You sighed, pressing your middle and pointer fingers to either side of your temple. You were warned time and time again that this was going to happen. When you turn 17, you get connected to your soulmate. But what you didn't expect was for it to hurt so goddamn much. You knew this wasn't normal, your friends didn't feel this way. So you could assume that your soulmate suffered horrible headaches all the time. Eventually, you'd meet them, whoever they are, and it would go away and they would explain the pounding in their head but for right now, you just had to push through it.
It would be worth it in the end, you knew that. Meeting your soulmate and living a long, happy life would be amazing. And it will be amazing. But for right now, you wanted to punch them in the head because then, at least you'd know where the pain was. But for now, cold washcloths and long naps after a long day of selling newspapers were your best friend.
You had recently become a newsie, deciding that since your dad got laid off his job, that you wanted to help more around the house. Being a newsie was hard, you had to make sure to buy enough papers so you could make sure to have food on the table but also making sure you didn't buy so many that you'd be left over with papers at the end of the day.
When you joined he Manhattan newsies, their leader, Jack Kelly had you paired up with a 14 year old girl named Rosie and you both sold within a few blocks of one another. You were glad you were paired with someone younger; Rosie was very outgoing and loved to talk, leaving you to just listen and try to concentrate on not doubling over in pain because of the severe headaches your soulmate was suffering through all day every day.
"(Y/N), are you alright?" You had zoned out at the circulation gate, trying to ignore the massaging feeling you felt on your temples, something that your soulmate had probably tried to ease them of a little pain.
You sent a small smile down at Rosie, even though she was nearing your height, and nodded your head. "Yeah, sorry. My head just really hurts."
Rosie sent you an empathetic look. "Do you get migraines a lot?"
You put down 10 cents in front of Weisel and went to collect your papers you paid for from the Delancey brothers. "I don't get migraines, per say. My soulmate does, so until I find them, I also get them by default."
Rosie looked at you thoughtfully for a moment. "You know, I think I'm gonna go sell with my dad today," she gestured at Albert who was standing next to a boy with curly hair hidden under a cap who's name you didn't know. "You mind selling by yourself today?"
You shrugged, shooting your younger selling partner a questioning look. "I guess not. But Rosie-"
She cut you off with a grin and a wave goodbye. "Cool! See you later, (Y/N)."
You watched as the blonde girl ran off to her dad and you saw her lean in and whisper something in his ear. Albert's eyebrows shot up and he looked at you curiously before looking back down at Rosie. Heaving out a heavy sigh, you shuffled on your way, rubbing your wrist, and going to your selling spot.
-
Finch Cortes didn't believe in the soulmate crap everyone seemed to be spewing until the day he turned 17, he felt soft hands rubbing circles into his wrist. Well, it wasn't his wrist exactly, it was what his soulmate was doing to their body. Then, suddenly, he was hyperaware of whenever his soulmate touched a part of their body, wanting to memorize the feel of them; sure that if he memorized that, he'd have no trouble finding them in a crowd. But here he was, still without his soulmate near him and aching for them with every step he took.
In a way, he felt bad for his soulmate. Finch's newsboy cap was too tight on his head and gave him constant migraines, something he was sure his soulmate was feeling. But at the same time, he felt whenever they pinched themselves - maybe to keep awake - and when they slapped at the bugs biting their arms in the hot summer months.
So yeah, his headaches were annoying but, his soulmate had annoying quirks too. He could grow to love those quirks though, easily, he thought. As long as he met them face to face and was able to stop feeling everything that their body was feeling.
"Hey uncle Finch." Finch's eyes looked up from his wooden slingshot he was fiddling with and he smiled at the young girl who all the newsies had accepted into their life with open arms.
"Heya Rosie. What are you up to today?" Rosie sat down next to the curly haired boy and took his slingshot from his hands, finch objecting only slightly.
"Just hanging out, you know? Finished selling early." Finch nodded in understanding, leaning back on his hands and looking at the sky. Finch wasn't one for small talk, he found himself getting bored and then zoning out, never actually hearing what the other person was saying. "You know, that new newsie, (Y/N), is pretty attractive." Rosie commented, making Finch laugh.
