Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jack was sat on the windowsill, hands gesticulating widely as he talked about what the newsies had been up to since the last time David saw them almost a week ago. He smiled, his homework long forgotten as he heard the other boy jump from a story to another with the same enthusiasm and amusement.

Mayer Jacobs' arm was all healed up now, and while he didn't get his old job back one of the neighbor helped him find something else. The factory where he was working now was further away from home and he didn't get the same pay, but a job was a job, and the money at home was enough to get David and Les back to school.

Neither boy had been happy to leave the newsies behind, but they didn't get a choice.

David liked school, he truly did. He liked learning new things, and he wanted nothing more than have the opportunity to maybe go to college and have a better future that way, but he liked selling papes and being part of the newsies too. It was hard to remember a time where he wasn't walking around the city with Jack at his side and spending time with all the boys.

It took begging and promises, as well as plenty of puppy dog eyes from Les, but in the end, their parents had agreed to leave them sell on the weekends at least.

"David, can you- Oh. Hello, Jack," Esther greeted with a smile as soon as he saw the other boy. "I haven't see you in a while. How have you been?"

"Uh. Hi, Mrs. Jacobs," Jack replied with an awkward wave. "I's been good."

"That's good," she replied with a warm smile. "Are staying for dinner today?"

"I, uh. Thanks, Mrs. Jacobs, but I need to head back to the lodge and-"

"You're staying for dinner," Esther cut in, tone kind but still leaving no room for arguments. She turned to his son then. "Make sure he doesn't go anywhere, David. I will be serving dinner as soon as your father returns."

"Yes, Mama."

There was a grin on David's face when he looked back to Jack. This wasn't the first dinner invitation that had been extended to Jack, but it was usually David asking and Jack coming up with an excuse or another to refuse. He should have known that a word from his mother would be enough for Jack to stay.

David's expression fell when he saw the look on Jack's face.

"Hey. What's wrong?" He asked. "I don't think the offer of a free meal should get that reaction."

"I don't need you or your family to give me food or nothin'." Jack snapped, jaw set in a stubborn line and head tilted proudly.

He winced. "I- we know that, but that's not why my mother invited you to stay. She did it because she and my father enjoy having you over."

There was no reason to mention Sara and Les. It was more than obvious they liked him, and Jack also enjoyed spending time with them. His parents were different, though. They had never done anything to make Jack feel unwelcome, and they always had a smile and kind words for him, but David had noticed Jack was never truly at ease around them. Not like with David and his siblings

It took him some time to notice because Jack wasn't just a master of improving the truth, but also of pretending. Always with a smile on his face, talking about nothing and everything and charming everyone he met. At first, David thought maybe it had to do with Jack's bad experience with figures of authority and that once he realized his parents were nothing like that things would change.

Now, though, David had the feeling that was not the case.

"You don't have to say that, Davey. I'se staying anyway."

"I want you to stay, yes, but that's not- I said that because it's the truth, and I'm starting to think you don't know that."

Jack scoffed, arms crossed over his chest. "Why would your folks like someone like me?"

"What do you mean?" He asked with a frown.

"Come on. You know I ain't nothing like your school friends with their nice clothes and fancy words."

David understood that what Jack was saying was important and he should address it. He should tell him his parents didn't care about any of that and that they liked him. What he did instead was let an amused snort escape from his mouth, which was quickly followed by words. "I think I would need to have any school friends first so they could compare."

"What?"

He shrugged self consciously, almost wishing he hadn't said anything. Great. Now Jack was going to think he was a pathetic, friendless nerd. Which he probably was, but he'd rather Jack didn't know that.

"You have no friends?" Jack asked with a frown. "But you'se smart and nice."

"The other kids don't like me very much, I guess," David replied softly without meeting Jack's eyes.

"Was it 'cause you was selling with the newsies before?"

The quiet question made David look up. Jack was watching him with sharp dark eyes, his expression somber and lips twisted downwards.

"What? No. That's not-" David trailed off, looking at his friend. If he wanted Jack to believe him he had to be honest about this too. He sighed. "They like to tease me about that, but I didn't have any real friends even before I had to leave school.

