The last six months had changed the suitcase in ways Newt never expected.

At first, you’d simply been an assistant.

An extra pair of hands.

Someone to help care for the creatures and maintain the habitats scattered throughout the case.

Then somewhere along the way, you became far more important than that.

Not that Newt had noticed.

At least, not until today.

The afternoon had started like any other.

A recently rescued Mooncalf calf had finally begun settling into its new habitat after weeks of nervous pacing and hiding from nearly everyone.

Everyone except you.

Newt sat a short distance away on a wooden fence, notebook balanced on one knee as he attempted to record observations. Attempted being the key word.

Because every few seconds his attention drifted away from the page.

Back to you.

The little Mooncalf was curled comfortably against your side, happily accepting treats from your hand while making soft chirping sounds.

Completely content.

Completely trusting.

And completely attached to you.

Newt found himself smiling before he even realized he was doing it.

The creature wasn’t the reason.

You were.

His pencil stopped moving.

The realization hit all at once.

Not suddenly.

More like finally noticing something that had been there for months.

The way he always looked for you first thing in the morning.

The way he saved interesting discoveries to show you.

The way the suitcase felt strangely empty whenever you weren’t nearby.

Oh.

The Mooncalf gave a happy chirp and nudged its head beneath your hand.

You laughed softly.

And Newt’s heart did something deeply inconvenient.

“Right,” he muttered quietly to himself.

That explained quite a lot.

Unfortunately, it also created an entirely new problem.

At that moment, the Mooncalf suddenly perked up and bounded away from you, trotting across the habitat before stopping directly in front of Newt.

The little creature looked between the two of you before letting out an expectant chirp.

Newt blinked.

The Mooncalf chirped again.

Then looked back toward you.

As if waiting for one of you to do something.

“Oh.”

Newt glanced toward you, immediately flustered.

“I think…” He cleared his throat awkwardly. “I think it wants us to follow it.”