Author's Note: Not mine, never will be mind, contains slash, fluff and might be slightly OOC. I wrote this at work, 'cause it was slow and I was bored and had this idea, there is no New York accent because it'll be harder to read and write, though some of the words are ones I use in real life and just put in here, so humor me. Javid and Sprace
"I heard you broke it off with Sarah." The first words that David spoke a few days before Valentine's Day after the strike seemed to bode ill for Jack Kelly.
"Yah wasn't fair to her, I like her like a sister nothing more." Jack said shrugging before calling out the day's headlines to the people passing by, obviously trying to steer the conversation away from Sarah.
"Why wasn't it fair to her? She cried herself to sleep last night again. Do you think that was fair?" David's blue eyes held anger and worry though Jack couldn't tell who David was worried about.
"I have someone I like." Jack admitted with a sigh. "So it wouldn't be fair to have her seeing someone who was pining after another."
He looked around, trying to find something to pin his gaze on other then David, who happened to be the object of his affection, and hoped David would drop the subject.
"Did I hear correctly?" David asked sounding stunned. "The great Jack 'Cowboy' Kelly likes someone who doesn't know?"
Jack scowled at his friends teasing, while his heart hammered in his chest so loud that he thought that David could hear it.
It's you, you idiot. he thought slightly bitterly before replying.
"It's not that I don't have courage." He smiled as a well dressed woman paid for a paper and tried to quell that shivers that came with working outside in the winter inadequatly dressed.
"Oh so what is it then?" David asked curiously, unwinding his blue scarf, the same color as his eyes, and wrapping it around Jack's neck.
"Why'd you do that?" Jack asked hoping to avoid the question by asking another, wishing that David had left his arms around his neck.
" 'Cause you looked cold." David answered, then added. "You didn't answer my question."
Jack frowned as his mind whirled with ideas, trying to answer the question with out giving to much away.
I can't tell him the truth. he thought, knowing how much both society and most religions looked down on people like him. I can't tell him that I love the way his eyes sparkle or how once he gets into something he devotes his whole heart into it. Or how I loved being next to him during the strike, or how I just want to hold him and never ever let go.
"Jack?" David's voice floated past the other thoughts and Jack shook his head to clear it.
"Sorry zoned out." he admitted sheepishly.
"Well can you answer my question?" David sounded both concerned and impatient, a dangerous combination.
" I can't do anything about it 'cause it won't work out." Jack said quietly selling his last paper and sighing. David's eyes filled with concern and he placed a hand gently on Jack's shoulder.
"I'm gonna go see Medda, I'll see you later?" he asked unwrapping the scarf reluctantly and handing it back to David who shook his head.
"Keep it, you need it more then I do." he said softly, releasing the grip on Jacks shoulder. Jack frowned, but seeing the stubborn look in David's eyes and nodded, before hugging him quickly.
"Thanks, see you later. Give Les and Sarah a hug for me." Pushing his hands in his pockets he strolled away trying to act as casual as possible though all he wanted to do was place a hand on his shoulder and keep the warmth in. Once in the semi-warmth of Medda's theater and hidden in the dark where no one could see him, he sniffed the scarf smelling the scent that was uniquely David's.
"Kelly?" Medda's voice rang out and he spun around to face the red haired singer.
"What are you doing here?"
Jack sighed, after breaking up with Sarah he had fled here not wanting to face the guys yet. Medda had found him and weasled the truth out of him, she had been suprisingly ok with him liking David. She said that whoever was up there wanted people to be happy or that was what she believed.
"Hey Medda, sorry I've come around again, I just needed a place to think." Jack said quietly, sniffing the scarf again, a light blush danced across his cheeks.
"Oh? David gave you that scarf didn't he?" Medda asked and Jack blushed again.
"How did you know?" he asked and Medda laughed.
"You were hugging the scarf and smelling the scarf looking like a lovestruck fool." she said lightly, and Jack had to laugh at that.
"The only reason I looked like a lovestruck fool is 'cause I am one." he admitted before becoming serious.
"I need some help Medda, I'm slowly going insane trying to keep David from finding out I love him."
Medda gazed at him quietly, before saying, "Valentines day is coming up, why don't you give him a card?"
Jack froze, part of him wondering why he hadn't come up with the idea and the other part told him what a bad idea it was.
"I can't do that!" he exclaimed, "David'll read it to the guys then I'll loose all the respect I earned."
Medda was quiet again, chewing her lower lip like she always did when she was thinking, before saying.
