Newsies One Shots

Inner Storm

Modern AU

Little arms wrapped tightly around him. Head buried into his chest. There was this brokenness in her voice when she whispered, "Mush." The storm roaring outside wasn't the cause of it, it was from the fight they had about an hour or so ago. Technically, it wasn't one of their usual fights. Feister had done most of the yelling and he hadn't had any amino to aim at her this time because she was right, he had been neglecting their friendship for the past month. He's overheard girls gossiping before class how it's a red flag when a guy's best friend is a girl. It's the old tale about how the girl best friend secretly likes the guy, how there's some sort of mutual unspoken thing or whatever.

Mush doesn't see the problem though. First off, Feister doesn't do the whole romance thing. If she did he'd be the first to figure it out. Secondly, maybe he kind of sort of understands where she's coming from in all her protectiveness. To clear things up a bit his dating life isn't as bad as Feister seems to make it out to be, more than half of what she's deemed his "dates" never went past the talking stage and a few study sessions. Then there's the bit about him being a clueless fourteen year old freshman in the middle of the change....not that's he's come far since then only being fifteen...Genevieve is different. She isn't anything like those past "dates". She's sweet and smart and maybe he's fallen in love? He's never said that word to another girl....well, other than Feister of course but he means that in the brotherly way. Always has and always will.

At the moment, this is all irrelevant. The only thing that matters right now is Feister. Her body is shaking, but he can tell that she's trying hard not to let it happen. She felt so small and fragile in his arms. Mush was afraid that with one wrong move, she'd break right then and there. This isn't the first time he's had to comfort her on this level, but he wishes it was the first time. She's the strongest person he's ever met, so full of fire and stubbornness. A force to be reckoned with. It hurts him to see her like this. Especially knowing he's partly the reason for it.

"So why do you keep lettin' it get to this point?" the voice in the back of his head asks.

Nobody ever said having a girlfriend and girl best friend would be easy. Perhaps he also wants to prove the whole "if he has a girl best friend you better run" thing is wrong. The other boys that are close in her life are Kid Blink, Finch, Buttons, Romeo and the nightmare twins. While, she may play into the whole protective little sister role, you hurt him I hurt you thing, once is all said and done she doesn't care what happens when they, and any of the other boys, show interest in a girl. So, what makes him different?

"Because none of 'em know her the way you do," the annoying voice reminds him.

It's true. Nobody knows Feister like he does. Nobody knows how afraid of thunder she really is, or how she enjoys the city lights at night. That she can go hours and hours sitting on the fire escape lost in her journal or how much her mind can really wander. Nobody else knows she likes brown sugar on her toast or how she prefers her French onion soup without the cheese. How her signature scent is watermelon, or that she doesn't like the gritty toothpaste. Her best subject is English but doesn't hold a pencil the "proper" way. There's so much more than that, her past, her trauma, how truly afraid she is of letting people in and how the only family she's ever known is going to - "Congratulations! You've got mush for brains."

"Don't worry Feisty," he hugged her tighter. "I've got you." with nothing but reassurance in his voice.

"Promise?" she mumbled against his chest.

"Promise," he whispered back.

They stayed like that. Lost in their own little world. When thunder would roll through the sky Feister would pull herself just a little bit closer. She'd never admit it out loud but Mush is her safe place. It was the only thing she was ever sure on in life, that no matter what life would throw at her Mush would be right there. Even if they have a bad fight and went days without speaking to each other, if at any given point she needed him more than anything else, he'd somehow know. Sometimes before she realized. His senses must go off or something like that. She didn't know he was on his way to check on her when that big boom happened, she ran out of her room in a blind panic and there he was, already two steps ahead of her. Like always.