Title: The Beginning Of The Story.

Summary: The years is not 1899, but Jack and David's first meeting is not going to be any smoother.

Warnings: None.

Notes: Jack/Davey Modern Setting AU.

OoOoO

David Jacobs was not having a very good day.

The fact Sara texted him to say she wasn't going to make it five minutes after the time they had agreed to meet did nothing to improve his mood. In any case, there was no reason for him to stay in the coffee shop any longer. He sighed, putting the book he had been reading away and shouldering his bag before reaching for his coffee cup.

Frigid air hit David's face as soon as he opened the door, making him wish he had stayed inside a little longer, even if he knew he had to face the cold weather eventually. A buzzing noise from his pocket made him pause just outside the coffee shop. David was just about to take his phone out when something hard collided with him, making the coffee he had been holding spill all over the front of his coat.

David's breath catch in his throat as the guy stared at him with wide and bright hazel eyes. He didn't even bother to look down at the mess he caused.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Running," He replied with a hint of a smile before taking off.

David glared at his retreating back, watching as a strip of red fabric billowed after him. That didn't last long, though. A few seconds later the door was thrown open once again and a couple of guys ran through it, colliding with David even harder and almost toppling him over. They ran after the first guy, not even sparing him a glance.

"Damn it," He muttered, glaring after them,

At least the cup hadn't been filled to the brim with scalding coffee, David thought morosely as he looked down at the soaked front of his coat with a grimace.

It probably hadn't been the best idea to stand only a foot or two away from the door, but it wasn't his fault if he hadn't expected someone to run out of the coffee shop and into him in the few seconds it was going to take him to pull out his phone and see who had texted him.

David looked down at the mess one more time. He couldn't just keep the dirty coat and scarf, so he was going to have to go back home to change- unless he was willing to take off his coat and brave the cold at least until it dried. The mere thought of doing that made him shiver.

Great. He was going to be late now.

He picked the empty cup off the ground with a sigh and threw it on the nearby trash can. He looked back in the direction the three rude strangers had gone before walking in the opposite direction.

"Hey!" A strange voice called, making David look up from his phone in time to see a guy with a charming smile walking toward him. "You're the guy I bumped into the other day."

Over a week had already passed since the incident, so it took David a moment to recognize him. Slightly long light brown hair, bright hazel eyes, and the same red scarf wrapped around his neck. David had been too annoyed back then to pay too much attention to how handsome the strange guy was, but he didn't have that excuse today.

And now, he was annoyed with himself for thinking about that. He let that annoyance color his next words, which was a very easy thing to do now that he was thinking back to that day outside the coffee shop.

"I am," He confirmed with a nod. "And you're the guy who made me drop coffee all over myself and left without so much as an apology."

The guy winced. "Yeah, sorry about that. I would have stayed to apologize and stuff, but I was in a bit of a hurry."

"I noticed that," David said curtly.

"Wait. You weren't hurt or anything, right?"

David was surprised by the honest concern on the guy's face. His frown eased. "No. No, nothing serious happened. The coffee wasn't that hot, so it wasn't too bad. But you did make me late," He added pointedly.

The strange offered him a sheepish grin. "I'm really sorry about what happened. I didn't mean to cause you any trouble or nothing."

David held the guy's light and earnest gaze for a moment before letting out a sigh. A late apology was better than no apology at all, he supposed. The guy could have easily ignored him today and David wouldn't have even realized he was here again.

"It's fine."

The dazzling smile was back in the blink of an eye. "Why don't I make it up to you by buying you a warm and fresh cup of coffee?"

"That's not necessary. I-"

"I insist. The least I can do is replace the coffee I made you drop. Please?" He added with a pout that should have been ridiculous on someone his age, but somehow David found it cute. Damn it!

"Alright," He agreed hesitantly.

"Great!"

The couple of pats on the back that accompanied the word made David turn sharply to the beaming boy, but rather than break the contact the other guy used the hand on David's shoulder to steer him in the direction of the short waiting line by the counter. David let out a sigh when the hand was finally withdrawn. He had never been good with physical contact, and well. The guy was very attractive and a total stranger, which made him feel even more awkward.

"Name's Jack. Jack Kelly," The guy introduced himself with yet another bright smile. He even held out his hand.

He looked at the hand before taking it. "David."

The line wasn't long. Just five other people standing between them and the counter. He watched the man on the front move aside to wait for his order as Jack spoke again.

"So, Davey. You aren't a regular 'round here, are you?" Jack asked casually. "I don't remember seeing you before."

David blinked. Who was this guy who used a nickname on someone he just met and then proceeded to act all friendly? Especially after the terrible first impression he made not too long ago.

"I- no, not really. My favorite coffee shop closed a few weeks ago and I've been visiting a few places," He explained. "I like it here, though. They have good coffee."

"They sure do. The best around here," Jack added before turning to look at the other people in line.

"And you?" David asked, realizing what a stupid thing to ask it was only after he asked it. God, he should have just kept his mouth shut.

"Hmm. Oh, yeah. My friend Crutchy works here, so I'm around all the time."

He frowned. "Crutchy?"

"Yeah. It's a nickname."

"I granted that much," David said dryly. His breath caught in his throat when he saw Jack's lips curl up into a grin.

"Right. Well, if you've come here before you must have seen him. He's the nicest and cutest fella you'll ever meet. Got a smile that lights up the whole room. He also has a crutch," Jack added almost as an afterthought. As if that was just one small part of his friend and not something that defined him.

