- Chapter 28 - The Newest Forgotten Boys/The Newest Members of the Forgotten Family  -
Warnings: death, sadness, crying, mentions of anxiety and being overwhelmed and Snyder
Third Person POV

David looked down over Manhattan, biting his lip. "I hate heights," he mumbled to himself as he crawled onto the roof behind Jack.

Jack chuckled from behind him. "I've got you, Davey," he assured him. "I won't let you fall."

"What if you fall?" David questioned, wobbling a bit as he continued to climb. "What if I fall and you try to stop me and we go tumbling together?" he asked.

Jack chuckled again. "We won't."

David rolled his eyes at him. "You don't know that for sure," he grumbled, pulling himself up onto the top of the roof.

Jack chuckled and lifted himself up onto the roof. He sat down next to David and smirked at him. "We didn't fall off."

David rolled his eyes. He decided not to respond and looked out over Manhattan. He jaw dropped a bit.

It was a beautiful sight, Jack was not wrong.

David wasn't sure he'd ever seen something that pretty before. Well- he'd seen something that matched the beauty of the sunset.

Jack smiled when he saw David's reaction. He sighed happily. "I love coming out here when stuff gets overwhelming," he said.

David looked over at him. He felt his breath leave him.

Jack and the beautiful view? He wasn't sure his brain could process that much beauty.

Jack noticed him staring. He smirked a bit. "See something you like?" he questioned.

David coughed, quickly turning away when his cheeks reddened. "The- that view!" he blurted out stupidly.

Jack chuckled, looking back over Manhattan.

The two boys were silent for a few minutes, when David spoke up. "How..." he hesitated, "how did you know that... that I was overwhelmed?"

Jack shrugged. "Lucky guess," he answered, not turning to face him. "Everyone gets overwhelmed when they first come here... and you're definitely someone who seems really anxious, so I figured you were probably like Knobs and pretty overwhelmed by this whole thing," he explained.

David nodded. "It's calming up here," he mumbled, tapping his fingers on the roof next to him.

Jack smiled a bit. He noticed David tapping his fingers and gently set his hand on top of David's.

David's cheeks reddened.

Jack didn't notice as he nodded in agreement with David's earlier statement. "I always come up here when I want to paint or clear my head, or even to just think," he responded. "It is calming."

David sighed softly. "I think too much," he muttered.

Jack looked over at him. "Well... you don't have to think alone anymore," he told him, squeezing his hand lightly on instinct.

David's cheeks reddened further, but he tried to play it off and shot Jack a look. "I don't do anything alone anymore," he responded like it was obvious.

"Okay, fair." Jack chuckled. "But I'm here for you now, as are the other boys," he told him. "You can think out loud, to me, if you want," he offered.

David blushed a bit. He leaned back, shaking his head. "I couldn't trouble you with my thoughts," he responded.

Jack rolled his eyes fondly, laying down on his back. "You're a lot like Race, you know?" he informed him. His land left David's.

David looked over at him, curious, and also trying to ignore how cold his hand felt without Jack's on it. He had no idea what Jack was thinking saying that, mainly because that seemed like a comparison that was really stretching it. David really didn't think he was a lot like Race; they were both so different.

One had blond hair, was high power in multiple boroughs, and was sarcastic as all heck. This was ignoring that fact that he also spoke multiple languages.

The other had brown hair, was an anxious mess, and was trying to figure out how to adjust to his new life, whereas Race seemed like he probably adjusted quickly.

The only thing David thought they both had in common was the blue eyes and liking children. Other than that, he had nothing.

"Rade doesn't like talking about his feelings...," Jack started again, clearly thinking, "but everyone needs to, Davey," he told him as he stared at the stars. He smiled a bit. "Come here, lay down." Jack patted the spot next to him.

David's eyebrows furrowed, but he complied and laid down next to him. He stared up at the sky.

"Staring at the clouds or stars usually helps Race," Jack informed David. "I figured it may help you a bit," he explained. "Now, I'll tell you what I tell him; you're not troubling me or burdening me by being open and talking about what's bothering you," he assured him.

David bit his lip. He sighed softly, staring up at the sky. "I don't think I've had time to process all that's happened in this past week," he admitted.

