For @violetwolfraven (on Tumblr) for the newsies gift exchange!

Disclaimer: Idk what happened here, but the writing is in like six different styles, and also ended up kind of a mesh between canon and modern times

Ship: Javid

Prompt: Jack and Davey being mom friends to the rest of the group

Trigger Warnings: None

Word Count: 1219

After a seemingly endless month, finally, the long-awaited trip to the park had come. Jack had promised to take them at the end of the month if they all behaved themselves. Everyone had run around the lodging house gathering up everything they could possibly want with them.

It took well over an hour for everyone to be finally ready to leave. Just as Jack would think they were finally ready to go, someone would remember something they forgot upstairs, or in the kitchen, and race off to find it. When they would arrive back, someone else would remember something.

When at last, everyone was standing by the door, and Davey had done a triple-check headcount, they were ready to go.

Now the two of them lay on a blanket in the shade, watching the chaos that was the newsies. Davey lay propped up on his elbows, a book in his hands, his lap serving as Jack's pillow.

Jack reached up, gently tugging his wrist, pulling his book forward.

"What are you doing, Jackie?" Davey asked, looking down at him, a confused look painted across his face.

"Blocking the sun," was Jack's reply. "It was scorching my eyes out."

"Don't be dramatic, Jack," Davey laughed, gently hitting him on the arm with his book.

"Gah, Davey! Don't move your book!" Jack protested.

"Sorry, sorry," Davey said, rolling his eyes fondly and returning his book to block the sun.

"Jack!" Race yelled as he and Albert ran over falling over each other onto the grass before them. "Hi," he said, resting his chin in his palms and looking up at them with a grin. "Can I have a band-aid?"

"What did you do this time?" Jack asked as Davey began rifling through their bag.

"Here," he said holding it out. "Race," he said as Race was about to stick the band-aid onto his knee.

"Yeah?"

Davey rolled his eyes, holding out a baby wipe and some Neosporin. "For heaven's sake, don't go getting an infection."

"Right," Race said, unsticking the band-aid, and taking the baby wipe.

"He ran into a tree," Albert said, sharing a look with Race as they both burst into giggles.

Davey had a feeling there was something that made it a lot funnier than it sounded.

"Thanks!" Race said, popping up.

"Bye!" Albert called as they ran giggling towards the group.

"Wait, Race!" Davey called. "When's the last time you put on sunblock?" Race started running faster, and Davey sighed. "I take it that means it's been too long."

"Just let him go," Jack said. "He's already back over there."

"Speaking of which Mr. Kelly, when's the last time you put on sunblock?"

Jack coughed, looking everywhere but Davey.

Davey narrowed his eyes at him, but returned to his book.

The two lay in silence a while. Jack had his eyes closed and Davey thought maybe he might be asleep.

"Do you think, Crutchie's okay?" a very awake Jack asked, startling Davey.

"What?"

"Dunno, he's just been standing there all by himself for the past twenty minutes, so I thought maybe something was up."

Davey looked over to where Jack had indicated. Crutchie stood in the grass, his camera held tightly in both hands, as he awkwardly balanced against his crutch.

Davey shrugged. "You could ask him," he said softly.

"Hey, Crutch!" Jack called.

Crutchie looked over to them, and Jack motioned for him to come over.

"Hi!" he said brightly as he approached.

"You alright?" Jack asked, flicking Davey's wrist when he went to close his book.

"Yeah," Crutchie said, giving the motion a questioning look.

Davey rolled his eyes, closing his book and pulling up his knees to push Jack up. Jack grumbled adjusting himself to sit next to Davey on the blanket. He patted the space next to him, waiting for Crutchie to sit down.

"What were you doing standing over there all by yourself?"

Crutchie shrugged, handing Jack a stack of photos. Jack sorted through them carefully, Davey's chin resting on his shoulder. The photos captured their friends in various poses. Albert and Race upside down on a bench, Finch sneaking up on an unaware Mush and Blink, a pile of their friends all laughing, so tangled together it was hard to tell who was who. There was one of Les using his wooden sword to fight against Spot, who despite his protests, adored little kids. There was one of Sarah on Katherine's back, though Jack wasn't even sure he remembered them being there when they left that morning. Photo after photo captured the happy looks on his friend's faces, but not one seemed to capture Crutchie's glowing smile.

"I just want to remember it, you know?" Crutchie said softly. "I want to have something to look back on. Whenever I'm happiest, I want to remember every moment, like I'm saving the happiness I guess." He looked down at the blanket beneath him, toying with a piece of grass.

"Crutch," Jack said gently. "Is it really your happiest moment if you aren't really in it? Sure, looking back at all the pictures is fun, but the pictures aren't your memories. How can you enjoy the moment when you're hiding behind a camera. You're so worried you might forget, but I promise you, if you're out there laughing and having fun with everyone else, that's going to be that moment you remember forever. You don't need a camera to save memories for you. You will save the best ones for yourself. That camera doesn't make happiness Crutch, so go enjoy what does."

"I guess," he said. "But what about you? You're just sitting over here on the blanket."

"This is my memory," Jack said, putting his arm around Davey. "Go make yours."

Crutchie smiled, pushing himself up.

"Trade you a crutch for a camera?" Jack said, holding out his crutch to him. Crutchie placed the camera in his hands. "I'll take some pictures for you. Go have fun."

"Thanks, Jack."

"Any time, Crutch." Jack smiled at him.

"When did you get to be so wise?" Davey asked, as they watched Crutchie walk over to their friends, Jack laying his head in his lap again.

"When I fell in love with the person wiser than all the stars combined," he said, brushing his fingertips across his cheek.

"I'm not like the stars, Jackie," Davey said, his face flushed as he looked down at his lap.

"Course you are. You're my star, Davey. My sun, my light."

"I once met a boy with a mind that ran a million miles a minute," Davey said. "His imagination could span the skies. He took big risks, and loved bigger. He said whatever was on his mind, and did what he wanted when he wanted. His heart was everywhere but here, but he still would do anything for one of his boys."

"What changed?" Jack asked, looking up at him.

"Nothing did," he said softly. "That's what I love about you. You let your dreams run wild."

Jack pulled him down into a kiss.

"You know, David Jacobs, that you are the only one I ever let tie me down."

"I know," Davey said, kissing him again, and he knew that was Jack's own way to say he loved him. "I love you," he whispered against Jack's lips. "Forever."

I hope you liked it despite the kinda short mess that it became!

Have a lovely day/night!

-Addie