Author: Elladan
Disclaimer: Oh how I wished I owned Newsies. If I did, there'd be slash. Seeing as there is no blatant slash, I obviously don't own it.
Summary: Blink buys Mush a present. Fluffy, slightly-slashy goodness.
Genre: General.
Rating: K
King of New York
It was after the strike was finally over, the day Jack Kelly came back to the newsies. Kid Blink stood in the gathering crowd, his arm slung around the shoulders of his best friend. Blink's lone eye twinkled with amusement, but not because he was watching Jack kiss Sarah Jacobs. Instead, he was looking at his friend.
Mush was staring at Jack and Sarah, his brown curls glinting in the sunlight, a good-natured smile playing about his lips. Good-natured pretty much summed up Mush. When the strike first started, Mush was the only newsie big-hearted enough to wonder why they'd raised the price of papes. Most people called him naïve, but Blink liked him for it. It was nice to know that there was still someone in the world whose view on life wasn't cynical. Blink pulled Mush a little closer. If there was one person he never wanted to lose, it was Mush.
The crowd had thinned, and the newsies began to wander back the lodging house. It would be getting dark soon, and no one had any papes left to sell. As they headed toward the house, Blink grabbed Mush's hand and pulled him aside.
"I wanna show you summit. Follow me."
"What? Come on Kid, tell me," Mush begged, following Blink as he pulled Mush down a side street. Blink said nothing, just flashed his trademark smile. Mush knew what that meant; it was a surprise and there was no way he was going to get anything out of his blonde friend. He didn't mind though, not knowing where he was going. Blink had the kind of cheerful personality that made everyone around him happy too. Even though he had the tiniest bit of a temper, his catchy smile and even more contagious laugh had been known to make even Skittery crack a grin. There was nowhere else Mush would rather be than with Blink.
After running down a few alleys and side streets hand in hand, the two boys arrived somewhere behind the lodging house. Blink winked at Mush before digging around in some crates stacked up against the wall, looking for something. After a minute or so, he returned triumphant to where Mush was sitting on another crate.
"Since you're the King of New York now, I thought you'd be needin' these."
Mush took the box that Blink offered him and Blink pulled up a crate right next to Mush, hazel eye shining. Mush lifted the lid off the box, and the good-natured grin that Blink had grown so fond of spread across his face like wildfire. Mush clasped Blink's hand gratefully, but didn't let go, letting their fingers intertwine instead.
Blink looked at the box sitting in Mush's lap. Inside was a pair of shoes; shiny, clean and polished, with identical black laces.