Jack nodded understandingly.

"A week ago today, I had my mom and my dad, and my twin... they were alive and happy, Jack." David felt tears sting his eyes as he thought about it. "Now... it's just Les and I... why are we left here to live while they're dead?" he asked. "It's so unfair." He sat up quickly when he felt tears escape his eyes.

Jack sat up as well. He watched David quickly wipe the tears off of his cheeks. Jack sighed a bit and wrapped his arms around David, pulling him against his chest. "Cry all you need to, Davey," he mumbled to him, running a hand through his hair. "I've got you."

David tried to hold back his tears for a few moments, but he felt something in him break. He'd held these emotions in for as long as he could so he could protect Les, and as much as he didn't want to cry in front of Jack, he felt safe in his arms. David trusted him, and maybe that scared him a bit, but he couldn't hold back his tears anymore.

There was a stinging behind David's nose and tears streamed down his face as he held onto Jack's shirt tightly.

Jack frowned. He held David as he cried. "It's okay, Davey. Let it all out," he whispered to him.

"It's- its so unfair, Jack," David sobbed into his chest. "I-" he hiccuped, "I'm here- and- and they- I- I won't ever get to hug them again, Jack, or hear my mom's beautiful singing- or- or Sarah's beautiful laugh." He gritted his teeth as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"It's really unfair," Jack sympathized, frowning. "I know. I'm sorry."

David cried into his chest for a few more minutes.

Jack held him the whole time as he looked out over Manhattan. He wanted so badly to take away David's pain, but he knew it wasn't possible, so he did the only thing he could do; comforted David and gave him a safe place to cry and a shoulder to cry on.

After a bit, David did calm down a bit and he was crying less than he had been previously. However, David's eyes were still glossed-over and red as he watched over Manhattan with Jack. "She'd have loved this view, Jack..." he whispered after a few minutes.

Jack nodded. "She's watching too," he responded softly. "She's watching next to us, she'll always be with you." He smiled a bit. "Maybe, she's watching with my mom and dad too."

David was silent as he thought about what Jack said. He knew the basics of his past due to the paper he'd read a while back, but it didn't mention Jack's mother. "I read the papers..." he mumbled.

"Huh?"

"The ones about all of you," David clarified, staring off as he thought about it. "I recognized all of you from those papers... but they pin you all as if you did something wrong," he whispered. "It's not right."

Jack sighed softly. "Yeah, but there's nothing we can do about that," he muttered. "Besides, they forget about us after a while anyways."

David's eyebrows furrowed in realization. "That's why you call yourselves the "Forgotten Boys"," he connected.

Jack chuckled. "Yeah. I found all of the boys, either after seeing their paper or running into them, or when they accidentally ran into Medda," he informed David. "Most of them were running from Snyder, so we hid out here."

David swallowed. "That means... Les and I joined," he said quietly.

"Yeah." Jack chuckled a bit. "I guess you two did. We—Specs and Romeo—found you two when you needed us," he stated.

David nodded.

Jack looked down at the boy in his lap. "You're so smart," he mumbled, brushing his hair off of his forehead and pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. "Not many of the boys have figured that out that fast."

David blushed a bit. He looked away. "Do you do this with all of your brothers?" he mumbled, changing the subject.

Jack pursed his lips. "It depends on what you mean," he answered softly, "but not really? I certainly don't stare at my brothers' lips, if that's what you're asking." He chuckled. "I guess you're just special." He smiled a bit.

David's cheeks reddened further at how forward he was. He sighed softly and laid his head against Jack's chest, looking out over Manhattan. "If anything good has come from this week... I'm glad I met you all," he mumbled.

Jack smiled. "I'm glad we met you both too."

They both fell silent for a few minutes.

Carriages rushed on the streets below them and as the sunset fell over the horizon, the buzz of people below started to get a bit quieter.

But not too quiet, for New York City is known as "the city that never sleeps".

But David was in deep thought, and after a bit, he spoke up again. "It's illegal to like boys..." he mumbled.

Jack assumed it was meant to be for himself and that he wasn't supposed to hear it, but he decided to respond anyways. "Well, it's also illegal to run from the police, but we've all done that," he responded with a chuckle.

