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Here at last is the art I made of Racetrack with his feet up at a bar for the @newsiesgiftexchange for @rustic-space-fiddle

so, so, SO sorry for the wait and I really hope you like it, happy belated new year!!

[newsiesgiftexchange]

Here at last is the art I made of Racetrack with his feet up at a bar for the @newsiesgiftexchange for @rustic-space-fiddle

so, so, SO sorry for the wait and I really hope you like it, happy belated new year!!

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A couple days late (so sorry) but here’s my gift for @buncha-angry-kids-with-no-money for the @newsiesgiftexchange !!! 💙💙💙

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For @daisiesanddarkness-blog, for the @newsiesgiftexchange!

The prompt was: Jack repairing relationships with Race after the rally. Enjoy!!

In the days after the Rally, Jack felt more alone than he had in a long, long time. For the first time in years, he had been the only person in the room when he went to sleep and for the first time ever, he had been the only person in the room when he woke up. Even as a child, on days when he put himself to sleep because his father was out god-knew-where, he had always woken to find his father snoring somewhere in the little apartment. He had never really been alone, even if his father was bad company at best.

Keep reading

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A Great Miracle Happened There

This is a fic for @67-rats-in-a-trenchcoat for the @newsiesgiftexchange! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

It was very pretty, the candlelight. Regardless of the meaning being lost on him, Jack was honored to be a part of this tradition with the Jacobs family. He wanted to ask questions about their customs, but he didn’t want to spoil the pleasant time they were all having together.

He remembered asking David some questions about Hanukkah once they had gotten to know each other better and Jack felt comfortable asking. He was particularly intrigued by the idea of Hanukkah being a celebration triumph over oppression, though he didn’t understand how anyone could take issue with folks like the Jacobs’, who were lovely people in his book. He was just glad to be able to spend time with David and his family.

The gathering had quieted down and Esther was busy getting Les ready for bed, so Jack took this as a sign to get going, despite David always asking him to stay the night. David offered to walk him outside, and they made their way out to the freezing street.

David shivered as they stepped outside, noting that JAck didn’t seem to have any gloves to wear. “Jack, aren’t your hands freezing?”

Jack laughed. “Ah, don’t worry about me. Ain’t too far to my place from here, I’ll be fine.”

David gestured up towards his home. “I can get you a pair of gloves from upstairs, just

wait here.”

“Oh no, come on David–”

“I insist! Wait here, okay?”

Jack grinned and shook his head as David turned swiftly back in the building. Once the door closed, Jack let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. He reached into his pocket for the small gift he had spent weeks making for David and pulled it out to inspect it. 

Jack had painstakingly assembled a small wooden dreidel made of scrap wood, rusty nails, and old paint he had solicited from Kloppman. It was very crude, it likely wouldn’t spin, and the Hebrew letters were shakily painted on, but he was proud of his handiwork regardless. He just hoped David would like it, or at the very least pretend to.

David himself suddenly emerged from the building with a pair of wool gloves, and JAck hastily closed his hand around the dreidel. David gave him a quizzical look. “What do you have there?” he asked.

Jack faltered, thinking he might have to get him something else, something better. “Uh…here.” He shoved the gift into David's hands and took the mittens sheepishly.

David furrowed his brow, then looked down at the present. He slowly turned it over in his hands, examining its every detail to Jack’s chagrin. Did he hate it? Oh god, he hated it.

David suddenly looked up at Jack, emotion painting his face. “Oh Jack, it’s beautiful.”

Jack laughed nervously, surprised by David’s reaction. “Ah, it’s nothin’ really, I didn’t really know what I was doin’--”

“Did you make this?”

Jack blushed. “Yeah.”

David looked back down at the dreidel, then back up at Jack. “Jack, it’s perfect. Thank you so much.” In a moment of bravery, he took Jack’s hand and kissed it, making Jack blush harder. But Jack didn’t pull away, not for a second did he even consider it. It was just all so perfect. 

