Jack Kelly wasn't known for his words. He spoke with a thick accent with grammar that would make an English teacher scream. Every other word out of his mouth was a 'youse' or a 'we's'. He was known for his drawing, for his gumption, for his leadership. But not for his writing.
So it surprised even Jack when he sat down to write out what he was feeling.
He had so much to say, and so little faith in himself to say it right in person. Hell, to even say it at all in person would be a feat he didn't believe himself capable of. He was left only with the option of writing down his feelings and sending them.
Jack tapped his foot absentmindedly on the floor of the lodging house, tucked away in a secluded corner. He could hear the raucous voices of Race and the other Newsies faintly. He adjusted his cap on his head, though no one could see him anyway, and began the letter.
Dear
He left the space blank, unwilling to admit to himself who he was writing this for. Did he really think that someone who came from such a different, better life than him would really fall for him?
Writing a love letter isn't exactly my style. I've got no use for moonlight, or sappy poetry
It was true, Jack admitted. Though, he seemed to be writing just that- sappy poetry, or perhaps sappy prose. Either way, it was pseudo romantic enough that it made him nearly sick. But honesty was honesty, and he just had to do it. There was no turning back now.
I mean, love at first sight is for suckers
And that was true...wasn't it? Jack thought back to the day they had met. First meeting in Newsie Square before picking up the papes of the day, then reuniting again at the theater. It had taken Jack only that long to know he had found the person he wanted to spend his life with.
Looking at the words he had just written, Jack knew that, though he once might had agreed with the statement, it wasn't true. After all, without love at first sight, would he even be writing this letter?
Well, at least it used to be
Jack couldn't deny the way he felt when he first saw them, when the two sets of eyes met. Those brown eyes, sun reflecting off of them and making them golden. It was like time stood still. In reality, Jack stood still, the newsies whirling around him like a tumultuous hurricane, but him frozen in his tracks. Starstruck.
Look, I admit, girls are nice. You know, once or twice. At least until I find someone new.
He looked back on past 'relationships', knowing his words to be true. Sure, a fling here, or a girlfriend there were nice, but never for more than a few weeks. He always ended up bored and moved on. He had assumed that that was how it was always going to be, never being able to tie himself down to anyone. He hadn't realized that the problem wasn't him, it was who he was chasing.
But I never would have guessed-
He crossed the line out with his pencil, searching for the right words.
I never thought that I-
He scratched those words out too. Damn it, why was it so hard to say what he was thinking?
Jack rose from his chair and began to pace, tapping the pencil against his chin thoughtfully.
Romeo poked his head around the corner where Jack was hiding, a smile spreading across his face. Jack quickly stuffed the paper and pencil into his pocket.
"Hey, Jack!" Romeo said. "There's another one of those girls hanging around, says she wants to talk to you." Jack grimaced internally.
"Who is she?" Jack asked. Maybe it was Katherine?
Romeo shrugged. "Dunno. They all blend together after a while. She looks like all the others though." Jack knew he wasn't talking about her appearance, rather her personality. The girls who hung around the Newsies, and Jack in particular, all had a similar, giggly behavior. Falling all over the boys to talk and flirt, never saying anything that could have come from someone with more than three brain cells.
Jack waved his hand dismissively. "I'll be out in a bit. Thanks, Romeo."
Romeo tipped his hat theatrically and was gone.
Jack sat back down in the chair, leaning back and closing his eyes. How could he communicate how important the letter receiver was to him?
He thought about Romeo's use of the phrase 'like all the others'. Jack would have been hurt, but he realized that Romeo was right. All of Jack's previous girls had been like that, ditzy and slightly clueless. Hell, he had come to expect that from himself and them. Jack never would have thought that he would end up falling for someone who...
That was it! Jack dug out his letter and jotted down a few more lines.
I would never have planned on falling for someone like you. You and I- we's just so different. You come from a life with parents and a home, and I never had nothing like that. But, I still did. I still fell for you.
He studied the letter for a moment, before adding one final note:
No, I never planned on someone like you.
He folded up the letter, standing and joining the other newsies out front, just outside the lodging house. The boys and their girls of the week were crowded around a complicated game of Race's invention; he called it Poor Man's Poker. Romeo stood on the outskirts of the group with Elmer and Albert, all watching the game intently. Albert chewed on the end of a cigar, no doubt one stolen off of Race.
Jack approached the boys. "Hey fellas, one a you mind dropping this off for me?" Elmer and Albert shrugged, clearly not inclined to leave anytime soon. Jack turned to Romeo.
Romeo stepped forward and took the letter, turning it over in his hands. "Yeah, sure, Jack. Who's it for? A pretty girl?" He elbowed Jack in the ribs playfully.
"Nah, Romeo, the goils are waiting for you" Jack joked. He pointed over Romeo's shoulder, Romeo waving at the girls behind him and making him blush.
"Well, then who do I give this too then, Jack?" Romeo asked.
It was Jack's turn to blush. "This ones for Davey."
A/N:
Some good old Javey for you guys!
Sorry if the accents are off, it really bothers me to write the words like how they're supposed to be pronounced so I cut a lot of it for my own sanities sake.
The other day I was thinking about how if Javey was canon, so much of I Never Planned On You would fit perfectly. Therefore, this oneshot was born!
I kinda tried to make it ambiguous as to who he was referring to until the end (cut to me frantically googling pictures of Ben Fankhauser and Kara Lindsay to make sure their eye color was the same), so did it work? (I mean, did you think it was Katherine initially?)
As always, thanks for reading!
(Sunday, April 8, 2018 6:41pm PST)
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Miscellaneous Musical Oneshots
Fanfiction*requests open* One shots! Musicals likely to be included would be Les Mis, Rent, Tuck Everlasting, Once on this island, waitress, and probably more.
