"Well, after Tina saw this news, she started dating other people." Queenie looked directly at Newt with obvious meaning.
Aiden picked up the pie Queenie had made and took a bite. Not bad at all.
"Oh, uh..." Newt, never good at communication, fumbled for words like he was trying to catch smoke.
"He's an Auror. His name's Achilles Tolliver." Queenie's voice carried just a hint of satisfaction.
Jacob suddenly grabbed Aiden's hand and burst into laughter. "Tolliver! Hahaha!"
"Queenie, are you..." Aiden narrowed his eyes at her with growing suspicion.
"Any... anyway, this trip's very special for us!" Queenie quickly interrupted while pouring Jacob a glass of champagne. "We're getting married!"
Jacob laughed and splashed wine on his own face like it was the funniest thing in the world.
'You put a spell on him, didn't you?' Newt thought clearly, watching Jacob's strange behaviour.
"What? I didn't do anything." Queenie grabbed a napkin to wipe Jacob's face, but her hands shook slightly.
"Sorry, could you please not read my thoughts anymore?" Newt shook his head in frustration.
"Queenie, do you know that keeping someone's emotions constantly elevated can seriously damage their body?" Aiden spoke up with clinical precision.
"Oh, how could that be? We're so happy! Only happy!" Queenie looked at Jacob with forced adoration.
Newt couldn't stand it anymore.
He stood up and drew his wand while Aiden waved his hand, summoning his staff in a flash of silver light.
Queenie quickly jumped up, blocking Jacob protectively while looking warily at both of them.
"Please don't do this."
"Queenie, if you really want to marry him, you shouldn't worry about getting hurt." Newt tilted his head toward Jacob. "Maybe we can break the spell and let him speak for himself."
"And you know, children born through these methods can never feel love properly," Aiden added, his voice gentle but firm. "If the child's ordinary, it might be fine. But if they have magical power, the chances of becoming an Obscurial or dark wizard increase dramatically."
After hearing this, Queenie fell silent. She slowly stepped back, her face crumbling.
"What're you holding, little dragon man? And Newt, you two... what do you want to do? Hm~ hahahaha."
Jacob in his seat seemed completely disconnected from reality, swaying back and forth.
"Silencio!" Aiden's staff flashed, forming a subtle ring of light around Jacob that sank into his body.
"Congratulations on your engagement, Jacob." Newt's voice dripped with bitter sarcasm.
"Wait, what?" Jacob blinked rapidly, looking completely confused. "Where... what engagement?"
Newt tucked his wand back into his chest holster, staring at Queenie with obvious shock.
"Oh no. You wouldn't." But even as he said it, Newt knew she absolutely would.
Queenie immediately started packing her things with jerky, panicked movements. She kicked open Newt's front door so hard it banged against the wall.
"Queenie, wait!" Jacob waved desperately at Aiden and Newt.
"Queenie!" He chased after her, stopping at the doorway like he'd hit an invisible wall.
"Nice seeing you all, by the way." He turned back with genuine confusion. "Where am I exactly?"
"London," Aiden said, putting away his staff.
"Ha! I've always wanted to come here!" Jacob rushed outside after Queenie.
In the suddenly quiet room, only Aiden and Newt remained. Aiden picked up the champagne bottle and took another sip.
Not bad. A bit of sweetness balanced the bubbles perfectly.
"What you said just now..." Newt began carefully.
Aiden nodded. "Whether it's our wizarding potions or spells, they're all products created under magic's correction of reality. Life created through this direct method of correcting reality can never carry genuine emotions."
Newt fell silent after hearing this, picking up his wine glass for a long sip.
"You're not planning to slip someone a love potion, are you?" Aiden raised his eyebrows meaningfully at Newt.
"How could I! And don't read my mind!" Newt shook his head so vigorously his hair flopped.
The two continued chatting sporadically while Jacob finally caught up with Queenie outside on the rain-slicked street.
