Author's Note: Well, you guys did it again. Eleven reviews as of this morning so, before I start my NaNoWriMo novel, I thought I would work on this story. People seemed very interested in how Mush would enter into the scene so here it is. Key note: it is very difficult to remember that Mush is being addressed as a girl. (Because, of course, she has to be a queen – I could not change that, lol). So, if there are any he/him mentions, ignore them. I'll fix them eventually. Also, I'm glad you all liked Blink's outfit. It was glossed over in this chapter and, hopefully, you can figure out why he was in those clothes (hint: they're not his :P) but I can always add that in next chapter. I did, however, explain the forehead thing. (Another hint: when you get to what it says, it means two things: one is what it says, plain and simple, the other – just say it fast a few times and you might see it). Well, enjoy! As always, reviews are highly appreciated!

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor stake any claim, to any of the original characters shamelessly borrowed from Newsies – they are the property of Disney, © 1992. Any other character, when noted, is property of their respective owner and will be noted in the disclaimer. The core idea to this story – the adaptation of the Broadway musical, RENT, is © 1996 to Jonathan Larson.

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How can you connect in an age where strangers, landlords, lovers, your own blood cells betray?
Because one can never be sure if such a moment could be the last...

November 1, 2006

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Today for you, tomorrow for me…

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David moved his hands from his hips – he just realized how feminine it made him and, as it was, there were already more than one running gags on his sexuality; he didn't need more, especially now that Blink was still alive and finally at the apartment – and, instead, crossed them over his chest. "Where were you? And what the hell are you wearing?"

Blink held up his right hand. "Hold on a sec, Dave. I can answer both of your questions. Just wait. She's coming," he added, hurriedly shrugging off of his (Mush's) coat. He tossed it at the couch, letting it fall across David's neatly placed jacket. He pushed the frilly sleeves of his blouse up around his elbows – both Jack and David could see that he was, at least, mildly uncomfortable in the get-up – and walked back over to the front door.

David and Jack turned and looked at each other, silently questioning what they had heard Blink say. She? Since when was Blink hanging around with a woman? No doubt about it, this was going to be interesting.

Blink left the apartment but only just. He paused right outside the door and had a hushed discussion with whomever it was that was waiting outside. They could see his head bobbing in agreement before he reentered the room. Then, again with the flamboyant poses, made all the more gay by those tight leather pants he was wearing, Blink lifted his arms. "Fellas," he began, drawing the others attention towards the door (unnecessarily but, despite his rather drab occupation of being a history teacher, Blink had always had a flair for the dramatics), "can I introduce you to my guardian angel? Mush Meyers, come on down!"

What happened next was something that all three of them (Blink, Jack and David) would reminisce about when things got rough…

The person that entered the room was quite unlike anything they had expected. With a quick glance, your first impression would be simple: she was a woman. She had an olive-toned complexion and a bright smile. There was straight black hair that went down to her chin, and expertly applied make-up that brought out her dark eyes. She was pretty if a bit over the top.

Mush was definitely into the Christmas spirit. She had woven tinsel into her hair and was wearing the most outrageous Santa costume that any of them had ever seen – and they had all lived in New York all their lives. It was a Santa jacket, red with white trim, which cinched at her waist. Her breasts were rather small, but perky and stretched the white unitard she had on underneath the coat. She was not wearing pants but, instead, a pair of red and white stockings that made her (surprisingly) muscular legs look like candy canes. And, to top it all of, she was wearing knee-high black hooker boots, a parody of Santa's shoes.

But if you had the opportunity to look a bit closer (and the knowledge that Blink was gay and would not touch a woman with a ten foot pole) then certain features would jump out: there was a rather prominent Adam's apple and, really, this 'woman' was too muscular.

His angel was a man – dressed (quite convincingly) as a woman. And, yet, that surprised no one.

Well, that's not entirely true. Blame it on mixed messages, a sore back and a nagging suspicion that Jack had done something to his forehead but David had not been expecting Mush…

David, who had been rolling his eyes at Blink's antics, had chosen the moment of Mush's entrance to lift his coffee mug back to his lips. However, when he caught sight of Blink's new friend, he could not help it – the mouthful of coffee that had not quite been swallowed yet was spit out in a fierce spray. He began to choke and, in his fit, his mug slipped out of his hand. Poor Mickey Mouse – the mug broke into three large pieces (and quite a few smaller ones) as it made contact with the floor.

