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STAND BY ME (Darry Curtis) Part 12

Fic Masterlist Here

Long overdue, but lots of fun and fluff for this one!! Catch up on Part 11 if you need to.

Taglist: @lovelylegolas2123 @amnestyliketaz @spuffyfan394, @sleeplessskeleton @glxssybby @emmi3love @dustygrant

Part 12

It’s rare that you are the one to open the store: Mr. Murphy was always the one to start the day. But he was down in Florida visiting a nephew, so you oversaw opening for the week. There was something so peaceful about the store before the sign was flipped over.

You always figured it was a bit of fate, you working here. The job was posted at the exact time you needed it the most, and you truly loved it. It was more than a place to make ends meet: until you moved into the Curtis house, the store was the only place that ever felt like home.

Thinking of home makes you think of Darry, specifically your conversation from the night before.

He had been hanging clothes when a shelf shifted and a few boxes came tumbling down, including the one holding your map to California and the small envelope of savings.

“It’s my California money.” You whisper when he asks you about it. “Every time I find a couple of extra bills, I put it in there. I’ve been saving for years. I want to see the ocean one day.” He doesn’t say anything at first, just pulls you into a hug and kisses your forehead. “I should be putting it towards a car anyway.”

“Let Steve and Soda know you’re looking. They talk to a lot of people at the DX, they might come across a good deal.”

“That’s a good idea.” He holds you for another minute, then leans back to look down at you.

“But…” He tucks a strand of hair behind your ear and tilts your head so you are looking right at him. “Don’t put it all towards the car, alright? You’re going to see the ocean one day. I promise.”

--

It’s been a busy morning and you are just starting to slow down when the door jingles and Two-Bit walks in. You raise one eyebrow, just like he taught you to do.

“No school today?”

“There was some school today.” He raises one eyebrow right back at you, then breaks into a goofy grin. “Steve said he’ll drive Pony home. Promises to be real nice too.”

“I’m sure.” You roll a few quarters and Two-Bit leans on the side of the counter.

“You know, it’s real easy to steal stuff here. Like this candy? You should move it back a bit.” He rearranges the boxes on the shelf, so the smaller candy is more towards the register, therefore easier to see if someone is trying to take it. “And don’t get me started on all the stuff you have in aisle five.”

“The stockboy sort of has a system.” You’d hate to throw the kid under the bus, but Two-Bit had a point. It wasn’t a great system.

“Yeah, well his system is shit.” He puts a nickel on the counter then pops a bubblegum into his mouth.

“You think you can do better?” You continue to roll up the coins. “Go ahead, if you’re skipping school, you might as well be useful.” You motion down the aisle and he breaks into a grin.

Twenty minutes later and both aisle five and six are completely rearranged and you have to admit, it looked good.

“Golly Two-Bit, if we were hiring, I think I’d tell Mr. Murphy to hire you. This looks really good.”

“And ruin my reputation as a bonafide bum? No deal.” He says but you can tell the compliment means something to him. “Besides, if I’m workin’ then who is watching your man’s back in a rumble?”

“Don’t remind me.” You groan. The rumble was two days away and every time you thought about it you had a pit in your stomach.

“Aw, you’re not still worried are you? It’s going to be a piece of cake. Darry probably won’t even break a sweat.”

“Y’all are too confident.”

“Nah, we just know what we’re up against. Shepard’s boys only need our help because half of them are in the cooler.”

“And how do I know you boys won’t end up in the cooler yourselves for fightin’?

“Cause we’re real fast runners.” He gives you the most obnoxious wink, that you start laughing despite yourself.

--

Saturday had come far too quickly for your liking, but you had accepted the rumble was happening whether you worried about it or not. And although you would never admit it, you did enjoy watching Darry get ready.

It wasn’t too often he let himself be a twenty one year old kid, greasing his hair up to go knock around some knuckleheads a few neighborhoods over. He bore so much responsibility, if this was his way of letting off some steam, who were you to truly judge it?

And the tight tee shirt was definitely an added bonus.

The four of you had eaten an early dinner after you came home from your shift and the boys were hanging in the living room, hyping themselves up before they would pile in Steve’s car to drive over.

Well, almost all of the boys.

The youngest Curtis had been in many different moods that week. Angry that Darry wouldn’t let him fight, happy that he would ‘still have all his front teeth by the age of twenty’, upset for being left out, and then just plain ol’ annoyed at everybody.

