#dally darry pony and johnny are all easy and immediate

[purecommemasolitude]

While we’re on the topic of me and knowing things about the outsiders I still haven’t watched the movie and trying to understand memes using the cast’s pictures for the first week or so of getting back into the story had me in the TRENCHES I didn’t know who anyone was. It took me like five “the outsiders as text posts” to understand that they hadn’t kept soda as blond

[callme-holly]

𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 [𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐱 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫]

𝐚/𝐧: this is a p2 to this fic here but it can also be read as a stand-alone. i'll tag those who requested it at the end :)

The living room was deathly quiet, the tension hanging over the room so thick that it almost made it hard to breathe, or maybe that was just the anxiety building in your chest with each passing second.

Dallas sat beside you, lounging back against the couch casually, his arms slung over the back of the cushions, and it frustrated you how he could act so cool when you had your brothers glaring at you with heated expressions. 

None of them had spoken a word, not since Darry had finished chewing your ear off, and that was about five minutes ago. Now they were just waiting on your answer, waiting for a good and reasonable explanation for why the hell you were hanging around someone like Dally.

Pony was looking everywhere but at you, and you noted with a slight sense of satisfaction that there was something akin to guilt shining in his eyes. It was him who had snitched and told everyone, him who had tattled on you and gotten your name straight into Darry's bad books, right alongside your boyfriend's.

Dallas shifted beside you, letting out a long breath, drumming his fingers against his denim-clad thigh in a momentary rhythm before going to stand.

"Well, as social as this had been, I got places to be, man." But before he can even think about heading towards the door, Darry has advanced towards him, standing in his way and crossing his arms.

"Sit down, Winston." The look in his eyes sends a shiver through you, and there really is no arguing with him. Dallas might be tough, but Darry was ten times bigger and, in your opinion, a whole lot scarier. 

He sits back down slowly, his arm returning to its spot on the back of the couch, and you find yourself leaning into him slightly, earning a strange look from Sodapop. 

"So, let me get this straight—" You watch Pony tense up as Darry goes on, "You were in Dal's car; you both got caught in a more than questionable position by Johnny and your own brother," he narrows his eyes at you, "and you're trying to tell us you didn't do anything wrong?" You shrink back into Dallas slightly, shrugging halfheartedly.

"It was only kissing." You argue quietly, and Darry scoffs, shaking his head.

"Just kissing, huh? You think that's my issue? My issue is, you told me you were out with friends, kiddo, and now I find out you were with your damn boyfriend, who is also Dallas Winston!" Your stomach sinks, and you look everywhere but at him as Dallas clears his throat.

"What are you so worked up for, Darrel, huh? You'd rather her be with some random soc who isn't going to treat her right?" 

Your cheeks heat up, and you elbow him sharply, effectively silencing him and stopping him from digging you both a deeper grave. Darry's eyes darken.

"And what makes you think you're any good for her?" He asks coldly, and that catches your attention, your head snapping up sharply.

Anger floods your veins, and you suddenly sit up straighter, a defiant look flashing in your eyes.

"Will you stop acting like you know every little thing about us?" You snap, and his expression falls away immediately, morphing into one of surprise. "Dallas treats me just fine. I don't need you pretending you know what's good for me!" You push yourself up from the couch in one harsh movement, ignoring the shouts of all three of your brothers as you storm off to your bedroom, slamming the door shut behind you.

Darry watches you go with a guarded expression, his eyes dark, and after a few brief moments, he turns back to Dallas, eyeing him warily, though something in his face has shifted.

"Don't make me regret this," he mumbles, shaking his head slowly.

Dallas gives him a simple, easy grin. "I wouldn't dream of it, Curtis." And with that, he stands and follows after you, down the hall and towards your room.

The sound of the door opening and closing cuts through the quiet, and Sodapop sighs softly, sitting down in the armchair.

"We tried." He mutters, resting his chin against his hands.

Darry nods, his gaze fixed on the closed door of your bedroom. "They're impossible."

And, yeah, maybe he's right. 

[tags: @goingdelux18, @creepzyxcute333]

[groversimp]

HIIII I LOVE YOUR WORK!!! I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD DO DALLAS WINSTON X READER? LIKE SHES A POPULAR SOC AND SHES ON THE VOLLEYBALL TEAM AND WHEN EVERYONE HEARD ABOUT THEM THEY WENT INSANE BUT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP? ALSO CAN IT BE SWEET DALLY PLEASEEE IF YOU COULD🩷🩷MAYBE EVEN HEADCANNONS?🩷

They Don’t Know About Us

ugh I love dally!! my glorious king

wrote this instead of socializing at a party, this is peak loser behavior 😕

short fic + headcanons at the end!!

˚₊•┈┈┈┈୨୧┈┈┈┈•‧˚₊•┈┈┈┈୨୧┈┈┈┈•‧˚₊•

It was hard to ignore your friends as they crowd you at your vanity, their eyes as wide as teacup saucer’s. You gave a smile, laced with faux-innocence and secrets, touching up your lipgloss prettily.

They all hush out little comments, small questions. None of them naming Dally, like he’ll appear if they utter his name too much. You bite back a giggle at the thought.

“But isn’t he,” your friend pauses, searching for a polite word, “brutish?”

You hum in response, mind fuzzy as you reflect back on your night prior.

Sat on the uncomfortable mattress, back against Dally’s wall, you hum against his lips. The kiss feels like flying— passionate and hungry and all things Dally. Your hands slide over his chest, up to rest on either side of his neck. His breath falters as he pulls away for just a moment. You’d have to leave soon, you have an early-morning practice the next day and you promised your girls you’d go to the drive-in afterschool. But, oh, how could you leave now?

His hair is messy, eyes intense and hazy. You grin at him, pushing his hair back with one hand as he shakes his head.

“I can’t let you do it, doll.” Dally murmurs, leaning in closer. You raise an eyebrow in response, “do what, hun?”

His eyes are set on your lips, hands scrunching into the soft fabric of your blouse. “Go.”

You laugh, breathily and happily. Here, with him, you were free.

His lips are back on yours almost immediately, swallowing your sweet giggles and pressing you against the wall carefully. Dally’s hands trail from your waist over your back, then back again. Like all he could do was breathe you in.

Yeah, you decided, you could stay a little longer.

“No.” You answer your friend simply, voice gentle as you puff your hair in the mirror. “You’d like him.”

Your friends scoff in reply.

˚₊•┈┈┈┈୨୧┈┈┈┈•‧˚₊•┈┈┈┈୨୧┈┈┈┈•‧˚₊•

Headcanons:

this man LIVES for you (looking past canon material ofcofc 😕)

like the others are so tired of hearing about you.

nonstop murmurings about “his girl”

he holds you like he needs you to breathe, as natural as his heart beating

he can’t picture a future where you’re not tucked against his side, all pretty and perfect

he offers you his cigarettes bc he’s dally, but laughs at you when you accept and can’t smoke

the second you start coughing, a tease is thrown your way.

he doesn’t let you smoke after that

to save you, honestly, you looked stupid coughing like that:(

the gang likes you!!

you spend a lot of time with johnny n pony, so they think you’re really sweet.

darry sighed like an exasperated dad when dally told him he was dating you. poor darry thought he was gonna corrupt you!

two-bit and steve tease him about going soft, saying he’s “lost his edge”

soda is just grateful you’re so sweet to them. he likes that you’re easy to talk to, too.

you and soda gossip together about all the soc girls that hit on him

dally tried to take you to one of buck’s parties!! the second you got offered a beer you were uncomfortable, so he just walked you home instead

your parents haven’t met him yet obviously but the whole school gossips about you two

they js don’t understand!!

˚₊•┈┈┈┈୨୧┈┈┈┈•‧˚₊•┈┈┈┈୨୧┈┈┈┈•‧˚₊•

[winstonsns]

could you do a gang(separate) with reader who’s like a transfer student or smth and dosent speak English fluently? They could like help her or smth idkkkkk but yeah🎀💕

the gang with transfer student!reader (request)

authors note: my throat fucking hurts. sorry this is short, i hope you enjoy 💗

includes ponyboy, johnny, soda, darry, dally, two-bit and steve

word count: 1.4k

warnings: cussing, dally’s a bit of a dick

PONYBOY CURTIS

ponyboy’s top of his classes so he knows a lot, especially in english

because the two of you go to the same school, you guys have a lot more time together

he’ll always help you feel ready for a presentation and makes sure all your words are spelled correctly and you pronounce them right

same with when you’re called on to read, if you can’t pronounce a word then he’ll whisper in your ear and tell you, the both of you normally sit together

sometimes you’ll go over to his house or he’ll go over to yours, he assists you by studying with you

once he went over to your house, you had a vanity in your room but didn’t know what it was called, he asked you, “well what’s something that reminds you of it? of the vanity?”

you replied, “um… sticky notes because i have them on my mirror?” so he told you to connect the words ‘sticky notes’ so you could remember the word ‘vanity’

he’ll also read to you so you can learn more words and pronunciations, you also become entertained while you’re learning so it’s nice for the both of you

JOHNNY CADE

sometimes johnny goes to school with you so the both of you can learn together

he has a lot of patience so learning with him is easy, he’d make up around five words for you to pronounce and know the definition of every day

the two of you would review those words too, and because you were learning a whole new language, he decided to learn a new language too, yours

he knew what it was like to get frustrated over not being able to understand something, so the both of you taught one another your languages

you or johnny would point at a random object and the other would say it in both languages, it was a fun way to learn since it wasn’t one sided

when the two of you could have full on conversations in one another’s languages, the both of you were ecstatic

johnny even taught pony and the gang some words from your native language because he thought it was cool

SODAPOP CURTIS

man, you guys are learning english together because soda doesn’t really have a super wide vocabulary, he wasn’t that good in school

but he’ll teach you the basic words and their meanings, clothings, paintings, items, etc

he thinks it’s so attractive when you speak your native language or talk to him that way, he’ll get all blushy and smiley

his patience is actually pretty high and he’ll make you feel better if you feel bad about not knowing english that well

it doesn’t cause much of a problem in your guys relationship, it probably brings you two closer if anything

he loves it when you come to him to ask about words or what something’s called if it has certain characteristics

since you’re in school and he’s not, if you have to write an essay or presentation, he’ll give you synonyms so you won’t repeat the same words over and over

lord knows he got shitty grades because he used the same two words throughout his essay when describing something

