#I'm sorry this was supposed to be fluffy and cute but it kind of derailed into this and I hope y'all don't hate it

[ninjaslegos]

Hello, It’s 🐛 again!

Could I request a Morro x male! reader (He/Him pronouns) oneshot where (Y/n) is the sibling of another ninja (preferably not Lloyd) who is in a nya-like-situation prior to season 5 where he doesn’t have an element, an affinity for any kind of magic or an alter-ego so he’s kind of just the guy in the chair and in this scenario Morro has come back through some means and is human again, how is up to you if you want to include it at all and stays behind on a mission because the team doesn’t really trust him yet to be out in the field at that very moment and (Y/n) was tasked with “keeping an eye on him,” which little did the rest of the team and his sibling know (Y/n) has the biggest crush on this man, one that was present during events of season 5 but got worse once he returned and so in order not to implode at the idea of being alone with his crush avoids him which is pretty much impossible and Morro ends up being really interested in the technical side of the Ninja’s work and (Y/n) is like “you’re interested in my line of work 👉👈” and it ends up being really fluffy bonding type stuff, (Y/n) also discovers that Morro flusters easy so do as you will with that. You have full permission to take this concept and run with it! Go ballistic!

So sorry if this was a little long or too specific! I tried to write enough detail so that it was tangible but then I derailed a little bit and it kept getting longer. Again I am so sorry!

Also! As a response to your post the other day (or whenever you see this) about the follower special thing, I would love to see more of your art! I think your art style is really cute and a drawing of all the Ninja together seems really fitting.

— 🐛

I made half the story and left for an hour to take a break, and when I come back my computer says "update complete" and the story is ERASED. Never writing drafts on Tumblr again. (Proceeds to keep doing it)

BUGNON!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤ okay but for real because you wrote so much plot for me, I don't have to think about what to write, and I can focus on the fluff! ALSO I'M SO GLAD YOU LIKE MY ART!!! I feel so happy when people say they like things I make!

I think the best bet for brother would be Jay, since reader is an inventor, just like him. I imagine they'd spend a lot of time together building in the scrapyard.

Life With You

Where Morro realizes even the worst of situations can produce the best outcomes

It was only three months ago. He was supposed to have left with the others on Day of the Departed, to have gone to the Departed Realm, but something prevented him from going back. He was swallowed up by the realm and spat out in a glob of dark green fluid with the consistency of wet gelatin. He felt heavier and could no longer float, but why? He was mortified; naked and human in front of the people who hated him most.

What he didn't expect, was for them to keep him with them instead of in a specialized Vengestone cell in Kryptarium Prison. He was given his own room, and was allowed to go wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted. The only rules were that he wasn't allowed in anyone's room, and he wasn't allowed outside of the house unless he was accompanied by at least two people.

He thought it was okay at first; free reign of the house and no forced prison schedule for him, so he could adjust to having a body again, but he more and more realized he messed up when he agreed to go with them. He vaguely remembered you when he was fighting against you; how strong you were, and how willing you were to fight for your little brother, but the more time he spent with you, the less he wanted to be around you.

You made him feel weird when you were around; he couldn't speak properly, his emotions would go to the extremes, and his chest would flutter. The feeling was foreign to him, and since he wanted it to stop, he avoided you. However, that only made things worse whenever he did bump into you.

You'd acknowledge him with a shy, "hi Morro," or a "good morning, Morro," and he'd turn tail and run.

Jay confronted him about it one day, "why do you keep ignoring my brother and running away from him? Why do you hate him so much?"

He just scoffed, "stop assuming things, I don't hate him, it's just he makes me feel weird and it's annoying. He makes my heart beat faster, and-"

"Stop, stop, I'm going to be sick...maybe it's better you stay away from him then." And that was the last thing Jay said to him about you.

But the more time he spent away from you, the more he began to notice about you. You were well built, tall, and incredibly strong so you could haul large and heavy objects around, and you were also kind and optimistic, but you were also very shy and didn't like talking to strangers. You didn't look like your brother, sure, but you definitely grew up together. The two of you could talk about machinery and inventions for hours, and sometimes Nya or Zane would join the conversation for a bit. You talked to your little brother more than anyone else, and he was surprised to know you weren't even blood related.

