Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Davey: Hey, you’re going home for spring break right

Me: yeah why

Davey: amazing.

Davey: okay don’t laugh but

Davey: I need you to be my boyfriend for the week while we’re there

Me: davey.

Me: what the actual fuck.

Davey: … I’m gonna call you.

Sure enough, Jack’s phone starts to ring immediately after that text comes through. “Hey, Davey.”

“So I just got back from visiting Sarah, and, like. You know how she’s convinced I have no friends?” Davey says without preamble.

“Yeah, how does that end with me dating you?” Jack replies.

Davey makes a strangled sound on the other side. “I may have told her I was dating somebody to get her off my back a bit, but that it was long distance so, like, I didn’t want to talk about it? And Sarah just goes oh my god, you finally got with Jack, didn’t you? And I was so shocked that I said yes and now I really, really need you to pretend to date me just for the week that we’re home or Sarah will never, ever, ever let me hear the end of it.”

“Davey,” Jack says, “please slow down.”

“Sorry,” says Davey.

“So what is it you need from me?”

“Basically, to pretend we’re in a long distance relationship for a couple of days so that Sarah doesn’t find out I lied to her,” Davey says. “And then we can, like, stage a big breakup because the distance is too hard or something. It’s foolproof.”

“Except for the part where no one would ever believe we’re dating,” Jack points out.

“Look, Jackie, I know it sounds crazy,” says Davey. Jack can’t see Davey right now, but he’d bet anything Davey is combing his fingers through his curls with his free hand. “But I’m only in this position because Sarah assumed I’d be dating you.”

Jack isn’t really sure what to make of that. Sure, he and Davey are close. They’re really close, they’re best friends. They’ve been best friends since they were kids.

But dating?

Well, no. Okay.

Jack’s thought about it. Of course he’s thought about it, Davey is fucking perfect. He’s smart and gorgeous and – so, so completely not an option for Jack, because they’re best friends and anyway Davey’s way too good for him.

(Okay, maybe Jack’s got a bit of a crush on his best friend. Sue him.)

“Come on, Jackie,” Davey says, pleading. “It could be fun. We could really play it up – I mean, if we’re gonna do something this ridiculous, we might as well, right? See if we can convince all our friends. You’re an actor, act!”

“Davey, nobody’s gonna buy it.”

“Sar already did.”

“I don’t know –“

“Please, Jack. Sarah will never let me hear the end of it if she finds out I lied to her,” says Davey.

That’s true, because Sarah is Davey’s sister and she already gives him a lot of shit for his quiet social life.

Jack weighs his options – on the one hand, he could say no. The only thing really at risk here is Davey’s ability to get Sarah off his back about dating and shit for a while, and Davey wouldn’t hold it against him if he didn’t want to do it. And anyway, seeing the fallout when Sarah found out Davey was lying would probably be hilarious.

On the other hand, he could say yes and help Davey out. He could get one week’s taste of what it might be like to date Davey, to live in a world where Davey was interested in him. It would probably end with Jack’s heart broken more than it already is by the unattainability of the whole thing. He shouldn’t do it. He shouldn’t.

And then, against his better judgement, Jack sighs. “Yeah, okay. Fine.”

“Amazing!” says Davey. “God, I love you. Nobody else does stupid shit like this with me.”

“And to think your mother thinks I’m the instigator between us,” Jack replies, rolling his eyes.

Davey laughs, that bright, clear laugh that makes Jack’s heart skip beats. “That’s what you get for being a walking disaster.”

“That is no way to talk about your fake long-distance boyfriend, Davey,” Jack replies, mock offended.

“Maybe that’s just how I show my affection, sweetheart,” Davey teases. Jack smiles reflexively at the pet name, even though Davey’s just playing around.

Oh, this was a mistake.

This was a huge mistake.

Well. It’s too late to turn back now.

“Sure, sure.”

“Alright, well, if you want we can drive home together?” Davey says. “I can even maybe come in a day early or something and we can straighten out our story.”

“I don’t think straightening out our story would do us any good,” says Jack, grinning.

Davey groans. “Ugh, I hate you so much. You’ve been out for, like, six years, Jackie, and I think that stopped being funny about six years ago.”

“You know you love me,” says Jack.

Davey groans again. “Shut up, of course I do. Does that plan work for you?”

“What, driving home with you?” Jack replies. “Yeah, ‘course it does. We probably would’a done that anyway.”

It’s what they’d done at Thanksgiving, anyway. Davey’s school is further from home than Jack’s, and it’s not too far out of his way to swing through Jack’s campus. It’s a lot more fun to drive home that way, especially if they’d both be going anyway.

“Yeah,” Davey says a little distantly. “We probably would’ve.”

“Hey,” Jack says, checking the time, “I gotta get to class. But see you soon, yeah?”

“See you soon,” Davey agrees.

“Miss you, Davey.”

“I miss you, too, Jack.”

--

Jack’s not sure exactly how it happens, but spring break seems to pop up out of nowhere before he even has time to blink. He’s been so deeply buried in schoolwork that he completely lost track of time, and then one morning he’s getting a text from Davey that says hey Jackie we still dating this week and Jack has to actually physically sit down for a minute because good God.

Me: Yeah, I’m down if you’re down.

Davey: hell yeah. I should get to you at like ten tomorrow, so we can like get lunch or something and work out our story before we head for home?

Me: I’ll believe you’re leaving your place at 8 when I see it

Davey: excuse me maybe I’m excited to see you

Me: I’ll believe that when I see it too

Davey: I am your best friend and fake boyfriend, Jackie. Of course I’m fucking excited to see you

Me: I’m excited to see you too, chill

Davey: you fuckin better be

And, like, of course Jack’s excited to see Davey. It’s been three whole months since they saw each other last and Jack misses his best friend like crazy.

But he’s also, just a little bit, dreading this next week. Because Davey isn’t an option for Jack, he’s never been an option for Jack, but for six whole days he’s going to be pretending that not only is he an option, it’s an option they’ve taken. The very idea of that makes his heart skip beats, not that Jack could ever – would ever – say anything about it to Davey.

So he’s going to spend the week holding Davey’s hand and being silly and over-the-top coupley and maybe even get to kiss him, and it’ll all be for the sake of a prank on their friends? For the sake of keeping Sarah from teasing Davey for the rest of their lives? It’ll all be done knowing that it’s only going to last as long as they’re home, and then they’ll part with a laugh and never think about it again?

Yeah, Jack might die this week.

--

Davey does actually arrive around ten, which is kind of a miracle given his tendency to be the last one to show up for basically everything. He’d almost missed the bus for their senior trip because he overslept.

“Jackie!” Davey calls. He’s been leaning against the side of his car on his phone, but as soon as he spots Jack he tucks his phone into his pocket and runs over. He throws his arms around Jack’s neck. “Hey, I missed you.”

“I missed you, too, Davey,” Jack says. He rests his head right at the place where Davey’s neck meets his shoulder, sliding his arms around Davey’s waist.

They stand like that for a moment before separating. Davey lets his arms slide across Jack’s shoulders as he steps back, stopping just far enough back to leave his hands resting on his shoulders.

“Are you ready for this?” Davey says.

“No,” Jack replies, laughing. “It’s gonna be a mess, Davey, the boys ain’t gonna give us a minute of peace.”

Davey laughs, too. “Yeah, but it’ll be fun. C’mon, you know it’ll be fun. When are my schemes not fun?”

“I dunno, that time we got stuck in a tree for four hours hiding from Racer –“

“Was not my fault!”

“It was your scheme, sweetheart!”

“I take no responsibility.” Davey shakes his head, grinning. “C’mon, let’s get something to eat. We can settle our story.”

They duck into a nearby coffee shop – a favorite of Jack’s for their pastries – and settle in with a snack and some drinks.

“Okay, when did we get together?” Jack says. He reaches over to tear off a piece of Davey’s croissant and pops it into his mouth.

“Maybe, like, thanksgiving break?” Davey says hesitantly. His eyebrows are pushed together in the middle, a sure sign of an extremely focused Davey. “Like, maybe being apart for a while made us realize we wanted to be together?” He wiggles his eyebrows a little.

Jack laughs. “Yeah, okay.” It’s actually kind of uncomfortably close to the truth – Jack had always known Davey was someone he wanted to hold onto, but it didn’t really hit him how deep those feelings ran until Davey wasn’t always right next to him. “Who asked who out, huh?”

“You asked, obviously,” Davey says, taking a neat bite of his croissant.

“Oh, obviously?” Jack repeats, his eyebrows raised. “What, ‘cause you wouldn’t –“

“You’re braver than me,” says Davey. He doesn’t quite meet Jack’s eye. “And anyway, you’ve got more experience with that kind of thing.”

