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The Bowery was always a place people went to have a good time. It currently occupied about a dozen of the older newsies, all drinking and telling stories with each other. The kind of stories that didn’t sound true, but somehow were. And another dozen showgirls running through their routines onstage and off.
Medda allowed some of the boys to hangout at the Bowery every few months, allegedly courtesy of Jack’s smooth talking, but it was really just due to the fact that Medda practically raised half of them. She understood how cramped that lodging house was, and how living with twenty younger brothers could give a guy the desire to lounge freely for a night.
So, Medda let them hang out. The girls didn’t mind it much either because they always bummed a few beers off of the boys and ended rehearsal earlier than normal.
Tonight was a special night. It was the first night at the Bowery since before the strike, so it was almost like a celebration of the strike even though that had been over for a few months now.
Since Jack had started getting to know Davey, the idea of taking him to one of these hang outs had always been lurking in the back of his mind. Davey was the type of guy that always sat too straight. The guy who kept to himself if nobody asked about him.
Jack thought he deserved a night to just let loose and relax, so as soon as the guys started talking about holding a Bowery night again, Jack was practically buzzing when he invited Davey to it the next morning. Jack had to continuously point at potential customers to Les to get Davey alone. Jack loved the kid, but he seriously never realized how attached at the hip he was to Davey. Just another reason to invite him. Davey said yes, without much convincing.
So, that’s where they are now, their chairs and legs pressed against each other. Jack had his arm on the back of Davey’s chair, holding his drink in his other hand. Well, their drink. Davey didn’t really want his own because he’s never had alcohol before, which was something he admitted to Jack on the walk there.
Jack was more than alright with sharing his drink, he handed it over to Davey and continued to give his full evaluation and introduction of each of the newsies that were there. Even though Davey met all of them during the strike, he didn’t really know any of them. Jack was pointing at each of them with his now free hand. He leaned over and was whispering right next to Davey’s neck, so that no one else except Davey could hear. The other guys were far away enough, so they probably wouldn’t hear anyway, but Jack didn’t really want to move away from Davey.
Davey took a sip and Jack watched his Adam's apple bob up and down, he suddenly forgot what he was saying and who he was even talking about. He was so… close. Jack was brutally ripped out of his thoughts by Race smacking him in the back of the head.
“What’re yous guys being so sneaky about over here?” Race leaned his arm against the chair in front of them. Jack sat up, his arm stayed resting on the back of Davey’s chair, but the movement caused his hand to stop right behind Davey’s neck.
“We ain’t being sneaky,” Jack shooed Race away with his hand. Race snickered and pulled over the chair he was leaning on, moving so he was sitting on it backwards.
“So you don’t mind me stayin’,” Race flashed his shit eating grin at the two of them. Jack could tell he was insinuating something, just not what it was that he was insinuating.
“As long’s you brought more beer,” Jack leaned forward, holding the chair so as not to fall. Out of God knows where, Race pulled out two beer bottles.
“Where the hell was you keeping those?” Jack grabbed one and handed it to Davey, then grabbed the other for himself. Davey put the now empty one they shared on the table behind him.
“Magician never reveals his secrets,” Race shrugged and crossed his arms over the chair he was sitting in.
“You ain’t no magician,” Jack laughed before popping the cap off the bottle and taking a sip. He saw that Davey was just kind of looking at his bottle. Jack placed his drink between his legs then grabbed Davey’s, opened it, and then handed it back. Davey responded with quiet thanks.
“Yeah, and yous ain’t slick, Kelly,” Race said, glancing between Jack and Davey.
“What the hell’s you talking ‘bout, Racer?” Jack quirked an eyebrow at him. Jack looked at Davey, who immediately glanced away and took a sip from his bottle. Race just watched the two and laughed to himself. Jack just kind of assumed that Race was being all weird and riddle-y because he was drunk. Spot—who had never been invited to a Bowery night before, but Race insisted—appeared next to Race, who jumped when he placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Jesus fucking—“ Race glanced up, his expression immediately shifted, “Oh, hey Spotty!”
Spot cleared his throat and looked at Jack and Davey, then back to Race. Spot mumbled something about a bet happening at the other table and how he was sent to go get him. Race leaned to look around Spot and at the other table, he sighed dramatically as he stood.
