Disclaimer:

I do not own Newsies or any of the Newsies characters. To the best of my knowledge, Disney owns them.

I am making no money from this story.

Warning:

Rated M for Slash, Sexual Situations, and Adult Language.

Chapter 3 - Best Friends

The summer following their junior year was a great one. Oscar and Morris were caught breaking into a liquor store. As a result, they were ordered to spend two months at a youth boot-camp in New Mexico. For the first time since that day in the gym, Tony didn't feel like he had to keep looking over his shoulder.

Tony, Chris, and their friends all enrolled in the Youth Activity program at the school. They played sports, took day trips to amusement parks, and went on hiking and camping trips. Chris and Tony participated in every activity together. They were after all, best friends.

To mark the halfway point in the summer program, the counselors scheduled the annual Pulitzer Olympics. The events consisted of swimming, running, and silly field competitions such as a water balloon toss and sack race. Chris tried to get Tony to enter the three-legged race with him but Tony refused. It was difficult enough for Tony to keep his cool with Chris constantly touching him and wrestling around, but idea of them tied together in a hot sweaty race was out of the question.

Mush won the sack race, Chris won the swimming competition, Spot, Itey, and Dutchy won the relay race, and Tony won twenty-five dollars betting on them all.

It was turning out to be the best summer ever.

Chris had become quite popular with the girls in the youth program and dated quite a few. He took them to movies and parties or brought them along when he was just hanging out with his friends. Still, Chris always found time to be with his best friend, Tony.

Unfortunately, Tony felt more than friendship for Chris. He was in love with Chris, though he never let his feelings show.

During the day, it was easier for Tony to keep his mind occupied, but at night, he would lie in his bed and think about Chris. He would think about that beautiful blond hair which turned even lighter in the summer. He would think about Chris' smile and the way his lower lip pouted when the Yankees lost a game. He would think about the day Chris won the swimming competition, and how hot he looked in his swim trunks. The picture of Chris dripping wet with his skin tanned from the summer sun was one that he couldn't shake from his mind. When Tony thought about such things, his heart would pound, and his body would ache to be satisfied. Tony would have to fight the urge to relieve himself of this physical torture. Still, as hard as Tony tried, he often lost the fight.

Swim days were always the most fun for the youth group. The town pool was located directly across from the school, and for three hours every Tuesday and Thursday, the pool was reserved for the Pulitzer students. One afternoon, Tony and Chris were playing an enthusiastic game of keep-away with a counselor's gym bag. The end result was the fully clothed counselor and his belongings falling into the deep end of the pool. As punishment, Tony and Chris were sent back to the gym to take inventory of the school's sports equipment.

As they sorted, counted, and repacked the equipment, Tony noticed that Chris had become uncharacteristically quiet. He tried several times to lighten the mood and to joke around, but Chris didn't respond. Eventually, Tony gave up and concentrated on the equipment. Finally, after a long and brooding silence, Chris began to talk. "Race, can I ask you something personal?"

"I guess," he answered. "What do you want to know?"

Chris hesitated, trying to find the right words. He shifted nervously from one foot to the other and then blurted out, "How did you know that you were gay?"

Tony was surprised and a little uncomfortable with the question, and tried to joke his way through his embarrassment. "Well, one day I woke up and had a terrible urge to sing show tunes and watch Lifetime Television."

Chris was embarrassed and visibly annoyed. "Fine! Don't answer me!" he huffed and threw a duffel bag full of equipment into the storage locker.

"Hey, I'm sorry," Tony said. "I didn't mean to piss you off. It's just that in all the time we've been friends you never asked me anything like that . . . I'll answer your question, but first you have to tell me why you want to know."

"Well, um - - I've heard that some guys always knew they were different - - Like from the day they were born. Then there are other guys who don't realize they're different until later. Like when they start going out with girls. . . . You know what I mean?"

"Yeah, Blink. I do know what you mean, but you still didn't answer my question. Why now, after all this time, are you asking me how I knew I was gay?"

"Damn it, Race! You're not going to make this easy for me are you! You'd think a guy could ask his best friend about - - about something this important!" Chris leaned against the gym wall and slid down to the floor. He pulled his knees tight against his chest and then covered his face with his hands. Finally he blurted out, "It's me, okay! It's me. I've been thinking that something is wrong with me. I don't ask girls out, they ask me out. I go because that's what you're supposed to do. And when I kiss them, or if they try to kiss me, I don't like it. I have to force myself to do it. Then if they try to - - ya know - - do something more, I just can't stand it. It feels wrong."

