A/N: Sorry, bout the gap in updates, 'specially after I said I'd try for
last Monday, I was on vacation, but now I'm BACK and ready for battle.
SHOUT-OUTS!!!
KELLYANNE: Glad you like the shockage. More good shockage to come soon, I promise.
PYROMANIACAL LLAMA: I'm still not used to the idea of Spot being a girl, and I'm the one who wrote it.odd, huh? I keep writing he instead of she, and then I have to read it over. I have actually read the Alanna series, they're my favorite books.
ANGELFISH7: Yeah, Spot likes Mush, heh. Don't worry, I promise you'll find out Spot's real name by the end of the story.
ANGELOFMUSIC2: Glad you like it, dear. I wrote more, aren't you happy?
COTTON BLOSSOM: I'm telling you, WATCH THE BLOODY MOVIE
Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to a fantastic author, Cotton Blossom. Go read her story Only Hope if you like Outsiders. It's good, I promise.
WARNING: This chapter contains VERY minor slash. If you don't like slash, sorry, I had to put it in. Don't hate me for it.
************************
Chapter 5: Poker Games and Kisses
Race was still in a daze when, an hour later, he walked into the lodging house. 'Spot ain't supposed ta like Mush,' he thought unhappily. 'She's supposed ta like me.'
Blink spotted him and ran over. "So, who was dat pretty little redhead I spotted ya wid at Central Park taday? Anudda 'old friend', eh?" He nudged Race in the side.
"Achually, no. It wasn't."
"Den who was she?"
"Ya know Spot Conlon?" Blink nodded. "Dat was his cousin."
Blink's jaw dropped. "Yous went out wid Spot's cousin?
"Yeah."
"Spot has a cousin?"
"Seems dat way."
"Spot's related to a redhead?"
"He's Irish, ain't he?"
Race plopped down on one of the couches in the room. Blink sat next to him. "So, do ya like her?"
"She's okay. A lot like Spot."
"Ya gonna go out wid her again?"
"Don't look like I am."
"Why not?"
"Cause she likes Mush."
Blink's jaw dropped a second time. Racetrack nodded grimly.
"Well, who wouldn't like Mush," Blink said. He realized exactly what he'd said, and blushed.
Racetrack's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Yous like him, don't yous?"
Blink was spared answering this when Jack called out, "Who's up foa a couple games a poker?"
Race's head snapped in the direction of Jack's voice. "Do yous even gotta ask?" He trotted over to the table Jack had set up, then motioned for Blink to join them.
Jack shuffled the cards, then dealt them. The three of them placed their bets. Race put his poker face on.
"How many, Blink?"
"Umm...two?"
"Umm...two?" Race mimicked.
Blink made a face, and accepted his two cards. He grinned as he put them into his hand.
"So, Race, how'd ya like Spot's cousin?" Jack asked, giving Race the three cards he had asked for.
"She's aright," he answered as he rearranged the cards in his hand.
"She likes Mush more dan him," Blink said.
"Is dat true, Race?" Jack asked, picking up a card for himself.
Racetrack nodded, showing no emotion due to the fact that he was, after all, playing poker.
Race ended up winning that game, and the following four games. After that, Jack checked his pockets and said, "I'm out. I gotta save some money ta buy me papes tamara."
"Jaaack," Race whined. "Poker ain't fun wid only two playas."
Jack stood up and searched the room. He spotted Mush talking to Dutchy. "Hey, Mush!" he called. "Yous wanna play poker wid Race and Blink?"
"Sure," said Mush, walking over to them.
"There, my replacement." Jack joined Crutchy and Pie-eater on a couch.
Race took over as dealer. Mush pulled the chair Jack had been sitting in closer to Blink. He smiled at Blink and accepted the cards Racetrack dealt him.
Blink reddened very slightly. Race saw this. 'Ain't no way Blink don't like Mush,' he thought to himself.
"Mush, how many?"
Mush studied his cards, then said, "Tree, please."
As Race gave Mush the cards, he said, "Hey, Mush, yous got a goilfriend?"
Blink hid his face behind his cards to hide the blush he felt creeping up his face.
"No, why?"
"Uh, Race, gimme one card."
Racetrack ignored Blink. "Dere's a goil I wen out wid dat says she's intrested in yous."
"Racetrack, gimme a card please."
"Really? Who is she?"
"I need a card, Racetrack."
Mush and Race were talking as though Blink wasn't even there. "She's Spot's cousin."
"Oh yeah, I rememba Jack told me 'bout dat."
"FOR DA LOVE A GOD, RACETRACK, GIMME A FUCKIN' CARD!!" Blink lost it completely. He stood up quickly, knocking over his chair. "Yous two is sittin' dere, chattin' widout a care in da woild when wes in da MIDDLE of a fuckin' poker game."
