Newsies Oneshots 2.0

Pride in August-Newsie Ships

So, I haven't done a ship compilation in a while—probably since last year or a few months ago, it's hard to tell. But I was reading Steddie fanfiction, and I suddenly thought, "Well, I should write something." I wrote this.

I hope you enjoy!!

————————————————————————

Tradition—Javey

Sipping a cup of cranberry juice while trying his hardest not to step on his boyfriend's sister's carpeted flooring was not on his list holiday traditions, but Davey seemed excited about it, which rubbed off on Jack consequently. Unfortunately, his expectations came from Davey's mouth, who had a tendency to dramatize and create. It was what made him a good teacher, and Jack a better artist.

But sipping cranberry juice, on a day Jack didn't know was important to anybody until two months ago, wasn't exactly the height of his anxieties, but it was hard to speak to people who didn't bother to speak with him on principle until his boyfriend introduced him to the head of his family. Unfortunately, she wasn't here yet.

"Hey", Davey greeted, smiling so brightly Jack's frustrations melted. "How's it going?"

"Well", Jack sighed, glancing around the apartment with vague familiarity, though certain spots he'd found comfort in were replaced with people he'd never met. It was now he wished he hadn't gone to that art show in California when it was Katherine's turn for hazing; he would've at least had a friend. "I'm not really sure. I feel like everyone's watching me."

Davey turned around to see his family, and Jack was just happy to have him close. The guy had turned into a social butterfly for the night, a space that usually belonged to Jack, but it was hard to stay mad at him for that—Davey loved his family.

"I'm sorry", Davey sighed, and Jack's brows furrowed at the sadness that resided in them. "We should've gotten here later and then everyone would be here and-"

"No, it's tradition", Jack insisted, passing Davey his cup of cranberry juice, watching as he took a sip of it. "I totally get it. Just, uh...could you stay by me? The only people who bothered to talk to me on Les and your baby cousin, and there's only so many times I can talk about middle school soccer practice and toddler drama."

"Toddlers have..." Davey shook his head. "Yeah, I'll hang with you. I'm getting kind of tired of talking about- Why are you looking at me like that?"

Jack chuckled, grabbing Davey's empty hand and squeezing it softly. "Your aunts are giving me the stink eye", he mumbled through the corner of his mouth, and Davey visibly had to hold himself back from laughing.

"So you're laying it on thick, huh?" Davey whispered, and Jack just nodded while giving him his pretty smiles, the one he uses when he wants something. "Stop giving me eyes, Jacky."

"It's working, though", Jack pressed on, taking his cup from Davey's hand. "Now we embrace in an indirect kiss."

"You're an idiot."

"But I'm your favorite idiot", Jack jokes. Davey snorts. "It's working; they're talking about us."

But Davey wasn't listening anymore. He was staring ahead, looking through Jack rather than looking at him with terror on his face. And anxiety. More than usual, anyway. "What are you looking at?"

"Hey, guys", Sarah greeted, a fake smile on her face as she stood next to her brother, who was doing a terrible job at hiding the fear on his face. "So, our grandmother is here. Davey told you about that, right?"

He'd explained it. Davey's family was very maternal centered, a system that stemmed from one of his great grandmothers—his second? Third?—when she came to the country with virtually nothing. She essentially held it down for generations, allowed for countless amounts of family to prosper and develop into their own—it was a very powerful story. Jack understood why when she passed, Davey's family began to honor her daughter, and the one after that.