Work Text:
Percival Graves took another deep drag of his cigarette, before he flicked the butt to the wet pavement, watching as it was extinguished by the damp. He’d promised Tina to take better care of himself, and smoking absolutely did qualify as self-care, at least in Percival’s mind. He was pretty sure this stupid class she’d talked him into wouldn’t give him half as much zen as a cigarette and some whiskey did.
But Percival was a man of his word, so after giving himself another second to consider his unwillingness to do this, he rounded the corner.
Queenie Goldstein’s Yoga Studio was everything Percival had feared it would be, from the lotus flowers painted on the sign to the candles burning in the reception area and the calming music playing over the speakers. The people coming here probably lived in their activewear, drank green smoothies for breakfast and said things like “Oh goodness, we’re almost out of quinoa!”
In the back of Percival’s mind a voice, sounding eerily like Tina, told him that he was being rather prejudiced and unfair and yes, fine, maybe he was, but it was his way of dealing with uncomfortable situations. And standing in his ratty sweatpants and a sweatshirt from his police academy days in the middle of a yoga studio was making him very uncomfortable.
Just as he was considering the possibility of leaving, Queenie Goldstein herself appeared, lighting up like a Christmas tree at the sight of Percival.
“You made it!” Even Queenie’s curls seemed chipper, bouncing along as she walked over to Percival and hugged him like they were lifelong friends instead of barely acquaintances.
“You know, I didn’t believe Teenie when she said you’d be dropping by, but I’m so glad you did. She told me about the accident,” Queenie said, lowering her voice at the end as if they were discussing a sordid secret rather than a work-related accident that had left Percival with frequent back pain. Also, the accident might not have entirely qualified as an accident, not when it was your partner and, at this point, ex-lover deliberately pushing you down a set of stairs, but in the end that was just semantics, wasn’t it?
Percival shifted his weight and cleared his throat. They were standing close enough for him to smell Queenie’s perfume, something sweet and flowery, which meant that there was no chance he could hide the fact that he reeked of stale smoke and was stinking up her lovely studio.
“Yes, well. Tina really talked up your studio and I figured I might as well give it a go, right?” Percival said. Behind them a chattering pair of women came in, both of them wearing high ponytails and fitted yoga pants, mats slung across their backs. Maybe it was his imagination, but Percival was almost certain that the smile they gave Queenie as they passed dimmed and turned judgemental when they looked at him.
“Absolutely. I think it’ll be very good for you. Sitting at your desk all day isn’t doing your body any favours, and I think a bit of stretching and improving your flexibility and joint mobility is going to help your back tremendously.” Queenie linked their arms and pulled Percival along, making him felt rather like a character in a movie, watching over his shoulder as the door, his only point of escape, disappeared.
“I have been to physiotherapy,” he pointed out, not wanting to appear like he’d lazed around and felt sorry for himself. In fact, he’d thrown himself into physiotherapy with gusto, because anything was better than sitting in his apartment and contemplating how everything in his life that had been good had turned so sour.
“Mh-mh, that’s a good start. I think yoga will be a beneficial addition though. For body and soul.”
Percival was sure that Tina hadn’t relied the details of the...incident and its backstory, not even to her sister, because Tina was one of the few people left in this world that Percival would’ve trusted with his life. But Queenie had a way of looking at you and just knowing things. In another lifetime she would’ve been branded a mind-reading witch.
“Here’s our men’s locker room. Take your time changing and then I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
The locker room was like any other Percival had ever been to in its basics, though there was undeniably a woman’s touch in the little details, like the hairdryer in a holder by the sink and the clean shower rugs in front of the cabins. Not to mention it smelled a whole lot better, and Percival had it all to himself as of yet.
As he toed off his ratty pair of trainers, he mentally congratulated himself for having the foresight of putting on a fresh pair of socks and checking that there were no holes in them.
He grabbed a towel from his bag before stuffing it into one of the empty lockers, and stepped back outside before he had a chance to start overthinking this again.