"But Morro, you said you looked up to Wu as your own father, wouldn't you be the one to understand most that blood doesn't make family?" Zane had asked.

He responded in anger, "don't call that old man my father. One day (Y/N) will betray his brother, or the other way around." But it never happened. No, the two of you were inseparable.

Eventually, just last month, you warmed up to him. You would talk to him more, and he found out even more. You were afraid of being alone, which is why you shared a room with your brother; and you used to have to patch him up when he fell off of junk piles, and that's how you became a great medic. You were definitely more of a 'behind the scenes' guy, which surprised him since you were so active in the fight against him when he first met you.

"Why don't you fight more? Aren't you jealous of the others for having elemental powers? What about Nya, and how she used to fight in a mech suit?" Morro scoffed at you one day.

You grinned, and chuckled a little, "oh, no way." You put a hand on your flexed bicep, "these are for passive purposes only. I don't think I could ever hurt someone."

He spoke before he could think, "then why did you try to fight me when - when I was still a ghost?"

"Oh, uh, you were hurting my brother." You were lying.

"I thought Jay was your brother, not Lloyd. Uhm, I don't remember fighting Jay when you, uh, tried to punch me that...one time."

He saw how you tensed up nervously; how you glanced away from him, rubbed your darkening cheeks to make the blush go away, sniffed and stopped talking, then got up and left. From the kitchen, he heard glass breaking.

"What happened?" He asked Jay upon getting up to investigate.

"It's nothing, it's none of your concern, I'm fine, it's not like my brother likes anyone - I need to find Nya..." Then he left too, glass swept into a dust pan, but left behind as he dropped the broom and stomped away.

So now you and Jay were acting weird. Great.

He continued to try and ignore the feelings as he watched you from his spot on the couch; scurrying in and out of your room every day with armfuls of equipment and material, occasionally blasting your favorite music in your room to keep yourself focused. As time went on, the feelings stopped bothering him, and he actively sought them out instead. Now he felt warm and happy every time you passed by him in the hallway, or every time you decided to greet him and ask how his day was going.

Things were peaceful now. He was given more freedom, and could go outside without being watched, but he couldn't go off the property alone still. He could cook whatever he wanted in the kitchen, he could practice his wind power in the backyard, and the ninja were feeling more comfortable around him. Well, except for Lloyd and Jay, but he didn't care if anyone cared about him; he wasn't here to make friends, he just needed to pass the time until he died again.

There was one person he wanted to make friends with, though. "How come (Y/N) doesn't have a girlfriend like his brother?" He didn't want to ask Jay this.

"Oh, he's gay. As - as in he only likes men, if you didn't know." Cole answered. "Why are you interested all of a sudden? Do you want to get out there and meet someone?"

Morro scuffed his foot against the ground and looked away. "I dunno. Maybe, but I don't really like girls that much. Nya's tolerable, but only because her water element won't kill me."

"Well, maybe you're gay too." That one sentence opened his mind.

Over the past couple of days, he continued watching you. Aside from doing typical tech work, you also liked to bake pies and strangely enough, clean. He would catch you in the late hours of the night still awake using a broom so the others could sleep without the noisiness of a vacuum. "I, uh, could help you with that, if you want." You agreed to his proposal, and he used the wind to sweep dirt and dust out of the house, while you would wash things with a wet rag. He didn't really like cleaning; he really liked you though, if he was willing to do this for you.

Things were pretty okay, he thought. Ninjago was at peace, the ninja were all relaxing, save for Lloyd and Jay, and you were tinkering away at something like you always were. He still had yet to see any of the inventions you were supposedly making. What else could you possibly want?

"Hey, uh," you approached everyone in the living room, either watching a movie or trying to play cards behind the couch. Morro was very close to winning Crazy 8's, but only because he could see Kai's cards in the reflection of the window behind him, "something came up on the monitors, you'd all better come look."

In a single file line, the ninja calmly walked behind you towards what they called 'headquarters'. It was fairly large, and had many computer screens, presumably meant to track villainous activity. On the largest screen was a map of Ninjago, with several red dots in Ninjago City, and other red dots scattered around the map.

You spoke up to be heard over the worried clamoring of the ninja, "these red dots are all reported sightings in the past hour of strange people, all of which have been said to be made of sand, ash, dirt, and other earthly materials."

Everyone glanced over at Cole. "What? It's not me, I'm sitting right here!"

