Bitter did not have a pleasant time while Whiskey was bedridden. Spot spent practically every minute with her, making sure she would not be up to trouble, while trying to convince her to spill all the plans that he "knew she and Whiskey made." Bitter just ignored him to her best ability, usually taking off on a quick sprint to show him she meant business when he got too annoying.

Bitter would go visit Whiskey in bed, who was quite content bedridden, especially when Specs was around to keep her company. Bitter would go on and on about Spot's protective behavior and his prodding questions, which only made Whiskey laugh. "Serves ya right," Whiskey said, arm looped around Specs as Bitter told one of her outlandish situations with Spot.

Bitter threw her arms up in the air and growled lowly, stomping out of the room for the fourth time that week. She was going crazy with her lack of freedom from the past week and was sick of being treated like some criminal. So what did she do? Well, that's a very good question.

Being quite sneaky, Bitter found a way around seeing Spot for the day, waiting until he was heavily involved in a poker game, too involved to notice her slipping up the stairs. She made her way to the bunkroom, tiptoeing past Specs and Whiskey, who were happily asleep in each other's arms. The window was open and she easily got through without making so much as a single creak. She slid down the fire escape and ran off for a quick midnight swim by herself.

Of course, it was just like Bitter to take all the back routes, the darkened alleyways filled with all sorts of villains lurking in the shadows of the seemingly deserted alleys. She was fully on guard like usual, but when someone wanted something bad enough, the victim could never be too ready.

She reached the docks without a hitch, a satisfied smirk spreading across her face at the accomplishment. Protection, she scoffed. Who da hell needs it... she thought as she reached 'her' pier, which was predictably empty. The moonlight shined down softly on the docks, barely illuminating the inky black water around it. Bitter looked left, then right. No one in sight. Within seconds she had stripped down to her underclothes and slipped silently into the water. For several minutes she effortlessly gilded through the water, cutting swift strokes through the crisp, uninhabited water.

As she swam she thought; of Spot's recent behavior, of Trick's "plan," and most of all, of Whiskey's cheerful disposition, regardless of being bedridden. If I had a man like Specs keepin' me company I'd probably be pretty damn cheerful too, that boy is wrapped around her fingertip, Bitter thought with a sigh, wishing that Spot were just a tad bit more manageable. Bitter shook her head back and forth in dismay at the thought and spoke aloud with a small chuckle. "If Spot were even half da wimp dat Specs id, I don't think I could stand him. Dat's why ya like him, Bittah, he's tough, ambitious, an I bet he's a stallion in bed..." Bitter thought aloud as she turned back towards the docks and drew herself out of the water, still thinking about Spot, and wondering if he lived up to his reputation as a sex god.

Rushing over to the crate where she had deposited her clothing, Bitter searched for her pants. "Shit! Where da hell are dey?!" she asked to no one in particular with a half-growl.

"Lookin' fer dese, doll?" a husky voice asked from the alley.

Bitter froze in her tracks, her eyes growing wide at the threat as she blushed with embarrassment, which soon turned to rage. "You will give me those back," she stated, her eyes narrowing as her hand reached out, demanding the articles of clothing as she glared into the shadows.

The voice spoke again, "I dunno, you ain't lookin' half bad stripped down an' jussa 'bout as naked as da day ya was born."

Bitter grew flushed at the comment as she advanced upon the shadow, not caring whom it was. The only thoughts that consumed her mind now were getting her clothes back, and kicking the shit out of the intruder. The interloper stepped out of the alley, keeping in the shadows as he dangled her pants temptingly out of grasp as she advanced upon him.

The moment she reached him she was instantly pinned against the wall, the uneven bricks pressing harshly into her back, as the figure molded himself against her. Bitter was cursing vehemently the entire time, struggling against the steely grip he had around her hands, which were conveniently pinned above her head.

"Shhh," the shadowy figure asked once more, succeeding in ceasing Bitter's tirade with a harsh and needy kiss, a familiar kiss, a kiss that she willingly intensified upon realizing the identity of the prowler. Bitter moaned against his lips, as his grasp loosened and he put his hands to better use, roving them up and down her sides.

"Christ, Spot! What da fuck were ya tryin' ta do?" Bitter asked, pulling away from Spot and looking him in the eye, trying to regain a fraction of her former rage, anything strong enough to break through the hazy lust that had taken its place.

Spot just smirked and pinned Bitter once more. "Jus' teachin' ya a lesson. I'se told ya a million times not ta go wanderin' around at night alone. Bad things can happen ta people who do dat," he stated, letting his lips resume their lazy path from her temple to her collarbone.

Bitter moaned and tried weakly to push Spot away, fighting the internal battle of whether or not to let him continue whatever it was he was doing that felt so good, or to draw the line and put her foot down with a forceful "No." The hedonist in Bitter won out as she yielded to his roaming lips, freeing her hands and drawing his chin upwards to plant an eager and needy kiss on his waiting lips as she threw her arms around his neck.

