NEW CHAPTER ALERT! SMALLSPER ALERT! This might be my favorite thing I've ever written, but that might just be because I am incredibly biased towards anything Smallsper. That's why this and chapter 2 of Restaurantsies are my favorite things. Before Smallsper, review responses!

Huffelpufdraws - Ike is brutally honest, and Albert has to deal with it.
YOU FEEL BAD FOR ALBERT BECAUSE ALBERT JUST SCREWED UP BIG TIME!
MACCIES AL SUPREMACY! AND GROUP HUG SUPREMACY!

VeronicaWeasley - Oh Albert, and oh Ronnie. Go get your lives together. *Vil says, knowing full well her life is chaos*
OH MY GOSH SLICKED BACK HAIR BRAINCELLS!
Oooh I've got plans for the signature sitcom bar mwahahahaha.
Albert's really just screwing up everything. Poor guy can't do job interviews.
SORRY, IT'S THE GODDAMN BRAINCELLS BREAKING INTO YOUR BRAIN AND STEALING YOUR THOUGHTS FOR MY CHAPTERS!
Albert's gonna work at Maccies, and you're gonna be proud of him. That's an order.

Now Smallsper.

Thursday, November 22nd, 2012, 8:30 AM

Sniper inspected the ring in his hand. It was small. Fit for a person with small fingers.

A person like Smalls.

Not smiling while simply thinking of her was a difficult, near impossible task for Sniper. She had saved his life, and changed it too, in so many ways. The first time he met her, she immediately changed his life. He remembered how he'd known right that she was the one. That was of course nothing eleven-year-old Sniper had realized then and there. Looking back at it, it was obvious that was how he felt. Eleven years later, it was even more obvious. They were both 23 now, and they'd been dating since they were 16. It was, since a long time back, time for a big next step.

Smalls would love this ring. It was silver, rather than gold or rose. Smalls had always prefered silver. The ring hadn't been particularly expensive, considering the budget and earnings Sniper had. This certainly wasn't something Smalls would be bothered by. She had even told Sniper once that once engagement was relevant, she wouldn't even need a ring. Sniper wanted to give her one anyway. It just felt right.

He had chosen today, Thanksgiving, to be the day. Why, he wasn't entirely sure. He just wanted it to be special, and what day was more special than Thanksgiving? All he had to do was wait and find the right moment to take Smalls aside, and pop the quesiton. They were all going to gather in Katherine, Jack and Crutchie's apartment, which was a pretty big place in a nice area. Taking Smalls outside for a quick walk, and proposing at the end of that would surely be magical. Then they could celebrate it together with everyone. The plan was waterproof.

It was well enough time for the two to get engaged. Why they hadn't already was a mystery in Sniper's mind. He guessed he just wanted it to be perfect. The perfect opportunities for the other couples in their group had already happened. For everyone except Spot and Race at least, but if Sniper was being honest, he wasn't sure if marriage really was Spot's thing, no matter how much he loved Race.

Blink and Mush had gotten engaged pretty much as soon as they got out of high school. The plan had been for them to get married only months later. Now it had been years, and so many obstacles had been thrown at the couple, and the whole group, that the wedding had still not happened.

Jack and Katherine were the only ones who had actually gotten married. A week after Katherine's 23rd birthday, Jack had proposed, and a week after Jack's 22nd birthday, their big party of a wedding had taken place.

No one knew exactly when Tommy Boy and Sarah had gotten engaged. Neither did anyone know how it happened, or who asked who. The extent of their knowledge was that one day, both Tommy Boy and Sarah had showed up wearing rings.

It was kind of like everyone was waiting for Smalls and Sniper to get engaged. The pressure was on.

Sniper lifted the ring up to eye level in the bathroom mirror. Practising for the big moment felt like a very awkward thing to do, so he kept telling himself that was not what he was doing. He was just... pepping himself up.

"Hey, what's that?"

Finch's voice startled Sniper, and he could only thank the heavens that he hadn't dropped the ring into the sink. Instead he quickly closed his hand around it.

"It's nothin'," he lied, quite unsmoothly. "Nothin' special..."

