Davey felt warm. He felt safe, he felt like how smiling would feel if it were a feeling and not just muscle memory. He felt sleepy in a good way, the kind of way you feel when you've tensed all your muscles for so long that it just feels so completely pleasant when you get to relax them. Safety and security were things Davey constantly found himself searching for, in everything he could. An anchor in everything he did, every action he took- he had a reason or a purpose and that was what made him relax, was something clear ahead. A focus.
Though, what made his mind begin to clear in the early noon hours was that he wasn't sure what it was that he was focused on that was making him so relaxed and...happy. Especially given the current situation. He was slowly losing his current feeling of numb bliss, becoming more aware of his state in reality. The floor beneath the velvet curtains was hard, the clumps of fabric doing little to keep his joints from feeling stiff while his heart and mind felt at ease. His legs were tangled up in what he could only assume was more curtains, halfway drawn to his waist, and his arms were pressed close to his chest, hands cupped over by-
Davey's eyes snapped open as all sleep seemed to loosen itself from his body when his eyes darted quickly down to see a pair of callused hands over his own, with arms attached, one under the top of Davey's head, and the other over Davey's side. He didn't dare to look over to see Jack's expression, knowing very well at the warm body pressed to Davey's own was none other than Jack Kelly himself.
He tried not to think about it too much as David felt his cheeks heat and his heart race suddenly as he quickly tried to break away from Jack.
He found this seemingly not an option as he tripped on his own feet, looking down to his his ankles hooked around Jack's and realizing with a sudden leap in his chest that the tangle of sheets had in fact been Jack.
They'd been at such a close proximity- how could Davey not have noticed?
Davey quickly unhooked himself as a startled Jack Kelly stumbled backwards in response.

"Dave?" Jack landed on his hands behind him with his eyebrows lifted.

"The love birds is finally up." Romeo yawned as he stretched from where he'd been leaned on top of Specs.

Davey locked eyes with Jack in horror before both of them looked away as Davey got to his feet, clearing his throat.

"That was- not um- Dave, I'm sorry-" Jack began as he got to his feet as well.

"No, no, it's fine- it happens- I'm just going to uh, look at the sights." Davey nodded before heading for the theatre's doors into the lobby, jogging off the stage and up the isles.

"You've lost your game, Jack, lettin' 'em just run away like that." Specs yawned as he woke up.

"Oh shut up." Jack hissed, glaring at Specs who shrugged as best he could with Romeo leaning against him.
The long-haired boy groaned, flopping his head into his hands, "Great. Just- god."

"So, what was that all about?" Les sniffed, blinking sleep out of his eyes as he looked to Jack from his dog bed.

"What was what? Nothin' happened, I was sleep-"

"You and David cuddling." Les shrugged, "I thought that was obvious-

"We weren't-!" Jack's face burned, cut off by Romeo and Specs bursting into laughter. A growl of a groan came from the back of Jack's throat as he rubbed his hands over his face, "Nobody was cuddling nobody- we was just-"

"Oh, was it something more~?" Romeo teased.

"I'll soak you right here right now." Jack balled up his fists and Romeo knew he was serious, tumbling over Specs to hide behind him.

"What's all this talk about Jack fuckin' who..?" Race yawned as he opened his eyes to the other newsies.

"Hey! There's a kiddo present!" Specs snapped at the same time that Jack yelled, "WE WERE'NT-"

"Whoops, my bad." Race sighed, snuggling closer to Spot, who had curled himself around the blonde despite being a head or so shorter.

"Speak for yourself, you've got your own goilfriend to take care of." Jack snorted, nodding to Spot.

"H-He isn't-" Race began, shrinking down before Spot interrupted.

"Yeah, I'm his boyfriend, get it right Kelly..." Spot mumbled sleepily, face still hidden in Race's messy curls, half asleep.

Race blushed furiously, "Not a woid."

"Oh, I think there'll be plenty of words, but for now, let's keep the subject at Jack and Davey." Romeo pursued, turning to Jack with a grin as he rested his chin on Specs' shoulder.

"There's nothing to talk about- and his brother is- Les is here-" Jack fumbled around his words a she sat back down on his bed.

"Les, you don't mind us talkin' about Davey while he ain't here?" Race piped up.

"Well, that depends, are you saying mean things?" Les sat up with a defensive eyebrow cock and crossed arms.

"No. No they ain't." Jack's words sounded as a warning.

"Okay then, go ahead." Les nodded in agreement.

"So is you and Dave fu-"

"Kid. Present." Specs narrowed his eyes.

Race sighed dramatically with a roll of his eyes, "Fine." He looked at Jack, "What's the deal with you and Davey?"

"There's no deal." Jack flushed, "He was cold and alone in a corner so I let him sleep here. That's it. Not my fault there's not enough room to move without bumpin' into nobody. It wasn't that big of a deal-"

"Seemed like a deal to Davey, considerin' how he left." Spot snorted as he rolled onto his back, an arm still lazily around Race's shoulders.

