Title: Lean on Me

Author: Lee

Email: lsdalexa@hotmail.com

Rating: Eh...I’m gonna go with PG...

Pairing: Jake/Skittery (I just have to be different...)

Status: Complete/one-shot

Feedback: Yes please! Feel free to compliment, criticize, rip to shreds, or flame (I got marshmallows right here =)

Archive: Seize the Night (ff.net is being a biznitch)

Summary: Falling in love isn’t supposed to leave you with your heart in pieces. Jake just happened to be there...

Disclaimer: Don’t own ‘em. Disney has that privilege. Wish I did but hey, you can’t always get what you want (queue The Rolling Stones...heh).

Notes: My first attempt at slash. Be *somewhat* gentle. I’m still pretty new to the whole fanfiction side of the tracks...

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The cold weather bit at his nose and fingers. He was sure his lips were a slight blue shade by now. He didn't care though. Let the snow fall all night and cover his path back to the Lodging House. Maybe it was better that way. Maybe it would solve everything. A rather chipper voice pulled him from his reverie.

“Heya Jake.”

Jake nodded his acknowledgement.

“Ya doin okay?”

He shrugged.

“Bit cold out, ain't it?”

Another shrug.

“Well, ain't we one for conversation...”

Jake sighed. “Sorry Pie. Just thinkin'.”

Pie Eater nodded. “If it's about what I think it's about then I says don't even bother with it. He'll come around.” Jake looked at his friend and shook his head solemnly.

“C'mon. Let's head back. Don't wanna freeze ta death.” Pie put an arm around his friend and both walked in companionable silence back to the Newsboys Lodging house.

He sat alone on his bunk that night. Trying not to think. Kind of hard to get your own peace in a bunkroom filled with thirty-some-odd guys yakking away; raucous laughter echoing off the walls. Surprisingly, he managed to slip away to his bunk pretty much unnoticed. Just sitting and looking out into the cold, snow filled night.

“Heya Jakey.” He looked away from the dirty windowpane that held his attention for the past half hour to see who it was.

“Hey Swifty.”

Swifty made himself comfortable on the bottom bunk next to Jake's bed. He was one of the few that knew what was bothering him. He wanted to help his friend out, but it was just so damn hard because Jake wasn't the type to just spill his problems out on the floor and allow his friends to clean up the mess. He was the type who kept to himself most of the time whenever he had a problem. Normally he got over whatever it was pretty quickly after laying on his bunk, sleeping it off, or kicking random things up on the rooftop for a couple of hours. This problem though...the one that threw everyone else for a loop-save Swifty and Pie Eater, Jake's other best friend-was going to take more than a good nights sleep or kicking something up on the roof for a couple of hours.

Unless that thing just happened to be a certain someone's head.

“Wanna talk?”

Jake shook his head. “Nothin' to talk about.”

“Wanna play some pokah? Race's startin' up a new game. Since it was a good sellin' day most of da guys are playin'. Lotsa money...”

Not even that could sway the newsboy. “Nah. I think I'se just gonna sit here. I'm kinda tired.”

“C'mon Jake. Ya haven't hung out with us nearly as much since-“

“Say one more word Swift and I'll soak ya.”

Swifty said nothing. With a heavy sigh he got up from the bunk, patted Jake's shoulder and went on to play poker with the rest of the guys.

Nothing was ever this difficult for Jake. Falling in love wasn't supposed to leave you falling apart at the seams. Let alone falling for one of his close friends. He hadn't meant it to happen. Really, he didn't. It kind of just...happened. Before he knew it, his dreams were clouded with that face. And when owner of said-face started coming to him with his problems, saying that talking to him made it a little better, it made him that much more confident that maybe the feelings could be returned.

Of course, there was a slight problem.

Namely, a certain doe-eyed thief.

For the past few months it was a rocky road between Snitch and Skittery. A few more arguments than the usual banter came between the two. That coupled with quite a few suspicions of Snitch being unfaithful, which proved true.

*”How could he?! I mean...with Itey..?” Skittery sat on Jake's bed, pouring his heart out to him. A few tears were shed, but not many. Skittery hated crying. Jake was there for his friend; holding him while he sniffled his was through stories of how he “knew it was over way before this.”*

Skittery was always so...squeamish when he was with Snitch. They had been together so long you would have thought he would have calmed down and been more comfortable. Skittery was never like that around Jake. He was so much more at ease and even seemed happier just to be next to him. Jake was elated that he could be reciprocating the feelings that Skittery was giving him, even if Skittery wasn't aware of it.

