If you are a theater geek and you don't immediately think of Newsies when you see this title than what are you doing with your life!!

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Carter sat at her desk, typing in a report. Behind the glass wall of her office, she heard the rumblings of employees discussing work as well as gossip, the thumping of hurried footsteps, and the tapping of keys as emails, reports, information, and everything in between was being written.

The door to the office opened and Carter barely glanced over as Brock stepped inside. When he took a seat on the edge of her desk, Carter continued typing, knowing that he would talk without invitation.

"Carter, I think it's time to settle this once and for all," he said.

Carter typed on. "Fine, but you won't like it. James is my favorite brother."

"You can't be serious?"

"You're right, I'm not. It's Clint."

"Carter."

"Fine, it's you. But if the others say that I've said it's them just know they're lying."

Brock snorted. "You're cute."

Carter threw him a devilish smile. "I know, it's why your brother married me."

Shaking his head in amusement, Brock eyed her desk. On top of it was an odd assortment of nicknacks. Each one had been a gift from Donovan to mark the places they had gone. Her favorite was the one Brock snatched up, a male surfer figurine - that looked a little like Donovan - that he had bought Carter on their honeymoon.

"Speaking of my brother," Brock said, setting the figurine down. "That's why I'm here. Did you know that Clint and James are in town?"

Finally, Carter stopped typing and leaned back in her chair, arms crossed.

"You're joking, right? When all of you are in the same city Donovan becomes a whole different person. It's like his sorority sisters are in town and he plans to swap gossip over frilly pink drinks. He talks nonstop about it. It's so constant that if I didn't like all of you, I might hate you."

"What can we say, we had his heart long before you did."

"Fair point. Now, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Brock picked up a hula girl - a present from their stopover in Hawaii.

"I think it's time that we see who would actually win in a fight between you and Donovan."

Carter raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, that doesn't seem like it would be detrimental to my marriage at all."

"Come on, we all know that both of you want to see who is better and your relationship is strong enough that you would survive this no matter who won."

The thought was intriguing. But there was one major issue.

"Brock, you understand that my husband still has this thing called an ego, right? Despite growing up with you all trying to rip it from him."

The edge of Brock's lips curled in triumphant. "So you believe you would win?"

Carter leaned forward on the desk, staring up at her brother-in-law.
"Brock, I have been married to your brother for four years, been with him for twice as long. I know every aspect of him. I know him so well that there are times I know what he will think before he does. I don't tell him his thoughts because that would annoy him. So do you think I don't know his flaws and weaknesses enough to beat him?"

Brock regarded Carter with a curious cock to his head.

"Do you really know him that well?"

Carter shrugged. "Yeah. Clint says it's cause I have trust issues so I learned all I could so I could always predict Donovan's shifts and therefore never lose him. But I don't think that's true because I don't trust Clint."

For a breath, Brock stared at Carter's deadpan face until he realized she was joking and laughed.

"Okay, then why do you know every aspect of him?"

"Because I live with him. Because he's my partner and in the field, I need to have his back. Because that's how I've always been. I learn the ins and outs of people because I care about them. It's how I know that you have something going with Sasha two floors down and you make excuses to borrow necessary items to visit her."

Brock's face darkened as he pointed a finger at her. "That's supposed to be under wraps. You can't tell anyone."

"Of course I wouldn't. I'm just explaining that when I care for people I take note of them and their lives."

"Okay. But let's get back on topic, are you willing to prove that you know Donny so well you can beat him?"

Carter thought about it. The more she did the more she liked the idea. It would be interesting to see who really was the better fighter. Where Donovan had height and strength on her, she had speed and agility.

"Yeah, let's do it. When and where?"

Grinning, Brock stood and backed up to the door. "After work, down in the gym. This way neither of you can train."

"Fair enough."

As Carter turned back to her computer, Brock stopped her.

"Carter, you should know that you might have had all that time to know Donovan, but it's true for him as well."

With the parting statement, he slipped out the door, but a second later poked his head back inside.

"One last thing, I am your favorite, right?" he asked.