You chuckled, "well, it could be many things; considering what we've seen." He'd never seen you so confident like this. No wonder you were mostly left to do behind the scenes work. Everyone assumes Lloyd is the leader, even he did at one point, but seeing you like this, he realized you were the true leader. You told the ninja your plan; to gather intel first before attacking, and that if they were forced to attack to surround the enemy with their given element. "They haven't been doing anything super bad, but they're attacking people who get in their way. Wherever they're going, don't let them get to it."

Jay gave you a thumbs up, flipping his hood down to cover his face, "we got it!"

The others were all getting ready to leave, when Zane brought something up. "Who will stay and watch Morro if all of us are going?"

"Don't look at me!" You protested. "I forgot we had to watch him."

"Why? 'Cuz you're always hanging out with him?" Cole asked teasingly. You didn't respond, and Morro watched as all the confidence you held at the brief meeting vanished into thin air.

"Sorry dude," Kai put a hand on your shoulder, "guess you're stuck with babysitting duty."

Morro watched you cringe. "Don't call it that...he's an adult. You're making it weird."

"Me? You're the one who went 'ooooh, I don't want to watch him because I have a'-" You cut off the fire ninja by grabbing the back of his head and forcing it into your chest to muffle his voice.

"AHAHA! What a funny joke, Kai! Ha ha." You forcefully and nervously laughed as he began beating against your arms to get you to let him go. "I think you should all go. Like. Now. Bye!" You literally dragged Kai out the door and then closed it behind you after the others left; all laughing about it.

Morro had no time to ask you about it as you left to do something else. He figured he'd leave you alone for a bit, but then grew bored and went into the kitchen, where you were making some food. "What're you up to?" He asked, leaning over to see what you were making.

"Oh, uh," you looked over at the toast you burnt, previous events forgotten, "well it was supposed to be jammed toast. I mean, toast with jam. Not good with words all the time."

So that was probably why you didn't talk a lot. "That's okay, I don't mind it." He felt strangely soft right now. Not physically, but in a strangely emotional way. He'd never fallen in love before. "I can understand, and that's all that matters."

He can see you smile shyly. "Yeah. Want any?"

He lets out a short chuckle, "burnt? Here, I'll toast it, you jam it."

You laugh with him, and it feels natural to him. Just the two of you. "Okay! Let's do that." He sets the timer, and you watch him vigilantly. "Oh. That's a timer. I thought it was a heat setting."

He laughs aloud, "I thought you were a technician! You didn't know?"

"I dunno! I know my creations better than others'." You fidget with your fingers a little.

"Do you think...I can se-?" the timer goes off and Morro looks over, "oh, uh, the toast is ready." He pulls them out carefully before laying them on separate plates for the two of you. You spread jam over the slices, coating them evenly before wolfing down your slice.

You left the kitchen, and he followed behind with half of his meal in his mouth still. You didn't do much; mostly moping around the house going between projects. Play a couple minutes of video games, nibble at whatever was in the cupboards, dust off something in the hallways, go outside and toss some oat to the ducks...it went on like this for a solid hour.

He wondered if you were going to do anything, and you finally turned around to face him, "you, uh, don't have to stick by my side every second of the day. I thought that, I, uh, should tell you that." You brushed hair out of your eyes; something you and your brother did often as you had similar, fluffy hair cuts.

Morro's face went pink, "w-well I - I knew that!" He looked down at his shoes, "I don't know...you said you were afraid of being lonely so I didn't want to leave you alone..."

He couldn't see, but you were shyly grinning so hard you had to rub your cheeks so they wouldn't hurt, "oh! I wasn't sure you'd care that much. You kinda used to avoid me a lot. More than the others so I assumed you didn't like me too much."

"Of course I like you!" He blurted, whipping his head up to look into your eyes. He was quick to back out of this situation, "I mean, you're a really good friend and everything even if we don't get to talk a lot and we don't do stuff together."

"Oh..." now he wishes he didn't say anything at all. "Ye-yeah, you're a good friend too."

Things were quiet and awkward. He didn't want to feel this way around you, so working up courage, he changed the topic. "Can I...see your inventions?"

Your head whipped to face him with a surprised look. "You...you really want to look at them?" You became flustered as you continued speaking, "I mean, you just seem so lost and confused when you look at technology a lot of the time that I thought you'd hate what I like doing."

