Brewin' in the Boroughs

Chapter 22

"Are you sure? You looked really mad," Dimples said skeptically.

"It ain't your business kid, now scram!" Spot said a little harsher than before.

"If youse upset, than it is my business. Youse like another brother to me!"

"I ain't your brother, Will is. Go talk to him and leave me alone!" Spot stood up and shooed the boy towards the door.

Dimples frowned thoughtfully at Spot, then moved toward him, wrapping his small arms around Spot's waist.

"What are youse doin'?" Spot sputtered, muscles tensing at the unfamiliar act.

"Giving you a hug," Dimples replied cheerfully.

Spot tried you pry the boy's arms off of him, but Dimples held him tighter, refusing to be moved. "Why?"

"You looked like you needed one. My mother used to tell Will and me that hugs make everybody feel better."

Spot slowly relaxed and patted Dimples' back carefully. The boy let go a minute later and shot Spot a blinding grin.

"Feel better?"

"Yeah, thanks kid," Spot smiled softly.

"No problem," Dimples chirped.

"How about you go down and talk to your brother now," Spot suggested. Dimples opened his mouth to argue, but Spot held up a finger causing the boy to snap his mouth shut. "I think he'll get jealous if youse stay up here all day, don't you?"

"I guess so," Dimples said, giving in reluctantly.

"I'm sure Will would love a hug," Spot added with a smirk.

"Really?"

"Really."

Spot grinned as Dimples gave him a wave and hurried down the stairs.

"I'll see ya later Spot!"

***

A day and a half had passed and Race had appeared to have forgotten his fight with Spot, he seemed to once again be his carefree self.

He'd made an apology to all of the boys the night he got back and all the boys had forgiven him instantly. They weren't in the practice of holding grudges against each other, and by the end of his speech Race had Romeo's arm slung over his shoulder as Elmer and Henry excitedly told him everything he'd missed, until Albert had pushed them away to tell him a joke that he'd heard from men working in a less than virtuous establishment, a joke that made Jojo's ears burn and caused Tommy and Sniper to turn tomato red.

After a couple of minutes of him speaking to Buttons, you wouldn't have suspected that anything had ever happened between them.

Jojo and Race seemed closer than ever and had barely gone anywhere without the other.

Race was afraid to leave Jojo, he didn't want his friend to feel abandoned like he must have the few days Race was gone. Jojo on the other hand accepted partial responsibility for Race's mistake, noting that if he'd been a better friend he would have noticed Race's troubles, and he never would have left in the first place.

The result was that the two seemed to be glued together, and were being teased mercilessly about how they'd turned into schoolgirls. The two shrugged it off, usually delivering a more than stinging response, though it was all in good fun.

All the boys had others that they were closer with, guys that they spent more of their time with, so they understood and didn't really care that Race and Jojo were spending all of their time together. It didn't bother anyone until it  was quarter after twelve and they were awoken by the two of them attempting to stifle their laughter.