"Could it be any other way?"

"That's not a real answer."

Carter smirked. "Aren't you a smart cookie."

*********

As Carter stepped out of the locker room, she paused. The noise coming from the gym was louder than she expected it to be with everyone off work and supposedly on their way home.

When she pushed through the swinging doors, she understood instantly: Brock had spread the word. Crowding around one of the floor mats were a majority of their coworkers. People that had seen Carter and Donovan in action and were excited to see that action turned on each other.

Among the crowd was Mason, exchanging words and money. Carter shook her head, she should have known. Before she could go tell Mason off for betting on this, James approached her.

"Carter, you need to win this," he said.

"James, did you seriously bet against your brother? I don't know if I should feel honored for myself or offended for Donovan."

"Feel neither, it was a logical decision."

Carter smiled, amused. "Alright, how was this a logical decision?"

James jabbed his thumb behind him where Donovan was talking to Brock and Clint.

"I know my brother is the better fighter."

"Wow, thanks."

"But I also know that you're his weakness. Sometimes we'll all be together and I'll watch as Donovan looks at you and it's like half his brain falls out of his head. He loses all thought and becomes an unless blob."

"I see, so you're hoping that as we fight he'll look at me, became stunned by my beauty, and forget how to use his arms."

"Sure, something like that. Stunned by your beauty might be pushing it-"

Carter punched James' arm and he laughed.
"Yes, that is what I plan to happen, that he will be stunned by your beauty."

Before Carter could deliver a second blow to James for his sarcasm, Mason approached.

"This should be interesting," he said.

"Who are you betting on?" Carter asked.

Mason shrugged. "Easy, both of you. That way I can't lose. I know both of you to be overly vicious and I plan to sit back and see which one is more so."

Mockingly, Carter put her hand over her heart. "Mason, your support leaves me without words."

"Fine by me, you don't need words to beat your husband."

Carter shook her head, not sure she was ever going to fully like Mason but caught with still finding him wildly amusing. He was the best and worst person to have around.

"So," Carter said, waving her hand at the mass of people. "Was this Brock's doing, or yours?"

Mason twisted around, gazing out on the mob. "Well, Brock told me and I sent out a mass text, so it's hard to tell who is at fault."

"True," Carter said. "Brock shouldn't have told you in the first place."

"Exactly, so this is technically on him."

Brock, Clint, and Donovan crossed over to the trio, Donovan taking the place at Carter's side and sliding his arm around her waist. He leaned in close to her.

"You ready for this?" he asked.

Cupping his face, she kissed him. "Definitely. How else is a married couple supposed to spend their Friday night?"

Donovan laughed and kissed Carter's forehead. "Beats me."

"Alright," Brock said, breaking into the tender moment. "Let's get this going."

The group walked to the mat, the crowd parting to let them through. Carter and Donovan split ways, each took aside as the crowd spread out, forming a barrier around them. As Carter gazed around her at the eagerly talking coworkers, she came to a decision.

Brock stepped into the center of the mat and held out his arms as if he were an announcer in a boxing ring.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said. "We're happy to have you here to witness the conclusion of a long-discussed debate, who is the better fighter, Donovan or Carter?"

The crowd clapped and cheered. Brock waved his hands, quieting them.

"Though we all know that you would like to see blood, we respect that they are still a couple and that would be crossing a line. So the fight is one of strength with the goal of pinning the opponent to the mat for ten seconds."

He looked between Carter and Donovan. "Is that clear? I won't have your marriage ruined because of me."

"It's clear," Carter said.

"Good. Let the fight begin!"

As Brock hurried off the mat, Carter charged forward, knowing Donovan would have planned for a minute to assess the situation. She collided with him and they crashed to the mat, the crowd roaring with excitement. Donovan's surprise was short-lived and in a matter of seconds, he had Carter pinned down.

But one of her legs was still free. Carter wrapped it around Donovan's waist, throwing him off. She reversed their positions, but before she got a solid hold, Donovan flipped her over his head and she landed with a hard thump on her back. Rolling to her side, Carter pushed herself up, before Donovan could pin her again.

