#hints of sarah x katherine

[deafwestnewsies]

you tell me you love her (i give you a grin)

And I'd choose our fate a million times over.

david jacobs x jack kelly (unrequited love)

read it on my ao3!

The grass crumpled beneath his boots. His shadow left a broad dent in the shade

(his body was still a marvel- when had Jack Kelly become so strong? When did Jack Kelly grow into his wimpy shoulders and snivelling ankles? When did Jack Kelly ditch his dreams of a boy to become a man?)

that towered over a lean man who was casually basking in the weak October daylight. He frowned at the sudden loss of warmth, but his eyes danced with mirth as he gazed over his former selling partner, current best friend, and long-time confidant. “Why, Jack Kelly. I thought you stood me up.”

“I’d neva, Dave,” Jack bent down in the mellow grass next to David. “They caugh’ me onna big shipment just as I was ‘bout to leave for lunch. Tell Esther that the market’ll have a good deal on trout tomorrow.”

Their heads nearly touched at the temple, and if Jack had the nerve or the gall, he could move a miniscule inch and connect their homely skin. It would only take a second- and what is a second, honestly? A moment in time? In the everlasting universe? And Jack Kelly wasn’t a very smart man, but he knew that humans only took up a small part of the whole existence of the world and a single second of humanity could manage to be wasted on the shifting of a cold, lonely wrist to lay on the freckled arm of another-

David rolled onto his side, more interested in a patch of dandelions than the market predictions for the next day. “Besides,” scrunching his nose, as if that would clear his irreverent musings on the universe, “not all o’ us are fancy medical men with all the break time they could ask fa’. I’m the big man pullin’ the weight ‘round here.”

(And it was true, to some aspects. Jack brought home honest-to-goodness bakery bread on Fridays so they could practice Shabbat without travelling, as Mayer so liked to do. He gave Les nickels to spend at the fair and bought Sarah hair ribbons for no particular reason. There was the gas bill he had paid one particularly difficult December, and the endless hours of doing various handiwork around the house when David was studying and Mayer’s old aches came to haunt him. The Jacobs’ home was also Jack’s, not because he needed it, but because they needed him.)

(He needed it too, he supposed.)

A yellow dandelion hovered over his nose, gently twirling with the teasing hum of David leaning in so close. Jack’s teeth snapped at it.

“You can drink the milk of these, I read,” David mused.

Jack wrinkled his nose. “Dandelion salad‘s only good tha first five times. Plus, it’d turn Crutchie’s tongue yellow.”

Dropping the little flower altogether, David rolled flat on his back and turned to gently nudge Jack on his shoulder with his premature wrinkling forehead. “Jackie,” he whispered.

(“I love you,” he would go on, later in Jack’s dreams. “I’ve loved you since I met you, I love you like a wildfire, I love you so much I cannot bear it, I love you like every character in all of my books, I love you.”)

“I’ve met a girl.” There was a hint of mischief in David’s tone- and Jack didn’t recognize it. There was suddenly a gated city wrapped around David’s heart and Jack was frantically scrambling for the key; For the first time, he was locked out of David’s life. He was an onlooker upon territory he had memorized by touch, by heart, by memory.

“Yeah?” If David had been paying attention, the word would have pinged around his Tin Man heart- hollow, empty, overused. “The Walking Mouth finally has someone to use it on?”

He relished in the feel of David’s uncalloused palms shoving playfully at his tanned, muscled arm. “Don’t be crass,” the boy chided. “Her name is April.”

(Jack was born on a misty-eyed April morning, with the clouds swabbed over the sun and an ominous wind blowing throughout the emptied streets. His mother had called it a bad omen. His father couldn’t fathom why.)

The crook of Jack’s elbow was full of David’s lingering fingertips; A question he didn’t dare ask left a sour taste on his tongue. He smiled at David’s far away face, his gaze belonging to a girl,

(a girl, a rotten girl, a girl that wasn’t even Katherine because that would have hurt much less, understandable even. She was an unimportant girl and she would never be enough for Davey, his Davey)

(A girl.)

and his smile was full of thorns.

---

“I can’t believe-” the words were practically ripped from his throat. “We’s goin’ so fast!”

David couldn’t drive in the technical sense, but he was captaining a true automobile as the Earth did spin. Jack sat in the passenger seat to crow at any poor little commoners that walked along the beaten path, none of them good enough to ride in the electrical engine Mr. Ford had handcrafted himself.

It had been a graduation present from a fellow doctorate student (one with a wealthy father and ill-meaning connections), a spin in his brand-new electric carriage for his reliable old pal, David Jacobs. Jack’s eyes widened to the size of half-dollars as the man passed over the keys to David- David, who had once put the wrong shoe on the wrong foot and walked around crooked all day, too proud to admit he had made a mistake- and they tried to conceal their excitement as the engine turned over for the first time.

He was going to do it. Right here, right now, in this strange man’s car, with clunky work boots on his feet and David’s spectacles sliding down the bridge of his nose.

“I love you!” Jack roared over the engine.

“I’m going to ask April to marry me!” David practically sang into the wind.

