Good News (Race x reader)
Request: Race x reader with the soulmate au where you have your soulmates name written on you. but the thing is, race goes by race (not his real name, anthony. according to the movie) so the reader doesn’t know it’s him? -Anon
[My computer crashed while writing this so I had to rewrite it. I am not a happy bunny.]
[Update: I finished this like two days ago and FORGOT to post it I’m such a fake writer I’m sorry. -Fiona]
Anthony.
The name you’ve known all your life.
Everyone grows up with two names, their own and their soulmates. Their soulmate’s name inscribed on their wrist, always the left, like a birthmark.
So, somewhere out there, there was a boy called Anthony who you were destined to be with. That was always a strange thought to you, almost daunting. You’re not supposed to go looking for a soulmate, it’s always a chance meeting. And you were no different.
You were getting a newspaper for your parents, as you did every day. You got your paper from the same newsboys, always Buttons, Jack, or Albert. All big flirts, of course. But it was such a sunny day today, the short walk to your usual’s selling spot wouldn’t be enough for you. You decided to take a different turn in your journey, newsies were everywhere so you’d have no trouble finding someone else to sell you your paper.
Sure enough, later on in the day when it had gotten cooler and you were done walking, there were several newsies on the street waving their papers.
As if reading your mind, a voice caught your attention, “You wantin’ a pape, miss?” The voice belonged to a newsboy.
…And damn, this boy was it. Blonde curls unneatly tucked into a typical newsboy cap. He was smiling at you, and as you looked at him he put a cigar in his mouth. You walked sheepishly towards him.
“Hi. Uh yeah, I’ll have a paper, please.” You said shyly, the smile didn’t leave the newsie’s face.
“Sure thing, doll.” He replied with what must have been the thickest accent you’d ever heard. He handed over a newspaper and you gave him the money, which he tossed into the air and caught again, “You had that look about ya.”
“Like you were looking for something.” The boy told you, studying you inquisitively.
“A look of looking?” You repeated, laughing softly. “And you thought that thing was a newspaper?”
“Well if you’re lookin’ for sum’n and you don’t know what it is, maybe it’s some good news.” He replied, tapping the pape in your hands, “The headline’s nuttin’ special, but you see stories about…people savin’ kittens in trees and stuff.”
You laughed, the boy smiled again at his own words. God, he was awkward. A silence fell over you for a few seconds.
“Congratulations on winning the strike.” You said, remembering the conversation you’d had with Jack the day before.
Immediately the boy’s face lit up, “Thanks! Wanna see me in the pape?” He whipped out a single page from his pocket and unfolded it neatly. You recognized it as the front page from the New York Sun sometime the week before.
The boy pointed to one of the smiling faces on the page, “See dat? Dat’s me in the pape!” He declared with such excitement he was almost jumping on the spot.
“Aw, he’s doing it again!” Another boy shouted from across the road, another newsie.
“Quit botherin’ the customers, Race!” A third one yelled.
“Bother yoursel’, I’m famous!” Your newsboy yelled back, who you now knew as Race. The cigar was out of his mouth and wedged between the fingers of his balled fist to make a charming hand gesture to his pals.
“You all look great.” You chimed in, turning Race’s attention back to you.
“Thank you, madam. Can I count on your custom tomorrow? I won’t move from this very spot just for you.” Then Race clicked his heels and saluted proudly like a soldier. You laughed, but it was a nervous one…
Wow, was it getting hot or was it just you?
….Or was it just him?
You broke out of your train of thought, he’s a charmer, it’s part of his job that’s all.
“We’ll see, Race.” You replied, a smile playing on your lips.
“I’ll be waiting.” You hear him call as you walk away.
You tried to stay away, you really did. The next morning you kept looking at your wrist. Anthony was out there somewhere and yet you couldn’t tear your thoughts away from this newsboy. Race wasn’t your soulmate, so why did you feel so connected to him? When you left the house that morning you weren’t even walking to get a paper but once you saw Race, exactly where he said he’d be, you couldn’t not speak to him again. He saw you approaching he waved, then wiped his hand on his pants, almost looking anxious.
“Hey, doll. Beautiful day, ain’t it?” He greeted, stretching his arms out, papes in hand.
“I guess.” You replied, looking up at the gray cloudy sky, “Not like yesterday, though. Any good news in the pape today?”
“Not much. But I gotsa special pape right here for ya anyways.” Race took a newspaper from the top of the pile but wouldn’t give it to you yet.
“What’s special about it?” You ask before mentally scolding yourself for sounding too flirtatious. Race smirked and lifted the paper to his lips, planting a kiss on it before giving it to you.
“That is.” He said smugly. You blushed madly, so did he. Then you both heard a wolf whistle from one of Race’s friends from the day before, not so subtly hiding behind a lamppost.
Race cleared his throat and looked at his shoes, “Anyway, it’s stupid, I know.”
“No, ignore him.” You said quickly, smiling reassuringly, “You’re sweet.”
Race was still looking down, but you saw the big grin spread across his face. Then he started walking around, but only ever a few steps away from you, sometimes tapping his feet on the paves, “So, I still don’t know your name, sweetheart.”
“It’s Y/N.” You said, you already knew to your disappointment that it wasn’t his name on your wrist, so you were surprised when Race almost tripped over nothing. He wobbled and looked at you with a new urgency in his eyes.
“Lemme see yer wrist.” Race said, speaking so fast it almost came out as one word.
You sighed, feeling a downward tug on your heart, “It’s not yo-”
“Anthony! My name’s Anthony!” He blurted, searching for a reaction on your face, and he saw what he was hoping for. “Please, lemme see.”
He reached his hand out between you, it was visibly trembling. Just as shaky you put your own hand in his. He turned it over to see the name etched into your skin, running his finger over the familiar letters. Without shifting his gaze from the name, he showed you his free hand with your name on his wrist.
“You asked sum’n about good news?” Race Anthony said, finally looking up from your arm with the biggest smile on his face.
You still had a gentle grip on his wrist, struggling to form words, “I- I am not entirely sure what’s going on.” You managed to say. Anthony laughed at the expression on your face.
“Yeah, sorry, musta been a shock. Race is a nickname… you should probably know I have a thing for gamblin’“
“I have never been so happy to hear that.” You said through a sigh, putting your hand on the back on his head and bringing his lips to meet yours. He immediately melted into the kiss, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you closer.
Then you heard the erupted applause of the crowd of newsies that had now gathered a few meters away from you.
“Extra, extra! A true miracle of God has happened this day, folks! Race has a gurlfriend!”
blakekathryn
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