He squeezed David’s hand, and then a small movement caught his eye. They both looked around, realizing it had begun to snow.

David smiled. “Guess you’d better get going, you’ll catch your death out here.”

Jack inhaled, nodding, then leaned forward and gave David a quick peck on the cheek. He immediately turned and headed down the street before he could gauge a reaction from David, who let go of his hand reluctantly, but he understood. As much of a big personality Jack had, he was senseless around those he was sweet on. But it was alright–David was sweet on him too.

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That’s What Friends Are For

A fic for @blackaddler for @newsiesgiftexchange! Prompt: hurt/comfort with Jack! I hope you’re okay with 92sies. Hope you like it! <3

“We can’t let ‘em beat us, right Jack?” Crutchy asks Jack through the peephole, with enthusiasm in his voice that Jack wishes he had. “That’s what you’ve always said!”

“We was beat when we was born,” Jack responds, melancholic.

Crutchy downcasts his eyes. He understands.

He closes the peephole and turns around, ready to give Jack privacy.

But he still has Jack’s sad look in his mind. He stops.

No. He turns back around, determined. He is not going to let Jack continue feeling this down in the dumps.

He opens up the peephole, to find Jack at the window, lamenting about Santa Fe.

“What is in Santa Fe?” Crutchy asks curiosly. “Why do ya wanna go there so bad?”

Jack turns away from the window, surprised to hear Crutchy’s voice.

“Because it ain’t here,” Jack tells him softly. “Ain’t no boundaries. Ain’t no one tellin’ ya what ya can and can’t do. I’d be free.”

“But…wouldn’t you be alone?” Crutchy questions.

“Well, no one ‘round ‘ere would miss me, would they?” Jack responds. “I ain’t got no one left to care ‘bout whether I stay or whether I go.”

“That ain’t true!” Crutchy exclaims loudly, surprising both himself and Jack.

“That ain’t true,” Crutchy repeats for emphasis. “I would miss ya.”

Jack’s lip curls into a faint smile. “That’s nice of you to say, Crutchy.”

“Race would miss ya,” Crutchy barrels on as if Jack didn’t speak. “Kid Blink would miss ya. Mush would miss ya.”

“I mean, I guess-”

“David would miss you.”

Jack stops. “…what?”

Crutchy sighs. “You and David really are somethin’ else. I ain’t never seen you that close to someone. Ever. And I bet Davey feels the same way.”

Jack doesn’t say anything.

“Please, Jack,” Crutchy pleads, desperate and exasperated. “We would all miss ya. We do care whether you stay or whether you go. So please stay. Please don’t let ‘em beat ya. We will get through this. We will.” He sticks his hand through the peephole. “I believe in you.”

Jack smiles, and moves to the peephole. He holds Crutchy’s hands. “Thanks for knockin’ some sense into me, Crutchy. I really needed that.”

Crutchy grins back fondly. “Of course, Jack. That’s what friends are for.”

And so, even though things are pretty bleak, they are still holding on to hope.

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Javid In The Snow

A fic for @queenofbrooklyn for @newsiesgiftexchange! Prompt: Javid in the snow!

Hope you like it!

It’s been a few months since the strike ended, and the world goes on like it had before.

To both Jack and David’s disappointment, David went back to school in the fall. Now it’s winter, and because of the holidays coming up, David and Les have a break from school. Which means that they can sell papes again.

To say Jack is ecstatic is an understatement. He waits at the circulation center, trying and failing to contain his excitement, glancing around for his old selling partners.

And there they are: David and Les.

Jack’s grin grows.

Les’s eyes widen when he sees Jack. “Jack!” He exclaims excitedly and runs forward. He hugs Jack’s waist. “I missed you!”

“Yeah, I missed you too,” Jack musses Les’s hair. True, they’ve spent time together since the strike ended, but it wasn’t the same as it was in the summer.

Jack looks up to see David walking toward him calmly with a smile on his face. Jack’s smile grows. He tries to no avail to calm his rapidly beating heart.

“Long time no see,” he says playfully.