“Guess we gotta leave the lovebirds alone…” Race said wistfully as he wandered behind Spot and back to the main group. Jack felt his neck get hot.
“Lovebirds..?” Jack mumbled, then called after Race and Spot, “Hey, speak for yourself!”
Race turned around for a split second to flip Jack the bird, then he turned back around. Jack watched Race place a light hand on the small of Spot’s back, Jack also watched Spot pull Race slightly closer by the belt loop.
Jack scoffed at how obvious they were being. None of the guys cared, he didn’t care. Hell, half the guys in the Bowery right now have had some sort of relationship with a guy before. Jack snapped out of it and focused back on Davey.
“So, who was I talking ‘bout?” Jack asked. Davey opened his mouth, and Jack’s pretty sure he said a name, but he could only focus on the warmth of Davey’s skin underneath his hand. His hand… that at some point found itself sitting right between Davey’s neck and shoulder.
“Who?” Jack blinked.
Davey glanced at Jack, in the low light Jack didn’t notice how pink Davey’s face was, “I don’t remember.”
Jack nodded. He took a sip from his beer and sighed, “Well, I don’t wanna talk your ear off all night..”
“Right..” Davey took a sip from his.
The two sat in silence, and Jack couldn’t figure out what he was feeling. It felt… different than just hanging out with Race or Crutchie, he only ever felt it when he was with Davey. It felt good. As if his entire nervous system was being buzzed with some sort of current, but it didn’t hurt him or nothing, it just made him stick in his spot with his hand on Davey’s neck. What didn’t help was the way that Davey was looking at him. It was the first time he had held eye contact since Race came over, and there was just something so charged about it. There was something in those eyes and Jack really wanted to know what it was.
Jack was ripped out of his thoughts once again by Race. Some of the showgirls were making their way into the audience, and Race had started cheering, many of the guys began to cheer along with him. Jack cleared his throat and sat up, removing his hand from Davey’s neck and putting it on his knee.
Davey’s head was turned towards the group of boys who were being talked to by three showgirls. The girls seemed to be trying to decide something, they kept pointing and shrugging and giggling with each other. Race stood up and began to talk to them—about what, Davey didn’t know—after a second, he was cheering.
“Jack, what’s happening?” Davey asked, unknowingly leaning slightly backwards into Jack.
“It’s a sort of tradition,” Jack laughed and put his hands on Davey’s shoulders, “You’ll see.”
One of the girls, that Davey recognized from the first time he ever stepped foot in the Bowery, glanced around and seemed to have found Jack and Davey. She began to make her way over. Davey glanced warily back at Jack, who just shrugged to feign innocence.
The girl grabbed Davey’s wrist and pulled him up to his feet, she turned to face everyone else, “Hey!”
Everyone turned their heads and mostly quieted down.
“He’s new, right?” Her squeaky voice called over. The newsies went absolutely crazy and erupted in a chorus of, “Yeah! Yeah Davey! He’s new! Pick him!”
Davey looked at the girl that was still holding his wrist, she looked back at him and then looked him up and down before nodding her head, “You’re cute. Perfect!”
Jack grabbed Davey’s drink from his hand and put it on the table. Davey was then dragged backstage, he glanced back at Jack who was moving to sit next to Spot. Davey looked at Race, whose smile was beaming from ear to ear.
Race looked at Davey, “Don’tcha worry Dave, it’s fun.”
“I don’t even know what to be worried about,” Davey was directed to sit down at one of the vanities in the dressing room, Race sat next to him. There were more girls hanging out back there, just simply in their robes, drinking beer, the same stuff that Davey had a minute ago when he knew what was going on.
“Basically,” the girl that picked Davey appeared in front of him with a lot of makeup that she plopped onto the counter, “we’re gonna doll you all up, then you two are gonna do a number onstage together.”
Davey felt all of the blood drain out of his body, “what?”
“Don’t even worry ‘bout it! It’s just some makeup ‘n a bra,” Race smiled at the ladies around him, then he looked back at Davey, “might even get your Jackie going.”
“My—“ Davey felt all of the blood that just drained magically replenished.
The girl gasped, “You got a special someone out there?”
“No— I don’t! He’s not—“ Davey fumbled over every word that he tried to speak. Race just cackled in the chair next to him.
