Notes: None. I think. I'm trying to keep these short.
Thanks: Um….Everyone? Reviewers: Thanks for the support! Gah, I am so hopelessly addicted to reviews…. Oi. And thanks to my betas Fatechan, Wizesandz, and Carmen! You all know I say the same thing here every time. So you don't really have to read it. Yadda yadda yadda. Boff! (My new favorite word).
Disclaimer: I'm too wound up to be creative right now. I don't own anything that has to do with Newsies. At least I don't right now. ~_^
Foundations
Chapter Eight: Confessing my Sins
The thud of heavy shoes over cobblestones echoed in the mostly deserted, half-lit streets. Jack stood stunned for a few precious moments as Spot fled, before shaking off his surprise. He chased after the quickly diminishing figure fleeing the scene. 'Dat was unexpected...'
Spot was swift and agile, running at a high speed and still managing not to slip on the uneven cobblestones. Jack sprinted as fast as he could; beginning to close the distance between the two of them. Spot reached a crowd of passerby, and threaded through them with ease, fingers brushing their shirts and arms. Several moments passed and Jack plowed through the people, startling several of them, pushing men and women alike aside with clumsy hands. Slowly the distance closed, the two boys ran farther away from busy intersections, treading towards the outskirts of the city.
Spot stumbled on a loose stone and momentarily lost his footing. Jack, seeing his opportunity, lunged forward and caught the Brooklyn boy by the arm. Without fully turning around, Spot tried to wrench his wrist out of the tight grasp and spat out at Jack, "Get yoah fuckin' 'ands offa me!"
"Spot! Spot stop!" Jack yelled to the slim boy as he jerked his hand away violently.
"No way in 'ell!" Spot growled, before taking off again. Jack halted for a moment, took a deep breath, and then began to give chase again.
They reached the river, the cobblestones melting into the docks that lined the shore. Sailboats and cargo ships alike were pulling into the harbor as the day began to draw to a close. The sky had clouded, and the warm summer heat had faded into laden humidity. A few weak rays of sunlight filtered through the thick layer of water vapor.
Their feet pattered, echoing as they weaved around human bystanders, on alternately the worn wood of the docks or the uneven stone of the road. Time stretched and stretched, until it seemed as if it would break with the tension. Time was elastic, and at any moment it would snap back and hit Jack in the face. He sped up.
***
Spot glanced over his shoulder. 'Shit,' he thought, mentally grimacing, ''e's catchin' up!' He felt a drop of sweat trickle between his shoulder blades, his long bangs stuck to his forehead, and the thin soles of his shoes did nothing to cure the throbbing ache in his ankles and shins. He hadn't run like this in a long time. 'Ise shouldn' 'ave ta deal wit dis. Why is 'e pushin' me when it's o'vious I don' wan' nothin' ta do wit 'im?' His steps involuntarily slowed as weariness seeped into his bones. 'Don' t'ink Spot, jus' run. Run all youse can.' He peered over his shoulder again, his eyes widened, the black pupil contracted to a pinprick. 'Fuckin' hell! E' sped up! Wha' does 'e wan' from me?'
The puffs of his breath cooled against his cheeks, contrasting the humidity around him. 'Ise nevah was da bes' long distance runnah.... ' He thought, absurdly. His thoughts cut off abruptly as a smooth but firm hand clamped onto his shoulder, the grip like silk and steel. He was pulled sharply around, the movement too sudden for his surprised mind to adjust. Something warm and soft pushed against his lips, just a hint of hardness behind. 'A…mouth? Lips? Ise bein' kissed!' The lips pressed against his forcefully, a restricted ferocity in their intentions. The tip of a warm tongue slipped along the edge of his mouth, but he refused to let it enter. His mind belatedly caught up with his body, and he tried to pull away, but found he couldn't; the grip still held him tightly. His eyes, having treacherously closed at the onslaught of those lips, flickered open. Jack's sharp eyes and intense face stared back at him. 'Don' react. Jus' stand dere an' stay still an' maybe 'e'll get boahed an' lea'me alone.' He stilled. His body stiffened, his eyes unfocused as he stared unblinkingly into the bangs falling disheveled over Jack's sweaty forehead. It took only moments for Jack to stop his onslaught, his full lips leaving Spot's slightly swollen ones.
Jack took a step back and tilted his head slightly to the side, considering. He then stepped forward again, and pushed.
Spot stumbled backward, falling against the wall behind him, his back taking the full force of the blow. Jack just looked at him with calm eyes. Spot straightened and lifted an arm, using the back of his hand to wipe the leftover saliva from his lips. They stared, the silence complete save for the noises of a city reaching the day's end. All questions fled from the recesses of Spot's brain, running out his ears and drifting away on the stagnant air. Finally Jack broke the silence,
"Ise tol' youse dis wasn' sorted, Spot." He said, his voice soft and serious. Spot pulled his lips back in a silent snarl.
"Wha' 'zactly is it dat youse wan', Jackie-boy?"
"Ise wan'ed ta tawk ta youse, Spot."
"No, Jackie-boy, wha' is it dat youse wan' from me?"
"Whatevah Ise can get." Jack replied, his voice even.
***
Spot's eyes widened and he sucked his breath in through his teeth. Jack just stood still, waiting for Spot's reaction.
"Whaddya mean?" Spot asked slowly.
