Katherine Pulitzer often wondered what she had done to deserve the playful, beautiful idiot that was Jack Kelly. Between his boyish spirit, natural leadership skills, and extreme devotion to everyone and everything in his life, there were times she swore it was all a utopian dream. But the luck of having Jack by her side was only multiplied with each member of his family she learned to love.

It had been hard to deal with the chaos at first. Thirty teenage newsies made more noise than a herd of elephants on a rampage, and Katherine found she spent most of her time at the lodge house up on the roof with Jack or small talking with Crutchie and Davey, practically the only two of the boys that could sit still for longer than three minutes. She'd needed to ease herself into the newsies' lives, starting by spending only ten minutes at the lodge house and slowly staying longer and longer, until she was finally able to spend a few hours at the messy home, as she was today.

As she walked briskly down the street, slightly more than a block away, she could already hear the voices floating through the air. She caught random phrases, like "Where's the salt?" or "That's my shoe you idiot!", and she felt a small smile stretch across her face.

She could picture the scene in her head, each one of the boys trying to complete the one task they have to do to get dinner ready, and yet still getting distracted by any comment anyone made. After living in high society most of her life, it was strange to watch the newsies function. From the outside it always seemed like complete chaos, all of them running around and bumping into each other. And yes, Katherine couldn't deny that more often than not the day ended with at least one bruised wrist or scraped knee, but as she grew closer to the boys she started to see the intricacy of their routine.

For example, at the end of every meal they all rushed to wash the dishes, the youngs scrubbing away at the pots and plates while the older and taller newsies put them away in the cabinets. Cleanup (a rare occurrence) was even more complex, with each one of the boys taking on a job and dancing around each other in order to get it done.

Katherine hadn't yet found her place within the system, but Jack promised she'd fit into it eventually. For now her job was simply to stay out of the way, make sure no one broke anything (both inside and outside their bodies), and give herself a short breather from socializing with the rowdy teengers.

By the time she reached the door, she wasn't sure anyone would be able to hear her knock over the commotion. But of course Jack knew it was her, or he'd just been standing behind the door waiting, because he opened it for her only a second after her knuckles left the wood.

A grin split across his face at the sight of her. "'Afternoon, m'lady," he greeted her as she stepped in, slipping her coat off her shoulders and hanging it on the makeshift coat rack in the hallway. Katherine shut the door behind her, thus blocking her "inappropriate actions" from the nosy world outside, and brushed her lips against Jack's as he pulled her close. His right cheek was smudged with ink and his cap sat awkwardly atop his messy hair, but his unkempt appearance had always been so much more attractive. Katherine had met enough stuck-up suitors in stuffy suits to last a lifetime.

"How're you doing, handsome?" she asked, pushing a stray dark curl out of his hazel eyes. The corner of Jack's mouth quirked up as he replied readily, "Better now that you's here."

Katherine rolled her eyes at the remark, even though inside she found it unbelievably endearing. She opened her mouth to respond, maybe with some quick and sharp-witted comment, but she was interrupted before a single sound even left her mouth.

It was amazing how easy it had been to block out the flurry of voices until then, but the second a question was directed at them it pierced the air like an arrow.

"Hey, Jack, do you know where th–" Crutchie cut himself off abruptly, standing in the doorway and glancing nervously at Jack and Katherine, who still stood in a tight embrace. He lowered his gaze and started to shuffle away. "Sorry, I'll jus'–"

"It's okay, Crutch," Jack untangled his fingers from Katherine's and stepped away, but not without shooting her a warm smile that said I'll be back for you. He walked off to help the younger boy, and Katherine took advantage of the moment of solidarity to brace herself. She took in a deep breath through her nose, let it out slowly through her mouth, and walked into the house to greet the other newsies.

Race spotted her first, setting aside the stack of plates he was holding and sauntering over. "Well, if it isn't the famous Katherine Plumber," he said, his words slightly obscured by the cigar he held between his teeth. "You's managing to keep up with work 'tween all that smoochin' up on the roof?"

Katherine swatted him lightly, muttering under her breath, "Nice to see you too, Race," as she passed by. Her reaction only seemed to egg him on, however, as his playful smirk grew wider and he followed her through the room, making kissing noises as he went.

