Two weeks later

"Quick! Blink spot me 5 bits I think I got him this time!"

Blink threw royal the coins, glancing down at her cards as he did so.

"How long you guys gonna keep this up?" mush complained from behind racetrack, her opponent. "You've been playin' dis one game for bout an hour!"

Race turned around in his chair and slapped mush lightly in the face, telling him to be quiet.

Royal stole a quick glance across the bunkroom to where Skittery was talking with pie eater and boots. Noticing her gaze he winked at her before going back into his conversation.

Oh how great life has been, she thought pleasantly to her self, leaning back in her wooden chair. She smiled to her self and propped her feet up on the desk on which they were playing their poker game.

"What kinda poker face is that!" race called out sarcastically, pointing his cigar at her smiled tainted face.

She shrugged and made an attempt to wipe off her grin though it reappeared moments later.

"Full house." Race stated loudly after a few minutes of card exchanging.

She stared down at his hand disbelievingly.

"I'll get you next time Higgins!" she muttered melodramatically as she watched him collect the money from the middle of the desk.

"You owe me 5 bits." Blink reminded her once race had sorted through the coins and put the bulk in his pockets.

"Yeah, yeah. Remind me tomorrow."

Royal made her way over to where Skittery was standing and subtly wrapped her arms around his waist from behind him, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"I lost." She mumbled to the boys.

Boots pointed his finger at her and started to laugh, mockingly. She glared falsely at him before going on.

"I guess I'll just have ta sell double tomorrow." She sighed.

"I'll help. Made a fortune today from some old man who couldn't tell what change he was givin' me. Handed me a half dollar instead of a penny so…"

"And you didn't have da heart ta tell him he was paying for 50 papes instead of one." Pie eater interrupted chuckling.

Skittery shrugged, "figured it was his problem not mine." Pie eater gave another short laugh.

"If you insist on helping me… I suppose you can help me." Royal teased, going back to the subject of his offer.

As the boys started talking once more, royal gazed out the partially opened window and into the dimly lit afternoon sky.

"C'mon." she whispered in Skittery's ear, letting go of his waist and taking a hold of his hand, leading him to the fire escape.

Skittery shrugged helplessly at the other boys as he and royal disappeared out the window.

"What ever." Royal heard boots mumble from inside the lodging house.

They climbed up one floor to the third floor of the 4-story building so that none of the other boys would be able to see them.

Once they were seated, Skittery pulled royal into a lengthy kiss, wrapping his arms around her torso. They each pulled away simultaneously. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, grinning roguishly. Their noses were inches apart, making another kiss very accessible.

"God! We're pathetic," royal pronounced once the kiss had ended, "goin' out on da fire escape just ta see each othah'"

"we're doin' alittle more then jus seein' each othah."

"You know what I mean." She pushed him away playfully.

"What? Is that all you got?" he asked provokingly, bracing himself against the wall of the building. "I've always thought there was a lot more muscle stored up in dat body o' yours. I mean… you make out pretty vigorously."

At this comment royal tugged at his suspenders, pulling him into another kiss.

"Lets go for a walk, eh?"

She nodded a 'yes' to his proposal. "Aren't ya gonna be cold?" royal asked, looking at his visible pink long johns, thin wool pants and lack of coat or shirt.

He shrugged, "nah, I'll be fine. Its almost April anyway."

She glanced around the darkening city and at the bare branches of a nearby tree. He noticed her doubt and added,

"Don't worry! I'll be fine."

She smiled weakly. "If you say so…" "I do."

He looped arms with her as they made their descent down the fire escape and stuck his free hand in his pants pocket.

"So, where did ya plan on takin' me?" Royal asked once they were down stairs and on the streets of Manhattan.

"I dunno. I thought we could jus follow our feets I guess." He suggested.

"Do you think our feet would take us to central park?"

"Mine are already headed that way."

He turned abruptly towards the park and started walking in that direction. She leaned her head against his shoulder and he placed a small kiss atop her dark brown hair.

Once in the park, the couple made their way to the bench they had been sitting at two weeks before on royals first day.

Skittery sat down heavily on it and closed his eyes, stretching his legs out in front of him and leaning his head back in exhaustion. Royal sat down next to him and patted her lap, urging him to lay his weary head on her thighs. He accepted her offer, turning his body so that it stretched across the length of the bench and his long legs dangled over the far end.

She pushed his disheveled hair out of his face and smiled down at him. He beamed, crossing his arms serenely across his chest and closing his eyes once more.

Royal took her eyes off her lover and looked about the small lake in front of them, studying its beauty with awe. Ducks had begun to migrate north once more and a couple couples had taken a late afternoon boat ride on the lake, making the lake an even more romantic place to be.