Disclaimer: I own a lot of things, but Newsies ain't one of 'em.
Some Valentine's Day fluffery...
Sales had been slow and sporadic. It was on such days when a newsie could hardly stay in one spot for very long. It was the fear of being stuck with unsold newspapers, newspapers they had spent their hard earned wages on. They wanted to make a profit with their sales, not loose the money they had invested. When their typical selling spot, the corner across from Carnegie Hall, showed no signs for improvement, they had to relocate. That was how they came to end the day on the corner where sixty fourth street intersects with fifth avenue.
Skittery stood, propped up against the side of a building, shielding himself from the wintry winds as he waited for Tug to finish up. He watched her work her charm on an old couple passing by, coaxing them to buy her very last newspaper. A crooked smile pulled at one side of his mouth when she was successful. After they exchanged news for money, Tug gave the couple a cheery wave and then skipped across the street to where Skittery was waiting. He barely had time to think, let alone speak, before she flung her arms around him and kissed him on the mouth.
"What was that for?" he said stupidly.
With a coy smirk, Tug turned away from him. "I dunno. It must be something in the air," she confessed with a little shrug as they walked down the street, side by side. Shifting her eyes in his direction, she asked, "Can we walk through the park for a change?"
"It'll take longer to get back if we go that way."
"That's kinda the point, Skittery," Tug replied, the corners of her mouth turning up in a sly kind of grin. "I was thinkin' that if we took our time gettin' back to the lodge, most of the fellas will have left for the evening. What d'ya say?"
He liked the way she had thought it through, though he'd rather it involved some place warmer. Skittery chuckled. "Sure."
The snow crunched beneath their feet as Skittery and Tug walked, hand in hand, along the beaten paths that wound through the park. Even in the middle of winter, Central Park was a favored attraction for residents and visitors alike. There were plenty of activities going on all around. Children, bundled up against the biting winds, were playing: building forts for snowball fights, sledding on the hills, constructing snowmen, ice skating on the frozen pond, and just having a grand old time. Older folks sat on the snowy benches or walked along the frosted paths, enjoying in the wintry landscape that surrounded them.
Occasionally, Tug would point out something of interest as they walked along, but for the most part they had been walking in a comfortable silence, simply glad to be in one another's company. In the same moment that Skittery stole a look at Tug, her eyes enlarged slightly at the sight of something in the distance and a delighted smile pulled at her lips. His eyes followed her gaze as she tugged on her arm. He knew exactly what would happen next.
"Oh, Skitts, look!" she said excitedly, gesturing toward some deserted playground equipment. Her eyes were dancing with a childlike playfulness as she look up at him hopefully, already pulling him off the path toward the contraption. "Let's swing."
Skittery groaned, hesitant with her suggestion. "Awe, Tug, we been outside all day; I'm freezin'."
"Oh, come on. It ain't gonna kill ya," she replied with a grin, letting go of his hand and skipping off toward the swings. She brushed off the snow that had settled and plopped down on the seat, smiling happily as she started pumping the swing back and forth. Her twinkling eyes keeping a steady gaze on Skittery as he trudged toward her.
Leaning against the post, which anchored the swing set, Skittery watched her with a slight amusement as she tilted her head back and laughed with joy, closing her eyes while the cool air whipped against her face. She looked completely content, almost euphoric, swinging past him through the air.
"Don't just stand there, Skitts. Grab a swing," she called out, kicking her feet out to send her even higher. She laughed again as the drop back toward earth tickled her belly. "Have a little fun!"
Skittery shook his head with a smile. "I don't think so."
"Oh, Skittery." Tug sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes, and then gave a chuckle, swatting at him as she went by.
After a few more swings, Tug made her dismount by leaping into the air on the upswing. The snow covered ground was not an ideal landing pad for the jump; it was slipperier than she had anticipated. Her feet slid out from under her and she did a rather ungraceful barrel roll and landed with a thud.
From Skittery's point of view the whole thing was rather comical and his gave a snort of laughter. However, when Tug didn't jump up right away, the laughter quickly turned to concern. Still slumped over in the snow, she wasn't moving much, only shaking a bit. The noises coming from the crumpled heap were unidentifiable. It was difficult to tell if she was laughing or crying. Skittery bolted to her side, standing over her body. His worry quickly faded and he smiled down at her, chuckling.
Sensing his presence, she rolled over onto her back, laughing hysterically at herself. With the laughter subsiding, she gazed up at him smiling back at her. She couldn't help but think what that must have looked like from Skittery's vantage point; the image sent her into another fit of giggles. She took some deep breaths to calm herself down and stuck her arms straight up in the air, implying his assistance was needed to help her stand. He complied, pulling her up from the cold ground.
"Very graceful," he said lightly, helping her brush the snow from her coat.
"Shut up," she snipped, glaring at him playfully and giving him a little shove. And then without any warning, still feeling very giddy, she trotted away from him, turning after a few strides to face him.
"Can't we go home yet?" Skittery whined, dropping his arms against his sides.
Tug smiled broadly, resting her hands on her hips. "Ya gotta catch me first."
He paused for a moment, like he was making his decision, and then quickly pelted after her before she had a chance to get too far ahead. She gave a strangled yell and whisked off across the open lawn, glancing back every so often to see the space between them shortening. They both laughed as Skittery closed in, snatching at her elbows, but catching only air in his attempts. He tried once more and was successful in catching the back of her coat.
Tug made to wriggle from his grasp, but their momentum brought them tumbling to the ground in a tangled heap. She yelled out as she hit the ground sharply, Skittery landing heavily against her. They both laid there for a moment, wheezing with laughter in between heaving gasps for oxygen.
"Ya alright?" Skittery asked, turning his head toward her, when he had finally sucked down enough air.
"My boot!" Tug exclaimed, lifting her stocking foot into the air to show him. She propped herself up on her elbows to investigate its whereabouts. She pointed a short distance away. "Oh, there it is. It flew off when ya tackled me."
Skittery chuckled as he moved to retrieve it. "Here ya go," he said, as he lifted her foot to fit the boot back on. He felt her eyes on him the whole time he laced it back up for her. Setting her foot back on the ground when he had finished, he crawled over her so that his face was hovering directly above hers. He tipped her hat up slightly and pushed the hair from her eyes. She smiled in just a way that it made him forget all about wanting to hurry back to the lodge. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, her arms snaking around his neck, guiding him closer. He pulled away and kissed her cheek. "Happy Valentine's Day."
Pulling her to her feet, he reached into his pocket and produced a small box. "It ain't much."
"Skitt," she breathed, opening the little parcel. She pecked him on the cheek. "Ya really didn't have to."
"Well, yer my girl, ya know. I wanted to," he replied with a shrug.
"Yeah, but chocolate, it's so expensive."
"That's why there ain't much," he said with a grin.
Tug smiled. Closing the box, she tucked it into her own pocket. "It's perfect, really. Now, what d'ya say we go back to the lodge, sit by the fire, and get warm."
"Eh, I ain't in a rush," he said with a grin, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they walked toward home. "I's actually thinkin' we should come to the park more often. It was fun."
They walked side by side once again, wrapped in each others arms, along one of Central Parks many pathways. It wasn't long before something else caught Tug's eye, much to Skittery's chagrin.
"Oh, Skitts, look! We could go ice skatin'..."
A/N: I don't know if chocolate was really expensive back then, but I figured for a kid on the streets it probably was. I assumed it was an expensive thing. -shrug-
Happy Valentine's Day! Lots of love to all you Newsies fans out there!