Archive of Our Own ^beta

Jack Kelly was out of breathe. He was ready for this day to end already as he ran across crosswalks with numerous cars honking at him. He ran with heaps of bags from Starbucks balanced in his hands and all the while praying that his clumsy nature doesn't take over and cause all his stuff to go flying.

This is Jack's daily routine. Even when he thinks he's early, he's definitely running late. He is huffing for breathe when he finally pushes through the revolving doors of the building. He is just in time to catch someone in the elevator going up.

“Hold the elevator!” He shouts around the bag hanging in his mouth. Luckily they understood him somehow and he made his way in.

“Well if it isn't the infamous Jack Kelly! Late as usual I see.” He doesn't need to look over to know it's Katherine, cheerful as always.

“H-Hey Kaf, fanthy feein’ ou ere.” She laughs as she relieves him of the bag in his mouth.

“You are a wonder, Kelly.” She ruffles his already messy, dark brown hair. “Surprised the boss hasn't fired you as late as you are all the time.”

“Well, I'm pretty vital to the team. I bring in coffee and donuts everyday and, I'm pretty sure that's the life blood of this entire building.”

“You right, you right. Speaking of, you got my coffee?” she poked at him playfully, drawing out the last word. He rolls his eyes with a smile.

“Of course my darling Katherine, I'd never forsake you.” The doors open and they start making their way to the main office.

“Aw, you're too good to me sweet
cheeks.” As they make their way people begin peeling bags and boxes off Jack like savages, coming all at once. “You'd think they haven't eaten in weeks.” Katherine mumbles, taking her coffee and donut leaving only two more.

“Thanks honey, I'll see you on the other side.” She gives him a light kiss on the cheek and a slap on the butt.

“I'll be counting the seconds until we are reunited, my love!”

“Shut up.”

With a shake of his head, they part ways. Jack makes his way down the hall to the main writing room where people sit, clicking away on computers or running around with spreads to be approved by the editor. It was always kind of chaotic, but that's what Jack enjoyed about his job at the publishing company.

It doesn't take Jack long to find the last person on his list of coffee stops. The person who definitely needs it most: David Jacobs. Even as he walks up to his desk his head is drooping.

“Hey Davey!” Jack greets cheerfully, hiding the drinks behind him. His head whips up with a frantic look.

“Do you have it? I need it to live! Please tell me you have some caffeine you coffee angel?” He almost looks like he's on the verge of tears.

“What are you, an addict?” Jack laughs handing him the coffee.

He holds up a finger as he quickly downs the drink, seemingly impervious to the heat of it. He finishes in record time with a sigh of happiness.

“Thanks Jackie, you're a god. This isn't even your job!” Jack just shrugs, sitting at his desk across from David and pulling out his sketchbook. He was ready to start working on this week's comic strip for the paper when David spoke up in a dreamy voice.

“He does it again!” Jack looks up at the screen David is focusing on, seeing a news story about Captain Cowboy stopping a robbery late at night yesterday. “He's so brave.”

Jack blushes at the comment, knowing it's indirectly about him.

“You okay, Jack?” He clears his throat willing the redness to leave his face.

“Yeah I'm just...yeah. You like him a lot, huh?” He mentally slaps himself. ‘Why would you ask that? Do you want to out yourself?’

“Yeah. He's so cool. I don't know how he does that. I mean, I get nervous saying ‘Hi’ to people let alone facing fires and such. I wish I could be like that. I'm just useless.” He whispers the last part as if he didn't want Jack to hear. He looks over to David whose head is down.

“Hey,” David looks up at him, his eyes shiny through his glasses. “You are just as important as he is to society. You write news stories for goodness sake, you tell people what's going on! Without you, nobody knows nothing. The things you do today will be tomorrow's news, you said it yourself.” David smiles at this slightly.

“Anyone would be beyond lucky to have you in their life, Davey. You're
beautiful.” David's eyebrows lift in surprise as Jack says this. Another blush spreads over his face as he tries to alter what he said.

“I mean...well it-I mean y-you have a beautiful personality I gotta go to the bathroom.” Jack was on his way out when he ran straight into Kath causing her to drop her stuff. He stumbles through an apology while bending down to help her with her stuff, but she grabs him by the tie and pulls him away further.

“You're papers -”

“Screw the papers, what was that Kelly?” He looks up with wide, confused eyes. She groans and turns him to face David who is obviously trying to hide a confused smile. “He's totally into you and you're into him and you are trucking up your chances dumb dumb!” She whispers briskly.

“What?”

“Shut up and go ask him out.” She goes and swiftly picks up her papers with a greeting to David.

“Hey Kath.” He says haphazardly. As she walks away she looks back at Jack with a pointed look. ‘Go get him!’ She mouths. He takes in a deep breathe and goes back over to David, working up his courage.

“What happened to having to go to the bathroom?” David questions with a laugh.

“Oh, uh...look Dave, I got something I want to ask you. I was wondering...if…” He lost his voice as David stares into his eyes. “I-” He suddenly cuts himself off as he tunes into the news story on the screen. There's an attack at the city hall. Looks like another job for the Captain and, as always, at the most inconvenient time. “...I-you know I do have to go to the bathroom actually I'll see you in a second.” Jack nervously walks away so he can go change into his alternate outfit.