“Yeah,” David agrees.

“Ready to see the headline?”

“Headlines don’t sell papes,” David says with a smile.

“Newsies sell papes!” Les chirps.

“Hey, I taught you that!” Jack chuckles.

And so they continue to make small talk as they get their papes at the circulation and go out into the city.

***

When Les runs forward away from Jack and David to sell a bunch of last papers, Jack grows a little more solemn, wanting to talk to David about different things. Like just how much David means to him. And just how much he missed him. And maybe, just maybe, what kind of feelings Jack has for him.

David beats him to it. “It was weird not seeing your face every day.”

That catches Jack off guard. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. I honestly missed the strike. Even amongst the chaos, that was one of the best weeks of my life.”

“Ye-yeah, me too,” Jack stammers, his heart racing. It was one of the best weeks of his life too, because he met David.

“I wish I could have stayed a newsie. That sounds much more fun than school.”

“Well, what’s stopping you from skipping school?” Jack asks mischievously.

“My father wants me in school,” David explains glumly. “I can’t go against him.”

Jack’s smile fades. He understands. He does. Truly.

But he also wishes that David could stay a newsie too.

Suddenly, Jack feels something cold on his hand. He looks down. It’s a single snowflake, already melting onto his skin. He looks up to see more flakes fall. His jaw drops into a wide smile. “Davey! It’s snowing!”

David looks up, grinning. “Yes, it is!” He looks at Jack. “Now what?”

Jack grins back at him. “Now, we sell the rest of our papers before the crowds disappear, and then we have some fun!”

And so they take off running in the streets, laughing, hoping to speed through the process of selling the rest of their papes.

***

Les is playing with the young newsies out in the square. They’re building snowmen, making snow angels, catching snowflakes on their tongues, throwing snowballs, and having so much fun.

There are older newsies out and about doing the same thing. All are carefree and having fun.

Jack and David are strolling through the streets, talking about everything and nothing.

“It’s only been a couple hours since the snow started falling,” David comments, looking up at the snow. “There’s so much now!”

“Beautiful, ain’t it?” Jack says, looking at him fondly.

“Mhm.” David nods. “And cold.”

Jack chuckles. “Yeah. That too. Your cheeks are a little rosy.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yep.” Jack grins. “It’s a cute look on you.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it.” David’s eyes gleam. “You know, your nose is rosy too.”

“Is it?”

“Yeah.” David boops Jack’s nose. “Cute.”

Jack has officially stopped being able to function.

“Now your cheeks are rosy too,” David chuckles.

Oh. I’m blushing harder than I thought I was.

Since when was David this flirty? Jack is supposed to be the flirty one. He likes this version of David, though.

They keep walking, just exploring the city in the snow. It’s so different now. Like something from another world. It’s a white winter wonderland.

Suddenly, Jack hears teeth chattering. He glances at David, who is shivering. “Davey?” He asks, concerned. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” David mumbles.

David is definitely not fine.

“I think it’s time we go indoors,” Jack decides.

“No, no, it’s fine-”

“No,” Jack cuts him off firmly. “Time to get you warm.” He smiles. “Luckily, I know just the place to go.”

***

Jack and David watch Medda perform from the balcony, sharing a blanket, cuddled together for warmth.

“Medda’s shows always have extra space in the afternoons,” Jack explains. “And she always lets me come in here when it gets too cold outside.”

“I’m glad she does,” David comments, then rests his head on Jack’s shoulder, making Jack feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

And so they keep watching the show.

***

Once the show ends, they go backstage, and Jack can’t take it anymore.

“Davey?” He asks tentatively.

David stops walking and turns to face Jack, curious as to what he has to say.

Jack swallows. “I really like you, Davey.”

David’s breath hitches. “What?”

“I can’t hold it in no more,” Jack continues, nervous. “I really, really like you. And I know you probably don’t feel the same way, and-”

“Jack-”

“I just had to tell you even though you’ll probably never want to see me again-”

“JACK.”