Jack’s throat closed up, his skin was set on fire, and he suddenly wanted to see what happened when you jumped from a gadget that was moving so fast.

“Wait, what? Did you hear me?” David’s hair was beginning to grow long enough that it was wild in the gust of the automobile. “I’m going to ask her to marry me!”

(When he was seven, another newsboy- only a handful of months older than him- had asked him if his momma had ever taught him about love. No, Jack had replied, both sour about being outsmarted by a kid who picked his nose and not ever having a momma in the first place. “It’s this great big tree that grows on the inside of our tummies,” the boy went on. “And one day, someone ‘s gonna come along and pick all ‘f th’ fruit on our branches, one by one, until all you have are pretty green leaves. That’s love.”)

(That same boy would kiss him in a dirty alleyway seven years later, and Jack would crack a joke about all of his apples still being intact. The boy would stare back with blank, unrecognizable eyes.)

Jack couldn’t even be angry- he wasn’t strong enough to be furious anymore, not when his days were long and the nights were spent clutching at empty bedsheets. He couldn’t be angry at his good, unselfish Davey, the boy who rubbed at his mother’s aching feet when she spent too long at the factory lines and clumsily darned socks when his sister couldn’t feel her slender fingers. There was no resentment for the beautiful, dark-haired girl who had accidentally collided with David at the grocer’s market when they reached for the same can of something-or-other. She had been nothing but kind to the gentle giant who lurked in the shadows of David’s life, telling inappropriate jokes and interrupting their dates. April always made a place for him at their table.

“That’s the best idea you’ve had all year,” Jack called out, and watched his words dance away in the wind.

---

Katherine had struck him, hard, when he asked her to marry him.

He cradled his jaw with a shock that reverberated around his skull. “Kathy, what did I-”

“You are the most selfish, careless man I know, Jack Kelly.” Her skirts whirled around her ankles- the candy-pink cotton matching other bridesmaids’ dresses to contrast the delicate white lace of April’s wedding dress. David Jacobs was now a married man, and Jack Kelly a desperate one. “We all see how you look at him. There’s not a single person who hasn’t noticed. Get it through your thick, unfeeling skull.”

(“They say,” David’s vows were memorized. His voice never wavered. “That only someone in love would truly understand the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice: a man walks through the Underworld to save his begotten bride, to only turn around and lose her at the very last second. I’ve spent years pouring over that story, wondering why Orpheus would be such a fool, such an irresponsible, lovesick fool, if he truly loved her. But now, standing before my own darling little bride, I understand. I’d turn around for one last look at you. I’d turn every. Single. Time. I’m your fool, April. And I’d choose our fate a million times over.”)

“He doesn’t love you,” Katherine’s voice was heavy with disgust. “And I’m beginning to understand why.”

---

The train ticket was heavy in his palm. “I just don’t see why you have to go,” David whispered. “Who is my son going to learn his bad habits from? Who’s going to teach him how to hawk a headline for extra change? How to poke fun at his papa?”

“He has Les.” Jack’s voice was a barely audible rumble, rusty with misuse. He didn’t talk much these days, Jack Kelly now preferred to linger in the background of conversations, the memory of a bright young man he used to be. Those days had come and gone without much complaint, even if Jack secretly yearned to be so terribly free that he believed in a future for a gangly, fresh-faced boy and a hardened boy with the silver-tongued lies.

(There were rumors, you know. About horrible men and horrible things, about broken ribs and jail time even the Mayor would disapprove of. Jack didn’t do much to dispel the irrational stories people told about him.)

(To prove a lie is false, you must present the truth.)

(Jack didn’t have a truthful bone left in his body.)

A carefully measured silence stretched between them. “Is this about…” David’s hand instinctively reached for Jack’s rough palm- a second of contact, the flash in the pan, their moment in the universe.

He withdrew from his gentle touch, and taking a bullet to his leg

(Jack was twenty-three and alarmingly brave. David was twenty-two and studying to become a doctor. They both cried as David’s unsure hand stitched an unclean wound back together- David, tears of worry; Jack, hopelessly lovesick and falling apart at the seams.)

had been less painful. “It’s about Santa Fe, Dave. Kiss Esther goodbye for me, won’t you?”

The platform to the train was busy, flowing with New Yorkers that had somewhere to be, a place to go, or a person to meet. Jack was the lone soul that took his time to feel the cobblestone under his worn-down boots, the ragged laces dragging against the streets that raised him as their own. His suitcase, a single-handled brown leather

(the only item inside was a bundle of letters, all addressed to David Jacobs)

thing, had never seen a polish rag or repairman’s case, and he felt as if he had the weight of the world to carry with him all the way to New Mexico, where the cattle roam free and Jack Kelly wouldn’t have a broken heart to board up behind slats of wood. The train whistle blew, sharp and piercing, and Jack couldn’t resist his own dreadful hubris; He turned.

And David Jacobs had already disappeared into the swarm of faceless people with their endless inventory of needs to be met, so Jack Kelly got on a train to Santa Fe.

[fanficsandthings]

Warmth

Modern!Davey Jacobs x femme!reader

Word count: 4.5k

Summary: It’s prom night, and you’re lonely. Davey has a date, and you’re a little jealous. 

