Chapter 3: Butterflies
Written: March 15-21, 2005
Author: Mondie
Disclaimer: Newsies equal sign Disney's. Plot equal sign Mondie's.
Mush loved waking up on Sunday mornings, because there was never any rush. Just a slow realization of his senses, one by one, until he was conscious enough to force himself out of bed to go to the gym.
This Sunday, he awoke to his nose itching. Lazily lifting a hand to scratch at it, he was forced to jerk fully conscious when his hand hit an actual thing, not just a particle of dust.
Opening his eyes, he sat up in bed to find his room the inside of a dream world. Butterflies as big as his hand were flying around the room, flashes of every color making a living rainbow. There were at least thirty insects filling the air of the room.
"Good morning," came a soft voice from the chair in the corner. Mush looked over, gaping at Skittery.
"Did you do this?" he asked, as a butterfly landed on his arm and flexed its wings up and down.
Skittery laughed. "Who else? Certainly not that roommate of yours."
Mush laughed too. Pie Eater had a slight phobia of insects. That probably explained why he was nowhere in sight, though he usually slept much later than Mush did.
"They're gorgeous," he whispered, staring in fascination at the butter yellow one now perched on the blanket covering his legs. "Thank you."
Skittery grinned, getting off the chair. "Anything to see that smile," he answered playfully, sitting on the floor next to Mush's bed and draping his arm casually over the bed's surface. Mush was still looking around himself at the butterflies in amazement.
"No one's ever done anything like this for me," he breathed.
"You're worth it," Skittery answered. He raised himself to his knees and leaned forward to kiss Mush.
Mush pushed back the covers and escaped before Skittery got any closer. "Thanks again. How about breakfast?"
Skittery smiled, disappointed. "Sounds good." He followed Mush out of the room.
They only got halfway across the hallway before hearing Pie Eater's voice rising up the stairs. "He put bugs in my room! Didn't even ask! I woke up with them all acting together as an army and attacking my head!"
"What kind of bugs?" Snipeshooter piped up.
A loud smack, and a muttered curse word from Snipeshooter. "It don't matter what kind, you dumbass!" Pie Eater shouted back. "Evil ones!"
Snipeshooter began climbing up the stairs as Mush and Skittery headed down. "He's insane," he greeted them grumpily, rubbing at a red handprint on his cheek.
"Mornin', Mush. Mornin', Skittery," said Cowboy when they reached the kitchen. He held up Racetrack's Golden Grahams, which were nearly gone. "Care for some cereal?"
"For someone who gets awfully mad at Spot for taking his juice, you sure seem to steal a lot of other people's foods," Mush told him, sitting in a vacant chair and reaching for the offered cereal. "I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I'm just saying."
Cowboy shrugged. "Race is different. I've known him since I was six. I think that makes me entitled to eat his food."
Specs, who was reading The New York Times, looked over the top of it and rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, we're all aware of how close you and Race are. Gag me with a spoon."
Cowboy held up the desired utensil. "Open wide and say 'ahh,' Buttercup."
Racetrack suddenly flounced into the room. "Hi! How is everyone?" Beaming, he skipped around the table, planting large, sloppy kisses on everyone's cheeks. Cowboy tried to hide his nearly empty cereal box, but not quite fast enough. Racetrack merely grinned. "Didja eat my cereal, Jacky-boy?" he asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "I hope it was good! You can eat my cereal whenever you want!"
Cowboy exchanged a hurried, worried glance with Mush. "Race? You okay?"
Race burst into giggles. "Spot is just the best sex I've had in my entire life, that's all."
Mush could feel Skittery's eyes burning into the side of his face at the mention of someone having sex. He didn't meet the gaze, instead letting himself become very occupied with a piece of toast he stole from Specs' plate.
Pie Eater, who had up until this point been ignoring Mush and Skittery with unbridled fury, now turned to them huffily. "Are those… things… still in my room?" he asked frostily. When they nodded, he exhaled with all of his might. "How the hell am I supposed to get dressed or do homework with a killing brigade out to eat my soul!" he demanded.
