newsies fics

our hero - finch cortes

You sighed, pressing your middle and pointer fingers to either side of your temple. You were warned time and time again that this was going to happen. When you turn 17, you get connected to your soulmate. But what you didn't expect was for it to hurt so goddamn much. You knew this wasn't normal, your friends didn't feel this way. So you could assume that your soulmate suffered horrible headaches all the time. Eventually, you'd meet them, whoever they are, and it would go away and they would explain the pounding in their head but for right now, you just had to push through it.

It would be worth it in the end, you knew that. Meeting your soulmate and living a long, happy life would be amazing. And it will be amazing. But for right now, you wanted to punch them in the head because then, at least you'd know where the pain was. But for now, cold washcloths and long naps after a long day of selling newspapers were your best friend.

You had recently become a newsie, deciding that since your dad got laid off his job, that you wanted to help more around the house. Being a newsie was hard, you had to make sure to buy enough papers so you could make sure to have food on the table but also making sure you didn't buy so many that you'd be left over with papers at the end of the day.

When you joined he Manhattan newsies, their leader, Jack Kelly had you paired up with a 14 year old girl named Rosie and you both sold within a few blocks of one another. You were glad you were paired with someone younger; Rosie was very outgoing and loved to talk, leaving you to just listen and try to concentrate on not doubling over in pain because of the severe headaches your soulmate was suffering through all day every day.

"(Y/N), are you alright?" You had zoned out at the circulation gate, trying to ignore the massaging feeling you felt on your temples, something that your soulmate had probably tried to ease them of a little pain.

You sent a small smile down at Rosie, even though she was nearing your height, and nodded your head. "Yeah, sorry. My head just really hurts."

Rosie sent you an empathetic look. "Do you get migraines a lot?"

You put down 10 cents in front of Weisel and went to collect your papers you paid for from the Delancey brothers. "I don't get migraines, per say. My soulmate does, so until I find them, I also get them by default."

Rosie looked at you thoughtfully for a moment. "You know, I think I'm gonna go sell with my dad today," she gestured at Albert who was standing next to a boy with curly hair hidden under a cap who's name you didn't know. "You mind selling by yourself today?"

You shrugged, shooting your younger selling partner a questioning look. "I guess not. But Rosie-"

She cut you off with a grin and a wave goodbye. "Cool! See you later, (Y/N)."

You watched as the blonde girl ran off to her dad and you saw her lean in and whisper something in his ear. Albert's eyebrows shot up and he looked at you curiously before looking back down at Rosie. Heaving out a heavy sigh, you shuffled on your way, rubbing your wrist, and going to your selling spot.

-

Finch Cortes didn't believe in the soulmate crap everyone seemed to be spewing until the day he turned 17, he felt soft hands rubbing circles into his wrist. Well, it wasn't his wrist exactly, it was what his soulmate was doing to their body. Then, suddenly, he was hyperaware of whenever his soulmate touched a part of their body, wanting to memorize the feel of them; sure that if he memorized that, he'd have no trouble finding them in a crowd. But here he was, still without his soulmate near him and aching for them with every step he took.

In a way, he felt bad for his soulmate. Finch's newsboy cap was too tight on his head and gave him constant migraines, something he was sure his soulmate was feeling. But at the same time, he felt whenever they pinched themselves - maybe to keep awake - and when they slapped at the bugs biting their arms in the hot summer months.