The room went silent. Everyone stared at the table with Blink fuming, Mush looking ashamed, and Racetrack expressionless. Race stared calmly at Blink, then picked up the top card off the deck and tossed it over to him.
"SHIT!!!" Kid-Blink tore up his five cards and threw them into the air. He then stormed up the stairs into the bedroom. Mush moved to follow, but Race held him back.
"Let 'im cool off a bit foist," he suggested.
Jack walked over to the table, righted Blink's chair, and sat on it. He looked at Mush and Race curiously before speaking.
"It isn't often dat Blink loses his temper," he said softly. "The only oda time I seen him angry was when I became a scab. Wat happened dis time?"
"We was talkin', me an' Race, an' we was ignorin' him," Mush blurted out. "Wes shoulda paid attention-"
Jack held up a hand to silence him. "It's okay, Mush. Don't get upset." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Something like bein' ignored never upset him before."
"Maybe he didn't like wat we was talkin' about," suggested Mush. "But why would talkin' 'bout me an' Spot's cousin botha him?"
"I tink I knows. I don't tink Blink would want me tellin' yous, but I do tink yous'll find out real soon." Racetrack's expression hadn't changed during the discussion. He added, "Yous could go check on Blink now, Mush."
****************************
Blink was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. He was very ashamed of his outburst. He knew it shouldn't have, but it really bothered him to hear them talking about Mush getting a girlfriend.
He heard the door open, but ignored it. Footsteps approached the bed.
Blink knew, without even looking, who it was. "So, yous got a goilfriend now?"
Mush sighed. "Blink, I'm sorry."
"Foa wat?"
"Ignorin' yous. We shoulda paid attention. I didn' know yous'd get that upset."
"It ain't ya fault."
There was an awkward silence. Then Mush said, "No."
"No wat?"
"Yous asked me if I had a goil now. I don't."
"But, Spot's cousin-"
"I knows somebody ten times betta dan any goil."
Blink's head appeared over the side of the bunk. "Who?"
"You."
Kid-Blink's jaw dropped. Mush smiled at him.
"Blink, I wouldn' be able ta go out wid anudda goil cause, I tink I love yous."
They gazed into each other's eyes. Then Blink said, "I-I love yous too, Mushee."
Mush stood on his tiptoes, and Blink leaned over the edge of his bunk, and they shared their first kiss.
*************************
Wow. Okay, just realized Spot's not even in that chapter. If you read this and don't like slash, hats off to you. It probably won't get 'worse' than that.
Please review, I appreciate it very much.
Much love,
~Liams Kitten~
SHOUT-OUTS!!!
KELLYANNE: Glad you like the shockage. More good shockage to come soon, I promise.
PYROMANIACAL LLAMA: I'm still not used to the idea of Spot being a girl, and I'm the one who wrote it.odd, huh? I keep writing he instead of she, and then I have to read it over. I have actually read the Alanna series, they're my favorite books.
ANGELFISH7: Yeah, Spot likes Mush, heh. Don't worry, I promise you'll find out Spot's real name by the end of the story.
ANGELOFMUSIC2: Glad you like it, dear. I wrote more, aren't you happy?
COTTON BLOSSOM: I'm telling you, WATCH THE BLOODY MOVIE
Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to a fantastic author, Cotton Blossom. Go read her story Only Hope if you like Outsiders. It's good, I promise.
WARNING: This chapter contains VERY minor slash. If you don't like slash, sorry, I had to put it in. Don't hate me for it.
************************
Chapter 5: Poker Games and Kisses
Race was still in a daze when, an hour later, he walked into the lodging house. 'Spot ain't supposed ta like Mush,' he thought unhappily. 'She's supposed ta like me.'
Blink spotted him and ran over. "So, who was dat pretty little redhead I spotted ya wid at Central Park taday? Anudda 'old friend', eh?" He nudged Race in the side.
"Achually, no. It wasn't."
"Den who was she?"
"Ya know Spot Conlon?" Blink nodded. "Dat was his cousin."
Blink's jaw dropped. "Yous went out wid Spot's cousin?
"Yeah."
"Spot has a cousin?"
"Seems dat way."
"Spot's related to a redhead?"
"He's Irish, ain't he?"
Race plopped down on one of the couches in the room. Blink sat next to him. "So, do ya like her?"
"She's okay. A lot like Spot."
"Ya gonna go out wid her again?"
"Don't look like I am."
"Why not?"
"Cause she likes Mush."
Blink's jaw dropped a second time. Racetrack nodded grimly.
"Well, who wouldn't like Mush," Blink said. He realized exactly what he'd said, and blushed.
Racetrack's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Yous like him, don't yous?"
Blink was spared answering this when Jack called out, "Who's up foa a couple games a poker?"
Race's head snapped in the direction of Jack's voice. "Do yous even gotta ask?" He trotted over to the table Jack had set up, then motioned for Blink to join them.
