Chapter Text
The celebration of the winning of the strike had almost inevitably migrated to the Manhattan lodging house. Newsies from ‘hattan, Queens, the Bronx and all the boroughs were there. Not forgetting Brooklyn of course.
Racetrack and Spot had long since retreated to the rooftop. Racetrack was now half asleep against Spot’s shoulder, who had an arm tight around him. Jack caught them just in time to see him press a gentle kiss to the outermost mark of Racetrack’s healing black eye - the one he’d sustained at the rally. They’d become even more inseparable since their arrest. As he watched them, Jack counted himself lucky he’d managed to square things with both of them after what he’d done. He had his best friend back. And his best rival too he supposed.
“You two’s lookin’ mighty peaceful”.
“Feeling jealous there Kelly?”
“A little. I’m pretty worn out - s’been a long day”.
“Then quit being an eejit and sit down”.
Jack settled himself against the wall on Race’s other side with his knees drawn up. Race stirred at the weight of Jack’s shoulder next to his and craned his neck round to look at him.
“Heya cowboy. Got bored of the party?”
“Somethin’ like that”.
After a short, companionable silence, Racetrack spoke up again.
“Glad you ain’t leavin’ Jacky”.
“Yeah, me too. Figured Santa Fe probably ain’t all it’s cracked up to be”.
“Wouldja just admit you’d miss us?”
“Alright, I’d miss ya, you happy now?”
“Mmmhmm”.
“I s’pose yous pissed you ain’t seein’ the back of me?” Jack said over Race’s head, making eye contact with Spot.
“Well, Racer would be mighty upset if you’d gone. An’ I don’t like seein’ Racer upset”.
“What about you? Would you be upset?”
“I’d live”, Spot said, grinning. Then he caught Jack’s eye. Sometimes honesty was the best policy. “Tell you the truth, I’d be pretty fucking miserable. Wouldn’t be the same round here without ya Jacky boy”. Jack smiled with relief.
“Tell anyone I said that though an’ you’ll live to regret it”.
“If you think I’d let anyone know I’d wanted you to miss me, you got another thing coming”.
“Easy boys”, came Racer’s sleepy voice, from in between them.
“Sorry Race”, they both mumbled simultaneously. Race smiled smugly to himself. He snuggled closer into Spot’s side, and blearily caught Jack’s hand, which he decided to keep for himself, pulling it closely to his chest. Jack smiled warmly.
“How much you drunk there Racer?”
“That’s for me to know and for you to find out”. Jack rolled his eyes, but let Racetrack keep his hand.
“What am I gonna do with you?”
“You’re a big boy Jack, I’m sure you’ll think of something. But right now, I wanna sleep”.
Spot laughed, as Jack flushed red right up to the tips of his ears.
“You do that pretty boy”, Spot said in response to Racetrack, smoothing down his hair with his free hand.
“I still can’t believe we did it Jack”, he said, after a moment. “We won”.
“Couldn’t have done it without all of yous”.
“Eh, what else is family for, huh?”
“What about Brooklyn?”
“We’s all newsies. Which makes ‘hattan family too. Brooklyn can wait on me a little while longer. Most of ‘em is here right now anyway. Just close yer eyes. Enjoy ya victory”.
“I’s enjoying my family more”.
“Shut up Jack”.
Jack did. And he closed his eyes. And for the first time in a long time, he didn’t dream of Santa Fe.