A few hours later, after Katherine, Sarah and Les had left for home, Jack and Davey returned to the theater to spend the night away from people, and Jack had led Davey up into one of the private boxes of the theater. The show had finished, and Jack was busy setting up blankets and such for him and Davey for the night. Jack couldn't help a smile. A few hours ago he had been on the verge of tears, trying so hard to maintain a hard, cold manner to force Davey away. But that damn boy. He couldn't say no to him, couldn't deny the points he made or the energy he emitted. Now here he was, alone with him and his intoxicatingly beautiful brown eyes.

"Jack are you done yet?" Davey asked, plopping himself down onto the unfinished makeshift bed.

"I guess I am now since you've done went and laid on it," Jack replied as he dropped the blankets and set his hands on his his hips.

Davey only grinned, and it made Jack's heart swell because wow, he really was beautiful. And so many other things too. He fixed the edges of the blankets and did the best he could to make the rest of the makeshift bed before joining Davey on it.

"Let's play a game," Jack said matter-of-factly, not really leaving much room for protest.

"Alright then," Davey said, scooting closer to jack, "What game?"

Jack smiled and wrapped an arm around the other boy. "Truth or Dare."

Davey thought a moment before nodding and wrapping an arm around Jack's waist. "Alright, I suppose since you picked the game I get to go first. So, Jack, truth or dare?"

This was nice. This was what Davey had wanted since the day he realized who he loved. And who he loved was Jack Kelly.

"Hmm..." Jack started as he thought. He didn't want to say truth because it was too... easy and he didn't know if he wanted to say dare either, because who knows what kind of stuff Davey could come up with for that.

Then again, what more could they do while trapped in a theatre, when they probably weren't going to get up any time soon for anything.

"Truth," jack replied.

Davey stuck his tongue out. "Lame..."

Jack laughed. He hugged Davey closer and breathed in his scent. Somewhat floral, now mixed in with ink. And it smelled like home. "If I'm lame, then I guess that makes you lame too, seeing as you have to be something to recognize it."

Davey buried his head in Jack's shirt and giggled. Damn that was a beautiful noise. When he lifted his head, he looked at Jack in a way that made him melt. "That's not how that comeback goes Jackie! And your truth is, if you could only eat one thing the rest of your life, what would it be?"

That was definitely something that Jack had to think about for a moment because he didn't get to eat too well too often. Not with the job he had. But if he could eat one thing for the rest of his life...

"Probably some kind of meat and rice maybe? I dunno. Somethin' good though."

Jack didn't know many foods that he'd actually not mind eating for the rest of his life.

That just made Davey laugh.

Jack chuckled as well. "Alright Dave, truth or dare?"

David stopped laughing a moment to think. Jack could see the possibilities flashing through his eyes. Leave it to him to think through consequences in a game of truth or dare. But then again, Jack had only ever played this with a group of boys who were allowed to run rampant on the streets. Consequences didn't exist to them. A bad outcome was easily forgotten, because their entire lives were filled with them. Davey wasn't like that. Only recently had his life taken a downhill turn, and before that he had gone to school, been taught to think before acting. Maybe that's why they fit together so nicely. Jack taught Davey how to be reckless, Davey taught jack not to be careless. A tugging at his shirt broke him away from his thoughts.

"Jack I said truth."

Jack did that a lot, went blank with what was happening around him while thinking of Davey. But that was because David Jacobs had so quickly become his everything, it was almost like nothing else mattered.

"Right, yeah," Jack replied and took a moment to think about what his truth would be for Davey. There were so many things he could ask, that he wanted to ask.

But, he figured he'd go with something cliche here.

"Alright, David, I wanna know when it was you first started liking me."

A deep blush spread across Davey's cheeks. He looked down, scooting closer to Jack, but not letting him see his face. "Since, well, since uh," Davey stuttered, stalling for time.

"Look at this, the great David Jacobs has no words," Jack teased, pulling Davey's head up by the chin so he could look at his face. "Tell you what, I'll go first," Jack said through his laughter. "I started liking ya the second we started talkin' to each other." Davey smiled softly, eyes flicking from Jack's eyes to his mouth. Jack smirked. "Is you ever gonna respond Davey?"

"I guess, well, when ya got up there, defending those boys rights and all when they raised the prices, that's when I knew," Davey said, the words blurring together. But Jack understood him perfectly.

Jack couldn't help a smile, because those boys meant the world to him. He would do anything to protect him. And he was so glad someone like Davey could see that, and appreciate that about him.

Without thinking, not that he really needed to, Jack moved closer and pressed his lips to Davey's.

He could've cried, because he couldn't believe he had been willing to give this up. To give up the feeling of Davey's lips, to give up the adrenaline the boy made him feel, to give up the way his heart fluttered with the boy around. And he decided he would never make that mistake again.

Jack pulled back to just admire the boy he was holding in his arms. Davey's cheeks were flushed, his eyes were twinkling in the low light, and Jack could just make out a light spattering of freckles. Damn this boy would be the death of him. Davey reached up a hand to Jack's neck, to pull him back down.

He allowed himself to drown in the sweetness, in the love this boy poured into the kiss. He couldn't help but smile against Davey's lips. His hands made their way to Davey's cheeks, holding his face, relishing the fact that this perfect angel was his. Jack removed his lips once again, peppering kisses across his Davey's face, on his nose, his cheeks, his forehead and everywhere in between. Davey giggled, which to Jack sounded like music, and blushed even harder.

