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Chapter 14: Down at the Docks

Spot and Leech walked across the docks slowly, Spot swaggering in his usual way and Leech following close behind. There were a lot of newsies about, but few were in the water. Leech didn't know exactly what to do about all the boys watching her swim. She didn't want to 'bear it all' but she wasn't shy or stupid enough to let her only set of clothes get wet.

Spot led her to the end of the dock where his perch sat and turned around to the back of it where no one could see them. He placed his cigar on the edge of a crate and leaned his cane against it as well. He removed his hat and put it on his cane. He turned to Leech and smirked as he pushed off his suspenders.

"Ya aint to shy to see me strip down to me skivvies are ya?" he teased as Leech's face grew hot. She shook her head but still turned away slightly as he kicked off his pants. He laughed at her and playfully tossed his shirt over her head before diving into the water.

Leech scoffed, still blushing, as she wrestled his shirt off. She turned to him in the water and he swam up by her feet. His muscled arms rested against the dock as he flipped his wet hair away from his eyes.

"Come on in, Leech," he said smoothly. "Wata's great." He splashed at her legs and she jumped back slightly, glaring at him. He shrugged and pushed away from the dock, floating on his back in the water, naked except for his underwear. Leech shook her head and tossed his shirt aside.

Yanking off her hat she tossed that to the dock and started to undo her pants. She turned and saw Spot watching her. She blushed before turning her back on him. "Don't watch me." she mumbled. She heard the king laugh and splash away.

Glancing over her shoulder she saw that he was gone and quickly kicked off her pants. She slipped out off her dirty over shirt and took her sweet time folding it, making sure Spot didn't show up unexpectedly. Glancing around one more time she crouched down, facing the crate and pulled off her borrowed white shirt. She was now in only her underwear and folder her thin arms over her bare chest.

She checked over her shoulder for any newsies before shuffling to the edge of the dock. She glared at the water, daring Spot to pop out of it before jumping in with a loud 'splash'. The water was colder then she'd expected and she kicked quickly to the surface, thankful for its murkiness. She sputtered as she surfaced and reached a hand out to rest on the dock. Turning her head about she didn't see Spot and started to wonder where he'd gotten to.

"Spot?" she called out, voice shivering. No answer. "Spot Conlon ya betta get back hea right now or Ill-"

She was cut off as something grabbed her ankle and yanked her under water. Her scream was turned into a cascade of bubbles as her mouth filled with water. She kicked back to the surface and grabbed the dock, coughing up water. She was still trying to catch her breath when Spot surface next to her, light hair plastered over his eyes.

"Ya big ape, I outta soak ya a good one! Ya scared me halfta death!" she shrieked, struggling to keep her head above water and still cross her arms.

"Ya shoulda seen the look on ya face," Spot smirked kicking out of her reach.

Leech rolled her eyes and swam under the dark where she could be slightly covered. Spot shot her and odd look but the look on her face said 'stay away'. He shrugged and returned to floating on his back. The slight chill of the water didn't seem to effect him at all.

"Come on, Leech," the king called out to the sky. "Ya act like ya cant swim."

"I act like I aint got no top on," Leech snapped back, teeth chattering. "Spot let's go, its freezing."

Spot had been surprised when Leech mentioned not wearing a top but covered it with cockiness, smirking at her glare. "It aint so bad, ya big goil."

"What'd ya say?" Leech asked warningly, wading out from under the dock.

"I called ya a goil." Spot shrugged as Leech carefully floated further out. "What's the big deal. It' what ya are aint it?"

"Why I'm gonna-" Leech lunged forwored to grab Spot but he dived out of the way. She coughed as the splashed water shot up her nose. Someone laughed behind her and she spun around to see Spot floating just out of reach. "Wait til I get ya."

"I'm waitin." Spot drawled. Leech dove for him and let a laugh slip out as he slipped away. She dove again and again he slipped away. The king of Brooklyn could not be captured.

The two teens splashed around for what seemed like hours. Spot didn't think he'd ever had so much fun at the docks. Leech was wondering how the stone cold Conlon had finally loosened up. Her legs and arms were starting to feel tired when suddenly there was a whistle from on top of the dock. With a yelp, Leech dove under the dock into the shadows, arms re-crossed over her chest.

"Heya, Baby-Face," Spot said, regaining composure as if he'd been swimming alone for the last hour. "What's good?"

"Hey, Spot, Boots just dropped by da work house." Leech couldn't see the newsie since he was standing almost directly over her head, but her ears perked up at the mention of Boots.

"What'd he want?" Spot asked, all business now.

"He was just wonderin if Brooklyn was still in for dat party next week."

Spot took a moment to consider this. he brushed his light hair away from his face and Leech watched as the muscles in his arms moved under his skin. Her face grew hot as he turned to her. He raised a confused eyebrow as she ducked under water, leaving a pool of bubbles behind.

"Um…sounds good, tell im Brooklyn's in." Baby-Face nodded and went bouncing back around the dock.

Spot swam over to where Leech's air bubbles where still popping and waited. Leech gasped as she broke the surface, splashing Spot right in the face. He brushed the water off his face and pushed her back by her shoulder.

"Party?" she sputtered, rubbing roughly at her eyes as a way to cover her flaming face.

"What? Da king a Brooklyn can't have a birthday party?" Spot smirked at her shocked face and chocolate brown eyes met cold grey ones. Shaking her head Leech shrugged and swam around her leader.

"If Manhattan's hostin, den it should be some party."

