"Woah! Hey there, little dude!"

Jacob shifted on his feet, a hesitant yet excited smile painted across his face. Below him, the possum scuttled around his feet, savouring the reassuring solid flooring and warmth of the indoors.

"A possum?" enquired Leta, crossing her arms. "It was a possum outside the entire time?"

"Yeah, go figure," murmured Queenie.

"She was... hurt," murmured Newt from his position by the cabin entrance. Theseus closed the door behind them, raking incredulous eyes over his brother.

"And when did you decide it was a 'she?'" he probed with sketched brows.

Newt turned to face his elder sibling. A cocky note of pride sounded in his response at knowing something that Theseus didn't.

"The skin near her tail is flatter, and she has a pouch. It's empty."

While Theseus looked taken aback, Newt turned his attention back to the possum. By this time, she had collapsed on the floor, evidently worn out.

The six of them awkwardly stood around it, staring down at the creature with a deafening sense of: Okay. Now what?

"Uh- we'll have to help her. Look at her gash there," murmured Tina finally, pointing a vague finger at the cut running across her side. "Or- maybe we should- uh... make sure she's warm? It's pretty cold outside..."

Tina desperately albeit subtly glanced up toward Newt. Searching for an answer. She was about to suggest something else to get him to respond, but Newt slowly nodded his head, finally dragging his eyes upward to meet Tina's.

He couldn't suggest that they let the possum into his suitcase- no one knew that he'd brought it. Theseus had told him specifically not to bring it. Maybe he'd let it in when no one was looking.

"The cut isn't bleeding heavily at the moment. I think you might be right. Let's keep her warm for a bit. She's in a new environment- " A quick gesture around the cabin. "- And that might take some time to get used to even without bandaging the wound."

A hush fell across the group. Jacob raised his brows, clearly impressed.

"Wow. Someone's quite the vet!"

The remaining five turned quizzical gazes toward Jacob. Newt felt inclined to speak first.

"Wh... what's the vet?"

"Oh. Uhh- animal doctor. It's a muggle thing." Jacob gave a nonchalant shrug.

~~

Tina rolled over, fighting to keep her eyes awake. Her uneasiness had worn off, to be replaced by gratefulness to have claimed the nice bed, and the overwhelming urge to sleep.

"You alright there, little fella?" she murmured instead. It was eerily dark, but no one was scared. Tina received a single squeak in reply.

Her disobedient eyes flickered up across the room- to Newt. He was looking back at her, lying on his stomach with his fingers laced beneath his chin.

Newt gazed at her with a soft smile. Tina smiled back. The possum between them squeaked happily again.

Everyone had long gone since Newt and Theseus first brought the possum inside, leaving her in Newt and Tina's cabin for the night- just to adjust to its new surroundings. Tina had dug up a thick jacket to serve as makeshift bedding for it. Newt, in a fit of humiliating chivalry, had shed his pyjama shirt as a blanket for the possum.

Now they lay (shirtless, in Newt's case) in their respective beds, dutifully watching over the injured possum as it snuggled down into Tina's jacket and Newt's shirt.

Tina could see Newt from where she was, despite the darkness. The moonlight spilling from the window illuminated half his face, and she could glimpse scars peppered over his bare back. One larger scar was half-obscured as it slashed across his chest. She'd seen them all before- just mere hours ago, and yet, it felt like she was taking it all in all over again.

Newt picked up on her line of sight and gave her a melancholy smile, heavy with memories of each and every line etched into his skin. Tina averted her eyes, the beginnings of a mad blush already creeping across her cheeks.

The tension-filled silence hanging between them was cleaved with snuffling noises from the creature nestled on the floor.

With the exact demeanour of a new father resentfully rolling out of bed to check on his wailing newborn, Newt hauled himself up and groaned, rubbing his eyes.

"What's up, little one?" he murmured to the possum, crouching down to see what was causing her to snuffle so noisily. Tina couldn't help but stare at the muscles in his back flexing as he bent down.

"Do you need...?"

"No. No, she's alright. Aren't you? Just curious, that's all."

Smiling lightly to herself, Tina watched as he slipped back underneath the covers and turned around to face the wall.

"She'll be fine," she reassured, though Tina knew quite well that Newt didn't need it.

"Yeah, she'll be right." Half of his sentence was interjected with a yawn.

"I'm sleeping now," Tina announced, resisting the urge to yawn herself.

"Me too," Newt agreed from across the room. "Don't snore," he added as an afterthought.

Tina wished he was sleeping next to her so she could smack his arm.

"I don't snore!" she protested irritably. His mumbling response came a moment later.

"Then it shouldn't be a problem."

~

Squok-kee!

Squok-kee!

Squok-kee!

"Aah! No one ordered a wake up call!" Tina snapped.

"What? Who? What?" Newt jabbered suddenly, shooting bolt-upright in the opposite bed. Almost immediately, he yelped and fell out, landing badly on the wood floor.

"Newt! Are you okay?" Tina slid much more gracefully out from underneath her covers.

Newt was okay. He sat up, rubbing his head and glaring out the window with distaste.

"Stupid bird," he muttered. Then, glancing up in surprise, "What's wrong with my voice?"

Tina poorly masked a chuckle. Newt's voice was slightly lower and huskier- probably because it was so early. She shook her head and stood, loping into the bathroom to leave Newt with the task of caring for the possum.

Tina thought she heard him talking to himself, but she couldn't have been sure.

She emerged a few minutes later only to see him gasp, then clap a hand over his mouth, eyes wide (at something he was muttering, presumably).

Tina huffed a laugh, smoothing her hair. "What?"

"Nothing. I just said... nothing," he muttered quietly, blushing fiercely. He snatched pants and a shirt- any random shirt- and dashed into the bathroom before slamming the door shut.

From outside, she clearly heard Newt chiding himself. "Idiot!"

Tina watched after him and shook her head, a cross between confusion and amusement.

"How're you doin' today?" she asked the possum rhetorically, bending down to assess it. It seemed quite content, still swaddled in their clothes.

Tina could see it daintily nibbling away at something- it looked like a cookie. Newt had no doubt given it breakfast, but she could only guess at where he'd gotten it from.

The possum would be fine, she decided. They had a long day ahead, packed with activities.

"Newt! Breakfast's is ten minutes!"

"I'll just be a moment," came his slightly-huskier-than-usual-reply. She could almost hear his cringe.

Squok-kee!

Tina scrunched up her nose at the bird outside, deciding automatically that she didn't like it. Anything that disrupted her sleep- human or annoying camp bird- had better start running before she laid hands on it.

Unfortunately, the bird outside did not move. All Tina could do was stand there and wait for Newt while listening to its stupid Squok-kee-ing.

Soon, she reminded herself. Soon we can go.

~~

Another chapter by me ^^

The next chapter might be delayed since fangirling_puff is away on a *camping* trip. Oh, the irony.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!

~ Cat