“Awe, don’t worry honey, I don’t let anyone look bad when they leave my chair,” The girl spoke sweetly, her squeaky voice softly reassured Davey, but he was already past that point.
“Ask Jack,” Race smacked Davey’s arm, “He’s been in that same chair before.”
The vision of Jack in makeup in Davey’s head made him laugh, which helped to calm his nerves. Out of the corner of his eye, Davey watched Medda enter the dressing room.
“Who do we have this time?” Medda asked, wandering over to one of her girls and taking a sip of her drink. Race gave her a little finger wave.
“Hello Racetrack, and,” Medda made eye contact with Davey in the mirror and clicked her tongue, smiling, “Oh you poor boy.”
Medda laughed and sighed, “Alright, Race, still going with Peachy Dream?”
“Yes ma’am,” Race smiled. Medda scoffed.
“And Davey, I assume you don’t have a stage name,” Medda walked up to him.
Davey stared aimlessly at her, “…no…”
She smiled, one of her warm smiles that let you know everything was going to be alright, Davey could always see why Jack admired her so much.
“Let’s go with,” Medda crossed her arms and analyzed Davey, “Hmm… Daisy.”
Davey nodded, not knowing what else to really do. Race let out a quiet, “Oooo.”
She stayed in the room for a few more moments, chatting with her girls and speaking of the next performances or new routines they’d learn next week. Davey listened in on the conversations as the girl who picked him did his makeup. Race began chatting with the girl doing his makeup, and Davey quickly put together the fact that Race must volunteer for this a lot since he carried conversations so easily with the girls.
It didn’t take nearly as long as Davey thought it would, so before he knew it, his makeup was complete. He turned around in his chair and looked at his face. To his surprise, he kind of loved it. It wasn’t nearly as much makeup as he thought it would be, just blush, blue eyeshadow, a soft red lip, and a lot of glitter.
Davey looked over at Race, who had pretty much the same thing except red eyeshadow and his eyelashes seemed thicker. Race turned to him and grinned.
“Isn’t it fun?” Race asked, standing from his chair. Davey shrugged with a smile and stood as well. The girls who did their makeup went to a rack of costumes, they searched for a suitable top for both of them.
The girl who picked Davey turned around with a sparkly light blue corset-vest thing in her hands. Davey swallowed. She walked over and handed it to him.
“It should fit,” She nodded, looking between the piece and Davey’s torso, “You can change behind that.”
Davey looked towards the corner of the room she gestured to, in front of the corner was one of those foldable privacy things, it was decorated with flower petals.
“Your Jack painted that for us,” The girl leaned in slightly. Davey felt his neck heat up, he started for the changing corner.
“He’s—“ Davey didn’t even try to defend himself because as soon as he opened his mouth Race was staring at him. Davey didn’t even blame the guy, Jack was.. so close earlier Davey could feel every word against his neck. The shared bottle didn’t help, because even though it was an infantile thought, Davey couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that Jack’s lips were just there anytime he took a sip. And Jack’s hand on his neck almost sent him over the edge. There’s a part of Davey that’s grateful he got chosen because he didn’t know how much more he could handle before he did something he’d really regret.
Davey finished changing and followed directions that the girl gave him about where to put his clothes. Race just changed in the middle of the room. Davey stood in front of the mirror with Race.
”We look good! Damn. Nice job ladies,” Race turned around and gestured towards all of them. Davey just kept looking at himself, his face looked so weird. He knew it was himself of course, but something about it felt so strange, he couldn’t tell if it was good or bad.
Race threw his arm around Davey, “‘s weird to think that.. the people outside, don’t even know that we’s in ladies clothes right now. They don’t know nothing out there!”
Davey decided that it was a good kind of strange.
Race and Davey began discussing their routine, and Davey drank a lot more before going onstage, he didn’t want to have to think about it.
———
“Ladies and gentleman, now introducing Miss Peachy Dreams,” Medda stood at the front of the stage announcing. Race strutted out onto the stage, taking his sweet time crossing the entire thing. The boys and a few showgirls that were in the audience were all cheering and whooping. Jack laughed with Spot about how stupid Race was acting. Race made it to the other side and hit about 10 poses before nodding at Medda to continue.