Mush handed him his crusts, which Pie Eater ate immediately, without thinking, as it was their custom. "They're butterflies, Pie," he said in a soothing voice. "Pretty, pretty butterflies." Taking a swig from Cowboy's new orange juice carton, he then also gave the carton to Pie Eater, who obediently took a drink before putting it back in front of Cowboy. "The butterflies just fly around and are pretty. That's all butterflies do."
"I distinctly saw talons!" Pie Eater insisted. "Mush, they were trying to consume my ears."
"They were kissing your ears, Pie," Mush cooed. "Just little butterfly kisses."
"More like trying to digest my brain!" Pie Eater said, looking pained.
Cowboy turned and rummaged in the cabinet behind him until he found a toothpick, which he began chewing on. "I think we just found out why Pie Eater can't get a date," he told the room at large.
"Oh, hi, Skittery!" Racetrack suddenly trilled, as if he hadn't noticed Skittery before, though he had already greeted him with a kiss. "I didn't see you!"
"No, you just covered me in your saliva because I'm invisible," Skittery answered, laughing. "Gross, by the way."
Racetrack slapped him lightly and giggled. "You're so silly."
Cowboy's eyes widened at the amount of flaming that Racetrack was letting himself indulge in. "And you're so gay."
Racetrack walked over to him and climbed on top of him, then began kissing him fervently, grinding against Cowboy and letting out low, guttural groans. Everyone's attention was attracted. Even Specs put down the Times to witness the spectacle.
"One minute," David said from the doorway, and everyone jumped. David was looking at his wristwatch. He felt eyes on him and looked up. "They've now been at it for a minute." Not questioning why David would feel the need to time something like this, everyone nodded as one and turned back to the interesting display of Racetrack macking on Cowboy at the kitchen table. "…Two minutes." A collective head tilt to the left. "…Three minutes."
At that, Racetrack climbed back off Cowboy. Looking pointedly into Cowboy's lap, he said triumphantly, "And so are you." Cowboy glared at him as he stalked off to the bathroom to alleviate the problem initiated by Racetrack.
Specs laughed into his newspaper, and Mush was staring wide-eyed at Racetrack as though he had never met him before in his life. Snipeshooter chose that moment to make his entrance again.
"Pie Eater!" he yelled excitedly.
Pie Eater was still sitting with his head tilted, staring at Racetrack. "Yeah?" he asked, distracted.
Snipeshooter had been cupping his hands together, and now he moved them apart and three butterflies flew straight for Pie Eater's hair. He let out a blood-curdling screech and ran, arms flailing, from the room and right out the front door.
"He does know that there are even more bugs outside, right?" Skittery asked, scratching his head.
Mush shrugged. "Ya know, sometimes I think that doesn't occur to him. And I'm not gonna be the one who brings it to his attention. He'd never leave the house then."
"Good point." The boys still in the kitchen watched the butterflies lazily flap around the room for a few minutes. It was hypnotizing.
"So why are there butterflies in the house, by the way?" Specs asked finally. "All we could get out of Pie Eater was, 'Bugs. Killing machines. Assassination attempt. Save meeeeeeeee.'"
Skittery smiled. "Surprise for Mush. I ordered them offline. You should go look at them, I got one of every available color."
Cowboy, who had come back and sat down huffily, stared at him. "That's like… the cutest thing I've ever heard. And it makes me want to go drown myself in the sink. Or in my orange juice. Probably the orange juice, because I don't have to move again then."
Racetrack's face had creased into a mighty frown. "Why does my Beta boy not order me butterflies?" he demanded. "This isn't fair! Not fair at all!" He ran to the doorway and yelled, "Spot! Go buy me presents online!" Smiling happily again, he sat down in a chair and reached for the other abandoned piece of toast on Specs' plate. "Mm! Marmalade!"
"What are you hollering about, bitch?" Spot asked, suddenly appearing in the doorway – naked, of course. A sneer decorated his face. "You get me, you asshole. Why would you need anything over the Internet?" He noticed the butterflies. "Ooh. Pretty."