"Oh, not at all." He assures you with a shy grin. "I actually," he gets nervous to admit to you, and starts to flush pink, "wanted you to teach me more since you're really smart and uh, you know what you're doing...and stuff." He plays with his fingers, a habit he picked up from you, and glances away.

"We-well-well yeah!" He loves hearing the excitement in your voice, and peeks up at you to see your blushing cheeks, "we can...let's do that!" You can't stop smiling as you walk him to your room.

He's in awe at the sight. Your bed is on a loft with a desk below it so you could plan your projects, and hanging above your bed were little handmade trinkets and creatures made of scraps of metal and various material like copper wire, mirror shards, and even eating utensils. Your space was fairly neat, you had a large closet with all your items sorted by object, size, and color, and there were designated spots for different things you did; cutting, sanding, soldering, melding, melting - the list seemed endless. You even had a table to store projects you were currently working on.

"Woah, it's really big." He could smack himself for saying something this obvious.

"I kinda stole Jay's room for it - knocked out the wall separating our rooms since he usually sleeps with Nya anyway. More space for me!" You laugh. "Well, yeah, this is it."

"Oh." He didn't want this to be the end, you would just go back to moseying around doing random stuff until the ninja came back, and he would've wasted all his time with you doing- "Wait, what's that for?"

A strange-looking watch caught his eye. It was meant to look fancy, but the clock part seemed to look more like a screen than an actual clock. This makes you excited. "Oh, oh, oh! This?" You grin and hold it out to him delicately, "it's something new I was working on, since I like to plan ahead sometimes. It's just a prototype for now, since it doesn't actually tell the time yet, but it's for if the ninja need to dress up fancy for an occasion, and need to communicate to each other."

"You really do think ahead." He smiles with you. "Does it do anything else?"

You start to ramble to him about your watch, and how it can not only communicate but also record things, track people, and Cole's watch would tell him where the nearest bakery was. He laughed at that, and continued to ask you about each and every project you were working on. You went from communicating watches to compactable weapons to attachments that would automatically drive a car in case the ninjas had to fight without a driver. The longer you went, the more genuinely interested he became.

"To be honest, Morro," you turned to face him slowly, "I really didn't think you'd like any of my stuff." You're blushing again, but don't seem to mind showing him this time.

"Well, yeah, I didn't know what any of it meant or was so I wasn't interested, but now that I do, it all seems so..." He trails off, looking into your eyes.

"Exciting?"

"Yeah." He breathes. The two of you are close, he can smell you from here; a scent that makes him feel at ease. He doesn't know if he's ready for a kiss yet, and turns to look at something else. "You get to do all these cool things without even fighting."

You seem disappointed, as your blush fades, but you continue talking to him like nothing happened, "well, I don't like fighting, but I like helping. This is the best I can do, and I guess I'm pretty proud of it all. Like a dad with all his kids."

He rubs his cheeks to hopefully remove his blush. "You should be proud, you've worked hard to-"

"You're blushing a lot today, are you okay?" You sound concerned, but he recognizes that smile. It's the same one you give to him when you tell him you saw something cute.

"No - yes - you - you're" He rubs harder and even starts to try and cover his face as you make him more flustered. "You're really cool and I want to know you better!" The words tumble out of his mouth before he can stop them, and he slaps a hand over it to keep from talking any more.

"I...think you're cool too, Morro." You sound shy again.

Before he can respond, the front door opens with a loud thump and worn-out sounding 'we're home' from the ninja. "Uh, uh," he fidgets, panicking about what would happen if he was caught with you, but also not wanting to leave you so soon. Mind made up, he's not tall enough to do so normally, so he grabs your face by the cheeks and pulls you down to kiss your forehead, then skitters off anxiously towards the kitchen to act like nothing happened.

"Woah dude, no offense but you look like you've seen a ghost." Kai and Cole walk in for a couple drinks to relieve their dry throats, while the others decide to either get their wounds treated by you or take a quick shower.

"Uh, none taken."

"Yeah, what happened?" Now, Kai, he could absolutely not trust with the knowledge of kissing you. Even if it was just on the forehead. He had a big mouth and liked to use it.

He laughs it off, "chased by birds. I was trying to feed them but I guess they don't like me."