David looked up at him. "You don't seem to care..." he pointed out, his voice quiet.

Jack shrugged. "I've known I was different for years; I gave up worrying about what society thinks," he stated.

David was silent for another moment as he thought about it. "I like boys..." he mumbled, "a boy."

Jack felt his heart flutter, but he tried not to show it. "Me too."

David looked up at him. "I..." his cheeks reddened, "I like you."

Jack smiled. "I like you too."

David blushed. He looked back at the view. "I've never felt this before... what do I do now?" he asked quietly.

"Well... usually, the two people would kiss, but I don't know what you're comfortable with," Jack informed him, smiling a bit when David looked up at him again. "You've had a long week, and you seem exhausted," he pointed out. "I don't want to make you even more overwhelmed, so we can go slowly," he told him.

David nodded a bit. He laid his head back against Jack's chest. "I've never kissed anyone before," he admitted. "I think... if it's okay, I just want cuddles."

Jack smiled, hugging him closer. "That's more than okay."

David blushed. "Thank you, Jack," he whispered, suddenly feeling emotional again. "Thank you for everything." He internally scolded himself when tears brimmed his eyes again and he wiped them away.

Jack kissed his forehead again. "I know what you're feeling, Davey. I'm here for you," he assured him.

David cuddled closer to him, tears stinging his eyes again as he looked out over Manhattan.

He was really glad he'd found this group... this family. And he was glad they'd accepted and helped him.

"I love you," Jack whispered to him, his lips lingering on Davey's forehead.

Davey smiled. "I love you too." He closed his eyes and relaxed.

He was safe in Jack's arms. He was safe in his new home.

Elsewhere
With Race

Race stood by the door to the Lodge, waiting for someone.

The door opened, causing his attention to turn to it.

Mush came in, looking out of breath and sweaty. He looked at Race and nodded.

Race knew what that meant; they both did. He pulled the cigar out of his mouth and stood up, pushing off of the wall. "Can I see it?" he asked.

Mush nodded. "It's written by the same person," he informed him. He handed a paper over to Race.

Race sighed. "Course it was," he muttered. "All of them were written by him, all but Kenny's," he responded.

Mush shrugged. "I think he's a fan of Snyder," he informed Race.

Race shuddered. "Well, can't say I'm shocked," he muttered, opening the paper. "Evil attracts evil."

Mush nodded in agreement.

Race's eyes scanned the paper, reading it quickly. He nodded a bit to himself. "'Brothers Flee from Police After Parents and Sister Die'," he read off of the paper. "God, it makes it sound like Davey and Les were in the wrong."

Mush nodded, leaning back against the now-closed door. "They fled from Snyder so they didn't get hurt," he stated. He scoffed as he thought about it. "I wonder how Snyder or him would feel in our shoes."

"He certainly wouldn't shame us in our papers if he'd experienced what he had," Race stated, folding the paper again.

Mush nodded.

"Well," Race smirked a bit as he looked at Mush, "that's twenty-two papers." He held up the paper. "Twenty-two boys."

Mush chuckled a bit, his arms crossed. "Now, they're truly a part of our family," he said.

Race nodded. He got down on the floor and onto his stomach, looking under the couch. He found the pile of papers and put Davey and Les's on top of it, before getting up again. "Welcome to the family, Davey and Les."

"Welcome to the place for the forgotten kids," Mush added knowingly.

"There's a place downtown where not many people go.

Away from the schools.

A place not many people know.

It's a place that a group of kids call home.

The others there being the only family some of them have ever known.

Now two brothers have been added to this place in the unknown.

The place that the forgotten kids call home."

2560 Words
I swear I know what I'm doing when I used "Davey" instead of "David" at the last part. It's not an accident lol, I did it on purpose.

Also, the first time the term "the city that never sleeps" was used was actually phrased as "the Bowery never sleeps", as the Bowery was kinda like the Times Square of its days, and that was in 1898.
The first time New York City as a whole was referred to as "the city that never sleeps" was in an article in the Indiana's Fort Wayne Daily on September 6th, 1912.
And of course, Frank Sinatra did make the nickname very popular (and people say he kinda secured the city's status as "the city that never sleeps") in 1979, in his song "Theme from New York, New York".