"Yeah, 'cause everyone examines nothin' in da bathroom mirror," Finch responded in a sarcastic way that only annoyed Sniper a little.

"Alright, then it's none a' yer business." Sniper squeezed the ring tighter.

"Come on, man," Finch prompted curiously, walking into the bathroom.

"I already toldja," Sniper rejected. "It's nothin' I can show ya."

With Finch's lack of filter to what he said, secrets were not a thing he could keep. Sniper had learned that the hard way. Several times. No one could know about this proposal thing until Sniper had actually asked Smalls.

"What's so secret ya can't tell me?" To Sniper's dismay, Finch's curiosity only appeared to grow with every time he told him he couldn't say what it was he was hiding. He guessed that was understandable.

"It's just..." How could he say this... without saying it? "It's a big important thing... that I just can't tell you about yet."

"Yes you can," Finch said, nodding enthusiastically. "Ya can tell me anythin', come on now."

"No." Sniper hoped his tone of voice made it clear that he wasn't discussing this any more.

"Alright," Finch narrowed his eyes. "I'll figure it out."

Please don't.

"Fine. Try all you will."

"Okay, let's see..." Finch's eyes followed Sniper around, and as did Finch himself when Sniper left the bathroom and went to the kitchen. "That thing in yer hand was small, and I think it was metal or somethin'... Was it a key? Are ya movin' out?"

"No."

"Alright..." he suddenly looked disappointed. "Don't tell me ya were just clippin' yer nails or somethin'."

"No. I wasn't."

"Nice!" the excitement was back. Sadly, that also meant he kept trying to figure it out.

"Ooooh, it could have been a ring!"

Fuck.

"Ya got yerself a ring?"

"No."

"Ya got Smalls a ring?"

"No." Technically, it was a little more than getting her a ring.

Something changed about Finch's face. His eyes widened in realization.

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "Yer proposin' to her!"

Sniper paused.

Fuck.

He paused.

"No."

He shouldn't have paused.

"Ooooh yes you are!" Finch laughed evilly, coming up and patting Sniper on the back. "Ya paused before answerin'!"

Why. Did. He. Pause.

"Just admit it! Yer proposin'!"

"Fine!" Sniper answered, following it with a sigh. He opened his hand and showed Finch the ring. "I'm proposin' to her tonight."

"Congratulations, Snipes!" Finch instantly threw his arms around Sniper, hugging him in a celebratory manner.

"Thanks, Finchy!" Sniper hugged back. "Just promise ya won't tell anyone, okay? I don't want anyone ta know before I've actually... y'know... done it."

"I promise," Finch put his hand on his chest, signalifying that Sniper could trust him. "I won't tell anyone."

4:30 PM

The fact that Finch wasn't allowed in the kitchen at Thanksgiving was one he'd accepted long ago. Actually, it was a fact he was quite fond of. It meant no one would nag at him to go help prepare the turkey, mash the potatoes, or whatever it was they were doing in there. Instead he got to sit on the couch with Tommy Boy, JoJo, Buttons, and a few others, watching movies and drinking beer. In Finch's eyes, it looked like he was having a lot more fun than the ones running around while doing the cooking.

Watching Pirates of the Caribbean on Thanksgiving was a tradition, the reasons for which no one knew. During the newsies' first Thanksgiving together in Jack, Katherine and Crutchie's apartment, Finch and Sniper had just been bored, and decided to watch it. Before they knew it, everyone had joined. The next year, they'd done it again, but on purpose this time. Now it was tradition. This being the fifth Thanksgiving they spent together, they started over on the first movie. Finch had of course watched it multiple times in the last four years since the first Thanksgiving, but it still felt nostalgic and nice to go back there. Having watched it several times naturally meant some lines were stuck like glue in his head.

"But why's the rum gone?!" Finch, Tommy Boy and Sniper all said in unison with Jack Sparrow.

It was a real shame their Jack Kelly had gotten tired of the "Captain Jack" jokes one hour into the first time they watched together.

Finch followed up their quoting of Jack Sparrow with another, similar quote.