Kai seems to buy it. "Yeah, I get it. Seagulls hate me for no reason." He then sniffs himself, "I'm gonna shower real quick."

Once he's gone, Cole leans in, "that wasn't the real story, was it?" How did he know?

At least he was someone Morro could trust not to tell everyone about what happened. "Well...(Y/N) and I got to bond a lot." He smiles to himself as he recalls what happened in your room. "He really likes to talk about his inventions, and he really likes me too."

"What did you guys do?" Cole whispers to him.

"Well, I was kind of scared of kissing him at first; I've never kissed anyone before, but I got to kiss his forehead."

Cole shrugs. "It's a start, I guess. It's not like he's going anywhere though, so you've got all the time in the world to get where you want to go."

He could work through this. Love was new to him, and probably you too. "I think I'll tell him I like him a lot next time. Baby steps, right?"

"Right." He stretches and puts his glass in the sink. "You've got this." He's about to leave the kitchen, when he turns around, "and Morro? Don't let Jay hear about this. He doesn't like the sound of you being his brother in law. Yet."

Morro sighs happily. Life was more beautiful than he remembered it to be.

[inkstainedfanfics]

Speaking from Experience

Summary: Theseus realizes something is happening between his best friend and his brother, and he does his best to encourage it.

A/N: This is based on a request but it turned out more bittersweet than the request asked for so I will probably be writing something along the same lines in the future.

Word Count: 3,230

Pairing: Newt x Reader

Tag List: @caseoffics @red-roses-and-stories @dont-give-a-bother @myrtus-amongst-the-stars @ly--canthrope @benniesgalaxy

You stand in the train station, both hands clasped around the handle of your suitcase, heart thrumming in your chest as you crane your neck and search for a familiar face. Crowds buzz around you as everyone looks for their train, a map, or their friend, but you stay firmly planted in your spot against the wall. Theseus promised he’d find you here, right next to the third pillar.

You chew on the inside of your cheek, stomach fluttering.

The crowds are thinning when you hear your name. You spin toward the caller and there he is, cheeks flushed around a giant grin.

“Theseus!” You rush forward, swinging your suitcase around him as you hug him.

He chuckles and returns your hug. “How have you been?”

Ever the gentleman, but you don’t let him act like one today. “Me? How have you been?” You step back, running your hand over a new white scar carved across the corner of his jaw. “You’re the one that was in danger.”

He shrugs, eyes dimming but holding his easy smile. “I’m still here, ready to spend a week with you.”

“And this scar? Where’d it come from?”

He touches it absentmindedly. “Nothing more than an accident.”

“Oh, Theseus, you could never lie, not when I first met you and certainly not now.” You wring your hands around the case handle. He’s a sweet man, ambitious and tough, which, when combined with his pride, means he’ll never tell you if he is hurting.

“I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I swear it.”

You just raise an eyebrow in disbelief.

“Ah, the curse of being the good older brother.” He laughs at your eye roll before taking your suitcase from your hands. “Speaking of brothers, Newt joined me. Said the two of you have been talking some.”

Your heart stops as Theseus steps aside to reveal his younger brother.

Newt nods at you. “Nice to see you again.”

Your mouth is dry and you can feel the heat creeping into your cheeks at just the sight of Newt. You suddenly wish you had your suitcase back if only to keep the many letters next to you and not Theseus. He doesn’t know, nor will he ever. You can’t act on feelings for his little brother. Especially when that little brother may not feel the same. No, you decide, you’ll be pleasant but kind letters are what your interactions will remain at.

“Hello, Newt.” You groan internally. So stiff, so formal, surely Theseus will notice your awkward behavior.

He doesn’t, though, as he claps Newt on the back. “Please, you can’t not hug our family friend. Think of what mother would say.”

Newt looks like a deer caught in headlights, but he clears his throat and steps toward you, arms encircling you in a warm hug that smells pleasantly of vanilla and cinnamon. Oh Merlin, the train didn’t smell nearly so good. You worry as he holds you that you reek of the train and the garlic bread you had with lunch. Every muscle tenses as you force yourself to return his hug, cursing Theseus’s oblivious nature.

Finally, Newt steps away, freckles lost in a sea of red.

Theseus nods, satisfied. “Right, now that the greetings are out of the way, we can head home. I’ve something for the both of you.”