Right now, Ponyboy was shut in his room, claiming he had homework.

“Ponyboy? We’re leaving soon.” Soda knocks at the door but all he got was ‘fine’ in response. Soda shrugs and Darry crosses his arms in front of his broad chest.

“Give him some space,” You uncross Darry’s arms and wrap them around yourself instead. “I’ll make sure he’s not in there all night.”

“Don’t get into any trouble,” Darry smiles down at you and you raise an eyebrow.

“Shouldn’t that be my line?”

“I’ll be fine, baby.”

“Yeah, Superman can’t bruise up that pretty face now that he’s got a girl looking at it,” Two Bit makes kissy noises from the living room and Darry gives him the finger, but he pulls you in tighter. You smell his aftershave and you feel a little bold.

“The shirt looks nice,” you murmur against his chest and you can feel him smile against where he rests his chin against your head.

“Yeah? Maybe I’ll wear that next time I take you out.” He murmurs back and you pick your head up and whisper in his ear.

“You wear that shirt and we’re alone, we won’t make it out of the house.” Darry lets out a groan and although your cheeks are pink from what you said, you’re smiling.

“Alright boys, let’s go!” Steve is a ball of energy about the impending fight and the four boys start hollering from excitement.

“You’ll be careful?” You ask Darry.

“I promise. I love you.” He leans down for a long kiss that is just shy of indecent, only breaking when the boys start complaining and yelling at him to get in the car.

When the front door shuts the house feels oddly quiet. You know you could pick up some of the empty beer bottles, or start a load of laundry, but one look at Ponyboy’s door and you have a different idea.

“Pony?” You knock. “It’s just me.” He tells you to come in and you open the door, leaning against the frame.

He’s lying in the middle of the bed, staring at the ceiling and looking fairly miserable. 

“You wanna talk?” You offer.

“Not really.”

“You wanna go get Dairy Queen?”

“Really?” He sits up quickly and you nod.

“Come on, Darry left his keys to the truck and I could use some ice cream.”

--

“And it’s not that I want to fight, even though I’m real good at it,” For all Pony said he didn’t want to talk, he sure opened up after half of a chocolate milkshake.

You two had opted to eat your ice cream in the tailgate of the truck in the parking lot, watching people come and go. It was a cool night, but the chill of winter was finally gone for good.

“But Darry tells me he’s going to stop treatin’ me like a kid and then he goes and bans me from a rumble. I mean don’t you think that makes him a hypocrite?”

“A little. But it also makes him a good older brother. One who is responsible for making sure you stay safe.” You take another bite of your ice cream.

“Soda ain’t eighteen yet and he lets him fight.”

“Yeah. And I know it’s not fair to say it’s different with him…” you trail off, not quite sure how to finish.

“But it is. S’alright.” Pony takes another large sip of his milkshake and sighs. “Mom and Dad wouldn’t have let me fight either, not in a million years.”

“Oh yeah?” Of all of the Curtis brothers, Ponyboy talked about his parents the least and you were interested in what he had to say.

“Yeah. Mom didn’t like the idea of any of us fighting, but let dad teach Darry and Soda in the backyard. She knew the neighborhood and knew it was a matter of time before they’d be in a scuffle.” He smiles, looking lost in the memory. “I remember watching them out the window, trying to copy every move they did. I was always so jealous of them for sharing a room, so I would practice in my own room. Beat up a few teddy bears.”

You both share a laugh, and he carries on. You and Pony had always gotten along, but it was the first night you felt like you truly got to know him. And you quickly learn he has a lot of words when he talks about something he’s interested in.

“I didn’t know until I was older, but Mom had a difficult birth with me. I guess I came out foot first instead of head. It was pretty bad, and after they patched her up, the doctors said she wasn’t having any more kids. So I was the baby forever. She worried about me a lot more than Darry and Soda, I think.”

It made a lot of sense, actually. Even though he had been through so much and wasn’t really that young any more, Darry and Soda still always handle him with kid gloves and worry about him more than most.

“So she didn’t let you fight?”

“Nope. Dad wouldn’t teach me either. Soda tried when he was ten and I was almost eight, but Mom caught him about to give me a right hook in the living room and she grounded him so bad that he never did it again.”

“So how’d you learn?” You ask, though you were starting to think you knew the answer.