#

It doesn't take long for Jack to be in his costume and down town to where the workers are being held hostage in city hall by none other than the Delancey Brothers. Two ugly, terrible smelling sewer rats that were turned into humans. At least that's how Jack describes them, they're just two evil dudes. He makes his entrance, slipping through the doors.

“Double, Double, Delancey trouble.” He hears them taunting as they walk around the tied up victims. “Who wants to feel their skin bubble?” Their hands burst into flames as they say this, showing off their power to the civilians.

“Hey!” They turn with smug faces to see Jack.

“Well if it ain't Captain Cow barf! Thought you'd make an appearance you little crime fighting Kremlin.” Oscar speaks up.

“Oscar, Morris. Guess we need to invest more money into the city’s pest control, looks like they missed a spot. Why don't you two “witches” hop your broomsticks and take your toiling trouble double dirty bubble whatever somewhere else?”

Their faces turn dark. “Enough table
talk.” They both take a shot at Jack who dodges their fire easily. He takes the whip from his belt and snaps it at Oscar’s ankle, pulling his leg from under him and making him fall. Morris fired two more fireballs.

One hit Jack allowing a sizzling noise to escape. He quickly takes off his hat and catches the other inside of it. He fires it back at Morris who is caught off guard by it and lands on the ground. Suddenly Jack is being yanked off his feet as Oscar pulls on the whip lodged around his ankle.

Morris makes his way over to him, as his hat is out of reach and Oscar has his whip.

“Reach for the sky cowboy.” They joke. Jack sweeps his leg under Oscar effectively getting him on the ground where he delivers a few good punches to knock him out. Morris makes to produce more fire but Jack his quicker, slapping him with his whip on his hands. He then uses it as a makeshift rope, wrapping Morris and he uses his real rope to tie the unconscious Oscar.

People around start to applaud as he begins untying the captives. The police give him a pat on the back as they move the Delancey’s to the truck that'll take them back to prison. He walks out to camera flashes and a reporter as usual.

“Captain, Captain! Another job well done! How do you feel about taking down the Delancey brothers once again?”

“At this point it's like a mere training session.” He laughs. “Just glad to get these people back to safety.”

“Is that what drives you to be the hero you are? The safety of the people?”

“Well the things we do today will be tomorrow's news. If we don't make a difference now, how will that affect society? That's what I want to do, make a difference. Not to be the guy who stands by when I have the power to do something more.”

“Well I'm sure the public will agree that you have made quite the impact. This is Sarah Jacobs, reporting to you live from city hall.”

He tips his hat to the people around and flies off. It will likely be another late night tonight.

#

The next morning is the same as usual. Jack barely scrapes by getting to work and makes it back to his desk where his sketchbook already waits. He runs a tired hand through his hair with a yawn and a stretch. He looks over nonchalantly, but then double takes as he noticed David staring at him.

It is a calculating look he is giving as he sips his coffee. It makes Jack uncomfortable. Maybe he is mad because Jack said he was going to the bathroom and never came back.

“You must of had some bad diarrhea or something, huh? Mr. ‘I have to go to the bathroom and doesn't come back for twelve hours’!” David questions in an accusing manner.

“Oh yeah. I was...feeling so bad I just decided to go home.”

“You seem pretty tired for someone who went home way before usual clock out time.”

“Well-”

“And you're kind of banged up. You have a burn mark on your hand.”

“...I-”

“And you quoted me the other day when you were on the news, Captain.” He raises an eyebrow as he says it. Jack freezes with terror.

“I don't know what you're -”

“The things we do today will be tomorrow's news? The thing I say to you? Yeah, you said that in the interview with my sister! I definitely noticed, especially since you didn't cite your source you phony!” David is whispering and yelling at the same time. He doesn't really seem angry, more annoyed.

Jack is flustered and at a loss. What can he say to that? Oh you're right. Don't tell? This is the first time anyone has found out and it's because of a stupid mistake on his part. If he's done it this once, he could slip up again! And what about David? Jack doesn't know what to do and he just needs David to stop talking for one second.

He walks up to David who is now standing and nervously kisses him on the mouth. It doesn't take long for David to melt into it, wrapping his arms around Jack's shoulders as Jack wraps his around David's waist. They pull apart slowly, both tomato red with blushes. David nervously adjusts his glasses on his nose with a smile that reveals the dimples that Jack is so in love with.

Jack shuffles on his feet, his need to fill the empty air with something growing hard to ignore.

“I'm sorry.” Jack says. “I was just kind of overwhelmed and I didn't mean to...I wasn't trying to-”

“Jack. Don't you dare apologize. I've...kinda been wanting that for a while. I didn't know if you liked me or not because you'd always say things and then play it off like something else I just...you're super confusing.” Jack laughs slightly at his comment.

“And hey...you're secret is safe with me. Besides, I'll have a primary source for my articles now. One that no one else will have.” He runs his fingers down Jack's face slowly. “That is, if you ever want to go on a date with me.”

“I’d love to. I wanted to ask you yesterday before I was so rudely interrupted by… my toiletry needs.”

“And you ruined the moment.” They both smile widely. Jack was just glad he didn't have to hide his secret from the person he held closest.