Title: Stepping In, Stepping Out
Author: Lute
Email: snitchslashgoil87@yahoo.com
Rating: PG
Pairing: Jack/Blink (minor Snitch/Skittery)
Status: Complete
Feedback: Sure
Archive: STN
Summary: "Why was Jack breathing so heavy? ...Fright that someone may have seen him... or the delight that had hit so hard upon the pads of his fingers petting Blink's smooth forehead, his fingers covered in the soft sunshine hair?"
Disclaimer: Do not own the newsies. Deal with it.

"Aw! Does Jacky have a sweetheart?!"

Jack blushed and scowled as he approached his friends. They were cackling, pointing, slapping their palms together. "Who's your lover, Jacky?" Race called. "Who's the hot mama?"

Jack lifted his hand and made a not-so-nice gesture in Race's direction. He sighed heavily and sat down, just missing the hackysack that was tossed at his head. "Fuck you guys," He muttered sullenly, laying the bouquet of red, white and pink roses over his knees.

"Seriously, Jack," Bumlets said, sitting next to the basketball captain. "Who is it?"

"None of your bullshit." Jack blushed hotly; had it been raining, steam might have risen from his cheeks.

"Fine. Be gay like that." Bumlets got up and went back to his discussion with Race, not noticing the way Jack had stiffened at the word 'gay.'

~*~*~

Jack put the flowers on the sink and went to the urinal. The door opened and he glanced up with mild curiosity. Wavy, honey-colored hair and pale blue eyes glanced at the flowers, then at Jack's face.

"Those yours?"

"Yeah," Jack answered, unzipping his fly.

"For or from?"

"For."

"Who?"

Jack looked over his shoulder again and studied the other boy. "Hey, aren't you in the GSA?"

The boy, who was studying his cell phone, grinned. "Secretary." He put the phone to his ear. "My boyfriend started it up."

"Ah." Jack finished and zipped up. "So you're one of those out and proud queers?"

"Better button up tight." The blue-eyed boy laughed, then started talking into the phone: "Hello, lovely, how're you? ...Yes, I snuck out of class, so what?"

Jack grinned and washed his hands, listening to the conversation. Boys weren't usually like that, open with feelings, using pet names and giggling. Jack ran wet fingers through his hair, styling it in the mirror, waiting for the other boy to finish.

"Uh-huh... no, I won't get in trouble. If I do, it's worth it. You're coming this weekend? ... Yay! I'll see you then. Love you. Bye." He clicked the phone shut and looked at Jack. "So who're the flowers for?"

"You know Kid Blink Ballatt?"

"Yeah." The boy grinned. "He's in GSA."

"I know." Jack looked at his shoes. "They're for him."

Suddenly, the blue-eyed boy wasn't so friendly. "Aren't you Jack Kelly? Basketball captain? Homecoming King?"

"...Yeah?"

"Are you pulling a prank on Blink? 'Cause if anyone pranks him, hurts him again, the whole GSA will be on that pranker's ass, and I know it doesn't sound scary, but you better believe we can fight back. Blink does not deserve to be hurt again."

Jack stared. "Woah. Jesus. Don't get pissed. I'm not pranking anyone."

The boy studied him suspiciously. "Do you really like Blink, then?"

"... if you promise not to tell, I do."

The boy was apparently the femme in his duo; he changed moods like a preteen girl changes clothes. His gaze was solemn, surprised, but trusting. "Are you going to come to any GSA meetings?"

Jack was appalled at the suggestion. "I can't. My rep... colleges... I can't screw myself over."

"Some colleges like kids that are out." The boy shrugged. "But I can understand the athlete thing. I'll just remind you our 'S' stands for 'straight,' so there are straight members."

Jack looked in the mirror and smoothes his hair. "What's your name?"

"Snitch."

"Snitch... I can't."

"I understand. You don't have to. But," Snitch pointed at the flowers, "I have a class with Blink next hour, if you want me to deliver those."