DARRY CURTIS

he stays really patient with you because you can always learn more english, it’s not a one time thing when if you mess a word up then its messed up forever

so he helps you, since he was really smart and was good in school, he knew a very large range of vocabulary

you could ask him about a word and he’d immediately know the definition, sometimes asking you “verb or noun?” because he just knew so much

since he’s an old ass man he’ll show you magazines and newspapers, sometimes pointing to a random word, in which you tell him what it means, basically like a memory game

he teaches you a lot about grammar since most people don’t know how to use it correctly, he also teaches you how to use the correct ‘write, right’ ‘knight, night,’ ‘where, wear’ ‘here, hear’ ‘there, their, they’re’ basically homophones

darry really just wants you to have the best in life so he’ll teach you the most

DALLAS WINSTON

if we’re being realistic here, dally would bully the shit out of you

he is honest as hell and will not feel shameful or bad that he’s being rude to you for not understanding english as well as him

but he helps you learn new words and phrases, sometimes teasing you about it and giving you the wrong answers

he later tells you the truth though if you embarrass yourself by using it wrong

“dal… um, i heard some people talking about ‘left handed?’ what does that mean?” you would ask, him replying with, “means you only use your left hand, like your other is paralyzed or broken.”

sometimes he’ll randomly ask you, “what’s that?” and point at something, basically quizzing you so you can remember what is what

dally also helps you pronounce words, when you came home from school one day, you asked him how to say “pacific ocean” because all the c’s were pronounced differently, you were rightfully confused

however, if anyone else makes fun of you, he’ll get all pissed off at them and beat the shit out of them

if you start feeling guilty for not knowing words after he makes fun of you a bit, he’ll try not to as much and will focus more on teaching you words

he won’t love you any less if you struggle with english, he loves hearing you talk in your native language

you even teach him some words and phrases in your language, he complains, “that’s too hard to learn, doll, how many languages do you know?”

little do you know he’s actually impressed and would speak your language every day if he understood as well as you did

TWO-BIT MATTHEWS

two-bit is actually very sweet about you not knowing english as well as him

sometimes, he’ll help you by watching television with you, whether it’s a movie or a series

he’s occasionally a little mean about it, laughing when you say something wrong, he corrects you after though

he’s lazy as hell though so you don’t learn much from him, but if you teach him about your language then he’ll pay attention

if you’re doing a presentation of some sort soon for school, he’ll make flash cards before and help you remember how to pronounce words and what they mean

also when in public, if both of you are in a restaurant or getting fast food, he’ll help you order what you want while you know of what the ingredients are

because he is helping you learn english, it doesn’t cause much of a problem in your relationship

also, you know that trend where it’s like ‘telling the transfer student that scooby doo is a bad word and to yell it’ that’s you guys

STEVE RANDLE

steve’s actually pretty smart so he gave you detailed descriptions of what some words meant

so when you asked what a dresser was when you were just learning, instead of pointing at it and leaving it be, he told you, “basically furniture with a lot of drawers that holds mostly clothes, it can hold other things too though.”

he also tells you more than you need to know, he talks to you about cars and all its parts even though you don’t know what they are

so he explains to you what they are and how they work, what they do and where they are in the car

steve really enjoys learning about how things work, so he’ll tell you about that too when you ask about a word or its pronunciation

also teaches you about metaphors and all that stuff, if you’re not good with sarcasm then he’ll help you know when someone is or is not being sarcastic

he also tells you that there’s a ‘shit ton of stupid rules in the english language’ and things are ‘weirdly fucking hard to pronounce’ so it’s fine to not get words right the first time

authors note: happy father’s day 🎀

[made-my-peace-with-all-the-bad]

Thinking Darrel Curtis on his birthday. How he feels so much guilt for what happened that day. How it probably makes him nauseous to even think about cake and frosting.

How he probably wakes up and tries to pretend to skip the day. He tried to convince his brothers that he could go to work, but they didn’t let him. Hell, Soda had even called his boss to ask for a day off for Darrel. And so there he was, freshly 21, lying in his bed in the room that used to be his parents. How the fuck was he supposed to be expected to celebrate today? After all, a year ago today, his cake had gotten his parents killed. It wasn’t until he could smell cooking from the kitchen that he’d forced himself to get up, fearful that Soda was making breakfast some horrific color. He forced himself to go to their small bathroom and get cleaned up. So he’d turned on the shower and stepped in. Part of him knew that the reason he did that was so he could let tears slip out without being seen or heard. But he couldn’t stay forever. Duty called. It was a Friday, so he had to drive Pony to school. He couldn’t hide away forever. So he shut off the shower, dried off, looked in the mirror to make himself presentable, and took a deep breath before opening the door.

In the kitchen, he was met with the sight of Soda making eggs, thankfully normally colored, and Pony making bacon. He’d walked in and paused in the hallway to watch them. He watched the way they moved perfectly in sync, like they knew what the other was doing. His parents had moved like that too. Fuck, now he was going to start tearing up again. But he couldn’t do that, he needed to go in and play his role. So he carded a hand through his wet hair and walked in to the kitchen. Immediately, Pony and Soda’s heads were turning to face the body that had caused the floorboards to creak. And god, they looked a mess too. Soda’s eyes were red and raw from crying, and Ponyboy was shakier than normal. And Darry had paused as he recognized this. Then, he was pulling them into an aggressive hug. Holding them so tight they could hardly breathe, but they needed that grounding hug so badly. They needed their big brother to tell them it was ok. Today was going to be hard for them. Maybe they’d sit down to eat and wish Darry a happy birthday, but that wouldn’t make today any easier. Because one year ago today, their lives had been shattered. That wasn’t ever going to be ok, so they’d just hold each other close and cry together.

And after a few hours of just sitting together, and holding onto each other like if they didn’t, one of them would be the next to go, they’d be feeling better. Better enough that they could eat. And they’d sit at the table passing around the plates of food. How Darry would compliment the food and maybe even crack a joke that was enough to pull a quiet laugh from his brothers. How they’d probably go sit at their parent’s grave for a little while. Together for a little bit, then they’d each get their time alone.

Ponyboy would tell his parents about everything that happened. He’d probably ask if they were keeping an eye on Johnny and Dally again. He’d tell his parents that he wasn’t ok, but he was getting better.

Soda would tell his parents about everything too. He’d tell them about Sandy, and then how he’d recently met a new girl, named Cherry. He’d probably laugh because he knew her when they were little and his parents joked that he’d been in love with her. He’d smile thinking about them. He’d tell them that he wasn’t keeping an eye on Pony and Darry. How he was scared for Pony, but he knew that it was going to be ok.

Darry would cry so hard. He’d tell his parents that he hoped they were proud of Pony and Soda. How he knew they might be disappointed in him for what he’d done and he couldn’t blame them, but he hoped they were proud of Soda and Pony. He would ask them how they’d done this? How? It wasn’t easy. He felt like he was screwing up at every turn. But he’d tell them that he wouldn’t let anything happen to them ever again. He loved his brothers more than anything and he would do that until he day he died.

How they’d probably sit in the car together and cry for a few minutes. But then, they’d needed to go home. And when they did, they all felt a little lighter. Enough so, that Soda would offer that they maybe sit together and watch a movie for Darry’s birthday. He knows it isn’t a great option, but they should celebrate him. And they’d decided to do it because it’s not like it could hurt.

How Pony would run to his room and tell them that he’d be ready in a minute, he just needed to grab something. How Pony had come back and shyly handed Darry his notebook. It was open to a page full of writing. Pony had written about how his perspective of Darry had changed. How he recognized now all the things his brother gave up for him. How he saw Darry as so human that he didn’t know how Darry managed to do it. It was three pages of writing about how much Pony loved Darry and how grateful he was for him. And on the fourth page was a drawing. It was of Darry and their parents. It had their dad’s hand on Darry’s shoulder and Darry had his arm around their mom’s shoulders. Darry had the hold the notebook away so his tears didn’t ruin the pencil marks. How he’d set down the notebook and pulled Pony into him. How Darry felt a patch of wetness appear on his shirt, but who was he to say anything, he’s sure Pony felt one on his shoulder. How soon enough, their hug included Soda. And the three boys just stood there and held each other.

They weren’t ok. They might never be. But they were learning to live with it. They were learning to let this day be both about grief for their parents and love and celebration for Darry. They were learning to let the two things coexist, it wasn’t easy, but they were getting there. Slowly but surely.

[sparklingcid3r]

wut did the convo between darry and child services go like? obvi was complicated but like genuinely how did he convince them he could b the guardian of 2 teenage boys? he genuinely must have nerves of steel.

also like must have been the worse adjustment if he always confided in paul or his dad when stressed, but now has no one. like his just isolation from any close relationship is soooo noticeable, esp compared to his brothers who actively lean on their best friends

just ignore that this might end up horribly inaccurate🙏 i’m here for a good time alr leave me alone😭 but fr darry was going through the traumas of odysseus on his voyage back to ithaca when he should have been getting lit at the club😔

Darry’s shell shock looks a whole lot like numbness. That’s how he feels, too, so when the same officers who just told him they’re very sorry, but his parents have been killed in an accident, he just stares and hears them iterate for him what exactly he needs to get done immediately. He forces himself to actually listen, because this isn’t about him, it’s about Pony and Soda and keeping a roof above their heads.

He needs to locate his ma and dad’s birth certificates and legal documents to have their wills probated and assets distributed, schedule an appointment with the funeral director, schedule a date for the funeral itself, meet with the court to be appointed Pony and Soda’s legal guardian, but that’s only after they deem him fit to be the sole caretaker of two teenagers. They’ll assign them a case manager. They’ll ask him what his salary is, they’ll call his old coaches to ask about his time management and self-discipline—what if he comes up short in some way? What if he makes a mistake and gets his brothers thrown in a home?

Fuck, then there’s the personal arrangements. He needs to call the college dean and tell him extraordinary circumstances have forced him to drop out, probably he’ll still have to pay for the rest of the semester he didn’t get to finish. When the case manager comes over for their meeting—the house is a mess from Darry’s birthday party, they’ll think Darry is okay with raising his brothers in filth. Something about bank statements too, he’s sure he’ll have to go over it, see what his parents have been paying for, what he’ll need to pay for and what he has to cut now that money’s about to be tighter. Bills, taxes, he needs to draw up a system to distribute those payments overdue or not. Groceries, do they need to go shopping soon? With what money? With Darry’s money, he needs to get a job now.