“What?!” Jack snaps back, about to breakdown.

Suddenly, he feels David’s hand on his face. He looks into David’s eyes.

David is smiling at him fondly. “I’ve liked you since the first day we met.”

Jack’s heart stops. “Really?”

David nods. “I thought I was a fool to fall for someone who I thought would never like me back.”

“Guess we were both a fool then, huh?” Jack murmurs wryly.

“Guess we were.”

David proceeds to look around. Suddenly, his eyes widen. He takes his hand off Jack’s face and grabs Jack’s hand. “This way.”

“What…?”

David doesn’t explain.

He abruptly pulls Jack under a doorway.

“What are we doing here-?”

“Look.” David points up.

Jack looks up. His eyes widen. He looks back at David. “Mistletoe.”

David nods.

Without another word, Jack leans forward and kisses David gently. David kisses back.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a while,” Jack admits when they stop.

“Me too.”

“What was stopping us before?”

David shrugs. “Because we were both oblivious pining idiots?”

Jack laughs. “Guess we were.”

“So…now what do we do?”

Jack thinks on it. “Honestly? I don’t know.”

“We can go back to my place for hot cocoa,” David suggests.

Jack smiles. “I’d love that.”

And so they walk outside of the theater together, smiling, holding hands, talking about everything and nothing, walking in the snow-covered city.

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There you go! I hope you liked it! I don’t know if that was exactly what you were looking for, but I found quartetta’s fan art, got an idea, and ran with it

Happy New Year!! <3

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@spinningyarns here’s your gift for the @newsiesgiftexchange! i couldn’t tell whether you liked 92sies or livesies better, so i did 92sies because i’m more comfortable writing them.

Jack was pretty sure that the staff at Tibby’s had the patience of saints. The newsboys of the Manhattan lodging house—and Spot—were piled into the diner, crowded around a table laden with drinks and food, and the staff hadn’t said a word. They had showed up once to take their orders, once to bring it out and then they’d vanished.

“No, no, we can’t do it Thursday,” Dave was saying.

“Why not?” Race asked.

“I’ve got to help my dad fix the sink.”

There was a pause.

“Jesus, Mouth, quit bein’ all goody-goody and help us plan this damn party,” Spot snapped, swiping Race’s drink and downing it in one gulp.

Dave glared at him. “I’m not the one suggesting we should have live snakes. We don’t even know if Denton likes snakes.”

“We don’t know he doesn’t,” Kid Blink interjected.

“Hey, fellas, calm down,” Jack said. He didn’t want an argument. They’d been trying to plan this party for a month. Denton’s birthday was in a week and they had no plans or anything. “We gotta do somethin’. We can’t just give him a cake and be done.”

Skittery and Mush looked like they were considering the possibility.

“How are we supposed to buy anything? We ain’t got no money,” Boots said.

Jack sighed. “I dunno, Boots, how much’a ya marbles?”

He should’ve known better than to say anything, because everyone descended into arguments. Nothing he could say or do would bring them back in order, so Jack gave up.

The next day found them all squished into the local bakery, pooling every cent they had for a birthday cake. That was a chore and a half as well. No one could decide on a flavor, so in the end Jack and Race had went with chocolate. Chocolate was safe. Everyone liked chocolate. Sarah came by the same day to help with decorating and organizing everything. They had decided to have the party at Tibby’s, because it was the only place that would hold them all comfortably. Jack had to remember to thank the staff at some point.

And then it was the end of the week and Sarah and Dave were leading a blindfolded Denton into Tibby’s. They took the blindfold off and Denton gazed around, grinning.

“Happy birthday,” Jack said. The others were quick to echo him.

Denton’s grin grew wider. “Thank you, boys,” he said softly.

The cake ended up getting squished. There wasn’t enough cake to cut into pieces for everyone, but Denton insisted upon buying another so that everyone could have some. They protested heartily, but in the end another cake was bought and passed around.

That one was also squished, but it tasted good, and Jack supposed that was all that mattered.