All the boys picked up on her presence pretty quickly once the mocking began, and being the bored teenagers that they were, they joined in with barely a moment's hesitation. Soon enough Katherine was standing amidst a noisy chorus of smacking lips and sucking noises. Katherine just rolled her eyes and stood in the doorway, waiting for a break in the awkward melody — it was amazing how even now, five months after they had gotten together, she and Jack were still being teased relentlessly by all the other newsies. In that aspect Katherine was definitely glad she didn't have to live with them all.

Davey was her rescuer, as usual, and he broke his way through the crowd. "That's enough, guys," he said, a sharp edge to his voice. It took a few more tries, but the boys finally started to quiet down and get back to their preparation and tasks for dinner. Davey ran off to stop Les from trying to balance a stack of five glasses in one hand, and Katherine remained by the doorway, watching the boys work and greeting each one that passed her.

Everything was set up for dinner by the time Jack and Crutchie returned from the bunk room, and Katherine was heading to the kitchen to help bring out the food when she felt a warm pair of arms slither around her waist and stopped in her tracks. "I swear you get more clingy every day," she shook her head ruefully as Jack kissed the tip of her ear.

"Can ya blame me?" He cocked his head charmingly as Katherine spun around in his arms, pecking her on the cheek when her head was turned. This was all it took to get the boys hyped up again, and the noisy chorus of smooches and whistles started up from behind them. Jack was better at dealing with the newsies than Katherine, however, and he held his hands up to quiet them. "Alright, we gets it, fellas," the words rolled easily off his tongue as he smirked at them. "Jus' 'cause you's all jealous don't mean you gotta give Katherine a hard time."

Needless to say, the boys' reaction was ridiculously defensive, each of them yelling out their own snarky tease and reason why they could never be jealous of them, but anyone with half a brain knew that with Jack being the first newsie to keep a steady relationship, he was a figure to envy. They only quieted when Jack and Katherine returned from the kitchen, bearing a pot of warm stew, a platter of slightly stale rolls, and a plate of cheap cheeses.

It was always quantity over quality with the newsies, who would eat practically anything so long as it filled their stomach. Katherine still struggled eating with them, as the food was pretty bad compared to what she ate at home, and an aspect of guilt played into the meals as well. The newsies struggled to get a single roll every day; a meal such as today's was considered a splurge on their part, and it felt wrong to take the pleasure away from them.

As soon as the food was placed on the table, the area became a mess of grabbing fingers and excited voices. Katherine was surprised she managed to grab hold of a small roll for herself between all the chaos, but once she was done caring for herself she turned her attention to Jack, who sat silently beside, waiting for everyone to eat before he took anything. His instinct had always been to make sure everyone else was happy before himself, and while it was a good quality to have, more often than not it ended up with Jack scraping up the remains out of the stew pot for his own dinner.

"You want anything?" Katherine nudged him lightly with her elbow to get his attention. He started to protest immediately, but Katherine blocked him out, going in for another roll and a slice of cheese, placing them on Jack's plate.

"It's fine, Ace, I'll jus' eat late–"

"I will not hesitate to shove this food in your mouth, Jack." She could see the frustration on his face, but he knew better than to fight back, so he picked up the roll and took a bite, giving Katherine a look that said, There. Happy now? They had this conversation practically every time Katherine came over, and while Jack loved to keep in the illusion that he didn't need anything so long as everyone else was happy, she knew he appreciated her taking care of him once in a while.

Even when the grabs for food came to an end, the table still wasn't quiet. Davey was trying to keep Les from piling five slices of cheese on one roll, Albert was gurgling his water – "I needs to freshen up!" – and soon Jack was no longer eating at Katherine's side, but rather standing at the other end of the table to help pull Race off of Elmer, who had tried to steal the former's cigar when he wasn't looking. Such were meals with the newsies, and while the experience tended to be overwhelming, Katherine loved it. There was something about watching the drama unfold, the boys quarreling playfully like real brothers, that filled the hole in Katherine's chest left by her own absence of siblings.