The room Queenie led him to was a pleasantly open space, with light hardwood floors and a minimum of decoration, a sound system in one corner and one entire wall taken up by a giant mirror. Colourful yoga mats had already been put down on the floor in rows and people, most of them female, were milling around, filling the space with chatter.
“Most of our clients are female, though Jacob is a regular too. He’s always running a little late though,” Queenie said, oblivious to the distress she was causing Percival by pulling him to one of the mats in the front row, which was a strong departure of his initial plan of skulking in the back. Percival was a last row kind of person, always had been, from the day primary school started all the way through Police Academy.
“We’ve got mats here for those who don’t bring their own. Just make sure to wipe it down with one of the disinfectant wipes after class,” Queenie said. Percival nodded, feeling rather overwhelmed as he dropped his towel on the mat she’d put him on and starred at his reflection in the mirror. Great. Now everyone in class would have a prime view of him making an arse of himself. He’d stuff the zen Tina had promised him down her throat tomorrow.
“This is Newt, he’s teaching tonight’s class. Newt, this is Percival. He works with Tina.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, Percival.”
It felt like Percival’s brain stuttered to a painful halt and he swallowed back a little whine, because damn. Rather biased, he’d expected a cheerful, bendy woman. He’d not been prepared for Newt, with his red curls and his freckles and his accent. Yoga had just become a whole lot more interesting.
“You too. Nice to meet you too,” Percival cleared his throat and shook Newt’s hand.
Beneath his fringe, Newt’s eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled. “You’re with Tina in the PD then?”
“I do. We’ve been in the 69 together for almost five years now.”
Newt nodded and pushed his fringe away from his eyes. “It’s a pity Tina couldn’t make it tonight.”
“Mhm. Yes,” Percival drawled, trying to sound sorry when in reality he’d threatened to make Tina work with Abernathy for a month if she tagged along. No doubt she would’ve taken photographic evidence to blackmail him and make fun of him forever.
“It’s Percival’s first ever yoga lesson, so go easy on him,” Queenie said and gave Pericval’s hand a squeeze. “I’ll see you later, enjoy yourself!”
Percival gave her a a distracted nod and tried to heave his mind out of the gutter, because he could think of a number of scenarios in which he wouldn’t want Newt to go easy on him.
“Right. I’ll just...uh...” he pointed at his mat and gave Newt the twitch of a smile before turning around and cursing himself. Way to be smooth. Was he really that out of practice when it came to communicating with handsome men? Usually he was the one being approached at bars and didn’t have to put any effort in whatsoever. Admittedly, Percival hadn’t attempted to pull anyone in forever because, well. The last time he’d let someone into his life, he’d ended up crippled in more ways than one.
The safest bet would be to lean back and enjoy the view, nothing more.
***
Ninety minutes later, Percival found himself rather disenchanted about this entire yoga thing. There’d been far less breathing and relaxing and much more stretching and pain than he’d anticipated, and he’d been so focused on not falling flat onto his ass, or tearing muscles he didn’t even know he had, that he hadn’t even had time to properly check out Newt. Or appreciate how bendy the guy was.
Jacob, a rather cheerful and rather portly man, wiped his neck with a towel and gave Percival a wide smile. His face had turned an unflattering shade of red, but he looked like he’d reached the elusive state of zen Tina wanted Percival to find.
“Does feel good once you’re done, doesn’t it?”
Percival hummed vaguely as he wiped down his mat, muscles screaming out in protest at his crouching position. Next to him, Jacob laughed as he rolled up his mat.
“Don’t worry mate, it’ll get better, I promise. Couldn’t do any of this before Queenie made me come here, all tensed up I was.”
Percival was sure that he’d never, ever come to this hellish place ever again. He’d gladly do twenty rounds around the obstacle course at the academy, in the rain, barefoot, before staying in downward dog for another ten seconds.
“The first time is always rather difficult, but I thought you did very well.”
As he rose back to his feet and met Newt’s eyes, Percival hoped with all his might that he wasn’t as red in the face as Jacob. He swiped a few sweaty strands of hair away from his face and attempted a smile.
“Thank you. I suppose,” he grimaced, causing Newt to laugh. The sound of it made something warm pool in Percival’s stomach, which he resolutely ignored.