"Jackie what are you doing?"

"Lovin' you," Jack replied simply and couldn't help the grin that spread across his lips at his own words. He planted a last kiss on Davey's lips before looking at the boy, who was blushing just about as badly as he could. He was so cute...

And Davey didn't even have a response to that, other than another giggle. He was so helplessly in love with this boy. And oddly enough, he didn't mind. With Davey Jacobs by his side, Jack Kelly could do anything.

Even take on the world.

But that was not his focus tonight. His focus was Davey, and just being with him.

After an eternity, or what felt like one, Jack pulled back as Davey rested his head on Jack's chest. Outside, outside the world was dark and gloomy. Outside this love was wrong. Outside loving this blushing, outspoken, beautiful man was not allowed. So the world could stay outside. In here, in here they could be in love. And that was beautiful.

"Jackie whatcha thinking about?" Davey whispered, clearly tired, as his eyes were drooping and he was yawning.

"Just how amazing ya are," Jack whispered back, smiling as he pulled Davey closer, wrapping an arm around the taller boy's waist.

"Oh cool me too, I am pretty awesome you know," Davey joked, poking Jack's side.

Jack laughed and shook his head as he pulled off Davey's cap to ruffle his hair. "Yeah, don' let it go to your head, kid."

The cap stayed off, and Jack's fingers slowly moved through the curly hair of the boy he loved. A soft smile remained on his face and he simply admired Davey. He did that a lot recently, but it was okay. Someone like Davey deserved to be admired.

With the treatment to his hair, and the warmth from the hold, it didn't take long before Davey to be on the very verge of sleep. Jack pressed a gentle kiss to his head and closed his eyes, hoping to join him. Even if he didn't want this moment to ever end.

Davey woke to the sounds of muffled sobs. Jack's muffled sobs. Davey quickly sat up, shaking Jack awake. As he looked down at the fearless leader, he only saw fear etched into his lover's face. He moved to take Jack into his arms, wrapping the smaller boy in his arms and laying them both back down. Jack was still sobbing, only quieter now.

"Shh, Jack, I've got ya love," Davey whispered into Jack's hair, rubbing a hand up and down his back.

"I c-can't l-leave Crutchie in there!" Jack nearly yelled into Davey's chest. "He won't survive!"

The words coming from Jack absolutely shattered Davey's heart, because he knew Crutchie was so much like a brother to him. Davey might not have known what it was like in the refuge, but Jack did.

That alone was enough to make Davey's heart hurt. Jack crying didn't help and honestly, Davey didn't know what he was to say to comfort Jack.

"Hey..."

It's okay. No it wasn't. That was probably one of the most useless phrases in the English language.

"Jack. I promise you that we are going to get Crutchie out of there. No matter what it takes."

Jack just nodded. He was numb. Davey was right. Earlier when he had said it was a fight they had to win, he was right. Pulitzer couldn't be allowed this much power. Couldn't be allowed to send cripples like Crutchie to a place where they didn't stand a chance. Couldn't be allowed to make life a living hell for working kids just trying to feed themselves. Davey's hand rubbed Jack's back in a swirling pattern, bring him back to reality.

"Behold the brave battalion," Davey cooed at Jack, repeating words from what seemed a lifetime ago. "That stands side by side."

"Too few in number," Jack sang back, allowing himself to be soothed.

"And too proud to hide." Davey poked Jack at that, making Jack chuckle half heartedly.

"Then say to the others who did not follow through, you're still our brothers and we will fight for you..."

Davey pressed a kiss to Jack's head in an attempt to further calm him. He had meant everything he said when he first confronted Jack in the theatre. They were going to get Crutchie back. And they were going to win this. No matter what it took.

Because no kid deserved this kind of treatment. Davey remembered the horror that surged through him when the Delanceys grabbed a hold of Les... so he knew what Jack was feeling. Davey just held Jack closer. He knew words meant nothing when all was said and done, only actions. He needed to take action. They needed to take action. When Jack's tears finally stopped flowing, he pulled back a little and pressed a kiss to Davey's cheek.

"Thank you David," He whispered hoarsely, before curling back into Davey's chest. Davey smiled down at Jack, and started stroking his hair, humming an old lullaby. And as Jack fell asleep for a second time, Davey wondered if anyone had every seen Jack like this. Ever seen Jack's cocky and self assured persona slip away to revel someone much more vulnerable then he let on. Maybe Crutchie had seen this side of Jack before. Maybe not. But Davey, as much as it pained him, was very glad that he got to see this side of Jack. That  Jack trusted him enough to let out emotions in front of him.

It meant a lot.

And now the boy was asleep, and Davey took a moment to just admire him. Handsome, heroically charismatic, plain-spoken, know-nothing, cocky, but also vulnerable, passionate.
Beautiful.

Davey had it bad, and he didn't even care. He placed one last kiss on Jack's forehead before snuggling back down beneath the blankets. He breathed in Jack's inky, and now oddly piney scent. Drinking in the low light bouncing off his brown hair. Basking in the warmth the other boy emanated. So this was what bliss felt like. It felt nice.

"Davey go to sleep," Jack grunted, mostly asleep, but awake enough to sense Davey's alertness. Chuckling, he obeyed the command, burying his head in the crook of Jack's neck, and falling into a deep sleep.

Thank you all for reading!
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