They circled each other, gauging an opening. When Donovan lunged for her, Carter kicked at his side. He saw it coming and caught her leg. Before he could throw her off balance, Carter threw her arms around his neck, wrapped her other leg around his waist, pulling him close.

While still holding onto him, she jerked her body at a strange angle, making Donovan stumble. They both hit the mat. Carter released Donovan, pushing him to the mat before he could use the advantage.

Over and over the pair got close to pinning each other but somehow managed to evade being down for too long. Donovan's strength was matched by Carter's creativity.

The longer the fight went on the more crazed the crowd became, screaming for their champion, calling out moves. But neither Donovan or Carter heard it, fully entrenched in calculating what the other's next move would be and how to counter it.

When it seemed like the pair would fight forever, Donovan pinned Carter and James beat out the seconds. The second he yelled out 'ten!' the crowd exploded into shouts of victory, turning to each other and screaming into their faces.

Donovan held out a hand for Carter and hoisted her to her feet. Quickly, Carter got pushed aside as the mob surged around Donovan, everyone slapping him on the back and shouting incoherently. Donovan smiled at the congratulations that bombarded him.

Carter elbowed her way towards him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him as if she were one of the cheering crowd who had bet on him. In response, he pulled her close as whistles of appreciation echoed around them. As they broke apart, Brock, James, and Clint forced they're way into the inner circle.

"Drinks on me!" Brock shouted.

The crowd yelled its enthusiasm at this declaration and began to head towards the door. With the crowd dispersing, Carter felt she could breathe at last.

"That was some fight," Brock said.

James nudged Carter's shoulder. "What happened to that whole 'stunning' plan?"

Carter shrugged. "Maybe it was like you said, stunning with my beauty was pushing it."

James let out a huff of regret and slung his arm around Donovan's shoulders. "Come on, let's get a drink."

Brock took Donovan's other said and they headed towards the door. As they went, Clint draped his arm around Carter, leading her after them. But he kept their pace slower so that the trio up ahead gained distance.

"Why did you let him win?" Clint asked.

"Who said I did?"

Clint smiled looking at the back of Donovan's head. "Because I saw where there was an opening for you to go for his right leg, which I know that you are aware it is his weaker one, but you didn't take it. You let him win."

Carter grinned, knowing she was caught.

"I didn't want our coworkers hounding him about it forever. Besides, there's something you don't know."

"And what's that?"

"He was trying to let me win."

"How do you figure that?"

"He never once attacked my left side."

Clint chuckled. "Both of you were letting the other win."

"It seems we're sentimental and don't know how to truly fight each other."

"You know what that's called."

Carter peered up at her brother-in-law. "What's it called?"

"Love."

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🌝🌚🌝🌛🌜🌚
(What do all those emojis mean?? Ha! No one knows! That's what you should feel threatened by! The UNKNOWN)

Go ahead and leave your thoughts here cause what else would you do with them and who else would listen to them? 🗯💬💭🥰🤪🥴

I'm now going to go off on a random tangent, feel free to leave.

Someone made a comment to me recently about missing out on being loved and spoiled when I mentioned the fact that (as strange as it may sound) I like being single.

The whole 'spoiled' thing stuck with me because I don't think anyone should be spoiled in a relationship. I think it should be an easy give and take.

For me, I don't even want grand gestures or over the top declarations. That's not love, that's an Instagram profile.

For me, I want someone to message memes or videos cause they know it will make me smile. I want someone who will read a book, watch a movie or tv show because they know I want to discuss it.

To me a relationship is not a perfect photo that will make others jealous, it's the things so small that they don't mean anything except to you and that person.

It's wanting to let the other person win the fight because you don't care if you look weak.
(😏 And she brings it back to the story)

But I'm weird and so what do I know. 🤷‍♀️ Let me hear your take on love and being spoiled. I'm curious to hear!

Vote, comment, follow because I wrote this for one of you!

Also random question is anyone a graphic artist that wants to turn one of these one shots into a graphic novel type dealio?