NEWSIES: The Ultimate Modern AU

How Game Night Was Litty

They sat on the riverside, pizza box open in front of them as they looked at the skyline in the evening light. Katherine had her head on Jacks shoulder and a scarf wrapped around hers; inhaling the air she exhaled deeply with a sigh. A few seagulls were bopping in the water and she thought about the last time she had ever seen birds at night. Jack was warm, he looked scrawny to most; he was malnourished and thriving on coffee as a life line, but she knew what he was really like. Truthfully he was a softie and shamefully she would admit she didn't fall for his charismatic flirtation but more for his vulnerability and rawness. Sometimes she worried about them, how things would work in the future, but she pushed it behind her and always centred herself to the present moment. The river. The birds. The pizza.

"Who's taking the last slice?" She looked down at the box.
"You can have it?" Jack offered, but when Katherine reached out, she tried her best to tear it in half but instead most of the toppings fell straight off and a quarter of the slice was ripped apart from the piece. She held the two pathetic pieces in front of them, they laughed at the attempt. She handed him the slice.
"It's the thought that counts..." she muttered, laughing to herself. They did an awkward 'cheers' with the pizza and munched it up.

Tossing the leftover toppings to the birds, they gathered up their mini picnic and Jack invited Katherine back to the apartment to play UNO with the boys. Of corse she accepted with no hesitation. On the walk home they passed a row of rental bikes. "Come on...." Katherine looked at them cheekily with a low giggle as Jack rolled his eyes.
"Kath- we're gonna die..."
"Ahehehehehe or we live?" She patted the seat of the bike.
"For fucks sake be glad I love you." He paused as he said the sentence, realising what he had just said.

The three words.

Katherine froze in her spot. They stared at each other from their short distance. "Ah shit- I didn't mean-"

At first she had shock written on her face, but then it slowly faded to mush and her eyes softened.  "I love you too." She smiled up at him as she stepped in closer to him. He was sufficiently taller than her, at least seven inches. It wasn't anything uncomfortable thankfully, to be honest he wasn't a classical tall fellow, 5'7 maximum. This time she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him delicately. His embarrassment washed aside, and when she pulled away to look at him, he was a soft gushy mess.

They walked back to the apartment hand in hand.

When they arrived, they stood at the bottom of the steps, hearing the ruckus from inside. A very exited Crutchie voice rang through the house "UNO!" He screeched. Shortly after the sound of something being thrown was heard then Race filled with frustration "AGHHHHHHH!! AGAIN!?!" Kath and Jack looked at each other and laughed, then headed inside.

In the living room, the boys had moved the couches against the wall and were sitting on the floor, cross legged and hunched over a handful of cards, pressing them to their chest so none of the others could see their decks. Davey and Les has also joined them, and Les was sitting next to Crutchie, pouting down at his two cards competitivly. Crutchie was giggling evilly with his one card and the others were frantically asking for a +2 card to use against him.
"HAS ANYONE GOT A +2!"
"YES- WAIT SHIT NO THATS A COLOUR CHANGE!"
"SHIT ANYONE AT ALL PLEASE I CANT LOOSE AGAIN!"
"FUCK THIS GAME ITS JUST CHANCE!"
"No it's TeChNiqUe," Crutchie jeered. It was Specs turn just before Crutchie. He sighed and placed his Red 3 on top of the Yellow 3, and Crutchie exhaled. They went silent. "Are you? Really? Someone pass me a card..."

Sweet sweet defeat.

Race jumped up almost knocking the whole table over, and practically threw the card at the defeated Crutchie who was silent in shame at his almost win. It didn't matter that Race had 10 cards in his hand and Crutchie only had two, he still had a chance. 

"Jeez fellas you'd think there was a murder going on in here..." Jack laughed in the doorway, looking down at the gang on the floor.
Race froze with his hands in their air still, unlit cigar in his mouth. Davey looked at him and laughed, nodding his head in agreement and slight embarrassment at his own enthusiasm in the game. "Hey Jackie! Nice to see you again."
"Ah shut up-" Jack laughed off the nickname while he approached Davey and gave him a wack on the back. "Anyway, Katherine's here hope that's ok."
"Hey guys- OH!" Les was already up and practically jumped into her arms.
"KATHERINE!" He beamed up at her.
"Hey buddy!" She embraced him back like she always did, warm and welcome arms.

The boys all shuffled out, making room for the couple on the floor. Elmer handed them a deck of cards and soon they were just as engaged as the rest. "I still can't bloody believe Davey has never played Uno." Romeo muttered.
"You've got to be kidding me, Davey how!?" Katherine hit Davey on the shoulder baffled.
"Beats me- I've been missing out..." he paused as it was his turn, inspecting his cards thinking about all possibilities and ways to win, "HA REVERSE!"
"Jokes on you... REVERSE!"
"Damn it..." he then continued, "yeah mum and dad always had Les and I spending time on school, even though I'm 'independent' I still have a fricken curfew."
"Jesus-" Katherine rolled her eyes down to her cards.

Les pouted inspecting his cards, they were all yellow which no one knew. "Pass me another card..." he said, clearly done and annoyed. Race handed him the card, laughing as the child now had around 19 cards and could barely hold them all at a time in his tiny hands.
"Uno!" Crutchie exclaimed again. An uproar went around the room again, and Elmer threw a cushion at him playfully.
"Whatever I'm making popcorn, who wants some?" Finch said, throwing his hands on the table in defeat and putting the cards on the bottom of the deck. The group all agreed to the snack so he headed into the kitchen while they continued.

They went round the circle a few more times, Crutchie got attacked by three +2's, Davey spent at least ten seconds every turn analysing the cards and Race stayed on Hand Out Duty and commentary. Peaceful and brutal, the game was pleasant.

"FUCK! SHIT! GUYS WHAT THE FUCK DID I DO!?" Finch screamed from the kitchen, Jack and Katherine looked at each other concerned and then hurried to the kitchen to find Finch jumping around like a wild Turkey. The oven was on fire. Of corse. He hurried to the sink with a cup of water.
"NO DONT DO-" Katherine started, but it was too late. Finch threw it onto the flaming hot plate, screeching as the flame went up more than it was before. Katherine started for her phone just as Specs barged through the door with a fire extinguisher. He let out and a frantic battle cry as he went to war with the flames, white froth covering the stove and high pitched squeals from the whole apartment. Just another classic Game Night with the Manhattan Boys.