#jac writes

The handprint is still there when he lies in bed that night.

this fic is so dear to me i know it was a one shot and probably just a quick little thing but i adore it and didn’t know how much i needed the message of it. it would be nice i think to see a followup on how love doesn’t necessarily cure all but of jack learning how to be there and davey learning how to let him if that makes any sense?

but even if this is forever a standalone, thank you so much for writing it

oh my gosh this is so sweet!! honestly i never thought about making a sequel to this fic, but it’s genuinely one of my favorites. i don’t think i’ll ever write more for it, but here’s some tidbits i’ve thought about!

even though they have that first kiss, they don’t really tell anyone they’re together. honestly, things don’t really change much— they were always touching in one way or another as friends, their souls are basically sewn together regardless, and they just… are. they just let themselves be.

they don’t put a label on it. they know they’re exclusive, but something about boyfriend is underwhelming and yet too much, and that’s okay. they’re best friends who kiss a little and go on dates and that’s that. (of course, a few months in- maybe when davey feels more sure of himself- they decide they’re boyfriends, but they don’t mind living in the in-between for a bit.)

sometimes davey doesn’t text jack and that can be sort of worrisome. they come up with a system, a certain phrase or emoji, that davey can text jack with to let him know that it’s one of those days— one of those days where he feels like he’s carrying brick in his chest, one of those days where even scrolling on his phone is too much movement, one of those days where he feels submerged in six feet of packed dirt even though he’s in a comfortable bed in a comfortable room. jack knows that on those days, the spare key is under the mat, and david’s bed is open. jack knows he can hold david as he rests and wash his hair when he can’t bring himself to do it.

like you said in the ask, jack wouldn’t cure him- but i do think that jack would be one of a few catalysts in david’s decision to start therapy, or medication, or both. i think that this david sees himself as flawed because of it— he had a good childhood, he had great educational experiences, he has a good job, so why does he feel so shitty? as one bitch with major depressive disorder to another, it can be SO hard to deal with when you can’t justify why you’re depressed. jack wouldn’t need davey to have a reason. he’ll meet david where he’s at, and that support helps david decide that he doesn’t have to deal with this alone.

i also think that the relationship would be good for jack. jack is impulsive, and excitable, and much more hyper than david— i feel like they both even each other out on good days. david helps jack realize that taking things slow and living in the moment is a good thing, and jack helps david get out of his shell more and realize that spontaneity isn’t always terrifying.

okay. here’s what i think longterm:

i think that they’d be together for a few months before david would have another really bad episode, and he would be convinced that they should cut it off, or at least take a break.

jack understands, and they break things off— but jack is still there. jack checks in on david every day, jack comes by and makes dinner, or brings takeout, or david’s favorite snacks, jack makes sure that david isn’t isolating himself to an unhealthy degree. regardless of if they’re together or not, david is his best friend.

they’re “off” for about a month and a half before david feels like he’s in a good space again, so they get back together. really, they were never “broken up”— they just took the label off, and kissed a little less, and that was enough. they don’t ever break up again, and david learns how to mitigate the bad swings.

they actually play the long game for a while. they date for six, seven, eight years— by this point, they live together and have a cat together, and they’re both successful in their own career fields. it just makes sense to slide into marriage. they get rings from a thrift store and have a courthouse marriage (crutchie, medda, and the jacobs fam are their witnesses), and things are good.

davey still has days where he can barely make it to the kitchen. jack still has days where he feels like a livewire is burning him from the inside out. but they know how to manage now, and know each other enough to help each other through it.

if you know me, you know i love exploring mental health and relationship effects in fics— and i really love doing that with them! these guys mean the world to me.

LMFAO PLEASE THATS SO GOOD

just for this, have a snippet of Chapter 4:

There’s a non-zero chance that Jack will be reprimanded for this if it’s found out that he’s lying.

His thumb hovers over the little send arrow on his screen like an idiot, because he can’t get himself to press down on the message. Canceling seems like a dick move, and canceling over text feels a little like a cardinal sin, but—

He sends it. Tosses his phone to the edge of the bed and walks a lap around the room.

Hey, Kenley. Sorry to pull out last second, but I feel sick today so I won’t be going to the date party tonight. Im sorry :(

Summary:

“I get out of class at 5:30 on Wednesday,” David says, looking at the planner section of his notebook. “Do you wanna meet at 6 in the library, then? Figure everything out?”

Jack nods. “Yeah, sure. We can, uh, maybe bring some ideas. For the debate, or whatever.”

“Or whatever,” David repeats, giving Jack an unimpressed look. His head tilts just slightly to the left, and Jack watches David’s gaze look him up and down, like he’s sizing him up. Like he’s looking for his next meal, and Jack is the sorry piece of shit in his way. “Text me. I’ll see you on Wednesday.”

---

Jack and David live in different worlds. Frat parties and gay bars, chapter meetings and drag queens, beer pong and passenger-seat weed- they're a match doomed to fail, and they're waiting for the wreckage.

But maybe they're more similar than they seem. Maybe they just need some time to figure it out.

Maybe it comes down to decisions and choices, masks and veils, and how to straddle the line between them.

Author's Note:

HIIIIIII I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS!! happy pride and please accept this little love letter to the queers, the freaks, and the fags <3 may you have a safe and happy pride month!

if you enjoy this, please comment and let me know!! this au has been rotting my brain for weeks and i'm so excited to share with you all!

enjoy!!

Make the Leap (3.2k)

Hat Trick (1.0k)

Summary:

Fresh. That’s the word that he keeps coming back to. Growing up in the city, he’s never had access to this kind of environment– fresh air and quiet, trees everywhere, dense wood all around. It’s lovely, but David really hasn’t had the chance to explore it.

Something tugs in his chest, and whispers in the back of his mind: You have time now. Why not?

Seventeen minutes later, dressed in jeans and converse, wearing a blue and black flannel, with nothing but a backpack full of four plastic water bottles and a whole box of granola bars, David crosses the treeline in his own backyard and walks into the woods. - David Jacobs doesn't know who he is. He wants to find out.

Jack Kelly knows exactly who he is. Maybe he doesn't want to.

After a lifetime of feeling stagnant, Jack and David search for the answers.

---

Author's Note:

this baby is not finished but BOY is it fun! i have had so much fun writing this for the @newsiesminibang24 <33 please go check out the blog and see all of the AMAZING writing and art that has been created this far, and look out for a treat from Rizz ( @jack-kellys ) later today!! also pls comment/send asks/etc about this bc i have SOOOO many thoughts. i love putting davey in situations <33