Davey took a moment to breath in the fresh air. It was nice- it was really nice.
Despite having come up here every night for the past week with Jack, every time he breathed in the brilliant smell of fresh air, he was taken aback, "How did you know how to get up here?"

Jack shrugged as he walked past Davey, leaning against the wall of the roof that faced the street, "Medda showed me where all the best hidin' spots was after the rally. She's was worried I wouldn't know my way out- well, I know my way out, just couldn't get to here and there then."

"I wish that hadn't happened." Davey moved forward to lean on the wall beside Jack, elbows inches apart.

"Me too." The dirty blonde frowned before glancing at Davey, "You know- I never planned on...on you findin' out about my parents- or my name-"

Davey snorted.

"What?" Jack squinted in confusion at the reaction.

"Sullivan." Davey cocked a bemused eyebrow as he cracked a grin at Jack.

Jack's cheeks turned scarlet as he hit Davey's shoulder with the back of his hand, good-naturedly, "Oh come on, Dave! At least I's wasn't named after a carni."

Davey rolled his eyes with a soft chuckle that made Jack's heart melt, "Okay, fair enough. And...it's fine, that was months ago." The brunette shrugged, looking down at the busy street below.

"I just...if I was goin' to tell ya', it was going to be on my t'oi'ms...not some bum judge's." Jack shook his head, hair falling in front of his face.

"There are a lot worse things you could have lied about-"

"A name is somethin' that makes up a person, Dave...it's a big thing- one o' the first things yous learned about a person is their name. And I couldn't even give that to ya'."

"Jack,"
The blonde felt a hand on his shoulder, giving him just enough courage to glance over at Davey, features framed by moonlight.

"You did tell me your name. Jack Kelly."

"But that's-" Jack began.

"Do ya' think I'm lyin'?" Davey mocked with a grin, lifting his eyebrows.

"Oh you cocky basta'd." Jack snorted and shoved Davey away lightly with a smile.

"Why don't you go by your given name though..?" The lengthy teen questioned, "If you don't mind my asking."

Jack let out a long sigh, followed by a shrug, "I'm not too proud about what my parents became. Francis Sullivan was the name me  mudda' gave me...I could hardly remember her enough to attach too many emotions to her...and I just...she was impersonal to me so my name was as well...and my fada'-" He snorted, "I can thank him for Sullivan. He- He didn't do nothin' but give me the rank in society that I got now. I didn't want nothin' to do with that...I wanted to be...indeepend'nt...wanted to be my own person and leave my old name and old life behind. Make my own decisions without anybody else tellin' me otherwise. Don't gotta' listen to nobody-" Jack paused, ringing his hands, "Then yous show up and- it was like wakin' up from a dream...you had such a grasp on reality, Dave...and you showed me that hey, maybe reality ain't so bad." He finished, biting the inside of his cheek.

"Jack.." Davey's voice was just above a whisper.

"You boys up here?" Medda's booming voice came from the trap door that led to the roof, her head popping into it, "Jack, Davey! Come down here, it's time for bed!" She demanded.

"Uh- thanks, Ms.Medda, but I think I'll take a snooze up here tonight." Jack grinned sheepishly at the woman.

"Oh no you don't!" Medda shook her head, "I am not letting you catch a cold at a time like this. I better see you two in your beds by the time I come back to check on y'all or-"

"I don't got a bed anyhow, Ms.Medda, and the roof don't bother me." Jack shrugged with a sly grin as he turned to lean his back against the wall.

"No bed? I sent Racetrack to get beds for everyone-"

"He didn't realize that Jack was here, so we're one short." Davey chirped up quietly.

"That will not do. Honey, you can take my room in back if you need-" Medda began.

"Medda, I could never, you need rest just as much as-"

"My bed's got enough room." Davey remarked, unsure as to why he'd chosen to speak up, and regretting the words the second they came out of his mouth. His jaw was already clamped up and his eyes were wide. Why had he felt the need to say that, Why-

"Dave, it's oka-" Jack shrank down slightly as he was interrupted again.

"What a kind gesture," Medda beamed at Davey, and gave a wink to Jack that Davey seemed to focus on a little too much, "Well, you boys wrap it up- I'll come to check down there soon!"

As soon as Medda left, Jack shook his head, "You didn't have to do that."

Davey shrugged, "You've been sleeping on a heap of curtain for the past few nights, Jack. You deserve to at least have some comfort." The brunette tried to still his beating heard with a calm tone.

"Yeah but now- now yous don't get as much room." Jack mumbled, kicking the ground with his foot, "Plus who's said the curtains ain't comfy?" He smiled cockily at Davey.

"You would rather sleep on a roof than on those curtains, I think you said that." Davey smirked, slipping his hands into his front pockets.

"Aw, shut up, Jacobs. Don't be witty." Jack waved his hand dismissively at the other as he looked towards the trap door.

"But, if you don't feel comfortable about it- we can just switch beds, you know." Davey scratched the back of his neck self-consciously.

"Then yous gotta sleep on the curtains, Dave!" Jack argued with a shake of his head, "I won't-"

"You just said they were comfy." Davey leaned forward with lifted eyebrows.

Jack flushed with a scowl, tipping his head back and rolling his eyes, "There's no stoppin' you is there."

"I'm inevitable." Davey shrugged.

The dirty-blonde snorted before walking towards the trap door and sitting beside it, still open from when Medda had left- how she managed to get up here on the first place without the others noticing was a mystery. Jack glanced over at Davey, "Fine, I'll take your bed, so long as we switch back every otha' day, alright?"

