Crutchie hated winter.

Not that summer was much better, but winters in New York were especially bad, what with the snow and the freezing cold and the ice. Summers stunk and were hot, but at least a guy could walk around without worrying about slipping and falling and breaking something. No, winters were far worse in Crutchie's eyes.

Winter also meant no more nights on the rooftop, but on one November evening, that didn't stop Crutchie from making his way up the fire escape to the one place on earth he felt truly free.

The rooftop wasn't his, and Crutchie made no attempts to pretend it was. It was merely a place he borrowed from time to time, allowed to share by his friend whom it rightfully belonged to. This was Jack Kelly's penthouse, and Crutchie was lucky enough to be allowed passage into this place, unlike so many others who had been shooed away at first attempts to make their way up there. Crutchie was special, as Jack had said, and that meant wherever Jack went, Crutchie could follow.

Crutchie leaned back on the mattress, gazing up at the clouds above his head. They had been turned brilliant shades of purples and pinks in the light of the setting sun. It was a beautiful sight that not even the harshness of winter could destroy. However, even in the beautiful light it was still freezing. Crutchie pulled the blanket more tightly around himself, trying to keep his shivers at bay. He knew he really shouldn't be up there, but the thought of being trapped in that stuffy building with all the other boys right now did not sound appealing. Besides, it was just a little chilly, nothing actually serious.

"Had a feeling I'd find you up here," a familiar voice spoke, coming up the fire escape.

"Hiya, Jack," Crutchie said, beaming when his friend came up onto the roof and sat himself down on the mattress beside him.

"What are you doing up here, it's freezing," Jack questioned, pulling his blanket around his shoulders and shuddering from the cold.

Crutchie shrugged. "Feels alright to me," he answered.

"That's a lie," Jack pointed out. "Look at yourself, you'se shivering."

"Am not," Crutchie argued.

"Are too," Jack shot back.

"I'se just shivering at the sight of this beautiful sunset," Crutchie said, pointing to the sky. Jack took his hand and held it between his, rubbing it softly.

"Your hands is freezing," Jack noted. "Why don't you come inside?"

Crutchie shook his head. "Too stuffy in there," he said.

"Are you having trouble breathing?" Jack asked, a hint of worry in his tone.

"No," Crutchie answered, immediately followed by a cough. "That ain't nothing," he quickly added.

"You ain't getting sick, are you?" Jack asked, reaching over to feel his friend's forehead.

"I'm as fit as a fiddle," Crutchie responded, slapping Jack's hand away and staving back another cough, resulting in a near choking fit.

"Yeah, a broken fiddle," Jack commented.

"I ain't getting sick," Crutchie assured him. "I'se just got a slight cough is all. Nothing to worry about." And with that he gave Jack another signature grin, putting forth as much positivity as he could muster.

Jack wasn't convinced, but didn't make any further arguments. "Just don't stay up here all night, alright? It's probably gonna freeze tonight and I need you up bright and early in the morning, you got that?"

Crutchie nodded. "Got it."

Crutchie didn't keep his word. Jack went down from the roof early in the night, Crutchie promising to be right behind him. But he never came down. Instead he continued to lie on his mattress, eventually falling asleep there, waking up only as the sun began to rise in the morning.

He was shivering violently, feeling as if his bones were ready to shake right out of his body. He pulled the blanket more tightly around himself, holding back a cough. He felt terrible, his entire body aching and his chest feeling tight. He tried to sit up but found that it was too much effort, and elected to continue lying down, at least for a few more minutes.

"What the hell are you doing still up here?" came Jack's voice, rising from up the fire escape.

"Fell asleep," was Crutchie's muffled answer as he pulled the blanket over his head.

Jack plopped down beside him, pulling the blanket back down and feeling his forehead. "You'se burning up," Jack noted, grabbing one of Crutchie's hands and placing it between his own, just as he did the night before. "And the rest of you is freezing. What the hell was you thinking, Crutchie?"

"The stars looked nice, you shoulda seen 'em," Crutchie croaked, coughing. "I wanted to watch 'em all night."

"Yeah, and catch your death while you'se at it too?" Jack questioned. "Get up, I'm getting you inside."

Crutchie complained, but Jack was hearing none of it. He helped Crutchie to his feet and the two of them haphazardly made their way down the fire escape. Once they were back inside, Jack had Crutchie lie down in his bed, while Jack went to the kitchen to find something warm for him to eat. The other boys were already getting ready to hit the streets, but Jack told them to go ahead without him. He came back to the bedroom a few minutes later with a small bowl of broth. It wasn't much, but it was something at least.

"I ain't even that sick," Crutchie commented, sitting up and trying to stifle another cough as he did so.

"Yeah, and I'm the queen of England," Jack countered. "Now eat up."

Crutchie took the bowl gratefully, slurping down the broth quickly. "Hot," he noted.

"Gotta warm you up somehow," Jack replied. "How's you feeling?"

"I feel like a million bucks," Crutchie said with a smile.

"Remind me never to become a millionaire, then," Jack laughed.

"Jack, I'm fine, really," Crutchie argued. "Now, come on, we'se gonna be late for work."

"Oh, no you don't, you ain't going nowhere," Jack said firmly, putting his hands on Crutchie's shoulders and sitting him back down. "You'se gonna lie in bed and get some rest and only get up if you need to eat or piss, you got that?"

