even they have slowed down, as if the world is stopping for what is to come. I can hear their footsteps as they walk right outside the cave, three sets of thumping feet. I try to think about who's still alive. Gally, Beth and Teresa. The two from One and the girl from Two.

The footsteps pause right outside our cave, our home, and I can see three pairs of combat boots right outside the opening. I freeze in fear, and Newt does the same.

"We know you're in there, Twelve!" a masculine voice calls out, and Newt shoves me behind him, as if to protect me. He stands up and raises his dagger in front of his eyes, and I realise that he's going to fight them.

Fight them for my sake.

I swallow audibly, and that's all it takes for the world to tumble down with me, leaving only the Careers standing. Newt grabs my hand.

"I'll fight them, love," he murmurs. "You stay here."

"No!" I protest as quietly as possible.

"Twelve, we know you're there!" the voice repeats, which must belong to Gally from One.

"Let's just go in and get them. We'd beat them in a second," a feminine voice says, and I recognise it as Teresa from Two's.

"No," Gally argues. "I want to see how the boy protects his girlfriend. She won't be alive much longer for him to protect."

Newt's hand slips from mine, and those few seconds are the worst of my life, the ones where he jumps from the cave with only a dagger to protect him. After only a second, I follow after him into the darkening evening.

"And here they are," Gally says, snarling at me. Newt growls and chargers at him, knocking him to the ground, ready to plunge his dagger into Gally's neck.

"You won't bloody hurt her," Newt snaps.

"What if I do?" Gally smirks.

He knocks Newt's dagger from his hand and kicks metres away. Gally flips him over, so his sword is held on a point on Newt's neck. Teresa and Beth just stand there, small smirks on each of their faces. They've probably seen this, done this, many times before.

"No!" I shout, and diving to the ground, I knock Newt out of Gally's grasp.

In doing so, Gally manages to push me to the dirt ground instead, knocking the wind out of me.

It feels as if the world's in slow motion as he holds me down. I attempt to push him off, struggling with his strong arms.

"STOP!" Newt yells from the ground a few metres away, and struggles to stand up, but he manages to stand on his feet. "You won't bloody hurt her!"

It's this distraction that makes Gally's grip loosen on my shoulders, and I push him off. Not thinking about anything else, I grab Newt's hand.

And sprint away into the trees.

We make it all of twenty metres before Teresa loops around the trees to stand in front of me. Panicking, I lead Newt in the opposite direction, but he's slowing down. It's his ankle. But I only make it five metres before I see Gally in front of me, standing ten metres away.

I make it another metre before his spear plunges into my stomach.

Strangely, I don't notice the pain at first. It's rather a kind of tingling sensation that begins at my navel and spreads up my chest. Newt catches my falling body in mid air, his eyes open. He appears to be in shock.

Until he opens his mouth and lets out a guttural scream.

It's an inhuman sound, full of rage and anger, pain and hate.

But also love.

"Hey, hey, hey, Newt," I whisper, running my fingers across his cheekbones, "look at me."

He tears his rage-filled eyes away from Gally and onto my e/c ones.

"Love?" he asks, his voice croaky and husky, as if he can't believe it.

"Listen, I don't have much time," I murmur, "but I need to tell you one thing." It's a struggle to get the words out now, and my chest heaves with the effort. My vision spins and the pain is almost unbearable, but I swallow and try to continue. For Newt.

"What, love?" he murmurs, stroking my cheekbones, too.

"I love it when you call me love," I begin, choking out the words. "I love all the things that make you Newt. When you ruffle your hair when you're nervous or scared. When you say 'bloody' and 'bugging'. I love your accent, and the fierceness in your voice when you disagree with something-" I'm interrupted by my own bout of coughing, and I say the true words I've been wanting to say for so long. "I love you, Newt, and everything about you."

"I-" Newt stops and moves his fingertips over my lips. "I love you, too," he murmurs, and my eyes stare back at his chocolate ones. "I loved learning the little things that make you y/n. I love your obsession with mint tea, and the way you sometimes trail off in the middle of sentences. I love it when you tuck your hair behind your ear when you're nervous, and the fire in your eyes when you throw a dagger with perfect precision. I love you, y/n."

"Thank you, Newt," I murmur, "that's all I need to go in peace."

"What? Love, no!" Newt roars. "Stay with me, love! I need you! Please," his last words fall into a choking whisper.

"Newt," I whisper, and bring my lips up to his into one final kiss. I put all the passion I have left into that mint-tasting kiss, all the tears, and laughs, and smiles, and happiness. All the love. "There's a light in the sky. I'm okay. I'll always be okay."

"No, love!" Newt shouts. "You can stay with me! Please!"

"I love you," I say, and my last breath is a peaceful one with my body in Newt's arms, smelling of mint and pine and dirt and Newt

I'm ready, I think.

My body falls in Newt's arms, limp, never to move again. My eyes blur over and I exhale for the final time.

I'll see you again, Newt.

I promise.

A/N: This is not the end of Newt and y/n's story. There will still be two more chapters to be released. Until then, I'm so sorry.

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