"I'm just not a fun person to hang with," he added with a shrug.

"You'se too."

David blinked. "No, I'm not. I'm boring and-"

"You'se too! I ain't no friends with no boring person, and the newsies ain't neither."

"Alright," he agreed slowly. "I'll believe that if you believe my parents wouldn't invite someone they don't like for dinner."

Jack's determinate expression wavered. "That's different."

"No, it's not," David said. "My parents care about what you have to say, not the way you say it. And they care about what you do, not how you look."

The other boy shifted uncomfortably, eyes averted and clearly not reassured in the sightless by that.

"My mother decided she liked you the same night she met you. A first impression is all she needs, and she has never been wrong. My father admires you for the way you led the newsies during the strike. Because you stood up for what is right even against someone as powerful as Pulitzer. And he knows all the details," David added before the other boy could dismiss that.

Jack still hadn't moved from where he was sitting, but his head was turned away from him as he looked out the window. David watched him for a moment, unsure if he should say more. He knew if he pushed too hard Jack would run away, but he could also just shrug off the conversation given the chance.

"Look, you don't have to stay if you don't feel comfortable, but you should know you're always welcome here."

The silence between them was eventually broken by the sound of the front door opening. With only a curtain separating them from the rest of the small apartment, they could clearly hear his father and mother greeting each other, and Les' excited voice.

"Guess I'se staying, then. Don't want your ma to be mad."

David turned back to him, surprise quickly morphing into a pleased look. He could have said his mother wouldn't be angry if Jack left, but there was no point because Jack knew that already.

"Thanks," he replied, getting a small grin from him in return.

He could only hope that with time, Jack could learn to believe he was appreciated by the whole Jacobs family, and that he would always have a place here with them.

Chapter Text

Jack and David were togetherout on the fire escape, sitting under the window with their backs against the wall, their shoulders almost touching as they watch the dark sky above them. The cigarette smoke that filled the air made Dave scrunch his nose, but he didn't say anything. He figured Jack deserved a little respite after the day they just had.

They were alone for the first time since the end of the strike. Les had been out here with them until Mama dragged him back inside. She also delivered a warning for them not to stay out too long as well and wished them good night.

It was late. Late enough that his parents had all but forced Jack to spend the night here rather than walk all the way back to the lodging house alone.

The Delancy brothers had been particularly angry after losing their jobs along with their uncle, so David was relieved when Mama brushed off Jack's excuses and Papa used what David had came to recognize as his dad voice to make him stay. Les had begged Jack to stay as well, but that was nothing new. Les always begged Jack to stay longer. 

David barely raised a hand in time to cover a yawn. They hadn't slept much the night before, too busy sneaking in to use Pulitzer's printing press, but he hadn't had even a second to feel tired until now. The whole day had been hectic. First, they walked all over the city handing out their banner, and then standing among the crowd outside Pulitzer's building; shouting along with everyone else. And, in the end, going back to selling papes.

They even went to Tibby's to celebrate with the rest of the newsies once they finished selling for the day, only to come back to the tenement and get one more celebration with his parents, who already knew what happened but wanted to hear every last detail anyway.

It was overwhelming. There were still too many thoughts running through David's head, so he wasn't sure if he would be able to sleep just yet, no matter how tired he felt.

In the quiet of the night, it was even harder to believe that just hours before they had been out on the streets, surrounded by hundreds of kids supporting the newsies and shouting demands. It was so unbelievable that he was afraid to wake up tomorrow and find the strike wasn't over- or worse yet: that Pulitzer had ignored them, and they had no choice but to bow to him.

The memory of the confrontation in Pulitzer's office felt almost surreal. It couldn't have been him, speaking up to the biggest newspaperman in the city, but it was, and David had never felt as powerful and alive as he had in that moment as he looked Pulitzer in the eye even when fear rattled him to the core.

There was nothing special about doing something easy. Being afraid but acting anyway, that was what Papa said meant to be brave.

He shook his head, looking back to the boy at his side as Jack took a drag off his cigarette and blew even more smoke.