She fought the emotional torrent that was rushing through her. The only sexual encounter she had ever had was a nightmare, a memory she would much rather erase from her mind, and that nagging memory plagued her as she and Spot went at it. On the other hand this felt far better than anything she had ever tried before, it came almost naturally, she thought as she tugged at Spot's bottom lip with her teeth, much more aggressively then she ever thought she was capable of doing.

Spot broke the passionate interchange and leaned back a bit to look her in the eyes. "We'se don' hafta do anythin' you ain't ready foh," he stated seriously, his brow furrowing in concern as a smirk dangled at the edge of his lips.

Bitter thought for a moment before breaking into a smile and ruffling his hair, his cap having already been knocked off in the previous encounter. She pulled him close by his suspenders and whispered breathily in his ear. "I'se ready foh ya, Spot."

The divulgence set Spot's face agleam. His eyes twinkled with mirth and his face broke into a rarely seen smile. "Well den, whatta we waitin' foh? Dilly dallyin' in dis heah alley when we could be back at da lodgin' house…" Spot started suavely before being cut off by Bitter's concerned voice.

"Whatta 'bout da newsies? I mean, dey'se gonna know dat you, and I, dat we'se…" she stumbled uncomfortably, trying to come up with a word to describe it.

"Bittah," Spot stated with a devious little smirk, "You'se been sleepin' in me bed foh da past week. Even doh we ain't been doin' nothin', I'se suah dey'se already come ta dere own conclusions."

Bitter considered this for a moment before gathering her clothes and changing back into them. "Well den. What da hell we waitin' foh, mutt?"

They were a bit delayed in getting to the Lodging House, considering about every block or so they would take turns playfully pinning each other in a darkened alley, distracting them from their destination for a good half hour or so. When the two finally arrived, the Lodging House had gone quiet, the last of the poker games was wrapping up, and most of the newsies had already headed off to bed. The giddy couple made their way silently up the fire escape, slipping noiselessly into Spot's room.

Although they could not keep their hands off of each other the entire way back, after fulfilling their goal of making it back, an awkward silence took over as both nervously eyed one another. Bitter was busy comparing herself to all his past lovers, hoping that she would be able to satisfy him, and trying to reassure herself that she was ready to commit to Spot this way. Spot was equally as nervous, trying calm to his frazzled nerves. He felt like a virgin again, something he would have never thought possible. But that was the kind of effect Bitter had on him, he thought musingly as he devoured her with his eyes.

All the women in his past became inconsequential when pitted against the one standing in front of him, trying her best not to let her sudden case of nerves surface, after all, she had never been that good at admitting weakness. Spot smiled once more as he reached for her hand, which she supplied a little overeagerly. "Don' worry Bittah, I ain't goin' nowhere," he reassured her, bringing her hand up to his lips and kissing it, slowly, attempting to relax her and get her back into the comfortable state she was in earlier in the evening.

"You sure you ready foh dis?" Spot asked once more as he led her to the bed. Even after pouring on the charm, and pulling out every trick he knew, Bitter was still a bit uneasy.

"Yes." Bitter eked out, unsure of why she was suddenly so nervous, especially after it had come so easily in the alleyway. "I'se sorry Spot, dunno why I'se so nervous, I mean, it was so easy back dere in da alley."

Spot just smirked and whipped his cap off. "Well, I remembah you runnin' ya hands through me hair, like dis," he stated, bringing her hand up and guiding it through his dark blonde locks. "And den we did somethin' like dis," Spot continued, pinning Bitter's arms above her head and working the same magic on her neck that he had earlier. "A course you wasn't wearin' as much clothes as ya are now," he stated between kisses, prompting a little chuckle from Bitter, who obligingly removed her outer clothes once more.

"Dat bettah?" she asked, the playfulness returning as Spot smirked appraisingly.

"Very much," Spot stated, removing his own shirt and encouraging Bitter to get accustomed to the feel of him by placing her hands on his bare chest as he continued to nibble at her neck and tease her through the thin fabric.

Bitter took to the guided 'lesson' quite well, and it was not long before the two back to the same heat they had felt back in the alley. Any thoughts of inadequacy were wiped from Bitter's mind as Spot continued to tease and tempt her, working her up to the point where contact with him was painfully pleasurable. It was at this peak, when she felt as if he withheld in any way she would simply die, that he ceased whispering sweet nothings and posed a serious question.

"Ya suah Bittah?"

"Yes," she answered breathily. "With you Spot, only with you," she whispered as Spot entered her slowly. Regardless of the fact that Bitter was not technically a 'virgin,' Spot still respected that it was her first time, and wanted to make it as memorable and pleasurable as he could.

"You okay?" he asked between kisses, a bit concerned as he watched her brow furrow. A languid smile spread across her face at the admission of his concern, and she found that a throaty "Mmm" was the only response she was capable of as Spot continued to thrust, slowly building up a rhythm with Bitter, a rhythm that had them both enthralled, completely oblivious to anything other than each other.

And as quickly as it had begun, in the alleyway, it ended. Both sated, lying content in each other's arms, as sleep claimed them.

~ ~ ~