"Then make it anonymous. I'll write it for you and if he finds out and hates you you can hang in here and work 'till you've got enough to go to Santa Fe."
Jack had to agree that the idea was a good one, and before he realized it he had agreed.
"Thanks Medda, can you deliver it to Kloppman also? You can keep secrets better then Kloppman can." Medda nodded and Jack smiled making his way to the door.
"I'll be back soon." he said and left, his heart lighter then it had been in a while. Making his way to a cheap car shop, he glanced around to make sure that the newsies selling on the street didn't know him. Once inside he started to peruse the shelves looking for the right card. To his relief he found it with in a few minuets of looking, it was blue, the color of David's eyes, on the front was a drawing of two kids playing in the park with a hear surrounding them. Inside on the right was a sonnet by Shakespeare:
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed,
And every fair from fair sometime declines,By chance, or nature's changing course untrimmed:
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,
Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st,
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
The left was blank perfect for writing something on it, it was also cheep enough that he could buy it with the money he had earned that day. Hiding the card under his jacket he made his way back to Medda's.
"It's perfect!" She gushed, when he showed it to her. "It suits David really well. Did you know people have hypothesized that he wrote it for another man?"
Jack didn't and the only reason he knew about Shakespeare was because David talked about him sometimes.
"What do you want it to say?" Medda asked and Jack paused for once at a lost of words.
"Have it say I love you for your strength your courage your love of your family or something." he said finally shrugging.
"How about this? David, I hope you like this card, I picked it thinking of you. I just wanted to say I love you, because you're you. You have lit up my life, made it worthwhile. I wish I could tell you fact to face but for reasons I can't say I can't.
Love you to the moon and back,
Your secret Admirer."
Jack smiled and nodded, "That's perfect Medda! Thanks I really owe you one."
Medda laughed and replied, "Tell me who they think did it and we are even."
Jack ambled back to the house the Newsies shared, heart lighter then it had been in weeks. The weather didn't bother him, though he still wore the scarf around his neck. When he reached the house he took a deep breath as if he was about to dive into water where he couldn't see the bottom. Upstairs Racetrack was holding a gambling game and everyone turned to him as he entered.
"Where have you been Cowboy?" Racetrack asked.
"At Medda's." He replied truthfully, noting that the small slender Italian boy's lips were red and looked well kissed.
"That's what David said." Blink said triumphantly.
"Spot said he saw you entering a card shop." Racetrack said and Jack wondered why no one was wondering why the King of Brooklyn was here instead of in Brooklyn. Shrugging he sat down and asked lightly.
"Where's David?"
"Say's his mom baked us cookies, he bringing 'em here." Crutchy said from across the room. Just as Jack was about to relax Racetrack stood up and said.
"Hey Cowboy I have some selling ideas I want to talk to you about. Can we go somewhere private?"
Jack felt unease settle in his gut, but he figured that it would be best to talk in private instead of Racetrack talking in front of the whole gang. Once they were on the roof and away from prying ears and eyes he turned to Racetrack.
"What do you want to talk about really?" he asked, lightly.
"I'm seeing someone..." Racetrack began hesitantly and Jack filled in for him.
"Spot Conlan right?"
Racetrack's face paled and he stared wide-eyed at Jack, muscles tensing as if he was prepared to flee.
"Yah but how..." he trailed off.
"You have obviously just been kissed, Spot's been over here, plus it's kinda obvious to me at least." He paused then added,
"I don't care you are obviously happy so whom I to destroy your happiness. 'Asides I'm kinda in the same boat, 'cept he doesn't know I like him"
Racetrack's eyes widened, and his muscles relaxed ever so slightly.
"So that's why you were in the card shop! Spot was right."
Jack nodded, smiling lightly happy to see his friend relax.
"He's getting it on Valentines day but he won't know it's me."
"The others will try to find out who it is. What will you do if they find out?" There was genuine worry in his voice, making Jack smile at the concern.
"I'll stay at Medda's 'till I get enough money then I'll go to Santa Fe, just like I've always wanted to do, just a little earlier then planned."
Racetrack opened his mouth to say more but before he could say anything David called up from below.
"Cookies are here, best come down 'afore they've been eaten."
Jack could feel Racetrack's eyes on him and felt his cheeks heat up. Racktrack's eyes lit up and he hissed, "You've picked a difficult guy."