"Aren't they a little too old for you?" Finch sat up and put an arm around Rosie's shoulders and she made a disgusted face at Finch.
"Ew, way too old. Besides, I've got something going on with this newsie boy from Brooklyn named Junior." Rosie wiggled our from under his arm and stood up, holding her arms to the sky. "I'm talkin' about for you!" Finch was about to protest when Rosie continued talking. "I know for a fact you get awful headaches every day, no matter how hard you try to hide it." Finch continued to stare into her blue eyes, silently urging her to continue. "And I also know that (Y/N) gets awful headaches every day that she claims are from her soulmate." Rosie wiggled her eyebrows at Finch, making him laugh lightly. "All I'm saying is that maybe you could introduce yourself."
Finch sighed, pulling his slingshot out of Rosie's pocket where she put it to hold onto. "I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know? It's worth a shot. Even if (Y/N)'s not your soulmate, you could maybe make a friend out of the situation." Rosie started walking toward the street corner where Albert was selling. "Just think about it!" She called over her shoulder, pulling a bouncy ball out of her front pocket and bouncing it on the sidewalk once, twice, three times.
-
You felt your heart rate increase as you turned onto another street corner you didn't recognize. Since you had only recently become a lower Manhattan newsie, you didn't quite know your way around, you lived in upper Manhattan when you lived with your parents. With Rosie leaving you to sell by yourself, you felt the panic seep deeper and deeper into your bones the more wrong turns you were taking.
Looking up at the street sign at the corner, you sighed, using your finger to trace the letters 'SOS' on your forearm, hoping that your soulmate would understand and would come to your rescue, bringing you to finally meet them.
But this wasn't a fairytale, it wasn't gonna happen. You were lost and not sure how to get home to the newsboys lodge of lower Manhattan and nothing could change that. Blowing out a breath of air, you started to go back towards your selling spot, hoping that that'd somehow help and it'd lead you back home.
Humming as you were walking, you were broken out of your trance as a strong hand gripped your arm. "Where do you think you're going, exactly?" The deep voice asked and you ripped your arm away from it, walking a little faster than before.
"I don't see why that's any of your business." You replied, throwing your nose high in the air and stomping farther away from the man.
"I've seen ya sellin' on the streets, newsie." The hand gripped your wrist harder this time, making you too afraid to move in case you broke it.
"And? I don't see what that has to do with anything." You responded, your voice shaking with fear.
"You tellin' me you don't recognize me?" The man took off his hat and the recognition dawned on you.
"Morris?"
-
Finch awoke from his sleep in a cold sweat, his wrist screaming in pain and the left side of his ribs tender, like they've been kicked. His soulmate. Somewhere out there, they were in trouble. And he didn't know what to do about it.
Finch hesitantly stood up, walking down the stairs to the main floor and and was surprised to see a handful of newsies still awake, his best friend JoJo included. "Why are you all still up?"
"A newsie who was sellin' on their own today didn't come home tonight. Jack's out lookin for them now." Albert explained, pulling his hands through his hair. "They were Rosie's selling partner and I let her leave them for today so she could sell with me. I let her break the number one rule: don't let your partner sell alone. And look what happened." Race sleepily opened one eye and smacked Albert in the chest lightly.
"Whining and bitching isn't gonna change what happened so how's about you stop and go out there and help look." Finch was gonna respond when a shooting pain went through his leg, causing his knee to buckle and bring him crashing to the floor.
JoJo was next to Finch in an instant, trying to help him stand up but the pain was too unbearable. "It's my soulmate. Somewhere out there, they're in trouble. They're gettin' hurt real bad. All I gotta do right now is sit here and take the pain. Nothing can make it go away right now." JoJo and Albert exchanged a look that Finch could tell had a meaning behind it. "What's that look for?"
JoJo cleared his throat. "I jus' find it a little curious that the same night a newsie went missing and is in possible danger that your soulmate is getting hurt bad as well."
Finch cleared his throat, startled. "You're tellin' me that you think (Y/N) is my soulmate?"