“Darry. I was ten and some kids were messing with me on the walk home from school. I tried to throw a punch and almost cracked my head open on the ground. Darry happened to be in some Soc car, getting a ride home from football practice. He leaped out of the car and knocked the kid right out.”

“That doesn’t surprise me one bit.” You laugh and Pony does too. “So he taught you after that? Behind your parents back?” Pony nods and finishes his milkshake, and you take the last few bites of your ice cream.

You sit in comfortable silence for a few more minutes and you almost suggest heading back, when Pony speaks up in a quiet voice.

“When they died, Darry didn’t smile for a real long time. Sometimes Soda could get it outta him, but mostly he was tired and serious and all sorts of worried. But when you guys got together he started smiling more again.” Your eyes fill with tears that you try to blink away before Pony sees them.

“He makes me smile more too. All of you do. And I know I’ve said it, but I really do appreciate y’all letting me stay in your house.”

“S’your house too now.” Pony says simply, like the sentence doesn’t make your heart swell. “Besides, I kinda like havin’ an older sister.”

You put your arm around him and pull him close, knowing you’re going to remember this conversation for the rest of your life.

“Well I sure like having you for a little brother.”

--

Miraculously, no one is badly injured during the rumble, even though you check them all over twice to make sure. Steve has a bag of frozen peas on his left eye and Two Bit needs peroxide for a cut on his wrist, but Darry and Soda don’t even get a scratch.

They go over the highlights, but don’t go into too much detail and you’re sure it’s a combination of not wanting to scare you and not wanted to rub it in Pony’s face.

“You didn’t miss us too bad, did you Ponyboy?” Soda asks, pulling his younger brother in close.

“Nah, we had too much fun at Dairy Queen.”

There was an uproar at that, Two Bit and Soda outranged you would go without them and Pony just laughs and teases them with how good his chocolate shake was.

Darry comes back into the living room, fresh from a shower and wraps his strong arms around you. He rests his chin on your shoulder.

“Dairy Queen, huh?”

“Mhm. It was nice. He’s a really good kid, Darry.” Though at the moment, this good kid was chasing the other boys out on to the front porch and probably waking up the neighbors. You turn around in Darry’s arms and look up into his magnetic eyes. “He told me he likes having an older sister.”

Darry’s eyes go warm and he gives you that look that always makes you melt.

“Guess I better work on making that official, huh?” You feel yourself flushing, but you know Darry is being completely honest. It gives you the courage to answer:

“Guess so.”

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I'm baaaaack

The past couple months have been stressful in a way I have never really dealt with before, and with a background of terrifying political changes, I felt like I was swimming upstream. I had no time to breathe, let alone write.

But over the last few weeks I realized this is what I NEED. So I am back, I will be posting an update today and I am really excited to keep telling this story. Thank you to everyone still reading and remember to take care of yourselves in these crazy times.

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sometimes i’m okay and then i think about the most recent time i saw the outsiders where trevor wayne was ponyboy and jason schmidt was sodapop and after johnny died, ponyboy just collapsed to the ground and soda hugged him and rocked him back and forth while whispering “it’s okay pony” over and over again while ponyboy just sat there blankly staring straight out…yeah i don’t think i’m ever gonna get over that

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Working on an update for hopefully this week…November has been a blink of an eye but I surely have not forgotten about this story :)

And I’ve been getting random inspirations for more stories as well….

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One time someone tried to rob the DX, but Soda and Steve thought the guy was joking, so they just laughed at him.

After like five minutes of trying, the guy just gave up and went down the street to another station.

The next morning Soda and Steve saw the news and were like "damn bro, he was actually fr 😭"

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two-bit: trust us, dar. have we ever put you in an unsafe and uncomfortable position?

darry: all the time.

dallas: then you should be used to it.

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Every photo I have of my wife Darry on my computer

I ran out of room. Imma make a part 2

Part 2 ->

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THE OUTSIDERS (1983) Dir. Francis Ford Coppola

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In celebration of Brody's first day back after leave, I made a gif set of the boys being silly together.

It started as Brent and Jason and Brody being brothers but I wanted to have all the cast of greasers having fun and being friends.

Let me know if y'all want more because I have some more already made and have some other videos I might gif.

Enjoy and wishing Brody an awesome show.

(Also I would love some audio of the show today if anyone happens to go!)

