Chapter Text
"So, did you get the email?"
Davey has just arrived back from his night class, which he despises— who the hell puts a two hour biochemistry lecture at 7pm?— and he drops his backpack on the floor, cringing at the thud his laptop makes when it hits the ground.
Jack hasn't moved since Davey left for class, still hunched over some painting he's been working on, but he looks up, startled, and pulls an earbud out.
"What email? I haven't checked my phone in like an hour. What happened?"
Davey groans as he throws himself onto his bed, which is only a couple of steps from the door in their tiny dorm.
"They're evacuating the whole campus because of the fucking coronavirus." He grabs a pillow and tosses it in the air, catching it against his chest. "They want us out of our dorms by Sunday."
While the news is disappointing and inconvenient— college is fun and Davey would quite like to finish the semester the way he planned— he hadn't really expected Jack to... panic.
"Wait, what?" Jack rips his headphones out and turns to face Davey. "They're kicking us out?"
Davey shrugs, still laying on his back and hugging a pillow.
"To like... limit the spread, or whatever. Apparently this virus doesn't fuck around. They're sending us all home, and we have to do online classes to finish the term."
Jack is silent for a long moment, which is concerning enough that Davey eventually sits up to see what's going on. He can practically see the gears turning in Jack's head as he stares at the floor, clearly trying to think something through.
"Are you okay?"
There's no response for a moment, but then Jack takes a deep breath and shakes his head.
"Where am I supposed to go?" he asks, incredulously. "They can't just send us home— some of us don't have anywhere else to live!"
Davey... hadn't really considered that. He'd been a little annoyed at the prospect of moving back in with his parents in small-town upstate New York, but for Jack, this is more than just that. He'd aged out of foster care when he turned eighteen in October, so he's really and truly on his own. Living on campus with a scholarship and financial aid is all he has.
"You could call Medda?" offers Davey. "I mean, sure you're not technically her kid anymore, but she's such a great lady. From what you've told me, it sounds like she really cares. I'm sure she'd let you come back."
Jack bites his lip nervously and picks his phone up from where it had been sitting on his desk.
"I don't wanna intrude, though," he sighs. "She's brought in two more kids since I left, she's got a full house. I'd feel bad asking her to make room for me."
Davey hums in thought. That's fair, he supposes. Jack had grown up with four younger foster siblings and now two more are added to the mix? Medda certainly keeps herself busy.
"I think they could make exceptions about staying here— like if you talk to someone in charge about it, they might be keeping some of the dorms open. I mean, I'm sure international students can't just leave. They'll have to let some people stay."
Jack sighs. The idea of staying behind in a near-empty dorm building is entirely unappealing, Davey knows, but it's looking like it might be the only option. Not only that, but not being able to see each other is going to suck. If only there was a way to... wait.
"Come home with me!" Davey bounces right up off the bed in excitement as the realization strikes him. "We have plenty of room!"
Well, that's a slight exaggeration— there's a good chance Sarah will come home too, so that means including Jack, there'd be six of them crammed together. But that's not too bad, they've got a decent little house in a nice little town, and though there's no real guest bedroom, there is a couch in the basement that folds out and converts to a bed, so it should be fine, Davey's sure.
"I couldn't," says Jack, though he can't help but laugh at how excited Davey has gotten. "No, don't jump up and down! David! I'm not— I wouldn't feel right intruding on your family, I can't— put that phone down! You're calling your mom aren't you!?"
Davey bats Jack's hands away as he dials his parents' home phone number. That's it, he's got his mind set on this. He jumps back onto his bed and uses his legs to defend himself from Jack's attack.
"You're too polite," giggles Davey, before pressing the call button. "It's fine. My parents will love you, you're not intruding! It'll be fun!"
"Davey!" groans Jack, but he gives up and sits down on his own bed. "You're ridiculous."
"Mama! Hi! I miss you!" Davey presses his phone to his ear and sticks his tongue out at Jack. "So you're never gonna believe this..."
A remarkably short phone call later, Davey has secured the couch-bed for Jack to stay for a while. They'd planned to get a place in the city together with some roommates at the end of the semester anyways, so maybe if things have cleared up by then, they can still make it work. For the time being, this shouldn't be too bad.
"David..." says Jack, as soon as the call is over, and there's something about his amused tone that makes Davey feel like he's going to be made fun of. "So I'm insanely grateful for your offer and all, but I have to ask... did I just get friend-zoned?"
Davey instantly pales. Shit. He hadn't thought this plan through.
It's an instinct by now to refer to Jack as a friend when he's talking to to his parents. He'd gone through that whole phone call without even realizing— Jack is certainly not his friend. That's a label they haven't used in a long time.
