Disclaimer: Newsies is not mine I say. Tis Disney's and shall remain that way.

Warning: slash? (seriously, like nothing sans the b word)

You Keep Getting It Wrong

Mush sat on a stone bench in the park. He'd spent the past two and a half weeks trying his best to confess the way he felt about someone. Sadly, it was a lot harder then he initially thought. He shut his eyes and they watered at the light burning sensation that came. Must have been focusing too hard today. Why did the world have to be such a jumble?

He had tried being subtle, he had tried being obvious, he even tried getting drunk but that had ended in a blur and black out. He supposed being naturally flirty with his friend had become so customary that it would be hard to tell when someone was serious otherwise. Outright telling him would be embarrassing and just plain sad. Aw yes, the world was a sad, sad place where common sense came to few and stupidity reigned free like a virus.

Just as Mush was about to get up he saw his friend and love interest, Blink. The two of them were pretty much inseparable. They even went so far as to make their class schedule match. Blink sat down next to him smiling as much as the day was bright and that sun was pretty high. Blink was drinking a blue and red Slush Puppie, which he always drank, and passed it to Mush.

"Thanks," Mush smiled at Blink.

"You looked thirsty," Blink kicked off his shoes and took off his socks, so that he could scrunch his toes around in the grass.

"Uh-huh," Mush nodded and drank.

"Mush, you ok? You've been acting kind of weird lately," Blink got up and tried doing a handstand.

"I'm fine Blink," Mush squeezed his eyes shut, "Ah, brain freeze!"

"Pain never felt so good," said Blink right before he fell.

Mush laughed and then sat down next to the fallen Blink, "You're such a dork."

"You know you like the weirdness," Blink took the Slush Puppie out of Mush's hands.

"The world would be a dull and boring place without you Blink," said Mush lying down on the grass.

The two of them laid there on the ground just watching the sky pass them by. Mush lazily lifted a hand to point out a cloud he thought looked like a jet ski. Blink then pointed out a cloud he said looked like a dragon, then said it was attacking Care-a-lot. That started off a round of hysterical laughter, passerby's gave them strange looks, but they just kept on laughing.

Blink sat up, "Take off your shoes and walk barefoot with me!"

"No, I might step on a something."

"That sounded like a yes to me," Blink sat on Mush's legs and yanked off his shoes and socks.

"Blink!"

Blink jumped off him and took off, shoes in hand. Mush jumped up and watched him run off. He wasn't really mad, though the thought of stepping on a snail didn't appeal much to him. This was why he liked Blink so much….it was never a dull or quiet moment and eve if there was, it was a comfortable one. Some young people don't quite understand love, but they had the rest of their live to figure it out. Watching it bloom and grow…..because Mush at least knew for sure, love never stayed the same. It's a constant change and that you never got the same love twice.

Mush casually strolled the park keeping an eye out for Blink. He knew Blink would eventually come to him if he strolled long enough, Blink had too short an attention span to be quiet for long. Mush smiled to himself as he classified the changes his love for Blink had taken. At first he'd had a genuine love for a friend, then the kind of love for the kind of person they are (sheer deep appreciation for who they are), and a tremendous love…for the person Blink was going to be, the kind of person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Mush heard the bush next to him rustle and he smiled.

Blink bounded out from behind the bush half covered in leaves and threw his arms around him, "You don't even try anymore."

"And you have no patience," Mush smiled and grabbed his shoes from Blink.

"Patience is for people with pills," Blink paused and realized he'd left his shoes back at the bench. "Crap."

"Pills looking pretty good, huh?" laughed Mush.

Blink shrugged and headed back for the bench.

"ADD much?" Mush started lightly jogging to catch up with Blink.

"I don't have ADD, I just have a lot of energy," he started skipping.

"And I take steroids," Mush noticed it was starting to get dark.

"If I was anyone else, I might have believed that," Blink looked around the bench.

Mush sat down on the grass, "What's wrong?"

"I think someone stole my shoes….." he sat down next to Mush.

"Who'd want your nasty old Vans?"

"Beats me."

