Five days into Quarantine, and Davey was more than starting to miss going outside.
Don't get things wrong, he loved the News Boys in a certain way- some more than others- but fresh air was nice too. There were some windows in the lobby of the theatre, but they were sealed shut to the walls by design. The curly-haired brunette found himself sitting by the windows more often than he should. The time he didn't spend by the window was spent instead with helping out in the theatre when Medda asked. They had to pay for their place to stay and food to eat, after all- not that Medda would refuse to give them essentials if they didn't work, but no News Boy was rude enough to turn down Medda when she asked for small favors like putting up backdrops and readjusting lights.
Currently, the boys found themselves re-painting the glaze on some of the old furniture pieces that they'd dragged onto stage, where their beds weren't placed.

Les was helping Davey on an overturned chair while Race and Spot worked on a couch and Specs and Romeo- well, were currently getting lost in each other's eyes, leaned against the table they should have been glossing.

"How much longer did theys says until wes can go outside?" Race huffed as he wiped sweat from his forehead, the stage lights producing the only light they could get directly on stage, but practically burning the boys up.

"Another week and a half." David piped up with a sigh, dipping his paintbrush into his and Les's bucket of gloss before going for the second layer on the chair leg he was working on.

"I can't wait to see my girl again." Les sighed as he slapped his paintbrush happily onto the chair's other leg.

Davey paused a moment and lifted his eyebrows, looking at Les with shock and confusion, much as the other news boys were doing.

"Mouth Jr.'s got a gal?" Spot snorted in genuine surprise.

"Of course I do." Les furrowed his brow with a frown as he turned to the other newsies, "Her name is Sallie- but she let's me call her Miss." He assumed a childish grin.

"And...how long has this been going on?" Davey cocked an eyebrow with a suspicious look.

Les look at him, shifting his his knees as he sat on his legs, "Feels like fifteen years, really."

"You're ten." Dave deadpanned.

"Maybe fifteen months then." Les shrugged and began to gloss the chair leg again.

"You've only been in your grade for five months." Davey frowned before also returning to work.

"Hey, is the kid says fifteen years, then happy fifteenth anniversary to yous two." Spot chuckled.

"I'm fifteen, I think I'd remember if-" Davey paused as a choking noise came from Race.

"You're fifteen?" Race gasped.

"Um...yes." David frowned in confusion, smearing some more gloss onto the chair leg as he looked at Race.

"You ain't Seventeen like Jack?" The blonde scoffed, Spot looking equally surprised.

David blinked a few times before snorting in amusement, "Jack isn't seventeen."

"Is too, I's seen him older than I's was- I didn't suspect you bein' my age though, mouth." Spot sniffed.

"You're- Jack isn't- he doesn't act like he's older than me.." Davey began having an existential crisis in the matter of one conversation.

"What's that mean?" Specs piped up.

"I-I don't know- he's just- he's a dreamer...and once you get near Sixteen-"

"Thought you said yous was fifteen?" Race narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
Everyone but Les, who seemed unpaused by all this, had stopped glossing.

"I am but I'll- I'll be sixteen in a month or so."

"See, sos you and Jack ain't more than a year apart." Race shrugged.

"Which I expected, just- the other way around." Davey looked at the ground in confusion. Jack was older than him? That made him wiser as far as knowledge of life went...that just didn't seem right.

"You think that makes him any more or less smarter?" Romeo leaned back into an upright position.

"We have different educations." Davey shook his head dismissively as he took his paint brush again.

"He's still ahead of ya' though." Race smirked cockily.

"By a few months." Davey rolled his eyes, "That's nothing."

"Doesn't sound like nothing." Spot cooed.

"Oh, leave the kid alone." Race chuckled as he reached over to gently punch Spot on the shoulder, but ended up smacking his arm with gloss.

"Why you- you spoiled me shirt!" Spot snapped, staggering to his feet and glaring at Race.

Racetrack looked genuinely guilty at first, "I'm sorry, I-" He seemed to then remember he has a reputation and cleared his throat, getting to his feet, "Yeah, so?"

Spot balled his fists up before dunking one into his can on gloss and wiping a hand over Race's face.

Race gasped and reached for his bucket, dunking both his hands in and lunging for Spot, missing and bouncing off the chair to run into Romeo, getting them both covered in gloss.

"Hey! Let him alone!" Specs hollered before taking his brush and throwing it at Race.

"Yous leave him alone! Only I get to throw gloss at Race!" Spot ran at Specs with gloss covered hands.

Les cheered and ran at them.

"Les! You- oh god-" Davey groaned as his little brother had been covered from head to toe in gloss before he could say another word.

"Come on, David!" Les ran towards Davey.