[newsiesgiftexchange]

@the-sky-the-stars-the-sea here’s your gift for the @newsiesgiftexchange! i hope you like it!

“Wait wait—Jack, what is that?” David asked.

Jack gave him a flat look from where he was standing by stairs. He had a bottle in his hands and David was sincerely hoping it wasn’t alcohol. Les was at home and all the younger newsies had been put to bed already—it was 11:30 now—but that didn’t mean David was entirely comfortable with the idea of drinking.

“Aw, come on, Mouth. You ain’t never had champagne before?” Racetrack piped up from the corner. He and Mush had been playing cards for the past half hour. David wasn’t sure what they were playing, but Mush had half the deck in front of him. Race, in comparison, had three cards.

“It ain’t that bad, I promise.” Jack said as he uncorked the bottle with a pop. Champagne fizzed out the top of it and he licked it off.

David groaned. “That’s disgusting.”

Jack just laughed.

“If you don’t wanna try it, Dave, ya don’t halfta.” Crutchy said.

David sighed. “I’ll think about it.”

“Well, ya got 30 minutes,” Bumlets said. He was sitting on the ratty couch in the corner, playing checkers with Crutchy while Kid Blink and Skittery looked on. David assumed it was a checkers tournament, as Blink and Skittery both looked vaguely annoyed.

The night wore on slowly but surely and David couldn’t help but feel a rush of affection for everyone. If you’d told him, a year ago, that he’d be celebrating New Year’s Eve with a bunch of newsboys, he would’ve laughed in your face. But now he couldn’t imagine anything else.

When it was a quarter to midnight, Jack pulled a bunch of glasses from the cupboard and started pouring champagne into them. He passed them out and everyone stood. Crutchy leaned against the arm of the couch—even after 6 months, his leg was still bothering him.

The clock on the wall started to chime and everyone counted down in unison. When they reached one, they toasted and drank. David made a face. “I think it’s gone bad,” he said.

Jack laughed. “Nah. That’s just how it tastes. Happy New Year, Dave.”

David grinned. “Happy New Year.”

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Go West, Young Man

A Javid fic for @make-friends-with-the-rats for the @newsiesgiftexchange! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

David absentmindedly traced his fingers along the raised letters of the plaque he rested his head against. The air was still on this warm July night, but his heart was anything but still. They were smack dab in the middle of what could be the biggest strike on this side of the country, or even the planet. He didn’t really know. All he knew was that this was the last thing he expected to happen.

And he couldn’t have done a thing without Jack.

Jack Kelly himself was sitting beside him, his back to the statue they sat in front of. The pail they snagged was about a quarter full of beer at this point, when it had been nearly half when they first sat down, so suffice to say things were becoming a bit hazy for the both of them. 

They had spoken about the strike moments earlier, about how Pulitzer could very well do anything he wanted to stop them. It was encouraging, the idea that they were doing something he felt the need to stop, being a man with such influence in the city of New York. He was scared and he wanted to use his power to demolish that fear, and he wouldn’t let so much as a street rat barricade him from doing so. That’s all he saw them as, anyway: street rats.

“Hey Jack?”

“Hm.”

David paused. “Are you really gonna do it?”

“Do what?”

“Go west.”

Jack grinned and looked away. “S’matter, you gonna miss me or somethin’?”

David wasn’t sure how to answer. Should he tell Jack that he would miss him, but he’d get over it? Should he tell him no? Should he tell him the truth, that Jack leaving was going to put a void in David’s heart as if he’d been shot? Should he tell him the truth? Should he tell him how much he loved Jack and wanted him to stay?

“David? Ya hear me?”

“Yeah, yeah I’ll miss you,” David said quickly, waiting for Jack’s reaction with bated breath.

Jack giggled, feeling warm and fuzzy from the beer. He lifted the pail to his lips for another drink, and in his eagerness proceeded to spill the beer down his chin as he drank. David snickered with him, but he still felt nervous. He decided to test something. “I’d go with you, you know.”

