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Newt stepped outside of Jacob’s bakery, needing a moment to himself and away from all the noise. Tonight had been one of the best he had the pleasure of having in a long time. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this happy being around people.
Everyone who was there were the people he cared the most about in the world. His brother, his best friend and his new wife, his long-term acquaintance and his assistant. And of course, Tina.
Actually, what he thought before wasn’t true. He could remember the last time he had felt this happy, even if he felt bittersweet at the same time. It was the day Tina saw him off as he left New York to continue his book. He wasn’t the best with people, but he knew that day that Tina was different from anyone he had ever met before. Someone he actually wanted to be around. He had never thought anyone could be so beautiful.
And then he saw her tonight. She took his breath away. After everything that happened with Grindlewald and the mix-up with Leta, he was worried that she wouldn’t want to see him again. But then they had that moment in the French Ministry. Where he had stared into her enchanting eyes, and despite Jacob’s warning, he couldn’t help but tell her what they reminded him of. Salamanders. And she understood him.
He thought, after that moment, that maybe things would go back to how they were before - how they were supposed to be - but then Queenie left with Grindlewald, and Tina was beside herself with grief. She had blamed herself, and retreated back to her home and threw herself into her work.
Newt was proud of all that she was doing now - and he was especially proud of her becoming head of the Auror office. They did correspond more frequently now, but he hadn’t seen her since that day in Paris. And he had missed her. Dearly.
While they fought to stop Grindlewald, despite all the danger they found themselves in, Newt couldn’t help but find himself wishing that she was there, fighting alongside them… Alongside him.
He had been nervous for this evening - both for the responsibility of being Jacob’s best man and for his speech, since he was never one particularly good with words - but more than anything he was nervous because he knew that he’d see her.
And as he had come outside, to this exact place he stood now, to practice his speech again to try and calm his nerves, there she was.
She had changed her hair, now falling to her shoulders in gentle waves, and she looked ethereal in silver. She took his breath away. And then when she got close and he heard her voice, it was then that he truly knew for certain that he was gone. It was over for him.
He was madly in love with her. He couldn’t imagine a more perfect woman.
Newt never thought he’d be able to find comfort or companionship in anything but his creatures - particularly after everything that happened between him and Leta. But Tina proved that all wrong.
That day in the bank changed everything. He met his best friend, and he met the woman of his dreams. He thought of her every day, and she occupied his thoughts almost as much as his creatures did - and that was a big thing.
Newt couldn’t imagine how he could live without her now. He wanted… He wanted to take that next step with her. To pursue and court her, hoping that one day they might be standing in Queenie and Jacob’s shoes.
But he couldn’t for the life of him figure out what to do. He struggled to make himself properly coherent when around her. When talking about his creatures or others it was easy, but when it came to his own feelings, that’s where it got difficult for him. How was he supposed to explain to her the depth of his feelings when all that came out was rambled nonsense?
He paced quietly and slowly in the cold, snowflakes landing on his shoulders and in his hair as he walked with his head down and hands in his pockets. As the snow melted into the fabric of his suit, he came to the conclusion that maybe he’d just need to take a leap of faith and trust that maybe, just maybe, he might for once say the right thing. He just needed to be brave.
“Too much noise?” A voice called from behind him. He whirled, and his heart leaped in his chest as he saw Tina standing there, her smiling eyes staring at him.
His eyes traced her face for a moment, beautiful as always, before they fell to her feet. He always found it easier to talk when he wasn’t looking directly at someone’s face.
“Theseus can get a little too enthusiastic when he indulges himself. I had to escape before the hugs began.” Newt said with a soft endearing laugh, trying to keep the mood light between them.
She laughed, and the sound soothed his soul. “Well, I’m glad I’ve escaped too then.”
Newt’s eyes found her face again, and it felt as though the world around them didn’t exist anymore. It was just the two of them there, standing in the street in the snow.
“You look beautiful, Tina,” Newt said, the words slipping from his mind to his mouth before he could think to stop them. Immediately he grew nervous, afraid that he had crossed a line or said something she wasn’t comfortable with.
But he needn’t have worried. A brilliant smile lit up her face, and a joyful laugh escaped her. Her eyes sparkled at him, “Thank you, Newt. You look very handsome yourself.”
Newt went pink, and his eyes fell to her shoes again as a lopsided smile plagued his face. He heard her laugh softly to herself, and then she took a step towards him.
“Will you walk with me?” Tina asked him, drawing his eyes back to her. She held a hopeful expression, and Newt’s face mirrored her own.
“Just to have a moment away from all the noise,” She added on, glancing back to the bakery, where inside Newt could see Theseus had begun entrapping the others with his inebriated hugs.
