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hotcocoandmarshmallows · 6 years

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This Wonderful Mess (Brooklyn Bean) pt 2

Pt 1: It's gonna be here in just a second

Months later, Rodger leaned on the railing of the Brooklyn Bridge. Why? He was waiting for his and his best friend's every-other-day meet up. The sun cast a brilliant red light over the towers of the bridge, and it was nights like this Rodger loved the most.

Just him and his best friend, paling around the city and causing havok in Manhattan or Brooklyn and getting drunk and not remembering anything in the morning.

He was also pretty sure he spotted Elmer and Spot following him, but they had since disappeared into the crowd. He wasn't that concerned. It wasn't like he and Beans did anything. As much as Rodger wanted to.

But intent meant nothing without action, which he probably would never take. Beans frequently talked about the girls he had met.

Speak of the devil, at that moment Rodger saw Beans walking on top of the border between the bridge and certian death.

Rodger felt his heart almost stop in fear. “Beans! Get down!”

Beans looked up at him, and smirked in the very annoying and endearing way he did when he knew he was scaring people. But he did jump down.

Rodger ran and skidded to a stop in front of him. “What were you thinking ya nitwit?! You coulda died!”

“But I didn't, I’m invincible!” Beans’ yellow glow was particularly bright, bright enough to kinda see in the evening light. Rodger had come to figure out that the color and intensity corresponded with his mood. And yellow meant happy, content. Rodger liked that Beans was happy and content with him.

“Well you ain't immortal, and I sure as hell don't wanna test if you are.” Rodger didn't want his friend to die.

The two were set to pillage Manhattan and throw tomatoes at the Delancys that night, so off they went with paper bags full of bad tomatoes shopowners had given them.

As they walked across the bridge, Beans offhandedly mentioned a boy he found cute and Rodger stopped dead. “What?”

Beans froze to. “Um, there's this boy and I think he's real cute…” He looked ready to bolt.

Rodger ran that information over in his head. Beans liked boys. Beans could possibly like him. He may have a chance.

Beans mumbled something and started to take off running, but Rodger grabbed his wrist. “No! No, I’m cool with it. I like boys to. Just kinda surprising.”

Beans relaxed instantly. His glow, which had been a vibrint red, now faded back to light yellowish gold. “Awesome! C’mon, these tomatoes won't last forever.”

And just like that, they were back to normal. The Delancys were covered in tomato guts, they drank a little, and Rodger ended up staying the night in Manhattan. But he, in his drunken haze, forgot to unwrap his chest.

Rodger woke up in the bed under Beans’ bunk. His chest hurt worse then ever, and he frantically pulled his shirt off to unwrap his chest. His breathing eased, his chest still hurt though.

Rodger pulled his shirt back on, but found it did nothing. And with how his chest was hurting he guessed he wasn't wrapping tomorrow. So he went hunting for a new shirt. Thankfully the Manhattan newsies kept a basket of clothes for newcomers and there was a sutibly baggy blue shirt in there. Rodger stuffed his red shirt and the bandages in his paperbag.

There, he was safe.

Rodger pulled the blankets of his bed back over himself, but he couldn't go back to sleep. Sighing, he got back up and poked Beans. “Beans, Beans wake up.” He whispered.

Beans batted at him weakly. “Go 'way..” He muttered. “'upid peanu’ brittl’.”

Rodger rolled his eyes at his friend’s strange dreams and sleep talking habits. “Beans, it's Rodger. C’mon, wake up.”

Beans yawned and nestled deeper into the blankets. Rodger sighed and got up on the bed to try and shake Beans awake.

The next thing he knew it was morning and Beans was poking him. Rodger groaned and looked up at him with his good eye. “Wha?”

“Why are you in my bed? And even better why was I on top of you? And even better then that why did it look like we fell asleep that way? Did we like do anything while we were drunk?” Beans asked. Rodger noticed he was indeed under Beans. Beans was lying on top of him with one arm still wrapped around his waist.

“I couldn't sleep so I tried to wake you up and I guess I fell asleep up here. And frankly you haven't moved.” Rodger pointed out that they likely hadn't moved from the position they had fallen asleep in the previous night.

“Well you try moving.” Beans said, and Rodger felt him bury his face in his shoulderblades. Rodger stiffined a little, unsure about this, but relaxed and almost fell back asleep.

Of course killjoy Jack Kelly woke them both up. “Hey, lovebirds! Time to wake up!” He banged the side of the bed, rattling the frame.

