Sixteen
It was the best night of sleep that Tina'd had in a long time. Her dreams weren't visually vivid, but they were filled the smell of Newt and his gentle touches. She also could have sworn that she dreamt of him holding her throughout the night…perhaps he had…Smiling, Tina opened her eyes.
But his side of the bed was empty. Before she could feel disappointed, Tina noticed a piece of parchment on his pillow. She picked it up and read it by the light of the morning sun pouring in the window:
Tina,
I am in my case, feeding my creatures. Please come right down when you wish to.
Newt
P.S. I've shaved.
Blushing fit to burst, Tina giggled into her hands as she covered her face with them. She was embarrassed to remember her sleepy words of the previous night, but her happiness was far greater in that moment.
More than ready to go back into Newt's world again, Tina got up from the bed and picked up her wand from the bedside table. She transfigured her pajamas back into the blouse and trousers that she'd worn the previous day. She paused, thought for a moment, and then changed the color of her blouse from white to periwinkle blue (Queenie said it was a lovely color on her). She then pointed her wand inside her mouth, and silently did a special cleaning spell for the mouth (handy if you didn't have a toothbrush on hand).
She walked to the closed suitcase and carefully undid the locks. Opening the lid, she just as carefully started the steep descent down. Halfway down, she remembered to close the lid on the case behind her.
When she turned back around, she saw Newt hurrying into the shed. He wore what he'd been wearing the previous night when she'd come to his room, rolled-up sleeves and unbuttoned top-buttons and all. His face was cleanly shaven, though, and he looked ten times better when she'd seen him in the park yesterday. Plus, he was smiling that big, beautiful smile up at her as he reached up his hands to help her down.
Tina smiled and reached out her own hands. But instead of placing her hands in his, she put her hands on his shoulders. Thankfully, he fulfilled her wish: his hands settled on her waist and he lifted her down. They were kissing before her feet hit the ground, and their arms wrapped around each other like vines.
When their lips parted, Newt continued to kiss her face – cheeks, forehead, jawline – and Tina happily let him. He finally rested his face against the crook of her neck to catch his breath, and Tina ran her fingers through his hair as she caught her own breath.
"Good morning," she murmured, and then she smirked. "Thanks for shaving…it's a better look for you."
Newt chuckled against her neck before kissing her there several times. "I'm sure it feels nice, too," he muttered between kisses.
She shuddered in the best way and moaned. But her body unconsciously stiffened, too. So Newt, after a last gentle kiss, lifted his head and looked at her. "I'm sorry if I –"
"No, don't be, please!" said Tina immediately, keeping her arms around him. "I wanted you to." She hung her head. "This is all just…very new to me…you know I barely have any…experience with…this…"
But before embarrassed shame could begin to take a hold, Newt pulled her closer to him and rested his forehead against hers. "Tina, look at me."
She did.
"You have no reason to be ashamed. And I would never do anything that you are not completely comfortable with."
"I know," she said. "I trust you, Newt."
His look was as tender as the kiss that followed.
They were interrupted by the sound of soft pawprints and excited squeaks entering the shed. Both turned to the entrance and smiled at what they saw. Dougal had come in with Pickett riding on his shoulder. Beaming, Tina crouched down and embraced the demiguise as the bowtruckle walked up her arm to her shoulder.
"Oh, I've missed you two!"
When the embrace ended, Dougal squeezed her hands with his paws and Pickett kissed her cheek a few times.
Tina turned her head to look up at Newt, who couldn't have looked more content or happy. He then crouched down and made eye contact with the bowtruckle. In a serious tone, he said, "She forgives me, Pickett. Can you?"
Pickett seemed to give him a long, hard look at Newt held out his hands. Finally, the bowtruckle nodded and gave a consenting squeak as he walked from Tina's shoulder onto Newt's hands.
"Thank you, my old friend," Newt murmured as he settled Pickett into his front waistcoat pocket. Pickett just nodded and settled in contentedly.
Tina watched this exchange in silence and then raised an eyebrow at Newt.