Flushing again Jack hissed back, "Shut up and don't tell anyone." before descending back down into the house. Once at the bottom he hugged David in greeting then Les, thankful that he was always hugging people.
"So what did you and Racetrack talk about?" Blink asked through a mouthful of cookie.
"Stuff," Jack said shrugging grabbing a cookie and eating it.
The night before Valentines day Jack couldn't sleep, he kept tossing and turning his mind conjuring up different scenarios all of which ended badly for him. When it was time for work he was quiet and with drawn. Racetrack sensing his mood and knowing the cause quietly told David that he'd work with Jack.
"Why?" David asked bewildered, a little upset that his best friend looked miserable and wouldn't talk.
" 'Cause Cowboy didn't sleep well last night so he won't function properly today."
And tomorrow until this whole secret admirer thing is done and he knows his answer.
Racetrack added in his mind. For Jack the day dragged on and on although he managed to paste a fake smile on his face, it was hard work and exhausting. Finally the Newsies trudged home, for the most part happy and talkative. Jack spotted Spot hidden in an alleyway and nudged Racetrack, whose face lit up at once when he saw Spot.
"Bring him with us." Jack said quietly, "One of us deserves to be happy."
When all of them and spot entered the house, Kloppman was waiting a familiar envelope in his hand.
"Ms. Medda asked me to give this to you David." he said, quietly though his vice seemed to cut through the noise. David looked suprised a look that Jack made to remember so on long winter nights in Santa Fe he could remember David.
"Oooh what is it?" He teased once his emotions were under control.
"I don't know." David answered truthfully.
"Well open it." Racetrack urged going to stand next to Jack in silent moral support. David looked nervous, and his hands were shaking as he opened the envelope, and Jack was positive his own legs were shaking though he was secretly glad that Racetrack was standing so the others couldn't see. As David read it his face turned an interesting color a mixture between white and red, which made the other Newsies crowd around all asking questions. Spot looked between David and Jack, before raising an eyebrow and tapping both Racetrack and Jack on the shoulders.
"Come on you two lets go talk." he said softly, steering them away.
"Hey! Where are you guys going?" Mush asked noticing them, "Aren't you going to stay to find out what the card says?" Jack opened his mouth, but Spot spoke before he could.
"Nah, I want to talk to them about the person I'm seeing." That gave them startled looks, but Spot ignored them and dragged Jack away, "Come get us when David finishes reading the card."
"Damn, now they're going to bug me about who you're seeing." Racetrack groaned when they were once again on the rooftop. " They already know I'm a good friend of yours."
"So? Not like that's stopped you before." Spot said dryly, looking at Jack. "I take it Race told you."
Jack nodded, and said. "I don't care, 'asides i have my own problem."
Racetrack snorted, leaning against Spot as if it were the most common thing to do. Spot after directing a glare at Jack that clearly stated Don't you dare make fun of me, allowed him to and even had a smile on his lips. Jack sighed and pulled his knees up to his chest staring moodily into the distance.
"You think they're done reading the card yet?" he asked his tone guarded, trying not to let anything slip that Spot might use to his advantage.
"Probably, you did make sure you didn't sign it right?" Spot asked, and Jack was sure that if Racetrack wasn't leaning on him, that Spot would have shrugged.
"Yah, I'm not stupid Spot." Jack said a touch angrily, before continuing in a softer tone. "Look, I'm not sure how this whole thing is going to end, but the chances are it's not going to end well. Racetrack already knows but if and when it ends poorly I'm going to help Medda for a while and then go to Santa Fe."
Spot looked at Jack like he was insane, and Jack took a deep breath.
"The reason I'm telling you, is because I want you to keep an eye on my guys. Especially David, 'cause if I don't know how he's doing I will go mad, I'll give you and Racetrack my address, so please I'm begging you do this for me won't you? You to Racetrack, I don't want to be left in the dark when I'm gone. "
He was fully aware of both Racetrack and Spot staring at him, but he couldn't bring himself to care, all he wanted was a promise from them both.
"I promise Jack," Racetrack said, "If you keep me updated about how you are doing so I can tell the others if they still care about you how you are doing."
"I promise also," Spot said, "Though it would be kinda stupid for the guys to turn away from you, ya know?"
Jack stared at him for a moment before he broke out into a large grin, his heart once again feeling light.
"Thanks you two, but why would it be stupid?"
Racetrack exchanged a look with Spot and said, "'Cause you've looked out for us, and started the strike and all, they'd be complete idiots to not realize you are not going to do anything that they don't want you to."