Jack had been very animated all day, talking loudly and laughing along with the newsies and Denton, and acting as charming as ever with David's family as well, but now he looked tired too. All worn out. It worried David, even if it also made him feel something warm and soft in his chest. He liked to think Jack trusted him enough to let his 'Leader of the Manhattan Newsies' mask slip a little now that it was just the two of them. Or maybe he was just too tired to keep it up.

It had been days since David sleep well, but between the strike, the Refuge, and becoming a scab, Jack must have gotten even less sleep- if any at all. He had just light up his cigarette, though, so he wasn't going back inside soon. David bit his lip and wondered if it was a good idea to ask the question that had been in the back of his mind all day.

"I thought you really left." It wasn't a question. He was giving Jack the choice of steering the conversation any way he wanted or stop it entirely.

"I left, but came back real quickly."

David almost rolled his eyes. "What changed?"

Jack tilted his head to watch as the smoke slowly dissipated. "Guess Teddy gave me some good advice."

"What did he said?"

"Stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"Just stuff," Jack said with a shrug.

David sighed exasperatedly. Of course, he couldn't get a straight answer even now. He liked Jack, he really did, but talking with him could be so frustrating sometimes. "Can't you just tell me what he said? Or not. It's okay if you don't want to talk about it, but you can just say that."

"It ain't important. He's a real smart fella and he said some stuff that made me think about stuff."

That told him nothing at all. David remained silent for a moment. "So, you don't want to go to Santa Fe anymore?"

"Nah, I still wanna go."

"I don't understand," he admitted. "You came back but you're still leaving?"

Jack scratched his nose. "Prolly,"

"You're not sure?" David asked with a frown, getting more and more confused by the second. That tended to happen sometimes when you spoke with Jack Kelly.

"I'se sure I wanna get outta here and I wanna go out West, but I'se not sure if that's gonna happen." Jack's legs were stretched out before him and he was picking at a loose thread on his pants. "Teddy said he was gonna help me leave when I'se ready but I dunno if he was serious 'bout that."

The immense relief David felt when Jack came back in Roosevelt's carriage was a cold and ugly thing in the pit of his stomach now.

"Why did you came back then?"

"You wanna get rid of me, Davey?" He asked with a tired grin.

"That's not what I mean and you know it."

Jack watched him for a long moment before answering. "It ain't right to leave 'em guys like that. They'se family."

Dave opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before finally speaking. "You came back just so you could say goodbye properly?"

"'Course no. I'se staying around," Jack dismissed with a wave of his hand. "I've got stuff I wanna do before I leave for real."

"What kind of stuff?" He asked one more time.

Jack didn't give him an answer this time. He just shrugged and brought the cigarette back to his lips.

David frowned at him, but Jack didn't look at him again. He felt the urge to ask what was so great about Santa Fe anyway, and why Jack was determined to go even if his parents weren't waiting for him there like Jack said they were. He said nothing, though. They were practically strangers, having met less than a week ago even if it didn't feel like it, so he had no right to demand anything of him.

"You okay?" Jack asked, his head cocked to the side as he watched him.

"I'm fine," Dave replied automatically. Jack's curious gaze made him sigh a second later. "Just tired. We should get in and catch some sleep."

Jack stared at him for a moment longer, making David look away. He took one last drag off his cigarette before stubbing it and following him back inside.

Chapter Text

Jack had a pape in his hands, already busy reading today's headlines when David approached. He stared at him for a second before sitting down at his side, ignoring his own stack of papes as he hunched closer to read along with him. Jack's eyes flickered in his direction, but neither boy said anything as they continued reading.

It was until Jack turned the page that something else caught David's attention.

"Where are your mittens?" He asked, looking down at Jack's pale hands.

"Uh?"

"Your mittens," David repeated. The day was cold enough he could see his own breath. "You're not wearing them."

"Nope."

He waited for an explanation but wasn't surprised when Jack didn't say anything else. He sighed. Jack could be so difficult sometimes. "Why?"

"Lost 'em," Jack replied without looking up, brown furrowed as he mouthed the words as he read.

"You lost your mittens?"

"Yeah."

David frowned. That made no sense at all.