"Why is the rum always gone?" he mumbled to himself while reaching for his beer bottle on the coffee table.

"Because ya always drink it all," Sniper snickered.

"Bet you want some too."

"Nah, rum's disgustin'," Sniper wrinkled his nose. "Beer's what you want."

He raised his glass, quietly saying "cheers" to no one but himself. Finch would have cheered too, but he was in the middle of taking a sip from his glass.

"I woulda' thought about shootin' her too if she did that," he commented on the movie.

"Remind me ta never date you," Tommy Boy joked.

"Ah please, you wish you could get this," Finch gestured at his own body. He was definitely a bit drunk.

"Nah, you's the one who should be jealous," Tommy Boy said with an evil grin on his face. "I's at least got a fiancée."

"I'm waitin' fer da right person," Finch confidently stated. "I ain't found her in this group, like youse have done, but she's out there."

"Settlin' down with one a' yer best friends is a great decision," Tommy Boy said. "I recommend it."

"Bet you do too, Snipes," Finch chuckled at his best friend. "Since yer settlin' down foreva-"

"I feel ya, Jack," Sniper raised his glass at the TV instead of answering Finch. "They's always right, especially when you don't want them to be."

Finch had not been paying attention to the movie while talking to Tommy Boy. It was lucky he knew exactly what happened in this scene. This one happened to be his favorite.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom real quick," Sniper said, putting down his glass. He climbed over the back of the couch, and ran off into the apartment corridor.

"What were ya sayin' before?" Tommy Boy asked curiously.

"What?"

"Y'know, before Sniper talked."

"Oh, yeah," Finch remembered. "Settlin' down foreva', y'know."

Immediately when he said it, he remembered what he'd promised Sniper.

"No, I don't know," Tommy Boy scoffed.

"Alright, I'll tell ya." Finch didn't know why he was doing this. Everything was just happening, somehow. He gestured for Tommy Boy to lean closer so he could whisper. "Snipes is proposin' ta Smalls t'night."

"What?" Tommy Boy leaned away again, looking amazed.

"Yeah," Finch nodded. "Saw 'im wit da ring earlia'."

"Holy crap," Tommy Boy laughed.

"Right," Finch laughed.

He took a sip from his glass, before standing up from the couch.

"I also need da bathroom," he announced, making his way away.

Fuck. He shouldn't have told Tommy Boy. He wasn't supposed to tell anyone. Well, Tommy Boy wouldn't tell anyone. Finch at least told himself he wouldn't. He had told Tommy Boy to not tell anyone, hadn't he? Going into the second bathroom in the big apartment, Finch shrugged it off, and decided to just assume he had told Tommy Boy it was a secret. And either way, who would Tommy Boy tell? No one else had heard their conversation, so it was no worries.

Absolutely no worries.

7:00 PM

Something was off. Very off. And this thing that was off was off with pretty much everyone in the apartment. During dinner, JoJo had talked about how it was such a big day, and then glanced directly at Sniper. Did they know? Then Race had gone on a big rant about relationships, and also looked at Sniper and Smalls. Did he know? Then just now, Mush had stopped Sniper in the hall, only to tell him good luck. Did he know? Did everyone know? How did everyone know?

Sniper didn't want to realize that if something was happening, it was definitely because of Finch. Stupid Finch and his stupid mouth, that couldn't keep stupid secrets. Conveniently, or coincidentally, Finch was nowhere to be seen. Unconveniently, neither was Smalls. If everyone did know the plan, Sniper needed to take Smalls out on that walk before the rumors reached her. For this reason, he was walking back and forth in the apartment, searching for her. Jack's apartment felt a hundred times bigger now that he needed to find something in it. Somehow people could move from one room to another without Sniper even noticing it. It was usually him who moved that quickly and quietly. Finally getting to know how other people felt about that wasn't a thing he exactly found comforting.

When he opened yet another door to a cleaning cupboard, he started to get impatient. The apartment wasn't that big, Smalls had to be somewhere!