"I want butterflies!" Racetrack announced. "Go buy them! Skittery bought these ones for Mush. You don't want them to be cuter than us, do you!"
Spot raised a delicately plucked eyebrow. "Are you serious? Someone cuter than us? Uh, hi, not possible." He walked behind Race and began licking his neck. Suddenly standing up straight, he pointed an accusing middle finger at Cowboy. "Who's cuter, me and Race or Mush and Skitts?"
"Uh. I'd have to say Mush and Skittery," Cowboy answered, before taking a long, leisurely drink of orange juice. Spot stared jealously at the guarded carton for a minute, before flicking his wrist so that his pointing finger was now flipping Cowboy off. He then turned and pointed at Snipeshooter.
"You and Race," Snipeshooter squeaked. As always, he was afraid of confrontation, and he was on average much less frightened of Mush, whom he thought of as a gentle giant, than he was of Spot and Race, who were small and vicious like the monkeys who had stolen his wristwatch at the zoo.
Specs didn't even look up from his newspaper to see if Spot's finger was now singling him out. "Mush and Skittery," he answered dryly. "Simply because they do not force their naked selves upon me."
Spot, of course, saw this as a challenge, and walked over and grabbed Specs' newspaper away, climbing on Specs' chair and standing with one foot on each of its arms. "How's this for forcing my naked self upon you? Huh!"
Specs looked up at him calmly, then reached between Spot's legs to grab his glass of water from the table. Sipping from it, he shrugged. "I'm just saying I've seen much more impressive specimens before."
"You have not! You crazy-ass bitch!" Spot screeched, jumping down and looking outraged.
"Hey, I wonder if Pie is ever coming back," Mush said, leaning back and looking toward the open front door. Pushing back his chair, he smiled at Skittery. "Guess I should go collect the butterflies so at least he has a safe haven in our room."
Skittery stood up too, following him out into the living room. Catching Mush by the waist, he pulled him close. "You did like them, though, didn't you?" he asked, pressing his face into Mush's shoulder and looking up at him.
Mush looked over his other shoulder to make sure no one was watching from the kitchen, before leaning over and kissing Skittery swiftly. "I loved them. Seriously. Thanks."
Skittery smiled, reassured. "Good," he answered. "I'll come help you catch them."
Mush grinned. "Thanks, Skittery." They headed upstairs.
Two hours later, two boys had forgotten about catching butterflies and lay enclosed in each other's arms. Two other boys were stealing glances at each other across a long, long room, before meeting in the middle with a sweet kiss. Three other boys were lounging in their triple, two pretending to be enthralled in their homework, and only one allowing himself to steal forbidden glances around until he gave up and stalked downstairs, causing his bespectacled roommates to exchange amused glances. Yet another pair of boys, both short, were having a contest to see which one of them could yell the loudest during sex.
"I gotta get to the gym," Mush said after Racetrack let out a loud screech that could be heard throughout the whole house, for two entire minutes without a breath. He pushing back the covers on his bed and began searching for his boxer-briefs on the floor.
Skittery sat up behind him and kissed his shoulder blades. "You sure?" he asked, giving Mush a quick massage. "Nothing I can do to change your mind?"
Mush turned and gave him a small smile. "Sorry, I've never missed a day yet. Not even yesterday, when Blink…" Allowing himself to trail off, he shrugged clumsily and climbed to his feet. "Someone's bound to be hanging around downstairs, if you want to join them or something."
Skittery got out of bed and started looking for his clothes, too. "No, that's okay, I guess I have some homework I could be doing." He found his clothes in a heap but didn't put them on, instead opting for watching Mush dress. "You're gorgeous," he breathed, before he could help himself.
"Thanks," Mush said, looking a little bemused. "I'm just wearing my gross work-out clothes, though."
Finally pulling on his clothing now that Mush was dressed, Skittery grinned. "Mush, you could wear a burlap sack and you would still win the title of Most Beautiful Boy in the Universe."
Mush laughed a little, then opened the door and headed downstairs. Skittery had no choice but to follow, after closing the door to keep the butterflies in.