“Sure, sure,” says Jack. “And it ain’t because you don’t think you’d’a considered doin’ it yourself? I know I’m not exactly a catch, Davey, but –“

“Hey, watch it, that’s my fake boyfriend you’re insulting,” Davey cuts in. “You’re a great guy, Jackie. A really great guy, anybody’d be lucky to date you. But that’s why nobody would believe that I asked you. I mean, I didn’t exactly have great dating luck in high school.”

Jack pointedly ignores the way his heart flutters at that. “I s’pose.”

“Okay,” says Davey. “That’s decided then.”

“I guess it is,” says Jack. “Why didn’t we tell people about it at winter break, then?”

“Too new?” Davey replies, frowning again. “Too fragile? I told Sarah I hadn’t been talking about it because of how hard long distance is, I figure that’s a pretty good excuse.”

“Yeah, that works,” Jack says, nodding. “How do you feel about, like, PDA and shit? How hard are we going on this?”

“I mean,” says Davey, “I’m down to go all in if you are.” It’s a challenge, one Jack has heard many, many times over the course of their friendship. That’s the problem with having a best friend like Davey, really – he’s the mastermind of most of their pranks and schemes, and he knows just how to get Jack on board. “We might as well, right?”

“Yeah,” Jack says, taking a too large sip of his coffee. “I’m down if you’re down.”

“We’re pretty tactile already,” Davey points out. He reaches across the table and puts his hand on Jack’s. “I don’t think it’ll be too hard.”

Yeah, that’s what Jack’s afraid of.

He doesn’t say that, of course. What he says is, “Nah, I don’t think so either.”

“Are you packed?” Davey asks.

“David Jacobs, look me in the eye and ask me that again,” Jack says, laughing.

Davey laughs, too. “What was I thinking, of course you aren’t.”

Davey’s always late, Jack forgets to pack. Together, they almost make one functional person when it comes to travelling. Almost.

“We don’t all pack for shit a week in advance, Davey,” Jack teases.

“One day in advance would be enough, Jackie,” Davey replies with an eyeroll. “Okay, let’s get back to your place and make sure you have clothes I’m willing to be seen next to in your bag.”

“Oh, now we’re dating you got an issue with my wardrobe?” says Jack.

“Oh, no, I’ve always had an issue with your wardrobe,” Davey says, grinning. “But I think as your boyfriend I would say something about it.”

Which is how Jack ends up perched on his bed, sketching, while Davey digs through his drawers.

“Jack. Jackie. I swear to God, you must have at least one shirt that hasn’t been drenched in paint,” Davey says.

Jack laughs. “No, I don’t.”

“Jackie,” Davey whines.

“You’re in the wrong drawer, dumbass,” Jack says, taking pity on him. “That’s the paint clothes drawer.”

“You’ve got a whole paint clothes drawer?”

“You have known me for fifteen years,” says Jack. “You know this. Some fake boyfriend you are. Don’t even remember about my paint clothes, how could you?”

“You have a whole paint clothes drawer here?” Davey clarifies. “I know you’ve got one at home, but you’ve got so much more closet space at home.”

“I sacrificed having a dresser drawer for my socks and underwear for the sake of not ruining any more clothes by mixing ’em up,” Jack says, shrugging.

Davey laughs. “Where the fuck are you keeping your socks and underwear?”

“Bedside table drawers,” Jack tells him.

Davey gets up and walks over to the bedside table, opening the top drawer, like he doesn’t believe Jack. “You are something else, Jackie.”

And then he turns to look at Jack with this almost unbearably fond smile on his face and Jack’s pretty sure he stops breathing. As soon as Davey turns back to digging through Jack’s clothes, Jack sets to trying to get that smile onto paper, because it’s going to be burned into his brain if he doesn’t.

Maybe it will be anyway.

Once Jack’s bags are packed to Davey’s satisfaction, they make their way to Davey’s car.

“You’re driving,” Davey says, tossing him the keys. “I’ve already done two hours today. We can switch a little later if you want though.”

“Works for me,” says Jack.

Davey throws Jack’s bag into the backseat, then leans across the center console of the car to peck Jack on the cheek before he starts the car.

“Thanks for doing this, Jackie,” Davey says softly. “You’re the best.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Jack says, and he’s shocked at how normal his voice sounds. “It’ll be fun, right?”

Davey grins, which causes all kinds of dumb fuzzy things to happen in Jack’s chest. “For sure.”

Oh, Lord. This is gonna be a long week.

Chapter Text

It’s about a four hour drive from Jack’s campus to home.

That’s four hours of Davey sitting like an idiot in the passenger seat –

“Davey, what if we get into an accident?” Jack says, glancing over nervously.

Davey hugs his knee tighter to his chest. “Then I’ll have a lot bigger things to worry about than just one broken leg. And anyway, I trust your driving, Jackie.”

“It’s not my driving I’m worried about!” says Jack. “I can’t control the other cars, Davey.”

“You have not gotten one ounce less nervous a driver since we were sixteen, have you?” Davey says, laughing.

“I’m a better driver than when we were sixteen,” Jack says defensively.

“Yeah, you are,” says Davey. He reaches over and nudges Jack’s upper arm playfully. “But still nervous as fuck.”

“I don’t want to die in a car wreck, Davey,” says Jack.

“Yeah, neither do I,” says Davey. “But I trust you.”

Jack stares forward, pointedly ignoring the warmth this statement causes to flare up in his chest. “Trust me all you want, Dave, but put your damned feet down.”

- and four hours of Davey singing along to their music –

“You’ve got to sing with me on the duets,” Davey says a little bossily. “C’mon, darling, we’ve got to get into character. Be my Flynn Rider!”

“You don’t exactly have the hair for Rapunzel,” says Jack, laughing.

“Sure I do,” says Davey. He runs a hand through his hair, curling the ends around his fingertips. “Like at the end! After he cuts her hair!”

“Right, gotcha,” Jack replies. “So should I call you princess now, or –“

“You should sing your damned part on the duets!” says Davey, swatting at his upper arm.

Like Jack’s heart can stand singing romantic duets with Davey, even for fun in the car.

“What if I don’t know the part?” Jack tries.

“Psssh.” Davey laughs. “What if you don’t know the part. What do you take me for, Jackie? Some kind of idiot? We learned these fucking duets together as kids, what if you don’t know the part.”

“Fine, fine,” says Jack, casting around for a better lie. “I’m just feelin’ a little self conscious about my voice, is all. I haven’t exactly been singin’ much lately.”

“Aw, Jackie,” Davey says. His hand finds Jack’s arm again, but this time the touch is gentle. “I love your voice, even if you’re out of practice. And it’s just car singing, anyway.”

Jack’s breath catches, he can’t help it. He glances over at the passenger’s seat, where Davey is watching him, a soft smile on his face.

Face flushing, Jack turns his gaze firmly back to the road. “Fine. Next duet, I’ll sing with you.”

“Good,” says Davey. “You better.”

- and four hours of catching up, because sure they text all the time and call each other at least once a week, but that’s not the same as being in the same space.

“Do you think Sarah’s right, Jack?” Davey says quietly, fiddling with the zipper pull of his hoodie. “I know I don’t really go out much –“

“Just ‘cause you aren’t going to parties and shit doesn’t mean you don’t have a social life,” Jack replies, shaking his head. “You hang out with your roommate and that friend from intro, like, all the time.”

“I guess,” says Davey.

“No guessin’, Dave,” says Jack. “You and Sar aren’t the same kinda social. Nothin’ wrong with that.”

“If you say so,” Davey says, frowning.

“Yeah, well, I do,” Jack replies. “Anyway, you’d go out more if we went the same place.”

“Oh, would I?”

“’Course you would. I was the one that got’cha outta the house all through high school, didn’t I?”

Davey hums. “Maybe it would be me, keeping you in. I did plenty of that in high school, too.”

“That wouldn’t be so bad,” says Jack. “I like spendin’ time with you.”

Davey hums again. “I think I’m starting to see why Sarah was so quick to assume I’d be dating you.”

“Oh, yeah?” Jack says, his heartrate picking up a little.

“Yeah,” Davey says a little distantly. “I mean, when you think about it, it almost had to be, y’know? If I’m seeing somebody long distance it’s gotta be somebody from home, and who does that leave? My three best friends are you, Racer, and Buttons.”

Jack snorts. “Yeah, okay, I see it.”

Davey has a point. He’s not the sort of person anyone would believe would get involved with somebody he isn’t already close to, and of his three closest friends Jack is kind of the only actual option. Race has been pining hard for Spot Conlon since they were, like, sixteen – everybody knows it except, apparently, for Spot, which is painful to watch. And Buttons drunkenly came out as aromantic during a 2am game of truth or dare last year.