Jack started to laugh – it was hard to tell if it was because of his reaction to Mush or because Dave was a total spaz. Blink joined in. Mush, on the other hand, brought one of her hands to her mouth (she was wearing bright red nail polish that matched his jacket), and almost shrieked. "Are you alright?" Her voice was not as stereotypically high and female as most drag queens used, nor was it characteristically male; it was soft and quite soothing.

She rushed forward, her boots barely making a sound as she glided across the floor, until she was standing right before David; he had bent down to retrieve the broken shards of his favorite mug. Mush knelt down, careful not to get coffee on her stockings, and began to help him. "Careful, honey," she added just as David seemed to nick his palm on a particularly nasty piece of the broken ceramic. She reached inside her tight shirt and, when she offered her hand toward David, there was a tissue held daintily in between her fingers.

David accepted the tissue and wrapped it around his palm, trying to stop the minor trickle of blood. "Thanks. Mush, right?"

"Yeah. It's a nickname, though. The name is Connor but, when I was a little boy," he paused and smiled. "Yes, I am a boy. But I'm a queen, obviously," he said as an explanation. Mush was very comfortable about himself; usually his ease made anyone else around feel better about his uniqueness. Jack and David, while they were not unfamiliar with drag queens, had just not expected Blink to bring one home – she had just caught them off-guard. "Anyway, I was always a bit on the soft side. Some assholes," somehow, it seemed wrong for such a word to come from her, "liked to call me mushy. Somehow, it just stuck. Mush is just my name. Though, I guess, one of these days I should pick a more girly name." She laughed and any of the awkward tension that had followed her entrance evaporated.

The laughter had all but stopped as Blink and Jack (though there was a minor surge on Jack's part when Mush pulled a tissue out of her bra) watched Mush help David clean up his mess and listened to him introduce himself. Blink walked over to Jack and elbowed him in the side. "Told you she was an angel."

Mush spun around, still at ground-level, when she heard Blink's voice. "Blink, can you grab some paper towels for me, baby?"

Jack waited for Blink to grab the roll of half-empty paper towels from the end of the counter before raising an eyebrow. "Baby?" he mouthed.

Blink smiled mischievously.

Fast worker. Jack shook his head but he could not help but smile in return. At least Blink looked happy. When he left New York seven months ago to take a job at some school in California (he said he needed a change and that he could not wait to check out San Francisco) he had been depressed. He had no money, no family, no lasting relationship. All he had was his buddies and a disease he had picked up in one of the clubs. Blink wanted to rebuild his life and make something of it but, somehow, it had not worked in California. New York, though, looked like it might be working out for him. Back not even a day and he had found his 'angel'. Jack could only imagine what they were doing last night.

Mush accepted the paper towels and ripped a whole wad of it. She used it to pick up the broken pieces before handing the roll to David. "Soak up the coffee, sweetie. You wouldn't want it to stain the floor."

"Thanks," David said, a bit confused. Did she just call him 'sweetie'? This might take a bit of getting used to. But he did what she said, though.

"Where's the trashcan?" she asked, holding up the refuse from David's accident.

Jack pointed to the off-white trash (well, it had been white when they got it) plastic trash bin in the corner of the kitchen. Mush walked over and, with a flourish, dropped the mess inside it.

David, once he was done sponging up the wasted coffee, joined her over at the bin. Once he had thrown it away, he stuck out his non-bleeding hand. "My name is David. It's nice to meet you, Mush."

Mush accepted it. However, this was the first time that she was standing face to face with David – and could see the black writing on his forehead. She stared as she tried to make it out.

David could not figure out what she was looking at; her mouth was moving, but she was silent, as she her dark eyes bored holes into his forehead. Finally, she smiled and did a strange thing. She curtsied. "My pleasure, your majesty."

Huh?

Jack could not hold it in any longer. He busted out laughing. "You deserved it, Dave. Next time don't sleep on my couch."