In the short time David had known them, he had witnessed how well the newsies guarded everything they owned, especially clothes. They couldn't afford to be careless with any of their few possessions when they knew they couldn't simply replace them if needed. They had to work hard just to have some food and a bed to sleep at the end of the day.

Winter clothes were probably the most important thing for the newsies. They had to be out selling all day in the cold, and they needed to be well-covered if they didn't want to risk getting sick.

He looked at Jack's battered coat, the old cap, and the scarf around his neck. David's own clothes were old as well, but every garment was in better condition than Jack's. Or almost every one of them. He knew the red scarf was a gift from Medda, but the rest were probably hand-me-downs from other boys who had outgrown them.

David saw him shiver, but just as he opened his mouth to ask how exactly he lost his mittens, Jack picked up his stack of papes and rose to his feet.

"Come on. We'se gotta hurry so we'se outta the streets soon."

He did have a very good point, so David picked his own stack and stood up as well, fully intending to ask his question anyway.

Jack frowned, looking at David and then around him. "Les ain't with you?"

David blinked. Jack hadn't spare anyone more than a glance this morning, so it shouldn't surprise him he hadn't notice Les' absence. "No. Mama heard him coughing a little last night and decided to keep him home today."

"He okay?"

"Yes, he's fine," David replied with a small smile. "He's not sick or anything but Mama wanted to keep him away from the cold just in case."

Jack nodded. "Come on, then. We's gonna need to work harder without our best guy."

With a quick farewell to the other newsies, they left the distribution center.

It continued to get colder as the hours passed, and they still had a stack of unsold papes when they finally decided to call it a day.

There weren't a lot of people out today with this cold weather, and the people that were on the street were too busy hurrying to go somewhere warm to stop for even a few seconds to buy a pape.

At least they could turn in their unsold papes, David thought as they headed back to the distribution center. He didn't want to think about what the newsies had to do back when they didn't even have that option. Either they would stay out in the cold until they finished selling, or lost the money they paid for the papes.

It didn't take long for David to notice how much Jack was shivering now, or how his teeth were chattering together as he did his best to wrap his arms around himself. That was caused by the worn-out jacket he was wearing, but it still made him remember the missing mittens.

"Are you going to tell me what happened to your mittens?"

"Told you I lost 'em."

"I know. And I'm asking if you're going to tell me the truth now."

Jack turned to him then, his face flushed and his chapped lips curled into a tired grin. "Who says I'se lying?"

"Aren't you?" David countered, meeting Jack's eyes.

"'Course not."

David stared at him with an arched eyebrow.

"Give 'em to the new kid. He needs 'em more than me," Jack admitted after a moment, shrugging.

David shook his head, but there was a smile on his face. It was always heartwarming to witness how much Jack cared about the other newsies, even if David sometimes wished Jack thought of himself a little more. He tried to meet Jack's eyes but the other boy was stubbornly looking anywhere but at him.

"Hand me your papes."

That made Jack look at him. "What?"

"Hand me your papes," David repeated, holding out his hand.

Jack watched him for a moment longer before complying and then buried his hands in his pockets as soon as they were free.

David considered suggesting they stop at Tibbys' for something to warm them up, but dismissed the idea quickly. Jack couldn't waste money on a hot beverage when he needed to start saving to buy another pair of mittens. David could offer to pay, but he knew Jack wouldn't accept. Especially with the bad selling of the last few days.

"Do you want to come back home with me?" David shrugged in response to the look Jack gave him. "I promised Les I was going to ask you. It was the only way to convince him to stay home today."

He may be improving the truth a little bit. He never promised Les anything of the sort, but he had been thinking about asking Jack to come with him anyway. He knew that seeing him would put his brother in a good mood and it may help if his mother decided to keep Les home tomorrow as well.

"Alright. But just a little 'cause I gotta go back to the lodging before it gets too late."

"Great," He replied with a smile.

There was no point in arguing now when David knew his mother and Les would be able to convince Jack to stay for diner and spend the night in the tenement as well.

Chapter Text

"I'm sorry for making you come all the way here," David apologized yet again as they climbed the stairs to the Jacob's small tenement. "But this is kind of important," He added.