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STAND BY ME (Darry Curtis) PART 11

Fic Materlist Here

This part is definitely the longest one so far! It was really fun to picture the entire scene going down and I hope it comes across in writing how I pictured it. I really enjoy this little world and am so happy you are all enjoying as well. Thank you for every like and comment <3

Taglist : @lovelylegolas2123 @amnestyliketaz @spuffyfan394, @sleeplessskeleton

PART 11

Your interactions with Tim Shepard have, up until today, been limited to him buying things at the store. He is older than you, so you never shared classes and truth be told, he sort of terrifies you.

You are pretty sure Darry isn’t afraid of anything except losing his brothers, so he doesn’t seem shaken at all when he walks out the front door, shutting it tight behind him.

You notice Pony moving into the living room and you peek your head around the corner.

“Can you hear him?” Pony mumbles and Soda nods. Pony carefully walks over to where Soda is standing next to the open window and they both quietly sit on the floor.

You realize they plan on eavesdropping on their brother, and you walk over ready to blow their cover and have them move, when you hear Tim Shepard say:

“Her old man owes over three thousand dollars to Ray Desmond. That ain’t a guy you want to owe.”

You feel like your knees are about to give out. You’re frozen to the spot and unable to stop listening to the conversation. You feel Pony and Soda’s eyes on you, knowing they figured it out as well, but you can’t stop staring at the door.

“She’s got no part in that. I don’t want his goons coming after her.” Darry sounds tough, and angrier than you’ve ever heard him before.

“I already spread it around that she’s Darry Curtis’ girl and she doesn’t have a damn clue where her daddy is. But that doesn’t mean Ray’s boys won’t come asking.”

“If she had the money, she’d pay it just to bail out her dad and keep herself safe. But she doesn’t.” You can’t see Darry but you know he’s likely running his hand through his hair and looking up to the sky in frustration. “Hell, we could rob everyone’s wallets from here to the county line and we won’t get three thousand dollars.”

“I don’t run with Ray’s boys but I know he keeps a tight leash on them and he has enough standards for a bookie that he won’t hurt her if she really doesn’t know anything. But if her daddy comes back to town, he’s sealing his own coffin.”

Darry lets out a swear and it’s quiet for a minute until he clears his throat.

“Guess I owe you pretty big then.”

“It’s set for next Saturday. Clinton Park at 7.”

“I’ll be there.”

Soda and Pony move quickly, both clamoring to stand up and away from the window, but they aren’t quick enough. Darry walks in, sees the three of you in the living room and sighs.

“Are you kidding me.”

“The window was open,” Pony tries.

“What’s set for next Saturday?” Soda narrows his eyes at his older brother.

“Did you tell Tim Shepard to find out who my dad owes money to?” You ask, knowing the answer but needing to hear it from Darry himself.

Darry looks between the three of you and shakes his head, walking towards the kitchen to the forgotten supper.

“Can we talk about this later?” Darry’s irritated, but he’s not off the hook with any of you. All three of you follow him.

“Is it the rumble with the Carter boys? Are you fighting with the Shepard gang?”

“How do you know about that?” Darry asks Soda, who shrugs and raises his eyebrows, waiting for confirmation. It clicks for you exactly why Darry would be fighting in a rumble, and you see red.

“Did you make a deal with Tim that you’d be in a rumble for him?” You know your voice is getting louder, and somewhere in the back of your mind it registers that this is your and Darry’s first major argument.

“We’ll talk about it later.” Darry starts scooping mashed potatoes from the pot and slamming them on to a plate. “Y’all start eating.”

“You can’t be in a rumble by yourself, what if you get hurt!” Pony looks worried.

“Don’t worry Pony, I’m going with him.” Soda is confident and you swear his chest puffs out a little. “Steve and Two will too.”

“What about me?” Pony asks.

“No.” Darry shuts him down and he gets a piece of chicken fried steak. He turns to Soda. “And we’ll talk about you and the others. Make a plate.”

“Come on Darry!” Pony whines.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were going to talk to Tim?” You ignore Darry’s request to talk about it later.

“Damnit, can we just eat before I get an interrogation from every person here?” Darry’s voice is loud again, but it doesn’t scare you. It just adds the fuel to your fire.

“How could you agree to a rumble just for information on my father? What in the world would make you think I would be okay with this?”