Author’s note: I try to write my fics as gender neutral as possible, but this is definitely a female reader. Also if anybody cares, I have reference pics for what I’m imagining a lot of they’re prom outfits to look like. If anyone wants to know, send me an ask and I’ll post them. please send me an ask, i want people to see them (I just feel weird about fics with outfit pictures in them)

Your day had barely started, and you already weren’t sure if you were going to make it through the night. According to multiple sources, your senior prom was supposed to be one of the best nights of your last year of high school. Then why was it that you were miserable? You had been miserable since you woke up that morning. You thought that maybe it was because you hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, and you were dreading having to stay up so late. The misery followed you to Katherine’s house, and it was with you the whole time you did your makeup. It loomed around you as you watched Sarah in the mirror as she curled your hair.

Looking at her smile sent a familiar feeling through your body. It was a feeling you got from all the Jacobs siblings; a feeling of warmth. You don’t know where it came from, but they all had it, and it was a beautiful feeling to have. You felt it every time you saw Sarah smile as Katherine walked in the room, like the sun suddenly appeared after a week of grey skies. The feeling was there every time Les came running up to you, going on and on about something he had learned in school that day. Les didn’t take to school too well, but now and then they learned about a subject that captured his attention, and it was all he would talk about for days. The feeling radiated hotter than fire every time you spoke to Davey.

Davey Jacobs with his soft hazel eyes, his love for helping people, the way he always seemed to be wearing the color blue, his passion for every story he wrote, his commitment to his friends, and how good he looked in a tux. You had only seen him wearing a tux in photos, but even then you couldn’t deny how good he looked. Most of your friends had agreed to skip out on your junior prom, but Davey got asked by a girl he was in band with, and he couldn’t say no. She was beautiful, and her and Davey looked perfect in every picture you saw of them. You wouldn’t admit it to anyone, not even Kath or Sarah, but you were jealous of that girl. They only went as friends, but you couldn’t swallow that little hint of jealousy that you felt.

This year Davey asked Smalls to go with him. He never fully explained why he asked her, but it was really none of your business, so you didn’t pry. You had wondered why he never even thought to ask you. He was one of your closest friends, and if he wanted to go with a friend, you seemed like a perfect choice. The thought occurred to you that he could’ve also asked Smalls to go as more than friends. They were close, and they seemed to be getting even closer lately. That thought made the cloud of misery around you darken. Davey wasn’t yours, and the way things were looking he probably never would be, but you couldn’t hide the sadness you felt thinking about him with someone else.

Sarah let out a small squeal of excitement, and you snapped out of your thoughts. You looked over at the door as Katherine came fully into the room. You had all seen each other in your dresses before, but this was different. The black fabric fit her perfectly, the skirt swaying around her legs as she walked. She looked beautiful, and you could see tears starting to form in Sarah’s eyes.

Sarah put the curling wand down on the counter and ran over to her. She picked Katherine up in hug and spun in a circle, Katherine’s dress following after her. If you could’ve slowed down time, it would’ve been the perfect shot for a romantic movie.

Katherine’s smile was pure joy as she laughed through her words. “Sarah, you’re gonna wrinkle my dress.”

Sarah stopped spinning and placed Katherine’s feet back on the ground. “You’re just so beautiful,” she said as she kissed Katherine softly, careful not to smudge either of their lipsticks.

Katherine’s cheeks turned even redder under her makeup. “You’re more beautiful than I’ll ever be, Sarah.”

Sarah scoffed. “I don’t even have my dress on yet, Kath. There’s no way I could beat you when you look like that--” She gestured to Katherine’s dress. “--and I look like this.” She gestured to her sweatpants and zip up hoodie.

Sarah’s warmth and Katherine’s sunshine were making you feel a little less miserable, but you decided that it was time for you to interject.  “You both look beautiful all the time, no matter what. Now, can we get back to making me look beautiful, or are you two gonna go makeout in the other room?”

They looked at each other and both raised an eyebrow.

“No!” You almost yelled at them. “You are not ruining your makeup until at least the After Prom.”

“Fine, fine,” Sarah mock sighed. She smiled and kissed Katherine lightly on the cheek before coming back over to you. “You look beautiful too, miss. Even with your hair half done.” “Why, thank you, my lady,” you faked an accent and did your best to bow from your spot in the chair.

“Any time, ma’am,” Sarah faked the same accent and curtsied at you.

“You guys are ridiculous.” Katherine shook her head from the other side of the room. “Now, hurry up. Everyone else should be here in half an hour.”

Katherine’s house was chosen as the spot to take pictures for two reasons. The first was that she had a beautiful backyard that contained a small flower garden with an archway covered in vines and a small gazebo. The second reason was that she had the best staircase anyone could ask for to take cliche prom pictures on. One of the best pictures of the night was of Race falling off the banister onto Albert after he had attempted to slide down it.

Katherine was trying to organize everyone together to get a good group photo, but almost no one was cooperating, so you sat on a small bench in the corner of the room, waiting for your turn to join. There was a purring cat on your lap, so you were pretty content with the situation for now.

