Davey is 15, Jack is 17, Sarah is 16, Kath is 17, and Charlie (Crutchie) is 14

Ship: Javid

Summary: Basically just Jack being in love with Davey and everyone knows it except him (: And also Jack interrupting everything Davey says.

Word Count: 2,295

Trigger Warnings: None

Jack lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. The door opened. Jack didn't even glance over. 

"Hey sweetheart," Medda said softly. 

"Hey."

"Whatcha thinking about?" she asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling his head into her lap.

He stayed quiet for a while. Finally, he let out a sigh. "Mama?"

"What sweetheart?"

"Do you think... Am I good enough?"

"Of course you are, baby. What makes you say that?"

"Then how come no one likes me?"

"Plenty of people love you, Jack. I love you, your brother loves you, all your friends, like Race and Spot and Davey. They all love you too."

"But how come no one ever wants to go on a date with me? Did I do something wrong?"

"You didn't do anything wrong, baby. Maybe there is someone else their heart belongs to. Maybe they just aren't ready for dating anyone yet. There's so many good reasons they could have, Jack, you didn't do anything wrong. One day you will find the right person to love you, I promise."

"But how do I find my person, Mama?"

"It just takes time, sweetheart. I can't tell you how to find them. You just have to let it happen. And when you do, you'll feel it in your heart. You'll know they're your person."

Jack sighed, looking up at her.

"You want to know my best piece of advice?"

Jack nodded.

"Sometimes, Jack," she said, "you can be so caught up in something new and spectacular that you forget what's been right in front of you the whole time."

"Who are you talking about? Who's the person right in front of me? Please tell me, Mama."

She smiled. "You will have to figure that out for yourself, my love."

He sighed. "Mama? Can you sing to me?"

She pushed the hair off his forehead and out of his eyes. "Of course, baby."

It's been a while since Jack has fallen asleep to Medda's singing. But lying with his head in her lap, her hand in his hair, he wondered why he ever stopped.

...

"Morning, Mama," Jack said, walking into the kitchen.

"Morning, Jack. Breakfast will be ready in a minute."

"Thanks, you're the best," he said, kissing her cheek and reaching around her for a glass. He held the glass under the tap for a minute. 

"How'd you sleep?"

"Good," he said dismissively. "Where's Charlie?"

"He's still asleep."

"Oh. Want me to wake him up?"

"No," Medda said. "Let him sleep. I'll call into school if he isn't awake in time."

Jack sits at the table as she sets a plate of pancakes down in front of him. He eats them thinking about their conversation last night. 

"Mama?"

"What baby?"

"What's it like to be in love?"

"It's not really something I can explain, sorry Jack. All I can really say is they will make you feel loved. They will make you happy. It's really hard to put into words. Sorry I couldn't be of more help."

"Oh. Thanks Mama."

"You're welcome, sweetheart."

Jack rinses his plate and puts it in the dishwasher. "I should go," he said, grabbing his backpack and keys from a hook by the wall and pocketing his wallet. "Bye Mama."

"Bye Jack. Don't forget you're driving Davey here this afternoon."

"I know," he called over his shoulder. "Just like every other day."

...

His friends always liked to come early to school, to hang out in the school newspaper room.

As he pulled up into a parking space, he spotted Davey getting out of Sarah's car. She didn't usually hang out with the rest of them before school, so she used the time to catch up on homework.

"Morning, Davey!" Jack said, falling into step beside him, the familiar fluttering feeling exploding inside him.

"Morning Jack."

"Can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

Jack rolled his eyes and continued. "You're smart right?"

"I mean, I wouldn't say-"

"Great!" Jack cut him off. "Mama was speaking in riddles again. I need your help."

"Oh um, okay."

"She told me that there is someone who has been right in front of me the whole time that might be my person."

"Well-"

"And she wouldn't tell me who."

"Maybe..." Davey paused, waiting to see if Jack was going to cut him off. "Sarah Maybe. Or Kath. That's all I can think of."

"No, she said it wasn't anyone I've dated. Or asked out, I guess."

"Oh I... I don't know who else it might be then."

Jack narrowed his eyes at him. He didn't sound like he was being completely honest, but what reason would Davey have to lie to him?