Newt nodded and tried to keep from smiling too wide. He held his arm out for her and held himself high as he said, “I’d love to.”
And so they walked, arm in arm, down the quiet streets of Queens by themselves, both smiling broadly and with twinkles in their eyes at being in each other's company.
“How are you?” Newt asked her as they walked, and she began telling him all of what she had been doing as Head Auror, and Newt’s heart beamed with pride. He felt at peace, listening to her talk with her hands clasped around his arm.
They had walked many blocks before she then inquired about him, asking after him and all of his creatures, which she remembered by name, making his heart soar.
Everyone had always thought him peculiar for his love of beasts, including Tina herself when they first met, but he had achieved what he hoped to do with everyone who read his book, and helped change her opinion about magical beasts. He truly felt that she cared for them as much as he did now, and again he thought about how truly remarkable she was.
They had been slowly circling back to the bakery, as the others were probably beginning to wonder where they had disappeared off to, but Newt didn’t want their time together to end.
He was planning on remaining in New York for a little longer, but she was so busy with her new job and responsibilities, and the evening was approaching its end.
He didn’t want to part with her. He wanted to stay by her side. He wanted… her.
They made it back to the bakery, and stopped just where they had started, standing in the snow, surrounded by their own footprints. Tina did not remove her arms from his, and he bravely made no move to step away.
Newt glanced inside and saw Lally notice them with a smile before turning back to the others. Newt felt a bit of relief that they weren’t being called in, meaning he had a bit more time alone with Tina.
He stepped forward a bit so he could face her more but stayed as close as their arms could allow. Feeling her warmth made him feel at home.
He looked up in her eyes, and saw she was staring at him with a soft expression. He wasn’t sure - he could never be sure when it came to human emotions - but he thought that perhaps she didn’t want the moment to end either.
A strand of her hair had separated from the rest and fallen in her face. Newt remembered that day she saw him off at the port, and recalled how he had gently tucked a strand behind her ear. He wanted to do it again.
Slowly, ever so slowly, he lifted his hand and brought it gently towards her face. Like fire on ice, his cold hand brushed against her flushed cheek as he pushed it behind her ear.
And yet, even after he had accomplished what he wished and had tucked the strand away, he didn’t retract his hand. He held it there, beside her face, wanting so much to press his palm to her cheek and caress her. He wondered how soft her skin felt under his hand. He wondered how she would react if he ran his thumb across her lips.
He felt his face grow hot, but despite himself his eyes found hers again. They were open and yet clouded with… uncertainty. As though she was thinking very hard about something. His hand inched ever so slightly closer to her cheek, and she did not flinch away.
“Newt,” She whispered, her voice heavy. He met her eyes again and was lost in that fire in dark water. His hand hovered a breath away from her face. One slight movement and he would be touching her.
His eyes dropped to her hands as she released her grip on his arm, one hand falling to her side, while the other one traced down his arm and found his own hand. With delicate, small fingers, she took his hand in hers and pulled him closer.
Tina looked back up at him again, eyes encouraging. With a breath tight in his throat, he let his hand fall and caress her cheek. A small sharp exhale let out from his mouth, before he tucked his lower lip under his teeth. They stared deeply into each other's eyes, and Newt thought how he never wanted this moment to end. Nothing could ever be more perfect in the rest of his life.
Little did either of them know, but all five of their friends and families inside were watching them from the bakery. Queenie, having been able to see through their minds what was transpiring outside, was excitedly telling everyone to watch the moment. "This is it…” she whispered quietly while Jacob held her excitedly, and Theseus watched on with pride at his little brother.
He knew that Newt had liked Tina, but tonight he realised just how deeply smitten with her he was. He had never seen Newt so happy before, and he knew that his brother had finally found his soulmate. Queenie gasped at whatever she had just heard, an even brighter smile splitting across her radiant newly-wed face, and the others watched on in anticipation.
Newt stared at Tina, and her at him, and he knew that if ever there was a moment to say… something to express… how he felt… this was that moment.
“Tina…” He quietly began, his voice no more than a breath in the wind.
“Yes, Mr. Scamander?” Tina replied, just as quietly, but with a smile in her voice.
Newt had encountered and saved countless beasts, fought against aurors, dark wizards, and even Grindelwald himself, and yet this was the scariest thing he had ever done.
“I…” His voice shook, his thumb tracing nervously against her cheek, relishing in the warmth of her flushed skin. She squeezed his hand, and when he met her eyes again, he felt a surge of calm. She looked at him so openly, so fondly, and filled with compassion, that he wondered if she perhaps already knew what it was he wanted to say, and was trying to give him the encouragement he needed to say the words.
