Snitch sat in the restaurant after Dutchy left, picking at his sandwich. Suddenly, he was no longer hungry.

He sat in Tibby's for a long, long time, thinking, considering, musing, dreaming…

Davey, his softness and kindness. Bright blue eyes, swimming with compassion.

Racetrack, his protectiveness, his strength. Something you don't find everyday.

Kid Blink, his desperate love, hidden for what seemed like forever.

Skittery, his bright smile and teasing grin, a personality to kill for.

Itey, his warmth and friendship. Something you need more than anything.

And Dutchy, his need to be noticed, his need for a friend.

Snitch slumped in his chair, and banged his head on the table.

"Deah God! Why put dis on me?" He looked at his grubby hands under the table. "I's jus' a doity l'il newsboy, sellin' papes n stealin' pocket watches ta make da money I needs ta survive. I ain't no strong blonde wit' blue eyes. I's too tall fer me age, hazel eyes, brown hair, doity cheeks, horse-y face, gangly body…n yet, six boys is in love wit' me. Six. What makes me so special? What does dey see in me?"

He rested his chin in his hands. "What does dey see in me?" he repeated.

He sat there for another hour and a half before he finally came to a conclusion.

And, a decision.

He walked back to the Lodging House from Dave's apartment slowly. Rethinking what he planned to do. He sighed heavily, not quite sure if he wanted to do it after all…but something in his gut said that yes, this was the way to go, this was the thing to do. Besides, he'd already told Dave no. He couldn't go back on that one.

"Hey! Hey, Skitcha!"

Snitch smiled to himself and turned to look at Skittery, but kept walking. "Heya, Skitts. How's it goin'?"

Skittery smiled and walked beside the young pickpocket. "Goin' pretty good, Skitcha. Youse?"

"Bettah." Snitch turned his face forward, still smiling. "I's come ta a decision."

Skittery raised his eyebrows. "Whattaya mean? 'Bout me?"

"Kinda. 'Bout youse, n Dave, n Race, n Blink, n Itey, n Dutchy."

Skittery whistled. "Dat's lotta people ta make a decision 'bout."

Snitch nodded in response. "No kiddin'."

"So what didja decide?"

Snitch looked at Skittery briefly, then back to the front. "Sorry, Skitts."

Skittery's face fell.

Snitch bit his lip. "I's really sorry, Skitts, but...y'know…it jus' doan feel right." He exhaled loudly. "Youse a great guy n all, but…"

He stopped when Skittery grabbed him by the arms and kissed him again. Snitch let him. He'd expected this.

When Skittery let go, his eyes studied Snitch's desperately, but when they found nothing, his entire body slumped. Snitch put a hand on his shoulder.

"Youse c'n find somebody else, Skitts. Bettah den me."

Skittery looked up at him, and smiled, his dark eyes glistening with tears. "Skitcha, 'slong youse happy, I's happy. I tol' ya dat already."

Snitch smiled. Skittery smiled back.

They walked to the Lodging House together, in a friendly silence.

When they entered the front room of the Lodging House, they discovered the other newsboys in the front room, gathered in a semi-circle around Jack Kelly, the Manhattan Newsies' leader.

"So I says ta Spot, 'Spot, youse cain't jus' go on pretendin' youse doan want me', n Spot, he says 'Jack, youse a jackass'." Jack looked up, noticing Skittery and Snitch. "Oh, heya guys!"

"Whatcha talkin' 'bout, Jack?" Skittery asked.

Blink grinned widely. "'E's tellin' us 'bout somethin' what happened wit' Spot taday." The blonde looked at Snitch, and his grin faded into a hopeful smile. Snitch blinked, then gave a small shake of his head. Blink's entire face crumpled, and he looked away. Snitch felt a sudden surge of guilt, and wondered vaguely what Blink would do now.

Skittery smiled softly at Snitch then went to sit by Jake. Snitch chose a spot near Itey and Racetrack.

While Jack resumed his story, Snitch leaned in to Race. "Heya, Race…where's Dutchy?"