"Pickett has refused to leave his tree ever since you left," Newt explained. "He was justifiably angry at me and my behavior. The both of you got the worst of my alcohol-fueled self-destruction, after all…"
Tina nodded, and turned her gaze to the bowtruckle. "He's learned his lesson, Pickett. But believe me: he ever pulls a stunt like that again, we'll both have to take drastic measures of revenge."
Pickett chirruped affirmatively, and Newt just nodded with a rueful smile. Then he looked at the demiguise fondly. "Dougal was a good listener this past month. Both he and Theseus made sure that I was taking care of myself."
Tina smiled and kissed the demiguise on the head before standing up. Newt did the same, taking her hand in his. "I've just finished my morning routines and feedings with the creatures. Perhaps the two of us could have some breakfast now?"
Tina nodded and squeezed his hand. "Why don't we go back to my place? Queenie might already be home, and I'm sure she'd be glad to see you again."
"Ah," said Newt, something akin to fear entering his expression. "Yes, of course, wouldn't want to worry her at all."
Tina raised an eyebrow. "Is there something you haven't told me, Newt?"
Newt looked down and rubbed the back of his neck – a gesture that meant he was embarrassed, Tina knew. "I suppose Queenie didn't tell you, then…two days after you left, I received a letter from her." He paused, wincing a bit at the memory. "It was a Howler."
Tina's jaw dropped. "What?!"
Newt nodded, looking at his feet. "She must have written it right after you'd returned, at the rate it came by owl. Theseus was with me in my flat when it arrived by the evening post. He assumed it would be from you, but I could see before it…imploded…that it wasn't your handwriting…" He winced again. "I don't suppose I need to tell you what the context of that letter was…"
Tina shook her head, her shock slowly wearing off as she thought about it. Queenie must have written it while she'd still been asleep. "I had no idea…I'm so sorry –"
"No," Newt interrupted firmly, making eye contact with her again. "I deserved it. You have a wonderful sister who was just doing her job." He smiled a little smile. "Incidently, I think Theseus is more than a little bit scared of meeting her, especially after I told him that Queenie was a natural Legilimens."
Tina returned his smile and took his hand. "Well, let's go, then. After what's happened, she had no reason to be angry anymore." She stepped closer and kissed the corner of his mouth. "Neither do I."
Newt only responded by kissing her hand before leading her up and out of the case.
Queenie opened the door to the apartment before the two of them had made it all the way to it. After she hurried them inside (no need to get Mrs. Esposito angry), Queenie turned her complete focus to Newt, a stern expression on her face. Newt bravely looked her in the eyes, humbly opening his mind for her to see as far as she wished. Tina stood beside him, her hand in his, squeezing it reassuringly.
Thankfully, it took Queenie less than a minute to learn what she needed to learn. Instantly, her stern look melted into a radiant smile, and she swept Newt up in a bear hug so tight that Newt reflexively dropped his case. "It's so good to see you again, honey!"
"Um, you too, Queenie," said Newt, awkwardly returning her hug and looking quite relieved when she let him go. Tina merely laughed silently during this.
"Jacob's bakery is only open until noon on Saturdays, so I'll bring him over here after he's closed up. And I'll make sure that he brings over the best of his creations inspired by your creatures. They're a big hit in the bakery, Newt."
Newt beamed with pleasure. "I'm very happy to hear that, Queenie. That his bakery his doing so well, and that you two found each other again."
Queenie smiled as she waved her wand around the kitchen, making ingredients and cookery begin to make breakfast. "Thanks, honey. And I'm glad that you're becoming the man that Teenie deserves."
Newt made no verbal reply, choosing instead to unconsciously lean towards Tina, as if for reassurance from her that Queenie's statement was true. Tina gladly leaned against him in response, kissing his cheek gently.
Then she remembered something, and Queenie caught the tail-end of that thought. Smiling, she said to her sister, "Go on, Teenie! Breakfast won't be ready for a few minutes."
Rolling her eyes a bit, Tina said to Newt, "Follow me," and led him by the hand to her bedroom.