Medda rolled her eyes, “And… her debut, Miss Daisy!”
Race looped his arm around Davey’s and pulled him out to center stage. The two of them laughed the whole way across.
Jack felt his laughter die in his chest. Davey looked… really good.
He looked…
Like a girl.
Jack’s jaw dropped and it felt like the world slowed down around him. He stared at Davey’s rosy cheeks, and his red lips. Jack wanted to be sharing a drink with him again, to be whispering in his ear, to feel the warmth of his skin again.
Spot snapped his fingers in front of Jack’s face. Jack blinked then looked over at him.
“You alright?” Spot asked, still sparing some glances up towards the stage. Jack nodded wordlessly. He glanced back up to the stage where Race was blowing a kiss, he aimed it directly at Spot, who actually made a show of catching it and putting it over his heart, and even sending one back.
Him and Davey could be like that. The whole realization shattered Jack’s reality.
Davey was his best friend, but now he was more than that. Jack’s known from the beginning he was more than that, he just didn’t know what that was. Jack always felt a need to be with Davey. From the first day they met, something about Davey intrigued him, and he had to know more. He always needs to know more. About what Davey likes, what he doesn’t, what pisses him off, what secrets he hides, and what lies behind his eyes when they look at Jack like he’s the only thing that matters.
Jack stared up at Davey laughing and attempting to keep up with Race’s obscene dancing. Jack just stared at Davey’s smile, and Davey.
Medda announced that the two boys had to finish up and run backstage to get changed. Jack glanced up and watched as they both ran offstage in an absolute fit of laughter. The guys around all yelled out their cheers and their bravos. Jack saw the slightly suspicious look that Spot gave him.
Jack took another sip from his drink.
All he could think about was Davey in that makeup, and then Davey looking just as beautiful out of it. He would do anything for him.
———
“Was fun right?” Race asked, a bunch of glitter still on his face, but all the other makeup gone, and donning his normal shirt and vest again.
“A lot more than I expected,” Davey shrugged his shoulders and walked with Race back out into the house. The newsies cheered when they appeared. Davey laughed and realized that no one there was drunk enough to forget seeing him as a burlesque dancer. He’d have to sell tomorrow with that fact replaying in his mind.
Davey watched Jack stand up from his chair next to Spot, and turn around to head for the side exit door. The adrenaline rush he had was slowly wearing down as he wondered what happened to Jack to make him leave so quickly.
“Follow ‘im,” Race mumbled. Davey turned around and saw Race looking all around the room, very obviously pretending like he wasn’t the one who said it. Race then stopped and looked at Davey and shrugged, “can’t hurt.”
Davey swallowed, then crossed the house to get to the door Jack left from. The cold air nipped at Davey’s nose as soon as he opened the door, he had almost forgotten that it was winter. Davey mourned his jacket that was sitting on a chair somewhere inside.
Davey peered around the doorframe and saw Jack leaning against the wall and looking up at the sky. Davey closed the door and Jack glanced at him.
“Mind if I join you?” Davey asked, already stepping forward. Jack shrugged, his focus back on the sky.
A silence settled over the two, there was some noise from the street and the chattering of the boys inside could still be heard, but the two of them stood in their own little world. Jack glanced over at Davey, who was staring at the ground, then he looked back at the sky.
Jack hoped that Davey couldn’t hear the pounding of his heart, because it was echoing in his ears. Everything was suddenly making sense. Jack’s constant need to be around Davey, and then whenever he was, to be touching him. The reason why Jack thought Davey was so lovely to draw. Why Jack always listened to Davey, and did whatever he said. Why he never realized he was even staring and when he got shy, blushing looks from Davey in return. Why he never even gave a second glance to young ladies in the streets, especially not when Davey was around.
Jack was in love with him.
“You’ve glitter on your face,” Jack mumbled. He felt it again, that feeling, it was humming in his veins and head.
“What?” Davey looked at Jack, who looked back immediately.
“You..” Jack gave up and gave into the need to touch Davey. He used his thumb to brush the glitter off of Davey’s cheek, which didn’t really work.
Jack made the mistake of glancing at Davey’s eyes.
And there it was again, that look.
Jack’s thumb slowly stopped moving, but his hand stayed on Davey’s face. Were they always standing that close, or was Jack leaning in? Davey was blinking slowly and his mouth was slightly agape.