He leads the way out, chattering away about his travels back: the people he met, the places he saw, the dragons he trained. Oh, the adventures he had. You just wish you could find it in yourself to listen; your best friend deserves no less, but any time you try to listen, you find your mind wandering to Newt’s smile and the curious smile on his lips when he stepped away from the hug. Perhaps… well it could mean…

“Are you in wonderland?”

You snap your head up to meet Theseus’s glimmering eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m just a bit tired.”

He continues forward. “Just a little farther before we’re there. Though perhaps my little brother would carry you if you asked kindly.”

Both you and Newt fall over yourselves talking: no, that’s fine,

if you’d like,

don’t want to be a bother,

Impossible,

Please don’t worry.

Theseus laughs again as he turns onto another road that’s far more familiar. “The way you two talk, you’d think you were fifth years on your first date. Now come along, we’re here. Mum will be ecstatic that you’ve come. She misses having other women in the house. Newt and I’ve always been a bit on the tough side of parenting.”

Mrs. Scamander receives you with a rush of hugs and ‘welcomes’ and cookies. “Please, darling, I’ve baked too many to let them just go to waste! Have one.”

You accept three cookies before managing to kick Theseus’s ankle under the table enough to have him usher you from the room.

“You’ll be staying in the guest room as always.” He sets your suitcase gently on the ground then runs his hand through his dark hair. “Anything else I can get you?”

You glance around the tiny room. Everything’s in place: a glass of water, some medicines in case of late night headaches, bed made with the coziest of sheets, and a lamp set up on the desk for reading after hours. Theseus knows everything you could need and everything about you.

Except for one thing.

You swallow. “No, this is perfect, thank you.”

“You know you dodged my question earlier.” Theseus leans against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been missing you. Who else is going to valiantly save me from a lamppost?”

“I mistook that for a beast one time.”

“One time is more than enough to tease you for it.”

“Oh, I’ll keep that under advisement Ms. Let-me-break-your-nose.”

You scowl at his smirk. “I thought there was a mosquito.”

“At least we learned you’ve a bloody good punch.”

“Oh go away.”

He grins. “I should go see my mum. She’ll want to continue bragging about me to me. I’ll see you once she finishes if you’re still up.”

“Try not to get too big of an ego down there.”

“It’ll be a challenge.”

With the flash of another grin, he’s gone. You hum to yourself as you start unpacking your clothes into various drawers of the dresser, remembering the times you’ve spent here with Theseus. The time you “killed” him when he drank a potion you made (out of a sprinkle of dirt, some water, and a teaspoon of almond extract) and he turned into a troll. Then there was the time you thrashed him in chess, and he had to carry you around all day. Not to mention when, seventh year, you’d come here after graduation and spent your first night over in the guest room, waking up to find him prepped for a hike.

He’s been there for you at your lowest points, too. He’d brought you a mug of hot chocolate when he found you crying over a lost friendship with someone else, and when he’d learned you might fail a class, he spent hours of his time tutoring you. Theseus is the best friend anyone could ask for, and he’s yours and you’ll forever be grateful for that day on the Hogwarts Express when he’d asked to join him in a compartment after noticing your nervous smile.

His sweet nature is exactly why you’ll never date Newt, no matter how cute his smile may be or how articulate he is or how passionate and caring he is toward the creatures he helps his mother care for. No, Newt’s strictly off limits for you. You decide that even as you lift the stack of letters he has sent you over the past year and hide them under a sweater. Newt’s just a friend and that’s all he’ll ever be.

Theseus already has an inkling of what’s going on, has since he returned home to find Newt a nervous wreck. He’d assumed at first that Newt had simply been worrying over his safety like mother, but Newt still paced the kitchen tiles long after Theseus made himself at home and, when Theseus mentioned going to pick you up, Newt had stopped pacing, pressed two fingers to his lips for a moment before trying to casually ask to accompany him. Theseus barely managed to drag Newt from the house unwillingly, let alone convince his brother to agree to come, but he’d said yes. Then Newt hugged you at the station. That simple act nearly solidified it for Theseus, made him certain of what was happening. Newt’s penchant for hugging is far lesser than Theseus’s or his mother’s.