Cowboy, Pie Eater, Snoddy, Bumlets, David, and Swifty were all sitting on the leather couch, watching Pretty Woman.
"You guys are so homosexual," Mush said, raising an eyebrow at the group. "You've officially hit an all-time low. I've never seen so many men sitting, squished together so tightly, watching a Julia Roberts movie."
"…Mush, you happen to be a member of Lambda Delta Lambda," Bumlets answered, in his best admissions tour guide voice. "Haven't you heard? We're the gay frat on campus."
Rolling his eyes, Mush said, "You're kidding. Damn, guess I'd better go become a Sig. I don't wanna catch the gay."
"Yeah. Like you're not the gayest one here," David said, scoffing. "Now move out of the way, this is my favorite part." He sighed happily as Mush obeyed and they all looked to see what Davey's favorite part was.
"Your favorite part of Pretty Woman is Julia Roberts going down on Richard Gere for the first time?" Cowboy asked incredulously. "You lose, Dave. You're kicked out of the frat." He turned to everyone else on the couch. "What, dear darling stereotypical gay boys, is the best part of Pretty Woman?"
"Shopping!" everyone else on the couch and Mush all squealed in unison.
David rolled his eyes. "You guys are stupid."
"And stereotypical," Snoddy added, nodding seriously. "Don't forget stereotypical."
"Hey, Mush, are you going to the gym?" Cowboy asked, suddenly noticing Mush's attire. "Can I come with you?"
"Yeah, I'll wait," Mush answered, as Cowboy got off the couch and went upstairs to change. Mush took his spot on the couch. Skittery headed for the door.
"I'll call you later," he said, smiling at Mush.
"Sure," Mush agreed, smiling back, but his attention was quickly stolen by Julia on the screen. Skittery sighed a little as he opened the front door and left.
A loud screech filled the air. Everyone downstairs turned to look at the staircase, as though they could see the cause displayed there. "What the hell is that?" Swifty wondered.
Pie Eater said spitefully, "Maybe somebody just let out a cage of grasshoppers in some innocent person's room." He pouted toward Mush. Snoddy tightened his grip around Pie Eater's waist, which appeared to calm him down a little.
"I think it's Spot's turn to try and out-yell Race mid-coitus," Mush said, blatantly ignoring Pie Eater's comment.
"Are the evil killing machines still in our room, Mush?" Pie Eater asked, in a little voice.
Mush leaned over and jostled his knee. "Yeah, but I swear I'll get them out when I get back from the gym."
"But that's hours from now!" Pie Eater answered, sounding pained. "I'm still in my pajamas here, Mush."
"So you are," Mush answered. "Sorry, Pie. You're still my favorite roomie!"
Pie Eater glowered at him. "Your flattery will get you nowhere, sir!"
Snoddy volunteered, "You can come hang out in Crutchy and my room, Pie. You can even get dressed if you want, we're almost the same size."
Distracted from Mush and the butterflies, Pie Eater looked incredulously at Snoddy. "Really? Wow, thanks, Snodds!"
Snoddy ducked his head, smiling. "No problem."
The other boys in the room exchanged glances. Swifty grinned wickedly. "Do I smell romance in the air?" he asked, turning and sniffing at the air. "…Yup, there it is. You can smell the stench of cutesiness a mile away."
"Shut up," Snoddy said, his face turning beet red.
"I've been noticing how you act around Pie Eater for, like, months now," Bumlets volunteered. "You're completely smitten, dude. I didn't want to be the first to tell you."
"You're sitting with your arm around him, in case you didn't notice," Swifty noted helpfully.
Snoddy snatched his arm away. "We're friends."
"Uh-huh," Mush said, nodding. "Just really good friends." He rolled his eyes. "We all know that you like him, Snoddy."
"Then why didn't anyone tell me?" Pie Eater squawked. "You're fired as my roommate, Mush. First and mostly, because of bugs. Second, and pretty importantly too, because you're supposed to tell me things like this."
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I didn't tell Snoddy that you like him back, either," Mush said, shrugging.
