Newsies Oneshots

I'll Always Have Your Back (Jack & Race)

newsiestober day 5 - young newsie
tw: getting beat up, small fighting, and bad parent relationships :/
It hadn't been too long after Jack had found Race in the refuge, previously Antonio.

"Hey Jackie?" Tony had asked in a small voice, much too quiet from his energetic attitude.

"Yeah?" Jack looked up tiredly, just wanting to rest.

"Do you ever miss your Mamma or your Papa?" The small boy took in large gulps of breathe at a time.

"Just my Pa." Jack smiled at the memory. "He was the best."

"Then... then is it bad that I don't miss neither of them." Tony looked to the older boy, tears swelling in his eyes.

"No!" Jack protested, "I know plenty of boys who hate their parents guts!"

"My mamie said one day I would kill her, by being dumb, y'know. Am I gonna kill her by not loving her? Like- like a normal son?" Tony rocked back and forth.

"You shouldn't like her! She wasn't nice to you, neither was your Pa. Just go to bed, 'kay?" Jack patted the blonde's shoulder.

"My Pa still taught me how to gamble, that has to count for something. Right?"

"Tony, there really isn't much to think about." Jack sighed. "Please, just go to bed."

They all had gotten hard beatings that day, and Jack just wanted to rest.

"Does that make me a bad son?" Tony asked rhetorically, tears blurring his vision.

"I don't know," Jack was getting annoyed. He couldn't blame the younger boy for thinking like that, but he was just so tired. He wanted to sleep, not make conspiracies with a seven-year old.

"Am I a bad person?" Tony sniffed.

"I don't know, alright!" Jack finally snapped. "You gotta ask yourself that!" He turned around, immediately feeling bad when he heard the sniffles from the blonde boy louden.

He felt the weight on the other side of the mattress lift, the quiet footsteps to the other side of the room.

When Jack turned around he saw the blonde-haired-boy curled up in the corner of the cell, wiping his eyes even though more tears came out.

He wanted to take it all back but he couldn't.

Things would be okay in the morning, right?

-

Jack had woken up to gut-wrenching screams.

"Jack!" Tony cried out, reaching for anything, anyone. "Jack help!"

Jack shot up, his eyes falling on the blonde-haired-boy being dragged away.

"Jack!" He had latched his hands onto the bedpost, holding on desperately as the guards continued to yank him away.

"Hey! Let go of hi-"

An older refugee pulled him back, silencing him.

"Shut up! Or we'll all get in trouble!" The teenager scolded. "That's worse than whatever'll happen to your pal!"

"Jack please!" Tony sobbed when they pried him away.

Jack looked into the younger boy's pleading eyes before turning back to the older inmate.

"No." Jack shook the boy's hand off. "He's my brother and I'm gonna help him."

"Jac-"

"Get off of him!" Jack stomped over to the guards. "Put him down!"

"Jack!" Tony wiggled in the guards' grasp, reaching his hand down to the older boy before he was yanked away.

"Mind your own business squirt!" The guard growled, kicking Jack away.

"No! Don't hurt him!" Tony pleaded, looking so utterly distressed that Jack wished he had helped him sooner.

"Put him down." Jack stood up slowly, speaking through gritted teeth.

"No." The other guard rolled his eyes, pulling the blonde-haired-boy away.

"No! Stop-"

"Jack!"

The room felt like it was closing in on him when the doors closed.

"Told you it wouldn't work."

Jack flipped off the older inmate.

-

Jack had waited till late at night when they finally threw the blonde boy back in the cell.

"Tony!" Jack jumped up, cradling the younger boy in his lap. "Oh I'm so sorry- please- please forgive me I'm sorry!" Jack moved the blonde-curls soaked in blood out of his friend's face.

"Hey Jackie?" Tony looked up, his bright blue eyes meeting Jack's green ones.

"Yeah," Jack whispered, holding onto his pale hands tightly.

"It's Halloween, I saw it on the spider's calendar."

"That's lovely." Jack gave the small boy as bright of a smile that he could muster.

"I want candy." Tony commented off-handedly.

"We'll get candy when we get out of here, huh?" Jack laughed weakly.

"That sounds nice."

The blonde had gone so silent, Jack believed he was asleep.

"You know, I forgave you the moment you snapped. You have nothing to be sorry for." The younger boy squeezed Jack's hand softly. "Brothers make mistakes."

Jack found himself smiling down softly at the younger boy, soft snores escaping his mouth once he stopped talking.

"Night Tony." Jack pressed a kiss to the younger boy's forehead. "I'll get you the sweetest piece of candy ever when we get out of here. I promise."

And so he did.