“Jack..?” Davey whispered. Jack was leaning in.
”Yeah..?” Jack whispered back. Davey was leaning in too.
Before Davey could ask his question, the gap between the two was closed. Davey’s lips were unbearably soft. Jack knew that Davey hadn’t kissed anyone before, which was unfair because Davey deserved to be getting kissed if it felt like this to kiss him.
Jack dragged the hand that was on Davey’s face down to the back of his neck, while the other one found his waist. One of Davey’s hands was over Jack’s shoulder and the other was gripping the back of Jack’s hair.
Jack turned so that Davey’s back was against the wall, he moved his hand back to the side of his face. Jack felt Davey’s body adjust to the feeling of the freezing brick wall behind him. Jack felt Davey start to smile and he pulled away.
“What were you gonna ask me?” Jack made an exaggerated thinking face and Davey’s smile just got bigger.
“I don’t remember,” Davey hummed. The alcohol, the performance, and the kiss were all buzzing through his mind. Davey had wanted this for a while, he didn’t think that he’d ever get it. Behind Romeo, Jack is probably the biggest flirt out of everyone. Who would expect someone like Jack Kelly to go for someone like David Jacobs.
Jack smirked and mumbled, “you’re so pretty.”
Davey felt his stomach flip and he glanced away towards the street. He never knew how to handle a compliment, especially not from someone only a few inches away from his face.
Jack leaned in again. Davey could tell that Jack knew what he was doing, and he just hoped that he wasn’t bad. Jack stopped kissing Davey’s mouth and started to kiss his jawline.
Davey could die right now and he’d be okay with it.
Jack brought his other hand down to Davey’s waist. Davey put both of his hands in Jack’s hair and played with it softly as Jack began kissing his neck. Davey pursed his lips and leaned his head back against the wall. Jack might’ve kissed every inch of skin on Davey’s neck. Jack traveled back up to Davey’s mouth and the two began kissing again.
This time it was messier, Davey opened his mouth slightly and Jack jumped right on that opportunity. Jack made sure not to do too much too fast so Davey could keep up, but Davey was a fast learner.
Their mouths moved in sync, crashing and mending together. The brisk winter air didn’t feel cold anymore. Jack could do anything and Davey would make a quiet noise, whether it was a small gasp or something else. Jack didn’t even think that Davey was aware he was doing it, but it was driving him insane.
The two pulled away. Jack stared at Davey, even in the moonlight Jack could see that his lips were red and his cheeks were flushed. They were both panting. Davey reached up and tried to flatten some of Jack’s hair that he had messed up.
Jack leaned in for a quick kiss, one that Davey didn’t even register until it was over.
“What was that for?” Davey asked, his hands resting on Jack’s shoulders.
“Because I wanted,” Jack smiled, “‘and I can now.”
Davey bit back a smile, but Jack could see it. A strong gust of wind passed through the alley and both of them moved closer to each other for warmth. They looked at each other and laughed.
”Do you want to go back in?” Davey asked. He didn’t even know the answer to that question. His jacket and warmth were inside, but Jack was out here. The Jack he could have all to himself, that he could kiss and hold now.
Jack groaned and leaned his forehead on Davey’s shoulder. He turned his head and kissed Davey’s neck, “no.”
Davey smiled yet again. Jack picked his head up and returned the smile.
“We don’t have to…” Jack mumbled. Davey was looking at him like that again, he’s pretty sure he figured out what was hiding in his eyes.
“We should,” Davey said. In his head, he laughed about the fact that Race was right.
”That’s not have, though,” Jack groaned.
”C’mon,” Davey moved from the wall and pulled Jack by his hand towards the door, before going inside, Davey turned, “Remember, we can do this whenever we want now.”
Davey opened the door and went inside before Jack could even respond.
And when Race figured it out immediately and made even more and even cruder jokes, Jack laughed them off. When the other guys glanced suspiciously towards them, Jack moved closer to Davey. And when Medda asked the next day what was happening, Jack got to rant about Davey for a little under an hour before Medda had to go on.
If he thinks about it, it’s really just the same as before, except now he knows why his heart beats so fast and his stomach gets all buzzy, it's because he loves Davey.
And the best part about that? Davey loves him too.