"It was not a-" Jack glanced over at Les who watched with increasing interest, making the dirty-blonde groan and pinch the bridge of his nose, "Would you lot get your head out of the gutter?"

"Last time I checked, we hadn't implied all that much. Is you implying that-?" Before Specs could finish, Jack had thrown himself sideways to cover Les's ears with a glare, "This conversation is over."

The look in his eyes was a serious one of true, passionate anger, and everyone quieted until Les reached up to tap Jack's arms, "Can I go now?"

Jack quickly leaned back, "Erm, go for it."

"Alright, bye!" Without another word, the younger boy leapt to his feet and skipped off the stage, following his brother.

"So, what's for breakfast?" Romeo cleared his throat."

"Doesn't matter, not hungry." Jack got to his feet and turned towards the wings, blocking out any source of sound behind him.

***

Reaching the lobby, Davey had collapsed quickly by the window, breathing erratic and heart pounding out of his chest. He hated this feeling. He hated the way Jack made his heart feel- like it was trying to escape fire that had already burned it. What was that boy doing to him?
Davey had had crushes in the past, small crushes, but none like this. None like Jack.
He hated to admit how much regret he held in his chest for immediately breaking away from the blonde. But what was he supposed to do? Ignore instinct?
Instinct to what? Runaway from emotions, block them out?
Of course.
Jack was as far from a plan as Davey could get...
Plans were David's solids. They were constant and they provided a clear point A to point B scenario. A good plan didn't change, or was flexible, or had reason.

Jack didn't have this- he didn't plan things, he didn't always have reason behind the things he said and did, he just did them on instinct.

Was that not what Davey had just done? Acted on instinct?
That's different.
And it technically. Davey's actions had been derived from a fear of commitment to an uncommitted action.

Jack's instincts derived from the first option that came to mind, even if he didn't agree with it after. It's what had caused him to follow Davey to the alley before subsequently leaving him.
He left.
He left and Davey...had was left in position where he didn't have a plan. Jack had been his plan and Jack...wasn't constant. Wasn't clear-

But there was something alluring about the boy...something that made Davey stay, and forgive him, not to say his bitterness wasn't still there, it was, but whenever he seemed to have doubts about forgiving the cowboy- he'd look over and Jack would he smiling, or giving Davey a quizzical look with a cocked head that made the brunette's heart go a mile a minute.

It was so dangerous, the feelings that Davey had for Jack Kelly...but how was he supposed to stop himself? Somehow such an inconstant person, had become a constant in Davey's life. But despite Jack having not replicated his actions in the alley, Davey never let his guard down- not until this morning, not until Jack's arms were around him and-

"Davey?" Les's voice came from one set of doors that led to the lobby that Davey sat in, looking out the window but not seeing beyond his own thoughts, let's dawn to his chest comfortably before he looked over at his younger brother, shorter than him when he stood up compared to Davey's current position.

"How long have you been up?" The brunette's voice was stern but...soft. In a way that could tell someone he was defensive but tired.

"Since you, a bit before." Les yawned, plopping down beside his brother before crawling on his knees to the window and putting his chin on the sill.

"Great." Davey snorted, "So why'd you leave the fellas in there?"

"They were being weird." The short boy sighed, "Everyone kept teasing jack and then they were covering my ears. Weird."

Davey felt his heart do a summersault and his face burn like a thousand suns, "Wh-What were they uh- talking about?"

"Oh, just you and Jack cuddling and-"

Davey sat up quickly, "Wh- what?"

"What?" Les looked at his brother with a confused expression.

"Les, what exactly were they saying." Davey locked eyes with the other boy, looking dead serious.

"I dunno...they were being all secretive- but everyone was interested and Jack was all red in the face and rolling his eyes."

Davey's head fell between his knees with a groan, "Great."

"He seemed pretty happy though." Les shrugged, looking back out the window.

"Jack? But you just- you said he was-" Davey sputtered.

"When he was pretending to be asleep." Les hummed, watching the horses of police trot by.

Davey clutched at the hem of his shirt, "Pretend?"

"Oh yeah, I woke up after Jack did but like, still awhile ago. You know, like, when you guys started hugging." Les stretched his arms before relaxing again.

"When we hugged- you mean- Jack did that on purpose?" Davey's throat tightened.

"Well, I mean- you were the one who clung to his arms once he gave 'em to ya but yeah." Les nodded.

Davey wasn't sure what to do with this information, all he knew is, despite being stuck inside for the last week and a half, he felt like he had the energy of someone who'd soaked up a thousand rays of sunshine, and he was definitely going to look too much into this.
The part of his brain that screamed at him to stop, to remind him of the alley, and what had happened, was drowned out by the thoughts Davey had had prior to that night.
Thoughts of hope.
Hope for a lot of things- but primarily, hope that Jack wanted at least a fraction of what Davey did.
It was dangerous, yes, but Davey had lost all senses other than bliss, and was determined to focus on that of three, the things he could pin all his feelings on: Hope, Bliss, and Stubbornness.
He had spent an entire strike not listening to society's authority, he could spend a day not listening to his mind's authority. Just a day...
To start.