-
You weren't sure how long you lay there after Morris got done with you. You refused him taking his anger out on you in a sexual way and instead let him hurt you in another way. There was no way you could get up, let alone walk all the way back to a place you weren't even sure you knew how to get to. But a lot of your brain was focused on your soulmate. You were sure they were hurting, and hurting badly as well. You just hoped they were surrounded by people who could watch over them and make sure they were safe.
You heard a voice cry your name from a distance away and you picked your head up, cringing at the headache that was still ringing through your and your soulmate's head. "I'm here!"
You weren't even sure if whoever was calling your name could hear you, you felt so weak, but you had to try. Had to try to get help.
You heard footsteps approaching and you curled into yourself, squeezing your eyes shut, sure it was Morris back to take another hit. When tentative fingers brushed your forehead, you looked up and saw Jack crouching over you. "What the hell happened?"
Picking you up, Jack carried you back to the lodge, your head resting on his chest as you told him what happened when you were on your way home. "Jack, I was scared no one was gonna find me or notice I was gone."
Jack smiled softly, smoothing a hand over your hair. "Rosie noticed right away. She was the one who sent me out. You got her to thank."
You grinned at the thought of your selling partner but soon that grin straightened itself into a frown. "I hope that wherever my soulmate is, they've got people taking care of them."
Jack frowned slightly but stayed quiet as he pushed open the door to the newsboy lodge. Immediately, Albert was detaching himself from Race and rushing over to you, pulling you into his arms, Jack nodding at him in thanks.
"Hey, (Y/N). I know this might sound really weird but we have someone we need to introduce you to." Albert spoke fast, his words strung tightly together, which was very unlikely for him.
"Al, can't it wait until morning? I just took a pretty harsh beating and now I'm tire-" you cut yourself off when you saw the nameless boy from earlier spread out on the couch, eyes open, but you could tell he was in a lot of discomfort. "What happened?"
Another newsie who you were pretty sure was named JoJo came to stand next to you and Albert. "His soulmate took quite a beating tonight and he's in immense pain."
Your heart ached and you reached out your arm to the boy on the couch. As soon as your fingertips met his upper arm, the boy's eyes fluttered closed, your worry turning into a frown. "Are you alright?"
You didn't even realize the throbbing in your head went away until you saw him sit up, a crooked smile on his face. "It was you."
Albert set you down next to the boy. "I'm sorry, I'm confused."
"When you touched me for real." You looked at him expectantly, wanting him to continue. "The pain went away. See, I'm fine." He got up and jumped up and down three times.
"Look I'm glad you're fine but I really don't see how this has anything to do with me."
"You're my soulmate."
You gasped, the sharp intake of air causing your side to sting in pain but you ignored it. "You're the one who gave me horrible headaches every single day!"
He grinned at you and you found yourself wanting to see that smile more, for forever. "Guilty." You looked into his eyes and he looked back into yours before jumping slightly. "I know your name, but I'm not sure you know mine. It's Patrick, but around here I'm known as Finch."
Finch. Finch. Finch. It was an ongoing mantra in your head and his name was probably your new favorite word forever. "Well, Finch. I guess now we have all the time in the world to catch up, don't we?"
He rest his forehead gently against yours, wincing slightly because of his headache. "We do. But right now we gotta focus on getting you better."
"Well, uh, I hate to break up this heartwarming reunion," Jack interrupted, clasping his hands together loudly behind his back. "But I believe you do have to thank me for savin' (Y/N) over here."
You and Finch looked at each other, both rolling your eyes as you sarcastically replied, "our hero."
Jack huffed and went up the stairs, motioning to the other newsies who were still lingering downstairs to follow him as well.
"I'm so glad I found you," Finch admitted. "I'm sorry to had to suffer through those horrific headaches every day."
He pressed a light kiss to your forehead and you felt all the emotions from the day crash over you. "I'm sorry you have to deal with them still."
Finch laid down, pulling you close to him, but not close enough where it'd hurt your ribs or shin. "We gotta get you looked at by a doctor in the morning."
"Yeah, probably. But I'm pretty content with how the night's ending."
Finch chuckled lightly to himself, pressing another kiss to the top of your head. "All thanks to our hero, mister Jack Kelly."