"You know as well as I do that we can't keep doing this, Race," Spot said as he and the Manhattan newsie sat side by side on one of the docks under Brooklyn's rule. Racetrack pulled an cigar out of his pocket and lit it with a match Spot handed to him. He took a drag before looking at Spot.

"I can't do this without you," he said calmly. The past three weeks had literally been some of the worst of his life. Everything that could go wrong had gone wrong. Not only had life decided it hated him; he didn't have anyone to complain about it too. It wasn't like he had been able to see the Brooklyn leader every day even when they were firmly together but somehow just knowing that he would care would help. He may not admit it, but Racetrack knew that Spot cared. He still did, even though they'd been broken up for the past three weeks.

"Do what?" Spot asked, his eyes firmly on the sunset and not trailing over to the Italian.

"Everything?" Racetrack muttered, his voice cracking. Spot finally turned to look at him, very briefly, before turning away again.

"Why won't you come to your senses? You're too good for me you know. God knows I probably won't live to be eighteen, Race, then what are you going to do? Wouldn't it be better to be rid of me now?" The Brooklyn leader tried not to let any emotion show in his voice, but Race knew him well enough to notice just how tense he was. His hands were holding onto the deck so hard that his knuckles were turning white.

"No." Race watched Spot carefully. He reached out carefully and turned Spot's face until he was looking at him for longer than a few seconds. "I love you."

Spot didn't say anything at first. He placed his hands over Race's that were still on his face and sighed, "I know. I wish you wouldn't." Race just grinned.

Spot kissed him first. The kiss was long, heated, putting everything that the two had missed in the past three weeks into it. Spot eased Racetrack onto his back against the damp wood of the dock before breaking the kiss and curling up against his side.

"Fine. You win," Spot muttered into Race's shoulder. Race nodded again. He had known he would win from the moment Spot agreed to see him.

"Love you," he said again, quiet so as not to break the mood, before closing his eyes.

Spot was tracing patterns idly on Race's chest and nodded against his side. "Yeah... I love you, too."