Darry gets to work.

Identifying the bodies is the first thing he does. He lets Steve and Johnny stay over to keep Pony and Soda company. Two-Bit offers to come with Darry to the hospital, but he refuses. When he gets to the hospital, he sees Dally standing at the entrance, cross-armed and stone-faced. He doesn’t even look at Darry when he arrives. Just pushes himself off the pillar and shrugs. “Your call.”

Darry says nothing, so Dally follows him in. The police lead him to the morgue. The sheets are carefully folded back to reveal their faces, and Darry’s stomach heaves and his eyes blur. His parents are shredded. They’re just bodies, sliced, crushed bodies. He doesn’t even realize he stumbling until a steeled hand grabs him and keeps him upright, and Dally’s saying “Easy, easy, man. Breathe, Darrel. That them?”

Darry nods. All he’s think is that it’s going to be a closed casket funeral.

The wills are the next thing he deals with. Once those are probated and the surrogate has deemed them official, Darry is free to pay the fees and obtain his inheritance, as well as transfer his parents’ money to his name in the bank.

Next, Darry searches for a job. Something physical, or something to do with numbers. He was going to be an accountant after all, might as well make some use of the few months he spent studying. After busting his ass hunting and applying, he lands a job at Fitzmorris Roofing and starts as soon as he can. The pay is decent, but not enough, so he keeps looking. Eventually he finds out about a firm at the edge of town looking for a bookkeeper, so Darry goes in for an interview and walks out with his second job.

Then are the bank statements. Darry gets issued a copy of his parents’ bank statements from the previous month and spends entire nights going through them. After crunching the numbers twice, he finds out that in two months from now, they’ll have to go without paying the electricity bill for a few weeks while Darry’s paychecks catch up with expenses. Better than going hungry. They’ll just have to deal with the dark.

So far, they’ve been feeding off the numerous donations from families around town. Lasagnas and casseroles and meatloafs, that’s what they’ve been pushing around their plates for the past two weeks. Darry surmises they have about one more week to make those last, then he’ll need to crack open a cookbook or two.

He meets with the funeral director. He advises Darry on what graveyard to pick, what kinds of caskets to hold the bodies in, how much of the burial will be covered by insurance. All Darry understands is that this is money he’ll need to cut from their budget. It eats at him.

Darry blinks and a week has gone by.

He doesn’t really remembering seeing Pony and Soda during it. Everything’s a blur. But he looks at a calendar and realizes with a seize of his heart that their case manager is supposed to meet them for the first time in—an hour and a half.

Shit, he hasn’t even gotten to cleaning the house yet. There’s laundry on the fucking couch, for Christ’s sake. Darry snatches it up and bangs down Soda and Pony’s door, dumping it on the bed. He sees a lump under the blanket and a jolt rocks him—that’s your brother, that’s Ponyboy, he’s grieving, he’s in pain, he needs help—but all he can do is kick the mattress and tell him, “On your feet, Ponyboy, Mrs. Mulligan’ll be here for dinner.” Pony doesn’t move, but there’s nothing else Darry can do, so he rips the blanket off Pony and leaves, slamming the door behind him because his own strength has become unfamiliar to him.

Soda’s in the backyard doing whatever the hell Soda’s been doing while Darry was out, and he’s called in but he comes trailing in like a wet dog. Darry doesn’t know what he’ll do if this meeting doesn’t go well, if Mulligan says Darry is not suited to provide for his brothers, how he’ll possible be able to live by himself knowing his brothers have been separated, so he snaps for Soda to stand up straight and fix his hair. Soda looks at him blankly, and again there’s a voice in Darry’s head—Sodapop’s not alright, he’s not talking, he’s not smiling, he’s not laughing, you have to fix this—but all he can say is “Now, dammit” and hits the countertop, spooking Soda enough to get him to flee, and Darry’s alone again, cleaning the table of the bills and documents, pushing them on top of the icebox and out of sight.

Darry’s prepped one of their last donated meals, macaroni salad, and set the table as nice as he can.

Fifteen minutes before Mrs. Mulligan arrives, he checks in on Pony and Soda. He stands outside their door, hand raised to knock, but he can hear them talking.

Talking about him.

“He’s gone crazy, Soda, I swear. When’s the last time you saw him stand still for two seconds? If you’ve seen him at all.”

“Dunno, Ponykid.”

“I miss Ma. I miss her and Dad. It’s like Darry hasn’t even noticed they’re gone.”

“Naw, baby, don’t say that. He’s trying, I think. He’s trying awful hard. We just don’t see it.”

“You don’t even know that. What if he’s making plans to shove us in a boys’ home?”

Darry can’t take it. His breath is lodged in his throat, but he can’t go falling apart right now, not when he’s come this far and still has a long way to go. He just knocks and calls them out to the living room.

Darry can’t meet their eyes when they sit in the living room. Pony’s lean on Soda’s shoulder but Darry can’t think about that, he’s got to put the macaroni salad in a bowl and clean off the utensils and “Pony, I told you to wash the dishes this morning.” With his back turned to his brothers, Darry winces. Anger never used to seep out this easily. But everything was enough of a threat to push him over the edge. Everything everyone said to him pierced him like a hook, made his tongue feel heavy and his blood feel hot. He needed to put a lid over it tonight.

Mrs. Mulligan’s eyes don’t rise to Darry’s when he opens the door for her. She looks behind him at their living room, at Soda and Pony on the couch, makes a funny noise in the back of her throat, then extends her hand out to Darry. Immediately Darry knows he’s going to be on the defensive the entire night. This woman does not approve of where Soda and Pony are being raised. Whether that means she doesn’t approve of the East side as a location or Darry as a guardian, he isn’t sure.

She drills him, but it’s disguised as gentle. Darry does everything slowly. Serving the food, making small talk, discussing Pony and Soda’s grades. Mulligan switches to speaking directly to the boys, and Darry’s not hungry, but he pretends to enjoy chewing the rubbery macaroni and keeps his head down.

Despite their reservations about life without their parents, Soda and Pony defend Darry to the case manager. It goes smoothly enough that she leaves Darry with a smile and a promise to stay in touch.

When the door clicks shut, Pony is gone in the blink of an eye back to his room. Soda just stalks into the kitchen and starts wrapping up leftovers, cleaning off the dishes. Darry tries to get Soda to sleep, but Soda turns to him.

“I’ll do the dishes, Darry. Just don’t get mad at Pony.”

“No, Soda, I’ll do it—“

“You’re tired, Darry. Let me be useful?”

Soda always knew how to spin the conversation in his favor. He was right. Darry was tired. He was just… tired.

But there’s a reason Darry hasn’t given himself a restful night yet. He doesn’t trust himself yet.

“Give me the sponge, Sodapop. Pony needs you.”

Darry’s had sixteen years to learn how to outmaneuver his kid brother. He’s not in the mood to fight fair.

Soda concedes and draws away from the sink, but he lingers in the doorway. “We need you, too, Darry.”

“I know. I’ll be here in the morning.”

He wouldn’t be. He’d be gone by the time they woke up, on top of a roof with bundles of roofing slung over his shoulder, but it wasn’t his physical presence that mattered. He was going to keep their heads above water, no matter what it took.

“When’s the funeral?” asks Soda.

“Friday.”

Two days. Two days until it was official and their parents were covered in dirt. Darry just needed to keep it together until then.

“G’night, Darry.”

“G’night.”

When the funeral comes, Darry’s quiet. Pony and Soda are weeping, unashamed by it, so Darry’s the one people feel comfortable giving their condolences to. He shakes a lot of hands, feels disgusted by it, like he’s collecting germs and other people’s bad luck. The gang is there, even Dally, but they hang in the back of the crowd, discounting Two-Bit, who’s up front with his ma and sister.

After Darry gives the eulogy he doesn’t remember writing, he watches twin caskets get sunk into the ground, dirt spilling on top of them, and Darry is officially alone. He leaves the ceremony, goes and sits down on a bench outside the fencing.

Not yet. Don’t break yet.

A shadow falls across his own. Dally’s taking drags from a cigarette at his side. He’s just as quiet as Darry, but offers the cancer stick. Darry accepts it, taking a few puffs. He’s out of practice and coughs the first time. Dally just pats his back and waits for him to try again. It feels good, but not the kind of good Darry knows he can depend on. He’s still got to stay healthy if he’s going to be trudging around in the sun for half his day and sitting around doing math for the other half.

“Do what you gotta do, as long as it’s nothing permanent,” Dally says.

“Couldn’t if I wanted to,” Darry replies, handing back the cigarette. His eyes sting.

It’s like the world’s stopped rotating after his parents are put to rest. Not when Darry actually expected it to. He closes the door to his parents’ bedroom, the room he’s been sleeping in for the past… however long it’s been.

He doesn’t even make it to the bed. The moment the door’s locked behind him, Darry’s loosening his dad’s tie from his neck, yanking at his dad’s collar to untighten his airways, but it doesn’t work. He slumps against the door and slides down, messing up his hair and crying into his arms, only as hard as his silence will allow. Pony and Soda are in the next room over, still teary, consoling each other. Darry won’t steal their reprieve.

