David Jacobs still remembers the first time Jack kissed him.
It wasn't their first kiss, though he remembers that one too. That one was when they were all in the basement of the World, papers flying out of the old printing press almost faster than the Newsies could grab and package them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jack duck under the staircase with a frown in place. He hesitated, still feeling the earlier betrayal burning in his chest, yet followed anyway.
"He threatened you," Jack said before Davey had a chance to open his mouth. "That's why I had to do it. Not Santa Fe or whatever you was thinkin'," Jack turned to face him and Davey saw tears brimming those eyes. "I coulda lived with him hurtin' me, but you, Dave. I couldn't..." He trailed off, lump in his throat as the tears finally spilled.
"I know, Jack. I know." Davey assured, reaching forward to cup Jack's cheeks and wipe the tears away. Jack squeezed his eyes shut and when he opened them again, they were full of vulnerability. Help me, Dave, They cried. Help me live with myself.
Davey kissed him, then. He pulled him closer and kissed the tears away until all Jack knew was that he was forgiven. Jack dug his nails into Davey's arms with how hard he gripped him, not letting go until Spot cleared his throat behind them and announced that the papes were done printing "if the soap opera was over."
That was their first kiss, and the first time Davey kissed Jack. Every kiss after that also happened to be initiated by Davey, not that either of them noticed. Not until a month after they won.
Davey remembers waking up to Jack yelling down the fire escape for someone to toss him a sewing kit, only to met with muffled laughter. When he opened his eyes, he saw Jack had a hole in the seam of his shirt where sleeve met shoulder. Digging through his pockets, Davey pulled out a small emergency sewing kit - necessary when you had a little brother - and threw it at Jack's ass where he was bent over out the window.
A yelp escaped Jack as he spun around, blushing. "What was that for?" He demanded in his usual whine.
"Sewing kit. Heard you asking the monkeys." Davey muttered in response with an arm over his eyes to block out the light. The morning bell hadn't even rung yet but he supposed this was what he got for sleeping over the lodging house.
Jack scooped up the kit, grinning and walking over to stoop and give his boyfriend a quick peck on the lips. "A lovely thanks to you, the only helpful one in this house!" Jack raised his voice as he headed back for the fire escape, climbing out the window this time to make his way to the dining area and let Davey get some more shut-eye.
It wasn't until hours later that Davey realized that was the first time Jack kissed him instead of the other way around, leaving him to spend a full minute just smiling like an idiot.
It wasn't even a good kiss, just something that came naturally and happened. To be fully honest, Davey isn't even sure Jack remembers it. But Davey does. He remembers Jack's chapped lips and his morning breath and he wishes he could remember Jack's face but he does remember Jack's small huff of laughter at his arm blocking the kiss from getting any deeper than a quick pressing of the lips. It was chaste and Jack wasn't even fully focused on him, already thinking of comebacks to the morning jabs from the others. Despite all that, Davey remembers...
He remembers it was perfect.