"Hey Davey?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever been in love? Like, really in love, not just a stupid crush."

"I..." he trailed off. "Yeah," he said softly. "I have."

"What's it like?"

"It's really hard to explain."

"That's what Mama said," Jack said with a frustrated sigh. 

"I can try-"

"It's fine, Davey, really."

"Why you asking anyway? Think you might be in love with someone?"

"I dunno," Jack said. "I just figure that since Mama thinks there's someone in love with me or something, that maybe I was in love with them too, and didn't know it. (Jack, honey, you're so close, just- *frustrated screams even tho I'm the author*)

Neither of them said anything else, as Davey reached for the door handle, swinging it open wide enough for the both of them to step inside the school. The walk to the newspaper club meeting room was a quiet one. Opening the door though, they were greeted with the usual morning chaos that resulted from being friends with the Newsies, as they called themselves.

...

Jack was usually bursting with conversation on the ride home, but today he seemed lost in thought. The two of them sat in comfortable silence for a while.

"I'll tell you," Davey said finally.

"What?"

"You wanted to know what it was like to be in love. I'll tell you."

"You sure? I thought you said-"

"I'm sure, Jack." He closed his eyes as if trying to imagine what it was like to be around whoever it was. "It feels almost- almost unreal. Like maybe I'm just imagining everything, and I'm going to wake up at any minute. It makes me feel... like I am on top of the world. Holding their hand, hearing their laugh, seeing their smile, makes me feel all warm inside. Being in the same room as them always gives me these stupid butterflies." He opened his eyes again, looking over at Jack. "That's the best I can explain. Sorry, that wasn't very good," he apologized.

"It's fine," Jack said. "That was actually really good. Thanks." Well, he definitely wasn't in love with Kath or Sarah or anyone he had dated before.

"You're welcome." It was barely a whisper.

"Tell me about them. About the person you are in love with. They sound like they make you really happy." He pushed away that stupid fluttering feeling.

Davey took a deep breath. "They do," he said. He paused for a moment. "Well, they have really beautiful, almost honey colored eyes and-"

"I don't think anyone could have eyes even half as pretty as yours, Davey," Jack interrupted. 

"My eyes ain't pretty, Jackie," Davey said softly. Jack tried not to think about how cute he found it when Davey slipped into his accent.

"Course they is, Davey," he said. "Prettiest I've ever seen."

Davey looked down at his lap.

"Anyway," Jack said, "continue."

"Um," Davey said quietly. He sounded unsure of himself. Jack took a hand off the wheel, reaching over to grab Davey's hand, weaving their fingers together. He flinched a little before continuing. "They have really pretty golden hair and there's always this once piece that I really want to fix. And they have one of those smiles that you just can't help but smile too. I could see for hours staring at his smile and..." Neither of them seemed to realize the slip up of pronouns. "... And they are the kindest person I ever met. They're too kind for their own good really. They'd do anything for their friends at barely a moment's notice. Sometimes I think they are a little too self sacrificing to be healthy. And they're really sweet to me, even though they don't know I'm in love with them." The last part is barely audible.

"They sound really amazing," Jack says, squeezing Davey's hand.

"Yeah," Davey says, his eyes flicking up to Jack for a split second. "They are."

...

Later that night, after Davey had left, Jack sat at the kitchen table, homework spread out in front of him while Medda flitted around the kitchen preparing dinner. Though the homework was in front of him, he wasn't thinking of it, but rather the conversation he had had earlier in the car.

"Mama?"

"Hmm?"

"What's it like to be in love?" He knew he had already asked, but may as well try again.

"I already told you, baby, it's really not something I could put into words."

"That's what Davey said."

Medda smiled knowingly.

"Mama?"

"What sweetheart?"

"Is Davey in love with me?"

"You will have to ask him that, dear."

He considers all that Davey and Medda had told him. True, he had never felt that way about any of those girls but....

"Mama?"

"Yes, Jack?"

"I think I'm in love with him."

"Ah," Medda said, smiling.

"Every time I got that stupid feeling- it was butterflies and holding his hand and seeing his stupidly pretty eyes and-" he looks up to see Medda still smiling.

"You knew, didn't you?"

