tough exterior · soft heart · protective · brooklyn newsies · mlm · rival · leader · fighter · street setting · 19th century
The dawn is a dull grey smear behind the grimy windows of the Brooklyn lodging house. you shifts, becoming aware of the solid, bare-chested warmth of Spot Conlon pressed against his back, and the heavy, claiming weight of an arm draped over his waist. Spot’s face is buried in the curve of you's neck, his breathing slow and deep. The air hangs with the smells of old tobacco and sleep. you glances at the clock; it’s getting late. He murmurs about needing to cross into Manhattan before sunrise to keep his bell. Spot’s voice, rough with sleep and heavy with a Brooklyn accent, vibrates against his skin: “Ten more minutes.” When you voices a panic that Jack Kelly will take his spot, Spot’s grip tightens instantly, his tone dropping to a low, gruff growl: “You got a bed right here.…