this is for @chaotically-unpoetic !! i hope you like it :))
“so, do the right people at the wrong time get a second chance?”
Kid Blink was generally an outgoing guy, he was known for his consistent stream of bouncy energy amongst his friends. He loved getting into trouble with Racer, loved messing around with the other boys in the lodgehouse, and loved riling up adults everywhere around him; however, there was something about his best friend, Mush, that just made him feel, calm in a way that nothing else ever did. Now this wasn’t to say he couldn’t be just as rowdy with Mush as he could the others— if anything, Mush was his favorite person to be excited around— Blink just always felt like he could finally relax when the other was around. It had been that way since the first time they met.
Blink had confined this feeling to Skittery one morning several months back, which resulted in a realization that he really could have gone without. “Oh yeah, you’re in love with ‘im. Did you not know that?” Skittery had said, completely unphased by the confession he just made for his friend.
He stared at Skittery slack jawed, “I’m what?!”
Skittery rolled his eyes and set down the razor he had been using in the mirror, “Yeah, Kid, you love him. It’s gross honestly. You follow him around like a puppy dog and allat”
Blink didn’t say a word for a second, and then very quietly muttered, “Jesus, you’re right.”
“I know I am, I always am. Now can you move along or something? I’m busy”
He spent the rest of that day walking around in a slightly confused haze, uncertain of what to do with these new feelings. That night though, as he and Mush laid next to each other on the balcony, Blink whispered what he learned to his best friend, “I think that I’m in love with you.” He hadn’t even planned on telling Mush, but there was something about the quiet of the night and the protection of their safe space on the balcony that made the words spill out before he even thought twice. A beat passed, then another, then another with no response. Blink’s heart was pounding out of his chest now, the ease that his confession came now with gone without a trace. “Hey? You still with me?” He whispered again, hoping that the light tease would soften the mood.
“You can’t tell me that Blinky, not now. Not yet,” Was all Mush said before he slipped back into the lodge window for the night. Blink spent the night on the porch, he didn’t even remember falling asleep, just waking up the next morning to Racer yelling at him through the window.
He expected to be frozen out by Mush that day, to have lost his best friend and the person he loved all in one foul swoop, but he was surprised to find Mush acting as he did every other day.
Blink felt stung that he was acting like nothing happened, was what he had said that inconsequential? But at the same time, he was thankful that he hadn’t lost Mush. So he followed suit and pretended the night on the balcony never happened, and learned how to love Mush quietly.
Now, he walked into Tibbii’s after a long day of working to find Mush there alone at a table, saving a spot for Blink. He sat down across from his best friend, flicking him on the head as he did, “How’d you do out there today?”
Mush grinned at him, “Found some sorry old lady who was practically beggin’ me to take all her money! She gave me a dollar one pape, Blinky! One pape! I’m loaded! Lunch is on me!” His use of the nickname set Blink’s face on fire, but he tried to play it off cooly.
“If lunch is on you I’m gettin’ myself a whole bowl of soup!” He teased, “How’d you even get so lucky today, I barely made back what I gave to dirty old Weasel.”
Mush lost any sort of cocky demeanor and switched easily to comforting Blink, “Hey it’s okay, there’s always rougher days. Tomorrow we can sell together and split half-half to pay for board and go to the races together!”
Blink’s face spread into an easy smile, it always touched him that Mush could tell when his jokes had a layer of realness to them, “It’s a date!” Fuck, no take that back you idiot, “I mean yeah that sounds nice. I’m in!” Mush just smiled back at him softly, neither of them keen to acknowledge the awkward moment that had passed between them.
To both Blink’s chagrin and his joy, Skittery walked into the restaurant and invited himself to their booth, “Hey dopes, order yet? I had bum luck on the streets today, I’m stickin to water.” He stated the moment he sat down.
Mush grinned at him, “Order what you want Skittery, I’m payin’ today. I’m rich!” He was practically bouncing out of his seat with excitement.
Blink couldn’t help but staring at him acting so happy, Mush’s smile was his favorite thing to look at. He got so tied up in analyzing the smile he loved that he hadn’t heard Skittery turn to address him,”Kid, are you even listening to me here? I asked ya something.”
He snapped back into reality when he heard this, “Yeah. No, sorry, whadya say?” Skittery made a show of rolling his eyes, “I asked why your Mush over there is so jazzed up, idiot.”
Blink struggled to hide his joy at the phrase ‘your Mush’ “He got a buck for one pape today, and now he’s on a spendin spree,” He reached over to pat Mush’s back as punctuation.
