Disclaimer: I don't own the newsies. Damn. The song is 'In the Blink of an Eye' by the ATeens, and I don't own that either. Slash. Strange Pairings. That's all, read, review, enjoy.

In The Blink of an Eye

I don't own the newsies. Damn. The song is 'In the Blink of an Eye' by the ATeens, and I don't own that either. Slash. Strange Pairings. That's all, read, review, enjoy.

Spot stared up at Jack, his bright blue eyes filled with hurt and surprise.

"Jack…ya cain't be serious!" he whispered.

Jack hugged himself and turned away from those accusing eyes. There was tense silence between them for a few minutes that seemed like forever before Spot spoke again.

"Why…?" he asked shakily.

Jack hesitated before he spoke. "Ain't a why."

Spot's face paled. "Who, den?"

Jack bit his lip.

"Who, dammit!" Spot demanded.

Jack lingered for another moment. "Snitch." he said finally.

"Da pickpocket!"

Jack flushed. "Yeh."

Spot blinked quickly, holding back the sudden waterfall of tears that threatened to pour from his eyes. "Oh."

Jack sighed. "Listen, Spot, I's sorry, I nevah meant ta hoitcha, I nevah meant ta fall fer Snitch, but…" He stopped when Spot shook his head and turned.

"Who said I's hoit?" he asked softly, leaning on a post and looking out over the frigid ocean.

Jack stayed behind him. Bitter winter wind moved its fingers through Spot's hair, as if to comfort him in his hidden hurt.

"Spot. I's sorry. I really did love ya. I still do, jus'…not 'smuch 'slove Snitch."

"Go." Spot commanded quietly.

Jack stared at the smaller boy's back for a moment, then turned and crunched down the snow-covered dock. Spot waited until he was sure Jack was gone, then put his head down in his hands and wept.

---

Spot went to Irving Hall that night. He knew it was likely he'd catch Jack there, and he didn't really want to see Jack, but it was better than sitting at home moping. James "Spot" Conlon wasn't a moper; he was a go-getter.

He took a seat in the back corner, where he could watch everything that was going on. He saw a lot of newsboys, most of them part of Jack's group, but some of them from other places like Queens and Midtown. There were even a couple Brooklyn boys in the crowd. Spot smiled slightly. Each town had it's own Vaudevilles stage but Irving Hall was the only one that had shows like Medda's. Medda only took the best performers for her shows.

"Heya, Spot! How's it goin'?"

Spot jumped slightly, and looked over his shoulder. Kid Blink Ballatt, a happy-go-lucky newsboy from Manhattan was smiling down at him.

Spot shrugged. "Foine. How's it goin' wit' youse?"

Blink's smile disappeared and he shook his head. "I's great, but youse ain't anywhere neah foine, Spot." He moved over to the other side of the table and took a seat there. "What's wrong?"

Spot frowned. "Nuthin's wrong, Blink!"

Blink smiled knowingly and wagged his finger at Spot. "Aw, c'mon, allada Manhattan newsies is talkin' 'bout Snitch n Jack. Dat mus' be what's gotcha down."

Spot scowled. "T'anks fer remindin' me, Blink."

Blink shrugged. "Sorry. I gots trouble keepin' me mout' shut."

"No kiddin'."

Blink grinned and put his hand on Spot's. "Doan worry 'bout it, Spot! Ev'ryt'ing'll be oohh-kay!"

Spot glowered at him. "Doan touch me."

Blink stared at him, then removed his hands. "Jeez, youse in a bad mood. Not dat I c'n blame ya or nuthin', but ya doan hafta take it out on me, 'tain't my fault."

Spot bit his lip. "Yeh, youse right, I's sorry fer yellin' atcha."

Blink grinned. "Youse fergivin'. But woancha listen ta me? Youse gonna be okay! Jus'…ferget 'bout Jack, n move on!"

"Doancha know how hard it is ta get ovah somebody?"

Blink cocked his head to the side. "Lemme tell youse a story, Spot. Now, in dis story, dere's two main charactahs, a boy called Louie, n a goil called Becky. Now, Louie n Becky, dey loves each odda very much. Dey's gonna get married once Louie's got some money. 'Course, dey gotta get married wit'out Becky's parents knowin', 'cause Becky's parents doan like Louie. "Doan have no edjycation!" they says. But Becky n Louie doan care. Dey loves each odda n dat's all what mattahs.