That leaves Jack – bisexual, available, and Davey’s best friend since Pre-K 3. (And, separately and hopefully secretly, already sort of in love with Davey. That’s just bonus, though.) Jack wins by default.

“Oh, hey, speaking of Buttons and Race,” Davey says, “do you wanna tell the boys or just play it up and see if they notice anything? Sar promised she wouldn’t say anything about it.”

“The second one,” says Jack, shrugging. “More fun that way, right? And then if they don’t figure it out, that’s one less thing to worry about when we ‘break up.’”

“Good point,” says Davey. He sounds sort of distant again, and Jack glances over. He’s fiddling with the zipper of his hoodie again, looking lost in thought. He’s silent for a moment, before reaching for the volume control on the radio. “Hey, I love this song. Sing with me?”

The thing is, Jack really loves any time he gets to spend alone with Davey, and four hours of goofing off together in a car is a recipe for a pretty fun time. And the thing about time spent with Davey is that it always seems to fly by, like it’s nothing.

 Which is all to say that before Jack really knows it, he’s turning into his parents’ driveway. They both get out, staring at each other for a minute.

“You'll come by later?” Davey asks tentatively. He glances up at the Kelly house, shifting on his feet a little nervously.

Jack is suddenly very aware that from this moment until they’re back in Davey’s car driving home next weekend, they’re onstage for this fake relationship deal every second of the day.

“Yeah, sounds good,” Jack replies. The front door opens.

“Jack, honey, is that you home already?” his mom calls.

“Sure is, Mama,” Jack replies, turning to smile at her.

“David, are you coming in?” Mom asks.

Davey shakes his head. “I’ve gotta get home, but I’m sure I’ll be around while we're home.”

“You better be,” says Jack. He leans in, dropping his voice so only Davey will hear him. “I’m gonna kiss you goodbye, is that okay?”

Davey nods. “Yeah, for sure.”

For sure.

Jack leans that last little bit closer and – chickens out. He tips his head at the last moment and brushes a gentle kiss across Davey’s cheekbone. Before Jack can fully move away, Davey tips his head forward for a moment so his forehead touches Jack’s.

“So it begins,” he says quietly. “See you later.”

Jack chuckles. “Later, babe.”

Davey snorts and pats Jack’s shoulder as they actually fully move away from each other. Jack slings his bag over his shoulder. Davey climbs back into the car. Jack waits until Davey’s pulled out and started driving back down the street to walk up to the front door and give his mother a hug.

“Jack,” Mom says, slightly suspicious, “did I just see what I think I saw?”

“That depends on what you thought you saw, I guess,” says Jack, shrugging, as they walk into the house. He sighs, steeling himself. “I know you know already, Mom. Davey spilled the beans to Sarah weeks ago, and I’m sure Sar told Esther which means Esther told you.”

“Maybe I just want to hear out of my own son’s mouth –“

“Davey and I are seeing each other,” Jack says all in one breath. “Or, like. Not seeing each other, I guess, since it’s – you know, since it’s long distance. We’re dating.”

Mom sweeps Jack into another hug. “I’m so happy for you, kiddo.”

“Mama,” Jack says, wiggling out of her grip. “It’s not a big deal.”

“It’s a really big deal!” Mom replies, laughing. “You pine after that boy for God only knows how long –“

“I wasn’t pining –“

“- and don’t take this as me trying to push you before you’re ready, Jack, but I’d be thoroughly shocked if David wasn’t it for you,” Mom pushes on.

Jack ducks his head, not meeting his mother’s eye. “I don’t know about that.”

“No, I know, I know,” says Mom. “It’s too new for talk like that. But I’m your mother, Johnny, and I know you and David.”

Jack wrinkles his nose at the old nickname. “Mama.”

“I’m serious!” Mom insists. “You told me when you were eight years old that you were going to marry Davey.”

“That’s different,” says Jack. His cheeks are red, he feels like his face is on fire. “We were just kids.”

“And now you’re adults and you’re finally getting your collective act together,” Mom says knowingly. “I’ll get off your case about it. But let that boy of yours know I’m expecting him for dinner at least once while you’re here, alright? And you’re still welcome to have him sleep over – I’m sure you’ve been missing each other. Just don’t get up to anything you don’t want someone walking in on.“

“Mom!” Jack says, scandalized.

“I’m just saying.”

“I’m going to go upstairs and drop my bag in my room and not think about this conversation anymore,” says Jack.

Mom laughs, and Jack takes the opportunity to run up to his bedroom and throw the door shut behind him. He flops onto his bed, throwing his arm over his face.

“This was a bad idea,” he says out loud into his empty room. “This was such a bad idea.”

But it’s far, far too late to do anything about it now. He’s in it now, and he’s just got to get through the next few days before he can go back to school and never think about this again.

--

Later that night, Jack finds himself in the Jacobs family’s basement, along with Davey and Race and Spot, with the rest of their friends due to get home within the next few days.

Davey is nestled in under Jack’s arm on the couch, his head on Jack’s shoulder. The four of them are watching a movie, which is to say that Jack and Davey are watching a movie and Spot and Race are talking quietly and staring lovingly into each other’s eyes.

“Do you think they even remember we’re here?” Jack says, chuckling softly.

“Oh, no, absolutely not,” says Davey, grinning. “We could probably switch movies and they’d never notice.”

Race throws a pillow at him. “Excuse me, Davey Jacobs, you don’t hear me giving you two shit for being all over each other.”

Davey goes a little pink, but doesn’t hesitate to shift up and peck Jack on the cheek. “I think I’m allowed to cuddle my boyfriend, I haven’t seen him in three months. Did you and Spot start dating without telling us?”

“No!” Race and Spot reply in unison, scooting away from each other on the couch and both going very, very red.

“Sorry, did you two do that?” Spot says, raising an eyebrow. “Because the last I heard you were definitely both still just sighing sadly over each other.”

Both?

“At Thanksgiving, dude,” Jack says, and it comes out remarkably normal. He squeezes Davey tighter to his side. “I spent the first two months’a school fuckin’ miserable without Davey around – an’ you know we’ve got a rule about not visiting each other ‘cause we’d never get any homework done on the weekends – so when he showed up to drive home for break I knew I had to say something, you know? Just happened that something ended up being blurting out that I’ve been in love with him since freshman year halfway through the drive home.”

He’s improvising a little, but it’s a half-truth. He’d only just barely been able to keep that confession under wraps.

Davey, bless him, doesn’t miss a goddamn beat. He sighs softly, relaxing into Jack like he’s meant to be there, and tips his head back to look up at his face. “Hey, if you hadn’t said it we would’ve kept pining forever. God knows I was never gonna be able to get the words out.”

There’s something a little odd in Davey’s voice, Jack can’t place it. He doesn’t really have time to try, though, because then Davey leans up and kisses him and his brain, like, short circuits.

It’s not anything special, really, just Davey’s lips on his at a slightly awkward angle, but it’s going to be burned into Jack’s brain for the rest of eternity.

When Davey shifts back, he doesn’t quite meet Jack’s eye, although Jack is sure from Spot and Race’s angle it doesn’t look like it. Jack just hopes that Davey – who is draped half across him and pressed into his side – can’t feel the way his heart is racing.

“Hey,” says Jack, stupidly, “I love you.”

It’s loud enough that Spot and Race will hear, so God willing Davey will assume it’s just part of the show, but oh is Jack really feeling it right now. Wrapped up with Davey, he’s warm and content and for just a second he can pretend that maybe this could actually be real.

Davey grins, something shifting slightly in his expression as he does, and now he meets Jack’s gaze. “I love you, too, dork.”

“Ugh,” says Race, “they’re gross. I should’ve known they’d be gross.”

“Cut’em some slack, Racer,” Spot says, although he sounds entirely too amused. “They were gross already.” Yep, there it is.

Race snorts.  “Right, a’course.”

“Are you two staying the night?” Davey asks, redirecting the conversation.

“Ooh, is Jack?” Race teases.

Davey shrugs. “Jack always stays over after movie night. It’s not a big deal.”

That’s true.

It kind of feels like a big deal now, though.

“We’ll head for home, I think,” Spot says, raising an eyebrow at Race.

“Yeah, don’t wanna intrude on your mushy boyfriend time or whatever,” Race agrees, rolling his eyes.

An hour and a half later, Race and Spot are gone and Jack and Davey are in Davey’s bedroom. Jack is in his own pajama pants and a borrowed t-shirt of Davey’s, they’ve already brushed their teeth side-by-side in the upstairs bathroom. It’s exactly like a hundred sleepovers they’ve had before, and yet –

“We should share,” Davey says, nodding to the bed.

“We usually do,” Jack points out.

Davey hums. “We do, don’t we?”

“Think Les’ll try to wake us up in the morning?”