"You know, it's a good thing you don't always take off your shoes in public. You might never have any at this rate."

"Haha so funny, I'm so gonna steal someone else's shoes."

"Blink, that's just wrong. How would you feel…..uh."

"Care to finish that sentence?"

"But then why would you do it to someone else?" Mush watched as the last of the sun went down.

"Maybe it's Karma?" Blink smiled. "You know I'd never do it to somebody."

"I know…." Mush looked around, "the Slush Puppie's missing too…."

"That bastard! That was mine!" yelled Blink from his spot on the ground next to Mush, smiling.

Mush laughed lightly and the two of them finally got quiet. Mush moved a little closer to Blink and his steady heartbeat suddenly jumped. A strange tingling feeling made its way up his arm and Blink turned and looked at him.

"Mush?"

And then of course he did something he even held out on doing when he was being obvious. It surprised him how soft Blink's lips were. A slow creeping warm feeling started at his chest and made its way through his body. Some of Blink's hair fell n his face and brushed against Mush's cheek. He finally broke the kiss for air.

Blink stared at him for a second, "Did you know Mr. Kaze in history wears a rug?"

Mush blinked at him.

"Also, according to Spot, he dresses in drag every weekend and hangs out at McBride's Bar and Grill on Karaoke night."

"How would Spot even…..Arg Blink, you keep getting it wrong!"

"What I do!"

Mush sat up and put his shoes on not even bothering to put on his socks. Blink sat up also clearly more confused then he should be. When Mush stood Blink jumped to his feet.

"Mush talk to me!" Blink caught hold of the back of Mush's shirt.

"Blink, no offense, but you're blind! No, not just blind, dense even!"

Mush had quickly turned to face Blink quicker then the other boy expected. Blink bumped into Mush and fell flat on his rear, while Mush had his hands pressed against his forehead.

"Mush…"

Mush sighed loudly then crouched down on the ground in front of Blink, "Listen, I've been trying like crazy to tell you without really having to tell you."

"Tell me what?" Blink just watched Mush's facial expression and could tell how serious his friend was.

"God, how is it that I kissed you and you don't get it?" Mush was starting to look exasperated.

"We've kissed before Mush."

"No we haven't."

"Yes we have."

"When?" he had a hard time believing it more so because he didn't remember it.

"You seriously don't remember?" Blink looked half offended.

"No…." Mush tried hard to wrack his brain, but nothing came to mind.

"We were at Race's house on Halloween last year."

Mush shook his head, still not remembering.

"I was dressed up as Tom Cruise from the movie Legend and you were some dude with a sword."

"Is that also the time when Dutchy thought it would be a good idea to use a grill inside?" Mush sat down when his legs finally started hurting.

"…Oh….yeah, that's the night Spot and Jack got you smashed."

"Oh yeah!"

"….so I guess you wouldn't remember," Blink sat upright.

"I didn't do anything stupid, did I?"

"You could never do anything stupid, Mush."

"Thanks, Blink," Mush was looking down at his hands.

Blink looked down at this own hands, then at Mush's, "So…I'm dense."

Mush smiled, "Blink, go out with me."

"That's what you were trying to do!" Blink smiled broadly.

"Blink!"

"Of course I will Mush," Blink stood up, "now, help me find my shoes."

Mush got up and the two of them roamed the park looking for his shoes, of course they eventually found them. They'd been Tied and Tossed. They'd been talking about their favorite scary movies when they had heard a plane flying overhead and noticed them dangling on the telephone wire. A small bright white note was tapped to the telephone pole.

Blink,

Paybacks a bitch!

-Racetrack.

"Now that's Karma," said Mush getting ready to give Blink a piggyback ride all the way home. Thank God it was just down the road.

"That's not Karma, that's crap!"

-

Racetrack and Spot were both sitting on swings smoking cigarettes smirking.

XXX

A/N: I'd like to say…..Blah. I'm tiered there was a black out when I wrote this and I had so many problems with Dream me away….. And it's getting so hot. –cries- My plant science teach also killed my muse. So lets all hate Mr. Bell right now. Grrr.