"Now, one day, Louie's walkin' down da street ta s'prise Becky in da park. 'Es got flowahs fer her. When 'e gets ta da park, his jaw drops 'cause dere's Becky, sittin' on a park bench, kissin' anudda boy! Louie, well, foist Louie gets mad, n he goes n confronts Becky, yellin' at 'er, askin' 'er what she t'ink she's doin'! Becky just stares at him while 'e rants, n when 'es done, da boy what was kissin' Becky asks who Louie is, n Becky…dat bitch Becky, she says 'I doan know, Nathaniel. You knows deres buncha crazy people n dis park.' N den she sits down n starts kissin' dis bum Nathaniel again!"

Blink's quite a story tellah…Spot noticed. The young blonde moved his hands as he spoke, as if weaving the tale in midair. He changed his voice as each character spoke, and his single blue eye changed it's focus as he was talking.

"So whaddid Louie do?" Spot asked.

"Louie, well…when Becky says dat, Louie jus' lost it. Louie's a newsboy, livin' in a Lodgin' House in Albany, so 'e goes back ta da Lodgin' House n 'e starts cuttin' 'imself. He didn' wanna live no moah. Got so bad dat 'e actually…" Blink trailed off.

"What? Whaddid Louie do?"

Blink studied Spot for a moment. "Louie actually cut 'is eye out." He pointed at the patch on his left eye. "Louie's me."

Spot leaned backwards in his chair. "Wow…"

"So, ya see Spot, youse c'n get ovah dis. Sho', I cut me eye outta me head befoah I managed ta get ovah Becky, but I's still able ta." The taller boy stood and ruffled Spot's hair playfully. "So youse c'n get ovah Jack." He nodded shortly, and waved at his closest friend, another Manhattan boy called Mush Meyers. "Heya, Mush, wait up!" he cried, running off to the other side of the room.

Spot watched the other young blonde curiously. Then, slowly, he reached up and touched his hair where Blink had messed with it.

Why was he blushing furiously? Why had he been so comforted and warmed by Blink's touch? He'd just been thrown aside by Jack, dammit, what was he doing blushing at another boy!

Besides, hadn't Blink just told a story about being in love with a girl? Blink was, therefore, straight.

Spot chewed on his bottom lip as he watched Blink fool around with other Manhattan newsboys, Mush Meyers, Racetrack Higgins, Pie Eater Jones, and one Jack had dubbed Merlin. The one-eyed boy would punch, and laugh and chat amiably, teasing them all one by one. He was so friendly. And open. Jack would never talk about anything. If there was something on Jack's mind, he'd never tell you unless you beat it out of him. Spot frowned, concentrating.

Did he really want Blink like that?

Blink turned then, and he smiled widely at Spot.

"C'mon, Spot! C'mon ovah heah!" Blink cried, gesturing wildly.

Spot shook his head, but got up and went over anyway. What did he have to lose?

"Whaddaya want, Blink?" he asked roughly. Blink slung an arm around his shoulder.

"We's gonna cheer you up, Spot. 'Cause ya need it." he answered.

Mush nodded. "Yeh, yeh. Ya doan look like yerself, Spot."

"Wha's dat s'posed ta mean!" Spot asked defensively.

Mush held up his hands in defense. "Nuthin'! Nuthin'!"

"You t'ink I need Jack ta be me! 'Cause I doan! I doan need Jack!" Spot cried, clenching his fists. Blink's eye widened, and he grabbed Spot's arms.

"Hey, hey, none a dat now, Spot." he warned. "Wouldn' be good. Medda'd be mad if ya spilt blood allovah da floah."

"I ain't gonna spill no blood, Blink, jus' make sho' Mush doan make no obs'vations 'bout me!" He lunged forward, but Blink caught him.

"Youse gonna fight, youse gonna take it outside. Jus' 'cause youse mad at Jack doan mean youse gotta take it out on us. Tol' ya dat already." Blink smiled again, and shook Spot playfully. "Besides, youse a pretty boy. Youse coul' find anudda boy like dat," he snapped his fingers, "N 'ed be bettah den Jack, no sweat."