“He usually does. And anyway, he’s missed you more than he’s missed me, I think.”

Jack laughs. “Not my fault I’m the cool one.”

“Oh, you’re cool?” says Davey. “Since when?”

“Hey you’re the one who’s supposed to be dating me, I feel like you oughtta appreciate how cool I am.”

“No, I think that means I’m definitely the most qualified to see how not cool you –

There’s a knock at the door, and then it opens a fraction.

“Boys,” Mayer Jacobs says from the hallway, “door open tonight.”

“You’ve never made us leave the door open before,” Davey says, and it’s not a whine but only because Davey thinks he’s too mature for that. “It’s just Jack.”

“Well, the rules change when Jack is your boyfriend,” Mayer replies. “Just be grateful we’re still letting the two of you stay in the same room.”

“Dad!” Davey says, looking thoroughly embarrassed.

“Door stays open,” Mayer repeats. “Good night, boys.”

“Night, Dad,” says Davey.

“Goodnight, Mayer,” Jack adds.

They wait until they hear Mayer’s footsteps fade down the hall before both bursting into giggles.

“I guess we’re pulling it off,” Jack says once he’s caught his breath again.

“I guess we are,” says Davey. “C’mon, I’m tired. I got up so early today.”

“If you got up more than fifteen minutes before you had to leave to get me, I’ll be shocked,” says Jack.

“That’s still seven forty-five, Jackie!” Davey replies. “That’s so early!”

“Yeah, yeah, you big baby,” says Jack, rolling his eyes. He flops onto the bed, sliding over to one side and opening an arm for Davey to crawl in next to him.

Davey does, but instead of settling in he pushes up onto his elbow, looking down at Jack. That same odd expression from earlier is on his face, a little distant.

“Jackie, do you think –“ he bites his lip for a moment, then restarts. “Jackie, thanks.”

“For what, Dave?” Jack says softly.

“Doing all this,” says Davey. “I mean, the – the fake relationship thing. Messing with Spot and Racer is one thing, but, like. My dad making implications about our imaginary sex life is another.”

Jack snorts. “Wouldn’t be a Davey Jacobs plan if I didn’t deeply regret my life choices for at least a few minutes. But it’s worth it to help you out. I’d do just about anything to help you out.”

“Thanks, Jackie,” Davey says again. He settles in next to Jack, tucked comfortably against his side.

Jack falls asleep that night warm and comfortable and deeply regretting his life choices, because sleeping next to Davey has fucking ruined him for sleeping alone, and sleeping next to Davey while they’re pretending to be dating is that much worse.

He’s almost sure, somewhere in the drowsy place between awake and fully asleep, he feels chapped lips kiss his temple, but it must be his imagination, a dream. Because there’s nobody here to see them, so there’s no reason for Davey to do something like that. No reason to act when there’s no audience.

Still, Jack thinks as he drifts off, it’s a nice dream to have.

Chapter Text

Jack wakes up and is immediately aware of three things.

1. He is not in his dorm.
2. He is in Davey Jacobs’s childhood bedroom.
3. Davey Jacobs is currently draped across his entire body, arms and legs thrown carelessly over him and his head pillowed on Jack’s shoulder.

It’s all Jack can do not to let out an audible whine of frustration at how goddamn right it feels to wake up tangled up with Davey. It’s not fucking fair that he should get to spend a night wrapped around the love of his goddamn life and not have it be real.

But it’s also his own stupid fault, so there’s that.

He sighs, turning his head to bury his nose in Davey’s soft curls. He might as well enjoy it while he’s here, right?

And anyway, based on the light streaming in through Davey’s bedroom window, any minute now they should be getting their wake up call.

“Davey! Jack!”

Enter Les Jacobs, throwing the bedroom door open and running in and hurling himself onto the bed. He knocks the wind out of Jack, and wakes Davey with a start.

“You’re getting a little big for this, Lessy,” Jack wheezes.

“The bigger I get the more fun it is,” says Les.

“You need to spend less time with Race,” Davey grumbles.

“Noooo,” Les says, “I need to spend more time with Race! He has such good ideas!”

“If you like Race so well, how come you’re not jumpin’ all over him?” says Jack.

“Race isn’t here, Jack,” Les says, rolling his eyes. “Obviously. Anyway, you and Davey are funnier.”

“We’re never having kids,” Davey says sleepily. “Never, Jackie, you hear me? Les has ruined me for children.”

Les makes a disappointed little noise, pushing up onto his hands to look at them. “I want nieces and nephews to play with!”

“Corrupt Racer’s kids,” says Jack, pointedly ignoring the little skip his heart did at Davey’s words.

“Or Sarah’s,” Davey adds.

Jack nods. “Or Sarah’s.”

Les flops across them again. “You guys are so boring now.”

“It’s seven AM, give us time,” says Davey. He presses his cheek onto Jack’s shoulder before pushing up onto an elbow. “Do you know what time Sar is supposed to get here?”

“Mom’s already on her way to the airport,” Les replies. “Can you and Jack take me and Teddy to the park today?”

“Jack’s family is going to want to see him at some point, you know,” Davey says, laughing.

“They’ve got a whole week,” Les says dismissively. “I’ve only got the weekend ‘cause this week isn’t my spring break. Please?”

Davey looks at Jack, one eyebrow raised in question.

“Hey, I’m down if you’re down,” Jack says. “Maybe we could see if Charlie wants to meet us out with Toaster?”

“Please?” Les says, looking at his brother with his best puppy dog eyes.

Jack knows from experience that no matter how much Davey tries, he can’t actually say no to his baby brother when he doesn’t have to.

“Yeah, alright,” Davey says, trying and failing to sound put out about the whole thing. “After Sarah gets home, okay?”

“Heck yeah!” Les cheers. He scrambles off of Jack and Davey and runs for the door. “Thanks Davey!”

“No thanks for me,” says Jack, grinning.

“You were always going to say yes,” says Davey.

“So were you!”

“Don’t say that so loud, he might hear you.”

“Hey Les!” Jack calls, sitting up. “Davey’s a pushover, he would’a said yes without the puppy dog eyes!”

Davey wrestles him back onto the mattress. “Shut up.”

“Oh, I know!” Les’s distant voice calls back. Jack snorts.

“See?” says Jack.

“I hate you,” says Davey.

“No, you don’t.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Should I go home in the meantime?” Jack asks, a little uncertain. “Chuck’ll be getting home soon, anyway, and –“

“No!” Davey blurts. He flushes red, then continues more calmly, “No. Sarah’s the one who started all this, remember? You can’t make me face her alone, Jackie, you just can’t.”

Jack laughs. “Alright, alright. We face her as a fake-couple, I hear you.”

“Have I told you lately that you’re a lifesaver, Jackie-mine?”

His voice is playful, and the pet name comes out just as light, but it’s doing all kinds of unkind things to Jack’s heart.

Oh, I’m yours. Like you wouldn’t believe.

“You could stand to say it again.”

“You’re a lifesaver,” Davey says sincerely.

Jack grins at him. “I do what I can, baby.”

Davey stares at Jack for a moment, looking on the verge of saying something, but then the front door opens downstairs and the moment snaps.

“I’m HOME!” Sarah’s voice shouts somewhere in the distance.

“You ready?” says Jack.

Davey lets his head fall back against the pillow. “No.”

“Too late!” Jack replies. He rolls across Davey and off of the bed, then tugs his friend to his feet. “It’s just Sarah, Davey. How bad could it be?”

“It’s Sarah,” Davey says flatly. “If it’s not worse than the rest of our friends combined, then we’ll know my sister has been stolen by aliens and replaced by a terrible clone.”

Jack snorts. “Okay, yeah, fair.”

The two of them make their way downstairs. As they walk, Davey silently tangles his fingers with Jack’s – it’s loose, not really quite holding so much as existing in extremely close proximity, Davey’s hand angled in Jack’s as he pulls him down the stairs.

They find Sarah on the living room floor, playing with Teddy while Esther and Mayer laugh on the couch over how she’d clearly missed the dog more than her human family members.

She pops up to her feet when she sees Davey in the doorway, though.

“David!” Sarah says, running over and throwing her arms around him. Then she steps back, her gaze sliding over to Davey’s right side. “Jack is here.”

Jack waves. “Jack is here.”

“What, were you expecting not to see my boyfriend while we were all home?” Davey says, and Jack is pretty impressed with how smoothly he says it. Like it’s true.

“I’m offended,” Jack adds playfully. “It’s like she doesn’t want to see me, Davey.”

“Of course I want to see you, Jack,” says Sarah, rolling her eyes. She opens her arms to Jack, who hugs her tightly around the waist for a moment. “But, like, didn’t you two get home yesterday? Have the Kellys even seen you yet?”

