Heâs Not Here  (Davey x Jack)
Requested: What do you think? A/N: I donât know why I wanted to write this, but I did and here it is. Warnings: Violence, one swear Length: 1970
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The famous (and rather obnoxious) Jack Kelly lounged on a sofa in the middle of the Lodging House, looking at exactly nothing that was not inside his own head. His silence struck Davey, who sat in an opposing chair with a book hanging loosely from his hands. Usually, Kelly never shut up just when he was just getting to a good part, and yet in the past two hours that Davey had lost himself in a story, he spoke seldom. Instead of bouncing up and down or fidgeting relentlessly he slumped on the couch with little purpose.
âHeyâŠâ At the sound of Daveyâs voice, Jack bolted upright. Davey felt a bit ashamed, having left his boyfriend to slip into a daze while he was content to maintain his reading habits. All sense that Jack was staring off into space was gone as a mischievous glint returned to his eyes at the sound of Daveyâs voice. Seeing him like that made a smile appear on Daveyâs lips.
âWe can, uh, do something?â He placed a bookmark in his book and set it aside. He sighed inwardly at his own awkwardness, sometimes he really had no idea what to say to such a cute boy. Just staring at him gave him butterflies, despite the fact that they had been dating for a couple of months now.
âYa donât sound sure about that.â Jack was staring at him now, a grin making its way across his face. He got up from the couch. and with a swagger only Jack Kelly could pull off, walked over to Davey and draped himself across his lap as if he wasnât even there. He had sat down with a dramatic sigh, calling for Daveyâs undivided attention.
âThatâs not -huff- what I had in mind.â Davey groaned underneath the weight and yet was delighted to feel needed. With each breath Kelly took, the weight shifted slightly until they sat perfectly comfortable and tangled together. Kind of like a puzzle piece. Jackâs face was behind Daveyâs out of sight to his view, but he felt the comforting breeze of each exhale on his ear.
âToo bad. Sâwhat I wanted.â Davey felt a blush spread across his cheeks. Noticing, Jack let out a loud laugh and answered with a small peck on the cheek, turning Davey a darker shade red.
âWes got all the time in the world.â It sure did feel like. For the next hour or so, Davey opened his book again and they sat in a comfortable silence. He checked his watch, aware that if he didnât go home soon, his mother would start to worry (and one never wanted to upset Mrs. Jacobs).
âI wish I could stay butâŠâ Jack was nearly asleep on his shoulder. His hair fell in his face as he lifted it, mumbling as Davey tried to slip away, his eyes opening out of his sleepy daze. Davey was nearly out of the chair when he felt a strong hand grip his wrist.
âI love you, Davey.â Davey wished he could stay and would give anything to hear those words a hundred time a day. Blood rushed to his ears.
âI love you too, Jackie. Iâll come back tomorrow, first thing.â Jack nodded and Davey picked up his book and left the Lodging House.
-
Not too far from the House, Davey hummed to himself smiling at the thought of Jackâs words. Just thinking about him made him want to skip all the way home, although he would never do that, less one of the other boys walked into him on the way home. That boy made him crazy, every action and every breath sent him deeper into a spiral and Davey never wanted to get out. He could only hope that Jack felt the same way.
Still walking with a spring in his step, he didnât notice the gathering shadow behind him. A large hand grabbed his shoulder, forcing him backward near the alley. He let out a yelp in surprise as another hand grabbed his arm and pulled him farther in.
âRomeo? Race is that y- oof!â A hard yank pulled him backward, and the figure let go, letting his head smack the ground. His head spun, his vision dotting as he tried to look at the other person. He was hoping it was one of the guys just playing a prank (Race was always doing that, scaring him from dark alleyways), but this was not someone he knew.
It was a teenager for sure, larger and thicker than Davey and cruel smile set on his face. A scar ran down his cheek, bending to the corners of his lips. He shuddered to think where it came from, it didnât seem like it was the result of some silly accident, like Jackâs scar from their first date. Jack. Davey called for him, until the boy reeled back his foot, sending it flying towards Davey. He rolled over, coughing as he felt pain begin to bloom in his chest. Panicking, he tried to scramble back to the entrance of the alley but it was no use. Another teen stood behind him, casting a long shadow down onto Davey. A bottle rolled from behind him, and Davey quickly turned his head to see another boy emerging from the shadows. The three stood tall around him, pillars as he laid against the dirt. One of them stepped forward.
âYous did good this time, Beef. Get his coin.â Davey looked around glancing at the street for any passers-by. He didnât like the way this kid talked or looked for that matter. He was smaller than the one called Beef, but had the same cruel features that indicated his intentions. The other boy stepped forward, holding something in his palm. With horror, Davey reeled backward as he noticed that object was a small silver knife, gleaming as bright as the boyâs eyes.