Jack stared at him, licked his lips, and sighed. "I... I'd appreciate that."

"I'll do it then." Snitch took the flowers and inhaled them with a soft smile. "These are pretty. I need to get you to talk to my boyfriend. He never does nice stuff like this for me anymore."

Jack smiled. "You guys sounded pretty happy to me."

Snitch's smile turned into a flashing grin. "We are," he assured. "Like you and Blink will be." Jack blushed and stuck his hands in his pockets. Snitch waited to see if he had anything else to say, then shrugged. "All right," he said. "See you 'round."

"Snitch, wait."

He turned, eyebrows raised in silent question. Jack sighed heavily and shuffled his feet. "When... when you came out... how did people respond?"

Snitch laughed. "Well, no one was very surprised, to be honest. I spent three months agonizing over how to tell my parents, and when I finally did, they just said 'Honey, with those stylish clothes, that impeccable hair and the YM subscription you begged us for, do you really think we're surprised?'"

"You're a stereotype."

"Kinda." Snitch shrugged. "I'm not Will, but I'm not Jack either. Those are stereotypes." He laughed. "To be honest, I can't cook, I despise drag queens, and I loathe Cher."

Jack grinned. "Yeah, babe. Those are so eighties."

"You're catching on," Snitch answered with a chuckle.

"What about your boyfriend? How did you meet?"

"Besides the school GSA, there's also a local group called Black and White Rainbow. It's a support group for gay, bi, lesbian and questioning teens. I started going at my parent's request, and I met Skittery there. He had a volleyball scholarship to a Baptist school in Texas, and was having trouble coming out because of it."

Jack leaned against the sink and looked at Snitch. "What did he do?"

"He stayed in the closet for a while, before we really started going out. Then he decided it wasn't fair to me for him not to be open and okay with it, so he came out. Lost the scholarship. Didn't care." Snitch grinned. "He said he'd rather wait for me to graduate, then go somewhere more open-minded."

Jack smiled. "That's such a line."

"He meant it, so it's okay." Snitch shifted the flowers to his other arm. "And things turned out better. He started the GSA two years ago, when he was a senior and I was a sophomore. Now he's a soph at Parker Community College, and we're going to UCLA together next year." The bell rang, and both boys looked up at it. Snitch sniggered. "Well, I've talked my ass off again. Skittery says I should stop that."

Jack shrugged. "It's okay."

"Feel better now?"

Jack blinked and looked at the floor. "...Yeah."

A hand fell on his shoulder, squeezed it. He looked at Snitch.

"You'll feel even better if you come to GSA," he said. His fingers flickered, and a pale lavender business card appeared in them, extended towards Jack. "Or Black and White Rainbow."

Jack hesitated, then hastily took the card, blushing as he stuffed it into his pocket.

Snitch smiled. "I'll go deliver your flowers now."

"Thanks." Jack didn't look at him, but Snitch got the message anyway, and as he left the restroom, his face was glowing with a mild pride.

~*~*~

Race leaned against the desk and watched a pair of Hispanic girls chat in that oh-so-Latina fashion of theirs, the one that was so extremely sexy. Race loved girls of all colors, but mostly he liked Latina girls. Them, and Asians. Yeah. Latina, Asian, and Irish girls. And-

"Blink! C'mere!"

Who couldn't resist looking up at that excited yell from that familiar voice? Snitch Riccio was everyone's favorite gay man. Even Race, who usually felt uncomfortable around the known queers of the GSA, couldn't help but like that toothy smile and easygoing attitude. Hell, the guy even made fun of his own sexuality, and didn't mind being teased about it by others! What's not to like?!

Race watched as Snitch presented a bouquet of multi-colored roses to shy, blonde, half-blind Blink Ballatt. Snitch was chittering away, being secretive. Blink kept his eyes (one clear and blind, the other dull brown) on the bouquet.

Wait a minute...