Rodger and Beans both sat up quickly, blushing bright red. Beans smacked the back of his head. “Shuddup or I tell Crutchie 'bout your little crush.”

Jack scowled at him. “How’d you find out?”

“Everyone but Crutchie knows!” Beans retaliated. “Now go!” Beans’ glow was a mix of bright pink and white, making a almost marbled appearance. Pink meant he was embarrassed (they both were) but Rodger didn't know what white meant.

He was trying to figure that out, but Beans turned back to him and smiled. “C’mon, we should get up if we want to get to the circulation gate.” The two had a system worked out, they each sold in whoever's borough they fell asleep in.

Rodger grabbed his papes from Weasel, smirking at him. “Heya Weasel. Oscar, how's that shirt?”

“That was you and your little boyfriend?” Oscar sneered, starting to come out from behind the desk. Beans stood in front of him, and he did something Rodger had never seen before. The glow turned dark red, and it was almost solid.

Rodger was a little scared, but apparently Oscar was much more scared and backed off.

Beans stopped glowing so much, until it was almost gone in the early morning light. Beans snatched his own papers and handed Rodger his own. He then marched off, snarling at Morris as he walked by. “Leave him alone or I’ll make you regret it normie.”

Rodger cursed Beans’ brash nature. He couldn't leave anything alone. And now he was likely to get hurt. And there was nothing anyone could do.

Morris grabbed Beans’ shirt collar and shoved him against the brick wall. Several of the other boys stopped to watch, scared. For Beans.

“What’d you just say you little freak?” Morris snarled, pinning the shorter boy. He loomed over Beans, and Rodger was pretty sure that he had brass knuckles in his back pocket.

“I said you're a normie. You have nothing that makes you special.” Beans said definitely, looking Morris right in the eyes. Rodger heard gasps behind him, from several of the other newsies. None of the powered ones had ever dared look Morris or Oscar in the eye. Much less ever say what Beans was saying.

“You and I are gonna go somewhere, and none of you,” he pointed at everyone gathered around. “Are going to come after us.”

Rodger wanted to go after them. He wanted to save Beans. But fear kept him away. Even with a good headline selling was terrible. Several people came up to him, asking where the usual boy who sold there was. Rodger had been force to admit that he was taken away. ‘No I can't promise when he’ll be back, sir.’ ‘No ma’am, I don't know where he is.’

It killed him inside.

After the evening edition was out, Rodger still hadn't left to go home. He was going to stay another night, in case Beans came back. Invisibility allowed him to hide from the others unless he so chose. Eventually Spot and Elmer showed up, which was confusing, until JoJo and Buttons attached themselves to them. Then it made more sense.

Rodger went back to Brooklyn the next day. He did a terrible job selling there to, even with the huge crowds around the harbor and sailors eager for news.

That night, as the sun set in a purple sky, Rodger walked to the bridge out of habit. Beans had been gone for almost two days,and Rodger was starting to worry if his friend was dead.

He stopped in the middle of the bridge, and waited. He always got there first.

And for almost two months no one showed.

He was surprised, exactly two months later, when he saw a familiar figure leaning on the border down the bridge. One he would know anywhere. Running as fast as he could down the walkway, Rodger found his best friend leaning on the wall, smiling with a black eye and a bloody nose, and that was just what Rodger could see in the dying sun.

“Beans you idiot! I’d punch you if you weren't already broken.” Rodger said, noting that he had seemingly lost his vest and overshirt and was left in a dirt undershirt.

Beans smiled lopsidedly. “Good to see you to Rodg.”

“C’mon ya nitwit, let’s get you back to Brooklyn. You're hurt.” Rodger tried to get Beans to lean on him, but Beans’ knees bluckled after a few steps and he cried out in pain. Rodger scooped him up to carry him.

Rodger was stronger then he’d thought or Beans had gotten a lot lighter. He didn't like the second option at all. It felt too easy to carry Beans the miles back to the lodging house, even with breaks in between.

Rodger carried Beans up the stairs after paying both their rents. Setting him down on a bunk proved a nye impossible task as Beans would tremble and go white with fear. Even the ever preasent, though flickering, glow was white.

So Rodger hauled him up to the top bunk and that settled Beans down. Now that they were in a place with lights, Rodger could proporaly deal with the injuries his friend sustained.