It took a while, but after about an hour and a half the meal was finished, the dishes were washed, and most of the crumbs that littered the floor since dinner had been swept up. While Jack went to tell Race he was in charge for now (and also secretly tell Crutchie that he was in charge of Race), Katherine waited for him by the stairs to the roof. It had become a tradition of theirs to head up there after the meal and talk, as they both had so much work they almost never got a moment of quiet to themselves. The meetings on the roof didn't go without incident, of course, but it was better than nothing.

Katherine was actually surprised how easily the boys let her and Jack leave together. Normally at least one tried to follow them up, or they just gathered at the bottom of the stairs for another long round of teasing, but today the trip up the stairs was quiet aside from the creaking of the old wood. The cold winter air whipped Katherine's hair around her face and chilled her skin, but she warmed up slightly once she and Jack sat down, their backs against the barriers of the rooftop.

They could have sat in quietly for a while, fingers intertwined, but Jack's stomach broke the silence and let out a short growl. Katherine could see the boy cringe as the sound rang through the air, and he clutched his stomach as if to try and muffle the noise, a guilty look rising onto his face as he met Katherine's eyes. "I did eat," he grumbled, averting his gaze.

"I know," Katherine nodded. "But you really have to keep eating, Jack. It's dangerous."

"I haves a good reason…"

"And what's that?"

Jack bit his lip in hesitation and sighed, tilting his head up to the starry sky. "I's never been good at this stuff, y'know."

"What stuff?" Katherine asked, confused.

"Feelin's. Openin' up. Even when it's somethin' good, I can never jus'... say it."

She waited patiently by Jack's side, waiting for him to continue. If his reason was so big it was a challenge for him to tell her, she knew she had to let him take his time. Jack hated exposing his weaknesses, even to Katherine.

His face softened with a strange sense of vulnerability, and he subconsciously squeezed her hand as he started talking. "I's loved you since I met you, Ace. Since that one moment on the street, and then later at the theater… I knew you was special. But special girls like you jus' don't end up with stree guys like me. You've done everythin' for me, given me everythin' you could… but I can't return the favor. All I can offer is a day's meal and a roof over your head, barely even that. You's jus' so amazing and you deserves so much more, and I jus… I don't understand why you want me."

Katherine was taken aback. She'd seen the boy at her side filled with joy, mad enough to lead a teenage rebellion, and even in tears, but he'd never let his guard down this much before. She wasn't exactly sure how to respond, either, not being much of a feelings-y person herself. She could feel Jack watching her as she took a moment to process his words, mentally removing the New York accent, which grew thicker the more stressed he became. He'd already started muttering to himself about "his stupid big mouth that ruined their relationship" when Katherine cut him off.

"Do you want to know what you've given me?" She phrased the sentence as a question but didn't wait for a response. "You and your strike gave me a chance to finally make my way into the big papers and articles, something I couldn't even dream of before I met you. You welcomed me into your home and made me a part of the newsie family, giving me thirty crazy teenage brothers who drive me insane and I couldn't live without. You've gave me an escape from my father and his judgy home, and replaced it with humor that can cheer me up even on the worst days. And you, just by being you… you gave me hope. Hope that not every guy I would meet would be a stuffy, stuck-up friend of my father's. Hope that I could make a difference in the world, by that I wouldn't have to do it alone. If anything, I should be asking you why you want me."

Jack's hazel eyes glazed over with tears as he examined Katherine's face, holding her gaze and squeezing her hand even tighter as he whispered, "You's the only one I could ever want," before cupping his hand against her cheek and brushing his lips against hers.

The gesture was imbued with love and passion, but Jack's muscles still felt tense as Katherine ran her hands over his arms. He broke away easily, and his face seemed flushed with a strange sense of anxiety. Katherine was about to ask if he was okay when he murmured, "Aw, what the hell," and turned to face her. "Katherine… I knows you's already part of the family, and I don't want to mess anythin' up, but… Well, I's been meanin' to ask you, and I wasn't sure how with all the teasin' from the boys and…" He took a deep breath, his exhale fogging in the cold air. Then he met her gaze, his eyes glittery with tears, and a small lovestruck smile across his mouth. "I wants you to be a Kelly."