He falls apart alone, wondering how he’s meant to wake up tomorrow in a world he doesn’t want to live in. And when he picks himself up and puts himself back together, he’ll do that alone too. He doesn’t have a choice.

istg sometimes yall just gotta LET ME COOK 👩‍🍳 can u tell i got super into it the longer i went on for lmao

oh btw this doesn’t scratch the surface of everything darry prob needed to do. he would have had to choose what his parents wore in their caskets, dealt with the scrapping of the car, assumed responsibility of the real estate deed (the house), communicated with pony and soda’s high school, communicated with his parents’ former employers, etc etc. the break was uncatchable i fear

[johnnycakesswitch]

thought up hugging headcanons-

i feel like depending on pony’s mood and who he’s with, his hugs vary. if it’s someone he’s school friends with/he’s in a bad mood he’ll do a half hug with one arm. but if he’s really upset or it’s one of his brothers he kinda runs at them and buries his face in their chests. sometimes internal sounds calm him down so he prefers to do this with darry since darry and him have the height difference to do so and have easy heartbeat access. with soda he’ll bury his face in his shoulder

which leads me to soda! soda is a bear hugger-he’ll hug from behind, he’ll hug from the front, from the side, he’ll tackle you to the ground with a hug. he’s like a dog. you leave him for five minutes and when you come in the door he’s leaping on you so hard you fall down. his hugs are so warm because he radiates heat and he’s genuinely such a sweetie-he just feels so hard and his immediate reaction is to hug, which has gotten him into some trouble with people who don’t like physical contact, which he doesn’t get because he loves it, so why doesn’t everyone else?

darry is next-i’m torn on darry tbh! darry doesn’t strike me as the type to crave physical affection like soda, or even like pony-but if he really just needs a hug or someone asks him for one, he gives BONE CRUSHING hugs that crack your spine so hard you’d expect it to glow like a glow stick-he also lifts you into the air and just holds you to his chest or against his shoulder. it isn’t often hugs happen with him. but when they do, they’re nice if you like tight hugs-sometimes he doesn’t realize his own strength like he just expects everyone to be as strong as him so when he hears spines popping he’s like ‘wtf’

johnny’s hugs tend to either be short or painfully long depending on his mood. if he’s genuinely upset, all you have to do is open your arms. he’ll hesitate for a good minute, and sometimes he’ll deny the hug. but when he doesn’t, his hugs are so soft and sweet. it’s the one time he doesn’t mind being the smallest because he can burrow into your tummy or chest and he’s just content with that. sometimes though he’ll give a quick hug and then back up. this is usually after a fight with his parents tho. he kinda just craves some form of affection after. but you always need to initiate. catch him with a loaded gin in his mouth before he asks for a hug

dally doesn’t hug. ever. the closest he’ll come is an arm around the shoulder but this is really only with johnny or pony. sometimes he’ll press them to the side of his ribs in a small show of affection but only if they’re in private and if johnny specifically is going through something. dally never gives full hugs. but he’ll put a hand on johnny’s shoulder, or he’ll sling his arm around pony. little things like that. but it’s sweet nonetheless

two bit is the type to give back pats through hugs but it turns from back pats to full on slapping until whoever he’s hugging has bright red handprints all over their backs lmao-he also gives noogies after the hugs because he tends to hug out of affection more than when people actually need it. he’s another bear hugger. man has no boundaries. his hugs aren’t great but if he’s the only one around he wouldn’t be too bad of an option. he has the same reaction when someone is upset and he can’t take it serious.

steve is tough because i don’t know much about him but i feel like he’s just your average hugger. he kinda just rubs your back and puts his arms under your armpits. he’s another back patter but not as tough as two bit. he genuinely doesn’t have a good or bad hug. it’s just average. but he’ll always be the one to end the hug by saying he ‘doesn’t want to ruin his tuff reputation’

anyway, hope these are good!

STOP I ADORE THESE OMG 😭😭😭😭 they’re so real and in character and saying that Soda just feels so hard and his immediate reaction is to hug?? So true, he’s got so much emotion that he needs to let it out physically, he loves a good squeezy hug 🥺 these are just precious I really love them

[pumpkinsy0]

could you please write how the curtis/shepards gang would react to papercut getting homophobic comments when they’re out together

ALLLRIGHT SO☝🏽☝🏽

the shepard gang ill say has mixed reactions??? let me make it clear that i think most of the shepard gang deals w toxic masculinity, some of them r homophobic, some of em rlly aint, but i dont rlly think theyre coming to their defense!! if tim SAID so, yea if course but thats inly bc 1) hes their leader, what he says goes 2) i dont think tims that kinda guy (ill go into depth bout that later) 3) i dont think they rlly care for curly like that to beat someone up for him on their own accord yknow??? to them, curlys the equivalent of a nepo baby!!!!

so while not all of em is exactly homophobic, i dont think they think highly enough of curly to care and some of em would join in on it, they dont rlly gaf bout pony

w tim, id say he does care, but a few of the reasons r more selfish???? like yes he cares for curlys image, but also his own rep. and then when it comes to ACTUALLY doing something about it, i cant see him going outta his way to actually beat someone up for JUST that, like yea hes mad about it, but he would honestly just keep that in minda and have one big planned attack for the countless other stuff the person did, when it comes to tim, i feel like just the idea that tims mad w em would already kinda spook em

is angela part of the shepard gang???? technically shes an unofficial member so ill add her here<333 dont rlly need to think much about this one, shes def getting her revenge for curly, shes the kinda girl who wants karma immediately

nowwwww when it comes to the curtis gang!!!

i think they all address the issue in their own way

two bit/soda/johnny- not interested in fighting them as much as they r interested in making pony feel better and secure in himself

darry- hes not gonna fight the person, cant rlly afford to and hes not that kinda guy, would try to teach pony to just shake it off, but the problem is hes seen as #theemasculinestandard, so he doesnt understand that its harder than hes saying it is, hes not saying its EASY, but hes making it seem easiER

now when it comes to dally, steve, and two, i could totally see them not VENTURING out for the guy, but if they bump into em, they cause problems in the name of pony🙏🏽🙏🏽

im srry this took so long i was busy😭😭

[steifel]

HERE TO ASK YOU ABOUT UR TRANS JOHNNY AND SODA HEADCANONS 🫡

I may have gone a little over bord with these

TW: self harm, suicidal thoughts, transphobia, gender dysphoria, talks of body parts. Everything is very minor but please protect your peace

Sodapop

-first off She cam out to Johnny first on accident Darry had taken Pony to the doctors so nobody was home Soda wanted to test a theory. She was dancing around the house in a mini skirt and a stuffed bra Johnny walked into the house and was like "you wanna talk about this? You don't have to"

-soda literally broke down telling Johnny everything

-poor Johnny has no idea how to comfort people but he just sat there listening and understanding

-she told Pony next they were laying in bed one night and the conversation went like this

S: hay Pone? You know how Johnny was born a girl but hes really a boy?

P: mhm

S: well sometimes i feel like i might be your sister even though ive always kind of been your brother

P: *pulling Soda into a big hug* ok

S: thats it just ok

P: um okay.... I love you?

S: love you too pony

-she told Darry next and he required a lot more information than ponyboy did.

-how long have you known

- she/her?

-who all knows

-is your name still Sodapop

-how do you feel

-do you want me to help you tell anyone

-is there anything i can do to help you?

-after Darry got all the information he needed he just hugged his sister and said "i always wanted a little sister"

-she told Steve next

-he was actually kind of excited

-after she told Steve she started living as a girl 100% of the time

-Twobit and Dally were super confused but they eventually figured it out

-Soda is a woman of extremes she is ether so eurphoric shes ontop of the world or so dysphoric that she can barely get out of bed

-her bad dysphoria days just about kill Steve

-he knows that she's the most beautiful girl in the world and it hurts him that she doesn't know that

-when she's dysphoric he always gives her one of his long shirts to wear and then holds her in bed as long as she needs just telling her shes beautiful and playing with her hair.

-when she's super euphoric you bet your ass Steve is gonna take her out and show her off (if anyone says anything bad they get jumped)

-if/when she goes on E she wears push up bras every day and that makes Steve go crazy

-if you think Soda was hot as a guy than you'll think shes a goddess as a girl

-Steve feels so lucky

-its not all fun and games though

-she gets jumped a lot

-the socs can be very vilont with her

-she tends to silently cry herself to sleep a lot

-her and Johnny get really close

-they actually trade pre transition cloths

-johnny teaches her all of the "girl" stuff he learned in childhood and she teaches him the "guy" stuff

-believe me when i tell you that Soda is a MASTER at tucking

-she wears super tight pants and skirts

-Soda is suuuuper fem

-she loves doing her hair and makeup

-this pisses pony off because she takes forever to get ready in the mornings

-the one bathroom thing starts to become a problem now that Soda takes an hour to get ready

Johnny

-was absolutely terrified to come out to the gang

- he put it off for a long time

-came out to Dall first

-and he only came out at this point because Dally could tell something was bothering his little buddy

"So you gonna tell me whats wrong or am i gonna have to guess?"

-dall was genuinely so mad. Not because he's trans but because Johnny had the gaul to ask if Dally hated him now

-when he told Pony he had a shit ton of questions

-this is mostly the reason Pony didn't have a lot of questions when Soda came out

-johnny is one of those lucky bastards that naturally looks masculine so he passes almost immediately

-he never gets out of his baggy clothes and flanels phase (me projecting)

-every single member of the gang makes him take his binder off after 8 hours

"Comon Dall just a little while longer? Please"

"Jonnycakes we can do this the easy way or the hard way now it dont matter to me but i gotta fealing you're not gonna like the hard way"

-eventually Johnny starts to feel more comfortable around the gang without it

-if he's in public though he doesn't give a fuck what dallys "hard way" is he will be wearing that binder

-while Soda usually experiences her transness through euphoria Johnny usually experiences his through disphoria

Another TW for SH and Suicidal thoughts ill let you know when it ends

-he has a tendency towards SH

-one time dally found him attempting to give himself top surgery and he had actually gotten pretty far

-Dally was horrified he's no stranger to blood and violence but it was really bad

-Johnnys gotten a lot better but there was one point where they hid all the knives and did there best to have somebody with him at all times

-Darry has had to grab his hands and hold him super tight before

-Dally had a really hard time sleeping during this time he made Johnny stay with him and he just watches Johnny sleep.

-Dally was just terrified he was gonna lose Johnny over something as stupid as how the world sees him

Major TW over

-on major dysphoria days he really just wants to be left alone.

-he mainly just sleeps on those days

-the whole gang tries to help but sometimes you just have to feel your feels you know

-he cries because of it sometimes and that just makes the dysphoria worse which makes him cry more (me too me too)

-Johnny absolutely loves it when the boys roughhouse with him cause it makes him feel like they really see him as a guy

Ok i feel like if i keep talking about Johnny im ether gonna start crying or just spill every bit of information about my transness. anyway i hope you enjoyed

[outsidersheadcanons]

Hi!! Could i get a head cannon for the gang with there significant other that get jumped/ harassed by the socs? ( They hurt by cutting her neck like they did to pony) Normally they don’t bother her but since it’s late and the gangs not around they see as perfect opportunity cause she’s alone and vulnerable easy target ( there assholes like that ) of course she’s shaken up by it cause that’s never happened to her before what would the boys do if they found her or if she came to them?