His back, under the shirt, was a cris cross of scars and fresh marks from a whip or a stick. Brusies covered every other inch of his back that wasn't scabbed over or bleeding. His sides and chest weren't much better. His stomach was almost worse. It seemed like someone had dragged a knife in a pattern over the soft skin, and parts of the design were still bleeding.

Rodger did what he could. It was a small wonder Beans was even still standing, the fact he had walked half way across the bridge was a miracle.

Rodger finished tying the bandage around Beans’ stomach, and he was finished. “You won't be moving for a little bit, but you're gonna be okay.”

Beans nodded. “Thanks Rodg.” Rodger had mostly, until this point, avoided looking at Beans’ face. But now he did and he was crying.

Beans instantly looked concerned and tried to sit up. “Rodger? What's wrong?”

Rodger tried not to cry harder. “I'm-I’m-I’m sorry… I don't know why I'm crying…”

Beans reached to hug him. “It's okay. I'm sorry for worrying you. I shoulda- I shoulda been quiet. I'm sorry Rodg..”

Rodger supported him. “If you get yourself hurt again I’m killing you.” He muttered into Beans’ shoulder. Beans chuckled.

“You're gonna kill me a lot then.” Beans said with a laugh. Then he winced in pain. Rodger made him lie back down. “That wasn't my finest idea..”

“Yep. I’ll be right back. Don't die in that time, capiche?”

“Capiche. No dieing.” Beans repeated.

Rodger grabbed some extra blankets and a few extra pillows. Once he had everything, he dragged them up to the top bunk. The November chill had set into the city, which was how Rodger ratinolized sharing a bed. Beans had lost a lot of blood and needed something to keep him warm.

Which meant possibly that it was time to tell someone about his secret. Beans had proved himself a trustworthy friend.

Rodger said he was getting changed and slid back down the ladder and to the bathroom, where he changed out of his wrap and put on a baggier shirt. Didn't hide it perfectly, but the blue shirt was in the wash and this was the next best thing.

Invisible, he dashed back to his bunk with Beans and climbed up. Dropping the invisibility, Rodger climbed into bed next to Beans.

Beans, of course, noticed. “So, um…” He sounded akward. Rodger nervously fluffed his shirt and gestured for Beans to be quiet.

“Yha. I'm still a boy though.” This was the first time Rodger had ever said anything about his abnormality. It was nerve wracking to say the least.

“Okay.” Beans nodded. “I'm guessing no touching the chest right now?” Beans said it in probably the least sarcastic way Rodger had ever heard him say anything. It was a little surprising.

“Yha, that’d be preferable.. You want to sleep now or talk a little more?” Rodger asked, quickly changing the topic. Beans knew, goal accomplished.

“I'm good either way.” Beans said nervously. The glow had turned from a comforting yellow to a light purple, almost lilac. That was the shade that said 'i want to tell you something’.

“What do you want to tell me?” Rodger asked, settling down among the blankets and pillows.

Beans took a deep breath. “When I was in… In the… Damn now I know what Jack meant when he said you can't talk about it, when I was where I was the thought of you kept me alive I guess. Seeing you again. Talking to you again.” Another deep breath. “Maybe kissing you if you’d let me.”

Rodger was in mild shock. But he got over it quickly enough. Because damnit the guy he liked just said he liked him back and Rodger could kiss him. Which is what he did.

Beans melted into the kiss. It never got into French kissing because Beans pulled away. “That was awesome.”

Rodger nodded. “It was. Super, super crazy awesome.”

“We should do it again.”

“Why not? But nothing too far, okay?”

Beans nodded and kissed Rodger. Rodger rested his hands on Beans’ sides and Beans threw his arms around Rodger’s neck.

And that's where it basically stopped. Making out in bed. Which Rodger didn't really mind and seemingly neither did Beans.

They stopped when Beans broke the very heated kiss to yawn.

“I think that's enough for one night, we can talk this out in the morning.” Rodger said gently. Beans nodded and yawned again.

Rodger rolled onto his stomach in his usual sleeping position. Beans moved so that he was half on top of Rodger.

And they fell asleep that way. How it was comfortable was a question Spot asked when he found them the next morning. But he let them be. Who was he to yell at them when Buttons was currently still in his bed, asleep?

He just won a bet to.

#tw: racial slurs #tw: gore #tw: violence #the refuge #or just Morris and Oscar #or both #Brooklyn Bean #coffee bean #rodger

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