âHaul him up.â The first teen pulled Davey to his feet, his ribs making a funny sound as he was held out in front of the kid with the knife. The leader, or at least who Davey assumed was the leader, nodded towards the knife-wielder and he took a dangerous step forward.
â I donât have anything, Iâm just trying to get home.â He tried to put as much conviction in his voice as possible but regardless, his voice shook with unmistakable fear. Davey held his head high, making eye contact with the leader as the other one stepped closer.
âSeriously, I-â A fist flew at his face, making contact with his cheek and jerking his head to the side. A whimper bubbled up from his chest.
âOne more word and my guy here will turn ya into swiss cheese.â He kept his eyes on Davey who kept peering down the alleyway, praying that one of the other newsies would walk by. The guy with the knife rummaged through his pockets as the leader watched on with a smile. He tried to pull himself away from the disgusting reach of the kid but the larger boy held fast onto his arms, holding them tightly behind his back. He tried to veer left of the hand trying to reach into his pocket, but the arms holding him tight just forced him back, hard. A soft sound came from his shoulder and Davey let out a scream, his whole side feeling as if it were covered in fire. The spots that were dancing in front of his eyes grew larger and moved with fury, completely blocking out the fist that slammed into his face once more. He was thrown off-balance, throwing his weight completely on the hurt shoulder. He didnât scream this time, only gasped as his knees gave out.
He could hear the snickers of the boys as he panted in pain, sweat and blood pooling on his brow. His mind went to Jack, he would know what to do in this situation. Actually, he would never be in this situation, but if he did⊠But Davey wasnât Jack. He didnât have his swagger or charm, so instead, he pleaded pathetically with boys. He wanted to cry out for Jack, but he didnât like the look that the eldest boy was giving him. Still being held back, the leader stepped forward, his eyes piercing into Daveyâs.
âWhereâs the rest of your coin?â His voice was calm, the question offered like it was no more than a simple âhow ya doing?â. Davey shook his head, not willing to speak the words. In truth he had nothing else on him, being a newsie wasnât exactly a well-paying career, and even if he did, that money was his. He had earned it, he needed it for his family, and he would not let some street rat take that away. Not exactly the time to be heroic, but he was only going to be pushed around so far.
The leaderâs eyebrows raised in false surprise. He didnât believe him and indicated to the other boy to stop searching for a moment.
âI donât have time for lies, kid. Just say where it is and ya can home to yer mommy with all of yer fingers.â His mind was in a panic. He didnât have anything else, and in one last moment of desperation, he strained against the guy holding him and spoke with as much confidence as he could muster.
âUnless you want to get on the bad side of Jack Kelly, I would stop now and walk away while you can.â The guy behind him tensed, the knife-wielder stopped rummaging around his vest looking for hidden pockets, but the leader stood there with a wide smile. Any confidence that Davey had slipped away, and he struggled against his keeper, doing his best to ignore the pain in his shoulder. The leader cocked his head sideways, clearly amused.
âNice try, but I think wes got it handled.â And then everything went to shit. Davey let out a pathetic sound as he pulled with all his might, kicking Beef to push away. Somehow landing a kick, his grip on Davey loosened and Davey slipped down, just as the kid with the knife was swinging his arm out wildly, catching Daveyâs arm and chest. He could tell it was shallow, but the pain was almost overwhelming. Davey was crouched on the ground and fell forward, moving away from the two guys. The leader tsked and before Davey had a chance to move, swiftly kicked his jaw. He fell over into the dirt, groaning and trying to ignore the intense taste of copper in his mouth.
Davey moved to crawl away but was met again by a foot, this time to the ribs. He pushed his way to one of the walls of the alley as the leader stalked towards him, grimacing with every movement. His back to the wall, the older boy blocked him with his long limbs and started to repeatedly throw punches. Davey threw his hands up in defense, now screaming Jackâs name with each blow until he fell over, lying still against the cold ground. He wanted to cry, he wanted to give up, and he wanted so much for them to go away but they stayed.
The leader bent down, breathing in his ear, just as Jack had done not an hour earlier. Davey flinched and could barely make out his next words.
âYou better hope I donât run into you, or this Jack,â he mimicked the way that Davey cried out his name, âon these streets. Wonât be so gentle next time.â He whistled towards the other boys and they stalked out of the alley.
âJackâŠâ His voice croaked out, but no one could hear him. He slumped down, finally passing out in pain.
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I have a part two planned out in my head if anyone is interested, just send me a message :)
Havenât posted in a while but had to reblog this gem!! â€ïž
