A.N~ Hello humans! This one-shot was based on a couple of things, a chapter from a story that I recently (like 5 seconds ago) 'Wherever You Go' by Prettylittlemonster, and 'Cold Winter Nights' by ninjanervana. I really suggest going and checking them out, they are really well written! Anyways, anyone who knows me and follows along with my madness on this site knows that I LOVE sick fics. I have written a couple myself, and I don't understand why I love them so much, but oh well. My most followed and reviewed story is a sick fic, so obviously I'm not the only one! But I digress, this story is going to be a one-shot (maybe a two-shot, depending on the feedback;) about Jack and Katherine! (they are so cute, I just can't! "For sure?" "For sure." FEELS)
In this chapter, Jack gets sick after spending too much time in the snow, and Katherine helps him! Features Stubborn!Jack and Caring!Stubborn!Katherine! I hope you guys enjoy! Rated T because I'm unpredictable! I don't own Newsies, Jack or Katherine. Though, I'm jealous that I didn't come up with these awesome characters myself. Anyways, in the words of the Phantom "LET MY (fanfic) BEGIN!"
Ch. 1
12:36 AM
Jack stumbles through the streets, clutching his extra papers in one hand and trying to keep his hat from flying off in the other. Snow pricks at his face as he roams, hoping to find somewhere with shelter and people to buy these papers from him. He sneezes into his elbow and groans when he realizes that Medda's theater's closed. Damn. He thinks angrily as he turns and walks the other way. Usually when the weather is this bad and he still has extra papers, she would buy them off him and let him stay until the snow stops.
He continues to walk, trying to focus on finding somewhere to stop, but suddenly he starts shivering violently. He looks down and sees his hand shaking from the cold, despite the brown gloves Katherine got him for Christmas. Finally, he can't keep his grip on the papers and they fall out of his hands, immediately blowing away from the wind. He curses again and runs to try and catch them, but suddenly doubles over, an intense coughing fit hitting him. He tries to stand upright, but gets dizzy and falls onto the snow, trying to catch his breath. He lays there, confused as his vision swims, he doesn't have asthma or anything. What the hell-
Suddenly it hits him and he almost punches himself for not realizing sooner. He stands up, and after about a minute of coughing, he continues to stumble along. He would be lying if he said he hadn't been feeling run-down for at least a week now, and even though he felt crap, he still couldn't rest. Even though it was needed. He couldn't help it! He's everyone's big-brother and he had to work! He can't just decide that he's going to clock out for now and take a nap on his cot! Besides, he always hates when everyone's attention was on him. Go figure, the leader has attention issues. He thinks, scoffing to himself. But he suddenly realises his mistake as another coughing fit rocks his frame, threatening to bring him to the ground. He tries to right-himself when he falls again, his elbow making contact with the street, making him cry out. His eyelids start to flutter when he registers a car coming towards him, the headlights practically blinding him. He closes his eyes and passes out, his pink cheek pressed against the snow.
Katherine yawns from the backseat of the taxi. That is the last time I go to a late-night show just to get a review. She thinks, leaning back against the leather interior, closing her eyes. All the sudden, the car stops, making her open them to see what's going on.
"Excuse me," She says politely despite the late hour, sliding the glass partition away. "What's going on?"
"Sorry miss." The driver says, turning to face her. "There's a drunk in the middle of the road."
She looks passed him, out the front windshield, wanting to see this drunk with her own eyes. She frowns at the site, a man in a black jacket and brown pants laying there, clutching his elbow. His skin pale except for two pink blotches on his cheeks, with dark brown hair tucked underneath a newsboy cap. Just like... "Oh my god, Jack!" She cries, throwing the door open, she pauses before getting out and says, "Please, wait for me?"
"Sure thing, Sweetheart." The cabbie says, smiling at her. She thanks him and wraps her scarf around her neck before getting out and running over to Jack.
"Jack!" She yells, cupping his face with her hands. His breathing is ragged and shaky, but he's still alive. Thank god. She thinks as she tries to shake him awake. "Jack, honey, I can't carry you back to the cab." She cooes soothingly into his ear, trying to rouse him. He stirs and looks up at her, his eyes glassy and bright with fever.
"Katherine?" He murmurs groggily, his eyelids fluttering. "Where...am I..." He trails off, disoriented. He tries to balance on his elbow and cries out, clutching it with a grimace.
"Jack, we need to get you out of the snow, can you walk?" She asks as he cradles his elbow, still grimacing. He nods weakly and she helps him up, smiling when she sees that he's wearing the gloves she bought him. But frowns when she realizes how badly his hands are shaking. She loops his good arm over her shoulders and trudges back to the car. She opens the door and lets him lay down across the seat before getting in and putting his head onto her lap. She takes off her jacket and throws it over him, despite his weak protests.
"Where to, miss?" The cabbie, asks, looking back at the pair, worriedly.
"Do you want to go back to the lodging house?" She asks, looking down at Jack.
"No!" He says suddenly and sits up next to Katherine. "I mean-um. Can I crash at your place?" He asks, clearing his throat.
"Uh...I think so..." She says, needing to think about it first. "My father will be asleep, so he won't give you any grief."
She tells the cabbie her address and he drives, making sure not to drive too fast in the snowy conditions. Jack stares out the window, trying to seem okay. But Katherine's eyes never leave him, she keeps staring the entire way back to her home, suspicious.
