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It wasn’t curfew for another hour or so yet so Race wasn’t particularly worried but it was getting quite late and Jack wasn’t back yet. Race was sitting on the floor in the common room with some of the littles, playing with little Jimmy who was sat on his lap. The now nine month old was smiling and giggling enjoying all the attention. That’s when Davey came in practically dragging an injured, unconscious Jack with him and Les on his tail.
“RACE!”
The panic in Davey’s voice was enough for Race to be up in seconds carefully giving Jimmy to the nearest older newsie, which happened to be Albert who seemed very confused on what to do with the kid. Race all but ran to Davey helping him get Jack up to the room they shared that Kloppmann had let them have. It was one of the adult rooms, even though they were both still seventeen and four years off being adults Kloppmann had given them a room so if Jimmy woke up in the night he wouldn’t wake the others, and they had tucked a crib in one of the corners. They got Jack onto the bed and Race gently took his hand, noting how cold it was, rubbing his thumb over Jack’s knuckles.
“Jackie? Can yous ‘ear me?”
He softly brushed Jack’s hair out of his face, he was shaking and shivering and was ice cold to the touch. A black eye, a scrape along his jaw, a busted lip, and a couple of bruises on his cheeks were some of the few injuries he could see. Race felt Davey put a comforting hand on his shoulder and sighed before looking up at him.
“What ‘appened?”
“I don’t know. We found him on our way here passed out in an alley. I don’t know how long he was out there.”
Davey shrugged a little and shook his head looking and where Jack lay unconscious on the bed.
“Is there anything I can do.”
Race looked back at Jack and thought for a moment before nodding.
“Go ‘elp the others with Jimmy and the littles. I’s’ll take care of Jack.”
Davey gave a nod and left the room quietly, shutting the door behind him. The moment the door was shut Race carefully started taking off Jack’s waistcoat, shirt, and undershirt to check for further injuries. Jack was covered head to toe in bruises. They were all over his torso and arms, big purple bruises in the shape of boot prints, luckily that was all he’d gotten plus the scrape on his jaw and the busted lip.
“Oh Jackie.”
Race mumbled softly brushing his thumb over Jack’s bruised cheekbone before heading to the cabinet to grab the med kit. Their room had a decent sized bed, it wasn’t huge but it was bigger than the bunks downstairs and the two could fit in it together comfortably wrapped in each other’s arms, with a bedside table and a chest of draws. In one corner was a small counter space with cabinets above it where they could store food, Kloppmann also allowed them to use the kitchen downstairs if they needed to. They had tucked Jimmy’s crib in the corner closest to the bed and all of Jack’s drawing things were sprawled across a small table with two chairs that was tucked under the window. They even had their own small bathroom attached to their room. They didn’t have much to put in their little room but they had made it their home.
Race was almost done patching Jack up when he stirred and opened his eyes attempting to sit up in panic still shivering and cold. Race was quick to push him back down onto the bed with a gentle hand on his chest.
“Easy sweet’eart. Don’ wan’ ta ‘urt yerself no more than yous ‘as.”
Jack visibly relaxed hearing Race’s voice and looked up at him with bleary eyes reaching up to cup Race’s cheek with a bruised hand.
“Tony?”
“I’s is ‘ere Jackie.”
Race gave him a soft smile and gently placed his hand over Jack’s intertwining their fingers as he leaned into his touch. Jack softly stroked Race’s cheek with his thumb before gently pulling him down for a kiss which Race happily gave.
“Yous is an angel Tony. You knows that.”
Jack mumbled with a smile as Race pulled away and went back to sorting out his injuries, gently pressing a wet cloth to the scrape along Jack’s jaw. He sat back slightly with a sigh and took one of Jack’s hands in his free one, rubbing his thumb over his knuckles.
“what ‘appened Jackie?”
“Run in with the Delanceys. Theys caugh’ me off guard an got me pretty bad.”
Jack huffed sitting up with Race’s help. Once he was sat up Race gently dropped his head onto Jack’s shoulder with a sigh making sure to avoid any injuries.
“Is theys ever gonna leaves us alone.”