Darry slams his plate on the table and takes a deep breath.

“Tim did something for me, I’ll do something for him. It was my choice and whoever choses to fight, it’s their choice too.”

“I choose-“ Pony starts.

“Not you.” Darry cuts him off.

“Well I’m so glad y’all have your choices.” You can see in Darry’s expression when he realizes your voice has gone from hot anger to ice cold.  “Seems the only one without a choice is me.”

“That’s not true-“

“And when someone gets hurt? It’s my fault because this was all done for me. And I don’t want it!” Your voice is back to anger and you can feel tears pricking in the corner of your eyes.

Across the table Darry seems to be cooling off. You’ve always been good at reading him, even when he was just an acquaintance coming into the store. The angry glint in his eyes starts to fade, replaced by a warm look of concern.

But while he is calming down, you are heating up.

“Do you think I feel better because I know how much my dad owes? Who he owes?”

“Honey,” Darry steps around the table but you take two steps back.

“How am I going to get that money? Three thousand fucking dollars. Jesus!” You know you’re breaking down, and your mind is yelling at you to stop but you just can’t. Words keep coming out of you like a faucet you can’t turn off. “This is such a goddamn mess!”

“Sweetheart,” Darry is within reaching distance of you know but you furiously shake your head.

“I need some fresh air.” His face crumbles and even though you are angry, you take a breath. “Just the porch, Darry. I promise.”

Darry had once confided in you that ever since Pony ran out the night he slapped him, Darry had been terrified of people leaving and never coming back. That the days Pony was gone were some of his worst, even worse than the days after his parents died.

You were upset, but you still loved him more than anything. And you would never try to hurt him on purpose.

You walk out the door, shutting it firmly behind you and throw yourself into the old lawn chair. The sun is hanging low in the Oklahoma sky, casting a brilliant mix of colors across the neighborhood.

A pack of cigarettes and an old lighter lay on the overturned cooler-turned-table. You recognize the brand as the one Pony favors, and you reach into the box, taking one and lighting it up before you can really think it through.

Smoking isn’t something you do often – you’ve tried it a few times and never liked the aftertaste, but you can’t deny that it does take the edge off when you need it to.

The door opens and put your cigarette out in the ashtray. You are both surprised and somehow not surprised to see Soda and his kind smile.

“Mind if I have a seat?” You nod and he hands you a blanket. “Darry didn’t want you gettin’ cold.”

“Thanks.” You recognize the old plaid blanket as your favorite one in the house and your heart warms a little that Darry must have caught on that you always gravitate towards that one.

“You know, I love my brothers the same. And I’d do just about anything for them. But glory, they are stubborn.” You let out a laugh and his smile grows.

“Especially that older one.” You sigh. “Soda?”

“Yeah?”

“What happens in a rumble? I mean, I know y’all fight but…how bad does it get?” The longer you sit out here, the more it bothers you and you can’t shake the feeling of dread.

“Aw, it ain’t so bad. Especially a skin rumble. Steve’s broken his nose twice, and Two Bit usually gets a black eye for running his mouth while punching. But Darry never gets hit too bad, he can knock a grown man out with one punch.”

“I don’t know how much better I feel about that,” You admit, but the pit in your stomach does get a little lighter. “Why won’t he let Pony fight?” Soda’s expression falls.

“Last time…well, last time Pony really shouldn’t have fought at all. He had just gotten back from bein’ on the run, and he was real tired and got pretty sick after. But Johnny and Dallas died that night too, so it was just…” He trails off.

“Just a lot going on?”

“Yeah. Darry was real scared about it though, so he doesn’t want Pony anywhere near a fight. Even a clean one.” You mull it over for a minute.

“Soda, if any of you get hurt…I don’t see how I can forgive myself.”

“You’re not makin’ us do anythin’. Darry agreed for Tim, and we got his back. Just how it goes.” He says it easily, and you guess he had a point.

“I’m sorry I yelled at Darry in front of you and Pony. And that I dropped the f word.” Soda gives you that movie-star smile and shakes his head.

“We have heard that word before, you know.” You both share a laugh. “Darry’s just always trying to fix everything. We called him superman even before our parents died.”

“I do love that about him. Even when…” You trail off.

“Even when he drives you crazy?” Soda offers and you nod. “That’s alright. My dad used to drive my mom crazy all the time. But they always worked it out. That’s what love is.”

