Chapter Text
Theseus felt every emotion after Leta’s death.
Despair and soul crushing guilt at her death. Anger at Grindelwald for taking her. Resigned bitterness when she looked past him, to his own brother, with her dying proclamation of love.
And finally he landed on an uncomfortable loneliness that settled like the dust on her vanity he couldn't get himself to get rid of.
He cried in Newt's arms for a week after, not fully trusting himself to be alone.
Not trusting Newt to be alone either.
Where Theseus was normal and drank his stress away, Newt worked.
Worked and worked and didn't stop for anything. Ignoring even basic body needs for days on end, just to avoid his feelings.
How many times had Theseus rushed from class after being told his little brother was in the infirmary again?
They went out to a bar, at Theseus’ suggestion (insistence) and drank until they were dizzy and unable to port home.
Thankfully, he wasn't able to convince Newt to leave his case so they stayed in the sanctuary for the night.
They tumbled down the stairs, giggling and tripping over each other. Newt had to say the charm a few times for his case to lock itself and find it's way to a safe location. Theseus the entire time laughing and patting him a little too hard on the back.
His brother passed out quickly after they felt themselves come to a halt, the case residing whichever rendezvous was closest.
Theseus went searching for something to keep this buzz going steady.
Newt of course kept no liquor around, ‘not safe for the animals’ and all that. He understands but Merlin's Beard, his drunken mind craves more.
Hours later, he's still up, now laying with Dougal, the Demiguise petting through his hair while distracting the baby Nifflers from the ring he can't stop clutching.
It was what would have been their wedding bands. Her engagement ring had burned up with her.
He heard shuffling, a feminine voice, followed by a quick ‘oh’ and Bunty is standing above him, next to his head.
“Morning Theseus, I've come to take the babies off Dougal and your hands,” She is always chipper sounding, a clear if not anxious voice, littered with a happy tone.
“Bunty,” He greets, it's not friendly. He tries to mind his manners in front of ladies but he can't even mind himself, so she'll have to forgive him.
“Are you both drunk?” She asks. He seriously wonders for a second if it's a Magizoologist thing to have absolutely no social cues or if that's why Newt brought her on.
“Was.” He bites his lip. He's teetering on numb and disconnected but not from the alcohol.
“He's probably slept his off by now,” He adds flatly, readjusting in the straw and nodding towards his brother. Dugal hands him a niffler chick and he holds the baby up to her.
“And you?” He just hums at her.
He's in that uncomfortable half-way point between coming down and still feeling the burning liquid sloshing around in his stomach.
“To be fair, Newt doesn't seem to be taking Leta’s death well either,” Bunty shuffles a baby niffler onto her shoulder. He cringed at her name.
Theseus shifts uncomfortably, taking another Niffler from Dugal and holding it up to her. This one goes in her shirt pocket.
“They were close,” She adds. Theseus hands the last two Nifflers over, Dugal curling onto his chest. The last two chicks go into her apron pockets on either side.
He looks to the ground, free hand pushing a small pebble around.
“Have you slept?” Bunty is staring at him, correcting the behavior of the mischievous chicks without looking.
“No. Haven't had much luck, Dougal’s been keeping me company,” He's starting to get irritated. Both at her incessant questioning and his lack of sleep.
“He doesn't keep alcohol around does he?” Theseus shifts, sitting up to look at her properly. He knows he looks like shit.
“We don't keep booze here.” Bunty confirms, nodding. Then she does that thing where she shifts like she has something else to say. She looks around, checking her surroundings before reaching into a non-niffler infested pocket and pulling out a little leather thing.
“Here,” She hands it over to him as Dugal shifts on his side. wrapping long-furred arms around his neck and nuzzling in. He takes it, inspecting for a moment before realizing it's a flask.
“Bunty Broadacre, you surprise me,” He gently chides. He unscrews the cap and takes a long swig. It's bitter and horribly strong, it has him coughing into his elbow a few times.
“Hells Bunty!” She snickers above him and he can feel himself flush slightly at the strength of the brew. It smells like lavender and a little like citrus. He takes another sip and returns it to her.
“My Great Great Grandmother's recipe, all us Broadacre women swear by it, most of us keep some on us at all times. Good for sleep.” She tucks it back into her pocket and buttons it.
She smiles and rocks on her feet.
“Have a good day Theseus,” She says and leaves him.
Theseus is left a little dumbstruck as he picks himself and Dugal off the dirt floor. He goes through the motions while thinking. Calmly walking over to Dugals nest and helping him climb in, then finally bringing him his food.
Bunty Broadacre, formerly thought to be Newt's hopeless, babbling assistant, had shocked him to the core. He couldn't draw thoughts off her.
“Bunty, that wasn't alcohol, was it?” He's folding his jacket over his arm, when she passes back again and she gives him a broad little smile and shakes her head side to side, not having to look as she catches the Niffler that fell out of her shirt pocket.
He can feel the ache in his bones and his eyelids starting to droop.
“It was not, no. For beasts it's a calming agent, small doses in their meals makes them happy and compliant. Humans however, sleep tonic, through and through… and you drank quite a bit.”
“You drugged me!” He says slightly astonished.
“You'll remember that I did not force you to drink anything.” She said in a small, pinched voice while holding back a smile.
He blinks, starting to feel whatever Bunty gave him too harshly to deny it any longer. He stumbled past her and laid down on a beat up little bench near the front of the reserve.
“Sleep well Theseus.” She says with a smile in her voice.