Work Text:
After Newt hurt his leg, Minho was there more often than anyone. He slept on the other boy’s floor, spending all of his free time talking with Newt.
“Minho?”
“Hmm?” Minho looked up from scribbling on a tablet.
“Who are you training to take my place?” Newt was fiddling with a piece of wood, twisting little pits into it with the tip of his knife.
“He’s not replacing you, Newt. No one could ever replace you.”
Newt raised a brow. “So you are training someone new.”
“Yes. Ben is becoming a Runner.”
“Is he good?”
Minho shrugged. “No better than any of the other when they started. He’s learning though.”
“Are you being nice to him?”
Minho sighed. “Newt, I can’t always be nice to everyone when we’re out in the Maze.”
“But you can try, can’t you?”
“Yeah, I’ll try.”
While Minho was out in the Maze and Newt was left alone most of the day, he whittled. He had learned from Chuck who had learned from Dalton, the Keeper of the Sloppers. There were little wooden animals lined up on the crude table next to his bed, some better than others, and he added more and more each day. Minho always commented on how small they were, and sometimes he would ask to take some to leave in the Map Room. Newt always smiled and nodded and let him pick which ever ones he wanted.
“Hey, you make any new ones?” Minho stooped down to peer at the little wooden animals.
Newt shook his head. “I’m working on it.”
Minho nodded and sat down in the chair by the bed. “Gally’s building weird stuff.”
Newt frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I dunno, he built a birdhouse yesterday, Ben said he’s being weird and secretive.”
“What’s he doing now?”
“Building a table or something, I don’t know.”
Newt’s brow furrowed. “I wonder why…”
Minho shrugged. “Shuck if I know.”
Newt hummed, looking back down at the hunk of wood in his hands.
“You should try an elephant.” Minho ruffled his hair as he stood up. “I’m going to the kitchens, I’ll be right back.”
Newt slept in most days, Ben had mentioned it in passing, that he had heard it from Minho. Gally knew he would have a few hours to hang his newly constructed birdhouse outside Newt’s window before the blond woke up. At least he thought he would, because just as he was about to hang it, Newt started to shift in a way that meant most people were about to wake up. Gally hissed, trying to get the birdhouse onto the hanging hook and slide down the ladder before Newt saw him.
“Gally?”
He looked up to find Newt looking at him, clearly very, very confused. Gally quickly hung the birdhouse, giving a quick little wave before he slid down the ladder. Newt blinked at the window, rubbing his eyes before he looked up again. The birdhouse was still there, so Gally must have really been there hanging it. He frowned, looking over at the door when it opened and Alby came in.
“I brought you breakfast.”
“Thanks, Alby.”
The dark skinned boy smiled before he left, not having noticed the birdhouse.
“What the shuck is that?” Minho hadn’t even gotten all the way into the room before he noticed the birdhouse.
“It’s a bloody birdhouse, shank, what’s it look like?”
Minho glared are him. “Who put it there, shuckface? I know you didn’t, you’re not allowed out of bed.”
Newt smiled. “Gally put it there this morning. I woke up and he was up on a ladder.”
Minho squinted at him. “Gally?”
“Yes. He froze when I saw him, hung the birdhouse, and waved before he disappeared.”
Minho threw his hands out in a helpless sort of gesture. “Alright.”
“How was Ben today?” Newt asked to change the subject.
“He was fine, better than yesterday.”
Newt nodded. “That’s good.”
While Newt was waiting for his leg to heal, he whittled and set the little animals on his bedside table. Minho gave him reports of the Maze daily, along with whatever Gally was building.
“There are like, five thousand birdhouses, Newt.”
“What?” Newt looked over at him, brows drawn together.
“All he’s building is birdhouses. They’re everywhere.”
Newt laughed. “Maybe someone should suggest some benches, for around the fire pit.”
Minho nodded. “I would suggest anything if it meant he’d stop building shucking birdhouses.”
Newt smiled. “Hey, Min?”
“Yeah?” He was scowling at the birds sitting on the windowsill, twittering at each other.
“Will you take these and put them on Gally’s birdhouses?” Newt held out the handful of little wooden animals.
“Yeah, sure. I’ll do it when I’m on my way out tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Min.”
“Do you want me to tell him you made them?”
Newt shook his head. “You don’t have to.”