Out of the corner of your eye you saw Smalls approaching you. She had opted to wear a suit instead of a dress. It was more form fitting than any of the guys’ tuxes were, and she looked amazing in it. She wore a black velvet suit jacket with a dark red bow-tie, and you noticed earlier that Davey wore a suit jacket that matched the color of her tie.

“Smalls,” you started as she sat next to you, “you look absolutely amazing.”

She let a small smile cross her face. “You look beautiful.” She glanced down at the cat in your lap. “You look like you’re covered in hair.” She grimaced a bit, looking down at her suit jacket. Cat hair stuck to velvet like it was velcro.

You laughed at the expression on her face. “It’s fine. I’ve got like 3 lint rollers to pass around. I’ll get all this hair off in a few moments. It’s just nice having a cat right now. Nellie’s good at cheering people up.”

“You need cheering up?” Smalls asked.

“Yeah, I don’t know,” you said, letting out a sigh. “I’ve been in a weird mood today. I’m probably just tired.” You moved your hand to scratch Nellie on the chin, her purring getting louder.

Smalls smiled at the cat, and then looked back at you. “Has Davey talked to you today at all?”

You tilted your head in her direction. “No, not really I suppose. We said hi earlier and took a few pictures together in the garden, but that was about it. We didn’t really talk about anything specific.”

“Oh,” was all she said.

“Should he have?” you asked.

“I’m not sure. He mentioned you when he was on the phone earlier, so I just thought maybe, but I don’t know.”

You thought about her words for a moment. You couldn’t really think of anything to say about that.

Smalls placed a hand on your knee. “I hope you feel better. You deserve to enjoy tonight.”

“Thanks,” you said, smiling slightly at her. You looked down at your dress, the blue fabric now covered slightly in grey hair. “I suppose it’s time to get this hair off.”

You gently pushed Nellie off your lap, then reached down and got a lint roller from the floor beside you. You handed it to Smalls first so she could get the few hairs off of her jacket. She thanked you and then walked back towards the bigger group.

Katherine was still trying to position everyone for the photo. Sarah was standing on the staircase next to Crutchie and Jack. At some point in time Crutchie and Jack had decided that they were going to match what Katherine and Sarah were doing with their outfits. Jack wore an all black suit with a bow tie to match Katherine, and Crutchie wore a white suit with a black tie to match Sarah. Sarah’s dress was simple and white, but it had pockets, and that was the most Sarah thing she could get in a dress. Sarah and Katherine stood out in different ways in their dresses, but they both looked beautiful and like they belonged together.

You finished getting the cat hair off your dress just as you heard Katherine call your name. “Stand behind Jack, next to Elmer.” You nodded and made your way up the stairs.

You didn’t really have a date tonight. A lot of your friends didn’t have dates tonight. Instead, it was decided that the ones who didn’t have dates would draw a name at random, and that would be who you’d be matching your outfit colors to. You had drawn Elmer. He went with a pretty simple black tux, his tie and pocket square matching the blue of your dress perfectly. He looked nice in it, and you complimented him again as he stood next to you on the staircase.

Davey and Smalls stood at the bottom of the staircase. You watched out of the corner of your eye as Davey put a hand on the small of her back to steady her as she accidently stepped into the stair behind her. You leaned down to talk to Jack.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” you whispered.

“Yeah, sure.” He turned to slightly face you, his face quizzical.

You glanced over at Davey again. “Davey and Smalls.. are they.. more than friends?”

Jack looked down at them now. Davey had his hand on her shoulder, and she was laughing at something someone had said. “You know, I really don’t know. He hasn’t said much about it. All I know is that she asked him to be her date tonight.”

You stood up straighter. “She asked him? I thought it was the other way.”

“No, she came up to him in study hall one day, and they started whispering about something. When she got up to leave she said ‘So, prom?’ and he said ‘yeah’ and that was that. I haven’t heard anything about them dating, but he doesn’t talk much about his dating life. Why do you ask? You’re not jealous, are you?” Jack leaned in closer to you, a smirk on his face.

You could feel your cheeks starting to burn, but you tried your best to play it off by hitting him on the shoulder. “Why would I ever be jealous of Davey and Smalls? They’re cute together. I’m just wondering. We’re two of his closest friends, and he hasn’t said anything about it to either of us. Smalls talked to me just a bit ago, and she didn’t say anything either.”

You were pulled away from your conversation by Katherine yelling at everyone to not move as she handed her camera to her mom. She got in her place next to Sarah on the staircase.

You tried your best to smile through the photos, but your eyes kept switching over to Davey. He looked genuinely happy; happier than you had seen him in a while. At that moment, you decided you’d try your best to let it go, Davey was happy, and that was what mattered. You could get over whatever feelings you had inside. You could be happy because he was happy.

The rest of the of the night was spent purposefully avoiding Davey. After pictures he had tried to come up to talk to you, but you made up an excuse about Sarah needing your help with something. You had a feeling that talking to Davey wouldn’t help what you felt inside.

