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‘You have a tree house?’
Newt smiled at you from where he stood at the base of a tree by the ladder.
'Why wouldn’t I?’ Then he winked and climbed quickly upwards, disappearing, with a flask of hot chocolate, into the tree house. You tucked the bundle of blankets that you were carrying under one arm, and proceeded to follow after Newt up the ladder.
The tree house was quite small, but still roomy enough for you to stand, with plenty of head space. One side was open, looking down upon the forest that spread out beneath you. The sun was just setting over the trees, slowly approaching twilight. Newt was already sat looking out, legs dangling over the edge, with two mugs of hot chocolate poured out next to him. He didn’t hear you enter the tree house, so quietly you unfolded a blanket. You snuck up behind him and threw it playfully over his head, being careful of his hot chocolate. He jumped slightly, and then chuckled to himself.
'Look what you did to my hair!’ Newt jokingly whined, dragging the blanket off his head, messing up his hair in the process. You laughed and sat cross-legged beside him, wearing another blanket like a cape.
'What? This old bird’s nest?’ You grinned as you ruffled his hair with your hand, but Newt quickly grabbed it and stopped your attack with a gentle kiss on your knuckles.
He always managed to melt your heart with his soft affection. Be it a vine-like hug from behind while you were working at your bench, his arms wrapping around your waist with his head resting on your shoulder. Or the way he cupped your face with his hand, after delivering you soup when you were sick, and the genuine look of care in his eyes. Those beautiful green eyes. You were getting lost in them now as he kissed your hand.
You tried to take the blanket from his lap to wrap it around his shoulders, but your arms were trapped by your own blanket. Instead, you let Newt do it himself, as you picked up your hot chocolate and took a sip. It was still quite hot. So much so that you nearly burned your mouth.
You heard Newt do the same, and breathe in sharply when he too realised how hot it was.
'Think I’ll let that cool down first.’ Newt said with a quick smile to you. You held your mug in your hands, the heat warming your stomach. Both of you sat there for a while, just gazing at the rapidly receding sun, the sky turning multiple shades of pink, orange and red. Twilight came quickly, the light through the forest fading, turning nearly everything below to the same shade of grey. A lamp behind you gave off just enough glow to light the tree house, and give Newt’s amber hair soft highlights.
You turned to Newt and said, 'Do any of your creatures ever hurt you? I mean, because they see you most,’
'Never on purpose, no.’ Newt hesitated for a moment, then he chuckled and said, 'Well, obviously getting some of them into the case in the first place was a challenge.’
You laughed too as your mind turned to the larger creatures like the Nundu and the Erumpent.
'The Bowtruckles threw stones at me the first time I went near them. Goodness, that hurt. You know for a creature so small, they can hurl a pebble extremely hard.’ Newt touched his face, as if remembering the encounter.
'Has the Niffler ever.. y'know…’ You trailed off.
'Oh, plenty of times! Here, look,’ Newt rolled up his sleeve to reveal a row of pretty nasty teeth marks on his arm, 'The first time I had to forcibly remove things from the Niffler’s pouch, I mistakenly went to stick my hand straight in it… I think it’s clear that he definitely didn’t like it.’
'Ouch.’ You put down your hot chocolate, and took his arm in your hands, examining the marks on his skin. 'I didn’t even think that Nifflers had teeth!’ Newt laughed at your remark. He moved his arm to pull you down and lay your head in his lap. You pulled your blanket up around your neck as he gently stroked your face. His hand were rough; it was to be expected of a man working in a field such as Newt’s. But still, he touched your face tenderly, the way he always did. He looked down at you, and smiled fondly, and you could feel yourself smile because of it.
Newt started humming as the twilight grew darker, and you felt yourself forget all about your hot chocolate. The sound of Newt’s voice, his hypnotic stroking of your face, and the distant noises of the forest, caused your heart to melt, your eyelids to drop, and sent you into a very deep, blissful sleep.