"Hey, pansy!" Race called. Snitch looked up without hesitation. 'Where'd you get the pansies?"

"They're roses, you stupid macho hetero, and it's none of your beeswax where I got them."

"Blink your boyfriend?"

"I have a boyfriend, thank you. They're from Blink's secret admirer." Snitch ruffled Blink's hair. The blonde smiled slightly at him, then continued to gaze at the roses in admitted awe and pleasure.

Race stared at the roses, close to certain, but not quite. They weren't.... were they?

~*~*~

"Guess what I saw in bio today?"

Bumlets looked up from his steering wheel, strategically tossing hair out of his eyes. "What?"

"Snitch Riccio gave Blink Ballatt a bouquet of roses." Race stared out the window. "He said they were from Blink's secret admirer."

"Am I supposed to care?"

"Who had a bouquet of roses this morning?"

"Jack did. Wait..." Bumlets narrowed his eyes. "You're not thinking..."

"I am. I swear to God it was the same bouquet."

"But Jack's straight."

"He says he's straight." Race looked up. "What do you think?"

"I... dunno. It'd be weird if Jack was a fag."

"It would."

The car was quiet for a moment.

"But y'know, I wouldn't actually be surprised."

"Me neither. That's what's surprising."

They glanced at each other.

"I'm calling him," Race said, reaching for his cell phone.

"Do that. I gotta know."

Race held the phone to his ear and waited. "Hey, Jack?... Yeah, man, uh... I saw something in bio today that I thought you might find interesting. ...Yeah. Snitch Riccio gave Blink Ballatt a bouquet of roses. They looked an awful lot like the ones you were carrying this morning." He raised his eyebrows and looked at Bumlets as Jack responded. "Really? They looked too expensive to be the typical grocery store kind... Ah. Well, okay then. If you're sure. Yeah, that's all. Bye, man."

Bumlets watched as Race clicked the phone shut. "Well?"

"He says they sell those bouquets pre-made at the store, and whoever got those flowers for Blink just got the same kind," Race recited.

Bumlets raised his eyebrows and said nothing. Race nodded.

"Yeah. I think he's lying too."

~*~*~

Jack hung up the phone and sighed.

"He knows I lied." He clenched his fist. "Dammit."

He turned around and leaned against the wall of his bedroom, looking at the ceiling. If Race and Bumlets knew, then... then what? Race wasn't too fond of guys like that, but Jack had seen him teasing Snitch and getting on okay. And Bumlets's sister... didn't she have a life partner, or something?

So why had he lied, then?

He shoved his hands in his pockets, sighing. But something was in his pocket. He took it out and studied it, running his fingers through his hair. Black and White Rainbow. The group Snitch had told him about. He read it aloud to the empty room: "For the hurting, curious, frightened, and questioning teen. Counselors available by phone 24/7/365. Group meetings Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons." He paused. "Today's Thursday."

The phone rang suddenly, giving him a fright. He caught his breath and picked it up. "Hello? ... Oh!" He blushed scarlet. "Uh, hi. How're you? ...Good. Me too." His eyes shut. "Did you like the flowers?" Slowly, he smiled. "Really? I'm glad. ...Oh, for serious?" His smiled widened into a pleased grin. "Well, I knew you'd read the card, how else would you have gotten this number but... yeah. It's true." Suddenlt, the smile disappeared. "You mean, you don't know my name? Who I am? Snitch didn't tell you?" He sighed. "Damn." The card fluttered in his hand, and he studied it. "Are... are you going to Black and White Rainbow? ... Yeah? Well, me too. So I'll see you there." The smile returned. "Yeah. Bye."

He dropped the phone with a click.

~*~*~

Jack stood outside the brick building and stared up at the sign. It was just a community center. No big. Except that as soon as he stepped through those doors, went down the hall, took a right and entered Counseling Room Two, he would be a known gay man in the gay community of his city.

And he just wasn't ready for that yet.

"Jesus God," he muttered. "Tell me what to do."

