Authoress's Notes:  Part four is Mush/Blink! Yay ^_^! I've been putting off this chapter for a while now… so I finally just got off my ass and wrote it. Took me awhile huh? Y'know, I think by the fourth glass whoever is drinking all this wine would be pretty drunk. Just a thought. ^_^

Warning: No beta. I wanted to finish this today, and was too impatient to wait for my slow betas. (I'm not known for my patience.) Feel free to point out plot holes and bad plot details. Also, I was using this as an exercise for dialogue. Tell me if it's ok!

Thanks: To all my usual people. I'm too tired to write everything. And to all reviewers!

Disclaimer: Newsies. I do not own, and probably never will. Thank you.

The Sweetest Wine

Glass Four: All the Medicine you need

Mush hummed to himself quietly as he climbed the steps of the Lodging House, holding a large bowl of yellow broth with both hands. Carefully balancing the bowl of soup in one hand, he turned the doorknob with the other, sticking his tongue out of the corner of his mouth at the effort. Triumphant, he raised the bowl of soup and kicked the door open the rest of the way. He didn't seem to notice as it hit the wall with a loud crack.

"Ehya Blinky! How'ya doin'?" He said loudly into the mostly empty room.  He heard a muffled groan in response. "Now dat ain't no way ta respond, Kid. Plus Ise come bearin' soup!" A sandy colored head poked up from a top bunk towards the middle of the room. Most of the body was covered in a pile of sheets and blankets. Most of them appeared to be stolen from other beds.

"Soup?" Kid Blink croaked, looking over at Mush, the bags across his cheekbones contrasting with his hair. His nose was red, his face was deathly pale, and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked tired and miserable, sneezing and coughing from time to time.

"Whoa. Youse don' look so good, Kid."

"No shit. Wha' kinda soup youse gots dere?"

"Uh. I dunno. Smells kinda chickeny, dough." Mush handed the soup up to Blink, who blew on it gently to cool it down. "Did youse sleep all day?"

"Naw, Ise got up ta pee ev'ry once'n a while." Blink smiled at Mush, who burst out laughing.

"Youse know what Ise mean! Youse gotta get bettah, Blink. Ise don' know how long Kloppman's gonna keep ya 'round when youse ain't payin'."

"I know, I know. Ise gonna try ta go back in da moahnin'"

"But not if youse don' feel bettah!"

"Youse such a muddah hen, Mush."

"Am not! Ise jus' wan' youse ta get bettah, Kid. Youse know dat!" The indignant look on Mush's face melted at the sound of Blink's deep chuckle. But his expression fell a little at the hoarse undertone of Blink's laugh. "Ehy, Blinky? Can Ise sit on yoah bed?"

"Shoah, Mush. Youse didn' even gots ta ask! Youse up heah enough anyway." Mush nodded and climbed up onto the top bunk, settling at the end, sitting across from Blink. He crossed his legs, and watched as Blink took a sip of soup.

"Yum!" Blink smiled. "Ise t'ink youse was roight. It do taste loike chicken."

"You 'membah Butch, roight Kid?" Mush said softly, his voice serious.

"Yeh…. So?" Blink's smile faded.

"He got sick, kinda loike youse did. It just started wit a cough, and den he gotta fever. Ise 'membah how 'e would toss an' turn at night, an' Kloppman even let 'im sleep in da sick room. Dat room gives me da creeps." Mush shuddered. "'E was sick fer a long while, but finally, he jus'… died.

"Mush, Ise really don' wanna t'ink abou' dat. 'Specially roight now."

"Youse not gonna die, roight Kid?" Mush's eyes pleaded with him.

"Not plannin' on it. Don' worry 'bout it, Ise not as sick as Butch was, anyway." Blink grinned, showing white teeth. His smile transformed his face, his eyes seemed less bloodshot and his face gained a little color. Even the bruise colored bags under his eye and patch seemed less pronounced.

"Youse look bettah when youse smile, Blink." Mush said, sharing his smile.

"And youse look bettah when youse not worryin' all da toime." Mush sat on his heels and he leaned over the bowl of soup separating them. He kissed Blink softly on the forehead, a firm pressure of darker lips against light skin.

"No kisses on da lips 'til youse gets bettah!" Blink pouted at him, and Mush sighed. "Okay, fine, one. But if Ise get sick, youse gottah take good care of me."

Mush leaned forward again, and Blink met him halfway. The soup was forgotten between them.

***

Blink strode up the stairs of the Lodging House, smiling faintly to himself, a bowl of yellow broth clutched in his hands. He wrestled with the door, and, finally getting it open, swaggered into the room.

"Ehy! Mush! Feelin' any bettah?"

"No, you scum-bag! Dis is all yoah fault!"

"Now Mushy, dat isn't the way to tawk to yoah helpful lovah, 'specially when 'e brings you soup!" Mush was lying on a bottom bunk, his covers pulled up to his chin, a petulant look on his face. He scowled more deeply as Blink walked over to his bedside. "C'mon, cheer up! Ise gonna feed youse myself. Ise brought a spoon an' ev'ryt'ing!"

"Fine," Mush huffed, before breaking out in a smile. "Ise too much of a softy to stay mad foah long."

"Yeh, but dat's on o' da t'ings Ise love 'bout youse." Blink pulled a spoon out of his back pocket and, very carefully, spooned a bit for Mush, blowing on it gently.

"Ise loves youse too, Kid." Mush said, smile growing as he watch Blink carefully blow on the soup.

"Good."  

***

End notes: Well, It's been almost a year, but I finally got out this next chapter. It's not great, but not horrible. A bit rushed though. I'm really looking forward to what's next: Swifty/Bumlets. And now I can finally write it! Tell me what you think of this chapter!