Darry

He would be BEYOND pissed man. Esp since the socs decided to jump a girl??? He knows there's no sense in calling the cops, but he can't really do anything either (he's pretty nonviolent). But you can bet he's not letting her out of his sight for a good while now. And he'd let her stay over for a while until she wasn't shook up anymore.

Soda

Soda would be horrified. If he found her he'd take her back to the house to be patched up and he'd convince her to tell him who did it (later that night, him and Steve would go out and find the guys who did it. It isn't hard because the socs go to a lot of parties, and when they're finished w/ them they look much worse off than Soda's S/O did lol)

Ponyboy

Too young (right now) to have a S/O, but if he did his reaction would be similar to Darry's but he'd want to go out to find them. She'd be able to convince him not to though, because fighting with the socs would only make them want revenge. He agrees, but he would gladly walk her home for the rest of her life.

Two-bit

If he found her, he'd take her home. He doesn't know a ton about first aid, but his mother does. What he does know about though is how to deal w/ socs. He leaves and about four hours later he returns with three silver rings, two wallets stuffed with cash, and an expensive pack of cigarettes. Mrs. Mathews is beside herself but. at least the girl's safe 😭

Steve

Steve has a similar approach to Two-bit, but when he's done there's a tuff-looking mustang missing its wheels and chrome in front of the high school (he even broke in the windows for good measure). The socs all think it's Tim and there's talk of another rumble, but she knows the real culprit. I guess they couldn't handle the Randle 🤷‍♂️

Johnny

If he found his girl in that state he would panic so hard (and immediately take her to the Curtis house. He was so relieved when she was alright). He knows first hand what these experiences are like. but he doesn't want to risk anything (with the socs it's on sight when they see Johnny. You can't blame bro, esp since multiple people jumped his S/O). So he tells Dally abt it. A week later the problem is solved (and two socs are in the hospital with broken jaws).

Dally

He carries her bridal style to Buck's, kicking the door open and screaming for first aid supplies (she has a tiny nick on her throat but does she mind this? not really). Dally ends up giving his S/O a loaded heater to put in her purse when she goes out and leaves after she's patched up (before he left he tells her "If anyone asks, I was at the Dingo man. 😡" huh wonder what he's up to). Dally ends up going to the reformatory for a good four months after that, but the socs don't bother her anymore.

[alittlebitofloveliness]

can you please do prompt 2 and 4 with johnny cade?

Outsiders Prompt Fic #5- Why does it hurt so much?

Hi anon! I chose prompt 2 to write for this one. Enjoy!

******************

Johnny Cade is no stranger to pain.

When he was three mama had dropped him taking him out of the bath and he’d hit his head bad enough to give him a concussion. When he was six dad had broken his arm after he lost a little league game and cried about it. He’d survived more beatings than most kids could even dream of- even most east side kids. He’d been sworn at, screamed at, kicked, punched, slapped, and on one particularly memorable occasion when he was fourteen, walloped with a two by four when his old man had been laid off from his job at the lumberyard. He’d even been jumped, bad enough that that horrible white scar tore down his face would be a permanent fixture he was still trying to come to terms with. Over the years he’d come to learn how to grin and bear it. He took every beating in silence, because crying or begging or even screaming only ever made them worse. He’d laughed with broken ribs. Smiled through a puffy lip. Leaned against his friends even when it pressed against his bruises, until pain became first a constant and then an afterthought, simply another fact of his miserable life. You spend enough time in pain, he’d come to realize, then being in pain just becomes normal. 

Which is why it’s strange that the stomach flu of all things seems to be able to bring him to his knees- literally. He’s currently puking in the Curtis’ bathroom, unsure if the vomiting or the agony radiating from his stomach is what’s forcing tears from his eyes.

God, his stomach hurts. He can’t remember anything ever hurting this much. Not even that time mama pressed his palm against the stove when he was eight and accidentally spilled the dinner she made.

“Easy Johnny, you’re alright,” Pony is here, the quiet, supportive pillar he’s always been that makes him Johnny’s best friend in the whole world. Though a part of him is embarrassed that anyone is here to witness this, a much larger part of him, the part that is tired, sick and in pain, is infinitely glad that Ponyboy is here. Pony won’t judge him, never has, never will. Pony will take care of him, the way he has for the past three days, and not make him feel like a baby. Everyone else, whenever they’re around, has hovered and coddled. Pony is just present, his worry quieter, his care soft with love but not pity.

Even Dallas had been weird about this, the whole Johnny being sick thing. He’d acted like a spooked horse when he first got sick and not reappeared after he first came by to check on him two days ago. Maybe if Johnny wasn’t feeling so lousy, he’d care more about that, try and puzzle out why. As it is, it’s all he can do to make sure he makes it to the toilet every time he needs to puke.

It’s a strange illness, one Johnny is quite sure he never wants to experience again. Crashing waves of nausea and pain for hours, followed by brief reprieves where he believes he’s started to turn a corner before the nausea returns full force. It’s a vicious cycle. Johnny hates it.

He’s so tired. 

“It’s just the stomach flu,” he murmurs to Pony, slumping bonelessly against his friend’s side. The younger boy presses a glass of water into his hand, and Johnny lifts it to his lips, his hand shaking like a leaf, “why does it hurt so much?’

“That’s just the thing ain’t it Johnnycakes? I’m startin’ to think it isn’t just the stomach flu.”

Pony’s getting real worried now, Johnny can tell because his voice always gets a bit younger when he’s anxious and he starts immediately looking around for Darry. But Darry isn’t here right now, is at work for at least the next hour. Soda and Steve are both working close at the DX, Two-bit is nursing his own sick kid sister, and Dally is still wherever Dally is. If the chips turn down- and they will, because Johnny knows he must have been born under a bad star for all the times luck is never in his favour- Pony is all he’s got. The thought isn’t as daunting as perhaps it should be. Here he is, sick and not entirely conscious, and all he knows is he trusts Ponyboy Curtis with his life. For all Ponyboy is two years younger, for all he’s the baby of the gang, Johnny doesn’t know anyone he depends on as much as him.

“Probably not,” he admits. This isn’t right, he knows it, has known it since yesterday even. The stomach flu shouldn’t feel like there’s a hot iron stuck in his abdomen, shouldn’t make him half paralyzed with pain and unable to think properly. “Whatever it is, I think it might be bad.”

“Darry’ll be home in a hour,” Pony says decisively, and if Johnny wasn’t so sick he doesn’t think he’d be able to hide his grin at the fact that for all Pony complains about his eldest brother, he’s always the first person he goes to in a crisis, “I’ll give him a call, see if he can hurry along, and we’ll get him to take you to a clinic.”

“Don’t got insurance,” Johnny points out. If he went to the doctor, it wouldn’t matter if this illness didn’t kill him because his old man sure would, “can’t afford no hospital bills.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Ponyboy waves his concern off, “Darry got Dal to get you a fake insurance card. It’s a real good forgery, looks as good as my real one. Far as the state’s concerned, you’re me when you’re sick.

“I ain’t passin’ those hospital bills to you guys!”

“Well we ain’t takin’ no for an answer. If you need a hospital, you’ll go.”

Johnny can tell he means it. He also knows Darry and Soda will back him. All the Curtis boys are as stubborn as they come, and selfless to boot.

He sighs, too tired to argue.

“Alright.”

“I’ll go give Darry a call,” Pony says, squeezing his shoulder gently before he leaves. 

Johnny counts the tiles on the bathroom floor as a fresh wave of agony rears it’s ugly head, causing sweat to bead on his brow and harsh breaths to force their way through his clenched teeth.

He’s only managed to count thirteen tiles by the time Ponyboy returns with a cool cloth and a relieved expression.

“Darry’ll be here in twenty minutes,” Pony tells him, pressing the cloth against his burning neck. He can’t help but sigh at the feeling. It does nothing to dull the pain but offer something else to focus on, but for Johnny that’s enough, “he was almost done anyway but his forman let him go early since it’s an emergency.”

He bites his lip, and Johnny can tell he’s trying very hard to decide whether he’s going to say whatever it is he’s thinking.

“Dar…darry says he thinks you might have appendicitis,” he says at last. Huh,Johnny thinks, that kind of makes sense. With his luck, it’s not surprising his own organs have decided to mutiny against him. “He says he was worried about it yesterday but now he’s pretty sure. You’ll definitely need the hospital.”

At this point, if a hospital can make the pain even lessen, it’ll be worth it.

“Thanks Pony,” he leans his head against his best friend’s shoulder, too tired and too sick to do anything else.

Pony rests his own head on Johnny’s, long hair tickling Johnny’s cheek, until Darry bursts in in all his superman glory and takes control of the situation the way he always does.

Johnny Cade is no stranger to pain, but with a friend like Ponyboy Curtis to help him through it he doesn’t really mind.

[romeoandjulietyouwish]

potato salad

read on ao3

this is based on an hc by @stayinggoldforpony

Pony didn’t even think about it, not even once during the lead up to the fourth. The gang was excited, Darry was going to cook hot dogs and burgers and they were going to sit on the porch and watch the fireworks. 

The fourth of July was one of the few days of the year that neither Darry nor Soda had to work. And now that Ponyboy and Darry were on better terms, he found himself actually looking forward to it. The better part of the day was spent lazing around, the other boys drinking. Even though both Darry and Soda were younger than him when they started drinking, Pony still wasn’t allowed to. So he smoked instead. 

After losing more than a few hands of gin rummy, Darry got up to start cooking. Not wanting his brother to do all the work alone, Ponyboy trailed after him. When Darry saw him coming to help, he smiled and squeezed the back of Pony’s neck. 

“Thanks, kid.”

Pony shrugged, “I figured if I help, I get first dibs, right?”

Darry chuckled, “Sure thing.”

It took a good while to fix everything up, cooking for five boys was no easy task. Especially when one of them (Two-Bit) ate like four. But eventually they had a massive pile of burgers and hot dogs as well as a bowl of potato salad.

