Disclaimer: Newsies and all the characters cept Enchanted don't belong to me...

The door to Tibby's opened once again as a familiar figure entered the restaurant. "Lookit this. It's a party," she joked.

"Hey, Enchanted!" Jack called, followed by other words of greeting. She waved a hand back and promptly dropped noisily in the vacant seat next to Mush. Mush's eyes widened in anxiety, and he flashed a meaningful glance towards Mysty.

Enchanted tossed her long, black hair over her shoulder and smiled at Mush. "Heya!" she said to Mysty.

"Did he kick you out?" Mysty asked, ready to flare up at Spot.

Enchanted shook her head. "Not yet. It's just that he's been really testy and irritable last night and today. Couldn't stand his complaining, so I decided to take a walk, see how things were doing," she explained easily. "Damn, I'm hungry," she muttered and dug a hand into her pocket. She came up with a penny. "Um...does anyone wanna share their food with me?" her brown eyes swept the table, pleadingly.

Everyone looked away ashamedly. They had their own stomachs to fill, and they couldn't afford to share with Enchanted. "Sorry," Gears said apologetically, speaking for all of them. Enchanted smiled wryly.

"It's all right," she said amiably. She knew what their plight was like, for she had been in their position. Skunk was a lazy newsie, and hated selling. Therefore, he didn't have much money in his pockets. Almost every day, he would go to Spot and ask for money. Spot, however, would just simply refuse.'

"You'se can do betta," he would lecture, "Try ta sell more papes today!"

And so, Skunk would turn to Enchanted. There had been countless times when she had simply refused to do what he asked, but there had also been countless times when she had grudgingly forked over 5 cents or given Skunk about half of her sandwich.

Mush scratched his head in contemplation. 'Should I...should I not?' His stomach growled hungrily. Deciding suddenly, he tore the roll the waiter had given him in half. "Enchanted?" he said softly.

Enchanted turned towards him to see that he was offering her half of his roll, the only food he had. She smiled buoyantly and shook her head. It was clear that he was hungry and that he needed the food more than she did.

He watched her turn her head, and saw her smile at him. His stomach shouted at him, but his hand didn't waver. "No," he said, in answer to her refusal to take it, "Take it, I'se ain't even dat hungry," he lied. His stomach growled again, but the hunger was overpowered as she smiled wistfully

Enchanted stared at him. Was Mush actually giving him half of his roll? 'God, he's sweet,' she thought. Smiling gently, she reached over and grasped it.

Their fingers touched as he handed her the roll, crushing whatever hunger he had left. She grinned as she bit into the roll, as Mysty winked at her. When they had touched, they had created sparks, and soon the air was full of electricity.

Mysty couldn't conceal a smile as Mush kept giving sidelong glances at Enchanted. Tapper rolled her eyes, as Gears nodded, shortly.

Gears was a good judge of people, or so everyone said. She knew if people belonged together, or if they didn't. And the chemistry that Mush and Enchanted displayed just by slightly brushing fingers proved enough to her. She was glad that Mush had found someone he liked. For years, he had remained singled out as the one who couldn't get a girl but she knew that Enchanted would fix all of that, soon.

Mysty signaled to Mush. "Ask her out," she mouthed when Enchanted was looking away. Mush shook his head fervently. "Do it!" she mouthed again.

Mush waveringly tapped Enchanted on the shoulder. She turned to face him, and he gripped the table for reassurance. "Enchanted...would ya...do ya..."

Enchanted smiled tauntingly. Out of the corner of her eye, she had seen Mysty frantically signal Mush and she had seen what she was trying to say. "Jesus, Mush. If you're gonna ask me out, just do it," she reproved helpfully.

Mush blushed and reached his hand, as if he wanted to stroke her cheek, and then dropped it. "Willya be me goil?" he asked quietly.

Enchanted bit her lower lips, and thoughtfully nodded. "I think I will." Something she had never considered before popped up in her mind. 'He has everything I look for in a guy...' That set her at ease, and she nodded even more firmly. "Where do ya wanna go?" she spontaneously asked.

"Go?" Mush was confused.

"On our first date. Right now," she informed him matter-of-factly. Mush just stared at her. Then, he shrugged. "Aw right, shoah."

He followed her out of the restaurant, and somehow, his arm had crept around her neck and now rested on her shoulder. He was happy when she didn't object, and instead cuddled closer.

~*~