Newsies one-shots

I'm counting on it || Javid

2 K reads!!!!! How the hell did that happen?! Enjoy this second sick fic, since it has been requested.

~ F

Jack opened his eyes, but closed them immediately when the light shone to bright in his eyes. He groaned and rolled over to his side, now facing the wall. 
"Hey, Jackie boy, gotta get up to sell papes." He heard Race call from behind him. A hand touched his shoulder, but immediately pulled away. "Are you okay Jack? You feel really hot and you don't look to good." Jack turned around and opened his eyes. He looked up to meet Race's worried eyes.
"I'm fine." He pushed himself off the bed and started to make his way down the hall to the bathroom. It was when he had closed the door that the world seemed to turn faster under his feet. 
"Well, shit." He muttered as he steadied himself on the sink and looked in the mirror. He had light bags under his eyes and he looked ghostly pale. He quickly washed his face with cold water and walked back out and went straight down stairs to start his way to Weisel. He got worried looks from all the boys he passed, but shoved it off. 
"Jack, you should really stay home. We can take over for you." Crutchie suggested as he blocked Jack's path. 
"I'm fine, Crutch. Really." He slipped past Crutchie, careful not to push him in any way. 
"Jack?" Jack turned around at the mention of his name.
"Yeah?"
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Race asked while holding Jack's cap in the air. Elmer and Albert both stood at one side of Race and both looked equally worried.
"Yeah, thanks." Race tossed him his cap and he barely caught it. 
"Do you really think this is a good idea?" He heard Elmer whisper.
"No, but we can't make Jack do anything." Albert answered. That was also the last thing he heard before choosing to zone out. He walked mindlessly to the circulation gate and sat down to wait for the rest to show and for the Jacobs boys to arrive. 

"Jack?" Jack shot up straight when he felt a hand squeeze his shoulder. "Are you alright?" Jack looked up to meet the most beautiful eyes he has ever seen in his live, which was no surprise since it were his boyfriend's eyes. 
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." He stood up, but a wave of nausea hit him. He fell back, but stood up quickly.
"That doesn't look fine to me and you're really hot." Davey commented seriously.
"Yeah, you like pretty hot yourself." Jack blew him a quick kiss before turning around and walking through the now open gate. Some of the boys were still waiting for their turn while others, including Crutchie and Race, were already reading, or explaining to the newsies that couldn't read, what the paper was filled with. Jack overheard something about the flu and about illegal horse trading, but didn't bother to listen in. He could read it himself. He paid for his papers without his usual taunting and it made even Weisel and the Delanceys look up at him. 
"Let's go fellas! We can't stay here till night." He commanded with a raspy voice. He coughed, but made his way over to Les and Davey.
"Jack! I wanted to try a new selling technique." Les said as excited as ever.
"I say we try it and if it doesn't work, we just come up with something else." Jack ruffled the boys hair and the three walked off to their usual selling spot.

They had been selling just about an hour when Jack had grown dangerously quiet.
"Jack? Are you alright?" Davey asked as he came to stand next to Jack, who was leaning against the wall. 
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just need a little rest. That's all." Jack didn't meet Davey's eyes and that was worrying him. 
"Les!" Davey called his little brother over who had ran off to some older ladies who were happy to give him some thing extra and wanted to just pinch his cheeks. The little boy politely excused himself from the older ladies and made his way over.
"What is the matter, David?" He asked while looking at his brother.
"Take my papes. I'll sell Jack's." He left no room for arguing for either of the boys as he had already all of Jack's papers in his own bag. He quickly handed some of the papers to Les and started to sell as fast as he could. He usually liked to take a little longer to sell, but his boyfriend looked like a ghost and the longer they waited here the sicker Jack would be getting.

Davey and Les were both at one side of Jack. Both of them supported the oldest as they made their way back to the lodging house.
"Hey, Elmer. Could you take Les home for me and tell my parents that I will be sleeping here tonight?" He asked Elmer as soon as he spotted him standing outside with Albert, Specs, Romeo, Race and Finch.
"I'll come with." Albert quickly said and they both took one of Les' hands and sprinted away, leaving Les almost flying behind them.
"I don't think that asking those two was the smartest thing you've ever done." Romeo chuckled.
"For the record, I only asked Elmer. Albert just went with them before I could say no." He sighed, but turned around to check on Jack. The boy looked tired, but he struggled to look fully awake and aware. "Let's get you inside." Davey took Jack's hand and pulled him along. 
"Dave, I'm fine really. You don't have to stay here. You should head home and be with your family. I know how important they are for you." Jack looked at him as he was sat down on his bed.
"Yeah, but so are you and you're my priority now." Davey gave him a quick kiss on his forehead before walking off to get a wet cloth. Jack took the opportunity and stood up. His knees were shaking and he his bones seemed to have kept all of the cold from outside with them. 
"Shit." He muttered as he fell to his knees.
"Jack?!" Davey came rushing in. "You should be in bed." 
"Nah, I'm fine. I'll go down to the boys and keep them in line. Make sure that they eat." He wanted to stand up again, but Davey pulled him to the bed and layed him down there.
"Race already took care of that for you. He's a good second, you know." 
"Guess I picked the right one." Jack smiled a little before letting his eyes close for a few seconds. He felt the wet cloth touch his head and the coldness of it was rather soothing. It even helped the headache, he didn't even realize he had.
"Get some rest, Jackie." Davey whispered. "I'll be here the whole time and Race has everything under control down stairs." Jack rolled over to his side and made some space on the bed. He reached out with his arm and pulled Davey down. Both boys chuckled while Davey tried to get in a more comfortable position. He was now lying a little higher than Jack so he could rest his chin on top of the sick boy's head and Jack curled into his chest.
"I love you." Jack said before closing his eyes.
"I love you too." Davey answered before closing his eyes as well.
"Next time, you won't get me like this that easily. I promise you that." Jack added with a grin before drifting off.
"I'm counting on it."

Well that story sucked, but I publish it anyway. I won't let my own opinion ruin something I put an hour of writing in.

~ F