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Summary: Skittery has been in a bad mood for the last few weeks, and bumlets and swifty help him cheer up.
Tws: mild language, depression talk?
Winter time was always the worst time of year for skittery,the cold weather never failed to dampen his already glum mood, and the frosty wind made him dread getting up in the morning. This year was no different, skittery already found it hard to put up a smiley, happy front the rest of the year, but in winter, it felt damn near impossible. This was one of the worst depressive episodes he had ever had. He had not smiled or laughed in what felt like weeks. Words hardly ever left his lips anymore, and his fellow newsies were starting to get worried, gravely worried,in fact.
After another long,dreary day midway through December, skittery was sat in his bottom bunk, knees pulled to his chest, staring blankly ahead as if consumed in irrepressible thoughts. He was so ingulfed that he didn't even realise that Bumlets had sat himself down next to him.
"Hey, skitts.." Bumlets said quietly. However, skittery seemed to be blocking out noise that wasn't coming from his brain,so there was no answer. He places a gentle hand on his shoulder and skittery jumped back, startled.
"Jesus christ, are yous tryna kill me?" Bumlets chucked at this.
"No, I was just tryna make sure youse alright." Skittery frowned, and Bumlets felt a sudden urge of guilt in his chest.
"Ise fine why wouldn't Ise be." Skittery snapped a little too loudly, making the heads of a few closer newsies turn.
"It's just that youse been in such a bad mood -"
"Ise has NOT been in a bad mood"
The dramatic irony of this sentence made bumlets snicker uncontrollably.
"What is youse laughing at?" Skittery yelled through gritted teeth, but he didn't look angry, just exhausted.
"Ise sorry, ise sorry-" Bumlets tried to apologise but he has still giggling too hard to get his words out right.
"Piss off." Skittery said angrily before turning and facing his back towards his laughing friend.
"Naww come on skitts I didn't mean it!" Bulets tried to protest but earned no reaction from his friend who was now ignoring him.
"Skitts...skitts...skittery...skitterrrrryyyy." He wined trying to stop his silent treatment.
A strong pang of guilt washed over him as he looked at the back of his friend who was more exhausted than anything else, all he wanted was to see skittery back to his happy self who laughed and played with the other newsies like the kid he was.
He stared at skitterys messy curls for a few moments, completely torn about what to do.
He placed a reassuring hand in the middle of Skitterys back, and all of the anger and tension in his body language seemed to just melt away. It was as if Bumlets could see the frustration draining out of him, like wringing out a sponge. Neither boys said anything, just enjoying the physical contact.
After a while, skittery slowly turned around so that he was facing Bumlets again, letting his hand drop from his back. He could see tears starting to dwell in Skitterys eyes. He just looked so drained, as if any personality behind those eye bags had been stolen.
"Ise- ise sorry..." skittery trailed off. He just sounded broken.
"Hey, it's okay, come here." Bumlets said in a gentle voice opening his arms up.
Skittery looked around, unsure for a second, then cooperated and climbed into his grasp. Bumlets wrapped his arms around his torso, and Skittery felt warm for the first time in weeks. He let the warmness wash over his body and nuzzle in. He felt like a real person again.
"Ise just don't knows what's wrong with me." Skitterys muffled voice came from Bumlets shoulder.
"Nothin' is wrong with youse." A voice stated from behind the two boys, they both swivled to see Swifty stood over them, looking down with big, sympathetic eyes. He then sat on the other side of Skittery and put an arm around his shoulders, to which he dissolved into him with his cheek pressed against Swiftys shoulder.
They sat there like that, all tangled and grateful for what felt like hours. Skittery felt like himself again for the first time in what felt like forever. The coldness outside was kept at bay in this moment, and all of the negative thoughts consuming him seemed to be locked away with Bumlets and Swifty holing the key. He had needed this for weeks and never knew that it was as simple as to ask his closest newsies to remind him that he could feel things other than emptiness.
"Thank youse." Skittery offered to the boys, Swifty kissed the top on his head.
"Now..." Bumlets chucked cupping Skitterys face in his hands, "Are youse in a betta mood?"
"Mhm"
"Youse don't look it, give us a smile." Bumlets prompted.
Skittery suddenly became very embarrassed about the situation and couldn't muster up the confidence to flash a smile.
"no." He glared, his cheeks burning red.
At that, Swifty began to tickle up and down Skitterys sides, forcing the widest, most face splitting smile to appear.
"Now thats much betta!" Bumlets smirked.
"Sthahahahap!" Skittery giggled and squirmed, laughing for the first time in days.
"Now are youse in a good mood?" Swifty teased.
Skittery was too over-come with laughter to answer, so he just frantically nodded his head as he slumped against Swiftys chest. He stopped his attack. Both boys stared down at skittery with the most love-sick eyes anyone had ever seen, grins etched across their faces with a beautifully soft gaze
"Glad ta hear it."
With that, Bumlets pulled the covers over them as they all cuddled into each other, Skittery in the middle, hoping to keep the unforgiving nature of winter outside.