Newsies Oneshots 2.0

Take Care of Us-Jack, Race

Sneak peak? To what story? You'll never know hehe

If you can guess, I'll give you a cookie 🍪

There also just so happens to be another hint at another story I'm writing hehe if you find it I'll give you cake 🎂

Anyway, how are y'all? How's school? I know it's tough with all of this testing and end of year activities so I'm just checking in.

Enjoy!

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He promised he would make things right. He promised he would take care of things. He said he would take care of him forever. But he didn't.

His promises were empty, just like his words, just like his heart. There was nothing to them but a dark, black void filled with pointlessness.

And Race was going to give him a piece of his mind because unlike Jack Kelly, he actually meant what he said with his entire heart and mind.

He stormed onto the barely acceptable patio, Jack's penthouse, with a an angry red face, brows furrowed and eyes narrowed in accusation. "What is wrong with you?!"

Jack jumped at the sudden voice of his brother, nearly dropping his cigarette. He wasn't expecting the blonde to show up—obviously— but was glad to see a familiar and forgiving face. "Race—"

"You left the strike?!" Race walked right onto the scene, scaring Jack at the sound of interruption and anger. "I can't believe you.

"How is you gonna quit on us?! You said ci porteresti al traguardo! That we would win this once and for all! What the hell happened to that, huh? That just go down the drain?!"

Jack looked around, having thrown the cigarette down. Through the smoke left behind from the thrown away butt, he could see Race's blue eyes turning red, either from tears or from anger, and Jack honestly just wanted to give him a hug. A big, comforting hug like from their younger days.

When Race was crying because he scraped his knee, or because the Delanceys roughed him up a bit. Or that time Albert stole his favorite stuffed animal—Giulia, it's namesake from his mother—and he cried so hard, he could've filled a river. But that all stopped when they hugged. However, those days are gone. Gone with the pain, the years, and the drift now between them.

"Race, I'm sorry", Jack tried, his voice ridden with sorrow, regret, and disappointment. His throat felt heavy, and he knew he wasn't going to swallow that feeling away. It was as if the feeling was so heavy, too heavy that it was logged there, stuck like a penny. "I'm sorry—"

"Shut up!" Race breathed heavily, his brows furrowed as he stared at his role model, the only ever person to hold his trust and life in their hands. It was like watching that person drop glass on the floor, his life and trust shattering into a million tiny pieces. "Just stop talking! You've done enough."

Jack let's his arms fall limp to his sides, his chest heavy, throat blocked, and heart broken. It felt like he wasn't breathing, but he stood just fine. He debated if whether or not that was better or worse than seeing his little brother— pretty much baby brother—cry because of something he did.

Something he didn't understand.

"You promised", Race whispered, the angry clouds in his eyes moving away as sad rain came into view, making his blue eyes shine. "You promised me you would take care of me."

Race sobbed, breaking down like his own storm, the aftermath of a tornado. "Hai detto che saresti stato al mio fianco, che potevo contare su di te. You promised to never leave."