Pie Eater grinned wickedly. "Youse insinuatin' something, Blink?"

Blink wrinkled his nose. "Whaddaya mean?"

"Does ya wanna be Spot's new boy? We all see ya when ya look at Bumlets."

To Spot's surprise, Blink's face turned pink. "Now youse bettah shut yer mout', Richard, or I's gonna shut it for ya!"

Now it was Pie Eater's turn to blush as everyone burst out laughing at his real name.

"I tol' ya nevah ta tell nobody!" Pie protested. Blink grinned winningly, and shrugged.

"Sorry. Kinda…ah…slipped out?" He said, still grinning.

Even Spot was laughing, his head thrown back. Richard was worse then James!

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and brought his laughter down to snickers as he looked at the hand's owner. Blink.

The one-eyed boy was smiling gently.

"See? I tol' ya." He said softly. "Youse c'n get ovah Jack if ya want ta."

Spot stared at Blink for a moment, unable to look away for the boy's charming smile and single dancing eye.

The moment was broken when Pie Eater shoved Merlin into Spot. Merlin stood up, and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Spot." He said lamely.

Spot frowned at him, and shoved him backward into Mush, who shoved him into Blink. Thus the newsboys starting shoving each other playfully, and laughing together like the old friends that they were.

---

A week later, Spot was on the up side of things again. Sure, it was freezing, but headlines were good, very good, and the bars were full, very full, with people doing early celebrations of Christmas, and the upcoming New Year and new century. So business was good, and Spot had nearly forgotten about all the gentle kisses, sweet surprises, and starry, smoky nights he had spent with Jack.

Key word: "nearly".

He was doing better, though, mostly because of Blink, who would go out of his way to 'accidentally' end up lost in Brooklyn and have Spot help him home. Spot smiled at the idea. Most of the time, Blink could get on your nerves with his eternal smile and everlasting good cheer, but when you were down, he was a good person to have around. That smile was contagious, and he knew what kind of jokes were right to tell and when. He was just an all around good guy.

Spot smiled pleasantly at his current customer and thanked her. As soon as the old lady turned her back, his smile disappeared, and he walked off muttering about tightwads. Ah well. It was his last pape. He was free for the rest of the day, until evening came along. But evening selling was easy, that was when the bars were really full.

"Heya, Spot! Spot!"

Spot's smile reappeared as he turned, and this time, instead of a fake pleasant smile for a "client", it was a true smile of delight, one that he saved just for Blink's "accidental" (yet daily) visits.

"Heya, Blink, how's it goin'?" Spot removed his hat and smacked it on his pants. Dust scattered from both articles. "Youse lost again? I sweah, dat's da fourt' time dis week."

Blink grinned sheepishly. "It's me mem'ry, Spot! I sweah, I's losin' moah a me mem'ry ev'ryday!"

"It's yer moind yer losin'." Spot teased. "C'mon, I'll show ya da way back ta Manhattan."

Blink's usual smile, one that Spot had dubbed his 'Da Woild's Jus' Peachy n I Ain't Got Nuthin' on Me Non-Existent Moind' smile. This was the irresistible one, the one that just pulled at the corners of your mouth until you returned it to him. The one that would make girls giggle flirtatiously, and the boys, well…

The boy's would smile back, punch him in the shoulder, and start to shuffle around their attraction to him.

Spot smiled back, punched Blink in the shoulder, and tried to keep away the flush that kept threatening to appear in his cheeks. Whenever he was around Blink, he could forget Jack for once, and concentrate solely on the one-eyed blonde.

The winter that year was harsh. Snow fell in torrents, and the winter wind was biting. That day, though, the snow had decided to take a break, and the wind was down to a soft, chilly breeze. The sky was a light gray, typical of New York winters, but without the snow and the bitter winds, it was a nice day.

The blonde boys walked beside each other, conversing and teasing one another as their winter boots crunched through yesterday's snow.

Suddenly, for no reason, Blink stopped walking. Spot frowned, and looked back at him.

"Blink, whattaya doin'?" he asked.

Blink looked at him with that one blue eye. "Spot, we's gotta stop beatin' 'round da bush."

"Whattaya mean?"