When they get there, Katherine carefully unlocks the door and opens it slowly, motioning for Jack to follow her. He stops in the doorway, his mouth agape at the grandeur of the house. More like a mansion. He corrects himself in his mind, trying to take in the huge moonlit room.
"Jack, come on!" Katherine whispers, grabbing his hand and leading him to the stairs. She didn't realize how great it was to have a room on the opposite side of the huge house from her father until now as they creep up the staircase quietly.
"Who is your dad, anyway?" Jack whispers back as they walk down the long hallway. "Herbert Hoover?"
Before Katherine can reply, her father's door opens and the light fills the hall. Immediately, Katherine shoves Jack behind a grandfather clock and walks towards her father, smiling.
"Katherine?" He says, confused. "Why were you out so late?"
That voice. Jack thinks, trying to figure out who her father is, but still fuzzy on account of his fever. I know him from somewhere?
"The show ran late, then the actors wanted an interview...It all took a lot longer than I thought it would." She replies, lying like a rug. "Sorry, Father."
"It's alright, Katherine, darling." He replies, a smile in his voice. "I'm just glad you're home, safe and sound. Not out with that boy you've been seeing."
For the second time that night, Jack came to a conclusion. Joe Pulitzer is Katherine's father. He wants to scream, slap himself, maybe both. How could I not realize! He thinks furiously. Dammit, I knew she was too good to be true! How could he date his boss's daughter?
They talk for a little while longer, then the door shuts and Katherine appears again in front of him. She takes his hand and leads him through the darkness to her room around the corner. As soon as they are safely in her room, he turns to her.
"Why didn't you tell me he's your father!"
She looks confused for a second, then says, "Are you mad?"
"Yes!"
"Why, does it change how you feel about me?"
He stops and stares at her for a second, not sure how to respond. Suddenly he starts coughing and almost collapses, getting dizzy but she catches him before he gets more acquainted with her floor.
"Jack, you should lay down-"
"I'm fine, Ace." He says, groggily, trying to get her hands off him.
"Jack, you're sick. You need to rest." She says, carefully leading him over to the bed.
"I'll-" He cuts off as another coughing fit rips from his lungs, making him wince.
"Jack, here, take off your coat." She says, taking off his coat. Then she unbuttons his wet shirt and vest and throws them onto the chair next to the bed. She blushes at the site of his exposed chest and clears her throat, forcing herself to focus. She carefully eases him down so that he's sitting on the edge of the bed and takes off his shoes, noticing how tattered and almost non-existent the laces are and makes a mental note to get him some new shoes. Then she pulls off his socks and lowers him the rest of the way onto the bed, despite how much he tries to protest and tell her he's fine.
"Jack, honey, you're burning up." She says as she reaches up and touches his sweat covered forehead. She pulls the comforter up to his chin, making him blush. He tries to sit up and she sits on the edge of the bed, putting a hand onto his sweat, slicked chest, carefully pushing him back down onto the pillows. "Jack Kelly, you need to rest, even if it's forced. Here, I'll take your temperature." She pulls out a first-aid kit from her bedside table and takes out the thermometer, holding it up to the light.
"Say 'ahh.'" She says, holding it up.
"Katherine-" He starts to protest, but she cuts him off by shoving it into his mouth and holding it there, counting the seconds. After a while, she checks the number in the light.
"103." She says, reading the small numbers on the glass tube. She glances over at him. "Looks like you're staying put."
He opens his mouth to protest and she raises an eyebrow. He sighs and leans back, accepting his fate. Suddenly he sits up. "Where are you gonna sleep?"
She glances around the room. "I'll pull my couch over to the bed so that I can check on you." She says, making him scoff. "What?" She asks, raising an eyebrow at him. "You don't think I can do it, do you?"
"Nope." He says back, leaning against the pillows and closing his eyes. "But there's always room in the bed for you, Sweetheart." He smirks when she smacks him, making his cheek burn. After about a minute, Jack feels something cool and smooth on his lips and he startles awake, his eyes wide. She pulls back and blushes, giggling.
"Sorry." She says, her hand on her lips. He blushes, covering his too. He looks over and sees the couch is pulled up, she's in a nightgown, and there's even a fire in the fireplace. His clothes are laying in front of it, drying. He looks back at her and she smiles, arms crossed over her chest. "Try not to look so surprised." She smirks and sits down in a chair next to the bed.
"What about your dad?" Jack asks, nervously. He doesn't really want Joe Pulitzer to find him in his daughters bed, shirtless.
"I locked the door, it's okay, Jack." She says, smoothing his hair on his head. He looks over to see his hat on the table. When did she do that? He smiles at her and tries to fight the desire to sleep, despite the warm bed, soft comforter and pretty girl sitting next to him.
"Katherine." He says her name before coughing into his elbow.
"Jack, go to sleep." She says, smoothing his hair.
"Thank...you..." He whispers before falling asleep.
Katherine smiles at him before kissing his forehead and turning off the lamp. Finally, she lays down on the couch/bed and falls asleep, glad Jack's okay.
A.N~ Thank you guys so much for reading! I just wanted to write a little bit of fluff, since I usually don't get to. Plus, I love Jack and Katherine so much! They are adorable and just awesome! I just really wish that Laura Osnes would have been able to play Katherine with Jeremy Jordan! Lol, they just have really great chemistry! *Cough, cough*BonnieandClyde*Cough, Cough* Anyways, Thank you guys so much! Leave me a review if you want me to write a second chapter! I'm sorry it was so long, I just started writing and didn't stop for like, 3 hours! Goodnight, guys! Love you, Humans!