"Jus' what it sounds loike. Ise messed up, Spot. An' I'll take whatevah kinda relationship youse wanna let me 'ave."
"Ise can' do dat Jack. Wese 'ad sex." His voice both stressed and softened the last word.
"Yeh, Ise knows. Ise don' un'erstand why dat is such a big problem, but Ise guess it is. Can' youse jus' gimme anuddah chance?" Jack voice softened as well, puzzlement clearly heard in the soft words.
"Ise don' know. Mebbey. Let me t'ink abou' it."
"Well, befoah youse go lemme give youse one moah t'ing." Spot raised an eyebrow. Jack leaned forward and placed a hand behind Spot's head, threading his fingers through Spot's hair. Jack's other hand snaked around behind Spot's back and pushed slightly against the small of his back. Spot fell forward a few paces and Jack brought their lips together again. Their lips opened against each other and it was Spot's tongue this time that sought entrance. It ran along Jack's teeth and gums, tangling with his tongue, before retreating again. Their lips smacked as they parted, and Spot lifted his hands to cup Jack's face. He leaned forward and sloppily kissed Jack again on the lips, before pulling back and smirking.
"Yeh, I'll t'ink abou' it." Then he turned and walked away, heading back toward Brooklyn. Jack stood still, a bewildered look on his face. He touched his fingers to his lips before shaking his head and going his own way.
***
Spot strode all the way back to Brooklyn, solidly refusing to think at all. His lips hurt. He rubbed at them idly with the back of a hand as he reached the docks by the Brooklyn Lodging House. The air hung low and humid, and Spot wandered over to the dock, sitting down on the worn boards. He sprawled onto his back and sighed deeply, the moisture in the air beading on the exposed skin of his face and arms. He flopped his arm on top of his eyes, and finally let himself think.
The images came rushing back, and Spot's mind momentarily froze. 'Shit, Spot. Youse really gotten yoahself into it now.' He thought to himself, 'Youse shouldn' like it, but youse do anyway. Youse ain't got no idea o' wha' yoah doin', Spot. Stay outta dis bidness an' you'll stay intact.' Spot laid his head onto the boards beneath him, only barely refraining from slamming his head against the hard wood in frustration. Could he really do that? Could he stay intact if he left Jack behind? Spot didn't know. 'Ise promised moiself dat Ise wouldn' care 'bout anyone aftah Ise 'ad sex wi' dem. Ise wouldn' let anyone affeck me oah touch me aftah dat. Did Ise betray moiself already?'
Spot remembered. The memory of Jack's desire burned through him, and he squeezed his eyes shut. He could still feel Jack's lips pressed against his, Jack's warm breath puffing into his mouth. Just the memory could set Spot's nerves afire, and he groaned, as if in pain, as Jack's dark, narrowed eyes filled his mind. 'Oh my― Ise did! Ise did it already! Ise not s'pposed ta care 'bout 'im! I'm done fer. 'E's gonna chew me up an' spit me out! ' Jack had the power to, Spot knew that. He had gone and handed everything he was to Jack without so much as a fight.
'Wull, 'old on dere fer jus' a second.' A new voice said quietly, surfacing in Spot's mind, 'Youse may 'ave given 'im yoah powah, Ise ain't denyin' dat, but 'e didn' use it agains' youse. Wha' was it 'e said? Dat 'e'll take whatevah 'e can get? An' 'e's given youse da right to choose wheddah ta give 'im a secon' chance.'
'Who cares?' Spot's voice spat back, from its place in his brain, 'Ise not s'pposed ta care 'bout anyone aftah dat. Ise ain' gonna be weak.'
'Youse knows dat youse lust aftah 'im, right?' the voice said, changing angles, 'Youse t'ought it yoahself! Yoah noives was on fire, remembah?'
'Ise don' "lust aftah 'im"! Ise jus' kept loikein' 'im aftah wese 'ad sex. Dat's all!'
'But don' youse wanna kiss im? Doesn' 'e make youse 'ard? Youse kno―'
'SHUT UP!
'Awww… Spotty, don' be dat way.'
'Ise said shut up! So shut up!'
'Yoah da queen o' denial Spotty….' The voice drifted away, and left Spot shaking in the still air. Why did the voices in his head keep forcing him to think? He couldn't even walk away from them; they were in his fucking head!
And he still had to make a damn decision. He looked up and the darkening, cloudy sky. 'Yeah, dat's jus' abou' 'ow Ise feel roight now. Cloudy an' dark.' He then chuckled darkly to himself.
He wasn't at all surprised when it began to rain. Big, fat, crystal droplets collided with his face, arms, and the dock around him. 'Jus' great. Now it gots ta start rainin'. Dere's some symbolism fer ya.' Spot just sat in the rain as the droplets began to multiply, a deep scowl on his sharp face. Minutes passed, and Spot's expression smoothed into a vague frown. He stood up, stretched, and walked quietly to the front step of the Lodging House. He looked over his shoulder briefly, glancing at the droplets speeding towards the hard ground, and hearing them splash against the cobblestones. Then he faced forward and strode into the lodging house, his steps clicking softly as he walked.
***
End Chapter Eight
End Notes: Okay, now onto the epilogues (I'll have two) and then the story is over! I hope you had (and are having) as much fun with this as I am. See you next time!
