Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Davey Jacobs was considered a lot of things by friends, family, anyone who had met him.

But ‘smart’ was never one of those.

Exiting the police station, Davey got into the passenger seat of his mother’s car.

It was already dark out, and he was pretty sure his mom would have made him stay through the night if it were any later.

“Mom’s really mad at you,” Les spoke up from the back seat.

“Shut it,” Davey spat back, setting his backpack on the floor of the car.

He opened it, and began looking through it, as if he was trying to make sure everything was still there.

“How do you even get into these situations? It’s almost—” Les started, but Davey interrupted him sharply.

“Don’t repeat Mom’s bullshit to me. I can take it from her, but I don’t need my little brother spewing it back at me.”

He hadn’t even bothered to look up from where he was rifling through his bag.

Esther got into the car with a huff.

Davey rolled his eyes and just kept looking through his stuff.

“David, I don’t know what to do with you,” she started, as she always did when Davey got caught. And Davey always just took it. He’d stop trying to argue with his mother after the fourth time.

She buckled herself in and gripped her steering wheel tightly, “I mean, Sarah had her moments when she was a teenager, but, David, she wasn’t getting arrested. Imagine what your dad would say.”

Davey froze at the mention of his father. He’d died 7 years ago, and it’d been a struggle for the whole family.

Zipping up his bag, Davey sighed and leaned back in the seat, staring out the window, waiting for his mom to start driving.

The car stood still, and Esther kept going with her spiel.

“I mean,honestly, David, you’re lucky no one’s pressed charges against you yet! I know I would if I was…”

Her words fell on deaf ears as Davey began to think.

It was a nice night out, quiet. If he hadn’t gotten caught, it would be the perfect night to go ghost hunting in one of the several abandoned buildings he knew of.

He was brought back to reality when Esther snapped her fingers in his ear.

“David, are you listening to me?” She asked, clearly irritated with her eldest son’s apathy.

“Yes, ma’am,” he muttered, still looking out at the stars. At least she had started driving.

Esther took a deep breath like she wanted to say something more, but she just released it.

It wasn’t like he tried to get caught; he just had bad luck. Besides, he thought he got away with way more than he got caught.

What Esther didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.

After some silence, Les spoke up.

“Momma, I’m hungry.”

“I’ll warm you something up when we get home, Les.”

Esther was on edge, it was clear from the sharpness in her tone.

Davey couldn’t help the smirk that spread across his face. He liked it  when anyone got under his mother’s skin. Seeing her get all prickly was entertainment.

“But, Momma, I’m hungry now ,” Les whined, drawing out his final syllable.

Davey snickered at his little brother trying to convince Esther to stop somewhere for food.

As Davey snickered, Esther slammed on her brakes. Davey looked at his mother, confused, and he could see Les wide-eyed in his peripheral.

“Out. Both of you,” she said sternly.

Davey glanced outside at the darkness. It wasn’t the first time he’d had to walk home, but by god, it was inconvenient.

He sighed heavily and grabbed his bag from the floor.

“Momma, what—“ Les started, but Esther stopped him.

“You and your brother are walking home. I just- I need silence ,” she said, her voice tight.

Davey was already moving to get out of the car.

“Come on, Les. It’s not too far of a walk,” he mumbled. Their apartment building was only a few more blocks. An easy enough trek.

Les just sat wide-eyed, mouth agape in the back seat, confused out of his mind. David was the one who always had to walk home, not both of them.

“Mom, but—“

“Les, just get out,” Davey said, wanting to keep Les out of more trouble.

Les looked between his mother and brother, still disbelieving that he was also in trouble. David was the one who got in trouble, never him. Before Les knew it, he was being dragged out of the car by David.

It seemed as if as soon as Les’ feet touched the ground, Esther took off.

Les was still shocked, just watching his mom drive away.

Davey just sighed and started his walk. His little brother had to speed walk to keep up with him—Davey had long strides.

“David, you can’t leave me behind! What would mom think?” Les said as he caught up with his brother.

A grumble left the teenager at Les’ words. He stopped suddenly, turning around to face Les.

“You don’t get it, do you?” Davey started, his voice low as he stared down at Les, “ You are Mom’s favorite; you haven’t fucked up yet like Sarah and I.”

Les looked up at his brother, slightly nervous about what David had left to say.

“There’s nothing Mom can say to me or Sarah that can make me possibly feel any regret. She’s called me a fag, Sarah a succubus and other terrible names. She’s been this way since Dad died. You don’t know who she was before this.”

Les just stood there. He could feel his hands shaking and the pressure of tears behind his eyes.

Davey noticed his brother on the verge of tears, and he softened. He sighed, rolling his shoulder as he held his backpack, regretting his words.

“Les, listen, it’s not your fault- Mom’s just—“ Les stopped Davey before he could explain.

“Is Dad why you’re always gone?”

Once again, Davey sighed. Les didn’t know why he was gone all the time, just that he wasn’t around.

“No, Les. I just don’t like…being around Mom. I-I don’t want to get into it, Les.”

Now Davey felt bad about this. He’d told Les too much.

“I’m sorry, Les. I love you, okay? You just don’t get how much life has changed since Dad died, and sometimes it frustrates me,” he tried to explain; he didn’t want Les thinking he hated him. But before Davey could continue, he felt Les wrap his arms around his torso and his face was buried in his shirt.

Davey sighed and patted Les awkwardly on the head. He was used to being the younger sibling in these situations when he was younger with Sarah.

“Let’s get home, alright? You said you were hungry,” Davey said, gently pushing Les away from him. He saw the boy nod and mirrored it.

