These next two chapters are gonna be really soft. And probably between 500-1000 words. Closer to 1000. This one is Jack and David. Quality Javid!! Anyway. Enjoy! :)
"Jack, I can walk."
"Nonsense."
"Surely you aren't planning on carrying me the whole way?"
"I can and I will."
"Spot's not carrying Race back."
"Spot's taking Race to Brooklyn. Much farther."
"That's it? You're just letting Race go that easily?"
"He can look after himself."
"I thought the whole point of you carrying me is that you deemed me as the damsel in distress who needs to be cared for."
"Race has Spot to look after him. He's in good hands."
"You think Spot is the right one to entrust with a person in desperate need of care?"
"He's only stone-cold and scary when it don't come to Race."
"True, true."
David's stomach rumbles.
"That's it. You're gettin' food immediately," Jack decides. "Don't worry, Dave. It ain't that much longer till ya see your folks again."
"No." David flinches suddenly.
Jack stops walking. "Sorry?"
David hesitates. He thinks for a second. "I don't know. I'm not entirely ready to go home yet."
"Well...then where do you want to go?"
David looks Jack in the eye. "Can I stay with you in the lodging house tonight?"
Jack smiles. "Yeah. Of course."
He sets David and the ground and sits next to him. "You'll still need a couple of things first." He turns to Les. "Hey Les. Why don't you run home and grab your bruddah some fresh clothes and food? We'll be at the newsies lodge."
Les nods and runs off.
"Gotta love that kid," Jack says.
David nods. He thinks about when he first woke up.
David opened his eyes. "Time to take you home," Jack whispered as he picks him up.
Then David saw Les. "Les!"
"David!"
He got out of Jack's arms and made his way as quickly as he could to his brother and pulled him close. Les hugged him back really hard. "I missed you."
"I missed you too, Les."
"Never do anything like that again."
"I won't, I promise."
"Yep. I missed him a lot."
"I wish I came sooner, Davey," Jack says morosely. "That was awful just for me, knowin' you weren't in a good place physically. I wish I knew something was wrong the moment I didn't see you that when you said you would be there."
"I tried getting there. But...other people had other plans."
"I wish it wasn't like that."
"It's over now. That's what matters." Then David averts his eyes.
"Hey." Jack lifts David's chin up with his thumb. "Everything is going to be okay. I promise." He gives him a chaste kiss. "Ya ready to move?"
"Are you still going to carry me?"
"Only if you insist-"
"I'm okay."
"Walking it is."
Back at the lodging house, everyone is super happy for the two to return safe. The pair are nearly ambushed at the front door, though; bombarded with a bunch of questions and happy exclamations of how happy they are for them to be back.
"Okay, okay," Jack waves people away. "Break it up, break it up. Give him some space."
"We'se glad ya back an' safe, Davey!" Crutchie says. "are ya stayin' a little?"
"I'm staying tonight," David informs him.
"Ya hear, that, fellas?" Crutchie exclaims. "Davey's stayin' with us tonight!"
"'Bout time!" Mush says.
"You're gonna have to deal with all of us, though, David!" Blink adds.
David grins. "Maybe a little excitement is what I need after five days of nearly nothing."
Not too much time later, Les comes in, accompanied by Sarah.
"Davey!" she throws her arms around her brother. "Thank goodness you're safe!"
David is surprised to see her, but is still happy to see her nonetheless and wraps his arms around her. "Yeah, I'm good."
She pulls back. "Les wouldn't tell me where you were. Are you alright?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay. Really."
"Do you guys have the stuff?" Jack asks.
"Here." Les holds out some of David's clothes. "Sarah has food in her bag."
David sighs with relief as he takes the clothes in one hand and food in the other. "I'm eating first, then changing afterwards."
"I'll find ya a glass of water in the meantime," Jack says, before leaving David for the first time since they first reunited.
It's been a few hours. All the newsies are going out to eat dinner. Jack and David are eating at their own table, ignoring all the other newsies calling out to them, wiggling their eyebrows, and doing other things. At least they're okay with Jack and David being together.
"Eat as much as you want," Jack instructs. "Take more than you'll think you need."
"Okay, okay," David laughs.
Jack gives him a stern look. "I'm serious. Very serious. Drink more water. Drink it until it's empty. Then I'll refill it. Don't leave anything on that plate neither!"
David hasn't been able to catch a break. Jack has just been hashing on him since they left the Refuge at noon. Still, he doesn't regret his decision of wanting to spend the night with Jack and the newsies. He'll see his parents tomorrow. After a day of selling, that is.
"Jack, I don't want to overstuff myself."
"Well, it's better than the starvin' you've been through."
"If I don't eat enough food will cause my stomach to ache, but so will eating too much food. Can't I eat the right amount and not get a stomachache?"
"I'd rather you have a stomach ache because you've eaten so much food. I want you to eat more in this one meal than in the three meals you have daily."
"Jack, that's way over excessive."
"I'm only gonna pretend like I know what that means."
"Fine, you see this?" David raises his eyebrows as he takes another bite. "Watch me. I'll eat."
"Good."
Then, thankfully, there are a few minutes of comfortable silence between them as Jack finally stops talking and eats his food too.
Back at the lodge, it's not as rowdy as David was expecting. Most of them have been tired out from everything that's happened. Well, not overly tired--but it hasn't been an easy day for anyone.
He did get in a nice conversation with Kloppman though. A really nice guy. David knew he would be in good hands here.
"So there are a few options," Jack tells David as they climb up the stairs. "Race's bunk is open. There are a couple spare bunks, or there's another room that we can convert into a sorta-bedroom for the night."
"What about the option where I spend the night with you?"
Jack is silent for a second. "Ya want that?"
"Of course."
"I get to tuck you in."
David chuckles. "Deal."
Jack opens the door to reveal many bunk beds, and many newsies to occupy them. Everyone has some sort of different thing to do before bed.
"Goodnight!" someone calls out.
"G'night!" echoes from various parts of the room back.
"Here it is," Jack motions David to his top bunk. "This is where I stay."
David smiles. "It's perfect."
Jack smiles with him.
Within a few minutes, they're both in bed, cuddling.
"Goodnight, Davey."
"Goodnight, Jack."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"I get to take care of you in the morning too."
"Really?"
"Really. And guess what?"
"What?"
"You ain't workin' tomorrow."
"What?"
"It's gonna be a day off for ya."
"What about Denton?"
"Don't worry 'bout that until it's noon."
"Okay then."
"Yep."
"Well, goodnight."
"Goodnight."
And then both have the best good night's rest that neither have had in a good long time.
I sorta had a direction to go in but I really like this too.
39 minutes to write this! I like thinking I'm a speedy writer.
Except by the time I finish this it'll probably be more than that. Plus I'm writing the other chapter first haha.
I really like seeing Jack want to really take care of David. David needs it. Especially since the whole fandom has sort of agreed that David is the mom friend.
The Soft Spot and Race chapter is next! :)
HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!!!! :) <3
Please, no homophobia, profanities, hate etc in the comment section.
Best,
~Your Beloved Author (who ships Jack/David, Spot/Race, and Kid Blink/Mush maybe a tad bit too much)