overture | newsies imagines

ben fankhauser || girl scout cookies

"(y/n)!" your niece yelled up at you. "let's go!"

you smiled and shook your head at her. "hang on, nancy, i need to find a sweatshirt to bring."

you heard her stomp up the steps and swing open the door. "your black crew neck is downstairs on the couch. now let's go!"

you chuckled to yourself and followed her down the steps. you slipped into the crew neck and grabbed your keys off the counter. before you opened the door, you made a checklist to nancy."

"order forms?"

"yes."

"uniform?"

"it's on me!"

"okay, wagon?"

"right here!"

"twenty-two boxes of assorted girl-scout cookies?"

"literally right in front of your face."

"book bag?"

"y/n)!" she screeched, popping out her little hip and planting a hand on it.

you laughed, "okay, okay, let's go."

you led her to the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor of your apartment building. you would start there and work your way up to your floor. the other five departments you would hit tomorrow.

the doors ringed and pulled themselves open. nancy rolled back her shoulders so that her girl scout patches shined. you withheld your giggles and grabbed the handle of the red wagon that carried boxes of cookies. she held her clipboard proudly in her hands and marched to the first door she saw.

she reached up and stood on her toes to reach the doorbell. a minute later, an elderly man with a cane and a bent back opened the door. she grinned her toothy little grin and stated her request.

"hello! i am nancy woodruff with girl scot troop number 3. we are fundraising to pay for a trip to washington dc this summer. so i am selling girl scout cookies to help, as i said, fund this trip. would you like to buy some?"

you rolled your eyes at her adorable adult-talk and crossed your arms over your chest. the man smiled down at her and raised a finger. "let me get my wallet."

"perfect."

—

three hours and twenty two boxes later, you and nancy were finally back on your floor. your feet were beginning to ache and your eyes were growing droopy, but nancy still held her head high. there were three bells to ring on your floor, and she planned to get every single one of them.

both of your neighbors refused to buy any, with a lie of, "i'll catch you next time." you were starting to think you'd have to buy the last three boxes with money you did not have until you rang the last doorknob.

nancy held your hand in yours, her eyes crinkling into a smile. she craned her neck back to meet eyes with the stranger across the hall from your apartment. he kneeled down to become only one foot taller than her.

"hello," he smiled, "how can i help?"

nancy repeated her speech and held out the clipboard to him. his eyes flickered up to yours and your face kept a pleading look. he chuckled and wrote down his order. he pulled money from his wallet and handed it over to you, while nancy gathered the last three boxes.

the man accepted the boxes from nancy, her stomach growling in the process. you laughed at her blushed face, "why don't we get home and eat up the cookies i bought?"

nancy nodded excitedly. "that's a fantastic idea."

the stranger still standing in front of you stuck his hands in his pockets. "wait, uh, why don't you two come in and have some milk and cookies over here?"

nancy shrugged and looked up at you. you blushed slightly and sighed, "we actually don't have any milk at my apartment, so that is an excellent offer."

you heard a dog bark in demand of his owner and nancy pushed herself into the apartment. you shook your head, "i'm so sorry."

he shook it off, "i don't mind. i never really get pretty visitors."

you grinned and stuck your head into his, "(y/n)."

"ben."

—

(short, sweet, and simple)