Mush beams as he hands the basket of dirty clothes to Sarah.

"And remind me again why you want me to do this?" Sarah prompts with a cautious smile.

"I wanna surprise Snitch."

"So this is Snitch's laundry?"

Mush nods, smiling bright. "His special things."

Sarah looks at the clothes, then at Mush, one eyebrow raised. Finally, she smiles, taking a dirty old blanket off the top of the pile. "Are you sweet on Snitch?"

Mush's face takes a red tinge. "What'll happen if I say yes?"

"I'll be okay with it, because Davey's that way." She adjusts the basket against her hip. "I'll have this finished by this afternoon. You can come get it then."

Mush nods, thanks her, and takes off down the street, leaving the older girl smiling the way a mother will smile at her child's mischief.

Snitch is a year older than Mush, but living with little adult influence for eight years has left the young thief with a lack of maturity.

"Where is it?" he cries. "It's gone! Who stole it? C'mon, 'fess up!"

Itey frowns at Snitch from his place atop his bed. "Stole what, Snitch?"

"My blanket!" Snitch cries, his voice shrill enough to make Itey wince.

"Maybe you just lost it. Ain't nothing to worry about." Jake comments as he shines his shoes.

"But… but… it's my blanket! I've had it since I's born!" Snitch whines. "My mother gave it to me!"

Blink is tossing a rubber ball at the ceiling and he sighs. "Help him find it, guys."

"Why don't you?" Itey challenges. "I got better things to do than help him find his blankie."

"It's not a blankie!" Snitch pouts. "It's not!"

"Uh-huh, yeah, sure." Jake says boredly. "Hey, Its, you got some more polish?"

Itey digs under his mattress and tosses a tin to Jake, who thanks him.

"You guys just don't understand!" Snitch accuses, upset, as he throws himself onto one of the lower beds and curls up into fetal position. "Mush'd understand. He'd help me look." He whimpers, his thumb making a steady path to his lips as he falls into a distraught sleep.

Mush saunters up the stairs to the Lodging House, carrying the now clean laundry at his hip, his lips pursed in a whistle. He opens the door and walks inside, infinitely proud of himself. Snitch likes to be clean, but can only get his things washed once in a blue moon, thanks to lack of the money necessary to get it done.

Mush makes a face as he thinks of the blue blanket he'd thrown in with the rest of the wash. It had smelled of sweat and years of dirt and filth.

Snitch would be so pleased to find it clean!

Mush skips a little as he starts up the stairs to the bunkroom and starts to fantasize about when he gives Snitch the clean laundry.

Oh what sweet fantasies they be.

Snitch awakens that afternoon by himself. He starts to burrow back into his slumber until he remembers his blanket. He sits up and starts to search again.

"Whatcha lookin' for, Snitch?"

Snitch lifts his head from checking a bedside drawer. "Mush! You seen my blanket?"

Mush smiles and nods fervently.

Snitch beams and runs to his bronze-skinned friend. "Where? Tell me! Where?"

Mush leaves the room for a moment, then returns with a basketful of clothes, his face beaming. Snitch reels at this bright smile, but blames it on the sudden smell of soap. "I got Sarah to wash your stuff for you." He puts the basket on the floor and digs through it before coming up and holding out a blue piece of cloth, torn around the edges and patched clumsily by hands more suited for picking pockets than sewing. Even after a good washing from Sarah, the thing has little appeal to Mush.

But the look on Snitch's face as he grabs it greedily and rubs the cloth against his face… that's beautiful to Mush.

So beautiful, in fact, that when Snitch asks him why he did this, Mush tells the truth: "I's sweet on you."

Snitch blinks, still caressing his face with his now-clean blanket.

"You are?"

Mush blushes. Too late to turn back now. "Yeah."

Snitch stares at Mush for a moment, then his eyes travel to the laundry. "… Thanks." he says, sounding a little surprised. "I appreciate it."

Mush feels very embarrassed now, almost certain Snitch will reject him. "I'll go downstairs now. Play… play a card game with Blink or something." He moves to leave, but finds Snitch's feather-light hand grasping his arm.

"Help me put these away first?" He suggests, and Mush feels dizzy when he realizes that Snitch talks better with his eyes, and while the young thief's mouth is whispering friendly suggestions, his eyes are begging loudly for Mush's touch and company.

So Mush smiles. "Sure."

Snitch smiles back, and takes Mush's hand.

Both boys chat loudly as they put Snitch's laundry away, then the sound dies as they discover other things to do.

All the while, Snitch never releases Mush's hand.

***AUTHOR'S NOTE***

HAHAHAHAHA to Shortie, whom I love, even though I love to tease and spite her even more.

XD

Any comments about Dee in a tutu and I will unleash Insane!Snitch on your ass, Shortie! XD You will regret ever giving him to me! XD

LMAO

**I am so fucking hyper**