Davey's eyes went wide and he shook his head, booking it for the stage door as cackling could he heard behind him, the other Newsies catching on and chasing after him.
Before Davey could reach the stage door he felt two firm hands grasp his arms and pull him up until his feet left the ground.
Davey let out a gasp and as about to scream before the hands released his shoulders and cupped over his mouth as he landed on a thin, wooden plank.

Davey struggled and looked up to see who his kidnapper was before his heart lurched at the sight of Jack, making Davey all at once aware of the fact that the boy had him held tight against his body with a smug look on his face as he looked down at the other boys, barging into the stage door. That's when he released his grip on Davey's mouth and moved his hands to the boy's hips, "Steady, we's on a beam. Don't want nobody falling."

Davey felt his heart pound in his chest at the physical contact and he hated it.
He hated how having been stuck with Jack for several days now, his feelings for the boy had surfaced more and more.
Before the shelter-in-place rule had been set, Davey had been sure he could eventually get over the little flutters his heart gave when Jack touched his shoulder or stood up for him, he was sure that only seeing him a few hours a day would give his heart the rest of the day to convince himself that these instances of free-falling feelings around Jack were foolish and- and god it felt so nice to have such a secure grip around him right now like Jack was genuinely concerned that Davey might fall. It was so difficult for Davey to turn off his emotions- but with his heart rate increasing, and hope that would most likely lead nowhere, he knew, began to rise, he had to gently push Jack's hands off of his waist.
Things like this didn't happen. Boys didn't...Jack certainly didn't like boys the way that Davey had found himself thinking about them lately- and Jack defiantly didn't seem to look at Davey the way Davey looked at Jack.
He was spending too much time thinking about this as it was. Jack was his friend and- had just pulled him up and held him because that's what a good buddy does, keeps you from falling.
Totally normal and...
And Jack's hands now wrapped around Davey's waist entirely.

"Sh, your breathing is rattling the beam, they's'll hear you- and I don't want the boys findin' out about my special area." Jack chuckled, his breath tickling the back of Davey's neck and making the boy shutter.

When had these feelings started? Not the feelings that Jack had made him feel immediately- not the fact that Davey could recognize that yes, Jack was attractive and, yes, he enjoyed being around him- but these distinct feelings of...of longing. Of needing the other boy in a way that was most definitely not heterosexual.
These feelings that he wanted Jack's arms around his waist to hold him tighter. These feelings that made Davey decide to lean back, so his head fit nicely under Jack's chin.
He shouldn't be doing this, especially having just convinced himself of that- but...well, if he was going to he stuck in this position anyway..
It was the feeling of Jack fully resting his head on top of Davey's head that made the lengthy teen conceal a squeal of excitement-
What-
What was he, a teenag-
Oh, wait, yes, he was. And Jack-

"So...you're seventeen?" Davey whispered.

"You says that like you is surprised." Jack chuckled, and Davey could feel the vibrations of it on his shoulders, a feeling of contentment.

"I am." Davey smiled slightly.

"Just by some months or so." Jack shrugged, "No biggie."

"It is when it comes to...to knowledge- few months or not, you'd be a year above me in school." Davey mused quietly.

"That a problem?" Jack snorted, hiding the insecurity that suddenly gripped him.

"Not at all." Davey would shake his head if it hadn't for so perfectly against Jack's chin, "Well- okay- it's just-"

"You're not used to not being the smartest one in the room, Dave?" Jack laughed quietly.

"Maybe.." Davey whispered quietly.

Jack seemed to shift in surprise, "Dave, I don't got the same edjeecation as you."

"But you're street smart. You've been here for-"

"Like maybe eight months more than you. As an infant, Dave."

"It's just...I don't know, I feel...smaller..which is different around you guys."

"You feel bigger around the newsies?" Jack almost sounded surprised, "What? Because we're smaller..?" Jack's grip around Davey's waist faltered and Davey instinctually gripped both of Jack's hands to steady himself.

"N-No- it's just- you guys actually listen to me- and what's going to keep you listening if you don't have my respect? Age isn't just a symbol of education, Jack, it's a symbol of respect, and even just a few months-"

"So yous sayin that you didn't respect me when you thought I was your age?" Jack scoffed, hands tightened.

"No, Jack, I- no, it's just-"

"No, Dave, I get it- people likes you know the way of- of higheearchies more than we's do." Jack began to stand up, pulling Davey up with him before letting go of the boy and allowing him to cling to the handlebars that were attached by loose chains up above, making them both wobble, except Jack was used to it.

"Th-That's not what I meant-"

"Your status is higher than mine and you ain't used to being lower than me." Jack rolled his eyes.

Davey wished desperately to have the courage to move his feet and turn to face Jack, "Don't twist my words-"

"I don't have to! You said them!" Jack threw his hands up in the air.

"Calm down, or-"

"I am Calm." Jack scowled.