Theseus leans the chair at the kitchen table back, hand roaming across the scar on his jaw. You’d noticed it right away, useless worry evident in your eyes. He’d almost grinned at that alone, your silly worry over him, as though he would break his promise to return to finish your chess game.

It’s easier that way, easier to live with what he’s seen, easier to move on.

He shuts his eyes, taking in measured breaths to calm himself. There’s no getting worked up, not when you’re upstairs sleeping and mum’s in the room nearby, not when little Newt could walk in and be worried. Strong. Brave. Tough. Be an older brother, Scamander. Take care of them all.

He’s just letting out the last breath, mind focused on the patter of a light rain against the windows when Newt steps in and flicks on the lights.

“Oh, you’re here.”

He takes a final breath before painting on a grin and facing Newt. “I am. Aren’t you supposed to be asleep? Mum would have a fit if she knew you’re up.”

Newt waves a hand. “She can’t do anything.”

“That’s what you think now, but she’s quite persuasive, even old as she may be.”

“Yes, well, don’t let her hear you say that. Tea?”

“No, no, I’m all right, thank you.”

The kitchen falls silent save for the sounds of Newt working around the oven and the raindrops splattering open outside. It’s a comfortable silence, Theseus finds. One he can almost relax in, so different from the constant roars and snorts of dragons, the screams of men running from a hungry one, the sound of both curses and bullets breaking around him.

“Something wrong?”

Theseus looks up, slowly unclenching his hands from the edge of the table. “No, nothing.”

“You sure?”

Theseus slides the ring you’d bought him long ago—the one with a dragon curling around it—from his finger, twisting it in his finger, a nervous habit he can’t quite quit. “Of course. How about you, little brother? Something wrong with you?”

“Not a thing.”

“You sure? Not even a problem with someone in this house?”

Newt’s cheeks flame. “Course not.”

“Mmmhmmm. So you weren’t just upstairs in my friend’s room talking about Merlin knows what creature?”

Newt stares at his tea, knowing Theseus knows. “You did say she’s a family friend.”

He grins. “Seems I’ve missed a lot since I left.”

“Too many of mum’s bragging sessions.”

“And the blossoming friendship of my best friend and my little brother. I must say, I thought you’d be too busy to view anyone that way.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Newt mumbles, sipping his tea.

“Oh please, you can’t bullshit your brother.”

“I don’t see how this is any of your business.” Newt’s knuckles pale around the mug’s handle, but Theseus doesn’t stop pushing. Merlin knows if anyone deserves a happy ending, it’s his brother, and he won’t stop until he gives it to him.

“Your happiness isn’t my business?”

“No, not anymore.”

Theseus leans back in his chair, foot tapping a slow beat against the ground as he sizes up his brother. “You know she fancies you too.”

Newt’s eyes widen an inch at the confession, but he says nothing except, “you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“When will you finally learn to trust my judgement?”

“As soon as you earn some common sense,” Newt shoots back with a ghost of a smile.

“And here I thought one of us was making smart decisions all these years.”

The rain pounds against the window as Newt takes another sip of his tea. The two let the room rest in the silence. Theseus watches his brother, wondering if the kid will have the guts to do what he never could, to face something seemingly insurmountable. No, brave, strong, tough, older brother Theseus never set the proper example for his brother. He shuts his eyes, thinking back to the person he knew in war, the person no longer here, a memory he can’t hold onto anymore. She’d given him a chance, a way to stay his happy self as much as possible during the horrid early mornings, the late-night dragon flights, and the afternoon dragon feeding sessions that often left sweat drenching his clothes. They’d take early morning walks and talk with one another, admitting things the others around him couldn’t hear. She’d understood him in a way he knew only you did. She hadn’t judged him when he admitted his fear at leaving Newt behind, not teased him when he told her about the near paralysis that gripped him some early mornings when he woke up with the image of his little brother dying fresh in his mind from an unescapable nightmare.

She always had a joke ready on those walks, and a challenge ready hours later to distract him later when they around the rest of the troops. A wonder, she was, someone brilliant in a dark time. A person he took a scar for. A person he sorely misses and now always will knowing she never knew how he thought of her.

He clears his throat before the tears can come. “Don’t let yourself regret this, Newt. She’s a wonder, and you’d do well together.”

Newt says nothing, so Theseus pushes his chair back.

It screeches against the tiles, leaving a heavy silence Theseus only breaks for two sentences.

