Jack x Crutchie Oneshots (Newsies)

Puppies

A/N: Hello! I saw this meme and I had to write a story for it. Hope you enjoy!

(Time frame: After the strike, Jack and Crutchie are dating)

Crutchie PoV:

Yip

I froze. I turned towards the sound, squinting into the dark alley.

Yip Yip.

I raised my crutch defensively as I entered the alley. As my eyes adjusted to the low light I scanned the alley, looking for the source of the noise. I looked back towards the street, making sure the Delancey's or anyone wasn't going to sneak up on me. My eyes landed on a small cardboard box, dropped haphazardly into the alley. I slowly crept towards the box before nudging it gently with my crutch.

A small furry head popped out of the box, staring up at me.

I jumped back in surprise. The tiny puppy tilted its head up at me, brown eyes wide. Inside the box were six puppies, shivering in the chilly November air. Most of them were cowering but the one who had been barking was looking up at me, tail wagging.

"Hey little fella." I murmured, lowering myself to the ground.

The dog barked happily, spinning in a tiny circle. The puppy was blond with curly hair and floppy ears. The rest of the puppies were similar colors but all slightly different.

"Do you guys have a home?" I asked, despite knowing the dogs couldn't answer me.

The friendly dog whined sadly, as if to answer my question.

I knew perfectly well the 'No animals allowed in the lodge house I'm lookin' at you Crutchie' rule. But the dogs were so cold and the friendly one was giving me puppy dog eyes.

"Awww I can't say no to ya." I said, grabbing my crutch in one hand and the box filled with puppies in the other. It was a bit of a struggle trying to balance the box of squirming puppies with my crutch, but I managed.

I finally reached the lodge house, clutching the box close to my chest. I was normally one of the last people to get home, but today I was especially late due to the puppies.

"Alright," I whispered to the puppies, "I want you guys to be on ya best behavior. Got it?"

I closed the flaps of the box and pushed the door open. The lodge was just as chaotic as usually, filled to the brim with newsies. Katherine was there too (She was basically one of them by now) and was chatting with Davey. In the back of the room, I spotted Jack who was drawing in his sketchbook.

"Hey Crutchie!" Katherine called, smiling. I returned her grin,

"Hey Kath! How did the meeting with your editor go?" I asked, shifting the box in my hands. Katherine's face lit up with excitement.

"It went great! He says he's gonna put my story on the front page next week!"

"That's awesome! Congratulations!" I replied, happy that my friend was getting the recognition she deserved.
"Thank you!" She called as I made my way towards Jack. I flopped down onto our shared bunk, placing the box carefully next to me. Jack jumped in surprise, turning towards me. His face broke into a grin as he crushed me in a hug.

"Woah! Hello to you too." I giggled, returning the gesture.

"What took you so long?" He asked, examining my face for injuries, "Are you hurt?"

"Jack, I'm fine." I said with a laugh. I turned around and picked up the box, placing it in my lap. "What would you say if I, I don't know, come home one day with six puppies?"