“Jacob is right though, it’ll get easier. It’s like with building up muscles,” Newt said, glancing at Percival’s bicep. “I mean, when you started training I bet that was rather difficult too, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, I suppose you’re right,” Percival said, attempting not to show how pleased he was by the fact that Newt had noticed his muscles. It was a nice stroke for his ego, if nothing else.
There was the faintest hint of red in Newt’s cheeks, and Percival couldn’t help but wonder if it was from the lesson, or if it had something to do with the way Newt fiddled, his gaze jumping between the floor and Percival.
Or maybe Percival was being ridiculous and reading entirely too much into this, simply because he found Newt attractive.
“So, will I see you next week then?”
“I...sure,” Percival said, his smile feeling tight at the corners. So much for not putting himself through this again.
***
Percival lowered himself very carefully into his chair, groaning once the Herculean task of sitting down had been accomplished.
“So. How was yoga then?”
The only thing saving Tina from having a folder thrown at her grinning face was the fact that she’d brought Percival coffee. He took the mug from her hands and took a sip, all the while glaring at her over the mug’s brim.
“I hurt in places I didn’t even know could hurt. I attempted to twist into positions that humans weren’t made to twist into unless they’re possessed by a demon. It’s not right, Tina.”
Judging by her grin, Percival wasn’t going to get any sympathy. Not that he’d expected it, but still. A bit of respect for his achievement would’ve been nice.
“You won’t be so sore next time, I promise. I couldn’t walk after my first lesson,” Tina said, blowing on her steaming mug of coffee before taking a careful sip. “We can go together next week.”
It would be nice to have a friend there with him to distract him from Newt and his accent, but Percival didn’t think he was ready to have Tina watch him struggle through the sun salutation. No doubt she’d execute it perfectly, being the model student that she was, and would have helpful pointers for Percival afterwards, which would only annoy him. Then they’d be cross with each other, and Percival was certain that wouldn’t be beneficial to his zen.
“I think I prefer to suffer alone, Goldstein.”
“Fine. I’m just glad you’re going.” Her face softened and Percival drained half his coffee in one go, thoroughly burning his tongue in the process. This was the worst part about the entire disaster: the pity. And wasn’t that exactly what he had wanted? To reduce Percival to something pitiful, someone small and fearful, meek and agreeable, the way he’d liked?
Percival hated that for a while, he’d let it happen, and he hated even more how difficult it was to walk away from it all. He hated that people were walking on eggshells around him, like that was going to make him feel normal.
“I still think it’s bullshit,” he huffed, trying to remind himself that Tina meant well.
“Sure, whatever. I’ll bring you a smoothie tomorrow,” Tina pushed away from her perch on his desk with a grin before he could utter a protest.
“It’s just blended veg, Tina! It isn’t a meal and it isn’t a drink, so what’s the point?” Percival called after her retreating back, but his words fell on deaf ears. He huffed and took another sip of coffee, drumming his fingertips against the tabletop as he considered if all this healthiness allowed for an extra cigarette break to compensate.
***
The following Thursday found Percival dragging himself to yoga class after giving himself a half-an-hour pep talk to get off the couch. His unwillingness to leave his perfect arrangement of pillows and blankets made him realise how monotonously he spent his time these days: he was either working, or hanging out on his couch by himself, feeling tired, worn-out and cranky.
Maybe Tina was right and yoga would be good for him, if only for the fact that he’d see something other than his living room walls, and the bullpen and weightlifting area at work. He’d been active before, with a well-filled social calendar and less familiarity with his couch. And wasn’t that testament to how sad his life had become, that there was a ‘before’ and an ‘after’?
Squaring his shoulders with newfound resolution, Percival marched into Queenie’s Yoga Studio. Things had to change, and if the first step to that was contorting himself into ridiculous poses, so be it.
Also, Newt. Newt was a rather good motivational factor, because Percival would suffer, but he’d do so while hearing that wonderful British accent.
