Re: [Hall Way: Patrick & Newt]
Patrick loved the woods. He liked being out of doors, and the dude was not particularly fond of walls. He had felt this all his life, and it had only come to make sense in recent years, but he hated the city. The Hall Way, though, was different, man. He could feel the magic here, and it made him feel better. It was not like being in the forest, surrounded by trees. It was not like being in Arborlon, where every single thing that existed was natural. It was not these things, but it was good in its own way. The magic in this place was vast and sparkling, and it made the dude feel like there was brightness against his skin. It was somewhat whimsical for a dude like Patrick, but it was an accurate description. In other words, he felt pretty good in that place and in that moment. The chaos did not bother him, and the buzz of living reminded him of the markets back home. It was a non-technical type of buzz, of people gathered, and this was something like home for the dude.
When he approached the bookstore, tree nestled beneath his arm and against his chest, he was not expecting to find Newt there. Perhaps he should have been expecting this, but the dude had lost some of his belief that Newt was entirely academic. But there was enough bustle, even in the face of refilling cornucopias and magically gobbling turkey drawings, to pull the dude toward the crowd; Patrick enjoyed a crowd. Even still, he was not expecting to find Newt smack-dab in the center of said crowd. Newt (the dude knew) abhorred a crowd.
He stopped when he saw the dude, and he just smiled. It was a small smile, a quirk of dangerous Gunster charm, and he set the tree down against the wall; he was pretty sure no one was going to steal his tree here, dude. He then maneuvered himself through the crowd. Newt, he noticed, looked most handsome in his coat and soft sweater, but he also looked tired. Patrick wondered why, and he would ask once they were alone. For now, he politely filed in behind a woman who was chattering excitedly about some creature that Patrick remembered Newt mentioning in passing. It was then (truly) that Patrick noticed the book, and the situation became clear as the pieces fell into place in the dude's head.
Perhaps he should have waited patiently for everyone seeking Newt's attention to capture it, but the dude thought Newt looked tired and, perhaps, overwhelmed, so Patrick closed in, after a collection of 'excuse me(s),' smiles and accompanying winks, until he found himself at Newt's side. The dude (Patrick) did not do anything so brazen as hug or kiss Newt, but he did tug up briefly on the back of that upturned coat collar, tugging lightly and touching fingers to Newt's hair in the process. "Is there etiquette for bailing from a bookstore crowd where are all desirous of your attention, my dude?" he asked, needing to duck his head only barely to whisper the query against Newt's ear.