Chapter Text
Jack smiled softly, gazing over at the boy lying comfortably cross-legged in the grass beside him. He watched, a smile creeping onto his face as he noticed David holding his book up a little too close to his face, his brow knitted firmly as he read, too engrossed to notice.
“Dave, you’re doin it again”
Jack chuckled softly, gently pulling David’s arm away from his body, moving his book further from his face, being careful to avoid getting any charcoal dust on him or the book.
“You’re gonna ruin ya eyesight wid’ this bad habit a’ yours” He said, tearing his eyes away from David’s face as he looked back down at his drawing. He had been absentmindedly sketching the park, letting his thoughts drift through his mind and the breeze gently blew over them.
“Thanks Jackie” David mumbled through his concentration, flicking the page feverishly.
“Wow, that must be some book, not even talkin’ to me properly now” Jack exhaled playfully, his shoulders shaking gently as he smiled, looking back up at Davey.
He found himself staring again, watching the breeze play with a curl of David’s hair as it brushed lightly across his forehead. Jack’s fingers itched at the opportunity, seeing the drawing span out in is mind as he looked, quickly rolling up the drawing in his lap as he reached for another sheet of paper.
Slowly, meticulously, he built up the shapes, drawing the charcoal across the page with gentle care, tracing David’s features as if he were softly caressing them with his own hands. Down the curve of his nose, his drawn eyebrows and intelligent eyes clearly cemented contently in his book.
An expression so perfectly David.
So perfect.
Jack found himself loosing himself in the piece as the afternoon ticked by, he looked down again, flicking the charcoal across the sheet to finish rendering Davey’s perfectly messy hair and started when his eyes flicked back up to meet Davey’s, who had a smile subtly pulling at the corners of his mouth.
“You’re drawing me?” Dave said, shutting his book with a pleasantly puzzled expression.
“Yeah, would’a finished it too if you hadnt’a moved” Jack grumbled jokingly.
“Sorry about that, but I need to get going Jackie, they’ll be done with the evening edition now and Les needs some food in him” Davey said, turning to put his book back in his patched-up satchel bag. “I don’t want my Ma worrying”
“Jeez, how long we been here?” Jack responded bewildered, squinting up at the sky with hand on his head.
“Too long” David laughed, standing up as he brushed the earth from his trousers.
“Need a hand?”
“I’m not that old yet” Jack retorted, despite reaching his hand out to grab Davey’s tightly, lifting him off the ground.
“You’re a hell of a lot stronger than ya look, Dav, i’ll give ya that” Nodded Jack, bending over with a stiff sigh and picking up his paper.
“Not that old yet, but you sure move like an old man already”
Jack swatted at him with his artwork, grumbling under his breath something about “being sat too long” as Davey laughed.
Jack could feel his heart flutter at the sound of Davey’s warm laugh ringing through his ears. To him, it sounded like summertime. Like the dry, warm breeze blowing through his hair and the gold sun warming his back, things that he loved so much.
He cleared his throat, averting his eyes towards his feet, turning his head and hiding his warming cheeks, pulling his cap low on his forehead.
“Yeah well, we best get goin’” Jack said in a gruff tone, rubbing his chin and walking quickly towards the street.
“Jackie, hey! you tryna leave me behind here?” Dave chuckled, quickly jogging over and matching his steps in time with Jack’s.
His laugh, the way his eyes lit when he smiled.
Jack kept his head down, his mind blanking every time he tried to start up a conversation. He used to be able to talk endlessly with Dave, and now when he was with him, his mind was empty.
“You alright Jackie? You’ve been awful quiet recently” Dave said, craning his head slightly to try and catch Jack’s eye.
“Hm? I’m good Dave” Jack mumbled, his mind painfully stuck replaying the hum in his chest, the warmth he felt watching Davey just be.
He’d felt it before, other boys from around the city he’d met doing odd jobs when the money was needed. At least then he didn’t have to see them again if he didn’t want to. He’d distract himself. Take some pretty girl he’d sold a pape to on a half-assed date in the evenings and drop her when he felt the worst was over.
He knew it was cruel.
Yet every time he would convince himself he could love her, if he just tried hard enough. But the bouquets wilted, and the smiles grew strained, and eventually he’d slip away and hopelessly hide in his bitterness and shame.
“Jack!”
He gasped as his collar was gripped tightly from behind. A trolley rattled quickly past, almost inches from his face, the wind from it blowing through him. He stepped back startled, his heart racing as the hand slowly let go of his shirt.
“You were nearly underneath that thing” Dave said though his nervous laughter.
“Yeah, thanks for saving my stupid ass” Jack replied, still trying to calm himself, stuffing his somewhat shaking hands into his pockets.
“Oh.. shit” Dave said suddenly, hurrying past Jack to the curb, gingerly picking up some loose scrolls of paper, now coated in the muck and grime of the streets.
Jacks heart sunk, frantically rooting through his satchel.
What if his sketches for Pulitzer were the ones that escaped? He wouldn’t have time to redo them-
“Jack, it’s okay, it’s just this one really..”
Jack looked up to see the sketch, the one that captured Davey so perfectly, down to the lips pursed lightly in concentration and the crease between his brow from reading everything just a little too closely, now smeared in muck. Jack could feel his throat catch. This was somehow worse.
“I’m sorry Jackie, at least none of your works for Mr Pulitzer were damaged though, that’s something” Davey said, in his own awkward attempt at comfort.
“Nah, s’alright, I sees you everyday, can do that again anytime, easy peasy” Jack smiled, taking the undamaged sheets from Davey and rolling them back up. He could feel his voice nearly break though, because he knew. He knew he’d never be able to do it. Get a moment so comfortable, so perfectly Davey down on paper again. He’d been given his chance and now it was gone. Jack wasn’t particularly superstitious, but he took it as a sign.
A sign to start running again.