Description
Chapter 14: Down at the Docks

Spot and Leech walked across the docks slowly, Spot swaggering in his usual way and Leech following close behind. There were a lot of newsies about, but few were in the water. Leech didn't know exactly what to do about all the boys watching her swim. She didn't want to 'bear it all' but she wasn't shy or stupid enough to let her only set of clothes get wet.

Spot led her to the end of the dock where his perch sat and turned around to the back of it where no one could see them. He placed his cigar on the edge of a crate and leaned his cane against it as well. He removed his hat and put it on his cane. He turned to Leech and smirked as he pushed off his suspenders.

"Ya aint to shy to see me strip down to me skivvies are ya?" he teased as Leech's face grew hot. She shook her head but still turned away slightly as he kicked off his pants. He laughed at her and playfully tossed his shirt over her head before diving into the water.

Leech scoffed, still blushing, as she wrestled his shirt off. She turned to him in the water and he swam up by her feet. His muscled arms rested against the dock as he flipped his wet hair away from his eyes.

"Come on in, Leech," he said smoothly. "Wata's great." He splashed at her legs and she jumped back slightly, glaring at him. He shrugged and pushed away from the dock, floating on his back in the water, naked except for his underwear. Leech shook her head and tossed his shirt aside.

Yanking off her hat she tossed that to the dock and started to undo her pants. She turned and saw Spot watching her. She blushed before turning her back on him. "Don't watch me." she mumbled. She heard the king laugh and splash away.

Glancing over her shoulder she saw that he was gone and quickly kicked off her pants. She slipped out off her dirty over shirt and took her sweet time folding it, making sure Spot didn't show up unexpectedly. Glancing around one more time she crouched down, facing the crate and pulled off her borrowed white shirt. She was now in only her underwear and folder her thin arms over her bare chest.

She checked over her shoulder for any newsies before shuffling to the edge of the dock. She glared at the water, daring Spot to pop out of it before jumping in with a loud 'splash'. The water was colder then she'd expected and she kicked quickly to the surface, thankful for its murkiness. She sputtered as she surfaced and reached a hand out to rest on the dock. Turning her head about she didn't see Spot and started to wonder where he'd gotten to.

"Spot?" she called out, voice shivering. No answer. "Spot Conlon ya betta get back hea right now or Ill-"

She was cut off as something grabbed her ankle and yanked her under water. Her scream was turned into a cascade of bubbles as her mouth filled with water. She kicked back to the surface and grabbed the dock, coughing up water. She was still trying to catch her breath when Spot surface next to her, light hair plastered over his eyes.

"Ya big ape, I outta soak ya a good one! Ya scared me halfta death!" she shrieked, struggling to keep her head above water and still cross her arms.

"Ya shoulda seen the look on ya face," Spot smirked kicking out of her reach.

Leech rolled her eyes and swam under the dark where she could be slightly covered. Spot shot her and odd look but the look on her face said 'stay away'. He shrugged and returned to floating on his back. The slight chill of the water didn't seem to effect him at all.

"Come on, Leech," the king called out to the sky. "Ya act like ya cant swim."

"I act like I aint got no top on," Leech snapped back, teeth chattering. "Spot let's go, its freezing."

Spot had been surprised when Leech mentioned not wearing a top but covered it with cockiness, smirking at her glare. "It aint so bad, ya big goil."

"What'd ya say?" Leech asked warningly, wading out from under the dock.

"I called ya a goil." Spot shrugged as Leech carefully floated further out. "What's the big deal. It' what ya are aint it?"

"Why I'm gonna-" Leech lunged forwored to grab Spot but he dived out of the way. She coughed as the splashed water shot up her nose. Someone laughed behind her and she spun around to see Spot floating just out of reach. "Wait til I get ya."

"I'm waitin." Spot drawled. Leech dove for him and let a laugh slip out as he slipped away. She dove again and again he slipped away. The king of Brooklyn could not be captured.

The two teens splashed around for what seemed like hours. Spot didn't think he'd ever had so much fun at the docks. Leech was wondering how the stone cold Conlon had finally loosened up. Her legs and arms were starting to feel tired when suddenly there was a whistle from on top of the dock. With a yelp, Leech dove under the dock into the shadows, arms re-crossed over her chest.

"Heya, Baby-Face," Spot said, regaining composure as if he'd been swimming alone for the last hour. "What's good?"

"Hey, Spot, Boots just dropped by da work house." Leech couldn't see the newsie since he was standing almost directly over her head, but her ears perked up at the mention of Boots.

"What'd he want?" Spot asked, all business now.

"He was just wonderin if Brooklyn was still in for dat party next week."

Spot took a moment to consider this. he brushed his light hair away from his face and Leech watched as the muscles in his arms moved under his skin. Her face grew hot as he turned to her. He raised a confused eyebrow as she ducked under water, leaving a pool of bubbles behind.

"Um…sounds good, tell im Brooklyn's in." Baby-Face nodded and went bouncing back around the dock.

Spot swam over to where Leech's air bubbles where still popping and waited. Leech gasped as she broke the surface, splashing Spot right in the face. He brushed the water off his face and pushed her back by her shoulder.

"Party?" she sputtered, rubbing roughly at her eyes as a way to cover her flaming face.

"What? Da king a Brooklyn can't have a birthday party?" Spot smirked at her shocked face and chocolate brown eyes met cold grey ones. Shaking her head Leech shrugged and swam around her leader.

"If Manhattan's hostin, den it should be some party."