By the time Percival left the locker room, some of his motivation had already crumbled and he felt like a lumbering idiot between the light-footed yogi-ists in their form fitting activewear. Maybe Percival ought to invest in new workout clothes, but he just couldn’t see himself in the very, very tight pair of shorts the guy in the last row was wearing, nor in the wide-legged pants Newt spotted. They looked rather fetching on Newt, hanging off his hips in such a way that Percival’s gaze was drawn like a moth to a flame.
“Percival! It’s nice to see you again.” Newt sounded like he hadn’t expected Percival to show up again, but his smile, all dimples and creased eyes, made Percival feel like he was glad to be proven wrong.
Percival nodded as he dropped his things on the mat to Newt’s left, too distracted to consider the disadvantages of the position. “Of course. I did enjoy last week’s class.” It wasn’t like he could give his true reasons for returning, was it? Plus, Newt’s smile widening was worth a little white lie.
“I’m glad to hear it. Were you sore at all? A lot of people are after their first time.”
Either Newt had no idea what he was saying, or he knew exactly what he was saying, and Percival couldn’t decide which he preferred.
“Just a bit.”
“That’s good. We’ll be focusing a little more on stretching today. Usually men struggle with that a little more, but you’ll be a right pro after a few times, I promise.”
Percival hoped the smile he put on masked the dawning horror he felt. More focus on stretching? What the hell did that mean? Hadn’t there been enough goddamn stretching last time? Was perving over Newt and stopping Tina’s nagging really worth even more pain?
“Oi, Percival, glad to see you made it!” A red-faced and slightly out of breath Jacob dropped his things next to Percival and gave him a smile so wide it could’ve lit up the entire room. “I was just talking to Queenie and we thought we’d all go out for a drink after, Tina’s coming too and all. You’ll come along, won’t you?”
Squeezed in between Jacob’s beaming smile and Newt’s much shyer one, Percival couldn’t do anything but nod.
***
“Now circle your shoulders one last time before stretching your arms up. Make yourselves tall. Fold your hands and that’s it for today. Namaste, thank you everyone!”
As the others dutifully clapped, Percival wondered if he’d ever feel his arms again. Or his legs, or any part of his body, really. He was drenched in sweat, like he’d spent an hour lifting weights instead of hardly moving at all except for ‘deepening the stretch’. He hadn’t been able to enjoy Newt getting all up close and personal to correct his poses either, because he’d been too busy trying not to fall flat onto his arse or plop down in frustration and refuse to participate anymore, like an overgrown toddler.
“Well, I think we’ve earned that beer,” Jacob said, rubbing a towel over his face before slinging it around his neck.
“Yes,” Percival managed to get out, while attempting not to gasp for air too obviously. And wasn’t this the very obvious flaw in his plan? Struggling through yoga class and coming out the other side wild-haired and sweat-soaked wouldn’t exactly make Newt go ‘oh what a guy, I’m swooning!’. Not that Newt seemed the type to swoon. And not that Percival cared anyway.
All he cared about was a shower and a cold, cold beer.
“I’ll finish up here and join you in a bit.”
“Sure. We’ll save you a seat.” Jacob patted Newt’s back and Percival took that as his sign to leave for the locker room, giving a little wave. He was too tired to even care about looking awkward.
Police Academy had left Percival well acquainted with locker rooms beyond his schoolboy days, and he went through the motions of undressing and getting into the shower without a second thought.
Jacob filled the space with easy chatter, which made Percival realise how much he’d missed the easy company of people who didn’t walk on eggshells around him.
“You should drop by sometime! It’s not too far from the precinct, you know?”
“Mh.” Percival scrubbed his hands through his hair, working the shampoo up to a nice lather. “Is your coffee strong?”
“The strongest in town.”
Percival had just tilted his head back to wash out the shampoo and almost inhaled some water as he snorted. “I’ll have to try it then.”
The hot shower had helped to fade the burn of his muscles to a pleasant soreness, and he mentally congratulated his past self for packing his comfiest pair of jeans and and a shirt that was soft and worn, with the neckline only a little torn. It would be decent enough for whatever bar they’d be heading too.