You sat at a table to the side of the banquet hall, watching as your friends danced with each other. They all looked like they were having the best night of their lives, and here you were, sitting alone. You spotted Davey and Smalls, who were standing at the side of the dance floor. She was pointing at a group of people that you didn’t quite recognize fully. Maybe one girl in the group looked slightly familiar. Someone Smalls knew separate from your friend group. Davey was leaning down so she could talk in his ear over the loud music.

You figured you had already had all the fun you’d be having during the night. You had danced with Sarah and Katherine, Jack and Crutchie, Elmer, and anyone else who was around you. Race tried to dance with you, but really it was just him flailing around you. He picked you up and spun you in a circle, but he moved too fast and for too long. That led to you getting dizzy, which led to you sitting alone.

You picked up your phone to look at the time. It was getting close to 9pm, and you didn’t really feel up to going to the After Prom. You texted Katherine that you weren’t feeling good, and you were going to take the subway home. It occurred to you that maybe you should text Davey to tell him that you were leaving. He worried too much over the smallest things. You didn’t want him to freak out over not knowing where you were.

Hey, I know we haven’t really talked much tonight, and I’m sorry about that. But I just wanted to tell you that I’m heading home. My head hurts, and I’m not having much fun anymore. Have a good time with Smalls.

You looked one more time at your group of friends. A few of them had scattered, whether off into couples, or with other friends that you didn’t know too well. Smalls and Davey had joined the group she was pointing to earlier. You snuck out one of the side doors, careful not to run into any of the chaperones.

Walking to the subway station, you knew you weren’t going home yet. Being alone at home would be even worse than sitting alone at the dance. No matter where you went tonight you’d be alone, but there was one place that wouldn’t make it feel so miserable.

Washington Square Park had somehow over the years became an almost sacred spot for you and Davey. You weren’t really sure how it happened, but somehow this is where you ended up anytime you needed a good place to think or needed fresh air. The restaurant that Davey took you to when your first boyfriend broke up with you was across the street. When Les ran away one evening, you found him in this park. When you almost had a breakdown one night after studying nonstop for college entrance exams, Davey walked with you around the whole park, just listening to everything you were stressed about. When Davey called you crying one night a few years ago, you ended up on a bench in the park with his head on your shoulder, tears still falling down his face.

Sitting on that same bench, you played with the fabric of your dress. It really was a wonderful blue color. You had chosen it because of Davey. It reminded you of his favorite button up shirt, and you were sure the colors would match perfectly if you held them up side by side. You thought back on what he was wearing tonight. For the first time in a long while, you hadn’t noticed him wearing any blue. You couldn’t really tell what you thought about this, it was just a weird thing; Davey not wearing blue.

You tried to resist the urge to pick up your phone, but it had buzzed a few times on the ride here, and then it buzzed a couple more. You had to see who it was.

Katherine. Hey, I hope you feel better soon. Get some rest.

I’m also sorry you had to leave so soon into this great night.

We’re having less fun now that you’re not here.

We’re all worried about you. We love you!!!

You answered back quickly. Don’t worry Kath. I’m feeling better already. Have as much fun as you want. I love you all too.

You sat in silence for just a minute when you got a text from Davey. Hey, I really wanted to talk to you tonight. I got all caught up doing stuff for Smalls, and then all of a sudden you were gone. Do you mind if I come over so we can still talk?

You answered back. Can it wait until tomorrow? I just really want to go to bed rn.

All he answered back was Yeah sure. See you tomorrow.

You don’t really know how long you sat there after that. You had turned your phone on silent, and had decided to just watch the people who were in the park at this time of night. A few of them gave you weird looks for being in a prom dress in the middle of a park this late at night, but you chose to ignore them. One little girl stared at you in awe as she tugged on her mom’s shirt. You politely smiled at her and waved. She waved back enthusiastically as her mom dragged her in the other direction.

You were looking at a couple a few benches down when someone sat next to you. You turned to ask them if they could sit somewhere else, but those words never made it out. “Davey?”

“Hey,” he said shyly.

“Hey,” you said back. “How’d you know that I was here?”

“I checked your location on my phone. Did you forget that we share locations?”

“Yeah, kinda,” you admitted. You and Davey had your locations shared with each other since it was first available on your phones. It was in part a safety thing, incase anything ever happened to either of you, and also just because you trusted each other enough to do it.

Davey went to grab your hand, but pulled back right when his fingers touched yours. He folded his hands together in his lap. “I was worried about you, because you usually wouldn’t just leave like that, and then when you said you wanted to wait to talk. You’ve never said a talk needed to wait before. It got me really worried, so I checked your location. When it said you were here, I knew something had to be wrong. So what’s bothering you?”

“It’s nothing, Davey. I just, I don’t know. I’ve felt miserable all day. And then you and Smalls. It made me feel worse.” You avoided eye contact with him, instead focusing on the ring you were twisting around your finger.  

“Me and Smalls?”

You let out a sigh. “Yeah, you and Smalls. I don’t know what’s going on between you, and that’s what bothers me most. Jack doesn’t know either. We’re you’re best friends, Davey, and you haven’t told either of us what’s going on between you two.” You paused to take a breathe, half expecting Davey to interject here. When he didn’t, you continued. “I miss you, Davey. We haven’t been hanging out as much lately, and I miss you so much. Watching how you interacted with Smalls today, it made me jealous.”

