Newt

A warm evening slowly descended on the camp. Dust from the day's work still hung in the air, mingling with the smell of gasoline and hot metal from the machines. You and Newt stood slightly apart from the others—too familiarly close for anyone to notice, and too cautious to call it anything more. He spoke quietly, as always, his head bowed slightly, as if sharing a secret. You laughed—quietly, sincerely, hiding your smile in the collar of your jacket. With Newt, it came naturally: the world became quieter around him.

“I have to go ,” you said finally, taking a step back. He nodded, holding your gaze longer than he should have.

"See you later ," he simply replied. You turned and headed toward the cars. Brenda was sitting on the hood, her legs crossed, a book in her hands. She didn't even look up right away—she flipped the page, as if she was about to say something casual.

"You two make a wonderful couple, " she said unexpectedly. You stopped, chuckling, and shrugged slightly.

"Oh, we're not a couple, " you answered easily, almost automatically. You immediately understood who they were talking about. About Newt.

“I think he wished it were different ,” Brenda said, finally looking up. You had your back to him and didn’t see Newt freeze a few steps away. How his fingers tightened, how his gaze became sharp—warning. He didn’t like it at all that someone was intruding on his usual place of silence.

“Well… maybe I did too ,” you said quietly, with a barely perceptible smile. Newt froze. The words didn’t reach him right away, and then they hit him sharply, without warning. His heart seemed to skip a beat for a moment, and then began beating too fast, unevenly, like after a run. He looked at your back, not believing he’d heard that and not made it up himself. You continued walking without turning around, leaving behind the sound of footsteps and an unspoken feeling. Brenda looked at Newt over her book.

"Take your chance ," she said. Newt exhaled, watching you go. The world was still crumbling. But sometimes one step forward was more important than all the battles.

Quiet and attentive, with a kindness hidden behind a tired smile. He rarely speaks of his feelings, but he feels them deeper than most, clinging to rare words and glances as if they might offer salvation.