{6} Braided Memories

                                    

                                          
A/N: Sorry this one is really short, but I haven't really been in a TMR mindset recently, but I wanted to update. And yeah, I guess this one is kinda sad, so sorry...? Xx
                          
Y/N's POV
Loose hair whipped across Y/N's face, mimicking the raucous waves she stared at.
The sand was warm and soft beneath her, and the slowly rising sun cast a peaceful glow around her.
It was calm.
It was beautiful.
It was lonely...
                          
It had been a week since they, (the remaining Gladers and Right Arm soldiers), had arrived at the Safe Haven. 
                          
And a week since Newt had died.
                          
Newt and Y/N were inseparable throughout it all; they came up to the Glade in consecutive months and survived 3 years in the Maze, they supported each other through the deadly challenges of the Scorch, and they had battled Wicked together- but there was nothing Y/N could do to fight the Flare that destroyed Newt.
                          
He died in her arms, choking on the black blood in his throat: he fought to say his last words to her as the city crumbled around them- "I Love You."
                          
That was the first and last time Y/N would hear those three words. 
And the only time she would never get to say them back.
                          
Her tears still drowned her.
                          
Soft footsteps shifted the sand around Y/N, alerting her to Minho's presence.
                          
"Hey," he whispered as he set himself down in the sand beside her.
"Hey." Y/N replied.
                          
Minho took a moment to look at her, as if he saw something that confused him and he didn't know what it was. Until he figured it out.
                          
"Your hair's down?" he questioned before casting his gaze to the ocean, "You know, in all my life I can't remember a single instance where your hair wasn't in a braid. What's changed?"
                          
"Newt- he uh...he did my hair, but um..." Y/N slowly replied, the familiar feeling of tears reappearing in her eyes.
                          
"Oh"
                          
"Yeah." 
                          
Elaborating, she added "When I first came up out of the Box my hair was in a braid, but that night I took it out without realising that I had no idea how to braid it back. The next day during my Trial in the Gardens, it was as if Newt could sense my irritation- my hair wouldn't stay out my face. So he offered to try and braid it. It must have been some fragment of muscle memory on his part because when I agreed to let him try, he succeeded. From then on he would braid my hair every time it started to get messy. No matter what was going on, no matter what crap we were suffering together, we found time to simply be together whilst he braided my hair. That time we spent together, it's how we fell for each other... I loved him Minho, I still do."
                          
She smiled mournfully, as if even the simple memory of Newt brought her a glimpse of the safety and comfort he brought her, and reminded her of the pain of his abrupt death.
                          
Minho wrapped his arms around his friend, to comfort her when Newt no longer could. He promised his best friend that he would always protect Y/N. 
He intended on keeping that promise.
                          
"He loved you back Y/N," Minho softly responded, "He always loved you."