Crescendo: A Fantastic Beasts Newtina Fanfiction

Chapter 23

       Tina pushed open the door to Newt's room and found him sitting up on the bed, staring blankly out the window. He had been sentenced to bedrest by both Tina and Queenie until he was completely healed. Newt had tried to protest, saying that he needed to look after his beasts, but under quelling looks from the Goldstein sisters, his words had faded away into mumbles.

       "And besides," Queenie had said, "Teenie and I can look after your creatures, can't we, Teen?"

       Tina had been uncomfortable when her sister said this, remembering the terrifying time when she had accidentally poisoned of Newt's Mooncalves, and she did not say anything in return.

       Perhaps Newt had sensed her unease, because he'd assured them shortly after that he trusted them fully to do the job, which Tina knew meant a lot, coming from him. 

       Tina's mind travelled back to the present, and she stepped into Newt's room. He turned around as he heard her, and Tina thought that he seemed to brighten up.

       "I have lunch," she told him, holding up the tray she was carrying.

       "Oh...I'm not really hungry," Newt said.

       "That's fine," Tina said. "I'll just set it down here, then." She placed the food laden tray onto the bedside table, and turned around to leave again.

       "Wait," Newt blurted out.

       The brunette turned around and tilted her head to the side questioningly.

       "Erm– would you like to stay for a while? It's rather boring at the moment," Newt mumbled, not looking at her.

       Tina felt a smile spreading across her face. "Of course!"

       She sat down onto the spare bed that was opposite of the one Newt was in. He shifted around on his bed a bit to face her, and as he turned his waist, he winced. 

       "Oh!" Tina exclaimed, remembering. "You haven't had your bandages changed today!"

       Queenie had insisted on making Newt wear bandages, for extra support, even though the dittany was doing its magic, and everyday they would have to be changed. 

       "Oh...I forgot," Newt said unconvincingly. 

       Tina snorted as she got up from the bed. "Right."

       She moved toward him, but was interrupted. "It's alright," he said hastily. "I can do it myself."

       Tina sighed exasperatedly. "I'm afraid that would be overexertion, which is definitely what you're not  supposed to be doing."

       Over the last few days, Jacob had been visiting, so he was the one to help with Newt's bandages, but as the baker had just left this morning, the job was up to either Tina or Queenie now. Despite her cool tone, Tina was feeling extremely nervous, even though she had just seen Newt shirtless a few days before when he had been attacked. But it was a different situation then, he had been slipping in and out of consciousness and was in critical condition, so there really had been no time to fret over the shirt matter. Now, though, Newt was not in fatal condition, and he was perfectly awake. Tina cleared her throat nervously.

       "Come on, you need your bandages changed," she pressed, trying not to sound apprehensive.

       Newt sighed, and let his head fall back against the headboard with a sharp knock. "Fine," he said, although Tina thought she could detect a quaver of embarrassment in his tone.