"Queenie, honey, I'm curious. When exactly were you planning to wake me up? After we had five kids?"
Queenie walked forward with determined steps, dragging her luggage while Jacob chased after her like a lost puppy.
Hearing Jacob's words, Queenie spun around and pressed close to him, her eyes bright with unshed tears.
"What's wrong with wanting to marry you? Wanting a real home?" Queenie looked at Jacob with raw sorrow.
"Okay, okay." Jacob's head turned aside, being careful because he genuinely cared about her feelings.
"I just want what other people have. Is that too much to ask?"
Seeing Jacob's evasion, Queenie turned and continued walking with sharp, angry steps.
"Wait, honey! We've discussed this dozens of times." Jacob quickly caught up, putting his arm around Queenie's shoulder. "If they find out we're married, you'll be thrown in prison! I can't accept that risk."
"They don't like someone like me marrying someone like you. You're a witch, and I'm just a..." He gestured helplessly at himself.
"Whoosh!" Queenie made an impatient shushing sound, thoroughly disgusted with MACUSA's discriminatory restrictions.
"But Britain's already making progress! They'll let us be together here!" Queenie looked at Jacob with desperate hope.
"But sweetheart, there's no need to use magic to enchant me." Jacob brushed away Queenie's damp hair and wiped the tears from her eyes with infinite gentleness. "I'm already enchanted by you naturally. I love you so much it hurts."
"But honey, I don't want you giving up everything for me. This isn't giving me a choice in my own life," Jacob tried to explain patiently.
But Queenie couldn't understand his meaning. As a Legilimens, she clearly saw the retreat and feelings of unworthiness flooding Jacob's mind.
"You're the one not giving me a choice! One of us has to be brave, and you're just a coward." In her anger and hurt, Queenie said exactly the wrong thing.
"Coward? I... heh." Jacob ran his hand through his wet hair, turned in a complete circle, then faced Queenie again with obvious pain.
Equally angry now, he glared at her. "If I'm a coward, then you're..."
He caught himself and held back the rest, but the Legilimens had already read the cruel answer from his unguarded thoughts.
"Crazy." Queenie's eyes filled with crushing disappointment.
"I didn't say it," Jacob's face looked genuinely innocent and panicked.
"You didn't need to say it out loud." Queenie closed her eyes, afraid her complete heartbreak would show.
"That's not what I meant, sweetheart!" Jacob hurriedly tried to explain, panic making his voice crack.
"No, that's exactly what you meant." Queenie picked up her luggage with decisive finality.
"I'm going to find my sister!" Then with a sharp crack of Disapparition, Queenie vanished from the London streets.
"Queenie!" Jacob shouted into the empty air, and the sky cooperatively began to rain harder, soaking him to the bone.
"That's not what I meant! I didn't say anything..." His low, hoarse voice echoed mournfully in the rainy night.
Back inside, Newt carefully repaired the torn postcard Queenie had destroyed and learnt Tina's current location in Paris.
"You going to Paris too?" Newt looked at Aiden hopefully.
"Of course I am." Aiden raised his champagne in a mock toast.
"I'll go pack right now! We can leave soon!" Newt immediately ran toward his workshop with renewed energy.
Jacob trudged back inside, completely soaked and looking like a drowned rat.
"Scourgify." Aiden pulled out his blackthorn wand and cleaned Jacob up with practised efficiency.
"It's not easy being with a Legilimens, is it?" Aiden studied Jacob with knowing eyes.
"I really didn't say anything cruel to her," Jacob remained downcast, slumping into a chair.
"But we can see directly into hearts. Being with someone like that makes you expend way more mental energy just trying to maintain the relationship."
Aiden cleaned up Newt's scattered dishes and put them back in the cupboard with small, precise movements.
"Even knowing all that, you still love her?" Aiden tilted his head curiously.
"Of course I do!" Jacob said immediately, his voice gaining strength for the first time since the argument.