Disclaimer: I wrote the song and the fic, so this should be ok to have up. Unfortunatly though, I don't own Newsies... I'm still working on that.
Note: For Monkee! Or, as she's known here ChocolateCoveredJockey you should totally go read her fics, they're awesome! And I love feedback, so you should definately leave some!
Your Hand in Mine
I've known you a long time,
But never did I imagine,
The love that I would find.
When I look into your eyes,
I can see so clearly,
So put your hand in mine.
Jockey pulled her long auburn hair of the back of her sweaty neck, grimacing at the summer heat. With her other hand she picked pieces of hay out of her hair. "Well, Wishes, ya hungry girl?" She asked the bay mare, patting her neck as before fastening the feed bag onto her halter. She watched the horse eat for a while before sighing and turning out of the stall.
"Jockey! Where ya at?" It was Skittery, a newsie she'd known forever. At least it seemed that way. She'd met him when her family had first moved to Manhattan; the tenement building she had lived in was next door to the Newsboy's Lodging House which was home to several of Manhattan's Newsies, including Skittery. After her parents had died, and her brother had left to sail the high seas, Skittery had been her main source of comfort.
"Here!" She called out, pulling her hair into a loose bun, in an effort to get it off her neck. She smiled as Skittery approached.
"You gonna sell with us today?" Skittery asked. Occasionally Jockey sold with the newsies, in an effort to make ends meet. She lived at the stable in Sheepshead, working in part for her board, and also for four dollars a week.
She sighed, placing her hands on her back and stretching, "I dunno. I should, I guess."
Skittery leaned against the stall door, and reached out plucking another piece of hay from her hair. "You pretty tired?"
"Yeah."
"Tell ya what, come sell with me, I'll treat ya to dinner at Tibbys."
Jockey smiled, "That sounds wonderful. Are you sure you can afford that right now?"
"Yeah, I'm sure."
"Alright, let me change real quick." Jockey wore a pair of pants at the stables, because it was almost impossible to do her job in a skirt. When she but when she went out in public, she preferred a skirt, to avoid the rude stairs and disapproving looks from those of higher status then her.
"Sure," Skittery said, settling into a more comfortable position, and chewing on a piece of hay.
We'll walk together,
Holding hands,
Making plans,
With you by my side,
Any storm, I can weather.
"Extry, Extry! Gov'ner Roosevelt touring the city!" Jockey yelled the headline in a voice swiftly going hoarse from all the yelling. "Thanks, sir." She said to a man, as she traded a paper for a penny. "Well, that's my last one."
"I'm out too. Ready for dinner?"
"Absolutely."
Together they walked towards Tibby's talking amicably as they went. Skittery held the door of the restaurant open, as Jockey walked through.
"Just like a true gentlemen" Jockey said, winking at him.
He led her to a booth and they sat, silent for a while. Skittery cleared his throat, "Uh, listen Jockey, there's been something I've been wanting to talk to you about… It just never seemed the time."
Jockey could feel her cheeks heat up, wondering if he had been thinking the same thing she had, for so many months. "Yeah?" She asked, looking straight into his dark brown eyes.
I know my love is true,
And, Baby, you should know,
I've waited all my life for you.
I'm so glad your love is mine,
So come here to me,
Come here by my side.
Skittery cleared his throat again, folding and refolding his napkin, "We'll, we've know each other for a long time now, and… we'll, I think I might feel… something more for you. I mean, more then just friends." Skittery chanced a quick look into Jockey's dark blue eyes, before studying the wood grain on the table top. "I uh, just thought you should know."
"Skittery." Jockey said, looking at his bowed, head, fighting the urge to run her hand through his tousled brown hair. "Matthew." She said, reverting to his real name, he looked up at this, searching her eyes with his.
"I'd like that. To be more then friends I mean. I've been thinking it for a long time now."
He looked at her for a second as if he didn't believe her, until she reached across the table and placed her small tanned hand into his strong, ink stained one. He smiled at her, and they sat that way for a while, just holding hands and smiling into each others eyes.
We'll walk together,
Holding hands,
Making plans,
With you by my side,
Any storm, I can weather.
Several months passed, and Skittery and Jockey spent all of their free time together, talking and just being together.
"Hey, you." Jockey said, smiling up into Skittery's eyes one day as he came into the stall where she was grooming Wishes.
"Hey," He answered, leaning forward and kissing her softly on the lips. She smiled as her lips tingled, a response that hadn't gone away since the first time he had kissed her, almost a month ago. "Can we talk for a minute?"
"Of course," She answered running a brush down Wishes' withers one last time, before following him out of the stall. He stopped, and turned to face her, indecision etched in his eyes. "What's wrong?" She asked, concern in her voice.
Skittery swallowed, reaching out and taking her hand, absentmindedly playing with her fingers. Jockey gently took her hand back, and reached up, brushing a lock of brown hair off his forehead. "What's the matter?"
"You know," He said, tugging gently on a loose piece of Jockey's hair, "I'll be 21 in two months. I'm too old to be a newsie anymore. I can barely make ends meet, and I can't stand living in the lodging house anymore, I don't have any space to myself. And I can't… I can't provide for… well, I mean… if I was going to have a family, I couldn't provide for them. And I won't be able to for a long time. Even if I get a factory job, It's going to be a long time before I can afford that. I don't want to… I don't want to make you wait for me. So. That's it."
"Matthew." Jockey said, forcing him to look into her tear filled eyes. "I love you." He stared at her for a minute, speechless. Neither of them had ever said those words before, but both knew for themselves that it was true. "No, look at me, I love you. I don't care about money, or a nice home, or anything else, just you."
Skittery ran a shaky hand through his hair, trying to take in everything Jockey had just said to him. "But-"
"It doesn't matter. I mean it."
Skittery, pulled her close, encircling her with his arms, and burying his face in her hair. "I love you."
Jockey pulled her head back to look him in the eyes, "And nothing else will ever matter." He kissed her fully on the mouth, lingering in her embrace.
Hold me close, let me know,
You would climb mountains for me.
Stand by me, and be assured,
I would swim oceans for you.
Our love is one that cannot die,
So come and put your hand in mine,
Come and put your hand in mine.
"Jericho Areli McGee, will you marry me?" Jockey stared down at Skittery, who was down on one knee, with a small black box in one hand. He cracked it open to reveal a small diamond ring, modest, but beautiful. Jockey gasped, looking from the ring, back to Skittery's eyes. They had just celebrated his 21st birthday, and this is the last thing she had expected.
"Oh, Matthew, yes. Yes, I will marry you, Matthew David Spencer." She held out her left hand, as he slipped the ring onto her third finger. He stood up, and pulled her into his arms kissing her thoroughly.
He stepped back, and smiled at her, "I love you."
"I love you, too. But, how could you afford this ring? It's beautiful!"
Skittery smiled at her, "It was my mother's. She left it to me, when she died. I have everything worked out. If you keep working at the stables, and with my job at the factory, we can make this work. And soon, soon you won't have to work at all, I promise, I'll find a better job, we're going to make this work.
They kissed again, completely content in their love.