"I mean dat you n me, we's 'tracted to each odda, but I wanna know if we could be…" He bit his lip, and searched for the right words. "…Somethin' moah."

Spot stared at him. His defenses rose immediately, his defenses of his aggressive manliness, of his 'just 'cause I's short doan mean I cain't soak ya good' attitude. "Whaddaya mean, 'we's 'tracted to each odda'? I…I ain't 'tracted ta youse!"
Blink smirked. "Yeh, you is, youse jus' so big n macho dat youse doan wanna own up ta it. I c'n see it in yer eyes. Dat's da way ya used ta lookit Jack, but now, ya look like dat when ya lookit me." he paused. "Youse got gorgeous eyes, Spot. Like an icy ocean." His face fell into a dreamy expression. "Eyes dat's so beautiful, n yet dey c'n kill a guy."

Spot flushed pink. He shouted, "Stop sayin' t'ings like dat, Blink! Ya doan mean 'em! Jack said 'em ta me all da time, n den 'e left me fer dat pickpocket! 'E nevah meant what 'e said!" His voice quieted. "So…so neitha' c'n youse. Youse cain't mean 'em eitha'."

Kid Blink Ballatt raised his head and looked Spot in the eye. With a single, solid blink of that one sky-blue eye, a crystalline tear flowed out onto his dirty cheek.

Spot gasped shortly. He was filled with a sudden surety that Blink did mean what he said, everything he said, and everything he didn't have to say because his smile and his eye said it all.

Blink smiled, and wiped the tear away. To Spot, that smile said one very simple, yet very meaningful thing.

"I love you."

Tears welled into Spot's eyes also, and he ran to Blink. They enveloped each other in their arms, and Blink pressed his cheek against Spot's, a gesture of sharing his warmth the way he wanted to share his love. Spot clung to him, and it took him a while to realize that he was sobbing softly, even though he knew he was smiling. Blink caressed his hair, and Spot delighted at the touch. He looked up at Blink, who smiled at him, and moved to stroking his cheeks, flushed with pleasure and cold. He used his thumb to wipe away Spot's tears.

"Why's ya cryin', Spot?" he asked.

"I dunno, Blink." Spot replied, chuckling softly. "But I know dat it ain't 'cause I's upset."

Blink smiled, and Spot was amused to see that his smile was relieved. "Good." Blink responded. "T'ot dat…t'ot dat I mighta been doin' somethin' wrong."

Spot shook his head, still smiling. "I doan t'ink youse could evah do somethin' wrong, Blink." he said sincerely.

Blink asked quietly, "If I does somethin', wouldja soak me fer it?"

"Depends on whatcha did."

Blink blushed. "If I kissed ya."

Spot shook his head again. "No. I'd act'lly really like dat, Blink. I loves ya."

"I loves ya too, Spot." Blink sighed softly.

So they kissed, and both boys were warm in the cold. From the sky, snowflakes started to fall slowly, but neither boy noticed. All that mattered was that, in the blink of an eye, they had fallen for each other, and now they had each other, and they needed nothing else.

When you turn around
All the tears will dry
Whatever was lost can be found
In the blink of an eye

END

AUTHOR'S NOTE

NO KILLING OF THE ME! ducks To tell the truth, I'm actually a highly devoted Jack/Spot fan (and a rabid Race/Blink fan), but I'm also a strange pairing whore, and I wanted to write a Blink slash, with a strange pairing, and I have some evidence too! Watch Blink and Spot when Denton takes the picture for the paper, they're both in the bottom left hand corner, now you watch them! There's something going on there! O.o So I have back-up, hahah on you.

But why Jack with Snitch? grabs reader by the shoulders and shakes Hello? This is me we're talking about! Of course I had to get Snitch in there somewhere. I love him. squeezes snitch

Um, to tell the truth, I know nothing about winter in New York. I've never been there. Hell, I know nothing about winter in general! I'm an Arizona-native, we don't have winter! We only have summer and spring! shivers in the 60 degree weather.

Hm…oh yeah! My boy Merlin! Hasn't anyone else noticed the newsie that looks like Harry Potter! It's so funny! There's a newsie that looks like Harry Potter! I named him Merlin, and that's him up there, so…um…yay for the Harry Potter newsie! ;;;

Um…hmm…I think that's about it. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!