“Jealous?” he finally questioned.

Your cheeks blushed a bit. You knew this would happen. You knew that if you talked to Davey, everything that you were feeling inside would come streaming out. Now it was happening, and you couldn’t stop it. “I just want to know, are you two together? Like, dating together? If you say yes, I’ll move on and get over it, or at least I’ll try my best to.”

“Dating Smalls?”

“Davey!” you practically shouted in frustration as you stood up from your bench. A few looks from strangers were thrown your way, but you didn’t even notice. You walked a few steps forward before turning around and facing him again. “Just answer my question, please.”

“No, we’re not dating.” He stood up and walked towards you.

“Then why have you been keeping what’s going on between you two so secretive?”

“She asked me to help her make a girl she likes jealous. She asked me to keep the plan a secret. You know how some of our friends are with secrets.” You did know. You had told Race one time in middle school that you had a crush on a new kid in school, and by lunch every one of your friends knew about it. “It worked too. When I left, they were slow dancing together.”

You stood there in shock for a moment. After a while, you were able to get your mind slightly wrapped around what he had just said. “So, she asked you to prom to try to make a girl jealous that she was going with someone else? That’s it? Nothing else?”

“Nothing else between us. I was just helping a friend.”

“Then why have you been so distant?”

“Cuz every time I was around you, I felt guilty about not telling you the truth about it. I thought that distancing us for a bit would make it easier, but now I see that it really just made it worse. I should’ve just told you. I know you can keep a secret. I should’ve told you, and we wouldn’t be here right now.”

You took his hand in yours, pulling him to sit back down on the bench. “The plan worked in two directions, I guess,” you said. “It made Smalls’ girl jealous enough to admit feelings, and here I am. It made me jealous enough to ruin my entire night.”

“The night’s not over yet,” he squeezed your hand gently. “I still have something to talk to you about.”

You looked up at Davey, really looked at him for the first time since he sat next to you in the park. His eyes were soft, reflections of the distant lamp lights dancing in them. His hair was damp, you assumed from sweat, and stuck to his forehead slightly. His suit jacket and vest were unbuttoned, his tie loose around his neck. He looked like a mess, but he was still the most beautiful person you had ever seen.

“It’s about us,” Davey continued. A breath caught in your throat, your mind racing in different direction. “About how much I want to be with you.”

You could feel tears starting to form. You weren’t quite sure why, and you held them back as best you could. “Davey...”

Davey took both your hands into his. “I wanted to tell you tonight, but I wanted to wait until I knew Smalls got her girl. I didn’t want to ruin that plan just as it was about to finish. But then I got your text, and thought that I had ruined my plan for you. I wanted to tell you that I loved you as we slow danced. It sounds so stupid now that I say it out loud, but it seemed romantic, and you look absolutely beautiful in that dress and—“

You cut Davey off by saying the only thing you could think of in that moment. “You’re not wearing blue.”

“What?”

“You always wear something that’s blue, but tonight you’re wearing red. It’s odd, and I don’t know what to think about it. I chose the color of this dress because of you. It’s your favorite color, and I wanted you to like it, but you’re not even wearing blue.”

“I am.”

You looked at him again. “Where?”

“I’ve got socks on.” He pulled up his pant leg slightly to reveal blue socks, the same color as your dress. “I borrowed Elmer’s pocket square and went sock shopping. I wanted to match.” He blushed a bit as he pushed his pant leg down again.

“I love you too,” you breathed out, just barely above a whisper. You turned your head to look at him again. “That’s not a revelation. I’ve wanted to say that for years, but I can’t believe you found a way to wear blue for me.”

Davey smiled, and you felt like you could melt right there. “I’d do anything for you.” He pulled you to stand up again and took out his phone. He pressed a button, and music played softly through the speakers. “I still would like that slow dance.”

You agreed, resting your head on his chest as you swayed with him. You stayed like that for a couple songs, listening to his heart beat, Strangers passing by said nothing as you danced around them. You were the happiest you had been in a long time.

“Hey,” Davey said, causing you to look up at him. “I love you.”

You smiled at him. “I love you too.”

“Can I kiss you?” he asked, his cheeks turning a slight red color. Your heart skipped a beat as you thought about kissing Davey. You had thought about it before, but you never thought it would actually happen.

“I would love it if you did,” you replied.

He leaned down slowly, careful not to bump your noses together. When his lips met yours, his arms tightened around your lower back, pulling you closer. Your eyes widened slightly with surprise, before closing them as the kiss deepened. His lips were slightly chapped and rough against yours, but this was Davey, and you loved every second of it. The warmth that admitted from him was hotter than you had ever felt it before. He pulled away too soon so you could catch your breath. Both of your breathing was heavy as you stared at each other.

“We should do that more often,” you said, smiling at him.

He let out a small laugh. “I agree.” He kissed you lightly on the forehead. “How about tomorrow?”

“It’s a date.”

