The Bridge to Brooklyn (Sprace fanfic)

Questions

——

Another day another stack of papers to sell. Race's day started off better then yesterday. Snipshooter's didn't steal his cigar this morning so he was pleased to find it sitting in it's tin where it belonged. As everyone filed out of the lodging house, Race realized he forgot his cap inside. Shit how could he forget something like that. He told Finch to go on without him and walked back to the bunk room.

When he opened the door he saw Mush and Blink's lips together and hands on each other's faces. Race froze so did Blink and Mush.

"Race..R-race it's not what it looks like!! We's was just-...just..", Blink threw his hands up in a kind of defensive way., "god...I umm.."

Mush just stared in horror like he just witnessed murder. Both of the boys' were pale and scared.

"We're not-...you know..I promise I swear-", Blink stammered.

"Wow! hey now! I don't care.", Race reassured them.

Blink froze, "you don't mind?..."

Race shook his head, "you have nothing to worry about. I don't mind about you two's kissin"

Mush ,now free of his statue form, grabbed Blinks hand. Blink sighed.

Race always saw something between them he just never could figure out what.

"Race your the first person to know dis...Blink and me are...together..", the word seemed to stick to Mush's tongue. "Like romantically..."

This didn't surprise Race. He just smiled and patted Mush's shoulder.

"As long as yous' happy I don't care who you kiss, but I'd do it in the top floor less of a chance of gettin' caught.", Race winked.

——

The walk to Brooklyn was long but Race didn't mind. He enjoyed the new faces to sell to and the view. He used to have to sneak into Brooklyn before the strike but nowadays the boroughs are closer then before. Spot granted permission for Race to sell there. Now Race could walk out in the opening without worrying about getting in trouble with the Brooklyn newsies. He and Spot surprisingly got along. They got along so well that they became friends. They'd talk and hang out but around Spot's guys they were just acquaintances. Spot had to keep up his reputation.

By the time Race reached the bridge he had already sold almost all of his papers. He had about six left.

"Extra! Extra! Deadly dog attack in Central Park! Two fatality injured! Read all about it!!", Race shouted.

That caught the attention of people walking by and just like that he was done selling for the day. Race thanked everyone and pocketed the money.

He turned and walked across the bridge until he was stopped by couple of Spot's newsies.

"What are ya doin here 'Hatten?", one of the boys questioned.

He had a dirty cap on and a black and grey shirt spotted with dried blood. Race had no clue if it was his or somebody else's. His nose was crooked as if it had been broken long ago and it didn't heal right. He was quite handsome for someone with a busted up nose. Race noticed his hands were balled up tight into fists and he had a permanent scowl plastered across his face.

"Answer the question 'hatten.", he snapped.

Race stood his ground even tho he was a bit jittery, "can't a guy just walk around the city?"

Crooked nose didn't like that answer. Granted Race didn't really know what he was doing in Brooklyn. It had just become a normal part of his day. If it was nice outside and if he had money he'd be at Sheepshead but after yesterday he needed to save his money.

Behind the Brooklyn newsies someone cleared their throat. As the boys moved out of the way Race could make out the silhouette of Spot.

"What did I tell yous' Eddie? Racetrack is allowed on our terf.", Spot glared at the guy with a crooked nose.

The Newsie, Eddie, backed down. He look angry but tried to hide it. Spot grab Race's suspender and tugged for him to follow. Race saluted at the guys with a smile as he walked by. Spot brought Race to the docks passing by more Brooklyn newsies, they stared Race down as they walked.

Spot sat on a crate and looked at Race with his signature crossed arms, "I'm sorry about Eddie he'd much rather talk with his fists den his mouth."

Race chuckled, cigar bouncing in his mouth. "I can tell. He acts like I pissed in his breakfast"

Spot exhaled as if it was a laugh. Right his reputation...the fearless scary leader of Brooklyn. Race looked Spot up and down and he thought of what happened this morning with Blink and Mush. Race didn't mind them being together but it got him thinking. Race sat down kinda spaced out. Spot signaled his newsies to leave them alone.

"Start talkin Higgins."

Spot could read Race like an open book.

"Well...something happened with two newsies I know...and well it's just got me thinkin"

"Mmhm"

Race didn't want to out his friends. Race had no clue what Spot's idea was on two boys being together. Race opened his mouth but no sound came out. Spot flicked Race in the arm. Race flinched and looked at him. Spots face had gone serious, he studied Race's face as if it was a newspaper, like he was searching for a headline that would catch someone's attention. Race studied back but his mind wondered. Spot looked at him intensely, but Race look at Spot as if he was a painting that Jack made. He looked at everything little detail.

Race noticed faint small freckles on Spot's nose, his dark eyes, and dark colored hair. A small scar on his chin. The key around his neck. His arms that could throw a serious punch. His heart started pounding in his ribs like a ricocheting bullet. What's happened to me?! Racetrack Higgins was admiring a boy and he flustered about it. Race thought of how happy Blink and Mush looked. How he saw they kissed. The farther Race's mind went off the track, the closer he dismissively leaned in towards Spot.

Then he snapped back into reality. Race began to panic, he got up and ran off. His hat flew off his head but he didn't care. This can't be right? I can't think like that?

——

Two days pasted and Race was still think about everything that happened in Brooklyn. He hadn't gone back since.

I can't see him like that...can I?

Race sat on his bunk, thinking even more. He had never really thought about a girl this way, sure he thought they was pretty but it wasn't anything like what he was feeling now. It was fuzzy and sickening at the same time. Warm yet overbearing hot.

Jack noticed Race's off behavior, "hey Race can I talk to you"

Race looked at Jack and nodded getting up and following him up to the roof. Oh no the roof... Jack only took Newsies up to the roof when it was serious that way no one can listen in on their conversation. Race was nervous about what the conversation had in store.
Jack leaned on the line pole that they hung clothes on. Race stood with his cigar unlit in his mouth.

"Race something is bugging ya. You can tell me what's wrong..I'll listen"

Race stayed quiet for a moment.

"I think...I..like...Spot Conlon.."

———
Chapter 2 done!! What did you think? Towards the end I just stopped caring so much about proper punctuation and such 😅 typing in New York accent is actually a lot harder than it looks