Jack shuffled the cards, then dealt them. The three of them placed their bets. Race put his poker face on.
"How many, Blink?"
"Umm...two?"
"Umm...two?" Race mimicked.
Blink made a face, and accepted his two cards. He grinned as he put them into his hand.
"So, Race, how'd ya like Spot's cousin?" Jack asked, giving Race the three cards he had asked for.
"She's aright," he answered as he rearranged the cards in his hand.
"She likes Mush more dan him," Blink said.
"Is dat true, Race?" Jack asked, picking up a card for himself.
Racetrack nodded, showing no emotion due to the fact that he was, after all, playing poker.
Race ended up winning that game, and the following four games. After that, Jack checked his pockets and said, "I'm out. I gotta save some money ta buy me papes tamara."
"Jaaack," Race whined. "Poker ain't fun wid only two playas."
Jack stood up and searched the room. He spotted Mush talking to Dutchy. "Hey, Mush!" he called. "Yous wanna play poker wid Race and Blink?"
"Sure," said Mush, walking over to them.
"There, my replacement." Jack joined Crutchy and Pie-eater on a couch.
Race took over as dealer. Mush pulled the chair Jack had been sitting in closer to Blink. He smiled at Blink and accepted the cards Racetrack dealt him.
Blink reddened very slightly. Race saw this. 'Ain't no way Blink don't like Mush,' he thought to himself.
"Mush, how many?"
Mush studied his cards, then said, "Tree, please."
As Race gave Mush the cards, he said, "Hey, Mush, yous got a goilfriend?"
Blink hid his face behind his cards to hide the blush he felt creeping up his face.
"No, why?"
"Uh, Race, gimme one card."
Racetrack ignored Blink. "Dere's a goil I wen out wid dat says she's intrested in yous."
"Racetrack, gimme a card please."
"Really? Who is she?"
"I need a card, Racetrack."
Mush and Race were talking as though Blink wasn't even there. "She's Spot's cousin."
"Oh yeah, I rememba Jack told me 'bout dat."
"FOR DA LOVE A GOD, RACETRACK, GIMME A FUCKIN' CARD!!" Blink lost it completely. He stood up quickly, knocking over his chair. "Yous two is sittin' dere, chattin' widout a care in da woild when wes in da MIDDLE of a fuckin' poker game."
The room went silent. Everyone stared at the table with Blink fuming, Mush looking ashamed, and Racetrack expressionless. Race stared calmly at Blink, then picked up the top card off the deck and tossed it over to him.
"SHIT!!!" Kid-Blink tore up his five cards and threw them into the air. He then stormed up the stairs into the bedroom. Mush moved to follow, but Race held him back.
"Let 'im cool off a bit foist," he suggested.
Jack walked over to the table, righted Blink's chair, and sat on it. He looked at Mush and Race curiously before speaking.
"It isn't often dat Blink loses his temper," he said softly. "The only oda time I seen him angry was when I became a scab. Wat happened dis time?"
"We was talkin', me an' Race, an' we was ignorin' him," Mush blurted out. "Wes shoulda paid attention-"
Jack held up a hand to silence him. "It's okay, Mush. Don't get upset." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Something like bein' ignored never upset him before."
"Maybe he didn't like wat we was talkin' about," suggested Mush. "But why would talkin' 'bout me an' Spot's cousin botha him?"
"I tink I knows. I don't tink Blink would want me tellin' yous, but I do tink yous'll find out real soon." Racetrack's expression hadn't changed during the discussion. He added, "Yous could go check on Blink now, Mush."
****************************
Blink was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. He was very ashamed of his outburst. He knew it shouldn't have, but it really bothered him to hear them talking about Mush getting a girlfriend.
He heard the door open, but ignored it. Footsteps approached the bed.
Blink knew, without even looking, who it was. "So, yous got a goilfriend now?"
Mush sighed. "Blink, I'm sorry."
"Foa wat?"
"Ignorin' yous. We shoulda paid attention. I didn' know yous'd get that upset."
"It ain't ya fault."
There was an awkward silence. Then Mush said, "No."
"No wat?"
"Yous asked me if I had a goil now. I don't."
"But, Spot's cousin-"
"I knows somebody ten times betta dan any goil."
Blink's head appeared over the side of the bunk. "Who?"
"You."
Kid-Blink's jaw dropped. Mush smiled at him.
"Blink, I wouldn' be able ta go out wid anudda goil cause, I tink I love yous."
They gazed into each other's eyes. Then Blink said, "I-I love yous too, Mushee."
Mush stood on his tiptoes, and Blink leaned over the edge of his bunk, and they shared their first kiss.
*************************
Wow. Okay, just realized Spot's not even in that chapter. If you read this and don't like slash, hats off to you. It probably won't get 'worse' than that.
Please review, I appreciate it very much.
Much love,
~Liams Kitten~