Archive of Our Own ^beta

 Some people long for a life that is simple and planned
Tied with a ribbon

newt never asked to be in the maze. but he was, and he had no choice, did he? every day he had to run the maze, chart the walls, survive. until he thought he couldn’t. 

Some people won’t sail the sea ‘cause they’re safer on land
To follow what’s written

he remembers water. he remembers loving the sound of waves hitting stone. but he can’t remember who he loved it with, who he enjoyed it with. he certainly remembers land. he remembers how hard it feels, especially when you fall on it. it had brought him so much pain. and somehow, after the day he embraced it, he never let it go. 

But I’d follow you to the great unknown
Off to a world we call our own

then tommy came. tommy, with his sweat-stiff hair and pale face and wide mocha eyes that stared into his for just the quickest of split seconds. and in that single moment, that moment when newt watched him emerge from the darkness of the box, he just knew. he knew that this would be the one he would follow anywhere. and he always did.

Hand in my hand and we promised to never let go
We’re walking the tightrope
High in the sky
We can see the whole world down below
We’re walking the tightrope

he recalls the first time they held hands. it was quite by accident, but it was real. they were running through the maze, running for their lives, running to escape. newt was terrified, but he refused to show it. he was leaving the life he remembered behind; he was abandoning the home the glade had given him. but when tommy paused by him, trying to push him forward and gripping his hand tightly in the process, newt realized his whole world was already there.

Never sure, never know how far we could fall
But it’s all an adventure
That comes with a breathtaking view
Walking the tightrope

oh, if there is anything he knew about tommy, it’s that he is the most unpredictable bloody shank he had ever met. but there was a wild thrill in that surprise, and newt found himself always wanting more and more and more. tommy gave him something he had lost a long time ago: the eagerness to live. newt has never felt so alive.

With you, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
With you, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
With you

he only left tommy’s side when he had to. maybe it was because he never trusted teresa, or because that brenda girl rubbed him the wrong way at first, but. tommy was his, and he intended to make sure the others knew. 

Mountains and valleys, and all that will come in between
Desert and ocean

he was in awe when he peered out of the helicopter taking them away from the maze. he had never seen such a pallet of golden, bronze and cinnamon look so beautiful and so natural in its appearance before. and each new land they found themselves standing in was even more breathtaking than the one before–for all the complaints they burdened him with, tommy was the one to thank. when he wasn’t looking, newt would smile at him for it.

You pulled me in and together we’re lost in a dream
Always in motion

one of his favorite memories is the night he spent awake with tommy in the scorch. it was somber, because minho had been kidnapped by wckd just a couple weeks before. tommy hadn’t answered at first, when newt called his name, but the way he looked at newt said everything. that was the second time they held hands and the first time they meant to. they sat there, at peace underneath the shining midnight sky, until they fell asleep on each other’s shoulders.

So I risk it all just to be with you
And I risk it all for this life we choose

somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was risking everything he had left. he had known since the moment he made the commitment to stick with tommy from the beginning and reinforced it when he left the glade. but if it meant newt could keep tommy safe, could be there with him, he would gladly give up the very life he breathed.

Hand in my hand and you promised to never let go
We’re walking the tightrope
High in the sky
We can see the whole world down below
We’re walking the tightrope

things still get bad. in fact, newt’s been living these last few days terrified out of his mind. he’s sick and he’s tired and he knows he is going to die sooner than anyone would like to admit. the only thing that keeps him balanced on this wire is tommy, who just can’t seem to understand how badly newt needs him. and yet he took newt’s hand in the tunnels beneath the city, squeezed it tightly. so maybe he needed newt, too.

Never sure, will you catch me if I should fall?
Well, it’s all an adventure
That comes with a breathtaking view
Walking the tightrope

when he jumps from the shattered window, his knees shake so hard and his heart pounds so fast he thinks he will black out. he is terrified out of his mind but he still does it because he trusts tommy. the water envelops him and newt emerges, gasping but alive. and tommy and minho are right there, comforting him with deep gazes and tender touches. newt just wants to fall asleep in tommy’s arms.

With you, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
With you, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh

his vision gets more distorted with each passing moment. to be more than five feet away from tommy is horrifying and he always comes limping back. he begins to feel oil burn through in his veins.

With you
With you, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh

the note in the necklace is a love letter. maybe it would be better if he said it in person–but it isn’t like he has much choice. it is agony to breathe, let alone speak. tommy is the only one left with him.

With you, ooh-ooh-ooh

he’s there in the very end. as it should be. he is the last word newt speaks.

With you

he is the last one newt sees.