"You're really not, and Jack I respect you plenty-"

"Oh do you?" The long-haired blonde rolled his eyes in disbelief, "You know, Dave-"

"No, I don't know, Jack, because you're not giving me a second to wrap my head around what you're saying." Dave clutched the railings tighter as he became acutely aware of the drop below.

"You-"

"I respect you more than any other person I know, Jack Kelly, because you're a genuinely good person who would turn down an offer to have a life far beyond what he currently has just because he loves and cares for these boys like they're your family. That's a more respectful thing than I or anyone I know has ever done so don't accuse me of not respecting you- I-I'm just- not sure how I feel about feeling belittled- which isn't- Christ- I realize it isn't fair to you but this feeling is new, Jack, and little things are bothering me because I need air, I'm done with being inside, I just-" there were hands around Davey's waist and next thing he knew he was being pulled backwards.

"Work with me, Dave, I cant drag you across a plank being held up by chains." Jack murmured.

Davey swallowed dryly and gently began to step back, stepping almost on Jack's toes a few times before he felt warmth on his face as Jack reached up and pulled back a piece of fabric from a skylight. Davey's eyes widened and his mouth opened slightly in awe, "Wow.."

"That's not it." Jack moved his hands to Davey's shoulders and then pushed up on the window of the skylight. It opened with a pop as Jack pushed it all the way back. He moved to where Davey was and jumped up, his elbows landing on the roof as he pulled himself up, meanwhile Davey clung to the railings as the whole plank shook with Jack's jump.

"J-Jack, I'm going to fall-" Davey couldn't get his eyes off the ground.

"Look up." Jack called softly.

Davey shook his head, "I can't-"

"Geez, Dave, making this hard on me, just, don't focus on the ground-"

"Easier said than done." Dave squeaked, estimating how far the drop was and if he'd survive or not. He kept his eyes trained on the ground for several second before he felt something soft touch his cheek. He looked up for a brief second to see Jack's hand, palm towards his face, his hand, gently brush against Dave'a cheek.

"Take my hand." Jack offered, "I'll pull you up."

Davey tightened his grip on the railings for a moment.

"Christ, Dave, don't make me pull you up by your shirt collar." Jack rolled his eyes with a smirk.

Davey couldn't say he wouldn't mind that.

Jack reached down far enough to grab Davey's forearm before pulled at it.

Davey began to resist but Jack was stronger than him, and was soon able to pry his hand look and take the brunette's hand, "Now the other one."

Davey began to stagger, no longer balanced. A look of horror passed over Dave's features and then Jack as the brunette lost his footing, and the weight of Davey's arm suddenly became his whole body.

"JACK-" Davey practically yelled.

Jack's whole upper body slid through the skylight as he quickly wrapped his other arm around Davey's waist and began to pull up, "Grab- the roof- quickly-" He ordered as he pulled Davey up.

The brunette was quick to get his hands onto the roof, smooth as concrete, as he pushed himself through it, quickly moving to grab the back of Jack's vest and pulling the boy towards him.

"Oh shit-" Davey cursed as he held Jack close to his chest, trembling.

"I-I respect ya' a lot for that, Dave. Thanks." Jack wheezed.

"N-No problem." Davey whispered out, not willing to admit that his heart was still pounding at the thought of Jack falling through the sky light.
Unaware that Jack's heart was going through the same trauma after seeing Davey dangle from the plank of wood.

The boys simply sat in a tangle of arms and legs for several minute to recover before Jack sat back, "I-I mean it though, I respect ya', Dave- I may have come around in the end but...you...you never lost yourself in the first place."

"Lost myself? How'd you think I felt when you left us?" Davey smiled bittersweetly.

Jack pushed Davey's head away gently, "You sap."

"I'm sorry I got all insecure back there, um, won't happen again." Davey chuckled awkwardly as he stood up shakily.

"Don't apologize for feelings, Dave, they're the best thing that we've got."

"You're right though, you're only- eight months ahead- I just..like believing I'm a mature person, but-"

"You thought I was more mature than you by my age?" Jack wheezed, "Dave I spend my time painting places I've never seen! A-And the other half starting strikes that I can't handle alone and you think I'm mature?"

"Of course you are." Davey responded honestly, "You just proved it- you acknowledged the way I felt and- and didn't shut it down, that's pretty mature."

"Yeah, right after I threw a tantrum about yous not respectin' me." Jack snorted.

"Which was after me freaking out in the first place because I finally understand why you've got so much muscle, it suits you for having eight more months to work out than me." Davey joked.

Jack blushed, "Yous...think I got muscle?"

Davey seemed to hear what he'd said moments too late and belatedly slapped a hand over his mouth, "uM-"

"Don't he so down on yourself, you've got some meat on your bones." Jack chuckled, changing the subject, much to Davey's relief, "Now enjoy that air you wanted."

It seemed to click in Davey's mind finally that they were outside. He began to look around as though the New York skyline was now new.
And seeing Jack as a part of its beauty...perhaps it was.