Newt entered the changing room as Percival was pulling on his jacket, leaving him torn between wanting to stay and wanting to hurry away. It was one thing to cop a look at a fully-dressed Newt bent over, but Percival was sure that doing so in a changing room would be pushing even his moral boundaries.
“All done?” He asked Jacob, hefting up his bag after giving Newt the twitch of a smile.
“Yep. See you in a bit, Newt!” Jacob called over his shoulder and Percival hurried to follow him outside, Newt’s “See you!” Sounding muffled behind him.
The bar was crowded and noisy and grimy and Percival felt right at home. He hadn’t realised how much tension his shoulders had been holding until they dropped as he sat down next to Tina, who was smiling way too innocently.
“Enjoyed yourself?” She asked before taking a sip of a violently-bright cocktail.
“Yes. Immensely,” Percival replied, because she looked far too smug for his liking. “I’m really starting to see why you like it so much.” He kicked his bag under the table and looked over to the bar. Jacob had gone for drinks, but he didn’t look like he needed help carrying them back.
“There you go, well deserved,” Jacob said as he put a pint down in front of Percival, before leaning down to press a kiss to Tina’s cheek. “Tina, how’re you doing, doll?”
Percival let the conversation wash over him as he sipped his beer, allowing himself to just be. It had been a while since he’d been this content. Maybe there was something to this yoga thing after all.
“Have you found your zen space?”
The scent of clean soap broke through the stale aroma of old beer and Newt dropped down into the chair next to Percival with a smile, accepting a beer from Jacob with a nod of thanks.
“You know what? I think I have,” Percival said. Newt had changed into a blue button down that made him look like a posh British school-boy, and the wet ends of his hair were curling against the nape of his neck, making Percival’s fingers itch to touch them.
“That’s what I like to hear.” Newt took a drink and licked some of the beer foam from his lips. The temperature in the room seemed to increase and Percival wondered if sweat patches would show through on his shirt. He caught Tina’s eyes, and the way she smirked around the straw of her drink and raised an eyebrow had Percival narrowing his eyes and repressing the urge to kick her under the table.
He was saved from a lengthy argument via eyebrow by the arrival of Queenie, which almost caused Jacob to spill his beer.
Percival watched with interest as Jacob jumped to his feet immediately to get a drink for Queenie.
“That’s been going on for a while,” Newt mumbled conspiratorially, leaning over into Percival’s space. Their upper arms pressed together and Percival took another sip of his beer. It had been a long time since anybody had made him feel like this, all anticipatory and warm, and Percival wasn’t sure if he was comfortable with that.
“That so? They seem well suited for each other.”
“Mhm. I suppose they do enjoy dancing around each other.”
Percival cracked a smile at that. “They’ll stop eventually,” he said as he watched Jacob setting down what looked like a mimosa in front of Queenie, with much more care than he’d had for their beers.
“We can only hope. There are only so many spilled drinks and broken items before it stops being adorable.”
Out of the corner of his eyes Percival caught Newt’s wry smile. Turning his head would’ve brought their faces too close for comfort, so he looked down at the table, where his beer glass had left a ring on the table. He was still raking his brain for something to say, when his mouth took over without his permission.
“Are you seeing someone then?” Percival almost flinched in surprise. He hadn’t meant to ask that and fuck, what if Newt thought he was being a noisy prick now? Or what if it had sounded too forward? For lack of anything else to do, he made quick work of his beer while contemplating ways to disappear. Why oh why wasn’t he a wizard, able to disappear on the spot?
“I’m not, no,” Newt said, and didn’t lean away from Percival. That had to be a good sign, right? “Are you?”
“Nu-uh. No. Nope.” Percival shook his head, as if the statement had left room for interpretation and needed backing up.
Percival must’ve looked as horrified as he felt at his complete loss of eloquence and cool, because when he looked at Tina she blinked before she got up and pulled Percival along. “We’ll go get the next round!”
The place was crowded, but Tina was like a bulldozer and all Percival had to do was stumble along behind her. When they’d pushed up to the bar, Tina managed to flag down the bartender in record time and gave their order, before turning to Percival with one eyebrow raised dangerously high.
