The Name's Crutchie

Chapter 2: A day off

For once Crutchie awoke to the sun streaming through the window. He sat up with a start immediately regretting it as pain ripped through him. He felt a strong but gentle hand pushed him back down.

"You're meant to be resting." Came a voice from above. Crutchie could make out the slender figure of Specs through his swollen eye.

"I gotta... the morning pape-" He tried to get up again, only to the realisation that Specs was holding him down.

 "You're not selling like this." Specs said, his hand still ghosting over Crutchie's shoulder as he sat next to him on the bed. Crutchie went to argue but was cut off by Specs. "Jack, Race, Mush, and I are covering for you alright? Ya just need to stay in bed, rest that leg of yours. Jack fixed you up pretty good last night, you'll be selling again in a few days." Crutchie looked down, he hated that he was putting out his friends.

 "Thanks, It... it really means a lot." He muttered, looking down at his hands.

"Hey, don't look like that."

 "Like what?"

 "Like you're at a funeral." Specs observed, Crutchie looked up at him with big eyes, making him look a bit like an adorable racoon. "What the matter?"

 "What... no, I just." Crutchie looked down again. A call came from outside the lodging house. Specs looked over his shoulder, shouting a reply to Race. He looked back at Crutchie, his piercing blue eyes lazily scanning the boy. His body covered in dark purple bruises.

 "This isn't over Morris, but you stay in bed or so help me I will stay here all day and sit on you so you don't get up." That made Crutchie laugh; it was a brief thing and was followed by a sharp intake of breath. There were not many things he could do without hurting himself in some way. A ghost of worry passed over Specs face, but he was pulled out of it as Race called again from outside.

"Are you sure you're gonna be alright?" He sounded slightly sceptical. Crutchie flashed one of his bright smiles.
"Yeah, of course I am Specs, you know me." That was all Specs needed, after a second he turned on his heel and walked out the door. 

Specs jogged to catch up with Race and Romeo, falling into step beside them, lost in thought. It was only a few minutes later he realised that Race was staring at him.

"What?" He asked, confused as to why the boy was staring. Race looked slightly taken aback.

"You're really out of it today. I just asked you what you were thinkin' about."

"Oh," Specs didn't even recall hearing the question. "nothing really." Race wasn't convinced.

"Crutchie's going to be alright you know, he's been through worse before." Specs glanced at Race before turning his gaze to the ground, a slight flush of pink spreading across his cheeks. Race lightly slapped Romeo on the shoulder seeing Specs' reaction, Romeo shrugged it off in a huff. 

"I know he is," Specs replied, lining up to get his papes. "He just worries me alright."

"We know Specs, that's why you're our honorary Mum friend." He replied, nudging Romeo, who brushed him off and went to get his papers. Race made a face before turning back to Specs. "What's his problem?" Specs shrugged and took his papes, nodding politely at Weasel as he walked by.

"You going to Sheepshead?" Specs asked, glancing at the headline. 

"Yep, guess I'll be seein' you later?" Race replied, Specs nodded in return. Turning on his heel to his newest selling spot. It was a surprisingly busy corner near an alleyway that had quite a constant flow of traffic. The headline wasn't actually too bad; Specs had drifted through the day not having to do much in the way of faking maladies. His mind was preoccupied; constantly going back to the morning, the way the light hit Crutchie's face just made him wish that he would wake every morning to see that face, but also at how easily he's been able to hold the boy down. He could practically feel the boy shaking with effort as he tried to sit up, it made his blood run cold and the sickening purple yellow bruises that decorated his face just seemed to get worse now that he had seen them in the morning light. Specs snapped out of his thought just long enough to start coughing and hobbling over to an old lady, after getting her to buy his last few papes he started making his way back to the lodging house. Romeo joined him on the way back, who was quite a bit less irritable than he was earlier in the morning. By the time they got back there was a little less than half the newsies all spread across the lodging house, the rest had decided to go to Tibby's to celebrate the end of the week. Specs walked over to Crutchie's bed, planting himself onto the bed beside.

"How ya feeling?" Specs asked, placing his head in his hands and balancing his elbows on his knees. Crutchie smiled and it brightened the whole room.

"Good as new." The bruises on his face were starting to back to a dull blue and when he smiled it pulled at a cut on his lip but all Specs could think about in that moment was leaning forward and kissing that adorable boy.

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OoooOOOOoOOoOooo Crutchie and Specs? Who's everyone's favourite Newsie? comment below I'm curious 

Sorry for the short chapter I'll try to update more often :)