--

Darry is attacking the laundry when you softly open the door. You see four piles – Darry, Soda, Ponyboy…and you.

“Hi,” He looks up at your quiet greeting. His eyes are guarded, but kind.

“Hey.” Darry answers. He puts down the faded high school shirt into the Ponyboy pile and jams his hands into his jean pockets. You know that’s a tell-tale sign that he’s nervous.

“Can we talk?” He nods. “I apologized to Soda and I’ll talk to Pony tomorrow, but I never should have yelled at you in front of them. Or swore. I’m sorry.”

“What? No baby, you don’t have to be sorry.” Darry takes a tentative step closer to you and you realize you need to feel his arms around you more than anything. So, you close the gap between the two of you and sink into his embrace. He lets out a soft relieved sigh when you do. “I shouldn’t have raised my voice. And I should have told you I went to Tim.”

“Why did you go to him?” You ask and Darry pulls back a little, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.

“Because I was scared to death. When you showed up in the middle of the night, and I hear Steve screamin’ and you’re covered in cuts and can barely breathe?” His eyes are darker and even though you were there, hearing the events of the night from him sends a shiver down your spine. “That night when I dropped you home and the house was dark…I didn’t have a good feelin’. And then everything happened…”

“It wasn’t your fault.” You reach up to touch his face and his eyes close for a minute as he leans into your touch. “This is all my dad.”

“And I went to Tim to confirm that the men were after your dad, not you.” Darry’s expression is pleading, needing you to understand. You feel tears start to form again. “I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, and if that means knocking a few guys from Louisville Heights, that’s not a problem. You’re worth it, you hear me?” You swear his captivating eyes are staring right into your soul. “You’re always worth it.”

You nod and he pulls you closer, lifting you slightly from the floor as he moves towards the bed. He sits at the edge of the bed and pulls you on to his lap. You take a few deep breaths as he runs his hands up and down your back.

“My dad’s not coming back, is he?”

“It’s…probably better if he doesn’t.” Darry is putting it delicately and you appreciate it. You know you can never go back to your house, that you would never be able to sleep and always be terrified about another break in, or worse. As if he’s reading your mind, Darry pulls you a little closer. “You can stay here.”

“For how long?”

“Forever?” Darry asks and you can feel your eyes go wide and mouth drop slightly open.

“Darry Curtis, you can’t just ask me to move in! We just had our first big fight!”

“And now we’re makin’ up.” Darry buries his head in the crook of your neck and you can feel him grinning against you.

“It’s one thing to stay a few days while things get sorted, but move in permanently?”

“People do it all the time.” Darry starts kissing up and down your collarbone.

“Married people.”

“Well-“

“Darry, do not finish that sentence.” You hear his low chuckle and you feel like this whole evening has given you emotional whiplash. He leans his head back again and smiles up at you, one of those lazy smiles that you so rarely get to see.

“I’m not asking right now, but honey, you know I already planned on doing it one day.” You certainly did not know that. “And if you’re more comfortable moving in with a ring on your finger, we’ll just speed up the timeline a bit.”

“It’s not about--oh my--I mean--Darry.” He’s back to kissing your neck as you are having a near-crisis. “If we get married, I then become another guardian for Pony and Soda. You need to talk to them about it, make sure they are okay with it, before we even think about…you know…timelines.” You finish lamely and it doesn’t help that you can feel him smiling against your jaw. He leans back and rests his forehead against yours.

“So you’ll stay?”

And you hear it in his voice: how much he wants this. How the need to protect you may have been the catalyst for you moving in, but staying for the long haul is something he desperately wants.

You understand the feeling because you want it just as bad. You want the good days and the hard days and the regular old days in between. You want to come home to Darry and you want Darry to come home to you. It seems simple when you really think about it.

“I’ll stay. Always.”

NEXT: Settling into the Curtis house/life, thinking about Darry's talk of timelines and the outcome of the rumble with the Shepard boys.

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sky dressing up as cherry today has me in tears

📷: @/andret.malcolm (insta!)

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The piggy back ride isn’t talked about enough.

