newsies fics

fire escape nights - jojo de la guerra

JoJo's journal was something everyone knew not to touch. When he first started selling papers, he saved up for a nice, leather bound 200 page blank book and once he got it, he kept it with him everywhere. No one knew what he was writing, but they always knew not to disturb him.

Some of the Newsies speculated he was writing a book. Albert was sure that JoJo was keeping a hit list and writing down everyone who's done him wrong, complete with a full plan to murder the aforementioned people. Even Finch, JoJo's best friend, theorized that his journal was where he wrote down headlines of days that was important to him. But, all that was in his notebook was tons of letters dedicated to you. Letters that, if they were ever to be shown to you, would cause JoJo to up and leave lower Manhattan in shame.

Hypothetically, you were the one person that JoJo could tell everything to. But in reality, the only time JoJo was able to talk to you was when Finch wasn't around, afraid that he would accidentally say something to you that made Finch catch on to the fact that JoJo was absolutely captivated by you.

He wasn't sure when it had happened. JoJo had seen you hanging around Finch a few times, not really paying much attention because he though you might have been dating Finch. But that changed when Finch brought you back to the Newsboys lodge one night. Finch introduced you as his younger sibling and no one seemed to take notice of the light pink dusting your cheeks or the way that when all eyes were on you, you'd scratch your nose as a nervous tick. But JoJo did, and that's the night he started writing. At first, the messages were innocent. He felt that he knew you enough to be able to talk to you about his day and what he hoped to do when his days as a newsboy was over. But, when JoJo got to know you more, they turned into messages about unrequited love and things he notices about you that you wouldn't think anyone would ever notice.

JoJo promised himself he wouldn't fall in love, let alone fall in love with his best friend's sibling. But here he was, sitting and writing about how in love he was with you, every single night.

"Jo, are you even listening to me?" You asked, running your long fingers through your hair.

You and JoJo were sitting on the fire escape of the rented house you stayed in with some other students from the school you were attending.

"Yea, sorry. Just distracted tonight." JoJo replied, wiping his hand over his dirty shirt.

You bumped your knee against his and JoJo's heart fluttered at the contact. "You sure you're not just tired? It's," you paused, turning to look at the clock kept near the window you access the fire escape from. "It's almost 4am."

"I couldn't be more wide awake," JoJo replied honestly, not taking his eyes off of where your knee was still touching his. "But you should go to sleep."

You sighed, leaning back against your hands, sending a lazy smile towards the boy who sat with you every night. "Yeah, but if I go to sleep, what are you gonna do?"

You and JoJo quickly bonded over the fact that neither of you slept well, opting for maybe an hour or two of sleep in favor of staying up and talking. JoJo's favorite part of the day was walking to your apartment across town after dinner time and finding you waiting for him, a blanket wrapped around your shoulders, no matter the weather.

"I could do stuff. Journal. Maybe even learn to draw." JoJo sighed out, reaching subconsciously towards his left pocket where his journal was sitting snug.

You let out a breath and turned to JoJo. "Seriously, what is on your mind tonight? It's like you're here but you're also a million miles away." You grabbed his rough hands in your soft ones and he felt his resolve melt softly. "I know you well enough to know when there's something wrong. So what is it?"

JoJo stayed quiet, letting the outcomes of actually telling you how he felt run through his mind. You could hate him. Or you could pity him. Or a ton of other options where it would leave him heartbroken. But there was one outcome that had JoJo wanting so badly to tell you what was going on: you could maybe feel the same way.

"I promised myself I would never fall in love with you." JoJo started and you opened your mouth to reply but he stopped you by holding a hand up. "You're my best friend's sibling, for God's sake. But we're sitting and laughing on a fire escape at 4 in the morning ever single morning and I can't help thinking that I am totally fucked." JoJo let out a sigh and went to stand up, pulling out his journal. "I want you to have this. I'm gonna go for right now and leave you to process." He started climbing down the fire escape but stopped at the last minute. "If you want me to come back, just come to my selling spot tomorrow and ask me for a paper."

You sat there, playing with the frayed edge of the journal, not looking up to meet JoJo's eyes, no matter how hard he tried and he sighed, shaking his head and making his way back to the Newsboys lodge of lower Manhattan.

-

That next morning, JoJo felt sluggish and all the Newsies knew. They didn't bother him, or tease him, opting to leave him alone. There were whispers, mostly by Race and Crutchie, that got out to all the newsboys about how he didn't have his journal with him.

JoJo's selling that day was unsuccessful, his heart wasn't in it. All his usual customers flocked to Albert, his selling partner, because JoJo wasn't as energetic or friendly.

"Any good headlines?" A voice behind him asked, making JoJo jump and turn around. "Because I have a pretty good one."

You were standing there, a small smirk on your face and your hands shoved in your front pockets. "Yeah? What's that?"

JoJo's heart was beating fast as you stepped closer towards him, pulling your journal out of you back pocket and handing it back to him. "Hmm, how about 'Newsboy's Best Friend's Sibling Returns Feelings for the Newsboy'."

JoJo stepped closer to you, his hand wrapping gently around your waist. "You really mean that?"

The small smile on JoJo's face was slowly creeping towards being a huge smile and when you nodded JoJo didn't hesitate to lean in and press a small kiss to your lips.

"Finch's gonna kill you," Albert called from his selling spot making you giggle and kiss the worry away from JoJo's cheeks.

"Don't worry, he'll have to get through me to get to you." You stepped away from JoJo and sighed. "I have to get back to class. I was just on a lunch break, I'll see you later."

It wasn't a question. JoJo and you both knew that no matter what Finch will say or do when Albert tells him what's going on between JoJo and his younger sibling, that JoJo will be on that fire escape by 10 o'clock at night, ready to hold you in his arms until the sun starts to rise.