Written for Cracks when she had a mean cough. I know I'm not that familiar with this pairing. She liked it, and that's all that counts.

Sick

*cough* *cough*

David turned around in his bed and sighed miserably. It was so typical of his mother to make him stay home. He wasn’t even really sick, what did she know about it anyway? He was supposed to be out there in the snow now, providing for the family like a grown up. Grown up, huh? The other boys were probably making fun of his being treated like a little kid right now.

"Here’s your soup, dear," his mother cheerfully said as she set the bowl in his lap and began to shake up his pillow.

"Thanks, mum," David answered grumpily, still sulking. She pressed her lips to his forehead and sighed.

"Still have a fever. Now eat up like a good boy."

He glared at her retreating back as she left him alone, but complied. Thank god the other newsies couldn’t see him right now. He could handle it if Les made them believe that he was teetering on the edge between life and death, but his mother’s antics somehow spoiled the heroic image.

Slowly eating his soup, he wondered how Jack was doing at selling without him. Probably a lot better than when having to drag him along as well. With Les attracting the customers, David felt that he was just the fifth wheel on the cart, merely being tolerated.

Just as he was about to indulge in further self pity, the door opened and Les came running in, followed closely by the Manhattan leader. David didn’t even try to analyze the way his heart jumped at the sight of Jack, he’d given up on that months ago. Les dashed to his bed, positively bouncing.

"Dave! Can ya guess what we did? We built a snowman, an’ then dis man came and said we had to take it down again, ‘cuz it was in front of his shop, an’ den Blink caught him at the head with a slush ball, an’ he almost got us, but we was too fast for him, an’ den..."

"Leave your brother alone, Les," Esther interrupted. "He’s running a fever. You can tell him your story when he’s better."

"Oy, it’s dat bad, Davey?" Jack halted to lean at the doorway, hands in his pockets. "Sorry ma’am, maybe I should have waited outside..."

"No, I’m fine, really!" David hurried himself to say.

"Yes, he’s been driving us mad with his grumpiness all day, I’m sure he’s much better already," Sarah chimed in, ignoring the deadly look David shot her.

"I was just preparing dinner, would you care to join us, Jack?" Esther asked, nudging Sarah in the side to make her stop teasing her sick brother and set the table.

Shooting David a lingering look, Jack slowly shook his head. "Thanks for the invitation, ma’am, but I gotta be on me way. ‘s Kloppman’s birthday today, an’ we wanted to throw him a little party..."

David groaned inwardly. Not only was he confined to this bed, unable to meet his friends, but now he was missing Kloppman’s birthday party to boot. He knew that the "party" most likely only consisted of a few little presents, a lot of boys singing way out of tune and as much booze as they could get their hands on, but still. He could have been with them. With Jack. Admiring the other boy secretly from a corner, as he had done on numerous occasions.

Lost in thought and misery, he almost missed how Jack said goodbye to the other Jacobs’. Before turning to the door the Manhattan leader came over to his bed once more.

"So... hope ya’ll be back on ya feet soon," Jack said awkwardly, looking not at David but at the points of his worn boots.

"Yeah, thanks," David replied, not quite able to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

Quickly asserting that the rest of the family wasn’t paying them any attention, Jack bent down and kissed David’s forehead.

"Get bettah soon. We miss ya."

And with that he was out of the door in a flurry. David stared at the spot where Jack had stood in sheer wonder, tempted to pinch himself to see if he was delirious and had only imagined this kiss in his fever-struck mind. It had felt real alright. Reliving the soft sensation of Jack’s lips on his skin over and over again, drowsiness overcame him. Getting better was paramount now. A little smile on his lips, David slowly drifted to sleep.

fin.