''Crutchie!''
Crutchie heard his name called and hurried toward that distant voice as fast as he could. As he got closer, he was able to identify the voice, one he was only too familiar with.
It was Jack.
When he finally reached it, he thought he must have made a mistake. For there was the dark alleyway of his nightmares, with Oscar and Morris Delancey standing close. The two parted, revealing Jack crumpled against the wall.
No. It couldn't be. Jack was everything to him. He didn't want to believe it, but Oscar confirmed it to be true, that the worst of the worst had happened.
''You're too late, gimp.'' he said.
Crutchie tried to go forward, but Morris had him pressed against the wall with one hand, successfully immobilizing him. ''No, please, you have to let me see him, he's my brother..'' he said as hot tears streamed down his face, struggling against Morris's iron grip.
Just then, Jack looked up. ''Some brother you are.'' he said, ''You didn't bother to come the one time I needed you. You really are a worthless crip.'' Jack got up and walked away, and when he turned, Crutchie could see the scarlet bruise on his cheek, making him feel worse than ever. He'd watched one of his best friends suffer and not been able to do a thing to help. Maybe he really was what Jack had said, a worthless crip.
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Jack gently shook Crutchie's shoulder. He'd found him sobbing softly into his pillow and knew immediately what had happened. The poor kid was having a nightmare.
''Crutchie...Crutchie, wake up.'' he said.
Crutchie woke up in a cold sweat, still not completely sure what was dream and what was real, when he saw Jack silhouetted against the lodging house window. Jack grabbed his skinny wrist and wordlessly dragged him out onto the rooftops.
Crutchie began to grow more and more worried as he felt the cold dusk against his skin. Why had Jack dragged him out here? What was he going to do? Was he going to throw him off the rooftops as payback?
Jack saw the fear in the teen's eyes and deciding to find out exactly what had been troubling him.
''You've been crying.'' he said.
''Huh? Oh. Jack, I'm so sorry!'' Crutchie said in response.
Jack put his hands on the freckled redhead's shoulders. He'd gotten like this before-frantic, flustered, and scared.
''What happened?'' Jack asked him.
Jack's words echoed in Crutchie's head. ''You really are a worthless crip.''
''Oh, it's not important, it's nothing really, I'm not worth your time'' Crutchie said quietly, trying to slip away.
Jack grabbed Crutchie's collar and hauled him back. He knew from experience that it most certainly was something important, and that Crutchie wasn't telling him. ''Tell me the truth or I'll beat it outta you.'' he growled. He knew he sounded overly threatening, but sometimes that was the only way to get information from him.
So Crutchie confessed. He told Jack the entirety of the nightmare, and ended up dabbing at his eyes with the handkerchief from his back left pocket. ''Well, there you go.'' he said. Crutchie began to get up, only to stumble backwards over the rooftops. He grabbed the edge, struggling for dear life, with only Jack and Lady Luck to determine the outcome.
Jack put his boot between Crutchie's hands, and Crutchie seriously thought that Jack would kick his hands away. But instead, he saw Jack reaching his hand down to him. Crutchie gratefully took it and at that moment, he knew that Jack would always be there for him, no matter what.
''Crutch, you know I'd never shut you out like that.'' Jack said, warmly smiling at the teen before him. Crutchie smiled back, until he saw the scarlet bruise on Jack's face. ''Jack! Howdja get that bruise?'' he asked, with a tinge of fear in his voice.
''Oh, this?'' Jack said nonchalantly, ''I haven't told you about the training of my invisible tiger Cleopatra, have I?''
Jack spent the rest of the night telling his unbelievable fantasies, until he saw that Crutchie had fallen asleep on his shoulder. He chuckled softly before ruffling his raven's-wing black hair and turning in himself.
Fansie fact #17-Zachary Sayle is a total cinnamon roll and his smile is literally more contagious than anything.
I'm kind of a sucker for brotherly hurt/comfort fanfictions like this one, and Jack and Crutchie are totally the sweetest. If you liked, please R&R!