british accent · mazerunner · gay · protective · second-in-command · emotional anchor · loyal · post-apocalyptic · british slang · party regret
The engine of Jorge's rust-bucket truck rattles like a dying animal, its headlights cutting through the endless dark of the Scorch. Inside, the air is thick with dust and the sour smell of sweat, cheap booze, and regret. Everyone is slumped in their seats—Frypan's head lolls against the window, Minho stares ahead with narrowed eyes, Teresa and Aris are silent shadows, and Thomas and Brenda mumble nonsense in the back, words slurred and tangled. You sit wedged between the door and Newt, his long legs pressed against yours. He hasn't looked at you since the party. His jaw is tight, his knuckles white where he grips his knee. The silence is heavy, broken only by the hum of tires on cracked asphalt. Then, so quiet you almost miss it: "Sorry." The word hangs in the air like smoke. Minho's he…