David started to wonder how true the 'friend' label really was with each word he heard- at least until he recalled having met a barista that fit that description to a t. He frowned again only a second later.

"Isn't that a bit demeaning?"

Jack cocked his head slightly to the side. "Nah, he's cool with it. He likes Crutchy a ton better than he likes his name."

"Okay."

"Hey, Dutchy!" Jack greeted the man behind the counter with a bright smile.

"Hiya Cowboy," The other guy replied with a grin. "A new friend?"

"Yeah. This Davey," Jack wrapped his arm around David's shoulder as he introduced him. "Davey, this Dutchy. Duchy, Davey."

"Uh. Hi."

"Nice to meet you," The guy offered him a friendly smile before turning to Jack with a pointed look. "Now Kelly, some of us have a job to do, so you better cut the chit chat."

"Yeah, yeah." Jack rolled his eyes good-naturedly before turning to Dave to order first.

"Just a black coffee please." He left out the size since he wasn't the one who would be paying for it, and looked back at Jack.

"Hot chocolate. With whipped cream and marshmallows, and lots of sprinkles. Both large, please."

David had no idea what he had been expecting him, a total stranger to order, but he was still surprised. He stammered a thank you along with Jack's, and they moved to the side to wait for their drinks after Jack paid for them.

"Cowboy?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah," Jack said, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's a silly nickname from when I was a kid."

David bit his lip to hold back a smile. He was more than a little curious about the nickname but remained silent. He wasn't comfortable asking more when they had just met.

"Crutchy's shift hasn't started yet," Jack said, continuing the conversation from minutes before. "Or I would introduce you so you can corroborate the nickname it's one hundred percent consensual."

"That's not- I'm sorry. It's none of my business, I-"

"S'okay. It's actually nice to meet someone who cares about someone they don't know instead of being a total jerk just 'cause that person is different."

It wasn't really a compliment, not really, but David still felt his cheeks turn warm. He really needed to get out of here before he embarrassed himself further.

Fortunately, or not, they didn't have to wait long.

Jack reached for David's cup of coffee, presenting it to him with an exaggerated bow. "Please allow me to cover my deepest apologies for my barbaric behavior with this rich, hot beverage, sir."

David looked nervously around, finding a couple of people looking their way. It would be so easy to think Jack was making fun of him, but for some reason he found himself smiling back.

"Apology accepted, gentleman, but you should be more careful next time you decide to play around with those friends of yours. Others may not be as forgiving as I am."

"You're absolutely right, good sir. I shall follow your wise advice," Jack replied with a solemn bow, hazel eyes dancing with mirth when they met David's.

David's smile grew. He realized they were just standing there looking at each other when someone brushed past him. He averted his eyes, willing the blush on his face to go away before the other guy saw it.

Their fingers brushed when David finally reached for the cup, and he had to struggle not to drop it at the electrifying feeling caused by the contact. Jack's eyes were on his face, large and bright, and watching him as if he wasn't the only one who felt it, whatever that was.

Neither spoke a word as Jack moved to reach for his hot chocolate, their eyes meeting briefly before they walked away from the counter side by side.

"Also, just for the record, those guys aren't my friends."

"Oh?"

"Oscar and Morris, the guys that were chasing me. They're just a couple of jerks that show up here sometimes and like to mess around with people."

"Okay," David accepted with a nod. After their brief conversation, he had a pretty good idea of what happened before Jack and the other two guys ran out of the coffee shop. "I, uh. I should get going now."

"Oh, okay." Was he imagining a hint of disappointment in Jack's face? David really hoped not. "I guess I'll see you around?"

"Maybe," David said with a tentative smile. "Thank you for the coffee."

Jack brushed it off. "Thank you for not punching me in the face or something."

"Is that a reaction you get a lot?" He asked teasingly.

The other boy laughed, the rich, enthralling sound making David wonder just how perfect a person could be.

"You have no idea."

David wasn't that surprised by that. Just a look at Jack's mischievous eyes and his cocky smile told him he was someone prone to getting in trouble. What did surprise him was the fact he didn't mind that one bit. He cleared his throat. "You're welcome, I guess."

Jack nodded before taking a sip of his hot chocolate.

He forced his eyes away from Jack's lips. "I do need to get going now."

"You better come back, though," Jack warned playfully, making him turn back to look at him. "I have to introduce you to Cruthy."

"Oh. Right." He blinked. "I do want to meet him."

"Of course you do. Everyone wants to meet him," Jack's boyish grin made David's heart skip a beat.

Oh, God. How could he be so smitten with someone he had known for maybe ten minutes? That kind of thing just didn't happen to him. It just didn't. David needed to call Sara right away. She may give him a hard time first, but she would help.

"Uh. Bye."

"See ya, Davey."

David forced himself to turn around and walk away from Jack and his bright smiles.

He was going to come back. And soon. David decided that when he looked through the glass window and found Jack looking at him. Rather than look away Jack smiled, waving at him with the cup clutched in his hand.

David waved back, a smile pulling at his lips.

OoOoO

a/n: This is yet one more story rescued from my drafts. I did some editing before posting, but I'm still not one hundred percent happy with it. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this and I'll love to hear your thoughts. Thank you for reading!

This is unbetaed and I'm not a native speaker, so please feel free to point out any mistake you may find.

Title of the series comes once again from the song Polaroid by Imagine Dragons.