Musical One Shots

Sprace: Cards

Narrator POV:

Spot walked up to the newsies' boarding house in Manhattan. He walked in and went straight up to the sleeping quarters where Jack, Crutchie and Race were playing a round of Gin Rummy. The three newsies paused and watched as the smaller man walked in.

"I heard yous was playin' cards. Mind if I joined ya?" Spot asked. Jack, Crutchie and Race shared a look. Race was the first to speak. "Can yous play Gin Rummy?" He asked. Spot nodded. "And Speed, War, Slap Jack (hahaha), Go Fish, Spades, Crazy 8s, Canasta, Spoons and Poker." He replied.

The other newsies consulted with one another until they came up with an agreement. "We'll play Gin Rummy..." Jack started, sharing another look with Race and Crutchie, a look Spot couldn't comprehend. "...Then we'll play Texas Hold 'Em." He said.

Race and Crutchie nodded and watched as Spot gulped a bit, fidgeting with his hands. A sign he was nervous, but the other newsies didn't know that. Nor did they need to know that. "Problem?" Jack asked. Spot shook his head. "None." He lied and joined them at the table.

Race dealed the freshly shuffled playing cards for Gin Rummy. "Spot, yous can go foist since yous is on the left of the dealer." Crutchie said and looked at his hand of cards. Spot nodded and looked at his cards, organizing them carefully.

He looked at his options and took a card from the pile before discarding one he didn't need. This went on for about 5 minutes before Spot knocked. Crutchie, Jack and Race groaned as Spot put his cards down. He only had an Ace as deadwood. "I win." He said proudly.

Race sighed. "You're pretty good." He said, making Spot smile (and blush a little but he wouldn't admit that).

"We'll take a break then play Texas Hold 'Em." Jack said and got up from the table. Crutchie followed Jack away from the table, leaving Race and Spot alone. "What's wrong?" Race asked, noticing how Spot was fidgeting with his hands again.

"I've never been good at Texas Hold 'Em..." Spot admitted. "I barely even know how to play." He sighed. Race nodded. "I can teach yous?" He offered. "Really?" "Yeah. And if I was a betting man, which I am, I would bet that yous could beat Jack and Crutchie. And me too if yous pay attention." He said. Spot agreed. He listened carefully to every tip, strategy and secret to the game.

By the time Jack and Crutchie got back, Spot knew every single last thing there was to know about the game. "Ready to play?" Jack asked tauntingly. Spot shrugged. "I guess.." I mumbled, faking his former anxiety induced habit. Quite convincingly, actually. Jack dealed and Crutchie went first.

...

After 20 minutes, Jack and Crutchie had folded. Now it was just Race and Spot.

"How about we call it a tie and I give yous a gift?" Race whispered, though it was barely audible to Spot. "What?" He asked and leaned closer to hear better. He was met half way the the surprise Race was talking about.

He didn't even realize Race's lips her on him until Crutchie and Jack started cheering. Once Race pulled away, he took one more glance at his cards and took a sharp breath. "Fold." He sighed and put his cards down.

"Spot, yous won." Crutchie said and patted the shorter man's back. Spot didn't care. He grabbed Race by the collar of his shirt an db kissed him again.

I never planned on no one like you.