Davey felt his heart drop in disappointment at Jack's decision but offered a small smile and a nod, "Sounds good."

As Jack hopped down, Davey allowed a frown on his face, only for a moment, before shaking it off. He was getting his hopes up again, that wasn't safe.

"You comin' or what?" Jack popped his head up and cocked it at Davey.

"C-Coming." Davey nodded, jogging after the other boy and slipping down the trap door.

***

Davey couldn't say he was particularly fancying the curtains. They were lumpy and stiffer than expected. He hadn't seemed to notice how uncomfortable they were until after his focus could be parted from making facial gestures at Jack who kept throwing his eyebrows around his face to make them look funny, a small game he could play with Davey while they couldn't speak.

The lights were out now and Davey felt more alone than ever. He'd always been used to sleeping next to someone, sharing a bed with Les since the he was born, and having shared a bed with his parents before that. Even when he'd been over on the foam bed, he was so close to other newsies that it hardly made a difference. Now, with his entire set up dragged several feet away, facing the darkness of the wings, Davey was finding himself less sensible. His heart rate was increasing unreasonable and he found himself pulling a heap of curtain over himself to feel secure. His lips parted to let out small breaths to keep himself steady.
Imagine being this reliant on human contact. It didn't matter who it was, it was the same sense of security that Davey craved to simply feel functional as a human being. It's what he appreciated about the Newsies. And what Davey hadn't realized he'd appreciated until now. He'd always felt uncomfortable with physical affection from anyone other than his direct family and...perhaps Jack, on the occasion. But looking back at all the hugs and head-ruffles and jostling around that the Newsies did to Davey, he felt comforted by it. He didn't always prefer it, but it was better than the complete lack of human interaction. Even just knowing someone is sitting with their back to yours so you feel safe. Even if Les couldn't take on a rabbit if it tried to fight him, he felt safe when his back faced Les's at night, knowing he and his brother were there for each other.
And when Davey had fallen into Jack's arms the other week...it was that feeling but more...it wasn't a feeling just anyone could give Davey. He longed for that feeling in particular now more than ever. To have his back close enough to be pressed to Jack's chest, to feel warmth and contentment and-

"Dave..." A hushed voice whispered as a hand brushed Davey's shoulder.

The brunette gasped quietly, despite recognizing the voice, "Jack?" He whispered sharply, "You should be asleep."

"So should you." Jack snorted.

"...Why are you over here?" Davey responded quietly, sitting up to look at the dim silhouette of Jack, just barely lit up by the cracks in the roof above them, which has been there for years, now finally seeming useful.

"You breath loud- didn't sound too great, just uh...seein' how you is.." Jack mumbled, sounding almost shy to Davey.

"Just...it's okay. It's only just colder over here, that's all." Davey muttered with a shrug.

"Well, why not drag this over to us then?" Jack recommended.

Davey blinked a few times. He hasn't considered that. He figured if Jack hadn't pulled it over then there must be a reason for it, "I thought you couldn't.."

"I just didn't get around to it.." Jack shrugged.

Davey wasn't sure he believed that answer, but didn't push farther, simply got to his feet slowly, grabbing at the edge of the curtain.

"It's weighted so it'll be a bit hefty and heavy. I'll get the other side- try not to wake the fellas." Jack murmured.

"There isn't a lot of room, where should we put it that it won't touch someone's bed?" Davey held clumps of curtain in his grasp so that he held half of if, while Jack did the same, the tips of their fingers brushing under the mass of curtains, to Davey's knowledge.

"It ain't going to hurt me if the curtain touches my bed. We's is trading it off anyway. Just put it to the right of mine, there's enough room." Jack whispered.

Davey thanked the darkness for concealing the giddy smile on his face that Jack would be the one who would have his back to Davey's. He began walking backwards towards that spot, Jack following until Davey stopped abruptly, nearly causing in a collision but ending only with Jack stumbling forward and slipped his hands over Davey's to steady himself.

"C-Careful." Davey cleared his throat as they gently lowered the mass of curtains, Jack nodding before they laid it on the ground with a gentle thump.

Jack sighed quietly as he stood back up before flopping onto the foam.

Davey took a moment to smile at the situation and consideration. Jack had noticed something was off from several feet away- had he had his senses focused on Davey? Heard his breathing and mapped the pattern of someone who was distressed? Davey was too tired to think about it as he knelt down and laid himself sideways, back facing Jack as he sighed happily.

"So cold, turnin' away from a fella who's helped you." Jack chuckled.

Davey turned over, "What?"

"Yous didn't even look at me, just turned that way." Jack sniffed with amusement.

"I- isn't that how people should sleep? With their backs to the other?" Davey whispered.

"If you's being hunted or som'n. Nobody's comin' after ya', Dave." Jack murmured in a soothing voice.

Davey thought about this and relaxed slightly, "I guess I'm just used to...feeling like someone's there behind me incase there is...not that there would be just..."

"Just incase?" Jack finished.

Davey nodded.

"Tell you what, you face that way, I'll face that way too. I don't need nobody behind him, but I'll be behind you." Jack nodded.

Davey agreed with this, "Okay.." He whispered before turning over, suddenly feeling childish, "I..I'm behind you, Jack..."

Jack, having already turned over as quietly as possible, as to not alert the other boy, so his back securely faced Davey's, smiled gently, "I know, Dave."