Minho’s POV:

When I stepped into our house, the others were talking and sharing ideas.

I looked at the corner and saw Newt.

Holding a gun.

If I was crying before, I only cried harder.

The others voices became muffled, and soon stopped when they saw Newt.

I heard them back out of the room, they knew Newt needed to be alone with me.

I stared blankly at Newt.

“Newt?”

Newt looked up.

His eyes looked dark and void of light.

He had dark circles under his eyes.

His hair was ruffled every which way.

His mouth was a straight line, starting to twitch downard.

“I-I want to die. Haha.”

One second I was standing by the door, the next I was next to Newt, hugging him. I involuntarily stood up, and Newt did too, clutching one of the walls for support. I didn’t realize I had been holding my breath until I let it out. I rubbed at my eyes with the palm of my hand, never taking my eyes off Newt.

“I-Isn’t t-there another w-way?”

Newt shook his head sadly. I knew I was stuttering over almost all my words, but I couldn’t care less.

“W-We could g-get you h-help. . . I c-could d-do something.”

Newt looked dead already

“Th-There's nothing you can do th-this time.”

I was shaking now.

“P-Please Newt! We- I can make it okay!”

Newt had tears running down his face.

“N-No we c-can’t, Min. Not everything is okay. Y-You can’t f-fix everything. . .”

I smiled through the tears

“I can t-try.”

Newt gave me an exhausted smile.

“B-But i-it won’t work. I'll just h-hurt us b-both more.”

I took in a shuddering breath

“Please baby. . .”

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Newt looked up into my eyes.

“Minho, I-I’m so s-sorry, b-but I can’t. I-I’m just s-so tired. I k-keep thinking o-of the others. I-I just c-can’t.”

Newt was still holding the gun, and he put the other hand over his eyes, as he faced the ground, his body shaking.

I looked at my lover.

My best friend.

My life.

My world.

My everything.

I summoned all the strength in my destroyed body.

I reached for Newt’s hand.

I carefully took the gun from it.

Newt looked up at me.

He knew what I was doing.

I could see it in his eyes.

I knew what I was doing.

Sob after sob racked my body.

Newt knelt down and scooped up a piece of paper and a leaf.

He carefully dropped them into my shaking hand.

He looked up at me.

“T-To remember me by.”

I was losing control.

I just had to focus on taking in breath after breath.

“Newt, I don’t think I could forget you if I tried.”

That’s probably what I would do after this.

Try to forget him.

I knew I wouldn’t be able to.

I put his gifts in my pocket.

“B-But you said you were okay. . .”

Newt just looked at me with soft eyes

“I guess I lied.”

“Y-You said always.”

Newt looked like he wanted to just disappear.

Be removed from existence.

I wasn’t yelling.

My voice was choked and raw.

“I-I’m sorry. . .”

“Y-You said w-we would have a l-long h-happily ever after!”

Newt’s eyes were red and bloodshot.

“I-I thought we would. . .”

I just felt empty and defeated.

“W-What about the t-tree? Y-you said f-forever. Did you lie about that too?”

Newt was taking in deep breaths.

“I-”

Newt must’ve seen my look of utter despair, because he wrapped his arms around me, and whispered

“I guess forevers o-over. . .”

I managed to force out a sad laugh.

“I-I don’t th-think that's how f-forever works. . .”

I choked back a sob.

I wanted to go.

Just go anywhere.

We stood there, both with tears in our eyes, for a minute.

Then as if a switch had been flipped, we both wrapped the other in a fierce hug.

I hugged Newt like it was the last time I ever hugged him.

That’s because it was.

I took in his warmth like it was the last time I’d be near him.

That’s because it was.

Then we were kissing, and I was kissing him like it was the last time I’d ever kiss him.

That’s because it was.

I wasn’t sobbing anymore.

My body didn’t have the strength.

Tears were just silently trickling down my face, only to fall onto the cold ground.

Newt was crying just as much as I was.

Except in his eyes. . .

There was a bittersweet hope.

In my eyes. . .

There was nothing but heartbreak.

“Min, promise me something.”

Those words echoed through my mind, and I remembered the day the sun had stopped.

He had begged me not to go.

I had to.

For him.

“W-What?”

Newt looked up at me.

“P-Promise me you’ll b-be okay.”

I smiled sadly down at him.

“Baby, you know I can’t promise th-that. . .”

Newt scrubbed at his eyes.

“I k-know.”

I just looked at Newt, taking in as much of him as I could.

“Well, I guess this is it.”

I nodded. My breaths were shallow and short. I wanted this day to have never existed. I wanted the maze to have never existed.

I wanted to go back.

It had all been okay. . .until it wasn’t.

Newt wiped at his eyes.

“I w-would tell you that it’ll be okay. . .”

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from bursting. Newt went on.

“But. . .that wouldn’t be true.”

My vision was blurred with tears. He kept going

“. . .So instead I’m going to t-tell you the o-one thing I k-know that's one hundred percent true. . .”

I held my breath, not wanting to focus on anything except Newt.

I realized with a pang that this would be one of the last times I’d hear his voice.

“Minho,”

Newt’s eyes were filled with tears again.

“I love you. So, so, uncountably much.”

I let out a slow, unsteady breath, the tears flowing at full force. My whole face was wet now.

“I-I-I-I”

My eyes were squeezed shut.

I didn’t know if I could say it.

My last words to Newt.

I felt Newt’s hand on the side of my face, and I opened my eyes.

“I love you Newt. Always, and forever. Nothing can change that.”

Newt just nodded. He took a step back, closing his eyes.

“G-Goodbye love. Goodbye Min. Goodbye Minho.”

Each goodbye felt like a slam to my heart. My hands were slick with tears as I lifted the gun.

I closed my eyes.

“G-G-Goodbye Newt.”

I pulled the trigger.