"But I scabbed,"
"Yah, but you had a reason, you were protecting us. Honestly Jack you can be so stupid sometimes."
Jack had to laugh, at that and acknowledge that they were right. It felt good being on the roof, with two guys who looked like the whole world was perfect and who were so in love that if they didn't get married someway or somehow he'd eat his bandanna. There were foot steps coming up the ladder and Race sprang backwards with ease of long practice so that when David poked his head out, Racetrack and Spot were talking about horses and Jack was gazing into the distance.
"Can I talk to Jack alone please?" David asked climbing onto the roof, "The guys want to know who your seeing Spot and they swore that even if you killed 'em they'd come back to haunt you and find out."
Jack had to laugh at that, and imagined all of the ghost newsies watching as Spot and Race made out among other things.
"Wonder how long they'd last as ghosts." he mused thoughtfully ignoring the identical glares that both Spot and Race shot him.
"'Come on Spot lets go face the music," Racetrack said getting up but before he started his descent he lightly whacked Jack on the shoulder.
"Don't kill anyone Spot," Jack called as Spot followed his boyfriend, and he could swear that Spot's eyes were not at all focused on his feet. Jack turned to face David, trying to keep his face neutral, to keep any emotion not usually there away. It got harder as David sat really close to him but somehow he sort of managed it, though not completely.
"So, the guys are positive that some girl likes me and I know who it is." David said lightly, as if he were talking about the weather.
"They are only partly right though, I think I know who wrote it." Jack raised an eyebrow trying to look nonchalant, though inside his heart was hammering and his muscles were tensed ready to spring up and flea to Medda's.
"Really? Who?" he asked lightly, keeping his eyes firmly on the sky line and not on David, since he figured that he'd end up doing something he regretted later if he looked at David.
"Well, I was reading the card and realized something, there are only a handful of people who know how much I like Shakespeare, and all of them except for one person doesn't know I hang out here more then any other place anymore." Jack froze, his mind now going into full panic mode, though years of learning to think on the spot managed to calm his mind down just a hair.
"So, do you like this girl?" He asked, standing up and walking to the railing and leaning on it, trying to make the move casual.
"Yes I do, a whole lot. Problem is this girl is acting like she doesn't care so either she meant it as a joke or she's just nervous, and if she nervous then I'd just like her to kiss me." Jack stared at him before saying slowly.
"Maybe this girl doesn't mean it as a joke, but knowing how most people think about that type of relationship is just wanting to keep from being soaked so badly that she can't work to earn enough to go to Santa Fe." There the truth was out, in away and David could take it anyway he wanted, with a sigh he pushed himself away from the rail and turned to head back inside.
"Jack," David's voice was soft and stunned, but his hand that grabed Jack's arm was strong.
"Yah? What?" He knew his voice was a little on the sharp side, but seriously he needed to leave and go back to Medda's so he could leave as soon as possible. David didn't say anything but just stepped closer to him until their chests were touching.
"Davey," Jack whispered, feeling his breath hitch, "Please you don't know what you are doing to me."
David laughed lightly before wrapping his arms around Jack and gently tugged him down so that their lips could meet. Just before they kissed though, David said
"I don't care, just don't leave me." Then their lips met and the world disappeared and with it all of the troubles.
"It's about time." a voice said when they parted for air and they spun around to see everyone watching them.
"You guys..." Jack trailed off watching them warily, muscles tensed again.
"Spot told us," Mush said shrugging, "We don't care as long as you don't flaunt it that much, you two are happy and after all's that's happened you deserve it."
"Did he tell you the rest?" Jack asked innocently, wrapping his arms around David and tugging him closer.
"There's more?" Everyone turned to Spot who was at that point making out with Racetrack. Jack had to laugh at that, it was just to perfect Spot looked up and looked like he was torn between fleeing and soaking Jack.
"So that's why you're always around here now a-days." said Blink calmly, before turning to head back inside. "Let's go inside, it's a bit cold out here." David and Jack exchanged a glance before following Blink, and Jack realized that although somethings would change, he would still have his friends and David would be by his side so for the moment everything was perfect.
Fin.
End Notes:
I'm not exactly sure how people in 1899 veiwed homosexuals, but I just wanted there to be a happy ending. So Jack's friends don't care, I just had to have Spot and Race get caught. :) Sonnet from http:/www (dot)shakespeares-sonnets(dot)com/xviiicomm (dot)htm