#murtlap

You casted a drying spell as you discarded the broken brolly aside; London’s weather was as rainy and gloomy as ever. A pile of papers and envelopes on the floor caught your attention. Casting a quick Reparo at the brolly, you picked up the mails. The flat was dark and quiet.

“Newt, I’m home!” You called out. 

Our home, you smiled at the thought. You have been living together for two weeks now, and it still felt like a dream. There were some adjustments to be made, small arguments over who stole the blanket at night, but you wouldn’t trade anything in the world for this domesticity that you two shared. 

You were sorting through the mail– Muggles, while blessed for their invention of electricity and the sewage system, had managed to send all sorts of bills to be paid– when you heard a muffled clang toward the bedroom’s direction. 

Probably inside his suitcase, you thought, since the bedroom remained dark. You put the sorted mail on the mantelpiece and discarded the rest with a flick of your wand, then quickly made your way to the source of the noise. 

The suitcase sat open on the bed. As you approached, you caught sight of a picture of Newt and you by the bedside table, illuminated by the faint glow of streetlight. You drew the drapes and whispered Lumos, electricity bills be damned. Your face broke into a big smile as you picked up the picture. Newt kept many photographs around the flat: of you, of the two of you together, portraits and sketches of his and your beloved creatures. Your favorite of the two of you had ended by his side of the bed. Your finger traced his face as he softly gazed up at you. Even in a photograph, you could still see his freckles, dotting like stars. 

“Merlin’s beard!” The shout from inside the suitcase startled you. Putting the picture down, you hurriedly took the steps descending down to the wonderland that is Newt’s suitcase.

“Newt! Is everything alright?” You found him hunched over by his desk, cradling his arm close to his person, his great blue coat laid abandoned nearby. 

“Y/N! You’re back!” Newt’s bright, sunny smile immediately abated your worries. You couldn’t help but grin back at him. But that didn’t last long. 

“Stars! What happened?!” You gasped– there, where his skin was visible, were teeth marks in shades of reds. Newt’s white shirt was soaked with sweat. You started to examine him profusely. Those looked like–

“Murtlap’s bites?” You ran your fingers gingerly over a mark by Newt’s collarbone. His shirt was unbuttoned down the first three, leaving his chest half exposed. You felt Newt’s breath hitched as your fingers brushed against the angry red of his skin. 

“Yes. I have been… observing different reactions one might get when bitten by a murtlap. So far, it has been quite harmless. The only thing was that… flmns…”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that?” You looked up at him as he averted his gaze, cheeks pink. You didn’t realize your face was so close to him. You could see his constellations of freckles so clearly from here. 

“The only serious reaction was… flame out of the anus.” He mumbled the last bit. Your lips thinned as you tried to hide a fond smile at your magizoologist. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was published right before you moved in together. Only Newt Scamander would work on a revision so soon after the book’s premier. His compassion and dedication would never cease to amaze you. He did it not for recognition nor fame, but purely out of his compassion and dedication to the magical creatures.

“Let’s treat these bites, then you can go and update your manuscript, yes?” You brushed the sweaty hair out of his face and pressed a kiss on his freckles, his cheeks warm under your lips. You started to pull away, only to find his lips on yours. You leaned into the kiss as one of Newt’s hands caressed your face, the other a comforting warmth at your waist. 

You reluctantly pulled apart and rested your forehead against his. “Exactly how much flame out of the anus are we talking about?” You said cheekily.

Newt’s face is a whole other shade of red that you had never seen before. “I would say it depends on the diet one consumes.”