"Oh no," groans Davey, dropping his phone on his sheets and rolling over to hide his face in a pillow. "I'm not out to my family yet."
"What?"
Davey rolls back over, flopping an arm dramatically across his eyes.
"I know it's bad," he sighs. "I was really gonna do it over winter break, but—"
"No, I actually didn't hear you," says Jack, climbing off his own bed to come lay on top of Davey. "What's the matter?"
Davey sighs heavily as he realizes just how much of a mess they've gotten themselves into.
"My family doesn't know I'm gay."
-
They deliberate as they start to pack their stuff.
"We can pull this off," says Jack, way too confidently. "Just a couple of guys being dudes. I still have that Saturdays Are For The Boys flag that Spot gave me— we can hang it up in your room and you'll be a totally convincing straight boy!"
Davey isn't so sure. He's grown a lot more confident in his identity since leaving for college, and he has to admit that he's become a bit... limp-wristed, if you will. He's not exactly subtle anymore. From his mannerisms to how he dresses— he's fairly certain Sarah figured it out over winter break, but she hasn't said anything yet.
It's not that he thinks his family would react particularly badly to his sexuality, it's just that his parents are rather old-fashioned and might not be very happy about it. He knows he's not going to be disowned or anything, and he's thankful for that, he's just irrationally scared of the awkwardness and tension that might come with them knowing, as well as the potential for them to take it worse than he'd expected.
"Guys being dudes," Davey echoes, like he's trying to manifest that energy. "This is fine."
Sensing how stressed Davey is, Jack quickly changes the topic.
"Maybe we should drink some of our alcohol so we don't have to pack it," he offers, opening the drawer that they'd craftily installed a false bottom in to hide their liquor stash from RAs. "I think there's a couple cans of Sprite in the mini fridge, and we've got half a bottle of vodka in here we could mix it with. There's also Fireball and a little thing of rum— take your pick."
Davey laughs as he tries to organize his physiology notes to make all his homework fit in his backpack.
"Let's use up that vodka. Fuck it, party time."
"Hell yeah!" laughs Jack, pulling the vodka out and holding it above his head. "Last night at college, baby!"
-
They're spectacularly hungover the next morning.
They don't normally share a bed— these tiny twin beds are bit too small to get comfortable together— but Davey wakes up to the weight of Jack laying on his chest, still passed out. His head is pounding and the sunlight at the window is burning his eyes, but the fun last night was worth the pain he's in now.
What had started as sharing a couple drinks as they packed had turned into a full-blown party in the halls as the rest of their floor seemed to have the same idea. The RAs had even joined in, since it's not like anyone can get in trouble for partying when they all have to leave within a couple of days anyways. Davey had blacked out, which isn't something he usually does, but the stress of having to go home and climb back into the closet had really gotten to him.
He vaguely remembers giving Jack a lap dance while Race and Crutchie cheered him on— he really shouldn't drink like that if he's going to get so embarrassing. At least it was fun, though, and they won't be back here until the fall, so he doesn't have to show his face for a while.
Jack is snoring away, his trusty snapback somehow still balanced on his head, and Davey can't help rubbing his hands up and down his sleeping boyfriend's bare back.
He has no idea how they're going to pretend they're not in a relationship. They're incredibly codependent and in the typical fashion of a couple of eighteen year-olds, they can't keep their hands off each other. This is basically mission-fucking-impossible, but what choice do they have? Davey is not about to come out anytime soon, but Jack needs somewhere to live, so they have to pull this off.
It'll be fine.
-
Once they've both popped some Tylenol and had their last dining hall breakfast, they get right back to work packing so that maybe they can leave tonight.
"You know, I think I'm gonna miss this place," states Jack, standing in the middle of the room with his hands on his hips. "We had some good times here."
Davey rolls his eyes.
"I think I'll be happy to live somewhere that I don't have to wear shoes in the shower. I had fun here, but I can officially say that dorm life is not my thing."
Ignoring him, Jack sighs wistfully as he crouches down to pat the little safe under his desk.
"Thanks for hiding our drugs and fake IDs, little buddy. You did a good job." He turns and pats the carpeted floor. "Thanks for being so ugly and old that you can't even tell where I've puked. You did me a solid."
"You're an idiot," laughs Davey as he folds his clothes into cardboard boxes.
"Your idiot."
And Jack is grinning up at him with that stupid adorable smile, so Davey just has to sit down on his bed and smile right back.
"Wanna make out on a twin bed one more time, for old times' sake?"
Jack practically jumps up to join him.
"I thought you'd never ask."
If they don't end up finishing their packing until well after they'd planned to, it doesn't really matter. They load up Jack's little old car just after dinnertime and start the drive out to Davey's family home.
Friends. They're going to be very good friends. Nothing could go wrong.