Darry shouted to the gang that dinner was ready, sounding like an old man summoning the wild youths back to roost. Pony made sure to tell him that, earning himself a light thump on the back of the head. But Darry still let Pony serve himself first, so it was worth it.

They sat on the front porch steps as the sky darkened. Soda and Steve kept stealing from each other’s plates, nearly spilling everything to the ground. Pony watched, laughing the whole time. It felt good to laugh like that, deep and from the belly. None of them did that much anymore. 

It was nights like these that always made Pony miss Dally and Johnny. They were all supposed to be together, shooting the breeze and laughing until their heads hurt. Even though he was happy, it always felt like there was something missing. Johnny should have been at his side. Dally should have been right in the middle of all the chaos. It was a little emptier without them.

Seeming to sense his morose mood, Darry nudged Pony’s shoulder as he sat down beside him. “Head in the clouds, Pone?”

He shrugged, “I guess.” Pony moved some potato salad around on his plate. 

Darry sighed, “Just don’t get lost up there, savvy?” Pony nodded and Darry moved away with an affectionate squeeze on his shoulder. 

The sunset passed too quick for Pony’s liking. He wanted to savor it, but it was gone in a flash. Cheers started coming from the streets and the park as fireworks were being readied. Two-Bit was hollering enthusiastically, waving his beer around. He and Soda started singing some patriotic song, their voices so pitchy and loud that it was impossible to make out which one. 

Ponyboy felt a smile coming back to his face but it vanished immediately when the first firework went off. 

As he watched red and orange and yellow sparks shower through the sky, the thunderous noise echoing through his bones, Pony was seized by fear. In a flash, he was back in the church, fire surrounding him. Johnny was screaming as the beam fell on his back. Pony was choking on smoke. Dally was dying in front of him, merciless cops standing over him.

As the memories crashed through his mind, Pony did what he does best. He ran.

But outside wasn’t safe. There was fire outside. Johnny and Dally were dying outside. So he fled through the front door and through the hall to his bedroom. As another firework exploded outside, Pony gasped, throwing himself onto the bed.

It was safe there. Fire couldn’t reach him in there. Johnny wasn’t dying-

Stay gold. Stay gold. Stay gold.

Pony pressed his hands over his ears. He curled into a ball, pressing his face into the pillow. 

“Pony!”

He flinched at Soda’s voice, startling him as more fireworks went off outside. He whimpered and tried to hide again. 

“It’s okay, honey,” Soda said urgently.

Pony felt the bed shift as Soda laid down beside him. His brother wrapped him into a tight hug and tucked his head under his chin. Feeling Soda’s breathing and smelling the alcohol on him centered him just a little. Enough for him to open his eyes and see Darry lingering in the doorway, looking stricken. 

Pony’s breath hitched and he reached out for his big brother. In a second, Darry pulled both of them into his arms. 

“Fire,” Pony stuttered. “Johnny’s in the-the fire. Dally he-he-he won’t get there in time. 

“Shh,” Soda soothed, kissing the top of his head. “There’s no fire. You’re home, it’s alright, baby.”

Ponyboy shook his head frantically. They didn’t understand. He looked at Darry desperately. Darry knew how to fix things. He fixed roofs. He could fix what was broken in Pony’s mind. Thankfully Darry seemed to understand. 

“What do you smell, Pone?” Darry asked. He ran his fingers through his thick hair. 

Pony took a shaky breath, “Beer. Mustard. Soda’s gross cologne.”

Darry laughed, “That’s right. Do you smell any fire?” Pony shook his head into Soda’s shoulder. “Exactly. There’s no fire. It’s just fireworks outside.” Darry rubbed his back as he flinched from another loud explosion. “We got you, little buddy.”

“The kid okay?” Steve was standing in the doorway, Two-Bit behind him, for once looking sober. 

“He’ll be fine,” Darry assured them. “Wanna keep us company?”

“Hell yeah.” Two-Bit pushed into the room and jumped to land on the bed. “Fireworks are dogshit anyway.” Darry smacked the back of his head for cursing. “Tell you what, Horseman,” Pony grimaced at the name, “next year we’ll go up to the lake and teach ya how to swim.”

“I know how to swim,” Pony grumbled petulantly. He was still encased between his brothers so he thought he was allowed to be just a little petulant. 

“Sure you do, colt,” Soda murmured. Pony tried to twist around to elbow him, but wasn’t able to. He settled for grumbling under his breath for a few moments. 

The four of them kept talking around him, laughing and joking. They pretended not to notice when Pony flinched at the fireworks and one of his brothers whispered comforting words. Though the fireworks continued, so did the talking. Their conversations only got louder and louder, rattling the walls until Pony couldn’t hear the fireworks anymore.

[living4lifessake]

WIP Wednesday - Excerpt from my Outsiders Magic AU: The Art of Scrumbling- Now available to read on AO3

Summary: Scrumble - Verb. The act of managing supernatural abilities, commonly referred to as a ‘savvy’, in a way that allows a positive impact for both the wielder and others, reducing external and internal harm and maximizing potential. As the second generation born of two savvy families, the Curtis brothers each possessed a unique gift beyond normal means, one that they had to learn how to use properly while keeping it a secret from all others. As if being a teenage greaser in Tulsa during the sixties wasn’t already tough enough. - A collection of stories spanning the past, present and future.

That day, Darry had worked a double at the corner shop, and while it wasn’t as physically intense as roofing, it wore at him all the same, grating at his nerves, though he could say that for almost about everything these days. Needless to say, he was thankful when the time came to leave, driving the short distance between the shop and home- Soda took the truck sometimes which was one of the reasons he chose that particular shop to work at so he could walk when needed. There might have been a time when he would have idled, pausing to speak to the Greasers he knew as he passed and gauging the state of things, but today, he was praying more for his sake than anything that Ponyboy wouldn’t have a nightmare so he could squeeze every last hour of uninterrupted sleep possible.

The house stood like it always did, a little worn down but its walls were standing tall and awaiting for him, the only respite he had left in the world, and hardly that nowadays what with how he and Pony butted heads with one another, and tryin to keep everything in order so that when the State visited things were relatively clean. His mama must have really been perfect because she made keeping house and managing her menfolk look so easy even when she was working.

Family surely didn’t end in blood if the rotating door of inhabitants was anything to go by, meaning Darry wasn’t surprised to see two of the gang hanging around out front. Dallas was leaning against the porch railing and Two-Bit was pacing back and forth like a stray alley cat, but they both looked over at him as he hauled himself out of the truck, straightening up when he walked over.

Feeling like trouble was waiting for him, he paused at the foot of the porch steps, “What is this, a welcome committee?”

Dallas put out the cigarette he had been smoking, tossing it haphazardly towards the blue masonware jug they kept on the porch for the butts, “Come out with us tonight.”

He shook his head, continuing up the creaky stairs, “Man, I haven’t even stepped in the house yet.”

“We’ll go get something to eat.” Dallas declared, stepping bodily in Darry’s way, which was a choice that most people tended to regret.

He must have really been tired, because he didn’t shove Dally aside immediately, instead stalling on the front porch of the house he paid the bills for, “Why?”

“Because you haven’t done anything but worry and work for weeks. You need a break.” Two-Bit piped up, his usual easy grin a mask on his face but not able to fully conceal the worried gleam in his eyes, “And if you go in that house you’ll find a million things to do and won’t get any rest.”

Darry looked between the cagey greasers blocking him from the door, scoffing, “No time ever spent with you two has ever been restful.”

“You know what we mean, you need to relax.” Dallas snapped, looking pretty tense himself.

Darry couldn’t muster the energy to spar, not when he had two little brothers that needed to be attended to, “I can’t leave.”

“My ma made a casserole.” Two-Bit explained, having already thought of Darry’s concerns, “They’ve got food, plus Johnny and Steve are already inside, they'll watch them.”

Johnny, who had a tendency to blend in with the shadows as if he didn’t wish to be seen, yet had been guarding Ponyboy fiercely and Steve, with his magic touch with machines, had been working to bring life back to Sodapop with as much diligence as he turned towards car engines. They had been his brothers’ shadows ever since the accident, been there for them in ways Darry couldn’t be, not as busy as he was, not through the numbness that had settled into his bones.

“Tomorrow’s Sunday,” Two-Bit added, plucking at his fingers nervously like he wished it was his prized switch, “You ain’t gotta wake up early, c’mon.”

He had to be at work at the corner shop by noon tomorrow and he ran a hand through his hair with a ragged sigh, resigning himself to his fate, “I can’t drink.”

“We don’t haveta.” Two-Bit hurried to say which caused Darry to raise a brow because Two wasn’t one to pass on the chance to drink and Dallas looked like he had something to say about it too but Two-Bit fisted one hand into Dally’s jacket and wrapped the other around Darry’s arm, pulling them both out towards his car.

Feeling something panicked flare up in his chest, Darry dug his heels into the ground, pulling back against Two-Bit’s grip, “I can’t go drag racing, or get into a brawl or anything else that could get me in trouble. And I don’t want to go see a movie or the rodeo or stand around and watch you pick up girls.”

“Then we’ll go to Two’s and play cards.” Dallas suggested, without giving an inch, pushing Darry bodily towards the passenger side, “We’ll get something to eat, we’ll play a while, who knows we might just let you win.”

He didn’t want to play cards really, but neither of them looked like they were going to take no for an answer so he let himself be bullied into the seat, though Dally and Two didn’t move to get into the car themselves, standing by the open door with a hesitation that had Darry’s hackles raising. He narrowed his eyes at them, still not convinced they weren’t trying to drag him into trouble, “What is this about, really?”

Read more here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/64355284

[rumble-aint-a-rumble-without-me]

Hey could you maybe write something along the lines of what the boys would do if their s/o feels ignored/forgotten? No pressure, I just feel like it'd be interesting

A/N: Hey! This was a super cool prompt, I’m excited to write it <3 thanks for requesting Nonny!