Race blinked at him. "Whattaya mean?" He scanned the large group of newsboys, but there was no sign of the bespectacled blonde. "Huh. 'E was heah earliah. Talkin' ta Specs."
Itey leaned backwards, and lay on the floor, his head between Snitch's and Race's laps. "I saw it! Dey's talkin', n den Specs kisses Dutchy, n Dutchy, 'e cain't b'lieve it, 'e jus' stands dere wit wide eyes. Dey talks a bit moah, den dey kiss again, n den…" A wicked smile spread over Itey's face. "Den Specs takes Dutchy up ta da bunkroom."

All three boys snickered wildly.

"Hey! Youse boys gonna listen ta me story or not?" Jack asked them, frowning.

Race grinned. "Youse suck n youse know it!" he catcalled.

Skittery's grin twisted into one of sheer cruelty. "Yeh, 'e sucks Spot!"

The entire room erupted with wild laughter and loud jeers as Jack blushed pink and lunged at Skittery.

"I's gonna soak ya fer dat, Skittery!" he cried. The other newsboys caught him, and calmed him down.

"Jus' finish yer story." Snoddy said, though he, too, was snickering at Skittery's comment.

Jack sat down, made a rude gesture at Skittery, and continued talking: "Yeh, so anyways, Spot, he jus' shakes 'is 'ead, n 'e says 'Jack, I jus' doan b'lieve youse.' So I says ta him, 'Spot, youse doan b'lieve 'ow much ya want me. Lookit dis ass! 'Ow can ya not want dis ass!'"

There was a wave of titters as Skittery made a big show of rolling his eyes and choking himself. Jack ignored him.

Snitch stifled his snickers and returned his attention to Race and Itey, who were both staring at him. He flushed slightly.

"Ah, guys…um…I's…I's come ta a decision. N…n youse guys is da only ones what doan know dat yet."

Race and Itey exchanged glances, and Snitch was surprised to see resignation in Race's eyes. The older boy stood and stretched.

"Whaddaya doin', Race?" Jack asked, sounding indignant.

"I's goin' ta bed." He replied. "Ya boah me, Jacky-boy."

Jack flipped him another rude gesture, and he laughed. "G'night guys."

As he walked past him, Snitch whispered. "I's sorry, Race."

Race stopped momentarily. "Sho' you is. Youse sorry now. But will ya be sorry t'night? Or tomorrah? Or da day aftah dat? Nah. I's gonna move on. Doan worry 'bout me." Snitch opened his mouth to reply, but Race smirked. "N doan worry 'bout Blink. I c'n take care a him too."

Snitch watched as the young gambler ascended the stairs, then turned his concentration to Itey. Just looking into the young Italian's face filled him with a surety that this was right, that he'd made the right decision after all. He hesitated, then leaned forward and kissed Itey briefly. A flush exploded over his face when he pulled back, but Itey smiled, and put his hand on the back of Snitch's neck.

"Me, Snitch?" He asked. "'Sya sho'?"

Snitch nodded slowly, unblinkingly.

Itey shut his eyes, and Snitch saw teardrops forming on his friend's eyelashes, like icicles. He used his thumb to wipe them off. "Whaddaya cryin' fer, Itey?"

Itey smiled at him. "I loves ya, Snitch."

The boys kissed again, softly, hesitantly, before separating again. A blush crept up Itey's face.

"Ah…um…" he stuttered. "Dya…Dya wanna go upstaihs?"

Snitch bit his lip and thought about it. His considerations were broken by another outburst from Jack.

"'Kyah!' screams Jingle. 'Holy shit, what da fuck is wrong wit' youse?' I says, n Spot hasta jus' grab me roun' da waist ta keep me from soakin' Jingle."

"Betcha liked dat, Cowboy!" cried Skittery.

"Youse jus' keep yer mout' shut, Skitts!" Jack yelled back.

Skittery grinned. "He's jus' in d'nial." he stage-whispered to Jake, who snickered loudly.

Jack glared daggers at Skittery for a moment, then resumed his story.