A few days later, Minho happily reported that Gally was making benches, tables and chairs instead of birdhouses. Newt still sent Minho out with little wooden carvings every morning, and every evening he reported that they had disappeared.
“Are you due to start walking soon?”
Newt nodded. “Jeff said soon, but I’ll need crutches.”
Minho hummed. “Well… Maybe when I get back at night, we can go on walks.”
“I’d like that.”
Ben sat wherever Gally was after he got back from the Maze, watching the Keeper build.
“What are you building now?”
Gally didn’t answer him.
“Are you building another birdhouse?”
“… No…”
Ben groaned and buried his face in his hands. “Gally, man, you’re so weird.”
“Shut up, Ben.”
The newest Runner went quiet for a little while. “You’re building all this stuff to get his attention, aren’t you?” Ben scoffed when Gally didn’t respond. “Shuck, that’s a weird ass way to flirt.”
“Shut up.”
Ben huffed in amusement. “Y’know, Minho was tellin’ me that Newt’s gonna need crutches soon.”
“Really? Hmm.”
After talking with Clint and Jeff, Gally resolved to have a set of crutches done by the time Newt would be able to walk again. Gally checked his birdhouses every morning, gathering up all the little wooden figures that rested there. He wanted to do something with them, not just hide them away to look at. There were some that were a little bigger than others, with bases that were a little flatter, that he thought would be perfect for mounting on top of the birdhouses. He couldn’t wait for Newt to be able to see all his handiwork. He hoped the blonde would be impressed. He paused as he exited the Homestead, watching someone in front of one of the birdhouses. Their arm was moving back and forth, placing something along the top. He cocked his head to the side and took a step closer, realizing that it was Minho. He was horrified for a second. All this time he had thought the carvings were Newt’s. He dropped the carvings he was carrying into his pocket and quietly went in search of Ben.
“Ben.” He hissed, catching the Runner on his way out of the kitchens.
“Gally? What are you doing up so early?”
“We need to talk.”
“Hey, Ben!”
Gally hunched his shoulders when Minho jogged over to them.
“You ready to head out, newbie?”
Ben nodded slowly, looking at Gally.
“Go ahead, see ya later.”
Gally went into the kitchens to talk to Frypan about his dilemma.
“I’m so stupid, Fry, I thought Newt had been making these carvings.” He let the little wooden animals spill from his hands onto the table. Frypan leaned over to pick one up, holding it close to his face to admire it.
“These are really neat.” He set it back down and looked at Gally. “You really think Minho would have the patience for these?”
“I guess not…”
“He definitely doesn’t have the time for it, spends all that in the Map Room or with Newt.”
Gally looked up at him.
“Hey, Chuck.” Frypan smiled at the kid.
“Hey! What are these? Did Newt make them?”
Gally sat up straight and looked down at the kid.
“What?”
“I showed Newt how to whittle after he got hurt, I figured he made these.”
Gally hummed noncommittally and gathered the little animals off the table. He supposed that did make sense. And Newt was bedridden, so it wasn’t like he would be able to come out and distribute the carvings.
A few days later, Newt made his first venture outside, leaning heavily on Minho’s shoulder. Gally watched them make a round around the Glade before Newt got tired and they returned to the Homestead.
“Hey, I saw the crutches you made him.” Ben elbowed Gally as he sat down, earning a glare.
“Out of the good wood, no less.” Ben grinned.
“It was only one piece, and no one will know if you keep your trap shut.”
“I would never dream of ratting you out, Gal.”
“I know you wouldn’t, Benny-baby. I have just as much to rat you out with.” He threw an arm over Ben’s shoulder.
“Yeah… I know…”
Gally waited until the next morning the take Newt the crutches, knocking on the door before he let himself in.
“Gally?” Newt seemed surprised to see him.
“Hey… I um… I made you these crutches, to uh…”
Newt smiled. “That’s very sweet of you… Will you help me up? Maybe take me around the Glade?”
Gally brightened. “Yeah, I can do that. I’d like to do that.”
Newt took the crutches as he stood up, getting them under his arms to hobble out the door and down the hall. Gally had to help him down the stairs, but he didn’t complain too much. They walked slowly, Gally’s hands tucked into his pockets, fingers closed around the carvings. He pointed out all the bird houses stationed around the Glade, watching Newt smile.
“I didn’t think we had that many birds in the buggin’ Glade.”