Crutchie started to argue, but Jack interrupted him.

"I mean it," he said. "You'se got a living to make and you can't do that if you'se sick. So, I expect a full recovery by the morning, alright?"

Crutchie sighed. "Yeah, yeah, alright, I hear ya."

"Good, now get some sleep. I'll be back in the afternoon," Jack said, getting up and making his way to the door.

"Hey Jack?" Crutchie called after him.

"Yeah, kid?" Jack asked, turning back to face him.

"Be safe out there."

Jack smiled. "Always am."

It wasn't until late afternoon when Jack got back to the Lodging House. He immediately went to the bedroom, where he found Crutchie fast asleep. Placing a hand on the younger boy's forehead, he checked his temperature. Just as Jack had feared, it felt as if the boy had a fever.

Crutchie's eyes fluttered open, glazed for a moment before fixing onto Jack. "You're back," he breathed, sitting up and yawning. When he opened his eyes again they went wide with surprise. "What happened to your face?" he asked, shocked.

"Oh, it's nothing," Jack assured him.

"That don't look like nothing," Crutchie said, reaching out and gently touching the bruise that had formed around Jack's eye. Jack winced, but didn't pull back.

"The Delancey's was asking about ya," Jack explained. "Not too kindly I might add. So, I had to rough 'em up a bit. Trust me, they came out looking a lot worse than me."

Crutchie found that hard to believe. "You said you was going to be safe out there," he reminded him.

"Oh, the Delancey's ain't trouble," Jack said with a wave of his hand. "But how's you doing? Feeling much better?"

"Loads," Crutchie lied. "I think I'll be good as new in the morning."

Jack would have believed him if it weren't for the cough that came from his mouth a moment later.

"Just clearing my throat," Crutchie said with a laugh. "Nothing to worry about."

Jack gave him a skeptical look. He took one of Crutchie's hands, looking at him with shock.

"You'se still freezing," he commented. "Scoot over."

"Wh-what are you doing?" Crutchie asked as Jack pushed his way onto the bed, making Crutchie move over to give him room.

"Helping you get warm, now lay down," Jack commanded, pulling the blanket up over the both of them and lying down next to Crutchie.

Crutchie did was he was told and lied down next to Jack, who had scooted up as close as possible to him, resting his head on Crutchie's pillow. Crutchie could feel his cheeks turning pink, but he told himself it was just from the fever.

"Better?" Jack asked, wrapping an arm over the younger boy.

Crutchie nodded. "Mmhmm," he managed to get out.

"Good," Jack said, adjusting his head on the pillow so that his face was only inches away from Crutchie's. Crutchie could feel Jack's warm breath on his face, coming out slow and deep. He could almost imagine he felt his heart beating as well, rhythmically drumming along with his own, much more erratic heartbeat.

Jack closed his eyes, and Crutchie started to think that the older boy had fallen asleep. Crutchie didn't move, afraid that one stray action would cause the boy to wake up, destroying the calm moment they were having. He felt another cough threatening to come up, but he tried to hold it back. The end result was another choking fit, which immediately woke Jack up from his slumber.

"Alright, cough it out," Jack said, patting his back soothingly. "Better out than in."

"You shouldn't be here," Crutchie gasped. "You'se gonna get sick too."

"Nonsense, I have a strong immunity," Jack argued.

"What does that make me, weak?" Crutchie asked, feeling a little ashamed.

"No, that makes you an idiot for sleeping outside in November," Jack countered. "Now go to sleep. You need rest."

"I can't sleep like this," Crutchie muttered.

"What's the matter? I ain't comfortable?" Jack joked.

"No, you'se just warm," Crutchie pointed out.

"Well good, you could use some warmth," Jack noted, wrapping his arm more tightly around Crutchie. "Better?"

If Crutchie had been pink before, he was red as a tomato now. "Yeah, sure, whatever."

Jack smiled. "You're blushing."

"Am not!" Crutchie argued.

"Are too!" Jack shot back, laughing.

Crutchie buried his face in his pillow. "You're an idiot."

"That makes both of us," Jack replied.

The two went silent, Crutchie trying to even out his breathing, attempting not to think about just how close Jack was to him. Crutchie closed his eyes, breathing deeply and catching full on a whiff of Jack's scent. He smelled like sweat, and he could do with a good tooth brushing probably, but it wasn't awful. He also smelled warm, like sunshine on a summer day, and like papers fresh off the press. Crutchie breathed deeply again, feeling his heart finally beginning to slow. He felt terrible, and the shivers still jolted him from time to time, but he felt safer like this, with Jack right next to him. Nothing bad could possibly happen, not in this moment.

"Hey Jack?" Crutchie asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Yeah, Crutchie" Jack responded, sounding half asleep.

"Will you stay the whole night? Like this, I mean?" he asked hesitantly, feeling his cheeks grow red again.

"Sure, kid, whatever you need," Jack said, letting out a yawn.

Crutchie smiled. "Thanks, Jack."

"No problem, kid," Jack said, leaning up and planting a small kiss on his forehead. "Now get some sleep."

Crutchie didn't know how to respond, completely dumbfounded by Jack's action. Instead, he just snuggled closer to the older boy, resting his head against Jack's chest.

To say the least, it was the best night of sleep Crutchie had ever experienced.