Everything is forgotten in between fights and they’re just— so siblings at the end of the day. Even if Darry has to parent now and even if they fight more than the every had it’s in such a- sibling way that’s hard to explain if you don’t have any. That makes it all the more touching that while he’s parentified Darry is still a big brother

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they’re actually the curtis brothers ever

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Modern day Ponyboy and Darry:

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sobbing violently

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@dairyfairyy i said the same thing !!!

was looking at my pics from previews and totally forgot that they used to have brent & jason bow with emma 😭 i love emma's solo bow now, but justice for this trio!!

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STAND BY ME (Darry Curtis) PART 10

Truly can not believe we are at Part 10!! This fandom is such a gift and y'all are inspiring me to post a few one shots in different Curtis POVs (but don't worry this story isn't going anywhere...especially because I am very excited about the next chapter).

Taglist : @lovelylegolas2123 @amnestyliketaz @spuffyfan394, @sleeplessskeleton

PART 10

“Ponyboy, get down from that ladder.”

“You said I could do the edges.”

“The floor edges,” Darry sighs. “I’ll take care of the ceiling ones.”

“I can do it.” But as Ponyboy says it, he starts to wobble and you hold your breath as the ladder shakes. A few drops of pale blue paint fall onto kitchen floor.

Darry gives him a look. The youngest brother starts to climb down the ladder.

It turns out, painting was a far bigger process than you thought. You and Darry had spent Saturday night fixing the cracks in the walls and washing off years of grease splatters. Now it was Sunday and Soda begged for you all to wait until he was finished his morning shift, so you found yourselves painting well into the afternoon.

“This color looks real nice.” Soda smiles, admiring the section of the wall he finished. “Like a happy sort of blue.”

“You did a swell job.” You barely see any of the brush strokes. “You like painting?”

“I guess so.”

“Good because we’ll need to do the garage this summer.” Darry stretches both hands above his head and you hear a pop.

“Are you alright Darry?” You don’t bother hiding the concern in your voice. You always got on Darry to rest during his day off, and here he is doing more work. “How about we finish this tomorrow. It’s only the edges left anyway.”

“I can do it tonight, just need a minute.” He stretches again and you see him try to hide a grimace.

“Come on Darry, I’ll work out the knots for ya.” Soda offers and you put the lid on the paint can and carefully set your brush down.

After a dinner of sandwiches and an hour of tv, painting had lost its appeal to Soda and Pony, but Darry insisted on finishing before the night was over.

You had finished the floor edges and he was nearly finished the ceiling when you hear the front door open.

“I go out of town for one weekend and a girl moves in and the kitchen is blue.” Two-Bit’s drawl enters the room before he does. He swings an arm across your shoulders. “You okay?”

He’s causal about the question, but you’ve gotten to know him enough to see the concern in his eyes.

“I’m alright.” You shrug. “I just wish I knew what sort of trouble my dad is in.”  Out of the corner of your eye you see Darry pause for a moment. You’ll ask him about it later.

“Saw a sign when I was on Easton.” Two-Bit opens the fridge to get a beer, careful to not let the door hit the wall. “The Drive In is opening back up soon.”

Darry finishes up the last few brush strokes and climbs down the ladder, offering a ‘hm’ in response. Two-Bit takes a swig of his beer.

“You think Pony will be up to the Friday night double when it opens? Finally get out of the house?”

“No.” Darry says firmly and you bite your bottom lip, wishing you were closer to the edge of the room and could easily slip out. “He ain’t ever going to that drive in again.”

“Come on-“

“No. Not after what happened last time.” Darry drops the paintbrush into the bucket of water and closes the lid on the paint can.

“That wasn’t the drive-in’s fault.” You knew Two-Bit meant well but you also knew the set of Darry’s jaw meant he wasn’t interested in discussing it.

“It certainly didn’t help. He ain’t going.”

“Alright.” Two-Bit must have seen Darry wasn’t budging. He finishes his beer with one final chug. “Was only mentioning it.”

Later, you and Darry sit on his bed as he changes the bandages on your arm.

“It looks better that yesterday.” He brings your arm up slightly and inspects the cuts. “You might only need the bandages for another day or two.” You hiss when the peroxide hits the cuts and Darry grimaces in sympathy. “Sorry sweetheart.”

“It’s alright,” you get out through clenched teeth. He kisses your forehead after it’s over and when he takes the first aid kit back to the bathroom, you change into your pajamas.

Darry had showed you two empty drawers to put your things in and you got a small thrill from unpacking your few items into them. It was probably silly since you would only be there a few days, but something felt right having your clothes next to his.