Jack lifted his hand and softly ran his fingers through Race’s hair, resting his head against his. Race relaxed a bit and carefully leaned into Jack loosely wrapping his arms around Jack’s chest. They stayed like that for a while Jack soaking up Race’s heat. The room was warmer than the bunk room, which still wasn’t very warm but it was better than nothing plus after the conditions they’d been in at the refuge even the bunk room felt warm in the winter, being as it was a lot smaller so he’d warmed up a bit and was shivering less but Race was a walking furnace so after a few minuets of holding each other Jack was back to normal temperature and feeling a lot less groggy.
Eventually they pulled away, Race finished tending to Jack’s injuries, put away the med kit, and helped him get into some clean clothes before the two curled up together on the bed. Jack had managed to convince Race to lay his head on his chest and he had hesitantly complied. So now Race was curled into Jack’s side the latter’s fingers carding through his hair.
“I’s always gets scared when yous comes home like that. It reminds me of ‘ows yous was in the refuge.”
Race mumbled not hiding the fear and sadness in his voice as he griped to Jack’s undershirt, he hadn’t bothered with a fresh shirt. Jack held Race a little tighter neither could tell who’s comfort it was for. The refuge and strike had left them both with scars, physical and mental.
“Snyder can’t gets us no more. We’s safe from ‘im now, ‘e can’t hurt us no more.”
Race hummed in response tucking his head under Jacks chin as Jack pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. They lay like that in silence holding onto each other like a lifeline, protecting each other from nightmares.
Race dozed off after a couple minuets but about half an hour later Davey knocked on the door and Jack heard a crying Jimmy which woke Race up quickly. Within seconds he was up and at the door carefully taking Jimmy from Davey and gently holding the infant to his chest getting him calm. Jack slowly got up and headed to the door putting an arm around Race’s waist. Davey glanced and him with a concerned and slightly guilty look on his face.
“Sorry. Jimmy wouldn’t stop crying. We fed him and changed him so I think he just missed you guys. Also the littles won’t go to sleep without a story.”
Jack smiled slightly and shook his head a little, resting his chin on Races shoulder. Race glanced at Jack asking a silent question.
“Is alrigh’ Davey. They’s likes it when I’s tells ‘em stories abou’ Santa Fe. Tell ‘em we’ll be down in a sec.”
He saw the looks Davey and Race were giving him and sighed pressing a soft kiss to Race’s cheek as he lifted his head.
“I’s’ll be fine. I’s ain’ that bea’en up. Is not like I’s is going out hawkin’ papes. Is just a story.”
“Okay.”
Race gave in, leaning into Jack as Davey gave a nod and headed back downstairs. Jack gently turned Race to face him putting his other arm around his waist and kissing the top of Jimmy’s head.
“I’s okay Tony. I’s promise.”
“I knows. I’s jus’ worries abou’ yous. Yous takes care of everyone but yerself.”
“tha’s why I’s lucky ta have yous angel. Yous makes everythin’ easier. An yous takes care of me.”
Jack gently pulled Race closer and pressed a soft kiss to his lips feeling Race relax under his touch and kiss back. Race slowly pulled away hearing Jimmy stir and feeling him nuzzle into his chest. Neither boy could help but smile at the adorable baby snuggled into Race’s chest. Jack let out a content sigh then kissed the top of Jimmy’s head and gave Race a quick peck on the lips before moving away.
“Come on. Les’ go get the littles ta sleep. Is gettin’ late.”
Jack gently tugged on Race’s waist a little before making his way down the hall to the stairs. Race grabbed a blanket for Jimmy before following Jack downstairs.
Downstairs in the bunk room all the littles were ready for bed, thanks to some of the older newsies, as well as most of the thirteen to fourteen year olds. All the other newsies had gone downstairs to the common room apart from Davey so when Jack and Race came down it was just them all sat on their own bunks. Once Jack and Race sat down on one of the bunks leaning against each other, Race bundling Jimmy in the blanket he’d grabbed and cradling him, the littles gathered around them curling into them, Davey, and some of the older newsies up there like Romeo and Kid Blink. Once everyone was settled Jack started the story of Santa Fe with the song he always sung them every night.
“Close your eyes. Come with me. Where it’s clean and green and pretty, and they went and made a city outta clay.”