"Well I-" 

Jack leapt up from the table, papers spilling onto the floor. Medda gave him an odd look. He sprinted up the stairs, bolting into his room. "Hey," he said to a confused Charlie, emerging from his room.

"Hi?"

Jack was back down the stairs in seconds, grabbing his keys and a jacket, fumbling to put it on as he unlocked the door.

"I'll be back for dinner," he called, finally opening the door and rushing out.

"Jack close the d-"

He was already gone.

Medda sighed, going to close the door before returning to her cooking. "That boy," she said, shaking her head.

...

Jack hastily parked his car, running into the apartment building, up a flight of stairs, and down the hallway, pounding furiously on the Jacobs' door.

"Dear heavens!" Mrs. Jacobs exclaimed. "David, get the door please."

Davey opens the door to find Jack, breathing like he just ran a marathon. 

"Davey!" he pants. "Who is it?" he says between breaths.

Davey looked confused.

"Who are you in love with?"

Davey looked down at his feet. "Oh. I-"

Jack's eyes frantically search his features, looking for something, anything, that will tell him what he needs to know.

Mrs. Jacobs appeared over Davey's shoulder. "Hello, Jack, dear," she said. "Do come in."

Jack seems to suddenly realize he's been standing in the open doorway this whole time. "Oh, sorry," he said.

"No problem," she said. "But why don't you come in and close the door."

Jack steps inside, and Mrs. Jacobs closes the door behind him. Jack grabs a still frozen Davey's arm, pulling him in the direction of his room.

"Please, Davey," he says, shutting Davey's door. "Just tell me who it is."

Davey lets out a shaky breath, squeezing his eyes shut and clenching his hands into fists. He knew Jack wasn't going to wait much longer. He takes another shaky breath. Be brave, he told himself. That's what Sarah's always telling you. Be brave. "It's you," he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. Be brave. "It's you," he says again, a little louder. "I'm sorry," he says.

Jack lets out a sigh of relief. "Can I- can I kiss you?"

Davey inhales sharply, stepping back. "Don't just- don't just say that because you feel bad for me."

Jack laughed. "Davey, I don't feel bad for you. Every time I held your hand, every time I called you pretty... Why do you think I wanted to know so bad what it was like to be in love?" He stepped forward, taking Davey's hand in his own, rubbing his thumb over the back of his knuckles. "Can't you feel it, Davey?"

Davey closes his eyes, trying not to let the tears slip past, because, hell, he can feel it. He's felt it for a long time. And as much as he's tried to tell himself it isn't there, he knows it is.

"Don't you get it?" Jack says, reaching to brush a tear from his cheek. "I'm in love with you, Davey."

Davey doesn't even realize he's crying, until Jack's hands are on his face, gently wiping away the tears. And suddenly he's kissing Jack, clumsily pressing his lips to Jack's, Jack almost stumbling back in surprise. 

Davey doesn't know what he's doing. He's never kissed anyone before. All he knows is he's in Jack's arms, kissing him, and he feels safe. He feels loved. And he never wants it to end.

But far too soon, Jacks pulling away, resting his forehead against Davey's. "God, Davey," he breaths, "I'm just so damn in love with you."

Davey shoves him, and suddenly they're both laughing, because Jack sounded so serious and intimate, and Davey's shoving him because he should say 'God' like that and he shouldn't 'swear' either, and it's really not all that funny, but there in that moment, it really is. 

When they've finally composed themselves, Jack's pulling Davey close to him again, kissing him softly. "So," he said. "How bout I take you to dinner on Friday?"

"Are you asking me on a date, Jack Kelly?"

"I dunno," Jack said with a smile. "Are you saying yes?"

The title is the line of a song that I randomly thought of while writing the end, and seeing as this had no title, and I needed an ending, I decided to use that line. Here's the chorus of the song that I sorta based the ending off of. (Mostly just that one line though.)

There's a rumor going 'round about me and you
Stirring up our little town the last week or two
So tell me why we even trying to deny this feeling
I feel it, don't you feel it too?
There's a rumor going 'round, and 'round, and 'round
What d'you say we make it true?

Um yeah. Also the first line 'you know I've know you forever' kind fits the first half of the story.