“You have my blessing, not that you need it. Make the right choice, Newt, make the one I didn’t.”

Theseus leaves Newt no time to ask what he means, no time to even open his mouth before he stalks out of the room and up to his bed, falling down and letting that wound open up.

You jolt up when the door creaks open, hand grappling for your wand under your pillow. “Who’s there?” You ask, voice slurred with sleep.

“Just me.” Newt replies, hands raised.

“Newt?” You rub your eyes, sitting up as much you can, too tired to be embarrassed by the ratty tee you’re wearing.

“Mind if I sit for a minute? I won’t keep you awake for long.”

“Sure, sure.” You say, blinking to wake yourself up.

He drags your chair in front of your bed, sitting in front of you and lighting three candles on the desk. He faces you in silence for a moment, taking in your blinking, bleary expression before he talks. “I’d like to take you out one day.”

“Mmm.” You say, still only half-conscience. “I think Theseus has supper planned tomorrow.” The clock on the wall says it’s midnight. Asleep for two hours, then. Lovely.

“No,” Newt says, expression intensely focused as he plays with the hem of your sheet. “I mean I want to take you out with just me.”

Your heavy eyelids threaten to close, but something in Newt’s face holds them open. “Just us?” Merlin, why couldn’t he have asked in the morning? Your head droops down, but a wave of terror sends it shooting up, and you realize Newt was saying something. “Hold on.”

You stand, padding across the room to get the water Theseus left you. Three large gulps help wake you up some, unfortunately also making you acutely aware of the time and the man in your room. You tug on the bottom of your shirt, covering the thin line of skin showing. You swallow another mouthful of water before setting it down a bit more forcefully than necessary, only a little sleep draining out with the motion. You’re still groggy, but you’re out of water.

“Okay, what were you saying?”

Newt grins up at you, wonder in his eyes, as you stumble back toward him and sit on the bed. “I want to take you out one day.”

“Like… on a date?”

He laughs softly, hand reaching for yours but dropping to his side before he takes yours. “Yes.”

“Oh.” It’s dumb, you know. You should be saying something more, but you have to cover a yawn, and you can’t think of anything to say. Isn’t this supposed to be romantic? Aren’t you supposed to say something intelligent and witty that he laughs at and kisses your nose for? Oh Merlin, aren’t you supposed to do something in this situation?

Newt starts for your hand again but stops, instead drumming a fast beat against his knee. “So?”

“So what?”

Despite the stress weighing him down, he smiles again. “Could I take you on a date tomorrow night?”

Your motions are heavy, clumsy actions that seem to be weighed down by lead. Still, you reach out and brush his cheek, making sure he’s real. He can’t be, can he? Newt can’t be asking you out.

“But Theseus.”

“You can thank him or punch him for this later. I’d prefer an answer before that.”

“This isn’t a dream?” The fog of sleep is rapidly lifting now as you force yourself to process his words, his meaning.

“This isn’t a dream, I promise.”

When you brush your hand across his cheek again, he catches it and holds it in his, unfolding it to trace a line in your palm before meeting your eyes, lip caught between his teeth. “So is this a yes or a no?”

The words unravel you, pick apart at that knot of worry and reserve. If Theseus thought of this, perhaps it isn’t forbidden. Maybe, just maybe, you can say yes. And maybe it’s this thought speaking or maybe it’s the sleep speaking, but you nod.

“Yes. Yes, a date would be great.”

Newt’s grin spreads slowly across his face, lit only by the warm candlelight. “Dinner tomorrow, then.”

“I can’t wait.” You say with as much enthusiasm as you can muster, the exhaustion quickly taking back over.

Newt runs a finger over the line in your palm one more time before lifting it to his lips briefly. When he sets your hand back in your lap, he stands.

“Sorry for waking you.”

“No, don’t apologize. Not for this. Not after so long.” The final words splinter apart, broken by a yawn.

Newt grins and returns your chair to where it belongs. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

You nod slowly, wondering if what just happened was a dream as your eyes threaten to remain closed when you next blink. “In the morning.” You slur.

Newt blows out the candles and leaves, and you try to make a mental note to hug Theseus again when you see him.

That meddlesome, silly, brave man you love with all your heart has earned himself much more than just a hug, but you’ll deal with that in the morning.