Requested by @fan74girl

Trigger warning- swearing and mild descriptions of sexual assault.

She didn't use to be like this.
She didn't hide behind a façade, a lie.
She was happy, and bright and alive. She felt safe to be herself...

She was naïve and foolish.
Now she knew she had to be tough, rude and closed off if she was going to survive, to stop drawing attention to herself.

"Hey, Ada!" A boisterous voice called, "Tell Ryan to get more twine and a couple more nails from the Homestead."

Grunting in reply, she marched off to do what Gally had asked. Walking confidently, she felt like a hoax, a liar, a con-artist; she wasn't confident, she wasn't emotionally hollow like the character she portrayed, she wasn't as strong as who she wanted, no- needed to be.

If she was going to survive as a the only girl in the maze, and a Builder at that, then she needed to be strong.
He had taught her that.

That son of a bitch, Alec...

One week. She had been there for a week, and had managed to (mostly) ignore the rude and antagonising catcalls, the crass jokes about 'favours', even the orders coming from boys who had no authority over her.
No, that she could deal with. Especially since every time it happened when Newt or Minho was near they helped her shut it down, and none too kindly.

They were the only people she trusted, or had trusted to be more exact. She had cut herself off from them fully about a week after it happened, her ability to trust completely severed.

It was a cold night when it happened.
She remembers because she had left Newt and Minho at dinner to get her jacket from her bed.
That's when he, quite literally, ran into her.
Alec.

He'd always been a bit weird around her, but Ada could tolerate weird. At least he had never said or tried anything rude with her.
Until that night at least...

In retrospect, she knew what he did was worse than she admitted to herself in the moment. Maybe if she knew that then she wouldn't have hidden it, brushed it under the carpet. Swallowed the shame and tactless guilt until it burned through her heart like acid.

"Oh!" She gasped as he stumbled blindly into her, "Hey, sorry... uh, Alec, right?"

Grabbing his arms to steady him, Ada kneeled down in concern in front of him.
His eyes seemed adrift, as if seeing another world, and his body didn't seem to listen to his commands.

He seemed drunk, lacking control and helpless.
Ada realised he was none of those things when he shoved her to the damp grass. It seemed that Gally's Drink had only given him cunning and strength.

"What the-?!" She managed to yell before his dry and cracked lips were pushed forcefully onto hers, the telling reek of Gally's secret recipe alerting her to his state of drunkenness.
Managing to wriggle out of his confining grip, she slapped him hard across the face and rolled our from under him.

"What the hell, Alec?! You can't just-"

Again, she was cut off by him, this time by him knocking the wind out of her by tackling her.
One of his arms that had been  coiled around her waist viciously struck out to backhand her, dizzying her and sending her head lolling to the side.

Taking advantage of her momentary lapse, he clasped both her wrists in his one hand before pinning them above her head. This time he spoke before smashing his lips against hers:
"Shhh. Trust me, you'll love it. Just stop fighting."

Unable to form words or scream for help, Ada did the only thing she could think of- she hit him where it hurt.
As he rolled around on the ground in agony- curled around his bruised balls in foetal position- she scrambled to run away, her hoodie left forgotten on her bed as she scrambled back to where Newt would still be.

When she got there she was out of breath, but before she could let them see her, she subconsciously was fixing her askew clothes and ratted hair. Pulling down her sleeves to cover finger-shaped bruises, she resolved to tell no one.

And she didn't, nor did she ever intend to.
But, like most things in her life, Ada didn't get much say in it.
She was reliving that moment, over and over and over in her head as she searched for Ryan, when she felt something barrel into her.

The body was tall, lean but muscular, with taut shoulders and a mop of blonde hair to top it off.
Newt.

Unfortunately in that monent, Ada didn't recognise him as him.
She thought he was Alec, she thought she was trapped back in that awful night 4 weeks ago, she thought she was helpless again- a victim again.

Flinching, her breath caught in her throat as a strangled garble came from her mouth, almost sounding like a "No."
Concerned and about to apologise, Newt gently wound his hands around her upper arms, only to retract them almost immediately when Ada simply flinched more and twisted out of his grip, like a feral and scared cat.

Breathing heavily, Ada couldn't see or think straight.
Alec. He was there again, attacking her again. He was standing right in front of her. No, not again... please not again.

Her desperate and panicked thoughts were foggy and her limbs felt frozen and shaking at the same time.
Finally snapping out of her stupor after a moment of silence from a highly concerned and gaping Newt, Ada sprinted away, darting for the Deadheads.

Running as fast as he could after her, his yells stretched across the Glade to her ears, yet they didn't dampen her speed.
"Ada! Ada, stop! Wait, please! Ada!?" He yelled in concern as he followed her deep into the Deadheads.

Once he found her, they were in what was probably the most private corner of the Maze.
Stumbling and leant over a fallen log, Ada looked like a wounded animal.

Approaching her slowly with his hands raised, Newt was careful not to spook her lest she run off again.
"Ada? Ada, what's wrong?" His soft and worried voice floated towards her.

Surprisingly, it seemed like his gentle approach had broken her trance.
Looking up at him with red raw and glistening eyes, it was like she was finally seeing him.

Looking up into Newt's bewildered and beautiful eyes, Ada cracked. A muffled sob slipped past her lips and she threw one hand up as if to catch it, but it wasn't long before another followed and the dam burst.
Gasping for air, she sobbed guttural and primal sobs, whimpering like a kicked puppy as Newt dropped to his knees beside her and cradled her close to his chest.

Still bewildered as to what caused this, as well as the sudden distance between them the past few weeks, Newt struggled to hold in his questions.
Fearing that she would feel like she was being interrogated or pressured, he simply held her as she cried.
Kissing her forehead, he began to sweetly rock her until she calmed down.

Eventually, she calmed down enough where he felt safe enough that he could ask her what the klunk happened...

Eventually, her walls dropped and she told him. Told him everything, and clung to his shoulders as she spoke into his neck...

Eventually, Newt would freeze as he heard what happened. After which he would fly into a sudden flight of fury.

Eventually, Newt would return to her in the Deadheads, hair ruffled with a bleeding nose and busted lip.

Eventually, he comforted her with the words "Minho and I dealt with the bastard. He's being banished tomorrow. You're safe now, Ada. I promise, I'll keep you safe."

Eventually, the bleeding sun would set and the lonely moon would whisper it's way through the clouds.

Eventually, under a star strewn sky, a broken girl and a bruised boy would cling to each other, and the boy would lean in gently.

Eventually, he would ask...

"Can I kiss you?" Came his whisper, fragile and weary, leaving the choice totally up to her.

Gazing at this amazing boy say infront of her, Ada suddenly felt the real her peak through after weeks. Allowing herself to trust again, she smiled and nodded.
A quick and whispered "Yes," preceded the perfect moment that followed.

Eventually, Newt and Ada shared their first kiss...

And it was perfect.

A/N:
Hey!
This request was for @fan74girl, I hope you liked it!
As always, stay safe guys.
Lots of love,
Lyra Xx
❤️