“All but Chuck and Toaster,” Jack replies, shrugging. “They don’t get home till a little later. Look, can you blame me for wantin’ to spend as much time as I can with Davey while we’re here?”

Sarah laughs. “Never said I did. I should’ve known you’d be here. Probably would’ve been even if you weren’t dating.”

That’s… true.

“I can’t deny that,” says Davey. He turns and pecks Jack on the cheek, his hand finding Jack’s again. “What can I say? I like Jackie’s company.”

“Aw, sweetheart, I like your company, too,” Jack replies, laying it on a little thick.

“Ugh, gross,” Sarah says, but it’s playful. “I’m not gonna lie, I never thought you two would get together. Not ‘cause you’re not, like, fucking perfect for each other –“

“Sarah! Language!” Esther scolds from behind her.

“Sorry, Mama,” says Sarah. “Anyway, not that you two aren’t perfect for each other or anything, I just figured you’d both pine quietly forever.”

Davey’s fingers tighten on Jack’s. “She has so little faith in us.”

“Ridiculous,” says Jack.

“You made it this far,” Sarah says, rolling her eyes. “How was I s’posed to know you’d accidentally catch each other staring wistfully across the car one of these days?”

Jack feels his face flushing. He doesn’t meet Sarah’s eye.

“Well, we did,” Jack says. He turns to Davey. “Hey, babe, I should get going. Charlie’ll be home soon and he’ll give me so much shh- trouble if I’m not there when he’n Toasty get there.”

Davey laughs. “That he will. Text me once you’ve talked to him about taking Les and Theodore out?”

“Of course,” says Jack. He’s teetering right on the edge of something, and Sarah is watching them closely, and –

Oh, fuck it.

He leans in and kisses Davey swiftly. “Later, Davey.” He raises his voice a little to address the rest of the family. “Goodbye, Jacobses. Thanks for letting me sleep in your house, I’m sure I’ll be back later.”

--

Unfortunately for Jack, Charlie and Toaster beat him home.

“Woe is me!” Charlie starts whining as soon as he hears Jack at the front door. “My own brother wants nothing to do with me! He’d rather spend time with his boyfriend than his own family! Liza, you won’t abandon me when you start dating, will you?”

Jack follows the sound of their little sister’s giggles into the kitchen. When he gets there, he finds Charlie sitting at the counter with his service dog Toaster at his feet, while their 14-year-old sister makes a sandwich.

“Quit your whinin’, I’m home,” says Jack, rolling his eyes. “Did you even miss me or are you just offended that I didn’t miss you?”

Charlie makes an offended noise at the back of his throat. “Wh- one of us is a good brother, and it is clearly not you.”

“Lizzie, has he been whinin’ that I wasn’t here since he got home or just since he heard me comin’?”

“Elizabeth Kelly don’t you dare answer that,” says Charlie.

“Oh, no, that’s all the answer I need,” says Jack. Liza just laughs.

With a little help from Toaster, Charlie gets up and throws his arms around Jack. “I missed you, you dick.”

“I missed you, too,” Jack replies. “Hey, do you wanna come out to the park with me an’ the Jacobs boys later? Let Toasty run around with Teddy a bit?”

“Will Les actually be there or is this me third wheeling on a date with your booooyfriend?” Charlie asks.

“Don’t say it like that. It’s just Davey.”

Liza scoffs. “Just Davey, he says, like we haven’t all been watching them moon over each other for my whole stupid life.”

Jack shifts on his feet a little uncomfortably. Has he really been that obvious?

“She’s right,” Charlie says, nodding. “It felt like third wheeling to hang out with the two’a you before. It’s gotta be a nightmare now you’re actually involved.”

“You don’t have to come,” says Jack. “I just thought it might be nice to see my stupid brother for a bit while we’re both home.”

“Will Les actually be there?” Charlie asks again.

Jack rolls his eyes hard. “Yes, Les’ll be there. It was Les’s idea.”

“Then yes.” Charlie pats Toaster’s head. “How’s that sound, Toasty boy? You wanna go play with Teddy?”

Toaster perks up at Teddy’s name, his head cocking to one side. Toaster Kelly and Theodore “Teddy” Jacobs adore each other.

“That’s settled then,” says Jack.

“So you’re for real dating Davey, Johnny?” Liza asks around a bite of her sandwich.

Jack nods, and he doesn’t even pull a face at the nickname.

“How come you didn’t tell us?” Liza asks.

“Yeah, Johnny. How come you didn’t tell us?” Charlie adds. He sits heavily back on his chair from before. “I had to find out from Sarah in the siblings of idiots group chat!”

“It’s still pretty new. We’re still, you know, figuring it out and stuff,” says Jack. He shrugs. “And the distance is –“ he makes a show of wincing. Gotta set up their inevitable breakup somehow. “It’s hard.”

Charlie, for his part, looks genuinely sympathetic for once.  “I’m sorry.”

Jack shrugs again. “It’s worth it. It’s Davey.”

And there’s this ache in his heart that’s back again because it’s true – it’s Davey, and distance would be worth it. But moreover, it’s Davey, and this whole game is worth it. It’s worth it to help Davey out, it’s worth it to make Davey smile, it’s worth it to hold Davey for just a minute like it might actually mean something.

Jack sits down next to Charlie.

“Jack?” Charlie says softly. “You okay?”

“Hmm?” says Jack. “Yeah. A’course I am.”

--

Their afternoon visit to the park is amazing, of course. Jack gets to spend the afternoon with some of his favorite people in the world, how could he complain? He and Davey and Charlie camp out on a picnic blanket and catch up while Les runs around with the dogs.

Sarah shows up a little later, trailed by Mike and Ike, who’d gotten home midday.

“Same grade sibs club!” Mike says, dropping onto the ground between Jack and Charlie and throwing his arms around them. “Back together again!”

“Could be the twins club but the Kelly boys ain’t cool enough,” says Ike, wiggling in between Jack and Davey (a greater feat, because it involves shoving Davey and Jack apart first where Jack and Charlie had already been sitting a little bit apart).

“You’ve said that every year since we were, like, eight,” Charlie points out. “I don’t think we’ve gotten any closer in age. Jacky?”

“Nope, still ten months,” Jack says, making a show of checking his wrist like he’s wearing a watch. Jack and Charlie only just make the cut for the same class in school, with Charlie’s October birthday and Jack’s August one, but they’re about as close in age as they could possibly be short of actually being twins.

“So that just means in ten years you haven’t gotten any cooler,” Davey says, laughing.

“Excuse me, Davey Jacobs, is that any way to talk about your boyfriend?” Jack teases.

“We’ve established that you’re not cool, sweetheart, it’s all just a question of why,” Davey replies, sticking his tongue out.

The thing that’s really tough about all this is, really, how close to normal Jack an Davey are acting. It’s just this side of the same as always, the only difference being the pet names and occasional kisses.

It’s kind of killing Jack.

“Hey,” says Sarah, “I ran into Miss Medda on the way here.”

Miss Medda owns a theatre in town, and runs the community theatre program that got Jack into acting. All of their friends love her, and her theatre has always been a second home to them.

“How’s she doing?” Charlie asks.

“Very well,” Sarah replies. “And she said that if we don’t pay her a visit while we’re all home she’ll chase every single one of us down individually.”

Jack laughs. “Sounds like we’re due for a night at the Irving!”

“Like we wouldn’t have done that anyway,” Mike says.

“Well, yeah, but now we’ve been summoned,” says Ike.

“And who are we to say no?” says Davey.

--

They end up at Medda’s not that night but the following one, because the last few of their friends coming home for spring break didn’t come in until lunchtime on Monday, and anyway Monday has always been the day Medda lets them have the run of the theatre for as long as they’d like. Their little group – not so little, really, because it’s Jack and Davey plus their respective same-age siblings (and Toaster) plus Racer and Spot and Mike and Ike and Albert and Buttons and Sniper and Smalls and Henry and Elmer – bursts through the stage door around four, and everyone is greeted with an enthusiastic hug and a question about their major or their family or their year or all three. Miss Medda has always had an incredible memory, and she puts it to good use making every one of them feel known and loved in their second home.

(Miss Medda also allows them to get away with exactly zero nonsense on her property, which Jack privately thinks is one of the main reasons that all of their parents love her so much.)

It’s chaos.

Jack loves it.

He gravitates to Davey, because he always fucking gravitates to Davey, Davey might as well be the goddamn sun for how tightly locked in his orbit Jack is. So even though Jack is drifting in and out of his own conversations with their other friends – he’s particularly enjoying wringing the details of Sarah’s crush on one of her journalism classmates out of her – he’s always, always next to Davey.

Their hands brush against each other, their shoulders bump, at one point Davey smacks Jack’s chest hard to snap him out of the conversation he’s having with Albert.

“What?” Jack says, turning.

