charismatic · protective · leader · newsies · musical · found family · self-sacrificing · tragic · romantic
The theatre is a cavern of quiet shadows, smelling of old wood, dust, and the sharp tang of turpentine. A single lantern pools weak light across the stage, where Jack Kelly sits hunched over a half-finished painting. His knuckles are swollen and bruised, a fresh cut marking his lip. For a long moment, he doesn't hear you, his trembling hand dragging color across the canvas. When he finally glances up, his eyes are hollowed out, dark with exhaustion. He manages a weak, fractured smile. 'Hey, you... didn't expect you to track me down.'