“So?”
“Nothing.” Even as he said it, Percival knew he wasn’t going to get away with it. The second eyebrow joining the first in its high perch on Tina’s forehead let him know that he was correct to assume so.
He sighed and shrugged. “Fuck Tina, I don’t know. I think I might like Newt?” Percival ran a hand through his hair before drumming his fingers against the bar top. He was itching for a cigarette, but he couldn’t simply slip out and have one, because then he’s smell of smoke and that was sure to turn Newt off. Or maybe it was the perfect plan, because if he turned Newt off, all his troubles would be solved, right?
“Percy. Percy!” Tina’s voice snapped through Percival’s thoughts and when he blinked at her he realised that she was holding out a shot glass. “Drink this. You’re thinking too much.”
They clinked their glasses together and Percival threw the liquid back without thinking, which turned out to be a mistake. Tina had a penchant for fruity schnapps, which managed to burn all the way down to his stomach, while simultaneously filling his mouth with a sticky taste.
“Okay.” Tina put her glass down on the bar with a clank. “I figured you liked him.” She shushed Percival before he could interject and get himself worked up about the fact that she had planned his current predicament.
“I figured you liked him after you went back to yoga because come on, Percy. We both know it’s not your kind of thing, even though I still think it’s very good for your health. Anyway. You’ve had a tough year, but you’ve come out on the other side and honestly? It’s time you started enjoying yourself again.”
Tina put her hand on Percival’s arm and he wished more than ever to escape the conversation. Ignorance had always been his favourite coping mechanism, and Tina was making it very hard for him to employ it.
“Newt is a good guy. I mean a really, really good guy, Percy. Don’t miss out on that because of what happened. Don’t give him that kind of power over you.”
Percival wanted to protest, but his mouth refused to work. He hated it, absolutely hated it, but Tina was right. He wanted to pretend like he was fine, that he’d shaken it all off, but truth be told, Gellert still had a hold over him. The man had been highly manipulative, and had wormed his way into Percival’s life in so many small ways, that some days it felt impossible to get rid off him. Maybe...maybe it was time to make new memories, instead of attempting to erase the old ones.
“Fine, alright.” Percival rolled his eyes when Tina clapped her hands in excitement. “I’m not saying anything is going to happen!”
Tina huffed and rolled her eyes. “Yeah. Right.” She pushed three beers towards Percival when the bartender brought them over, leaving him to the task of juggling them, while carrying her and Queenie’s cocktails back to the table.
Taking a moment for himself, Percival exhaled slowly and reminded himself that just because he was opening himself up to the possibility of something, the entire matter didn’t necessarily need to come to something. He’d go with the flow and all that.
***
What flowed plentiful that evening was the alcohol, and Percival lost track of time and beers consumed. He hadn’t enjoyed himself this much in a long time.
The bar had filled up and the air was hot and stifling. Next to Percival, Newt huffed and rolled the sleeves of his button-down up. Percival’s eyes were drawn to a set of scratches on Newt’s arm, standing out red and angry against his pale skin.
Percival must’ve been far from subtle in his starring, because Newt rubbed at the scratches on his arm self-consciously. “Uh, that’s a workplace hazard, I suppose.”
Eyebrows drawing together, Percival wondered how yoga could possibly be that dangerous a profession.
“Minnie gets spooked rather easily.”
Percival was fairly certain that his eyebrows must’ve merged together from the force of his frown. Who was Minnie and why would she get spooked? Were they still talking about yoga, or was this some sort of sex thing?
“Oh my God, quick, can someone please take a picture of Percy’s face? That’s going to be my Christmas card this year.” Tina laughed and Percival took care to bring his features back to normal before Jacob could get his phone out of his pocket.
“I was just trying to work out why Minnie would get spooked,” he huffed and finished the last of his pint, as Tina continued to giggle, colour high on her cheeks.
“Because Minnie is a cat and Newt is a vet student,” Tina explained, the cocky curl of her lips suggesting that she knew exactly what line of thought Percival had followed.
