AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is my first Newsies fic, completely based on the musical which closed far too early. To be honest, I almost wrote a high school AU, but decided on this college AU instead. Maybe I'll write that high school AU next. Also, I'm calling the Jack and Katherine ship Jatherine (based on Corey Cott and Kara Lindsay because that's the version I saw on youtube).
Even sophomores and the daughters of university presidents can get lost on campus.
Katherine looked at her schedule for about the twentieth time, desperately looking for a sign to point her to the right floor and the correct room. Her day had began with one of her more clumsy roommates spilling Pepsi on her backpack, making it unusable for at least a day. It had then already taken her an embarrassingly long time to find the correct building, a light rain falling during her search, and now she had a little over five minutes before her photography class started.
"You lost?"
She looked up to see a student walking towards her from the front doors of the building. The sight of the newsboy cap on his dark hair clicked for Katherine.
"You live in the house across the street," she blurted out.
He raised an eyebrow, shifting the strap of the messenger bag on his shoulder, and she continued. "I live in one of the apartments across from the house you share with those other guys…"
"Well, it's always nice to meet a pretty neighbor." He extended a hand as she fought a blush. "I'm Jack Kelly."
"Katherine- Plumber." If he noticed she hesitated before saying her fake last name, he didn't say anything. She just didn't want him making an assumption about her just because her father was the university president. Even though she didn't really know why she wanted to impress him.
"So, are you lost or something?"
"Yes! Yes, I am." Stop talking so fast, she scolded herself. "I'm trying to find room 207..."
"Intro to Photography 150 B?" At her nod, he pointed up the stairs. "I'm headed there too. Follow me."
The pace that Jack set, however, was not fast enough for Katherine's liking. "We only have three minutes left before class starts," she said, hoping he would get the hint.
"It's not that far. Don't jump out of your clothes just yet."
"Excuse me?" Katherine stared at him as they reached the top of the stairs, and he gave her a glance.
"It's an expression, darling."
She pursed her lips as they went down the hall. "I have a name, you know."
"Darling suits you," he said with a wink.
Katherine rolled her eyes. "I thought you were supposed to be showing me where the room is?"
"And that's what I'm doing." He pulled open a door and gestured for her to enter. "We still have a minute to spare. After you, darling."
She walked past him without a word and found a seat.
Of course he sat beside her.
"Hey! Darling!"
It was difficult for Katherine to not grit her teeth – it might start bad habits and subsequently ruin years of orthodontia – as she turned around. Jack jogged towards her down the hall, papers in hand and a smile tugging up a corner of his mouth.
"Yes?"
"You dropped your syllabus," he said, holding out the paper to her.
"I'm sure I…" She opened the folder she had been holding to her chest, shifting her thick notebook and even thicker textbook under her arm, and, after awkwardly shuffling through the contents of the folder, discovered that Jack was indeed correct. "I guess I did," she admitted, taking the paper from him. "Thank you."
"Heading to another class?"
She shook her head as she shifted her textbook, notebook, and folder in her arms. "I have an hour until my next one. I'm heading home."
"Mind if I walk with you? Since we're going to the same area and all."
She sighed internally. He had been irritating and flirtatious before, winked at her a few times during class, but she couldn't think of a plausible excuse. He was sort of annoying, but she didn't want to be rude.
"Not at all."
They headed to the stairs together in silence before Jack spoke. "What did you think of the class?"
"A bit confusing," she revealed. "I don't know a lot about photography."
"Me either," he offered. "Why are you taking it?"
"I'm a journalism major. It's a requirement, and I needed to fulfil my fine arts credit," she explained as they reached the bottom of the stairs and headed for the doors. "What about you?"
"I'm an art major."
"Really?"
He gave her knowing smile as he pulled open the door, holding it for her. "Let me guess. Why would I be doing a major where I can barely make any money, right?"
"No, I think that's really interesting." She gave him a small smile as they headed out onto the quad. "I honestly would not have pegged you as an artist, though."
"What did you think I was?"
"Maybe a lawyer or something?"
"A lawyer?" he said incredulously, smirking, and she couldn't help but smile back. "Why?"
"I don't know. Um… you have a… compelling personality." She lowered her gaze to the damp concrete path, finding the light grass- and mud-stains suddenly fascinating.
"That's not something you hear every day," he commented after a moment, and this time Katherine could not stop from flushing. "Thank you, darling."
"Would you call me by my real name, please?" she said in an exasperated tone, hoping to avoid more embarrassment by trying to be more confrontational – not that it worked – but then remember that she had technically lied about her name. Oh, the irony.
"My apologies, Katherine," he said, giving her a sincere look. She stared at him for a second, trying to see how genuine he really was given his earlier joking manner, when she suddenly heard a yell.
"Get out of the way!"
A clearly angry skateboarder came hurtling down the path, not caring at all about the people who jumped out of his way. Jack tried to pull Katherine to the side, but she stumbled awkwardly and dropped her folder, textbook, and notebook, papers spilling everywhere. As the skateboarder sped past, he managed to swerve past Jack and Katherine and continued on his way.
She realized that Jack's hands were still around her waist, and she stepped back, kneeling down to start gather her things. "Oh, shit!"
She managed to peel her syllabus off the sidewalk as Jack picked up her other belongings. The papers weren't completely soaking wet, but the packet had significant water stains already.
"You can always print another one," Jack offered as he gave her back the textbook, folder, and notebook.
"I suppose so," Katherine sighed.
"The library printers shouldn't be too busy now if you head over now…"
"I have a printer at home," she said offhandedly as she shifted her belongings in one arm, holding the ruined syllabus by her fingertips of her other hand.
"Oh." She looked up to see him scuffing the damp pavement with the toe of one of his old Converse, newsboy cap casting shadows on his face, which, now that she looked closely, certainly was easy on the eyes-
Wait.
"Thanks, by the way," she offered, forcing herself to concentrate, and it was his turn to look up and meet her gaze. "For the whole skateboarder thing."
"Don't worry about it." Jack shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets. "We should, uh, get going."
"Right."
"Do you want me to carry any of your things? Since you don't have a bag or anything…"
"It's okay. Thanks, though."
They walked together in slightly awkward silence across the rest of the quad and down the street towards their living area. Though his house was across the street, he still walked with her and followed her to her apartment.
"Thanks for your help," she said as she pulled her lanyard out of her pocket, keys and ID card clanking quietly.
"Don't mention it. Have a good day, Katherine." He turned to leave as she bit her lip.
"Jack!"
He pivoted on his heels, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm sorry I was so rude earlier."
"Don't worry about it, darling," he said with a smirk. She sighed, but was surprised to find that she wasn't really that annoyed, to be honest.
Even though she should be, because she had only known him for probably two hours at most now and he was already resorting to pet names. And she hated pet names. But she still felt kind of okay with it?
"See you later," he said, giving her a wave as he went to the sidewalk to cross the street.
"See you." She returned the wave, even smiling – but not too broadly, because she didn't want to give him any ideas.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This all there is of Darling Suits You at the moment. I'm trying to work on another chapter, but I don't know if it will ever become anything other than a couple scattered ideas I have. I hope you enjoyed this one-shot.