"What?" David asked, still confused.

Mush lifted one of her fingers and ran it across David's forehead. When she pulled it away, the tip was coated in black.

Oh, shit. What did Jack do now? David turned around and reached for the slightly dented toaster than sat on the cluttered counter. It was a metal toaster and was perfect for looking at your reflection.

His features were out of proportion, thanks to the dent, but he could see that there was eight letters written largely across his face; Jack had purposely drawn them in reverse so when David looked into the toaster, he could read them quite easily, even though there was a faint smudge line from Mush's finger.

SOFA KING.

Jack had written the words SOFA KING across his forehead in a black marker.

The rest of them started laughing as David slammed the toaster back onto the counter and hurried over to the sink. He poured a liberal amount of dish soap onto the crusty old sponge, soaked the sponge, and began to scrub at his head. It took a bit of force to finally erase all of the markings from his skin; by the time it was gone, his forehead was red and raw from the rubbing.

Amidst the scene – Blink had joined in on the laughter while Mush allowed herself to giggle coyly – Mush opened her mouth in surprise. "I almost forgot," she said, waving her hands quickly to get the others attention. She looked at Jack – who was crying, he was laughing so hard – and pointed at him. "So, you're Jack, right?"

Jack nodded. He still could not speak.

Mush reached into one of the large pockets on her Santa jacket and searched around for a moment. Her brows furrowed as if she was having a hard time finding whatever it was in her pocket but it did not last long. She smiled triumphantly as she removed something from them: a piece of paper folded into a small square. She extended the note towards Jack. "I was waiting for Blink to tell me to come inside when this girl came up the stairs. She was a tiny little thing but pretty. I loved her hair and her pajamas were cute. Anyway, she asked me if I would give this to the one called Jack."

Jack's laughter stopped at once. He snatched the note out of Mush's hand without even a 'thank you'. Who else could it be from but her?

Jack.

I'm in 5A. Want to celebrate the holiday together? I got mistletoe and hot chocolate.

– Jess

He did not read the note out loud. He did not need to. His face turned so red that he matched David's raw skin.

Jack made to fold the note back up but, before he could, David reached out and stole the note. Jack turned to take it back but Blink – always one for something amusing – held onto his arm. Mush took the hint and did the same with Jack's other arm – she was just as curious.

David sprinted across the room, unfolding the note as he went. When it was open, he read it out loud. It was short and he finished it before Jack had broken free from Blink and Mush's hold.

It was David's turn to chortle. He folded the note back up for Jack and waved it. "So, Jack. Who's this Jess girl? Did you make a new friend and not tell me?"

Jack crossed his arms over his chest. "Can I help it is girls actually like me, Dave. We're not all cursed."

That shut David up real quick. Before Jack could continue on in that vein – David had forgotten that it was never good to make fun of Jack when he had just as much dirt on him – David changed the subject. He tucked the note in his back pocket (he would get back at Jack later) and gestured back to Blink and Mush. "Hey, Blink. I don't know how the hell you got out of answering my question but now that we've met Mush, I think you have some explaining to do."

Jack accepted the momentary and silent truce that David was setting up by changing the subject. "Yeah," he added, picking up the still full bucket, "and why don't you tell me where you got all this shit from."

Mush raised her hand slightly. "I can answer for Blink." She looked at Blink. "Is that alright, honey?"

Blink gestured in front of him while grinning crookedly at Mush. "The floor is your's," he said before going to take a seat. He went to go sit down on the overstuffed couch in the center of the room but remembered David's forehead. He changed his mind and took one of the hard backed chairs by the small kitchen table.

Jack snorted when he saw what Blink had done. My couch.

Mush, though, had no clue as to what was going on. She shrugged. "Well, first of all. I bought all that stuff. Blink said he doubted you guys had any good stuff in your apartment so I got it on my way over here. Consider it a Christmas gift for you guys."

David took one of the two remaining seats at the table. He was not going to even breathe on Jack's couch anymore. "Why did you do that for us?"

Mush shrugged. "Well, it's what I do. I don't know. I'm nice, I guess."

"Nice? She's a fucking angel," Blink interrupted. "You should see what she did for me."