The walk back to their apartment was quiet, just the sounds of the city around them. No further words were exchanged between the brothers, only interaction they shared was Davey looking back to make sure Les was still following behind.

Once they got home, Davey saw no signs of Esther. Sarah had moved out as soon as she could, so it was just the boys and their mom, but the apartment was silent. Not even the TV was turned on.

Davey sighed as he entered, knowing that he was on babysitting duty for Les.

“What did you want to eat, Les?” Davey asked as he shut the door behind the both of them.

Les looked up at Davey and shrugged helplessly, “I don’t know…”

Davey took a breath and shook his head. It was too late to try and cook anything and he didn’t want his little brother gorging on snacks. Esther would have Davey’s hide if he let that happen.

“I’ll make you a sandwich. That’s a safe bet, yea?” Davey suggested.

Les nodded, “Yea, that’s okay.”

Les went to wait at the dining room table, and as Davey began to make his little brother’s sandwich, he couldn’t help but to regret telling Les what he had.

He could tell it to Mom or use it against him and Sarah, but these were future worries. All that mattered currently was feeding Les.

Davey brought out the plate of food to the dining room—just a simple ham and cheese with some of the ‘fat free’ nonsense chips Esther buys. They could never just have normal snacks.

“Les, we’ll eat in the living room tonight,” Davey said. He didn’t want to just leave Les at the table alone.

The little brother lit up at being allowed to eat in the living room. Before Mayer died, Sarah, Davey, and their parents would have dinner in the living room multiple times a week; Les never got to know that.

Their mom had become obsessed with health and cleanliness since the death of their father; food stayed in the dining room or kitchen, wash your hands before and after every meal, brush your teeth after breakfast and dinner—and after lunch in the summers too—no more ‘artificial foods’ in their house (although the modified stuff Esther bought seemed to taste more like chemicals to Davey than any of the stuff they’d had before).

As Davey sat on the couch with Les, listening to the cartoons being played on the TV, he realized how…silent it was. No fighting between him and Esther or Les—it was nice. Peaceful.

Sure, tomorrow the house would be back to its dysfunctional chaos, but for tonight, Davey allowed himself to relax in his own home for the first time in years.

Chapter Text

Davey jolted awake as he felt the cold splash of water on his face. He saw his mother standing above him. Thankfully, Davey had carried Les to his bed last night so he wasn’t as rudely awakened.

Huffing, Davey stood up.

“What time is it?” He asked, squinting out to try and see any sign of morning light.

“‘Morning,” Esther said blandly, “You need to wake up Les for school and take him.”

Inhaling deeply, Davey nodded; he wanted to give his mother attitude, but he knew that she had a job she needed to go to.

Les and Davey got ready for school; Les scrambling to find everything for his classes around the house.

They made it out to Katherine’s car, who always had it freezing, even in the cooler fall weather

“What the hell’s wrong with you? It’s 35 degrees out and your car is only at 60!” Davey said, turning up the heat on the passenger side.

“My car, my rules,” Kathy said with a sly smile as she checked that both Les and Davey were buckled, “Get your license and then you wouldn’t have to complain.”

Usual banter between Davey and Kath. They’d been friends since middle school; she’d been the only one to defend Davey when it got out that he’d kissed a boy at someone’s birthday party.

Now they were stuck with each other. Neither of them would change that for anything.

Davey rolled his eyes—Kathy always had her car freezing, even when it was 20 below. He thought she was insane, but she ran hot.

“Katherine, I’m cold,” Les spoke up quietly from the backseat. He was always intimidated by Kath, she was David’s only friend, and by hell, she wouldn’t let anything happen to him if she could help it.

Without saying anything, she turned up the heat in the back. With how often Katherine was around the Jacobs’, she was basically another older sister for Les. She never minded it, being an only child herself.

“Oh, you’ll change your freezing heart for him, but not me?” Davey asked, feigning annoyance.

“Yes. Les is a baby, you’re almost an adult,” Katherine said with a shrug as she finally started her drive.

“I’m not a baby…” Les mumbled, worried Katherine would shout at him.

She just let out a light laugh, “Kid, you’re in 5th grade and me and your brother are about to graduate. You’re a baby to us.”

Les just looked at his lap. He didn’t like to argue with Kathy. Or Sarah when she was around.

Katherine saw Les mope in her rearview mirror; she’d ask Davey if he was okay later. Les was never much of a talker, but he’d usually look out the window.

She pulled up to the elementary school finally.

“Me and Davey will probably get you, unless your mom texts me from work,” Katherine said as Les gathered his bag.

He let out a small ‘okay’ before he shut the door and went towards the building.

Davey watched Les go into his school as he thought about Katherine.

Katherine.

Katherine Pulitzer, daughter of the high school principal.

Katherine and her nice car. Her own car.

Her own phone.

Katherine Pulitzer, pitcher of the school’s softball team.

Katherine Pulitzer, one of the star runners of track.

Katherine Pulitzer.

Katherine.

Katherine.

Katherine.

And David Jacobs: her gay best friend; the only thing he’d be known for is kissing a boy at a party when he was 14.

Sometimes he hated her.

Davey was pulled away from his resentment when Katherine gave him a a light shake.

“Dude, we’re here. You aren’t the type to ever skip, unless…” Katherine said, unbuckling herself.

Davey was quick to shake his head, “No, no, I’m good, just spacing out.”

Katherine shrugged, “Alright.”

Davey couldn’t stand how casual she always was. But he pulled himself together, ready to face another day with kids who worshipped Kathy, and only knew David followed her around. Couldn’t even bother to ask his name.