[deafwestnewsies]

there will always be someone to your rescue

Sarah Jacobs will stop at nothing to find her brother. 

davey x jack, sarah x kath

read it on my ao3! 

read part one (and from his lips came forth the world) here!

read part two (and oh, don’t you want to get better) here!

“What the fuck!” the girl barked, before slamming her fist down on the computer’s keyboard. Illuminated only by the light of her screen, the bags under her eyes became more prominent with every passing second. Typing away furiously, trying (and failing) another safety measure, she unconsciously began chewing on the ends of her hair. Another girl, more fair, more well-rested, slowly approached the working woman. 

“Darling, I know this is difficult-”

“He’s missing, Kath. No one has seen him in days.” Sarah jerked her shoulder out of Katherine’s tender touch, the other girl backing away with practiced patience. She flicked on the overhead light, exposing the forgotten cups of coffee, the leftover crusts of a sandwich Kath didn't even remember making, to the 3am world. 

It began with the phone call, the one Sarah made after her brother never returned home from what was supposed to be a run-of-the-mill job. Davey disappeared into the night and never came home again, causing Sarah to spiral into a cycle of worry and anger, with a hint of secrecy. Lying to her parents about where he was. Calling him, day and night. Trying to reactivate the tracker inside of his suit, the one that randomly sputtered out near the apartment village on campus. Sarah spent her days stalking the outside of that building, anxiously looking for her brother in every face that passed. 

“Please come to bed,” Katherine pleaded with her. “He is smart, and he is alive. And he will stay that way when you wake up, I swear. How can you help him when you’re half-dead yourself?” 

Sarah turned in her chair, the days of exhaustion clear on her face. Standing without warning, she crumpled into Kath’s arms, body wracked with sobs that couldn’t produce tears. “I hate him,” she whimpered. “Where did he go?” 

Katherine pet the top of her girlfriend’s head, feeling just as useless as before. “He’ll come home soon. He’s Davey.” 

&&&

 “What the fuck?” Race asked incredulously before slapping Davey across the face. “First, you go around robbing people. Second, you try to kill my boy, multiple times. Third, we take you in because we are clearly superior and stronger than you,” Davey’s jaw clenched in anger, an angry red handprint already forming on his cheek, “Fourth, you break a window in an apartment we lease, and fifth, you try to kill Jack and set half of Kohler park on fire. I liked it there, you asshole!” 

Jack did nothing but stand by, his body language steeped in anger. He wouldn’t protect David, not after what he had done, the lies that he had told him straight to his face. “I could do anything for you, too.” The words echoed in his head, louder than the blood pounding in his ears, causing him to blush furiously. He was so embarrassed. Jack had a duty to protect this city and the people he loved, and he let himself get distracted by a boy? A supervillain boy? It was enough to retire altogether. 

“Race,” Spot came up quietly behind the (still yelling) boy. “It’s 3am. We’s got neighbors.” Race angrily shook Spot’s hand off of his shoulder, his pent up rage redirecting itself. 

“We should kill you.” Race finalized, causing Jack to react for the first time.

“We aren’t killing him,” he said quietly. “We’re dealing with him in the morning. I’m-” Jack struggled to find the words as he locked eyes with David. He was silently pleading. “I’m going to bed.” Turning towards his bedroom, his final words followed him down the hall. “He sleeps on the couch tonight.” Pathetic. 

&&&

“Wake up-” Sarah felt hands shaking her awake. “Wake up, darling. You’ve gotta hear this!” She sat up, confused, just to have a computer screen shoved in her face, the unnatural light blinding her. “I was reading the paper and look!” 

Blinking through the pain, Sarah slowly read the headline of the article- Fire Set Late Last Night at Kohler Park, Source Unconfirmed. “Was anyone hurt?” She asked, the fog slowly clearing. Katherine, not answering, clicked to a different tab, revealing a police report. “How did you get th-?”

“Don’t question my methods, just read.” Robbery occurring at 52nd and West, unidentified white man, approximately 6’2, medium build. Witnesses saw a ‘bright light’ that appeared to be moving from one place to another that followed the culprit. $17,000 stolen, exactly. “And isn’t that how much Davey needed for tuition?” Katherine asked, practically bouncing off of her side of the bed. 

“Zine behsechel,” Sarah muttered under her breath. “Once I know he isn’t dead, I’m going to murder him.” 

&&&

Davey couldn’t stop counting the ceiling tiles. There were forty-nine in the living room, and thirteen that he could see in the kitchen. Round and round he went, the numbers always remaining the same, the only constant that was left in his life. 

He was in deep shit. There was no better way of saying it. 

The money had flown away as if by magic, all seventeen thousand that he had taken from that corner bank, the memory of bills slipping through his fingers stinging more than it should. The light of the fire still shone behind his eyes, the image of a lightning bolt, his lighting bolt, splitting a tree down the middle. His powers had grown in that moment and he felt it down at his core. Blinding light filling his lungs and carrying him across vast distances, Davey had felt faster than ever before. It was fueled by fear, however, and anger. He had just gotten so furious, so horribly angry at the world, the life he was meant to lead, that everything spiraled out of hand until it was all gone. Until there was only Jack. 