David wrinkled his nose. "Blink, I don't think we want to know."

It was Mush's turn to laugh. "I think what Blink means is that I found him hurt last night and I brought him home with me. He let me play nurse and bandage him up. And then we got to play doctor." Mush could not help herself – she had to add that.

Jack snorted – he got it – but it went over David's head. That might have been, though, because he was focusing on what Mush said first. "I told you, Jack, that he got hurt and Blink-napped. But do you believe me? Nooo…"

Blink looked confused; he had no idea to what lengths David had predicted his demise the night before. "It was a weak mugging attempt, Dave. They got my shit but I got Mush. I think I'm alright."

"Yeah, yeah. And you couldn't call? I spent three hours looking for you."

Blink shrugged. "I did call. I left a message, too. Can I help it if you screen?"

David shut up; he also made a mental note just then: if the machine is blinking red, listen to the messages. No matter how late it was. That was twice already he felt like an ass.

Jack cut in. "Anyway… What I want to know is where you got the money for this? Are you loaded or something? Cause we ain't and I might have to jump you myself if you are."

Both Blink and Mush exchanged a look before laughing. "Well, I'm not loaded, as you say, but I make do. But, yesterday – Christmas Eve? You'll never believe what happened to me. I was walking down Avenue A, banging on my paint bucket like I normally do, when some old broad came pulling up in some hoity-toity limo. Said she had seen me performing on street corners." She paused, afraid that Jack – who she, rightly, assumed to have a perverted mind – before explaining herself. "I like to do drag and perform street art on the sidewalk when the weather is nice. But, when it's cold out, like now, I just go out as Connor and play the dreams. I get good money from it, you know. Anyways, she said that she had a job for me. Turns out she has a neighbor with the most annoying little Chihuahua, 'Sippi. Weird name, I know, but it's some rich lady's pup."

"All he does is yap, she tells me, and I can't ever rest. 'I need my beauty sleep' she said, and, honey, that woman would need to sleep for the next fifty years if she wanted to be beautiful. But, she offered me a thousand dollars if I took care of it for her. She figured if I went in her apartment and beat on my drums enough, then the dog might just explode from its yapping."

Blink started to laugh at this point in the story. David was vaguely aware that Blink must have laughed more times that morning than in the whole last month he had been in New York but he was to interested in hearing the rest of Mush's story to draw attention to that. It never amazed him how strange New Yorkers were – whoever heard of a neighbor hiring a street artist to induce a doggy to die?

Jack could not help but ask. "And? What happened to the dog?"

"Well, I was well into my third number when I heard a shrill screech followed by a splat. The—"

Blink cut in. "That little shit jumped out of its window and landed in the grassy courtyard of this rich broad's apartment building."

Yummy.

"I got the thousand dollars, though," Mush added. "And I didn't actually see 'Sippi die, so I don't feel too bad."

Blink got up from his seat and walked over to Mush. He planted a sweet kiss against her cheek. "I told you. A goddamn angel."

Mush blushed slightly and playfully pushed him away. Blink adopted a look of feigned hurt. Mush giggled and pulled him back before planting a kiss on his lips. The kiss deepened and poor David and Jack became witnesses to one of many public displays of affection for those two.

After they had been entwined for almost a minute (David was keeping track with his watch), Jack cleared his throat. They reluctantly broke apart.

Jack lifted up the bottle of Vodka. He still had not gotten the lid off of it though he was, once again, wrestling with it. "So why did you spend your dough on us? I don't understand. You could have spent in on a romantic getaway from you and Blink but you came over here. Why? I mean, I'm not complaining but it's seems a little too nice to me."

Blink began to mutter something along the lines of, "I told you, Mush. Acapulco would have been sweet…" but Mush cut him off. There was something about her, her inherent naivety almost despite her overwhelming presence, that demanded all of their attention.

"Simple. When you live the way that I do, life becomes pretty simple. Like I always say, today for you, tomorrow for me."

And that one phrase, quietly and meaningfully uttered by the fantastical drag queen (and puppy murderer), managed to shut all three of the boys up. Without needing her to elaborate on what she meant, they all thought that they knew.