“Oh, you didn’t think I was a full time yoga teacher, did you?” Newt asked, eyes bright with amusement and a little shiny from alcohol.
“I suppose I did,” Percival admitted, to the delight of the rest of the table. How was he supposed to know that giving yoga classes was a student job these days?
“You couldn’t have known,” Newt said, patting Percival’s back. “I’m in my final year, actually. A few more months and I’ll be fully qualified.” There was pride in Newt’s voice, and Percival could easily imagine him as a vet. Newt was warm and caring, with a gentle voice and something about him that put you right at ease.
“I think you’ll be a great vet.”
Maybe it was a trick of the light or Percival’s imagination, but it looked as if Newt’s cheeks turned an even deeper colour of red than they’d already been from the heat.
“Thank you. I...I I really like working with the animals.”
“Even when they scratch you?”
“Especially when they scratch me,” Newt replied, his lips twitching into a grin. “They’re the ones who need the most attention.”
There were too many innuendos to that one, so before one of them slipped out, Percival pushed to his feet. He’d been ignoring his full bladder for a while now and it was starting to become uncomfortable. And a trip to bathroom would give him a few minutes to compose himself and clear his head.
“Back in a mo’.”
Standing up had brought on quite a headrush and Percival stumbled his way to the bathroom, thinking that he really ought to switch to drinking water.
He took his time washing his hands once he was done, turned the water as cold as it would go. Patting his still wet hands against the back of his neck brought some relief, and Percival dreamily thought about the cigarette he’d have on the way home, outside in the wonderfully cool air.
The corridor between the bathrooms and the main room of the bar was poorly lit and the chatter of the crowd was a muted background noise, making the place feel a little like an island away from the lights and noise. He was so focused on putting one foot in front of the other in a steady fashion that he didn’t realise someone else making their way towards the bathroom until it was too late and their shoulders collided, making Percival stagger to the side, one hand reaching out to steady himself on the wall to his right. Water. He definitely needed water.
“You alright there, Percy?”
Percival blinked before smiling to himself. He really liked Newt’s accent.
“Well I’m glad to hear that.”
Had Percival said that out aloud? And was Newt giggling?
Percival blinked as if clearing his vision would clear his mind, and leaned back against the wall. Yep, definitely Newt standing in front of him, grinning. His teeth looked strangely luminous in the dim lights.
“I’m afraid I’m a little drunk.”
Newt took a step closer and the swooping feeling in Percival’s stomach increased. Maybe he was drunk on Newt’s presence, not on alcohol?
“Mh, let me take a look,” Newt said, expression mock serious. He reached up and brushed a few wayward strands of hair away from Percival’s forehead, before feeling it, as if checking for a fever.
“Good thing you’re studying to be a vet, you’d fail as a human doctor. You don’t get a fever when you’re drunk,” Percival pointed out, though his face was starting to feel hot enough that a fever was becoming a possibility.
“Trust me, I know what I’m doing,” Newt said, the back of his hand was blissfully cool against Percival’s cheek.
“You deal with a lot of drunk animals then?” The words scraped against Percival’s dry throat.
Newt hummed under his breath. “Not too often, but recently we had a corgi come in who’d eaten pralines filled with liquor, so that was a double whammy of a problem.”
Percival tried to convey his interest in a vague sound, but Newt peering into his eyes was making it rather impossible to think or function. Newt’s hand was still resting against Percival’s cheek when he leaned closer. Percival was still blinking stupidly when their lips brushed together. The contact seemed to jumpstart his brain though, reality swimming back into focus with a jerk. For what felt like a stretched out moment their lips lingered, before Percival’s hands grabbed Newt’s hips and pulled him close, and the kiss turned into something far less innocent. Newt’s lips were soft and warm against Percival’s, and he tasted faintly of beer.
Dizziness swept over Percival all over again when Newt pulled back.
“Was that another diagnostics tactic?” Percival’s voice sounded far away to his own ears.
“No,” Newt shook his head and his smile widened as he took a step back. “I just felt like it.”
And just like that he was gone, leaving behind a lingering heat on Percival’s skin.