His thumb traced her cheek again, and she let out a small elated breath, similar to the laugh she had earlier. He took a deep breath, thought about the exact words he wanted to say to her in his head first, before he tried again.
“Tina… My life changed the day I met you outside that bank.” He took another breath, his eyes darting from hers to her cheeks to her lips and to their clasped hands, hers so small and fragile in his own scarred ones.
“I’ve never been very good with people. They’ve always been too difficult to understand or connect with - not like I could with my creatures.” Tina smiled softly at his words, giving him even more courage to continue.
“But with you… I feel at home.” Newt shook as he spoke the words, the truth of them clear in his eyes, and Tina's breath was taken away from her.
He stared into her eyes as he continued, wanting to pour everything that had been cooped up in his heart out to her. “I’ve never wanted to be with a person so much, I’ve never… missed someone so much. Never have I had a single person occupy my thoughts as much as you do.”
Her hand tightened on his, and he held hers firm, gently brushing her cheek with his other. A small tear fell from her eyes, and quickly he wiped it away with his thumb.
“I don’t wish to be parted from you, Tina… I…” He took a deep breath, his heart racing in fear for what he was about to say, but he knew he had the courage to do it.
“I love you, Tina Goldstein. You have my heart.” His voice trembled as he finally said the words that had been slowly swelling and building in his heart since the day they met.
Another tear fell onto her cheek. Then another, and another, and he tried to wipe them away despite his trembling hands. And then he watched as the brightest smile he had ever seen spread across her face, and a gasped laugh fell from her lips.
“I love you too, Newt Scamander,” she said, her voice shaking with delight, before a joyous laugh bubbled out of her.
Newt had never smiled so brightly in his life, as the woman of his dreams stood there smiling at him, knowing that she loved him too.
“I love everything about you, Newt. I’ve never met a more decent and kind and pure man in my life,” Tina continued, her hand holding his tighter and tighter by the second. Newt wasn’t sure he deserved such praise, but the truth in her eyes was unquestionable.
“I do not wish to be parted from you either, Newt. You or your creatures,” she said with a knowing smile, and a light chuckle fell from his lips.
Her other hand came up to mirror his own, and fell against his cheek, her small hand cold against his skin, making him feel as though he was on fire.
“I love you, Newt. More than anything,” Tina said.
“I love you, too. With everything I have.” Newt whispered back, gently caressing her face. His thumb brushed close to her lips, and though he'd never done it before, he wished so very much to kiss her in that moment but wasn’t sure if he should.
But he needn’t have worried, as Tina pulled him closer with their linked hands, and brought his face just inches from her own. She stared into his eyes, and gave an encouraging nod.
Newt swallowed, and took a deep breath before he leant slowly forward, closing the breaths distance between them, and touched his lips to hers.
Bliss. Pure euphoric bliss. Her lips were soft and warm and perfect against his. It was the greatest moment of his existence.
And then she kissed him back, her soft lips moving against his own, and that was his undoing. His hand against her cheek moved to the nape of her neck, and he moved his lips rhythmically with her own.
She released her hand from his and brought her arms up to wrap around his neck, leaning into him. Newt steadied her with his freed hand gently holding her waist, holding her close. He’d never thought he would like physical intimacy with someone so much, and yet he couldn’t imagine anything more perfect than kissing Tina.
“I love you,” he muttered between their kisses, him quickly figuring out what he had to do. He felt her smile against him. “I love you,” she whispered back.
And just as she brought her lips back to his, applause erupted from behind them. They both jumped back, still in each other's arms, but not tightly embraced anymore.
Queenie ran from the shop, clapping excitedly whilst smiling knowingly at the two of them. “Yay! Finally! Oh, you two! After so long, finally you admit how you felt!”
The both of them blushed deep pink, and Newt felt his heart flip in his chest, hearing that Tina has cared for him for a long time, just as he had with her.
Jacob smiled at them both, coming to stand beside his new wife. “Perhaps we’ll become brothers after all, Newt.”
Tina let out an embarrassed gasp, and Newt dropped his head with a sheepish smile. Perhaps they shall, he thought, already thinking about what ring would best suit Tina, though perhaps he was getting a little ahead of himself.
A hand fell on his shoulder, and he glanced up to see his brother Theseus smiling at him. “Be happy, little brother.”
Newt mirrored his smile. “Thank you.”
Queenie couldn’t help it any longer and pulled Tina out of Newt’s grasp. Their hands reached for each other as they were separated, but they shared a glance, promising to return to one another soon.
And so they were swept up in the congratulations of their friends and family, and Newt knew that this was undoubtedly the best day of his life.
The woman of his dreams loves him in return, and he could not think of anyone else he would rather spend the rest of his life with.