“Dumbo the elephant doesn’t need the feather to fly, right?” Davey asks.

Jack has to think about that for a second, because it’s been approximately two million years since the last time he watched Dumbo of all things. “Uh, no. It’s a placebo. He and the mouse got into the tree without it, right? When they were drunk? God that’s a weird fuckin’ movie.”

“See!” Davey says, turning back to Race.

“Yeah, whatever,” Race replies, but he’s grinning. “I still figure, like, it’s all magic no matter what, right? 250 pounds or 12 thousand, I figure he’d still be able to fly.”

“His earspan would have to be, like, thirty feet,” Davey says, frowning. “If his proportions stayed the same, at least.”

“Do I… do I want to know?” asks Jack.

Race and Davey look at each other. “Probably not.”

Jack laughs and turns back toward Albert. “Weirdos.”

Davey slips an arm around Jack’s waist. “Your weirdo, though.”

“And I regret it every day,” Jack replies, teasing.

“You love me.”

“God help me, I do.”

And the thing is, Davey doesn’t let go. They’ve mostly been just in each other’s personal space till now, not really touching in an intentional way, but now Davey’s got his thumb hooked through one of Jack’s beltloops and it doesn’t seem like he’s planning to let go any time soon.

That’s a fake boyfriend Davey move, one Jack wasn’t really prepared for but isn’t exactly upset about.

He winds his own arm around Davey, his hand resting just over Davey’s hip. Might as well play along while he can.

They stay like that for a while, Jack’s not sure exactly how long. All he knows is that they’re still holding onto each other when Buttons walks over toward the end of the night, wearing a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Hey, Davey, can I borrow your boyfriend for a minute?” he says.

“Yeah, of course,” says Davey. He tugs Jack close to kiss his cheek before letting go of him fully. “I need him back in one piece, though.”

Buttons laughs. “I can only promise that because if I broke him here, Miss Medda would have my head.”

Jack lets Buttons pull him away from Davey, the furthest he’s been from Davey all night, out into the hallway and into a dressing room across from the green room they’ve been hanging out in.

“What’s up, Ben?” Jack asks, a little nervous. Buttons’s smile had faded as soon as they were out of Davey’s line of sight.

“What kind of game are you playing with Davey, Jack?” Buttons says, his arms crossed.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Jack replies honestly.

“Race is way to deep in his own romantic bullshit to call you on it, but there is no fucking way that Davey has been dating you for four and a half months and hasn’t breathed a single goddamn word of it to either of us.” Buttons uncrosses his arms, but only to tuck his hands into his pockets – a less confrontational position, but no less guarded. Jack can’t help but see the truth of Buttons’s words written right there in his posture; he and Davey grew up together just as surely as Davey and Jack had, and damn it all if that’s not the Davey-est gesture he’s ever seen. Even a Davey keeping things close to the chest would tell Buttons and Race everything.

“I know you and Davey aren’t really dating, Jack. What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

Chapter Text

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

For a long moment, Jack doesn’t answer. He can’t meet Buttons’s eye.

Buttons is having none of this, and shoves Jack’s shoulder, hard. “Jack! What game are you fucking playing? You just doin’ this for fucking fun or –”

“It was Davey’s idea,” Jack blurts. “It was Davey – he was visitin’ Sar a couple’a weeks ago and she was all over him about bein’ social so he told her he’s seein’ somebody and she assumed – and then he asked me to – I mean, it’s a prank, right? Kind of? But mostly it’s just so Sar will leave him alone about dating. It’s harmless, Ben, chill.”

Buttons – whose expression has slowly shifted from confrontational to confused – stares at him, his mouth hanging half-open. “No.”

“What?”

“No,” Buttons says again. One of his hands comes up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “There is no fucking way that you two are both that fucking stupid.”

“Excuse me?” says Jack.

“There is no way,” Buttons repeats, running his hands through his hair. “Jack, I'm going to be honest with you. I wanted to talk to you about this because I was pretty sure that whatever scheme you two had cooked up was going to end with Davey getting hurt. I am now confident that it's going to end with Davey getting hurt, but I'm pretty sure it's going to end with you getting hurt, too.”

“Ben, I don’t understand.”

“Jack, why are you doing this? Really. Yeah, you wanna help Davey, but, like, the stakes there are so low. Either Sarah’s on his case about dating or about the lie, or it’s something else – she’s his friggin’ twin, she’s gonna tease him. Why are you in this?”

Jack stares at Buttons for a moment, feeling incredibly, uncomfortably seen. He’s suddenly very sure that Buttons knows exactly what his answer will be.

“I couldn’t say no,” Jack says softly. “This could be my only chance to know what – what it feels like. To be with him.”

Buttons makes an indistinct but emphatically frustrated noise, pinching the bridge of his nose again. “Every time I think I understand how romantically-wired brains work, I’m proven wrong in the weirdest fucking ways. Jack. You like Davey, yeah? For real?”

“Yeah,” Jack admits, glancing at the door.

“Have you ever fucking told him?” asks Buttons.

“No!” says Jack. “No, I – I can’t make things weird with him like that, Buttons. I’d rather just – just do this and then go back to normal.”

“I hate you,” Buttons says, but there isn’t any real heat behind it. “I hate you so much. You said you’re in all of this because Sarah assumed it was you Davey’d be dating. Have you ever considered why that might’ve been?”

Jack shrugs. “It’s not like he could date you. And Race is all gooey over Spot, everybody knows that. Jack Kelly wins by de-fucking-fault.”

“Jack,“ Buttons says, his tone softer than before.

“It’s not because he likes me, Buttons. It’s not. Because why the fuck would someone as smart and amazing as Davey like me?” Jack finishes.

 Buttons sighs, frowning. “That’s – quite honestly, Jack, I just watched you cram all the springy worms into that can of a sentence and I’m not about to open it here and now. You should consider talking to Davey about that.”

“No.”

“You should consider talking to Charlie about it, then, because your brother may give you a lot of shit but he’s way better equipped to deal with whatever self-esteem issue is keeping you from asking Davey out for real than I am,” says Buttons. He sighs again.

“Buttons, I don’t – I don’t have a self-esteem issue,” Jack lies through his fucking teeth, “I’m just being realistic. Davey’s perfect; he’s got way better options out there than me.”

“Good God,” Buttons says, more to himself than to Jack. “Look, Jack, we’ve been friends since, like, fourth grade, right? So I’m gonna trust that you know I mean it with love when I say get your fucking shit together. You’ve got, what? Four days left of this farce? Before you go back to school and try to pretend it never happened, even though it will absolutely break your heart and Davey’s into a million tiny pieces to do that?”

Jack nods.

“Okay, that’s four days to pull yourself together and tell Davey how you feel for real, before you potentially ruin your chance with him forever by letting him walk away and laugh this off,” says Buttons. He crosses his arms again. “I know you and I aren’t super close, but for Davey’s sake I want to see you happy. Also, I want to see Davey happy. Please don’t fuck this up.”

And with that, Buttons walks out of the room, leaving Jack with a lot more to think about than he would’ve expected.

“Jackie?” Davey’s voice drifts into Jack’s distracted thoughts. “You didn’t come back with Benny, is everything okay?”

Jack looks at Davey.

The thing about Davey is –

The thing about Davey, is –

See, Jack has seen Davey a hundred million times. He knows pretty much every inch of him, from the scuffed, ancient sneakers he still wears because he’s dreading breaking in new ones to the little curl that always swoops down over his right eye no matter how many times he tries to sweep it back.

He knows the faint freckles that dust across Davey’s nose and cheeks, knows the little scar on his heel from the time he got his bare foot caught in a screen door.

He knows the way Davey tucks his hands into his pockets to keep himself from fidgeting when he’s anxious or angry. He knows the worried crease between Davey’s eyebrows.

Jack knows Davey. Jack loves Davey. A lot more than he’d ever really given himself room to think about.

And now Buttons has planted this idea in Jack’s head that maybe, possibly, Davey might actually love him, too. The way everyone’s reacted to their little game of a relationship is one thing – they’re actors, both of them, and anyway they’re best friends, of course they can pull off pretending to date. But Buttons isn’t the rest of their friends. He knows Davey better than anyone save Jack. And Buttons wasn’t convinced by the ruse.

If Buttons says it’s worth pursuing –

Jack opens his mouth to speak.

Closes it.

It’s not worth the risk.

“Jack?” Davey says, that little crease between his eyebrows deepening.

“I’m fine,” Jack lies. “Are you ready to head for home?”

--

I’m going to tell him, Jack thinks to himself on Tuesday at lunch, while they tease Sarah about this girl she’s interested in.

Davey grabs Jack’s hand, leaning into him, as he laughs. “Sorry, you said what?”