Pie Eater made sputtering sounds, and Snoddy turned, if possible, even more red.
"We ready for the gym?" Cowboy called, walking back down the stairs dressed in shorts and a matching jacket over a tight-fitting t-shirt, with his hair held back with a sweatband.
"Yeah," Mush answered, getting up. He saluted to the TV. "Bye, Julia. Have fun seducing Richard." He then turned to the couch. "Have fun watching the seduction, Bum, Swifts, and Davey. Have fun seducing each other, Pie and Snodds." He followed Cowboy out the door.
Snoddy and Pie Eater were staring at each other. "…Want to go take a walk or something?" Snoddy asked shyly.
"Yes," Pie Eater answered, as if he had been waiting his entire life for that question to be asked.
"Leave already! I want to watch my movie!" David screeched, getting up and pulling up the pair by their wrists and practically throwing them out the door. He was applauded by Swifty and Bumlets, and then the three of them cuddled together to watch the rest of the movie.
"He doesn't go to the gym, Cowboy."
"I know, Mush."
"Why is he here?"
"I don't know."
"Did you see how bad his hair looks? You think it's because we broke up?"
"…Please tell me that you're not so gay that you notice his state of hair before the crushed, devastated look on his face."
"I was trying to put the latter out of my mind. Thanks."
"Oh. Sorry. …By the way, is it your normal way of dealing with frustration to practically break the elliptical machine with crazy overworking?"
"Yes."
"Oh. Okay then. I'll be over lifting weights."
Mush turned up the volume on his iPod and clutched the handles of the machine he was working on even harder. He knew Cowboy was right, and that he was overworking the machine, but he couldn't stop. It was on its highest weight setting and he was still going faster than the girl huffing and puffing on the one two machines over.
Kid Blink came and sat down on an exercise bike just behind the elliptical machines. He chose the one just to the right of Mush, situated just so that Mush could see them side-by-side in the mirror in front of him. Closing his eyes, he tried to keep his emotions checked. It would just not be good if he burst into tears in the gym.
Luckily, two minutes later, another boy came and got on the machine just next to Mush, effectively blocking Kid Blink from view. Mush sighed in relief and even gave his new next-door stranger a shaky smile, which the boy turned from with a sneer.
When Mush got off his elliptical machine forty minutes later, Kid Blink had left the gym and he was free to finish his workout routine in relative peace. Outwardly, he turned back into the gym shark he was, getting in his full two-hour routine and laughing and joking with the rest of the gym regulars. Inside, however, he was in shambles. The pain and hurt he had known he should feel from losing Kid Blink was suddenly present. Seeing him and having them not even acknowledge each other's presence was the most hurtful thing he had ever experienced in his life.
At the end of the two hours, Mush was surprised by a grinning face popping up in front of him. "I thought you might want some water," Skittery said, uncapping a plastic bottle and handing it to Mush, who downed it in three gulps.
"Thanks," Mush answered, trying not to let his bad mood show. "You're so sweet, Skitts."
Skittery shrugged, grinning. "Like I said before, anything for you." Lightly running a finger down Mush's bicep, he looked into Mush's eyes. "I'll let you get back to working out. Call me when you get home? Maybe we can go out for dinner or something."
"Sure," Mush answered. Skittery turned and left the gym, and Mush let his face fall from cheerful back to a grimace, which he covered by picking up a heavy weight in his left arm and pumping it.
He knew that there was no way he was calling Skittery. Two thousand dollars. butterflies, thoughtful trips to bring him water, nothing but kindness… and he would blow him off that night.
He wondered if the elliptical machine was still open. Ignoring Cowboy's pleading face that wanted to leave, he went to go see.
Shoutouts!
Buttons14: Haha, my parents are obsessed with Las Vegas too. But I personally always feel I've achieved something if I've made someone laugh and be sad. :D Thanks for the reviews!