DARRY CURTIS

Darry works two very physical jobs, rarely has a day off and has to constantly take care of his two younger brothers

When he comes home? He usually showers, eats dinner, and falls right asleep

It’s not rare to feel forgotten or ignored, especially with Dare’s busy schedule and his workaholic personality

He works almost every shift he can, trying to bring home every paycheck possible for the boys so that he can make sure they’re taken care of 

Your best option here? Just tell Darry how you feel, it’s gonna give you the best outcome and everyone’s gonna be a lot happier

He’ll do his best to take a day off and spend the day with you, taking you wherever you want and showering you with love and attention

SODAPOP CURTIS

Let’s start by saying it’s hard to feel ignored in a relationship with Sodapop Curtis and if you do feel ignored, it’s not on purpose

Pony compares Sodapop to a colt, he’s sort of boyish and not overly serious all the time, he likes having fun and gets a little wild

So if you feel ignored? It’s not on purpose, Soda’s probably gotten distracted by something else and has temporarily forgotten about you

Not to fear! It doesn’t take much to get his attention back on you, literally one of the easiest things you could do

Three easy things: step into his line of sight, call his name, and smile!

Just like that, Soda’s forgotten everything else in the world and suddenly the only thing he’s focusing on in you 

PONYBOY CURTIS

Ponyboy almost always has his heads in the clouds, he’s a dreamer and has a wild imagination that often runs away from him

He’s also usually got a lot of stress on his shoulders? Between the inevitable drama in his life, Darry making sure he’s keeping up in school, and other things

If you’re feeling forgotten, most likely it’s because Pony’s off in his head or is trying to live up to Darry’s expectations or is just innocently busy with something else

Again, with him? It’s better to just talk to him, Pony is immediately going to try and resolve the problem and give you a bunch of attention

Pony doesn’t mean to ignore you, it’s an honest mistake, he’ll admit it while he apologizes and holds you hands in his

Definitely the kind of boy to try and make it up to you with a few dates later that week  

DALLAS WINSTON

Soooo. If you’re feeling like Dally’s ignoring you or has forgotten about you, it might be on purpose, I’m not gonna lie to you guys 

For example, he could be talking to a group of greasers, friends of yours, and you can tuck yourself into his side and he’d barely spare you a glance

It’s just him trying to bring up his tough-guy-nothing-can-touch-me attitude, he’s trying to show off in front of the rest of his buddies

Also- this could be an attempt to try and make you jealous? Especially if he’s ignoring you in favor of talking to someone else, someone pretty to get you all riled up

Confronting him about it is going to lead to a fight, trying to give him a taste of his own medicine by ignoring him is also probably going to lead to a fight?

My suggestion would be to make it hard for him to ignore you; press kisses up his neck as he’s talking and slip your hand under the edge of his jacket or take his beer and take a slow sip while keeping your eyes locked on his <3 

JOHNNY CADE

Okay guys, do we really think that Johnny is going to let you get to the point of feeling ignored or forgotten?

Cause I really don’t think he will, even if y’all get in a fight or you’re busy, he’s not going to let you get too far

In the very rare case, and let me stress how rare this would be, that you feel forgotten or ignore by Johnnycake, talk to him

I know, all of these are sounding the same, but I’m serious guys, talking to most of the boys is going to solve your problems

If Johnny really has been doing something that makes you feel ignored? He’s gonna apologize

And it’s the softest apology, murmured under his breath with pleading eyes as he kisses your hands 

TWO-BIT MATHEWS

Okay, so yeah, you might feel forgotten with Two-Bit, he’s admittedly a little scatterbrained

Unlike Dally, the ignoring isn’t purposeful here, Two’s just a little spacy, it’s alright though because we still love him!

Maybe he’s busy stirring up trouble or off stealing something else and didn’t invite you along to join in his fun

Two scenarios there - A) he thought your invitation was obvious and didn’t say it or B) he just forgot to mention it to you

Either way, harmless mistakes guys, Two doesn’t mean it, he’s not trying to upset you I swear-

What’s the solution? I think you guys know :) talk to him and expect a bunch of kisses back in response

STEVE RANDLE

Steve’s a little tougher? I feel like there’s a chance of feeling forgotten here, it’s not as high as it is with Dal, but it’s there

But it’s a dumb sort of forgotten, like Steve’s too busy obsessing over the cars at the DX or is too involved in a conversation with Soda ot something to pay attention to you

It’s not hard to get his attention back, literally any physical contact from you has his eyes snapping back to you, eager to see what you need

Link your finger with his, gently set a hand on his back, kiss his cheek, kick his foot, I’m telling you it works

Just like that, his undivided attention is on you darlin and there’s no way you can feel forgotten when he’s looking at you with that soft smile

Kiss a little, whisper apologies on both sides and everyone’s happy again

TIM SHEPARD

Okay so there’s a lot of things that keep Tim’s attention from you: the gang, both Shepard and occasionally Curtis, his siblings, and Tim himself

He’s like Dally in the sense, they’re a lot alike if you aren’t noticing, he’ll ignore you on purpose just to get a rise out of you

But when he’s not trying to be a jerk, it takes a lot of effort to keep his gang in line and take care of Angela and Curly

My personal headcanon for their family is that Mr. Shepard is way out of the picture, to the point where even Tim barely remembers him, and Mrs. Shepard is never home and rarely comes around - she’s not dead, just never there so Tim’s sort of a parent to Curls and Angela

Telling him you’re feeling ignored is practically an free invite for him to tease you and poke fun at you, ultimately though, it’s going to lead to him trying to rope you in more under the guise of he wants to show you off also how boring meetings are with the gang and how he “might as well have somethin’ pretty to look at”

Don’t try and cold shoulder him back, he will take it as a challenge and he will win the little game you’re trying to play 

CURLY SHEPARD

For some reason? I see Curly in the same light as I see Steve for this set of headcanons

I don’t think he’s the kind of person who’s going to try and purposefully ignore you unlike his brother and Dally, if it happens, it’s usually on accident

When he’s late to your date at the Dingo, he just got caught up talking with some other greasers on the way there, as soon as he sits down across from you, he’s already asking for you to forgive him

But on the off hand Curly decides to be a jerk and ignores you, the advice is a little different, you’re gonna want to give him a little bit of the cold shoulder, especially if you’re at a party or something

So like- if he’s trying to catch your eye from across the room, a smug smile on his face, don’t look at him, just keep your conversation going with whoever you were talking to

When he presses up behind you and tries to kiss your neck, tilt your head so he can’t, it’ll become a game of sorts and I think that Curly would love to play, as long as you guys don’t take it too far

[thepaper-bagprincess]

JOHNNY CADE X PONYBOY CURTIS

Johnny and Ponyboy were tired. After the fire, and Johnny being so close to death, they non-verbally agreed to not let the small things bother them anymore. Johnny still remembered Darry helping him get into Pony's room, only to see him beside himself with grief, convinced that Johnny was dead, and that it was his fault. Needless to say, as close as they were before, they got impossibly closer. Soda often made jokes about them being joined at the hip, much to the chagrin of both boys.

Pony usually payed attention in class. He didn't really have to because even if he was in older student-level classes, he still aced everything. After That, he decided to not get so angry at Darry for being on his case all the time. He put some effort into school. But on this particular day, the honey-haired boy only had one thing on his mind; Johnny. He might've gotten braver and less shy after realizing everything he was capable of, but Ponyboy was always worried about him; in a weird way no one else seemed to be. He was almost comical in the way he was overprotective of the boy who was older than him, and bigger in every way.

As soon as the final bell rang, Ponyboy grabbed his bag and booked it out of the school, not in the mood to deal with any Socs, and wanting to see his family again. When the boy got outside though, he slowed down, suddenly dreading his small room, as he often felt trapped within the four walls. Ducking into a patch of the woods that he knew lead to an opening with a stream, he let his mind clear for the first time all day.

Arriving at the clearing, he was surprised to see his best friend in the flesh. Johnny looked up from the stump he was sitting on, and let a half-smile cross his face before going back to doodling in the soft dirt with a broken twig. Pony let his bag hit said dirt, and grabbed the book he had snagged from the library. He then took a seat on a large stone leaning on a huge tree, leaving him opposite from Johnny. "The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn," he began, and over the top of the book, he saw Johnny smile a real grin, and lean back against his own tree, closing his eyes.

After about an hour of reading, Pony knew that they would have to get home soon or his brothers would get worried. He sighed, and shook Johnny, who had fallen asleep, awake. “C’mon J, we hafta get back home. Dally had the day off and he made a real nice dinner for us.” After him and the aforementioned Johnny became local legends, they got paid to do a bunch of interviews, and Soda’s car shop wage doubled at all the people swarming after seeing Soda in the news. Dally’s wage also increased, causing him to be able to take a day off once in a while and spend time with his family, both chosen and blood. Especially because of this, The Curtis’ had gladly invited Johnny to live with them, knowing his folks wouldn’t care much, and the boy desperately needed reassurance after he almost died.

Johnny stirred with a bit of coaxing, and then they walked home at a brisk pace. It was already getting dark in October, and it was a bit chilly. Pony shivered despite himself, and Johnny casually draped his arm over Pony’s shoulders, sharing his body heat. Because it was that in between time, before it got super dark, but slightly shadowed, they figured they had no Soc’ to worry about.

Oh, how wrong they were.

They saw a group of guys walking on the other side of the street. Looking at each other, they agreed to speed up, and Johnny put his hand back in his pocket. Pony quietly missed its warmth, especially under his mounting panic. “Queers !” One of the boys from the other group called out to them. They held their breath and moved on, ignoring the comment. Thankfully that was it.

“Pony ?” Johnny said cautiously. “I’m sorry if they made you uncomfortable by calling you that…” Pony furrowed his brows.

“Why would you be thinkin’ that ? And why would it make me feel uncomfortable but not you ?” Johnny stayed silent, and Pony felt his mouth open in a silent ‘o’.

“I mean, it’s not like they’re wrong, are they ?” Johnny laughed, but it was gritty and harsh, so unlike the deep warm laugh Ponyboy had come to love and look forward to through the years. Pony grabbed his shoulder, and they stopped right outside the Curtis House.

“Look, Johnny, it doesn’t matter to me. Would it be terribly insensitive of me if I said I’m the same way ?” Johnny looked down at him (he’d had a growth spurt over the summer, much to everyone’s pleasant surprise), eyes shining with an emotion that was close to hope, but to Pony that made no sense.

“You mean that ? You really mean it ?” Pony nodded and opened his mouth, ready to reply, but the door opened and Soda poked his head out.

“What are y’all doing out there ? It’s cold and besides, Darry made Shepard’s Pie !” Johnny gave Pony a look that said, ‘later’, and Pony nodded back, looking forward to continuing this enlightening conversation with his best friend.

