Newsies Oneshots 2.0

Buds Help Buds Out-Jack, Blink

The idea of Jack and Blink being closer than they appear butters my gears. I LOVE IT. They seem like friends who slowly grew apart as they got older, but are still close friends. Like, they are on each other's close friends but they don't hang out as often as Race and Jack do.

I have a whole back story on this and if you want to know I will tell you, but that's not what this story is about:) Regardless, I still hope you enjoy.

Warnings: a very brief...regard to sex. I know not many people discuss sex and relationships with their friends, but these guys do because they're high school kids with nothing better to do. Also, mentions of abuse.

Anyway, enjoy!

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"Blink!" Jack pushed up the window of the apartment that wasn't his, stepping in with a sense of ownership. "I'm having a crisis."

"When are you not?" Blink asked rhetorically, rubbing his forehead—his hair had fallen into his eyes and his shoulders seemed to fall into himself, like a hunchback. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor and leaning onto a stack of papers. It wasn't the best Jack had seen him, but Blink wasn't exactly jumping for the stars as of lately. "What is it?"

Jack stuttered, suddenly feeling pest-like. "If you're busy, I can-"

"Spill it out before I hear it from Race", Blink begged, this time with a reassuring smile. He pushed away the legal papers he'd neglected, and the bills that were beginning to pile up. "I might as well get used to this mode of conversation anyway. I'll be out of a working phone by the end of the month."

Jack knew Blink was having issues, ones he couldn't help with, and he remained unsure of what to do. Guilt began to fill him as he realized he hadn't asked Blink how he was doing, or made any effort to check in on him, but as soon as his life went left, here he was. "If you need to talk to me-"

Blink sighed. "Jack, I swear to God, I will slaughter you if you don't tell me what's on your mind."

Jack knew Blink well enough to know he'd make good on his promise. "I'm in love."

Jack had a streak of going through these motions: he'd remained crushing on someone until it went away, usually never making any steps to act on it himself. It was remarkable he'd had a girlfriend beforehand, and that they were together for as long as they were. He was a romantic, of course, but not a healthy one—Blink always imagined Jack would become so obsessed with the person he was in love with, he'd lock them in his basement to make sure they never got away.

Then he realized Jack wasn't insane, but moderately crazy. But the boy was in love.

Blink furrowed his brows, looking around. "Okay?"

Jack sighed, flipping onto his best friend's bed. "He's just so...him. I love it."

Blink's ears perked up at that. "Really? Tell me more."

"Well, the guy—Davey, you know him—he's so smart", Jack gushed, grinning. "Like, so smart. Smarter than Katherine, I'd say. But he's also really cool; like, he's so sure of himself and confident, and it's really sexy, and just...God, he's awesome."

Blink snorted, shaking his head. Jack shot up with a gasp, staring at Blink with a bewildered look. "Is this how you feel about Mush?"

"Is this how you felt about Katherine?"

"No." Blink stared at Jack with surprise.

"Oh."

He wasn't sure what he expected; not that answer, but what else would Jack say? He and Katherine weren't together anymore—still friends, but nothing more than that—and they went their separate ways. Still, he figured Jack loved his girlfriend. But love grew for different people at different times, in different ways. Blink could respect that. "It's called love, Jack. I do feel it for Mush, every time I think about him."