Snitch shook his head, amused, then returned his attention to Itey.

"Yeh." He said quietly. "Le's go upstaihs."

Itey beamed at him, and they took each other's hands before starting upstairs.

One week.

Snitch looked up at the graying sky and smiled to himself. Had it been just one week since he'd chosen Itey? It felt like a single hour and an entire year in the same moment.

He looked over to his right when he heard his name called, and waved amiably at Kid Blink, who'd recovered nicely. Snitch was almost jealous with how fast the boy had healed.

But it's not as if he didn't notice how much time Blink spent with Race. And so, he wasn't jealous.

He checked the pocket watch he'd stolen off a rich man the previous day. Itey was late. Snitch sighed softly, then smiled warmly at David, who passed hand-in-hand with Mush Meyers, a shy young newsboy with dark curly hair. They were good together.

Skittery was still single, and showed no signs of wanting to be with anyone. Anyone besides Snitch anyway. Snitch bit his lip, and shivered in the cold. The dark-eyed newsboy smiled, but Snitch could see his longing beneath the smile, and would treat him to a grin and a laugh more than just occasionally.

But Snitch knew he was right in choosing Itey. The Italian was the only boy for him.

The young thief leaned against a wall and waited for his lover. Dutchy's clear laugh floated to his ears from nearby, and he smiled. Dutchy had indeed found happiness with Specs. The two boys could not be any closer if they were sewn together at the shoulder. Snitch grinned at the thought.

"Whattaya grinnin' 'bout, Snitch?"

Snitch started and turned, then sighed with relief when he saw Itey's grinning face.

"Ya scared me, Itey!" He cried, smacking his boyfriend over the head. "Doan do dat!"

Itey rubbed his head. "Doan hit me, Snitch! I didn' mean ta!"

Snitch smiled. "I's just playin' witcha, Itey." He kissed the Italian's cheek. "I's sorry. But youse late! Dat'll getcha a good soakin'."

"C'n I jus' buy ya lunch instead?" Itey offered, putting up his hands as if to hold Snitch off. The thief considered.

"All right. Foine wit' me." He took Itey's hand and flushed when the other boy kissed him softly.

"I loves ya Snitch. Youse know dat, right?" he said quietly.

Snitch nodded. "A course I knows dat, Itey. N I loves youse."

"Does ya?"

"A course. You know me, I doan lie. I steal, but I doan lie."

Itey smiled. "I guess dere's no way ta prove it. But I trus' ya 'nuff ta take yer woid fer it."

Snitch threw his arms around Itey's neck and the boys kissed sweetly, in something that could never be described, in the way it could never be imitated. It was necessity and desire mixed with friendship and romance: the best kind of relationship a young thief like Snitch could hope for.

***AUTHOR'S NOTE***
Tis done! Hope you all liked it!

I've gotta tell you all the truth: I was really hoping for Skittery to win, and was kinda upset when he didn't. Not to say I don't like Snitch/Itey. Of course I do. I just much prefer Snitch/Skitts (If you couldn't tell by my other stories…^^;;;). And this chapter was so friggin' fluffy it almost made me sick. Seriously. I don't usually write stuff like this, that's just complete fluff and minimal angst.

But anyway…

Yeah, I liked this chapter. I'm not going to deny that. I liked it. I just can't wait until I get a chance to work on Behind the Mirror some more. **glomps snitch/skitts** I need some of that. And ideas are already circling in my head for a Snitch/Skitts Christmas story, and I like those ideas, so keep your eyes open for those. Um, what else…I'm also getting more ideas for a Dave/Mush (I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW NO ONE ELSE SEES THAT PAIRING?), so watch out for that too.

And for those of you that have livejournals, check out the Newsies of Doom RPG! (I'm in it as Snitch, Race and Dave! ^^). We still need some more people before stuff can really get started, so come check it out: /~newsies_of_doom. **shameless plug, I promised alice I'd plug it ^^::**

Okay, enough plugging for stories I haven't even written yet. I've gotta go start my homework. ^^;;; Bye!