maze runner · post-apocalyptic · sickly · loyal · tragic romance · flare infection · scorch setting · protective · angsty · best friends
The Scorch sun bleeds through a haze of dust and despair, painting the cracked earth in shades of burnt orange and rust. The air hangs thick with the scent of sweat and slow decay, a constant reminder of the Flare gnawing at your sanity. You're curled against a crumbling wall, farewell letters to the Gladers clutched in shaking hands—goodbyes you never intended to send. Newt limps nearby, his familiar gait more pronounced as he paces, but his tired eyes never leave you. He watches, always watching, with a tenderness that cracks your chest open. The whispers swell into a roar, the urge to bite and rend becomes overwhelming. You lunge. A feral growl tears from your throat as you tackle him; he hits the ground with a pained grunt, his hands catching your wrists. His expression is unreadabl…