Sita-chan: I completely blame Mush's doubts right now on the fact that we haven't properly RPGed in forever. This means we must remedy this. Um. Now. (ILOVEYOUSOMUCH! XD)
Charlie Bird: nekkid!spot is my favorite Spot of all times. I am continually amused by his antics. And I never said Blink was innocent. –amused smirk of knowing things that no one else does because she is the author and that is her job- Bwahaha. Love ya hon!
Lyra: See, when you review and not just read, then you get a shoutout! Obvious (and only) incentive for reviewing! So. Um. Because you reviewed, you get… a newsie of your choice wearing his sequined auction outfit? Aha. And yes, I'm loving the frat setting because it just works so well with the characters… Have you read Lute's While the Thunder Rolls? I think that's the title… anyway, her band camp fic? Though I'm now an ex-bandie since going to college, we all can see that bands (and now frats) are the perfect settings to shove newsies in every which way. ;) And good, Skush is Sita's and my evil plan to take over the world… it's supposed to be a lot cuter than it is right now, but none of my characters are cooperating. Anyhow. Thanks for the review… you should review again sometime. ;)
Omni: Uh. Your review cut off. But my story makes you do SOMETHING, which is always a plus. Haha! I adore you!
Studentnumber24601: You're about as good at staying in fights as Mush is. But see! I put in stuff for you this chapter! Like Mush doubting things! See! That was for you! Because I love you! More HISMSV?
Twilight-maiden: -hypnotizes you- Skush is cute. It is. It issssssss. :D Hahaha, I plan to win over the fandom someday soon. And you will all be flabbergasted and Sita (co-Skusher) and I will just nod and say "That's right." But yes, Blush is still my OTP. –shrugs?- Haha, thanks for the review!
The Second Batgirl: Psht. You know the nympho!sprace makes up for just about anything else in the story. :P And I swear, it's not my fault, the characters do what they want. Me? I wanted this chapter to be cute fluffy Skush. And look what happened. So really, nothing can be blamed on me. It's all the characters' faults. (and I love you, don't hate me)
Ann Valentine: -clings and loves so hardcore!- I just adore you like the moon loves the sun. MY WIFE IS THE BEST. :D
Dreamer110: I stayed at my brother's house with his brothers for St. Patrick's Day, and got about thirty million ideas. Seriously, I was just looking for a new idea and was like, "Gay frat, why not?" And then seeing my brother and his brothers in action completely convinced me that this was a move of BRILLIANCE. Haha! And yes! Another Skusher admitting to it. Bwaha. SITA AND I ARE CONVERTING THE WORLD!
Stage: -loves on you and all three reviews!- And my story is like pudding. Aha. You are teh awesome. My computer just tried to fix "teh" because it is evil and doesn't like my lingo. Haha thanks for reading, darling!
Uninvisible: Haha, I rather enjoyed your review, myself. :D And I'm madly in hearts with naked!spot. He makes me giggle. :D
XBeLLaViTaX: There really is a Metro? Huh. Who knew. Haha, I just called it that because the club on my campus is called the Underground. –grin?- Haha, that makes me laugh. And you will love the Skush! I insist upon it. :D beyonce!mush is hot. Aha. Thanks for the review!
Strawberri Shake: YES! WE ADORE THE SKUSH LOVE! Fandamntastic. Too many people are not into the Skush love. And Skittery is hotness times twelve just normally. :D Haha! Thanks for the fabulous review:D
Frogger No Baka: -clings!- I miss you too! Where you been, kid? Oh, I miss seeing up you in the balcony… … Okay, no more Medda!quoting for me. But thanks for reading, darling! We have to catch up soon! –loves on you-
Note to Sita: The revolution is happening. Current (admitting to it) Skushers: You, me, Charlie Bird (even if he says he's choosing Blink, he's admitted to it in the past SO THERE), Lyra (almost there), twilight-maiden (ditto), Dreamer110, XBeLLaViTaX, and Stawberri Shake. We must do our best to convert the WORLD.
Note to Readers-And-Non-Reviewers: As you'll see, one of your number, Lyra, recently broke her spree and left me a review! And look, she got a sequin-wearing newsie because of it! You too could get an imaginary door prize if you just click on that little button just down there! C'mon! You know you want to! XD