“If only ya coulda stayed a while longer...”

“Who?”

Jake's head snapped up at the interruption. Skittery was standing in the doorway, arms folded across his chest.

“W-wha?”

He crossed the bunkroom over to the bed next to Jake's and sitting down. “Who coulda stayed?”

“Ya really wanna know?”

He nodded. Jake pried his eyes from him and trained them on the wall. “You.”

Skittery sighed, closing his eyes. “Jake-“

“After all that happened...I just don't get it. I thought we could be together.”

“I'm not ready Jake. I told ya that.”

Jake looked over at him again, heartache evident in his expression. “Ya sure as hell seemed ready for the past few weeks.”

Skittery ran a hand through his hair.

“It's been tough. I didn't know who else ta go to.”

“Ya had the other guys! I'm not yer only friend Skitts.”

“'Cause you was there! Alright?! You was there and I took that moment.”

Jake's eyes widened. 'Cause you was there?! 'Cause you was THERE?! THAT'S why?! Not because he actually cared for Skitts or because he loved him? But because he was there? Jake was beside himself. He didn't know what to do. Cry. Sit there in silence and just deal with it. Or be angry.

He chose the latter of the three.

“'Cause I was THERE?” He growled, standing up. He clenched his fists to keep from doing anything he would end up regretting, his fingernails biting into his palms.

“Jake, yer one of my best friends. You was there when I needed someone to lean on-“

“Ya did more than lean on me damnit!” Skittery flinched.

It was true, and Skittery knew that. He couldn't take THAT back. Jake was so good to him the past few weeks. So gentle and considerate. Skittery would never tell Jake that he was better to him in that short amount of time than Snitch had been in months.

*Jake had heard Skitts wake up and head to the rooftop. He'd been doing that for a few nights now. Jake would give him a few moments before following him up there. It was nice to just be up there and have some alone time with him. The night sky was littered with stars, and there was Skittery basking in the glow of it all.

He stood in front of the wall, his hands on the ledge, looking out at the city. Jake's heart was beginning to beat a little faster as he joined his friend.

“Ya okay?”

Blue eyes filled with pain and heartbreak looked up at Jake. He looked so lost.

“Can ya take away pain?”

Jake brought his hand up and cupped Skittery's face, running his thumb along Skit's cheek. The boy's eyelids fluttered closed.

"I can try."

Leaning forward hesitantly, he captured Skittery's lips in a gentle kiss. He had no idea what on Earth had possessed him to actually do it. Maybe it was the lack of sleep. Or maybe he just couldn't take seeing those eyes filled with so many bad memories. After the first wave of shock subsided, Skittery pulled away slightly and looked at his friend, who was looking quite guilty. Jake slowly brought his hand down from Skittery's face.

“I-I'se sorry Skit. I shouldn'a-” but Jake's words were cut off when Skittery brought a hand to the back of his neck and pulled him forward, crushing their lips together.*

That night was the first. Just one in a handful of the past weeks that Jake held so dear to him. Every time they were together it was as if it were just the two of them. No Snitch. None of the other guys. Just both of them. All hands, lips, and teeth. Comforting. Feeling. Relaxing. Loving.

Skittery was quiet for a while before speaking again. “I'se sorry Jake. I thank you for bein' there and I know I wouldn't have gotten through much without you....but I just can't.”

His heartbeat increased and he closed his eyes, willing the tears away. “H-How...how could ya?”

“I know what love is now Jake. It ain't pretty and it ain't pure.”

“HE HURT YOU! That don't mean I will!” He needed to make things right. Needed Skittery to see that he wasn't like Snitch. “I've been there for ya throughout the whole thing. I love you! Ya know that? And I have for a while.” He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. “Ya just stopped talkin' ta me. I didn't know what ta do.”

Skittery went to place a hand on Jake's shoulder, but Jake pushed it away. He sighed, "I was hurtin' Jake. I still am. I'm still gonna be for a while. I took the moment I had with ya to get my mind offa...everything.”

Jake turned his back to him and walked towards the window. “Ya didn't think about how I would feel didja?”

“I did, Jake. Yer one of my best friends. I love ya. Just not like I was with...I'm not ready to really be in love yet.”

Getting up from the bed, Skittery headed towards the door. He looked over at Jake one last time. His back was still to him but he could still see the pain Jake was in. The pain that he himself was all too familiar with. He turned back to the door and began to leave when Jake called out softly. “If yer still not ovah Snitch then I'll wait. Youse know I would.”

Skittery looked at his friend. A small smile flitted over his face, and then it was gone. “I know.”

end