"Jack?"

He turned. Snitch was jogging up to him, smiling slightly. Behind him sauntered a lanky boy in sunglasses. "Are you coming to the meeting?"

"I... haven't decided. This your boyfriend?" Jack gestured to the lanky boy, who grinned and held his hand out to shake.

"I'm Skittery. Jack, right? Nice to meet you." Skittery took off his sunglasses and clipped them into his front shirt pocket. "Questioning?"

Jack didn't understand, and Skittery laughed. "You're an athlete, aren't you?"

Jack nodded. "Basketball captain."

"Snitch tell you I played volleyball when I was in high school?"

"Yeah."

"Well, if what you're scared of is losing your scholarship ops or the respect of your teammates or whatever, it comes down to one decision." Skittery grabbed the door and held it open for Snitch. "Which is more important: being a respected athlete with a scholarship to a great school? Or being in a fantastic relationship and going to an okay school?"

Jack was quiet. Skittery waited a moment, then followed Snitch inside. A bird sang softly, stopped, then started again. He was answered by another birdsong, and the fluttering twitter mixed in the air, in Jack's ears, and he sighed with them, watching the clouds. He didn't notice Blink coming down the sidewalk.

"Hi," Blink said softly, an odd half-smile on his face. "How're you?"

Jack jumped, and his face colored. "Uh... fine."

"Are you here for Black and White Rainbow?"

Jack ran his fingers through his hair and looked at Blink. Skittery's words rang in his head as he studied Blink's friendly face. One eye, deep brown, waited patiently. The other was dirty ivory, dead and pitiful. Jack inhaled softly.

"Uh..." A lock of hair fell into Blink's face, and without thinking, Jack reached up and brushed it away. His cheeks flamed, and he jerked his hand back so quick that the inertia nearly bowled him over. "Oh, Jesus, I..."

Blink's mouth opened slightly with surprise. "You okay?" He asked, stepping forward and reaching for Jack's arm?"

"Uh... yeah." Why was Jack breathing so heavy? He didn't know. Fright that someone may have seen him touching Blink... or the delight that had hit so hard upon the pads of his fingers petting Blink's smooth forehead, his fingers covered in the soft sunshine hair.

Jack shuddered.

"Are you coming in?" Blink asked him, a faint worry still in his face.

"I... don't know."

Blink smiled. "That's the first complete sentence you've said since I got here."

Jack blushed and looked at the ground, his hands in his pockets. Randomly, he decided he needed new shoes; blue Nikes weren't cool like the black Sketchers Blink was wearing.

"Are you the one who sent me the roses?"

Jack's head snapped up, splashing hair out of his face. Now he was certain that the wheeze in his breath could be attributed to fright. "Uh..."

"You are, aren't you?" Blink's face brightened. "What's your name?"

"...Jack."

"Jack what?"

There was a joke in there, but Jack wasn't in a joking mood. Maybe if he'd felt a little more sure of himself, like he usually did, he would have made the joke. But he was not in a situation to feel very sure of himself.

God, his mind was running in circles!

"Jack Kelly." He glanced over his shoulder, paranoid, as his name hung in the air like a cloud, waiting for Blink's response to blow it away.

"The basketball guy?" Blink smiled. "I knew you looked familiar."

Jack shrugged. Was it really hot outside, or was he just sweating randomly.

Blink tilted his head, brushing invisible dust from his shirt. He knew how to dress, Jack decided. Very Ryan Seacrest/Clay Aiken, with the dress shirt unbuttoned at top and bottom, the clinging blue jeans and brown sandals... but Blink had the lean, tight body to pull it off.

Jack blushed again. Was he that gay?

"Why did you send me those flowers?" Blink asked quietly.

"Because... I like you." Jack attempted to grin, but it didn't come across very well.

"Really?"

"Yeah." Jack ran a hand through his hair, then dropped it back into his pocket.

"Jack."

"What?"

"Do you want a relationship?"

