Disclaimer: No characters from Newsies are truly mine. Please note that some adult content is present in a few of the following chapters.
A/N: This idea has been half-formed since writing a small spot of Spavid last summer. I thank moseph for prompting me the line that broke the story wide open, polyesterrage and studentnumber24601 for poking me to write this unconventional pairing, and D for her unflagging support.
In my mind, all Spavid starts with Javid, so that is where we begin.
Chapter 1 – Jack Be Nimble
Jack leaned over the railing of the Jacobs' fire escape balcony just to feel the dizziness. He bounced back, knocking elbows with David, and let his head spin while he waited for Dave to take his cue and play the part of interested listener by asking what had happened next. Then Jack could reveal his big final triumph of the night and maybe they would go back inside and celebrate. Maybe Sarah was hiding a cake in the cabinet for just this kind of occasion.
"So? Then what?" David finally contributed. He wasn't nearly as excited as Jack wanted him to sound, but it was good enough.
"So then Boss Greene looks hard at me for a long time, right? And he says, 'You got it, mister. Be there Saturday. You're up first.' First!" Smiling, Jack whapped David on the arm. "You believe that, Davey? Only been with these guys a few weeks and already they got me first on the docket for their rally."
Jack held the railing tight and leaned back, letting his arms tug at his shoulder sockets, and swayed. He crashed into David once, swung away and then back, making it twice. Still David wasn't smiling. He didn't smile enough in general by Jack's standards, but usually Jack could tease him into one or two. That was less and less possible since David had started school again. Jack figured school was enough to get anyone down, but still. No matter how he tried to distract Dave or get him excited, nothing worked. Sometimes it seemed like there was something David wanted, but Jack certainly didn't know what it was. He'd give it to him if he knew, and if he could.
"Saturday's gonna be big, Dave. Bigger than our rally was, and you can bet there'll be more than one reporter there. The papes will cover this story for sure. Boss Greene's making sure we're heard. Stuff like what happened to your pop shouldn't happen to no one, and -- "
David just stared out and up at the strip of darkening sky between the tenements. "The rally is this Saturday?"
"Yeah. I got four days to come up with something really good to say. Hey, you got any ideas? You're the Walking Mouth with the brain and all. I was thinking about something like what Denton said -- about how the city needs its laborers, you know?"
David pursed his lips in thought, then rocked sideways to face Jack, propping himself on one elbow. That nagging sensation began to gnaw at Jack's stomach. This was about to get serious.
Fixing his gaze directly on Jack, David said levelly, "We're supposed to go to Brooklyn on Saturday."
"Oh, right." Jack dropped his smile for the first time since he'd arrived at the Jacobs'. "Spot."
"Yes." David's tone was dangerously calm. It made Jack feel somehow hollow inside. "A meeting with Spot you set up."
Jack ducked his head and tugged at the cuffs of his coat -- already the nights were getting colder.
"And besides that, we were going to sell together on Saturdays. That was the plan for when I started school, right? Know how many times you've made it?"
Jack winced and didn't bother with the math because he knew David was about to tell him anyway.
"Once, Jack. One Saturday."
Jack straightened up in his own defense. "Two."
"No. One. The last time we sold together before school started doesn't count. And anyway, that was five weeks ago."
Jack shifted around to lean back against the fire escape railing and peered through the window to where Sarah played cards with Les. He shrugged. "Les says you guys have been making a killing on Saturdays even without me. Taught you pretty good, I guess." He grinned and ruffled David hair. David batted his hand away and kept his sour look. Jack heaved a sigh and gave in to his seriousness.
"All right, Davey, I forgot about this weekend and Spot and everything. But I'm asking you, as a friend, to go see him for me. Boss has heard of him and was impressed we're friends -- he wants to get to know Spot better." Even peripherally Jack caught David's eye-roll. "See, if I can get Spot on board, we could do some real organizing, he and me. Boss Greene says that's part of the plan."
"Oh it is, is it?"
Jack ignored that and attempted a shift in direction. "Maybe you can pick up the afternoon edition in Brooklyn. Spot'll let you sell there."
David glowered.
Jack knew he was wheedling. "Spot won't mind it's just you, I promise."
David smacked the heels of his hands against the metal railing and shoved away. "That's not the point!"
"Then what is the point?"
"It's always the same point, Jack." David's voice was raised, urgent. "You've got to live up to your word. You've got to do what you say you're going to."
If Jack had planned a witty response, it died on his tongue. "I said I was coming here tonight and I made it," he offered.
"Yes, you did. Never mind that Sarah and Mama had to wait dinner half an hour for you."
"That's only because Boss Greene was . . ."
David cut him off with a disgusted grunt and snapped, "Just shut up, Jack."
Jack did. He kept quiet for a minute or so, his attention bouncing between Sarah's laugh and smile inside and David's crossed arms and frown across from him. The yellow patches of glow from the Jacobs' windows were the only light they had now. Mister Jacobs would call David in soon.
Eventually, David sighed and resumed his place at the landing ledge. "Things just changed so fast."
He was right. After their strike, Jack and David had been local celebrities. Jack had never sold so many papers and job offers came left and right. Boss Greene's was the best, though, and it included free room and board at a house for Greene's men. The place wasn't much, but it was a mansion compared to the lodge. Then Mister Jacobs found work as a shop clerk (which Jack suspected Greene had a hand in, but he hadn't mentioned that yet) and Dave started back at school. Jack still picked up a few papes to sell if he knew he'd be trekking through the old hot spots on business anyway, and he was supposed to sell with David on Saturdays, but he'd mostly parted ways with the newsies. Already he saw kids on corners whose faces and names he didn't know. He barely even saw Davey -- or Sarah, for that matter -- anymore. Hard to believe it used to be every day.
Harder to believe he'd gotten accustomed to that routine so fast, and that he hadn't thought once about Santa Fe since the strike ended.
"Yeah. Yeah, they sure did." Something about the way David had said it stopped him from adding, for the better. "But we're still partners, Davey, right?"
"Newspaper selling partners, yeah."
Jack scooted over, swung an arm around David's shoulders, and jostled him some. "Nah. We're more than that."
For a second Jack thought he'd pressed too tight because David's expression was pained, but then he sighed and gave Jack that doubtful-but-resigned look. Jack smiled and slapped his shoulder before letting go and pushing away from the railing. "So you'll do it, then? You'll go?"
"Spot's expecting you. This is your deal. I don't work for Greene -- "
Jack stopped listening. Sink or swim, that's what the Boss was always saying. And David could swim. He was just one of those people that needed a push into the water.
"Yeah, but Davey, I need you to talk to him since I can't be there. You got the magic mouth, remember?" Playfully, Jack cupped David's chin. But instead of yanking out of his grasp or rolling his eyes like Jack expected him to, David didn't move.
Even in the low light Jack could see how blue David's eyes were, and he could see that want of something within them. It was somehow on his lips, too, sitting there unspoken. A secret. Mesmerized, Jack rubbed his thumb over David's parted lips and watched its slow progress. He looked up to find David's eyes closed.
Jack dropped back into his senses with a start and wrenched his hand away. He faked a cough to make it seem normal.
Silence still hung between the boys as Mister Jacobs' face appeared and the window. "David," he said softly, "it's time to come in now."
David didn't answer. He pierced Jack with a stare Jack couldn't read.
Jack took a few steps back, surprised to find his legs felt weak. "All right, well, hey -- see you around. Don't forget about Saturday. And, you know, thanks." He waved a hasty goodbye without meeting either man's eyes, clambered down the fire escape, and didn't allow himself to linger when he reached the street.