"S'okay, Davey," Jack said one more time with an easy shrug.

They were silent as they kept climbing, using the fire escape just like they always did rather than entering and using the building's staircase.

They finished selling for the day a bit early today, and after a quick stop at Tibby's to meet with the other newsies for a while David asked Jack to walk home with him instead of heading back to the lodging house with the others, saying there was something he needed to show him.

Jack spent pretty much all the time it took them to get there trying to get David to tell him what that 'something' was, but he didn't give in.

"I'll just- go get it then," David said awkwardly before entering through the open window of the bedroom, leaving a smirking Jack to wait on the fire escape.

Jack was leaning against the rusty railing when David returned less than a minute later, holding a small parcel in his hands. Whatever it was, it was neatly wrapped in old papes but had thin a coat of blue paint covering them and there was a white ribbon tied into a bow on top.

"Happy Birthday," David said with a smile, holding out the gift.

"Davey, it ain't my birthday," Jack told him after a moment, a tentative smile curling his lips.

"Yes, it is."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "You sayin' I don't know when my birthday is?"

"Of course not. What I'm saying is that today it's your birthday, and we both know it."

"We do?"

"Yes," David said firmly, thrusting the gift in Jack's direction.

Jack flicked his eyes to the package in David's hands but made no move to take it. "That's funny, 'cause I don't remember saying none of that."

"You didn't," David accepted. "But that doesn't mean I'm wrong."

"That makes no sense."

"Yes, it does." David's arm was still stretched as he looked at him expectantly.

Jack crossed his arms over his chest and watched him with narrowed eyes. "Who told you?"

He smiled a little. "That's a secret."

"Was it Medda or Crutchy?"

"What?"

"Was it Medda or Crutchy who told you?"

"I- can't you just take it already? My arm is getting a little tired."

Jack didn't reply or reach for the gift, keeping his eyes fixed on David's face and clearly expecting an answer.

"You're impossible, you know that, right?" David sighed, lowering his hand. "Look, you can't get mad at them, okay? This is my fault."

"I ain't mad."

David studied Jack's face for a long moment. He didn't look mad exactly, but he certainly didn't look happy either. He hoped Jack was telling the truth.

"It was Crutchy," He finally admitted. "He didn't want to tell me, okay? He- we were talking about Les' birthday and then he made a passing comment about how he knew the birthday date of all the boys in the lodging house and I asked what date was yours and he said you didn't like people knowing about it but I kept insisting for weeks until he, uh, told me."

David fidgeted a little with the small parcel, not quite meeting Jack's eyes. "He even made me swear I wouldn't tell anyone else before he told me. Not even my family. That's why we're out here and there isn't a cake in the oven."

"What do you care?"

"What?"

"'Bout today being my birthday or not."

David blinked once, then twice. "You're my best friend. Of course I want to be able to wish you a happy birthday."

"You shouldn'ta buy me nothing," Jack muttered after a moment, looking anywhere but at him.

"Maybe," David said with a shrug. "But I wanted to."

The expression on Jack's face when he looked back at him was one of confusion and skepticism, but he didn't say anything more.

"Are you going to take it now?" David asked, holding the gift again, a tentative smile forming on his face.

Jack took the parcel after another long moment of hesitation, his hands clumsy and his narrowed eyes never leaving David's face. It was as if he expected him to take the gift back at any second.

"I, uh. I should head back to the lodge."

"Alright."

They held each other's gaze for a moment before Jack turned to leave. He took a couple of steps before stopping.

"Um, thanks," Jack murmured over his shoulder before dashing away.

"You're welcome," David said to the empty air, looking after him with a smile on his face.

Well. That went well.

Chapter Text

Jack and David sat side by side on the ground, talking quietly among themselves as they keep an eye on Les. The youngest Jacobs had insisted on selling their last few papes by himself, so the older boys were taking a moment of rest before they had to go buy the World's afternoon edition and go back to selling.

Everything was nice and quiet- at least until David asked that question.

"Jack?"

Jack shook his head, realizing he must have been staring for too long without saying anything. He scanned the street until he spotted Les and then turned to the oldest Jacobs with a bemused expression on his face.

