One-Shots!

Newsies: Miscommunication and Pancakes

A/n: I wrote the first half of this like a week ago then forgot about it.

Race had lost track of the number of times he'd burst into Crutchie and Jack's apartment at the middle of the night. They always gave good relationship advice and tended to be less condescending than Davey. Race came to them whenever he had a fight with Spot, or if he was feeling stressed, or when his parents called. Now it was three am again and he was feeling clueless and stressed. "I think I love him" Race opened the door having already texted Jack to make sure they were awake.

"Race, what do you need this time?" Jack asked. He was sitting on the couch with Crutchie in his lap fast asleep.

"I need to talk to you" Race quieted his voice and sat down on the floor in front of the couch.

Jack took in his untucked shirt and messed up hair "Spot?" It wasn't the first time Race had showed up to complain about Spot and though Jack tried to look annoyed, Race was upset and clearly needed to talk. Also knowing Race, he would talk and Jack could just nod along "Fine, but be quiet" He brushed Crutchie's hair out of his face and Race stuck out his tongue.

"You're so..." Race groaned "Domestic"

"Aren't you here to complain about you and Spot not being domestic?" Jack reminded him.

"Maybe" Race pouted. Jack was right. Race didn't hate the thing he had with Spot but he wanted more. They started hooking up in college, they were roommates who hated each other. The university refused to let them switch rooms, so they made due. During one particularly heated argument over how messy Race's room always looked they started kissing, which later led to other stuff. It was supposed to be nothing, a way to get out their frustrations and not decapitate each other over petty arguments. But even Race had to admit when they moved in together after college things changed. Instead of occasional argument-sex/make out sessions they leaned more towards kissing and cuddling on the couch. They were a couple in everything but words. "He's just so frustrating!"

"Shh" Jack shushed Race when Crutchie stirred and mumbled something. "He had a big work evaluation, this is the first time he's slept in three days"

"Oof" Race winced in sympathy. Crutchie worked with little kids. He loved his job, but the boss didn't like him so whenever there was a work evaluation he had to work extra hard to not get fired. To make it worse Crutchie had a bad habit of not sleeping when stressed and Race definitely remembered him going weeks without sleeping more than four hours at once "I'll be quieter" Race promised. Race didn't want to bother them, but he needed to talk to someone and Jack was his go to. Jack just nodded and Race took it as cue to keep talking "I love him and I know that our whole arrangement is no feelings. But I need something, this in between.." Race took a deep breath and flopped back on the floor "I can't live with this stupid- whatever! I either want a real relationship with 'I love you' and domestic shit like that" He gestured loosley at the couch "Or nothing. I'm going to move to Italy and never see him again"

"You couldn't do that" Jack was absently stroking Crutchie's short hair and nodding along to Race's rant.

"That's the worst part. I couldn't leave him if I wanted to! That short little asshole is everything in my life and he doesn't even love me like I love him" Race covered his face with his hands and kicked the bottom of the couch out of frustration.

"Race, this is a weird idea: what if you just talked to him?" Jack knew his foster brother well, and he understood his relationship with Race better that he wanted to thanks to multiple late night phone calls. Spot was definitely in love with Race, but emotions and talking had never been his strong suit.