Title: Startle
Rating: PG-13- sensitive topics, mild language.
Summary: It's Christmas Eve, and there's nothing for Skittery. All the other newsies have their girls, their parties to go to, their own way of celebrating. But not Skittery. Not him. Until he realizes that he might not be alone. Slash implied.
Author's Note: Impulsive need to write a Skitts/Blink fic led to this being written. In honor of Christmas being only three weeks away. Woohoo!
Startle
"Hey Skitts."
"Hey Blink."
"Merry Christmas."
"It's not Christmas."
"'T's Christmas Ever."
"But it's not Christmas."
"C'mon. Can you'se not be happy for 'least one night?"
"Nah. What's da fun in that?" The light of a single cigarette smoldered a deep orange in the increasing darkness of the street. The dimly lit doorstep where two figures stood was covered in a fresh dusting of snow. The roll of an eye deepened the scowl plastered on Skittery's face.
"Are ya jus' gonna sit here all night?" Blink's tone was light and curious, but Skittery was suspicious nonetheless.
"Why do you care?" A long drag from the cigarette. The smoke mixed with the pair's frozen breath, creating a light haze in the air between them. Blink didn't answer. The pause was seemingly infinite, punctuated only by the soft sound of the falling snow, and the crunch of boots on snow a few blocks away.
Skittery sighed. "I hate Christmas." Nothing. The faint strains of a Christmas carol being sung echoed down the deserted street.
"Why?" Blink shoved his hands in his pockets, a feeble attempt to keep them warm. A short brooding silence responded, as Skittery chewed on the end of the cigarette.
"It's a stupid holiday." The sole light in the street went out as he stamped out the cigarette. The only remaining light, the faint glow of the moon, cast just enough light to outline the two figures. "It seems like everyone but me's got someone ta spend da night with."
"Yous gots me." An uneasy shifting met the three word sentence.
"Ya missed my point."
"No I didn't."
"Yes, you'se did."
"Nah. I got what you'se was saying."
"Why are we doin' this, Kid?"
"Doin' what?"
"All da otha newsies, they got their goils or hell, even some like Davey's got their own families to be with. What've we got? Nothin'."
"We'se gots each other." Blink dusted his hat free of snow, pulling another cigarette out of a tattered packet. Striking it up against the wall, the sudden flame illuminated the small stoop. Skittery's face, staring into the window of the apartment across the street, where the faintest outline of a tree was visible, was filled with a look of longing.
"But what's that mean? All it means is we'se got someone else ta bitch with. Couple 'a bummers with nowhere ta go."
"Ya missed my point."
"No I didn't."
Sighing, Blink turned and stepped down onto the street, where a soft gust of wind blew the falling snowflakes into his face. Before he could take another step, a cold hand encased his. Blink's heart rose, as he knew exactly whose hand it was. He allowed himself to be turned back to face Skittery. With a hint of resentment he looked up into the dark face of his troubled friend, silently cursing the fact that only Racetrack and Spot were shorter then he was.
"Didja mean it?"
"Mean what?" Blink was now confused, only slightly distracted by the three perfect snowflakes hanging of Skittery's dark eyelashes.
"That… nevamind." Skittery let go of Blink's hand, and Blink felt his heart sink back to its normal position. "'S just... why do goils neva like me?"
At those words, Blink's heart sunk lower, seeming to fall for ages before lodging firmly in his stomach. "Whaddya mean? Lotsa goils like ya. You'se just the kind of guy who they'se too scared to walk up ta."
Skittery snorted. "Please. You'se makin' me sound like some sorta god."
"…I'se been thinkin' you are," Blink muttered, barely whispering.
"What?" Skittery was immediately more attentive; it was obvious that he hadn't heard what Blink had said.
"Nuthin'."
"Blink, ya said somethin'. I ain't stupid, ya know."
"Ya think I don't know that already?"
"What's goin' on with you? I thought friends told eachotha everythin'?"
"Skitts…" Blink kneaded his forehead with his fingers, slowly working his way towards massaging his temples, holding onto the end of the cigarette tightly as he did so. Haughtily, Skittery leaned against the rough stone of the doorstep, his eyebrows creased in a slight frown line. Eyes locked, neither moved, Skittery daring Blink to say what was on his mind, and Blink glaring back with just as much defiance.
"Ya ain't ever gonna change, are ya Blink?"
"Wha's that supposed ta mean?"
"I think you'se knows what it means."
"And maybe I don't and you'se needs to explain it ta me." The challenge went unanswered as Skittery sat down into the light layer of snow. Tracing patterns into it with his fingers, he trained his eyes on the ground, not even glancing up when Blink cleared his throat. "C'mon Skitts. Explain ta me."
"You'se never gonna change, Blink. You'se always gonna be the one guy out there who neva looks in my direction when I'se sayin' somethin'. You'se always the one who looks the other way. And wheneva I talk to ya, you'se the one who always gives me somethin' of an answer. Neva a real answer. Just enough to get me off your back. And I'se been wondering why that is." Throughout his speech, Skittery had never once looked up; he hadn't seen Blink's face, hadn't seen the tender looks Blink had been giving him. And once he was done speaking, he stayed huddled over. Blink took a seat next to him.
"You'se never mentioned this before, Skitts."
He felt, rather than heard, the soft shrug. Skittery shifted his weight slightly, watching Blink out of the corner of his eye. "I'se never though it was important."
"But it's important enough for ya ta want to mention it now?" Blink's voice was fringed with curiosity, but also with a slight hint of accusation. Skitts turned to him fully now, his eyes flashing in the deep navy color of the night. When he spoke, his hot breath rushed over Blink's face, causing the shorter boy to raise his eyebrows in surprise.
"I'se just thought I'd mention it! And I'se realized that you ain't out wit' a goil, either!" This time it was Blink whose features hardened at the remark.
"So?" Blink's tone was crisp and cool as he replied swiftly to Skittery's statement.
"So, why? You'se the type who would usually be out wit' da…da…" Skittery trailed off, mouth slightly ajar. Struck by a sudden thought, he looked at Blink with a newfound sense of curiosity. Once he'd thought about it, Blink was never out with Racetrack and Mush when they were with girls. Blink was always the one who sat around at the lodging house and played cards or the like with the younger boys. And as far as Skittery knew, Blink had never been to the celebrations on holidays where there were the most girls. He was always with him, Skittery.
"What?" Blink demanded, still glaring at Skittery with a murderous look. His features did not soften when Skittery turned up the edges of his mouth into a faint smile.
"You'se not one of them, is you?"
"One of what?" Still defensive, Blink tensed slightly at Skittery's question, as just one thought ran through his mind. He knows.
"Have you'se ever been out with a goil?"
"Of course! I'se escorted Sarah to and from—" Skittery cut him off.
"That wasn't what I'se was talkin' about and ya know it."
"No."
"No what? You'se neva been out wit' a goil or you'se don't know what I'se been talkin' about?"
"You'se know."
"Blink…"
"No! I'se neva been out wit' a goil! Is you'se happy now?" Skittery shifted closer to Blink, closing the gap between them.
"I know." In one swift movement, Skittery leaned forward, pushed his lips roughly onto Blink's and pulled back, searching his face for a reaction. In return, he felt the space pierced again, and this time, it was Blink who led the kiss, rough at first, but then softer. After what seemed to be an eternity, they pulled apart.
Standing up together, Blink looked over at Skittery.
"Merry Christmas, Skitts."
"Merry Christmas, Blink."