Once inside, Tina walked to her bedside table, where she had placed the book he had given her yesterday. Picking it up, she walked back to Newt with a smile. "Would the author sign this for me?" she asked sweetly. "I read it yesterday, before I read the letter. It's the most wonderful book that I've read in a long time."
Newt let out a breath as he looked at the book. "Oh…I'd nearly forgotten all about that…"
Tina raised her eyebrows. "It's a culmination of your life's work so far, how could you forget about it?"
Newt looked down for a moment, and then looked at her seriously. "Well…that's all very well and good…but my focus has been on what could be the most important person in my life…and how I came so close to losing her because of my stupidity…"
Tina put the book back down and embraced Newt, who held her tightly to him. "I've been so worried…" he murmured into her hair. "I knew you had Queenie, and that would help, but…still…"
Tina nodded, rubbing his back. "I know. I've worried, too. The state you were in when I left, and after everything you'd told me…I just wanted you to be happy…maybe I should have sobered you up sooner, but I thought that I would only make it worse –"
"Oh, no, never, Tina," said Newt, kissing her jaw before pulling back to look at her. "I'm so sorry that you were made to feel that way."
"I know," she said, wiping away a tear that had fallen from his eye. Then, Tina stepped back and picked up the book again. She held it out again and said, "Truly, Newt. This book is wonderful. You accomplished everything that you wanted to accomplish with it."
Newt looked at her with a light in his eyes and a smile on his lips. "Truly?"
Tina beamed back and nodded. "Yes. Now, could I please have an autograph? There's quill and ink on my desk."
Obediently, Newt took the book and walked to the desk. He scribbled something with the quill onto the front cover page, and handed the book back to Tina almost shyly.
Looking at the cover page, Tina read this below the title:
For my love, Porpentina, from your Newton, with love.
Her heart full, Tina blinked back her tears and put the book down on the desk. Then, she cupped Newt's face in her hands while his own arms wrapped around her waist.
"I love you," she said softly, looking into his eyes.
"And I love you," he responded, nuzzling his nose against hers.
Then, Queenie's voice called out from the kitchen: "Aww, you two are so cute! Come on, breakfast is ready!"
And how could Newt and Tina help but laugh as they obeyed Queenie's command?
When she looked back on her life, Porpentina Goldstein would look on that day as not only a wonderful day, but as the best beginning of the best part of her life.
After Queenie's hearty breakfast, Tina took Newt to some of her favorite places in New York City. One of them was The Strand in downtown Manhattan, which had just opened that year and was already getting a wonderful reputation from both No-Maj's and magical people alike, including Tina. In the secret section that only magical people could access, Tina bought each of them something that would make their upcoming separation easier. Each walked away with an identical journal that looked completely commonplace on the outside. However, when one of them would write in one, that writing would also appear in its counterpart instantaneously.
At lunchtime, they returned to Tina's apartment, where Jacob had just arrived. His reunion with Newt was very heartwarming to see. After a quick lunch, the reunited quartet spent the rest of the afternoon happily in Newt's case. Tina carried her book with her, reading sections aloud as they came to each of his creatures with so much pride that Newt would sometimes pull her into the shed to 'thank' her (though never for more than a few minutes, knowing that the other couple would tease them regardless). Then, Queenie and Jacob worked together to make a truly spectacular dinner, followed by the best creature-inspired deserts of Jacob's bakery.
Looking at them all sitting around the table, Tina was reminded of the first time they'd all eaten together seven months ago – which now felt like a lifetime ago, in some ways. In other ways, though, the similarities were striking. Queenie and Jacob sat across from each other, and it was the two of them who did most of the talking. Newt and Tina, sitting opposite each other, were content to exchange fewer words but many looks.
Once, those looks had been curious, hesitant, and shy. Now, those looks were happy, content, and full of love.
Those looks would remain like that between them for the rest of their lives.
The End
A/N: Here is the end of my little story. I may someday write a small companion piece from Newt's POV, or a possible sequel. Anything is possible. For now, I hope that you enjoyed this, and please leave a review if you wish.