Your head rests on his chest and he mindlessly plays with your hair before he takes a deep breath.

“It’s not like I don’t want Pony to have a social life.”

You knew it had been on his mind since his conversation with Two-Bit and you knew Darry was never one to share the burden of his thoughts with anyone.

Except you.

“I know honey.”

“And spring track will start soon, that will get his mind on straight and get him out of the house.”

“That will be great for him.”

“It’s bad enough he has to see all of those Socs in school. Goin’ to the drive in would be askin’ for trouble.” You nod against Darry’s chest. “I mean, you’ve been to the drive in-“

“I haven’t.” You say and Darry’s hands stop running through your hair.

“You haven’t?”

“I always worked the late shift on Fridays, even in high school. And on Saturdays I would try to pick up babysitting jobs. I had a few friends who would go and tell me about it, but I could just…never make it.” When you say it out loud it sounds a lot worse than it actually was, and you try to tell Darry that when he says something that surprises you.

“Then we should go.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. You deserve to at least see if you like it.” You snuggle in a little closer to his chest and decide to be brave.

“Maybe we should all go. You, me, Soda…and Pony.” Darry lets out a low breath and you give him a few minutes to mull it over.

“Maybe.” He says but it sounds more like a maybe-yes than a maybe-no.

--

Mornings in the Curtis household tended to be chaotic. Your schedule changes each day, so you never had a set routine but you figured with the boys generally having the same schedule, they would have it figured out.

You were wrong.

“Darry! Where are my jeans?” Soda slides through the kitchen in nothing but a wet towel and drips all over the floor. Pony immediately steps in one of the puddles and grimaces.

“Now I need new socks!” He rips off his wet socks and stomps down the hall, shoving a piece of toast in his mouth.

“Soda, if you aren’t dressed in three minutes I am leaving you and you can hitch hike to work.” Darry balances his coffee in one hand and tucks in his shirt with the other. “Your jeans are in my closet, I ironed last night.”

A loud honk comes from the front.

“Pony! Steve will leave without you if you don’t get out here!” Darry shouts into the room and you slide a piece of buttered toast over to him.

“Where’s that grocery list?” You sort through a stack of papers on the coffee table.

“Don’t buy too much, you can I can take the car out this weekend for a big trip.” Darry finishes the toast in record time. “I don’t want you carrying all of the bags home.”

“Mr. Murphy is letting me borrow his car after work, I’ll be fine.” You assure him. The horn outside sounds for longer.

“Ponyboy! Now!” Darry calls down the hall before pulling out his wallet. “Alright, here’s money for the food-“

“I got it.” You shake your head and he gives you a look. “Darry, I’ve been here five days, just let me do this-“

“Sodapop Curtis, you have thirty seconds!” Soda comes out of the bedroom, mostly dressed and looks around for his shoes. “Honey, I’m not letting you pay for everyone-“

“Where’s my backpack?” Pony is tearing apart the living room.

“Here,” you locate the backpack and hand it to him. He runs out the front door towards an impatient Steve.

“Do we have any toast left?” Soda asks and you point to the two pieces on the counter. He shoves both in his mouth before putting his DX hat on his head and walking out the front door.

“I love you. I’ll see you later,” Darry gives you a quick kiss and then he’s out the door as well. When you look back at the grocery list on the table, you see he left a ten-dollar bill on top. You shake your head and decide to use the money to get some extra things to stock the cabinets.

And maybe buy more hair conditioner because you had a sneaking suspicion the younger two Curtis brothers were using yours.

--

Thursday night saw everyone home at a decent time for dinner, which you and Soda elect yourselves in charge of. Darry sits at the table sorting through bills and Pony makes various groaning noises at his math worksheet.

“Are we thinking green or red?” Soda eyes the box of food dye and the pot of potatoes he’s currently mashing.

“Green.” You answer, flipping the chicken fried steak in the pan. It’s an old pan and it’s starting to smoke up the tiny kitchen. You make a mental note to see if the general store has any pans on clearance when you go in the next day. “Soda, you mind opening some windows? The pan is smoking up again.”

“Got it,” Soda opens the back one and heads to the living room to open more. “Hey Darry?” you hear him call. “How come Tim Shepard is coming to our door?”

NEXT: Oh Darry why did you keep your 'find out info for me and I'll rumble for you' deal a secret....