“That I liked her textbook,” Sarah reiterates, embarrassed. “I don’t know, I was planning to compliment her hair and I chickened out.”

“You just gotta say it,” Jack says, a lopsided grin on his face. “Like this, see?” He turns toward Davey – no easy feat, since a significant amount of Davey’s weight is resting against him – and brushes that one stubborn curl away from Davey’s eye. It springs right back. “Hey, Davey. I like your hair.”

Davey snorts.

“Easy for you to say!” Sarah says, throwing a green bean at Jack. “You’re already dating!”

“No, he told me he liked my hair all the time before,” Davey says, chuckling.

That’s true.

“You have really nice hair, Davey, what can I say?” says Jack. “All shiny and swoopy and curly.”

Davey pushes Jack’s face away from his own, still laughing. “Yeah, just like that, Sar. Maybe a little less mushy, but I wouldn’t judge if you went straight in for the gooey tone and starry eyes.”

“I would recommend against going straight in with anything –“

“I hate you,” Davey says, rolling his eyes. “I hate you so much, why do I put up with you?”

“Because I’m fucking hilarious,” Jack answers, grinning. “And you love me.”

“Against my better judgment,” grumbles Davey, but he’s got a soft, sweet look in his eye when his gaze meets Jack’s.

For half a second, they’re all caught up in each other’s eyes and the moment and –

“You two are so fucking cute,” Sarah says, and the moment shatters. “Please stop being cute and help me win Kathy’s heart, though, I’ve only got so much time to make a game plan.”

Jack doesn’t tell Davey how he feels about him on Tuesday.

--

I’m gonna tell him, Jack thinks on Wednesday evening, while he watches Davey roughhousing with Les in the Jacobses’ back yard.

It crashes over him like a wave then, anyway, oh my God, I’m honest-to-God in love with this boy, when Davey looks up at him with a breathless grin.

“Hey, Davey!” Jack calls, because he can’t help it, “I’m so stupid in love with you right now!”

Davey laughs, shoving Les down onto the grass. “You fuckin’ better be!”

Because Les is here, and Les doesn’t know none of this is real, so Davey assumed it was all part of the game.

Fuck.

Fuck.

By the time Les is called inside to do his homework, Jack has lost his nerve.

--

I’m gonna tell him, Jack thinks on Thursday night, while he’s curled up with Davey on the couch in his parents’ basement watching a movie.

Davey is tucked under his arm like he’s done a thousand times, because Davey is taller but he likes to be held, so he’s curled up and leaning against Jack and it’s warm and lovely and Jack could live like this for pretty much ever.

Davey is sleepy, making occasional semicoherent comments about the movie that make Jack chuckle, though they’re too soft for Charlie to hear on the other couch.

The movie ends.

Davey tips his head back, looking up at Jack with a soft, sleepy smile. “Hey, Jackie?”

“What’s up, Dave?” Jack replies.

“You’re real comfy,” says Davey.

Jack grins. “Sure.”

“Don’ wanna move,” Davey says, wriggling a little closer to Jack. “Wanna stay here forever.”

“Could we at least move to a bed?” Jack asks. “I promise I’ll hold’ja the whole way there if you want.”

“Mmm. Fine.”

Jack chuckles, then presses a soft kiss to Davey’s forehead. “I wanna stay like this forever, too, Davey. I love you.”

Davey doesn’t respond. His eyes have drifted shut, and he’s breathing slowly.

He’s asleep.

“Davey,” Jack says, just this side of a whine.

“You two are cute,” Charlie says quietly. “I’m glad you finally figured it all out, Johnny.”

I wish.

“Thanks, Chuck.”

Getting Davey woken up enough to drowsily wander up to Jack’s bedroom is a process, and Jack counts them lucky that they’d had the foresight to change into pajamas before sitting down for the movie.

He falls asleep with Davey in his arms, and another soft, “I love you,” that he knows Davey doesn’t hear.

--

Friday comes entirely too fast, and Jack is uncomfortably aware of Buttons’s words. If he lets Davey laugh this off when they get in the car tomorrow, there’ll be no going back.

He’s still trying to find a way to tell Davey, to confess that there’s very little in this world that he would like than for this pretend relationship to turn into a real one, over lunch that day, his deadline looming over him.

All the more, because Davey starts a conversation about how they'll want to stage their imaginary breakup.

He’s actually got his mouth open to say it when Davey looks over his shoulder at the restaurant door jingling and says, “Racer? Spot?”

Jack turns. Sure enough, there’s Race and Spot – not unusual as a unit, but for the fact that they’re holding hands and walking closer together than Jack’s ever seen them in public.

“Oh, hey,” Race says faux-casually. It comes out a little squeaky, and his shoulders tense visibly.

Spot drops Race’s hand, tucking his own into his pockets.

“What are you two up to?” Jack asks, raising his eyebrows.

“Getting lunch, what’s it look like?” Spot say slightly confrontationally.

“Like a date,” Davey replies flatly.

“Noooo,” Race says. His voice is still high and nervous. “That would be – we’d have to be – to be dating for that!” Not especially convincing.

Spot looks from Davey to Jack and sighs. He laces his fingers back through Race’s. “Tony, baby, I think we’ve been caught.”

Race deflates a little, leaning into Spot. “Yeah.” He smiles sheepishly at Jack and Davey. “So, we’re, uh. We’re dating. Surprise. Could you keep it to yourselves, though? It’s – well, I guess we don’t have to tell you why we’ve been keeping it quiet.”

Davey hums in agreement, nodding.

“For sure,” Jack says. He and Davey have spent the week insisting they hadn’t been telling people because of a combination of newness and the stress of distance and their friends being the actual worst, any and all of which likely actually apply to a brand new Spot-and-Race relationship.

“Have a nice date,” Davey says softly.

Race flashes a bright smile at him. “You guys, too, eh?”

Spot and Race finally walk away, then, to go order their own food.

Jack turns back toward Davey, smiling, but his smile fades when he sees the look on Davey’s face.

Davey looks a little sad, a little wistful. A little like Jack just killed Teddy in front of him.

“Are you done eating?” Davey says, not meeting Jack’s eye. “We should go.”

“I – yeah,” says Jack.

They leave, and Jack tries not to feel hurt when Davey shies away from taking his hand while they walk. It’s fine, that’s fine. They’re not really dating, and the only people they know anywhere nearby are Spot and Race and Spot and Race are distracted. It’s fine.

“You wanna come over and play Lego Star Wars?” Jack suggests, nudging Davey with his shoulder as they walk.

“Uh, I don’t know,” says Davey. “I – look, Jack, I –“

“Davey, what’s up?” Jack asks. “You don’t look so hot.”

Davey gives a shaky laugh. “I’m fine, Jackie.”

“You know I can tell when you’re lying, right?” says Jack. “We’ve been friends since we were three, I know when you’re lying.”

“Can we – I’ll tell you when we’re in the car, okay?”

“Okay.”

They don’t speak again until they’re buckled into Davey’s car. In fact, they don’t speak again until Davey’s been driving for a few minutes already. Jack is waiting, knowing that Davey will talk when he’s ready.

“This was a mistake, Jack,” Davey says hoarsely.

“What was, Davey-mine?”

“Jackie,” says Davey. He glances over, chewing on his lower lip a bit. “This – this whole fake relationship thing. I shouldn’t have asked you to do this, I shouldn’t have said yes when Sarah asked –“

“Why?” Jack asks, frowning. “You know I don’t mind helping you out, Davey –“

“That’s the problem!” Davey blurts. “That’s the problem, Jackie. You’re doing this to help me and I never even told you the real reason I wanted to do it. I’m such a shit friend, Jack, and this is killing me.”

Jack is pretty sure his heart stops.

“Sorry, what?”

Davey shakes his head. “Jack –“

“No, no, you can’t just say that,” says Jack. “Davey, what’s wrong?”

Davey turns into Jack’s parents’ driveway. He turns toward Jack, looking slightly pained.

“Jackie, I’m in love with you for real.”

Chapter Text

“Did Buttons put you up to this?”

“What?”

“You’re playing a mean prank on me, I know it.”

“Jack, I’m telling the truth.”

“No, no, you’re not. Because there is no fucking way that you are in love with me. There’s no goddamn way.”

“What – Jack?”

He’s spent all week trying to convince himself to confess, on the barest chance that Davey might feel the same way, but now faced with Davey beating him to it –

He can’t actually believe it.

He can’t meet Davey’s eye.

“Because – because I’ve been in love with you so long I can’t even – I don’t know when it even happened,” Jack says. “And I’ve spent ages just trying to fucking ignore it or get over it, because you are too goddamn smart to feel the same way.”