Pathetic. He was so pathetic! In his most vulnerable state he had just outed himself like that, his absolute pea brain thinking that that moment was a good time to tell Jack how he felt. Good, righteous Jack, Jack who had never done anything with a hint of malice in his life, Jack who had given him ten thousand second chances, Jack. How could he resist him? Sure, he had been their ‘prisoner,’ but they poked fun at him, let Davey in on their inside jokes, helped him muddle through a midterm. He felt whole again, something he hadn’t had for a long time. And now here he was, lying on a grimy sofa, split again into a million pieces. 

“Zine behsechel!” His mother’s favorite swear, and saying it out loud made him feel okay again, if only for a second. 

&&&

Sarah stared at the hundred dollar bill caught underneath her foot, halfway burnt to a crisp. The park was taped off, policemen roaming the area, and Katherine and Sarah stood in the corner. Katherine had flashed her student reporter badge claiming she was with The World, and as an officer asked to see it a little closer, Kath thanked him loudly and pulled Sarah under the caution tape with her. They now stood still, clutching their hands together tightly, unable to tear their eyes away from the wreckage.

This was more than a fire by a long shot. One tree lie on its side, split clean in half, the scorch marks still smouldering slightly, and Sarah couldn’t stop imagining her dear baby brother in the middle of all of this. Davey, who cared so much about their family, Davey, who sat with Les as he cried over math homework and secretly paid the bills when their parents couldn’t. He was just a little kid in her heart, but he was forced to grow up so fast. 

“I can’t believe he’s so… strong,” Kath whispered to her. “Where did he get all of this power?” 

“He’s always been able to do this,” Sarah said, the pain clear in her voice. “He’s been holding himself back.” 

Before Katherine could respond, a police scanner lit up behind them. “Sargent? We found a GPS device of some sort. We’re sending it your way.” 

&&&

Jack set a mug of coffee between them. “Drink it.” He demanded, the first words he had spoken all day. David carefully picked it up, surreptitiously smelling the drink. “It’s not poisoned, David. Just drink it.” His voice was tired. Jack was tired. 

“Can we talk about-”

“No.” Jack cut him off. “We’ll talk about that when I’m ready.” 

David took a sip. “‘S good.”

Jack nodded, already getting up. “It’s infused with rosewater.” 

&&&

“If I’m right, which I am, this will lead us to where he’s been the whole time,” Sarah crowed triumphantly. “Whoever disabled this was good, but I’m better and I-” she popped a panel out, “have all of the answers.” With a second of shaking, a small end ejected itself, and she plugged it into her computer. 

Getting the GPS back had been one hell of a ride. Katherine had a small notebook on hand, so she began asking questions to the nearest detective about ‘citizen concern’ and ‘exactly what action they were taking to catch the person who had done such a dastardly thing,’ while Sarah eyeballed the evidence table behind him. After three minutes of Katherine making questions up on the spot (“Always the mark of a good reporter, Sarah.”) they watched another man lumber by, dropping the GPS Sarah had so carefully handcrafted on the table. She winced at the rattle of parts, but gently touched Katherine on the arm and said she was using the restroom, only to slide past the table and pick up her creation. Minutes later Katherine had met her in the car, wrinkling her nose and tearing up the police officer’s number, which he had given to her “in case she needs to know anything else.” 

Now peering over her shoulder, Katherine scoffed. “That’s the same apartment building. That doesn’t help.” 

“Maybe so, but I am smarter than that.” Sarah stopped for a moment, turning to face her girlfriend with feigned shock. “You know I am smarter than that, right dear?” She kissed her quick, turning back to her computer. “I could track his footsteps, too. That way, if I were his eyes on a job, I could keep him hidden. But right now, that tells us exactly which apartment he walked up to.” She banged on her keyboard some more until she had an address.

Katherine was already grabbing their jackets as Sarah swept out of the doorway.

&&&

Race was pleading with David, which was quite the feat. “C’mon. I know we’re like, fighting over whatever right now, but pleeease play along.” David sat stone-faced, holding the script to the Merry Wives of Windsor, refusing to read lines with Race. “I’m begging you. We start tech week tomorrow, and I’m not even half memorized-”

“I don’t know what a tech week is,” the disgust evident in David’s voice, “but I can’t exactly turn the pages with these on.” He held up his hands, still bound by the specialized handcuffs. 

“Sure you can! Just kinda,” Race struggled to flip the pages with his wrists touching, “and then a little bit of,” adjusted the script in his lap, “and bam! Easy!” 

Rolling his eyes, Davey moved his legs apart and let the script fall to the ground. “Oops,” he said plaintively. A knock at the door saved them both from sparking another argument, and instead slapped Davey on the top of his head with his script. It reminded him of messing around with Les, in a way. Goddamnit, I almost killed his best friend and they’re still nice to me!

David was not prepared for Race to fall to the ground holding a bloody nose as soon as he opened the door. Sarah Jacobs stood on the other side, eyes blazing, and shouting, “Give me back my brother, you dipshit!” 

i just really wanted an excuse for katherine to call sarah 'darling' so i wrote this anyways this series is getting really dark and i don't think i can promise a happy ending just yet.