Tony sat down on the floor next to his friend. "The best I can do is to tell you that you should never do anything you don't want to do. You're the only one who can decide what's right for you. But straight or gay if something feels wrong to you than you shouldn't do it."

The boys sat quietly for a while then Tony lifted himself off the floor and reached down to offer Chris a hand up. Chris smiled and took Tony's hand and pulled himself up, but he didn't let go.

"Race, I understand what you're saying about not doing what feels wrong. That makes sense, but does that mean - - Well, do you think that I should try to do something that feels right?"

"Blink, what are you asking me?"

Chris stared into Tony's eyes as if he were asking for help. He was visibly terrified and couldn't say the words out loud.

Tony raised his free arm to lean against the wall. He lightly brushed his lips across Chris' mouth. Then ever so gently, Tony kissed his best friend. A moment later, they stood frozen. Eyes locked and both afraid to speak.

Neither of them was sure who was more surprised when Chris pulled Tony closer and returned the kiss. A wave of pleasure rushed through Tony's body as Chris' tongue passed through his lips. Tony wove his fingers through Chris' hair. That beautiful blond hair that he'd wanted to touch since he'd first seen it. Tony's mouth traveled across Chris' face and down to his neck. Chris shuddered, and a sigh escaped his lips. This excited Tony even more. He bit down, and a loud groan of pleasure rolled from deep inside Chris' throat. Tony pressed Chris up against the wall, and their hips writhed as they felt each other grow with excitement.

Tony couldn't believe what was happening. "This has got to be a dream," he thought. Tony half expected to hear his mother calling to wake him up so that he wouldn't be late for school, but the voice he heard wasn't his mother. It was Chris. "I love you, Race," he whispered through the long awaited kisses.

Tony pulled back and stared at Chris. "Blink, please don't say that if you don't mean it. This is all too new, and you don't know what you're feeling."

"Damn-it, Race, I'm not stupid. For the longest time all I've wanted is be with you. I can't get to sleep at night because my head is filled with thoughts about you. You know? Thoughts about - - That I, um - - I mean that you and me . . ."

"Just say it, Blink."

Chris drew in a deep breath, and as he exhaled, the word stumbled out. "I think about you, Race. About you and me, you know? - - Damn-it! I think about touching you and about you touching me. I want to be with you Race. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Tony understood completely. He took Chris by the hand and led him through the locker-room and all the way back to the last shower stall. "Blink, are you sure that you want to do this? You know that you don't have to."

"I'm sure, Race." Chris clenched his hands on either side of the stall and braced himself with an intensity that made Tony smile. "Damn, Blink! You look like you're about to be murdered. You're not going before a firing squad. It's a blow-job for crissake!"

They both laughed so hard that they almost fell out of the stall.

Now, with Chris being more relaxed, Tony brought him to a point of excitement that Chris didn't know was possible. Then with Tony's patient instructions, Chris gave Tony more pleasure than he had ever experienced.

When they were completely satisfied, they sat on the floor silently holding hands.

This felt right. It was right. They both knew it.

Years later, they would both refer to the "Firing Squad" as a means of relief in tense situations.

When Chris was about to present his first case, he stood outside the courtroom feeling as though he was going to be sick. Tony leaned over and whispered, "Damn-it, Chris. Will you relax? It's not like you're going before a firing squad."

"I know. But it's not like I'm getting a great blow-job from you either."

Needless to say, Chris won the case.

Now it was fifteen years later, and Tony was standing in the very same spot where Chris first told Tony that he loved him.

"Damn-it, Tony. You look like you're facing a firing squad instead of wanting to give me a blow-job."

Tony turned around and saw Chris and that smile he loved so much. His brown suede jacket and his ridiculously long scarf were speckled with snow.

"How the hell did you get her so fast? I didn't expect you to be here until late tonight."

"Libby pulled some strings and got me on an earlier flight. I thought I'd surprise you."

"Remind me to send that secretary of yours some flowers," Tony laughed.

Chris leaned against the wall and pulled Tony tight against him. "Enough talk," he said. "Let's make some new memories." They kissed as though it was their very first time.

"Ya see, Dave? Some things never change. We left them standing in that same spot fifteen years ago and look at them now. There still trying to suck each other's face off!"

"Jack? Dave? What the hell are you doing here?"

End – Chapter Three

Thanks for taking the time to read this story. Your reviews will be greatly appreciated.

A/N: This chapter was not beta'd. I hope that any rough spots you may have encountered did not detract from your reading pleasure.