Speed-walking back into the open floor plan dining-living room, he didn't find Smalls. All that was waiting there was yet another sign that Finch wasn't keeping his promises. This time in the form of Buttons. When Sniper entered the room through the corridor, an excited grin appeared on Buttons' face, and he ran up to Sniper.

"When are ya gonna ask her?"

There it was. The clear confirmation that what JoJo, Race and Mush had said weren't just coincidences.

"I'm lookin' for her," Sniper answered truthfully.

"Ooooh, you're gonna ask her now?" Buttons squealed.

There was no need to lie. "Yeah. I think so."

"Oooh good luck!"

"Thanks."

Sniper continued making his way through the apartment, but was stopped before he could even exit the room. Specs and Romeo appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. Sniper only internally begged for one thing, yet the opposite was given to him immediately.

"Guys, Sniper's gonna propose any minute now!" Buttons excitedly hissed.

Both Specs and Romeo gaped at Sniper, looking both shocked and ecstatic.

"Is it true?" Romeo whispered.

"Yeah, it is, so I's gotta find her."

Sniper attempted pushing his way through Specs and Romeo, but was only met by seeing Race, Spot and Albert a few feet behind them. Didn't matter. Maybe Smalls was in the other side of the apartment anyway. Sniper quickly turned around to walk the other direction, but quickly saw he didn't have to.

Smalls was there. Right there, on the other side of the living room, walking out of the hallway Sniper exited a minute ago. Sniper ran to her.

"Smalls!" He grabbed both her hands, and brought them up to his chest. Looking at her, he started smiling. Being engaged to the girl in front of him was a wonderful thought. He was just about to ask her to go on a walk when another voice interrupted. This time the voice of Ike.

"Have ya asked her yet?"

The smile was gone. Instead, Sniper pinched his lips together, and breathed in heavily. Smalls just looked confused in front of him.

"Asked what?"

Sniper looked up again, and out over the room. Suddenly, almost everyone was there, and they all had the same excited look on their faces. At the back of the crowd in the living room, Sniper's eyes found Finch. He was sorry. It was easy to see. But there was also another look in his eyes. One that Sniper could only interpret as one thing.

This is the moment. Go for it.

"What's goin' on?" Smalls asked, still furrowing her eyebrows heavily, and looking around the room as if everyone was having a telepathic conversation she couldn't join (which wasn't far from what was happening).

Sniper quickly collected himself through a deep breath. Then he made sure to get eye contact with Smalls. She still looked completely clueless, but now also a bit suspicious.

"I had hoped ta do this in different... circumstances," Sniper said, chuckling a bit under his breath. "But... now's the time."

A quiet "What?" escaped Smalls mouth as she continued trying to figure out the situation.

The usual uncontrollable smile appeared on Sniper's face as he got down on one knee, and fished the ring out of his pocket. By then, Smalls had understood what was happening.

"Presley Anne Jenkins... Will you marry me?"

Both Smalls' hands were clapped over her mouth, and the rare sight of tears in her eyes presented itself. She was quiet for a few seconds before letting one of her hands reach down to Sniper. The other one slid down to reveal her mouth again. Then she gave her answer.

"Fuck yes."

The happiness of this situation was unlike anything Sniper had ever experienced. As he put the ring on Smalls' finger, and she pulled him up from his knee, and into the warmest hug imaginable, he could truly feel that this was true happiness. This was what it was. Knowing he'd spend the rest of his life with Smalls, and making it official, in front of all their friends to see. While the other former newsies provided background noise in the form of cheers and congratulations, Sniper and Smalls shared a kiss. In their world, it was just them. The whole apartment - the entirety of New York - faded away, leaving only them. Together.

"I love you, Jeffrey."

"I love you too, Pretzels."

"Let's get outta here," Smalls smirked.

"Let's definitely get outta here."

With a very quick goodbye to the others, they headed out. Neither of them were one hundred percent sure where they were going, but they both had the same outcome in mind. Sniper might have known a good place for it. He had thought a couple of times about the nice hotel down the street...

THEY'RE ENGAGED NOOOOW! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Do review, because Smallsper, and I'll appreciate it and love it as much as I appreciate and love Smallsper, which obviously is a lot. Thanks in advance!