"What did you just said?"

David frowned. "You know what I said."

"I dunno. I must have heard you wrong 'cause there's no way you said what I think you said."

David rolled his eyes before his gaze turned to his little brother. He followed his movements without saying anything for a moment and then sighed, turning back to the boy at his side. "I asked if you can teach me how to fight."

Jack stared at him, his expression curious and with just a touch of amusement. "Thought you didn't like fighting."

"I don't," He confirmed quickly. "But you know there are a lot of people on the streets who don't feel the same way and like going around picking fights with whoever they find, so I think I should at least know how to throw a punch or something."

"Someone giving you trouble, Davey?"

"What? No. I just- You remember what happened with the Delancys."

Jack's expression turned serious in a blink. "Yeah, I do."

David averted his eyes as he remembered the panic that hid behind Sara's angry expression and the terror that filled Les' eyes before Jack arrived. "I just want to be able to defend myself and my family if something like that happens again. I can't expect you to come save me every time," He added with a small smile.

"Why not?"

He blinked at Jack. "Well, for one thing, it's not your job to keep us safe. Besides, you can't be with us all the time in case something happens."

Les started waving their way as a young couple walked away from where the boy stood, few dimes short and with a pape in the young man's hand. Jack waved back with a grin on his face, chuckling softly as Les hurried to search for a new customer.

"So, are you going to help me or not?"

Jack turned his attention back to the boy at his side. "Guess I can try but I'se not that good at that stuff."

"What are you talking about!?" David exclaimed, blue eyes wide. "I've see you fight before and you're more than good."

"I'se more than good, huh?" Jack asked with a boyish grin.

David rolled his eyes, a light blush coloring his cheeks. "Shut up. You know what I'm talking about."

"I do?"

The look David shot him made Jack laugh. "Alright, alright. What I mean is that I'm not good at teaching stuff. I dunno what I do most of the time, really. I just threw punches and kicks 'round, ya know? But we can ask Blink."

"Blink," He echoed, a touch of skepticism coloring his words.

"Yep. He's pretty damn good too. Teaches the little kids a few tricks so they can be safe when they'se on the streets."

"I'm not that bad," David protested.

"I dunno. I'se never see you in a fight or nothing." The betrayed expression on his face made Jack laugh. "So, you wanna ask him?"

"I- Maybe you can try to teach me first?" He asked hesitantly. "I don't need to be that good anyway, just, you know. Kind of look like I know what I'm doing."

"Sure," Jack agreed with a shrug. "We can do it back at the lodging house when we finish selling today."

David winced. "Can we maybe do it somewhere else?"

Jack opened his mouth to ask why but a look at David's face stopped him. The other boy wasn't even looking at him anymore, and he seemed nervous. More so than usual. He thought about telling Davey there was no need to be embarrassed, but he didn't.

"Like where?"

"We could use the rooftop at the tenement. We just need to wait until it gets dark so nobody notices."

Jack's eyebrows went up. That didn't sound like something Davey had just come up with on the spot. "Don't want anyone to know, huh?"

"Uh, no. Not really," David admitted, rubbing the back o his neck. "I don't think my parents would approve of me learning something like that, and besides, Les would insist on learning too if he knew."

"You should let 'im. It'd be good for him."

"No!" He exclaimed, a horrified expression on his face. "Of course not. That's an awful idea. The last thing I need is for Les to start picking fights just because he wants to look as cool as you do."

"You think I look cool?"

"What? That's not- That's not what I said," He hastened to explain, blushing furiously. "I was talking about Les. You know how much he looks up to you."

"'S okay, Davey. I know you think I'se great."

He buried his face in his hands. "Just shut up, please."

Jack gave David's shoulder a couple of pats before rising to his feet, a big grin still on his face. "Come on then, partner. We need to hurry up selling so we can start the lessons."

David looked up at Jack without moving, already regretting having asked.

Chapter Text

David froze as soon as he saw out of the corner of his eye the strange lump on the ground, close to the ledge of the tenement roof.