Skittery gave a big smile to Mush as congratulations, “Well if you insist maybe I’ll get some grub then, long as i won’t be interrupting you two love birds.” His smile turned into a knowing smirk with every word.
Mush’s grin faltered for a second, but sprung back up in an instant, unwilling to let Skittery’s moment of annoyance show on his face. Blink on the other hand, reached his leg toward Skittery and stomped on his foot aggressively. “OW! Damn you Kid, what did ya do that for?!” He smacked Blink on the head back, not understanding what he had said to earn him this pain.
Kid Blink all but growled at his friend, gesturing his head toward Mush in a desperate attempt to get Skittery to understand.
The moment of realization was clear on his face, “Oh shit, uh, so about that ordering then.” He awkwardly laughed and started rambling his order to the waiter.
Blink leaned over to talk to Mush quietly, “Sorry for him, he’s just annoying.” He tried to keep his tone even in hopes Mush wouldn’t notice his obvious embarrassment at Skittery’s comment.
Mush brushed his shoulder and assured him with a smile, “No mind at all, let’s order and then get back to the lodge, I’m beat after today.”
Blink wanted to believe that his best friend didn’t get shaken up at all, but the way he was rushing to get back to the lodge told Blink otherwise; normally Mush was all for staying out until ungodly hours of the night. “Yeah okay, long as you’re buyin’ my soup.” The three boys continued dinner as they normally would have, none of them eager to address what Skittery had let slip. Mush paid the bill and split to the lodging house right away, leaving his two friends in his wake.
When Blink caught up at the house, Mush was already lying on the balcony. He climbed through the window and layed next to the other, not saying anything. The moon was full in the sky, providing just enough delicate light for them to see each other in such close quarters.
Blink looked at Mush looking at the sky, the silver of the moon dancing on his now softened features, and for a second time all he wanted to do was confess. He was opening his mouth to do just that when Mush suddenly looked over, no grin painting his face now, just a serious look. Blink felt his heart beat increase rapidly because, how can you look so solemn and so damn gorgeous all at once?
Mush sighed deeply and remained unwavered in his stare, something obviously weighing him down, “You remember that night, a few months ago Blink? When you told me…”
He didn’t finish the sentence, but Blink knew exactly what he meant. “‘Course I remember. How could I forget?” Very suddenly, Mush sat up, and Blink followed suit, “I thought you wanted to forget, Mush.” His brain was flooded with hundreds of different thoughts, but the only one he could really seem to focus on was ‘where is he going with this?’
Mush broke their eye contact now, looking down at his and Blink’s hands that were now mere centimeters apart. He looked back up and something in his eyes solidified, like he found confirmation of his own questions by looking at Blink. “I don’t want to forget. I- I just wasn’t ready for it when you told me.”
Blink was dumbfounded, “I don’t really know what you means, you act like it never happened. I’m happy to pretend, if pretendings what you want… but what do you mean you weren’t ready?”
“I just, I wasn’t ready for this,” Mush gently grabbed Blink’s hand into his own, “For us. But I’m ready now, really, I am. I freaked when you told me because Blinky, I love you so much that it scares me. You’re all there is for me, but when you told me, it just wasn’t the right time. But now it is, I swears it really is, I’m in if that's what you still want—”
“Mush?” Blink’s face was filled with a grin now that he understood what was happening.
“You’re rambling, a lot.” He laughed lightly and moved his own body closer to Mush, the smile on his face not wavering for a second. He thought this moment would never come, but now that it was here, he wanted to spend it as close to his love as possible.
Mush smiled back at him, a shade of pink taking over his face at their proximity, “You makes me nervous, Blinky.” The words were supposed to be a tease, but they came out far more honestly than intended.
Blink was sure that his skin was just as flushed as the other’s, but for the first time in a long time, he didn’t worry that Mush would notice his nerves. The two were so close together now that Blink could speak in a whisper and Mush would be able to hang onto every word with ease. So when he spoke his next words, he whispered them just enough so they’d be just for the two of them, “So then, Mush… do the right people at the wrong time get a second chance from you?”
Mush tightened his grip on Blinks hand, “You can have as many chances as you need from me.”
The rest of the night was spent in a giddy haze of teasing one another for their respective “crushes” and holding hands and giggling and shushing when the laughter threatened to wake those in the house. When the sun began to creep its way into the sky, they snuck back through the window to avoid being questioned about why they were on the balcony together all night long.
Kid Blink climbed into his bed, still fully clothed, with a grin on his face he just couldn’t seem to shake. He turned his body to face Mush’s bunk and was met with a matching grin on the others face. They didn’t dare say anything out loud with all the boys so close to waking, but they both knew the secrets they shared on the balcony were the words they’d say right now