Jack looked back at David, appearing perplexed. “What?”

“I said I’d go with you.”

“Go where?”

“Go west, young man!”

David laughed at his reference to the man memorialized before them, but soon noticed that Jack wasn’t laughing. His look of puzzlement had changed to one of disdain.

“David, what the hell did you say that stupid thing for?”

David froze. This was not at all the reaction he wanted or even expected. He figured Jack would laugh at him, maybe tease him for being a sap, but David never guessed he’d be angry. “I’m sorry, Jack, I just thought–”

“Oh, you just thought you could run away and be a cowboy like me, just for fun right? Then guess who gets to go home to his family and his nice warm bed when he gets bored of it? Not me.”

David was trying not to cry, but he pressed on. “I wouldn’t get bored, I promise.”

Jack shook his head and laughed cruelly. “Sure, you’d have letters from your family to read. What have I got? Who’s gonna write to me? Nobody, that’s who. I got nobody.”

“Well, that’s why I would go with you, you’d have me!” David insisted, not ready for the rejection to hit him. He scooted closer to Jack. “Besides, why do you think no one would write to you? You don’t think the rest of the newsies would?”

Jack lowered his eyes to the cobblestone street. “I wouldn’t count on it, David.” he said quietly.

“I would.”

“You’d forget.”

“How can you say that? I could never forget you, Jack, you’re the best thing that ever happened to me!” David blurted out.

Jack finally looked at David, who was shocked to see tears in his eyes. Jack gave him a watery smile. “You’re jus’ sayin’ that.”

“I’m not. I’d write to you every day.”

Jack sighed, then chuckled. “Alright, what would you write about?”

David searched Jack’s brown eyes for the right words to say. “I…I would write about New York. I’d write about how the rain in the fall makes the streets slippery, and how in the winter, the snow makes it feel like Christmas every day. I’d write about the ducks in Central Park in the spring. The sunny blue sky in the summer. How hot it gets, and how all the newsies stink then…”

David’s voice trailed off, but Jack didn’t say anything, so he decided to take a risk. “I’d write about how the city is nothing without you here.”

Jack looked away, startled by David’s affectionate speech. “Denton would be impressed,” he said, trying to change the subject. But David wasn’t having it.

“Are you impressed?”

“Yeah, I’m impressed.” Jack smiled at David again.

David saw a look in Jack’s eyes that he couldn’t name, but naming it wasn’t the priority of his mind. Evidently, his mind and body prioritized leaning forward and giving Jack a soft kiss on the cheek, making Jack’s face turn white as a sheet. David braced himself for the pummeling of his life and was about to beg for forgiveness, when suddenly Jack reached for his hand and squeezed it tight, wordlessly staring into David’s eyes. David stopped breathing.

Jack wetted his lips, thinking. “I can’t go west now, can I?”

“Why?” David breathed.

Jack’s eyes darted to David’s lips, and he reached up with his free hand to gently pull him closer. David closed the gap, and they shared a tender kiss there in the silent night. Jack pulled away a fraction of an inch and whispered, “Because you’re here.”

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Merry Christmas to @i-told-the-horse !! For the @newsiesgiftexchange :D

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@rustic-space-fiddle !!!!! Happy Holidays!! Jack in full cowboy mode for @newsiesgiftexchange >:3

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Hey @the-infamous-singing-pig-man !!! Here's Medda and Denton on their first date for ya for @newsiesgiftexchange ! They're on a walk :) Happy Holidays!!

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Blush moodboard I made for the @newsiesgiftexchange for @what-goesaround-comesaround

happy new year!

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Here’s some art of Les and Jack bonding I made for the @newsiesgiftexchange for @theofficialkai517 happy holidays and happy new year!

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I made this gifset of all of Tumbler's interactions with the other boys in Carrying the Banner for @buncha-angry-kids-with-no-money for @newsiesgiftexchange. Hope you like it!

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Here is a gift from a fan named Doodles for @make-friends-with-the-rats ! Happy holidays!