“You’re –“

But now Jack’s gotten started, and he’s gonna barrel through till he’s done. “Davey, you’re fucking – you’re amazing. You’re smarter than anybody else I know, even though every time I say that you try to brush it off on Race or Sarah. You’re so fucking pretty, too, with those perfect curls and your little freckles and that dopey little smile you always have when one’a your schemes goes right. And you’re – you’re just so much better than me, you know? You could do so much better than me.”

“Well that’s just not true,” Davey cuts in.

Jack blinks a few times, startled. “What?”

“It’s not true,” Davey says again. “And I know, Jackie, I know how you are. How you never seem to want to believe that you’re smart or talented or funny or anything. Well.” He combs his fingers through his hair, reaches for Jack, changes his mind, then combs his fingers through his hair again. It leaves his curls fluffy and messy and it’s doing all kinds of unfair things to Jack’s heart. “You’re smart and talented and funny and I love you for all of those things. Deal with it.”

“Davey,” Jack says softly.

“Here’s the impression I’m getting,” Davey says. “We’re both idiots.”

“So Buttons told me,” Jack replies.

“I’m, like, stupidly gone over you, Jackie. I have been for ages,” says Davey. “When Sar said – I jumped on it. Of course I did. A ready made excuse to spend a week pretending to be your boyfriend? It never even fucking occurred to me that you might actually like me, too, Jackie. Not for a second.”

“Well that’s dumb,” says Jack. “Of course I like you.”

Davey snorts. “I don’t know if it’s really – I mean.”

“Davey, do you want to try this for real?” Jack asks. He’s more nervous to ask it than he really ought to be, given the conversation they’re having. He forces himself to look at Davey’s face.

Davey’s eyes meet Jack’s. “Yes.”

Jack would really like to kiss Davey right now. He shouldn’t, though, because he’ll be damned if his first real kiss with Davey is across the center console of his stupid car.

“Come inside?”

Davey nods, and there’s a little bit of a scramble to get out of the car and into the house and up to Jack’s bedroom, because no, they are not having this conversation where there’s a chance his family will hear. Jack drags Davey through the house, his hand closed tight around Davey’s wrist, and the point of contact is burning.

The thing that’s sort of wild is, like. Jack has been playing Davey’s boyfriend all week. He’s held Davey, he’s felt what it’s like to have his fingers threaded through Davey’s, he’s felt Davey’s lips on his, seen every expression Davey’s got at a distance of just a few inches, and yet –

And yet –

See, Davey was Jack’s first kiss. They don’t talk about it, but it happened. They’d been fourteen or fifteen, right toward the end of freshman year – Jack was fourteen, Davey was fifteen, that was it, because it was backstage at the spring play and the spring play is always right after Davey’s birthday. They were talking quietly, even though they’d already been shushed like four times, and Jack doesn’t remember the exact conversation that led up to it, only that it ended with Davey surging forward and pressing his mouth to Jack’s, a little awkwardly, then shifting back and saying, “That wasn’t so bad, I guess.” They haven’t talked about it since.

Jack has put a lot of effort into not thinking about it too much, because it would drive him nuts.

And Davey and Jack have kissed a handful of times between then and now, always a playful joke, never with any meaning. Once, memorably, had been for a show in front of everybody they knew, and it took ages for them to be able to get through the scene in rehearsal without bursting into giggles.

And Davey has kissed Jack no less than six times this week alone, because they’ve spent this week pretending to be boyfriends and that’s been a part of the ruse and yet –

Jack is standing in his bedroom, facing Davey, his hand still tight around Davey’s wrist, and he can’t –

This feels monumentally important, is all, despite the fact that it’s nothing new at all, because every single breath of this is new and could be the most important breath of Jack’s whole stupid life.

“Jack?” Davey says softly.

They’ve been staring at each other in silence for probably two whole minutes.

“Sorry,” says Jack.

“No, it’s okay,” says Davey. One of his hands comes up to trace along Jack’s jawline. “What are you thinking about, Jackie?”

“This feels – it feels important,” Jack admits. “I’m a little scared.”

“It is important,” Davey replies, shrugging. “Is that okay?”

“Yeah,” says Jack. “Davey, can I kiss you?”

“I’d really like you to,” Davey replies with a little smile.

Jack doesn’t need telling twice.

And the thing is, kissing Davey now, kissing Davey for real, it doesn’t feel any different to the dozen or so other times they’ve kissed. There aren’t any new fireworks, it doesn’t make Jack’s heart skip any more beats than usual. But there’s something really warm in Jack’s chest at the idea that this time, for once, isn’t for anybody’s sake but their own. This time it’s the first of many – he hopes – and it’s for keeps.

They separate, catching their breath. Jack presses his forehead to Davey’s, a smile he can’t keep down on his face.

“Hey,” he says.

“Hey,” says Davey, grinning.

“I love you.”

“That’s so cool. I love you.”

“It’s gonna be distance,” Jack says softly.

“I know,” Davey replies. “I think we’ll be okay.”

“Davey – Davey, that’s not something I wanna get into unless – I mean, we gotta be in it for the long haul,” Jack says. He’s sure it’s too soon to say something like this, but at the same time, if he doesn’t this could all just end in heartbreak a few months down the line. “We’ve gotta be sure.”

“I’m sure, Jackie,” says Davey. “I’m sure. You’re it for me, Jack Kelly. I told Sarah I was going to marry you when we were six years old, and I fully intend on seeing that through.”

Jack laughs. “You know, Davey-mine. I said the same thing to my mom.”

“Guess we’ve gotta keep our word, then,” says Davey. He gives Jack another swift kiss. “Since we both said it, and all. It’s fate.”

--

Leaving is – it’s weird.

Leaving is always weird, but leaving this time means separating from Davey after they’ve just barely figured everything out.

But first, four hours in the car.

Four hours of Davey sitting like an idiot in the passenger’s seat –

“I can’t marry you if you die!” Jack whines.

“Don’t crash the car, and I won’t die!” Davey replies, unsympathetic. “I can’t sit with my legs down, Jackie. It’s not happening.”

“It’s stressing me out.”

“You’ll live.”

- four hours of singing along to their music –

“You can’t always sing the princess part, Jack!”

“Fucking watch me.”

“No, shut up, it’s my turn,” says Davey, crossing his arms.

“Sucks to suck, I have a higher voice than you!” Jack replies with a grin.

“You’re still singing half the song down an octave it’s my turn,” Davey insists. “I’ll let you pick which prince you want to be.”

“Hmmm,” Jack says. He doesn’t actually mind singing the prince parts, but it’s so funny to rile Davey up that he can’t resist dragging it out as long as possible. “Aladdin, but Million Miles not Whole New World.”

“Done,” Davey says, already scrolling through his phone to find it.

- and four hours of talking, just talking, because this is the last day they’ll be in the same place for another two months.

“This is gonna be really hard,” Davey says softly, fiddling with the zipper of his hoodie.

“Yeah,” Jack says. “Yeah, it really fucking is.”

“I love you,” says Davey. “I love you, and it’ll be worth it, but this is gonna suck.”

“Hey, hey,” says Jack. “We talk all the time, yeah? We already did, now we just talk a little more. Say I love you at the end of calls. We got this, okay? We got this.”

“We got this,” Davey agrees. He sighs. “It just already sucked so much to say goodbye to you –“

“Now it’s gonna suck less, ‘cause I can kiss you goodbye,” Jack says with a small smile.

“That is pretty nice.”

“Don’t I know it.”

Which is all to say that before Jack really knows it, they’re pulling up outside of his dorm.

They both get out of the car, Davey coming around to Jack’s side and throwing his arms around Jack’s neck in a tight hug.

“So, fake dating,” says Davey, and he’s smiling even though Jack can hear the shake in his voice.

“Fake dating,” Jack agrees. “We didn’t do so great at that.”

“I disagree,” Davey says. He kisses Jack but pulls back quickly. “You were such an amazing fake boyfriend that I couldn’t help but promote you to real boyfriend.”

“Oh, is that how it went?”

“That’s how I remember it.”

Jack presses his lips to Davey’s. “Who am I to argue, then?”

“I’m gonna miss you, Jackie,” says Davey.

“We always do,” Jack says.

“Two months, though.”

“Two months. Less!”

“We got this.”

“Damn right.”

Davey sighs. He gives Jack one last kiss before pulling away. “I love you, Jackie. I’ll text you when I get to school.”

“I love you, Davey,” says Jack. “Drive safe.”

He doesn’t go inside until he can’t see Davey’s car anymore. There’s this ache in his chest that’s always there when Davey leaves, but this time there’s something warm balancing it out. After all, Davey loves him.

Jack never saw it coming, but now he can’t imagine how he missed it.

Davey loves him, of course Davey loves him. Davey is his best friend, who knows him better than anyone in the world.

They’ve got the rest of their lives to figure the rest out.