Newsies Oneshots

Oh The Things I Wish We Could Have (Jack & Race)

newsiestober day 1 - candy
okay so I did this thing on tumblr called newsiestober and we had a prompt for everyday, it was really fun! so uh here it is!
The twelve-year-old felt himself ogling outside of the candy store.

Kids crowded it, everyone grabbing from the shelves with wide grins on their faces.

It wasn't like that toward the beginning of the day.

It was almost eerie how quickly it could go from abandoned to packed.

The Carillon bells rung, three o'clock.

"Heya Jack." A small blonde creeped up behind him.

"Hey Race." Jack smiled softly at the younger boy.

"We'll be rich enough to get candy someday! We just gotta keep selling papes and we'll be rich in no time!" The nine-year-old beamed, his missing teeth clear.

Jack admired the blonde-haired-boy. He didn't let the world beat him down, when it did he got back up and shoved it twice as hard. Race had a certain shine to him, like a candle that refused to be snuffed out.

"You bet we will bud." Jack ruffled the blonde curls, only briefly glancing back at the candy store before returning to his papers.

He'd be back for more than the candy.

He'd be back to show the world he wouldn't be silenced too.

>>><<<

Years later Jack had found himself standing outside the same candy store.

The seventeen-year-old realized that the candy meant more to him than the brief sweetness it provided.

The candy represented everything he wanted and couldn't have.

It represented how happy the newsies would be if they had loving, caring families.

It represented everything that could've been.

So Jack walked in and bought a candy bar.

He sat down on the floor next to the display window, staring at the candy in his hand.

"You got some candy?" Race asked in a small voice.

Jack smiled. "Yeah, you want some?"

"You bet." The fourteen-year-old dropped his papes to the ground, joining Jack on the floor.

Jack split the candy bar, finding the feeling of watching his younger brother smile much greater than the sweetness from the candy bar.

Maybe the candy bar meant a lot to Jack.

Maybe the candy bar really showed everything Jack wanted and couldn't have.

But he didn't need it.

Everything he wanted was right here.

"So how was selling?" Jack wrapped his arm around the younger boy's shoulders, watching the bright blue eyes light up.