Katherine was still trying to process the words when Jack pulled out a tiny box from his pocket and snapped it open for her, exposing a thin silver ring encrusted with a small, circular amethyst. She could feel her eyes flood with salty drops of water and her hands come to her mouth in order to stifle her gasp. Her hair flew wildly around her as she nodded enthusiastically, and she let Jack slip the ring on her finger.

The thin band of metal was cool against her warm skin, and while the ring was a little small and pinched her skin, it was perfect. Katherine was still admiring it when she finally came back down to Earth, and she grabbed hold of Jack's hand. "How much did this cost you?"

"Not that much," Jack shrugged, lowering his gaze to the floor. "Only a few dollars."

"A few dollars?! Jack, that's crazy! You can't afford that!"

"I figured it out, Ace. Besides, I's already payed for it. There's nothin' you can do."

"Is this why you haven't been eating?" Katherine questioned, fixing him with an incredulous look. "You've been skipping meals to save up money?"

A guilty look crossed Jack's features as she said the words. "You noticed that, huh?" He blew out a puff of air, tilting his head up to the sky and pulling his cap off his head so he could fidget with it. "I's wanted to do something special for you. And it's fine, a few missed meals won't kill me."

"They could." Katherine wasn't sure what pushed her to say the words, but once they left her mouth there was no taking them back, and they hung ominously in the air. The silence between them was oddly loud, and Katherine almost missed it when Jack whispered into the night, his voice quivering slightly, "I know."

She waited a few more seconds before she turned back to him and took his hand. "It's okay, Jack," she said softly, brushing dark curls out of his eyes. He hesitantly met her gaze, and she offered a tiny smile. "Just don't do it again, okay?"

Jack started nodding, then stopped abruptly and started, "But the weddin'..."

Katherine had to admit that with all the technicalities of how Jack had gotten her a ring in the first place, the reason he'd given it to her had somehow slipped her mind. It seemed insane – how could she forget his marriage proposal moments after it had left his mouth? And even so, she felt herself suddenly taken aback once again, reprocessing the words. Her stomach suddenly rushed with giddy butterflies as she finally digested the deeper meaning of the ring on her finger.

She couldn't help herself. Katherine turned to Jack, flung her arms around him, and pushed her lips onto his. After taking a moment to get his bearings, Jack leaned in and kissed her back with equal amounts of passion. It felt like a dream, the cold night wind blowing past them and the moon shining down like a spotlight as Jack held Katherine in his arms and carressed her back with soft, warm hands. It felt like they'd sat there for a lifetime and for a few seconds at the same time, but either way Katherine felt a disappointment when Jack pulled away lightly, not wanting the moment to end.

"Seriously, Ace, I has to get you somethin' for the weddin'. I wants it to be at least a little proper." He told her, taking her hand in his and examining the ring that was sitting snugly on her finger. "It feels wrong to take everythin' you's known in your own life away…"

"We'll figure it out," Katherine promised, slipping her fingers in between Jack's. "And for the record, I was never such a huge fan of high society life. We can have a tiny party here at the lodge house, with Davey as the minister and the boys as the crowd, and it would still be perfect."

"Oh, god, the boys!" Jack groaned, untangling his hand from Katherine's to bring it to his face and bury his features in it. "We's never gonna hear the end of them once they find out."

Katherine just grinned. "Don't worry. I've picked up a few things over these dinner visits. Between the two of us I think we can get them back for anything they throw at us."

"Yeah," Jack returned her smile, a rueful edge to his own expression. "Man, with you in the mix April Fool's gonna be literal hell."

"We'll get through it," Katherine laughed. "After all, we're an unstoppable pair."

Jack placed his hand on her cheek, turning her face towards his so he could meet her eyes. Katherine could feel herself drowning in the hazel depths of his irises as he told her, "I love you, Katherine Pulitzer."

With another small kiss on the lips, the two of them settled down against the roof barrier, Katherine leaning her head on Jack's shoulder. They spent the rest of the night watching the stars twinkle, the only break in the silence being Katherine's response, murmured into the night just loud enough for the boy at her side to hear.

"I love you too, Jack Kelly."