“Me neither…” He looked away when Newt looked at him, trying to fight a blush.
“Why did you build so many?”
Gally shrugged. “I dunno, I just…”
Newt smiled and let it go, sitting down on one of the new benches around the fire pit.
“I see Minho took my suggestion.”
“You told him that?”
“I did, he was sick of bird houses.”
Gally shrugged. “Well, I didn’t know what else to do.”
“Ben, what should I do with these?” Gally had taken to carrying a little wooden bear in his pocket at all times, but that didn’t help him find a purpose for the dozens of others.
“Build him a shucking house, you already made him everything else.” Ben scoffed good naturedly, arms crossed over his chest as he watched Gally fiddle with the carvings. Gally didn’t think Ben meant for his remark to be taken seriously, nor did he think his friend meant a doll house, but that was what Gally did. He built a little doll house in the back room of the Homestead, using scraps of wood that couldn’t be used for anything else. When the Box came up with supplies, he dropped a list in when it was empty, looking around to see if anyone was watching him. The next time the Box came up, Gally waited eagerly to see if his request had been fulfilled.
“What the shuck is this?” Nick pulled the top off a crate, scowling at the contents. “Who the shuck asked for kindling?”
Gally bit his tongue, helping the other boys unload the Box.
“I did, it’s for the bread stove.”
Nick seemed satisfied with the answer and stepped aside when Frypan picked the box up to carry it back to the kitchens, glancing at Gally as he passed. He finished up quickly, making a B-line for the kitchen.
“Hey, Fry. Thanks, man.”
“Don’t mention it. But I’m not takin’ the fall for you again.” Frypan pushed the crate over to him. “What do you even need this stuff for anyway?”
“You’ll see.”
“Is it another weird thing for Newt?”
Gally glared at him. “It’s not weird.”
“Ya’ll need to flirt like normal human beings, I can’t stand this anymore.” Frypan tossed his hands up, exasperated, and shooed Gally out of the kitchen.
Gally worked on the little doll house for weeks, creating little furniture pieces and positioning everything just so. While he worked, Newt got stronger, needing less help around the Glade, until he was using only one crutch with no help whatsoever. Ben continued to make fun of Gally for being so awkward, but he let up when he would watch Newt and Gally during meals and at the bonfire.
“Hey, I have something to show you.” Gally nudged Newt’s side, rising from his bench to turn to the Homestead. Newt followed, getting his crutch under his arm to catch up.
“What is it?”
“You’ll see, just.” Gally waved his hands. “Come on.” He pushed the door open, letting Newt in first, and directed him to the back room. The doll house was tucked into a corner, where Gally could work on it in peace without worrying that someone would see it.
“Oh… Gally…” Newt stepped closer to examine it. “Are those…” He looked back, eyes wide with disbelief.
“Yeah… Did you think I’d get rid of them?” Gally’s hand slipped into his pocket, fingers finding the bear in the confines of fabric.
“I… I didn’t know what you did with them… I hoped you’d kept them, but… What would you do with dozens of little wooden animals?” Newt’s laugh was small, nervous.
Gally gestured to the wooden structure. Newt followed the movement and smiled.
“Build a house for them, it seems…”
“I didn’t want to get rid of them…”
Newt smiled. “I’m glad you didn’t…”
Gally hadn’t realized they were so close until Newt’s nose brushed his.
“They’re special because you made them…” He said, watching Newt’s eyes dart between his own, his lashes flutter against his cheeks when he smiled and looked down.
“That must mean the whole buggin’ Glade is special too… If you built it…”
Gally laughed, soft and quiet. “Wish I could take credit for everything…”
Newt grinned, bright and happy, and leaned up to press his forehead to Gally’s. The Builder pulled a hand up to steady him, brushing their noses together as he leaned down to kiss Newt. The blond chased his lips when he pulled back, eyes lidded and hazy.
“I hope you intend to do that again…”
Gally smiled. “Of course I do…” He leaned down again, pulling Newt closer by the waist. They stayed like that for a long time, breathing in each other’s scents, cocooned in their own little world.
“Do you like your bird house?” Gally asked.
“Of course I do… They come in and sing to me every morning…”
Gally smiled. “Good… I’d hoped they would…”
“They’re very good singers… Maybe you can hear them in the morning…”
“I’d like that…” Gally leaned closer to press his lips to Newt’s.