Newsies One-Shots

Chapter 2 - Jack and Crutchie

Summer Nights in the Penthouse
Ship - Jack and Crutchie (brotherly)
Era - Canon Era
Triggers - None

The summers and winters were two of the hardest times for a Newsie to be doing their job.

In the winter it was so cold they could barely move their fingers to hold their papers.

Barely anybody left the house as well so they didn't make as much money too.

In the summer it was so warm they wanted nothing more than to jump into a tankard of water.

The only upside was that there was lots of tourists in the summers.

That day was one of this particularly warm summer days.

Selling had been quick for Jack and Crutchie, much to their mutual delight, due to a train load of tourists coming into the city and a fair few boats docking from Ellis Island.

The pair had opted to spend the evening on their penthouse rather than in the Lodging House.

It had nothing to do with the Newsies, they loved them, but rather because the breeze they got up there was the greatest thing in the heat.

They were both on Jack's side of the penthouse, Jack on the blankets that functioned as his bed and Crutchie with his legs on Jack's lap.

His legs were originally there since Jack was helping him take off his shoes and they weren't bothered to move.

Crutchie leaned back against the railing and closed his eyes.

"Are you tired?" Jack asked him once he didn't open his eyes after a few minutes.

Crutchie shook his head and opened his eyes. "The breeze is just so good," he explained.

"That's fair," Jack said with a nod.

Crutchie took his hat off and started fanning Jack with it.

Jack smiled at the air cooling him down.

"You don't need to do that," he told Crutchie.

Even if he was enjoying it he felt bad that Crutchie was having to waste his energy keeping him cool.

Crutchie shook his head and started waving the hat at a quicker pace.

"You said you're too hot so I'm helping cool you down," he said innocently.

Jack laughed lightly and reached out to stop Crutchie. "I meant that as a joke, that I'm too good looking, not warm," he explained.

"Oh," Crutchie sighed. "Did the fanning at least help?" he asked slowly.

Jack smiled brightly and nodded. "It helped so much," he said gratefully.

Crutchie nodded contently and leaned back against the railing again.

"Did you drink enough water today?" Jack asked Crutchie after a few minutes of silence.

Crutchie wanted to question where the question was coming from, seen as it came out of nowhere, but he knew Jack could be overprotective at times.

Especially in the warm weather when water was always needed.

"Yeah, I drank a load of glasses," he explained.

"Good," Jack said happily. "That's good."

The conversation fell into a comfortable silence that neither boy disliked.

It was broken after the best part of ten minutes when Crutchie yawned loudly.

Jack laughed at how adorable Crutchie's yawn sounded.

"Are you tired?" he asked once he'd stopped laughing.

"No I'm not-"

His sentence about not being tired was unfortunately cut off by a yawn.

"Try say that again without yawning," Jack suggested to the blonde boy.

Crutchie fake pouted and tried to say it again but was cut off by another yawn.

Jack laughed softly and pulled Crutchie up to sit beside him.

He wrapped one of his arms around Crutchie's waist so he wouldn't fall over if he fell asleep and the other hand was playing with his hair.

"Do you want me to plait your hair?" he asked. "Sarah's been teaching me."

Crutchie nodded his head ever so slightly before leaning it onto Jack's shoulder.

"I want to sleep but it's too early," he explained.

"It's not too early," Jack said softly. "You go asleep and I'll make sure you're nice and comfy."

Crutchie nodded and closed his eyes.

"Good night Jackie," he whispered.

"Good night Crutch," he whispered in reply.

Jack felt his breathing even out but could tell that he wasn't fully asleep based on the yawns he let out every few minutes.

After around five minutes he fell asleep to the rise and fall of Jack's chest and the feeling of the breeze brushing past them.

~~~
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