Jealous - Newt (request)

Newt watched the open gate with growing impatience. The sun was sinking lower in the sky and the time for the gates to close was fast approaching. 

Why weren’t they back yet? 

“Newt?” Thomas’s voice dragged his attention away from the gaping hole in the wall. “Everything ok?”

“Perfectly fine.” 

Thomas didn’t look convinced. “She’ll be back soon, don’t worry. She always makes it back.” 

Newt refused to acknowledge the blush trying to spread across his face. 

"Of course she- I mean they will be back in time. I’m not worried." 

Despite his protestations when the runners emerged from within the maze and he saw a familiar brunette jogging along beside them he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Not worried,huh?" Thomas snorted under his breath. "Could’ve fooled me."
 
Newt simply rolled his eyes and pretended he couldn't hear Thomas and turned to walk over towards the runners. They had settled in a group to stretch out. As Newt watched he could see them talking, but his eyes focused on Alexa. She was the only female runner, the only female in the whole Glade, and one of his closest friends. As he watched Minho said something to her that made her laugh, tossing her head back as she stretched and landing a playful punch on Minho's arm. 

Newt's gut twisted for a moment at the contact, a strange sourness seemed to fill his mouth and suddenly he didn't want to be near them so he quickly diverted his path towards the tool shed, making as if to grab a better shovel. As he walked he tried to figure out why his gut seemed to clench, his shoulders hunched as he reflected on his own feelings. 

Alexa watched Newt stalk away towards the tool shed and frowned, wondering why he didn't come over like he always would when they got back from a run. 

"What's wrong?" Minho asked, noticing the look on her face. 

"Hmm? Oh, nothing." She waved away his concern and turned back to stretching, wondering to herself what had happened. He must be busy, she thought to herself. It's nothing to worry about. 
 
This pattern continued day after day, with Newt avoiding Alexa more and more. Alexa couldn't figure out what had changed; she wasn't sure if she had done something wrong to make Newt pull away and she didn't know how to ask him. So instead she watched as he drifted further from her, and Newt watched as she spent more time with Minho or Thomas and felt the twisting in his gut grow stronger. 


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"I think it’s time to stop acting like a shank." Thomas crossed his arms as he watched Newt brooding. 

"What are you talking about Thomas?" Newt sighed, too tired to deal with him. He had been sleeping poorly, plagued by thoughts of Alexa. 

"You’ve been pouting for days on end, you haven’t had a real conversation with Alexa in almost two weeks, and you’ve been a pain in the ass to be around as a result."

Newt scowled, knowing every word of that statement was true. "Shut up Thomas." 

"No Newt, I think you need to hear this. I don’t know what is going on in your head that you think she deserves this treatment but I guarantee she does not."
 
"I’m not treating her like anything." 

"Exactly! You’re treating her like nothing! You ignore her, can’t you see how upset you’ve made her? Minho said she’s been unusually quiet during runs."

Newt scoffed at the mention of Minho, and Thomas studied him for a moment.

"You’re jealous? Are you kidding me?" 

"What? No!" Newt scoffed at Thomas's assessment of his behavior but a voice in the back of his mind told him it was true. 

"Yes you are, you shank! You’re jealous of her friendship with Minho. Or the time they spend together. Or something. But that’s stupid Newt!" Thomas's voice was exasperated. 
 
Newt scowled again. "You should see how she looks at him." 

"You should see how she looks at you. Or used to! Now she just looks sad when she sees you. Of all the stupid reasons I can’t believe you chose that one." 
 
Newt crossed his arms angrily. "You know Thomas you’re smart but sometimes you’re a real asshole when you think you know better than everyone else." 

"Yeah well you’re an idiot." His voice gentled ever so slightly. "Newt, you’re really hurting her acting like this. If you don’t fix it you won’t ever have a chance. So go suck it up and talk to her."

After a moment's pause Newt sighed. "Fine." 

"Go now." Thomas commanded, earning a rude hand gesture from Newt as he walked away towards the runners. 

Alexa and Minho sat next to each other as they stretched from the day's run. Alexa had changed her habit to sit with her back facing the rest of the Glade, not wanting to see Newt ignore her attempts to catch his gaze anymore. As she let out another sigh Minho spoke up from his place next to her.
 
"Newt still ignoring you?" 

"Humph yes." She pouted as she reached for her toes. 

"You know why?" 

"Other than he's a shank? No." Alexa shook her head and rubbed her eyes as she sighed in frustration, not hearing the footsteps behind her. "I don't understand why Newt's being so annoying."

"Uh Alexa..." 

"No, I'm serious! If he doesn't want to be friends with me he should just say that. I must have been bothering him." She let her voice trail off as her insecurities began to rise. 

"I doubt that. But you should probably go explain you don't actually find him annoying." Minho said calmly, pointing to Newt's retreating back. "I think he heard the wrong part of that conversation."

"Oh hell." Alexa stood and dusted herself off before racing off after Newt. 



"Newt!" 

He whipped around at the sound of his name to see Alexa running towards him. 

"Newt wait!" He wavered for a moment between waiting and trying to run from her but in the Glade you could only escape for so long so he stood and waited. 

"Newt I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it that way. You overheard the wrong part of our conversation." Alexa huffed as she tried to speak. 

"No Alexa, it's alri-"

"No Newt, let me finish." Newt nodded as she held up a hand to silence him. "What's annoying is you ignoring me. I don't know what I did but I'm sorry, and I would appreciate it if you would tell me because I want to be your friend and I hate that you're ignoring me and I want it to end."

Her voice was pleading, bordering on desperate, and it made Newt's heart clench to hear how much he had hurt her. 

"No, Alexa, you have nothing to apologize for. I was being a stupid shank." Newt placed a hand on her shoulder. 

"Then why were you ignoring me?" 

Newt cleared his throat and looked away embarrassed. "I, well, I was jealous."

Alexa blinked in surprise. "Jealous? Of what?"

"Of how close you were with Minho, and how much time you spend with him." Newt glanced at her from the corner of his eye to gauge her reaction but couldn't read her face so he forged on. "I didn't really realize I was jealous at first, I don't think I really understood my feelings, but I realize now that what it was. And I acted like an idiot and treated you horribly, and I'm sorry." Newt cleared his throat again, turning to stare into Alexa's golden-brown eyes. "I should be asking your forgiveness instead. I am so very sorry, Alexa."

Alexa studied him for a moment in silence, making Newt fidget uncomfortably under her stare before she took a step closer to him.

"You were jealous?" Newt nodded slowly, watching her as she moved closer. "Because you like me?" Her voice was quiet.

"Yes, I like you very much Alexa." A smile flickered across her face as her eyes dropped to his lips then back to his eyes. 

For a moment neither moved, both hardly daring to breath. And then she leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips and suddenly Newt's gut was twisting again but this time in a very pleasant way. 

As she pulled away both smiled. 

"I like you too, 'greenie'." She teased, and Newt leaned in again to capture her lips one more time.