AN: I was not going to write this now but it's almost 2 AM and I'm awake trying to figure out school while simultaneously watching Newsies so I figured why not (can you tell I am tired)
Katherine woke up to the sharp sound of a knock on her window and sat straight up in bed, looking around for a moment until she spotted a dark figure crouching on the fire escape outside her window, and she let out a sigh of relief. Jack was the only one who ever used her fire escape, though it was a little worrisome that he was here in the middle of the night. She pulled back the covers and stood up, crossing the room to the window and opening it.
Jack looked distressed, and even more so when he saw her tired expression. "I woke you."
"Jack, what's going on?"
He shook his head. "No, it's fine. Didn't think it was this late. I'll leave you alone."
He turned to go, and Katherine grabbed his wrist. "Jack. What's wrong?"
Jack searched her expression for a sign that she was being genuine, and sighed. "It... I can't sleep Ace, I'm going crazy."
"What - "
"It's like everything's closing in on me."
Katherine stared at him. "What do you mean?"
"I've gotta get out of here. This city, I need to... I can't even see the stars here, what kinda city is so damn polluted you can't even see the stars?" She didn't know how to reply, and he continued. "Listen, you said you'd be with me wherever I go, yeah?"
She nodded. "Yes."
"Then... run away with me, let's leave. Let's go out to Santa Fe, where we can see the sky and the stars, breathe in fresh air. Please?"
Katherine's mind was racing as she looked at him. She could tell that, at least in this instance, he was being completely serious. But she also knew that if they left to get on a train right now, he would regret it later. But she couldn't just leave him to himself either.
"We can't go to Santa Fe, Jack."
"Ace, please - "
She held up a hand to stop him. "I'm not done. I will run away with you tonight. Just not to somewhere as far away as New Mexico. And just for the night."
"You ain't making sense, Kath."
"I am. Trust me. Let me get dressed, and I'll meet you down there?"
"I - "
She gave him a firm look. "Jack. I love you, but I refuse to change clothes with you standing on my fire escape. I promise I will meet you outside."
He seemed immensely confused and very stressed, but he needed. "Okay."
oOo
About ten minutes later, Katherine exited her building to find Jack pacing up and down the sidewalk, his cap clutched tightly in his hands.
"Hey."
You'd think that she'd yelled at him by the way he jumped in surprise, sighing once he saw her, and placing his head back on his head.
"Ace, what're we doing?" He didn't sound curious, but instead seemed incredibly concerned.
She took his hand in hers and started walking as she spoke. "You've never been to Central Park, have you?"
He shook his head. "Never had a reason to, it's all the way across town. Why?"
"Good. That's where we're going."
"What? Katherine, it's past midnight."
"You wanted to go to Santa Fe past midnight, I don't think this is that big of a stretch."
He fell silent at that, but she could feel his grip on her hand grow just a little tighter.
It was a fairly long walk, and they made the majority of it in silence, but eventually they not only made it to the park, but to the exact spot Katherine was thinking off - and it was somewhat remarkable that she found it, considering that she didn't exactly frequent Central Park.
"Here we are." She came to a stop, and Jack stopped with her, looking at her.
"What're we doing here?" He had a half smile on his face, which told her that he'd calmed down slightly, but not enough to completely trust this.
"Look around."
So he did. They were standing in an open grassy field surrounded by trees.
"Clean, green, and pretty." He muttered to himself, infatuated by this sight.
He was jolted out of his thoughts very suddenly has Katherine sat down on the grass, tugging his arm and bringing him down with her. He let out a noise of surprise that was somewhere in between a laugh and a protest. Though, once he was on the ground, he realized he couldn't remember the last time he'd felt real grass.
"Lay down." Katherine advised as she did so, and he complied, staring at her. She looked beautiful in the moonlight, he thought. She grinned as she caught him watching her. "Why are you looking at me?" She asked him quietly.
"You're beautiful."
She shoved his shoulder with hers playfully. "You should be looking at the sky."
He reluctantly tore his gaze away from her and looked up at the sky had to hold in a gasp, his fingers, still intertwined with Katherine's tightening their grip in surprise. There were stars in the sky, and he could see them.
"This is the only place I've found that you can see them here."
"They're real?" Jack murmured, knowing it was stupid, but not caring as he stared up at something he never thought he'd see.
"They are." He could hear the smile in Katherine's voice.
Jack couldn't look away, but at the same time he thought of this girl laying next to him, who had brought him here because she thought it would help him, and had no idea how much it did. The sky wasn't closing in on him anymore. Instead, it was vast and open and infinite. And for the moment, Jack was free.
On an impulse he rolled over so that he was on top of Katherine - while something in the back of his mind hoped no stranger saw this happening, he didn't really care - and gave her a kiss full of desperation and gratitude, which she quickly melted into, wrapping her arms around his neck.
He pulled away, their faces inches away from each other, but for once he wasn't thinking about anything except for how beautiful she is.
"Can we stay here?" He asked, nearly begged.
"For the night." She assured him. "If anyone catches us, I can use my Father to get us out of it."
"I love you." This was all he had to say in response, lowering himself back onto the grass beside her and wrapping an arm around her waist, burying his face in her hair. "I love you, and I love the stars. Thanks, Ace."
She rubbed his arm gently, enjoying this closeness more than it would be proper to admit to anyone but herself and Jack. "I love you too, Jack Kelly. Don't you ever forget that."