Dinner was great, and they walked together to their shared room. Johnny slept on an air mattress in the corner of the room. But as soon as he slid onto it, it let out a loud pop, and deflated instantly. Johnny groaned and just laying on his now slightly comfortable floor. “I knew I shouldn’t have bought the one that was third hand. Pony, what am I going to do ? I guess I can just sleep on the floor…” Pony sat up off his own bed and stared at Johnny, barely making out his dark hair in the equally as dark room.

“No Johnny, then your back will hurt, and the last thing we want is something upset your spine…” Miraculously, Johnny had made a full recovery from the beam falling on him, but they never wanted to tempt fate again. Johnny made a soft, hurt noise in the back of his throat, and nodded. Both sets of eyes had adjusted to the dark, and Johnny could see Ponyboy’s lips curve into a tentative smile. “If it’s all right with you, I don’t mind sharing.”

When Johnny didn’t answer right away, Pony felt the shame flood his cheeks and he rushed to retract his statement. “I mean, I don’t mind sleeping on the floor ! You can take the bed, in fact you hafta, Johnny !” Johnny stood up, but he was already shaking his head.

“No not at all, Pony ! I was just surprised that you’d be willing to, I mean, with what I’ve said and all…” By the time he finished his sentence, he was at the bedside. Pony lightly slapped him on the arm, too low for him to slap him on the face.

“We’re the same, aren’t we ? I support you no matter what, you’ve gotta realize that, don’tcha ?” Johnny hung his head.

“I don’t know, I know you’ve got me, but it’s just…” Pony didn’t let him finish, and just scooted over, patting the warm spot of the bed he had just left open. JOhnny sighed again, but did slip under the covers, next to Pony.

Seeing as it was only a enlarged twin, Pony was scared that Johnny could hear as well as feel the way his heart was beating out of his chest. It was while contemplating this that he finally realized what all these weird feelings he had for Johnny were. He was in love with his best friend.

Seeing the pieces put together in front of him, he felt like a complete and utter idiot for not realizing sooner.

It was easy to see, whenever he made a joke, his eyes immediately went to look at Johnny to make sure it was funny. Whenever Johnny was talking, Pony made sure that he felt heard. Whenever Johnny used the smile that he reserved for special occasions, Pony’s day brightened and so did his cheeks. Johnny was his favourite. Period.

With that revelation, Pony was scared. What was he to do ? Suppose Johnny found out. He would lose his best friend, his confidant, and the love of his life.

As he sat there stewing, Johnny let out a huff of a laugh. “I can hear you thinking from here. Granted, that’s not a whole lot but it’s somethin’.” Johnny felt Pony smile in response, then felt him shiver.

“Sorry, I’m just cold.” It wasn’t a lie, the night had gotten biting, and Pony was right next to the stone wall, hard and chilly. Johnny sighed, and slowly, gently, as so not to scare the younger boy, wrapped his arm around him, and tugged gently, pulling Pony to his chest.

Pony swore he was dying. His head was on Johnny’s chest and he could feel it racing. He let out a breath of a laugh. “Why is your heart a better running than you are ?” He could practically feel the heat of Johnny’s cheeks as he replied.

“‘Cause I’m nervous…” Pony’s forehead wrinkled. Why would he be nervous ?

“Oh ? and why is that, John ?” Johnny’s chest expanded, lifting Pony’s head with it, sucking in a breath.

“Because I wanna tell you something, but I don’t got the words for it.” Pony nodded thoughtfully against his chest.

“Well then why don’t you try to explain, and I’ll try to put the puzzle ‘gether.”

“You.” Johnny abruptly stopped, and Pony patted his chest to get him to continue. “Safety. Soft. Trust. Warmth. Home.” Johnny flushed an even darker colour, sure he had said too much, too soon, when Pony sat up, and dragged Johnny by the shirt sleeve with him.

Johnny opened his mouth, probably to make things worse when Ponyboy shuts him down with a soft kiss press of the lips. Then he backed up again, and hid his face in his hands. Johnny followed him to the wall, and kissed him again, this time longer, but just as soft and sweet. More of a press of the mouth than anything else. Pony grinned, wider than should be humanly possible, and that broke the kiss. Johnny grabbed his shoulders, and Pony kissed him. Again. And Again.

Pony let out a giggle, his mouth tender and sore. They laid back down, Johnny’s strong arms enveloping Pony, making him feel safe. He understood the words that Johnny had said, because he felt them before he even knew what they meant.

“Goodnight Johnny Cade.”

Goodnight Ponyboy Curtis.”

~hope you enjoyed ! feel free to request anything ! i’m literally in every fandom known to man haha~

[sapphicgreaser]

Fight Like A Girl | Lily Winston

Words: 1,117

Plot summary: The gang don’t usually let Lily fight in rumbles but they’re down two people right now and they’re desperate to win, maybe the sister of their best fighter can help?

Basically the rumble but with Lily, also Johnny and Dally don’t die afterwards

“Can I please fight this time?!” Lily protested as Darry explained the rules for the rumble later that night,

“You know you can’t fight, Dally won’t let you” Two-Bit commented before joining back into the conversation.

“It’s not fair, Dallas isn’t my dad you know!”

“None of us want to be responsible for you getting hurt in the rumble, Dally would murder us without hesitation.” Ponyboy confirmed what Lily had already suspected was the reason they wouldn’t let her fight,

“But you’re already down two people, you need all the help you can get!”

“I’m sorry Lily but as much as we do need help, we’re not letting you fight tonight,” Darry consoled her.

“You’re letting Pony fight and he’s literally only out of the womb but I can’t fight cause I have a pussy! This is bullshit!” She yelled, taking her bag and storming out of the Curtis’ house. Pony wanted to go after her but the others told him to leave her alone so she could calm down and got back to the previous conversation.

Lily knew exactly where she was going as she practically stomped her way along the pavement. She got there in no time and made her way to the hospital’s reception,

“Hello, what room is Dallas Winston in?” She tried her best to seem cheerful in hopes the receptionist would trust her and let her see him,

“Are you family?” The receptionist asked,

“Yes, I’m his sister” Lily responded, slightly more irritated this time because she was starting to get impatient,

“He’s in room 205, it’s down the hall and to the left” Lily headed straight to the room without even thanking the receptionist.

“Hey Lils, what’s up?” Dally asked, sitting up as she walked into his room,

“Dallas, can I please fight in the rumble? Please, we’re already down two people and we really need everyone we can get if we want to beat the socs.” She pleaded, putting on her puppy dog eyes she used to use on Dally when she was little and wanted something from him.

“You do make a good point there but I don’t know if I should let you fight in the rumble, you’re a broad ya know?” Lily rolled her eyes at Dally’s response,

“It’s no weapons, I’m not gonna get hurt that much! Pony’s fighting and he’s like, what, 4?” She persisted, not willing to take no for an answer,

“Fine, just this once you can fight in the rumble” Dally gave in,

“Thank you!” She exclaimed, pulling Dally into the most careful hug she could as to not hurt his arm any more.

“Dallas said I can fight in the rumble!” Lily announced loudly as she walked into the Curtis’ house,

“Really?” Pony questioned, not quite believing her,

“Yep! Y’all can’t stop me from fighting now!”

“I’m not quite sure I believe you but I guess if you’re insisting we’ll tell you the game plan.” Darry sighed.

Lily tied her hair back into a bun so nobody could pull it and waited patiently for the guys to finish getting ready.

“Pony, Soda, y’all be careful. If the fuzz show you two get out of there.” Darry warned, making eye contact with his two kid brothers,

“And Lily,” he caught her attention, “this is your first rumble, go easy and don’t get too hurt, ok?” Lily nodded at him.

“Me and Lily’ll pick on a little one.” Pony assured Darry,

“Just cause I’m a girl doesn’t mean that I have to get a little one!” She argued back, offended that Pony saw her as weaker than the rest.

“What’s she doing here?” Tim asked, as they lined up for the rumble,

“I’m here to fight!” Lily announced. She couldn’t lie, she was probably way too excited to be in the rumble but she couldn’t help it, girls never fought in rumbles and Dallas had finally let her, it was like a dream come true for her.

“I’m ready to beat the shit out of some socs!” She exclaimed, the rest of her gang cheering at the thought.

The socs arrived soon after, pulling out of their fancy cars in no way dressed appropriately for a rumble, they looked like their mothers were bringing them to church not like they were about to fight. Lily snickered lightly as they lined up.

“You guys bring a cheerleader or something?” One of them asked, looking Lily up and down,

“This ‘cheerleader’ is gonna beat your ass.” She replied, hand on her hips,

“I’d like to see you try little girl,” he taunted,

“Oh really?” She took a step towards him as him and his friends laughed. Before the socs were even aware of what was happening Lily’s right fist collided with his face and the rumble was on.

Lily heard a familiar voice approaching just as one of the socs had captured her in a choke hold,

“Don’t you know a rumble ain’t a rumble without me!” Dally’s voice rung through everyone’s ears as he ran towards them, his arm still in a sling. Lily felt the soc’s arms being ripped off of her neck, she looked down to see the soc on the ground,

“Nobody, and I mean nobody, hurts my sister. You got that?” Dally warned, Lily adding a kick to the soc’s ribs for good measure. A punch suddenly brought Lily to the ground as Dally ran after another soc, she got up almost immediately, determined to show she wasn’t weak.

She looked around and saw Pony on a soc’s back trying to choke him and she quickly decided that that was a good strategy, she dodged punches until the time was right and then jumped on a shorter guy’s back. She started to choke him and kick his back until finally he fell, taking her with him, she hit her head on the ground but she wasn’t giving up just yet. A soc approached her, ready to throw a punch but before he could she kicked him in the stomach. He fell to the ground, winded, and that’s when Lily heard the sound of a group of people running away,

“Those fuckers better not have given up yet,” she mumbled to herself. She turned around to see the socs running to their cars, her group shouting at them as they did.

“We did it!” Darry shouted, turning to look at them all as they celebrated and Lily ran over to join them.

“You’re not too bad a fighter,” Two-Bit complimented Lily, slapping her on the back,

“Of course she’s not, she’s my sister!” Dally commented, putting an arm around her proudly,

“I think I’ll let you fight in rumbles more often.”