The flame in Jack's face felt hot enough to singe his eyebrows. "I, uh... oh Christ, uh... I..."

Blink stepped forward and put his hands on Jack's arms. Jack stared at him, breathing hard, feeling like he was about three seconds away from a heart attack. "Are you willing to come out for me?"

"I... I...."

"Do you know Spot Conlon?"

Jack was confused into a short silence. "Um... Yeah. He does golf and swimming. Senior class treasurer. Why?"

"I used to date him."

Jack's breath caught, and he coughed roughly into his palm. "What?" he croaked.

Blink was nodding. "He's my ex-boyfriend. We were together for about a month, but no one knew. He was in the closet. And I hated that about him because I was out, so we couldn't be seen together. He had to sneak out, had to disguise himself. I asked him to come out. He said no. So I broke it off."

Jack listened carefully. That was quite possibly the largest amount of words he'd ever heard Blink say, period.

"Spot was pissed too. He spread rumors, wrote graffiti, sent out e-mails, all against me, only my nickname wasn't Blink anymore." Blink paused, his face directed at the ground. "I was the freak queer. The one-eyed one-eyed-snake sucker. The deaf-man's fuckbuddy. The-"

Jack put his hands over his ears, not wanting to hear more. Unfair. Bastard. Spiteful. Cruel.

"I never liked him," Jack said, lowering his hands. "Never."

Blink smiled. "Yeah, it hurt. A lot. But the GSA helped. So did Black and White Rainbow. Skittery and Snitch grabbed Spot as he was leaving his house one morning, blindfolded him and took him to Snitch's house and gave him a terrible haircut." Blink's smile was growing, and Jack felt one appear on his own face. "He had to shave it all off."

"I remember that! No one knew why he did it!"

"Well," Blink laughed, "now you know."

They stood on the sidewalk for a moment more, smiling at each other. Jack was much more comfortable now that he knew Blink could talk.

"So... you want a relationship? Willing to come out?" Blink looked very hopeful. Skittery's words rang in Jack's mind again. Was he willing to come out? Really? Was he ready?

Jack smiled.

"Hold on." He reached for his cell phone, clicked it open, and dialed a number. "Hey, Race? It's Jack. Yeah, I got news for you. Big news." He winked at Blink who had his turn to blush. "Yeah. Okay, you ready? Here goes. Race. I'm gay."

He waited for Race's response, and his eyes widened when he heard it. "... You... already know? But I..." He paused, then grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, I am a bad liar. ...Yeah, screw you. I just thought I'd tell you so you wouldn't be surprised if I showed up at school tomorrow with my arm around Blink Ballatt."

Blink's blush deepened, but he was smiling.

"Yeah, bastard. See you tomorrow." Jack clicked his phone shut and grinned at Blink. "Well?"

Blink lifted his hand, paused, then put it in Jack's hair. "Can we go in now?"

Jack reached up and clasped Blink's hand, rubbing his thumb over the knuckles. He touched Blink's palm to his face, then set the arm over his shoulder and slid his own around Blink's waist. He could smell Blink's shampoo, like green apples, and when the blonde turned to look at him, he shut Blink's eyes with a soft brush of his fingertips and placed a delicate kiss over the blind eye. Blink lifted his eyelids, lashes fluttering against Jack's lips and making him shudder gently.

Blink smiled shyly.

Jack smiled back.

"Yeah. Let's go in."

And in stepping in to the building, Jack also stepped out.

END

***AUTHOR'S NOTES***

The beginning scene came from something I witnessed while walking into school one morning. It actually happened at DV. The rest of it came from my twisted mind. ^_^;

I LOVE the very last part with Jack and Blink. Squee! I so love Jack and Blink!

But I love Blink with anyone. He's such a manwhore, I swear.

Mwahaha. I love him for it. ^_^

And wouldn't he be GORGEOUS in Clay Aiken-type clothes? YES. LOVE.

Okay, leaving now. Bye!