***
Once sat back down at the table, Percival drained half the glass of water he’d picked up at the bar in one go. Everything around him felt distinctively surreal between the alcohol and the late or well, very early, hour. If his lips hadn’t still felt slightly tingly, and Newt hadn’t looked at him with a cocky little smile upon his return, Percival would’ve started to question if the kiss had even happened.
Now that it had though, the air between them seemed charged with electricity, setting off little sparks whenever their arms or legs brushed together. Percival let the conversation at the table wash over him while he sipped his water, his heart hammering in his chest to the mantra of he might want me too, he might want me too.
“I think it’s time to call it a night,” Tina said after her third yawn, and Percival stoically ignored the way she tried to catch his eyes. He didn’t want to share any of this yet, neither his insecurities nor his hopes, and he feared that they were all too clearly visible in his eyes for Tina, who’d known him for years and learned to read him with persistence.
They said their goodbyes, and Percival hung back under the pretence of gathering his things. By the time he’d hoisted his bag over his shoulder and grabbed his jacket, it was just him and Newt left.
“Well.” Percival adjusted the strap of his bag to give himself a second more to gather his courage. “It’s rather late, I’ll walk you home.”
He didn’t even get to worry about having been too forward, because Newt’s smile immediately lit up his face. “I’ve always wanted my own police escort,” he said and took Percival’s hand like it was the most natural thing in the world, pulling him along through the crowd.
“I just need to get my bike.”
Percival blinked, trying to deal with the whiplash of the cold air outside and the meaning behind Newt’s words all at once. When they sunk in, he bit back on a chuckle, watching Newt fumbling with the lock on a blue bicycle. Of course. How had he not seen this coming?
“I’m that way,” Newt said, inclining his head to the right.
As they started walking, Percival was surprised that the only thing making his stomach squirm was happy anticipation, instead of the crippling insecurity he had expected.
***
Percival woke to the unsettling sensation of lying upside down. Had he been drunk enough to tip into his bed like this?
Blinking his eyes open, Percival considered the white ceiling for a moment. The light was all wrong, and his bed was usually on the other side of the room and ...oh. Next to him, Newt made a little snuffling noise.
As his brain slowly started up again, last night came back in a series of moments, some fuzzy from the alcohol, some perfectly clear. The bar, walking Newt home, that split second of consideration when they’d entered Newt’s apartment before their lips had crashed together. Newt’s cat having to be removed from the room because it took too much of an interest in Percival and wouldn’t leave them alone. Newt’s skin, pale and freckled under his hands, Newt’s soft little sighs that had gone straight to Percival’s cock.
It was all Newt, like Newt had wrapped himself around Percival like a blanket and filled up the empty spaces in his mind that Gellert had carved out with cruelty with smiles. Looking down at the man curled against him, a red-haired, open-mouthed mess, Percival couldn’t resist the temptation of tracing a finger of Newt’s bottom lip.
It would be easy to get up and leave, sneak out and pretend all of this never happened, staying safely behind the walls he’d built up. Instead, Percival settled back down and pulled Newt closer, watching as he frowned before he blinked, revealing slivers of green behind heavy eyelids.
“Morning,” Newt mumbled, yawning against Percival’s chest.
“Good morning.” Percival’s voice came out rough from sleep and drink, and he cleared his throat. He’d get a glass of water later. The need for a cigarette was, as of yet, miraculously absent.
Next to him, Newt stretched, wiggling his toes against Percival’s legs, before curling back down and peering up at him.
“You alright?”
Newt looked even paler than usual in the early morning light, dark smudges beneath his eyes speaking of their long night. There was something in his eyes that hadn’t been there before, something unsure that Percival wanted to chase away with a fierceness that took himself by surprise.
Ignorant of their morning breath he leaned down to press a kiss to Newt’s lips.
“Yes. Yes I am.”
He had no idea where this was going, and without a doubt it wouldn’t be smooth sailing, but for now, hidden away in the warmth of the blankets and with Newt smiling up at him, Percival was sure, for the first time in a long while, that everything was going to be just fine.