Jack x Crutchie Oneshots (Newsies)

Happy Birthday

A/N: Happy New Year! Thought I'd start it off right with some angst, lol. Thank you so much for 800+ reads and I hope you enjoy! :)

Jack PoV:

"Happy birthday to me." Jack sang softly, fidgeting with his hand cuffs. His quiet voice echoed through the dead silent basement of the refuge, "Happy birthday to me."

He ran his fingers through the dust coating the ground, drawing a birthday cake. Jack had never had a real birthday cake but he'd seen some in the windows of bakeries.

"Happy birthday dear Jack. Happy birthday to me." He finished his song and his dust drawing, staring around dejectedly at his dark cell.

"Make a wish." He muttered wryly. He closed his eyes and thought, I wish... to leave this stupid prison and see my friends again. He blew, watching as his dust creation scattered around the room. He sighed, curling in on himself. The only light was coming from the barred window high above him, the full light of the moon casting the shadows of the bars across his cell.

Jack closed his eyes, shivering in the cold. He was quivering so bad the chains around his wrists shuddered and clanked.

Without the window he probably would have missed his birthday all together. But with the help of the tiny sliver of light and tally marks he had scratched into the wall, he was able to tell. He was officially ten years old. Lucky him.

"Hey Brat." A voice called. Jack flinched, pressing himself closer to the wall and as far away from the guard as possible. "I'm heading out for the night. Don't cause any trouble and maybe the warden will go easy on you tomorrow." He made a noise that was supposed to be a laugh but sounded more like a cat with a hairball.

Jack grimaced at the thought of Snyder. He had been extra hard on Jack ever since he caught him stealing food from the kitchen for the younger boys. That had gotten him thrown down in the darkest cell of the refuge, both his hands and feet in shackles.

He laid down, using his arms as a pillow. He grimaced as his bruised ribs throbbed painfully. Jack closed his eyes and attempted to get comfortable. Just as he was starting to drift into a restless sleep, a pebble hit him square in the head.

Jack cursed and sat up, rubbing his head. Who was throwing rocks at him? He looked around the room before tilting his face upwards towards the barred window.

And there in the window, like an angel sent from whatever god was favoring Jack today, was the first familiar face Jack had seen in months.

"Crutchie." Jack breathed.

Crutchie smiled down at him and to Jack, it felt like the whole world was filled with light. For the first time since he got in this hell hole, Jack smiled.

Crutchie's newsie hat was on backwards so it wouldn't fall in his face and the light of the moon glinted off his fluffy blond hair, making it shine. He was missing a new tooth since Jack last saw him. Jack would give anything to be able to crush him in a hug or at least sling a comforting arm around his shoulder but the window was far too high for him to reach.

Crutchie started to say something but stopped, not wanting to get caught.

Instead, Crutchie gestured for Jack to wait a second before disappearing from view. The cell became instantly colder and emptier in his absence.

After what seemed like an eternity to Jack, Crutchie returned, still beaming. He picked up a package wrapped in old newspapers and began to gently lower it down into Jack's cell using an old rope that was tied around the parcel. Jack stood up and caught the package, untying the rope. Crutchie pulled the rope back up, hanging it around his shoulder.