He hesitated a moment, but when there was no movement he warily moved closer. It took him only a couple of steps to recognize the person curled up on the ground; tahe grey shirt and the touch of red around the neck a dead giveaway as soon as he was close enough to notice them. The thought of an injured Jack coming up here to get out of danger made David's heart stop for a beat and then go as fast as ever a second later. He ran toward him without a second thought, calling out Jack's name.

Jack rolled slowly to lay on his back, the weak sunlight making his hazel eyes squint before he closed them again and rubbed them with his hands. He turned his still slightly bleary eyes in his direction, his lips curling into a soft smile as soon as he saw him.

"Hiya, Davey."

The warm greeting made something in David's chest unclench, and the lack of bruises or any sight of blood after a quick scan helped him relax further.

"What are you doing up here?"

Jack yawned widely, stretching his arms as he continued lying on the cold, hard ground. "What do you think?"

David looked down at the balled-up vest that Jack was still using as a pillow. "Did you sleep out here?"

"Yeah."

"Why?" He asked with a frown.

"Beats sleeping on the streets," Jack replied offhandedly.

"Why would you need to sleep on the streets?"

Jack only shrugged. He finally moved to sit up after a moment, and David had to fight back a smile as soon as he saw the messy brown hair atoo his head. He wasn't very successful, though, if the look the other boy shot him was any indication. Jack only had to run his fingers through his hair a couple of times to get it mostly under control, but even then he made no attempt to stand up.

David looked down at him for a moment, his lower lip caught between his teeth. He should be back with his family by now, but he still moved to sit next to him. He wanted to know why Jack was here in the first place, but it was clear he didn't want to talk about it. He could try another approach, though.

"You should have knocked. My parents would have let you spend the night, or if it was too late you could have just used the window."

"Didn't wanna bother you or your folks."

David shook his head. "You're always welcome here, you know that."

"Yeah. That's why I'se here," Jack replied with a toothy grin.

"You know what I mean."

Jack didn't reply, but David was sure he already knew that. After all, every member of the Jacobs family had told him that in one way or another- It was only a matter of Jack finally believing he was wanted by someone other than the newsies. Speaking of which-

"Did something happen at the lodging house?" He asked tentatively, breaking the silence that had formed between them.

David knew some of the newsies had been giving Jack a bit of a hard time after the strike. Trust was a very important thing for them and, leader or not, Jack had broke it. They knew the reasons behind his scab turn, but neither that nor the fact it lasted so little seemed to matter much. Not even the fact that, in the end, Jack was the reason they won the strike was enough to make them forget what happened with Pulitzer.

Things had been slowly getting better, though- or so he had thought.

"Nah. They's fine." Jack kept his head down as he fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. "Just haven't been sleeping much lately, you know? Thought maybe a change would help, is all."

Nightmares. Jack was having nightmares and he was here because he didn't want the rest of the newsies or David's family to be bothered by them. It took David's brain a second to understand what was being said between the lines, but once he did, he was left at a loss for words. Of course he had noticed something was wrong with Jack the last couple of days, but he had foolishly assumed it had to do with the rift that had been created between Jack and some of the newsies.

David should have known better. He should have done something.

"Do you want to talk about it?" David asked tentatively after a moment of silence. He wouldn't be surprised if Jack pretended not to understand what he meant, but it was worth trying.

Jack averted his gaze and busied himself straightening his vest.

"It ain't nothing to talk 'bout," Jack said with a shrug. "Guess almost being thrown back in the Refuge brought back some bad memories, is all."

David nodded slowly. From what little he had heard about the Refuge from the other newsies he could only try to imagine the kind of terrible things Jack had lived in that place the many times he had been locked there. Jack certainly had never mentioned anything before.

"Alright. Just- you can talk to me if you want to, okay? About anything. And you can keep coming here any time you want. I may even let you sleep inside some times," He added with a tentative smile.

"That's real nice of you, Davey. Thanks a bunch." There was a grin on Jack's face as he said the words, his tome teasing, but his eyes told a different story. They were warm and vulnerable, and David could see deep gratitude in them.

"Anytime."

Jack nodded once and looked away. He made no attempt to get up and get out of the rooftop, and David didn't either.