- Chapter 137 - Look at my Newsies Periodic Table of Broadway keychain! -
Warnings: death, sad Newsies, crying, denial, funerals
Canon Era
Third Person POV

A/N, I said I wasn't going to write this tonight, and then... I did. It was too good of an idea to pass up, especially when I haven't seen it done before and I was seeing reactions to my announcement lol
Sorry ( iwantaferret_ ), but I hope you all enjoy.

His grave was a light gray color.

Flowers surrounded it, looking almost as fresh as the flowers that were placed at his funeral.

But those flowers were dead.

Just as dead as he was.

Blink often wondered what Heaven was like.

Was there a God?

Were there multiple Gods?

Was he happy up there?

Maybe, he had successfully found another person up there, and decided he was done with Blink.

Or maybe he was watching over him, waiting for the day Blink would join him in Heaven.

Blink remembered the day he found out he had died vividly, far more vividly than he'd have liked to.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no," Blink started shaking violently as he looked between the two boys, "what are you saying?"

Oscar and Morris exchanged a worried and sad look.

Oscar bit his lip and looked back at Blink. "We're sorr-"

"No!" Blink's breathing became more ragged and forced. "No, no, no! You're lying to me! This is a prank!" He looked between them, his eyes softening. "Please, please tell me you're joking with me," he almost begged them.

"Blink-"

"STOP PLAYING!" Blink screamed, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Stop! Just stop..." his voice slowly got quieter and a sob escaped his lips.

A few people ran into the square.

"He- he can't be gone," Blink choked out a sob, crumbling to the ground.

Oscar took a step back, blinking back tears. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "We did the best we could."

Race and Albert quickly ran over to Blink, getting on their knees next to him.

Specs turned to Oscar and Morris. "What happened?" he asked, looking concerned.

Morris looked from his brother to Specs. He swallowed hard. "Mush is dead."

All three boys looked up at him.

"What?" Race was the first to utter something, but his voice was almost silent.

"We tried- we really, really tried," Oscar whispered, hugging himself. "He- Snyder- he- he- he went too far, and- and we couldn't help- him." A dry sob left his throat as he trembled.

Specs felt something in his world break. He looked back at the three boys on the ground.

Albert was biting his lip to try and control the tears in his eyes. He was still trying to comfort Blink.

Specs looked at Race. He watched the boy sit there, silent and shocked, before eventually shaking his head and putting on his poker face, shutting his emotions down.

Race lifted Blink's arm up and put it over his shoulder. "Come 'ere, Louis," he mumbled.

Blink let Race move him so he was cuddling close to him, not bothering to fight Race or the tears anymore.

Race held him close. "I've got you," he whispered to him. He genuinely didn't know what else to say or how else to help.

He knew he probably couldn't help.

He couldn't change the fact that Mush was gone... none of them could, no matter how much they would've liked to.

Blink didn't believe he'd died at first. He lived in denial for almost a month.

"I had the worst dream ever last night," Blink said as he walked into the bathroom.

Multiple Newsies looked over at him warily.

"Oh?" Finch pretended to be interested and not worried, drying his face. "About what?"

"It was that Mush died." Blink chuckled a bit, starting to get ready for the day. "But that's crazy. Mush is probably just teasing Race or something," he stated.

"Uh, Blink... I'm right here," Race mumbled.

Blink turned to look at him. He frowned. "Oh." He looked around at all of the worried faces. "What's got you all looking so sad?"

"Blink," Specs took a deep breath, "Mush has been dead for three weeks," he reminded him quietly.

Blink's heart broke everyday for that month. Then, Jack would hold him as he cried and pleaded for it not to be true.

The funeral was a month later due to them not being able to get Mush's body back from the Refuge. Medda payed for it and they all got to say goodbye to Mush.

That was when it clicked for Blink.

Blink stood there, dressed in the only black clothes he had and with flowers in his hands. He was half listening to the priest as his mind wandered, when he suddenly saw the grave.

Here lies Nicholas (Mush) Meyers

Blink looked around at the Newsies around him.

Most, if not all, of them were crying.

Blink frowned and pinched himself.

Nothing happened.

He wasn't dreaming.

Blink's eyebrows furrowed and his breathing picked up as he looked around.

Mush wasn't there.

Blink remembered when Oscar and Morris told him. Suddenly, it all clicked.

'Mush isn't coming back.'

Blink suddenly felt a tidal-wave of emotions wash over him. He started trembling, realizing he'd never get to hear Mush's laughs or kiss his lips ever again. He felt a sob bubble in his throat and escape his lips, and that's all it took for him to crack and collapse to the ground, sobbing.

It was a hard eight months after that.

Everything reminded Blink of Mush.

But, it was getting easier. He just had to stay positive and hope that, one day, they'd meet again, in Heaven.

Blink sat in front of Mush's grave. He'd practically memorized every word on it after coming there so many times.

He went almost daily after the funeral, and only after the first few months did he start to go less.

Now, he went twice a week, so he could still sell.

"Hey, Mushy." Blink chuckled, but it wasn't a happy chuckle.

It was a sad attempt at a chuckle.

"I, uh, brought you flowers," Blink laid them next to the other flowers on the grave, "again..." He frowned.

Sometimes, some of the boys would come with him. They always would if he asked them to.

However, he just wanted to go alone today.

Blink sat there for a moment, silent as he stared at the grave. He swallowed hard. "We, uh, had a strike this week," he mumbled. "I told you about the beginning and how Crutchie was taken."

He remembered how hard he'd cried when Crutchie was taken, terrified that he'd lose both his boyfriend and his brother to that horrid place.

"Well, we got him back." Blink tries to smile a bit. "He's safe... maybe not sound 'cause I think he's a bit shaken up, but he's safe, at least." He swallowed hard again. "I'm sorry we couldn't save you."

Wind blew through the trees and Blink's hair.

It was a nice breeze, especially in the August heat.

"We got the Refuge shut down, and Snyder was arrested," Blink informed Mush, staring at his fingers as he played with him. "I don't know if he was charged with murder... but he's in jail for life, so it doesn't really matter." He felt tears sting his eyes. "I just hope he gets what he deserves."

A few water droplets fell onto the grave.

Blink quickly wiped his eyes when he realized they were his tears. He looked at himself, trying to smile through the tears that were becoming harder and harder to control. "You always liked the summer... mainly because you thought I looked hot without my flannel... or even without my shirt." He tried to laugh, but only a sob left him.

Blink didn't know why he was crying so much. He'd been crying less and less the more he visited and the more time that passed, but apparently it was hitting him harder today.

Blink laid down next to the grave, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you, Nicky." He whimpered softly, cuddling with Mush's flannel that he hadn't taken off since Mush passed. "I- I- I really, really love you." He sobbed, trying to cover his mouth to quiet them. "I didn't- didn't get to tell you that as many times- times as I want- wanted to." Blink gritted his teeth. "I'm sorry."

He laid there for the rest of the afternoon, until Race and Knobs were sent to check on him because he wasn't home yet.

They found him curled into a ball next to the grave, sobbing. And they just let him cry for a few more minutes, knowing he needed it.

After all, the only person who had made Blink really feel alive was now dead. It was only natural that most of him would die with him.

1532 Words
Yep. Sorry. Especially if it's badly written (and it totally hasn't been edited because I didn't want to cry tonight, so sorry lol). I don't think this one is as good as the Race one where Jack dies (chapter 134), but I think it's decent.