#mrs. curtis

[chained-sweater]

jane (mrs. curtis): *trying to brush sodapop's hair* why is your hair so tangled?

sodapop, five years old: i dunno. glue, maybe?

jane: ...did you put glue in your hair?

sodapop: yes.

[chaotic-starlight24]

Dallas Winston Backstory Headcanons Part 3

Part 1, Part 2, General Headcanons

Here is my last part of his backstory headcanons :)

Warnings: None I think

Making it to Tulsa

Eventually he made it to Tulsa, OK at the age of 13 ¾. He had no plan to stay there very long. He had made it to the south so now he just planned to travel around. That was until he went to swipe something from a corner store. Suddenly the manager was right behind him.

“Hey buddy, ya can’t be doin that here.”

Dally just gave him a look, “I was, uh, going to pay Mr…Curtis?”

Did Darrel Curtis Sr. believe him? Nope. Not at all. But he could tell this kid was not from here. With that new yorker accent he was out of place. He saw that this kid hadn’t just moved here. He was alone and afraid no matter how tough he pretended to be. So he let him go and told his wife to look out for him in case she saw him.

Mrs. Curtis did eventually see him when he wandered into the diner and offered him a free meal. He hadn’t eaten in a couple days so he accepted, but was still very skeptical. She tried to ask him what he was doing in Tulsa, where he was from, yada yada. But he was of course very defensive. 

Eventually one of her kids named Sodapop came in with some of his friends. These guys named Two-Bit and Steve. Dally tried to steer himself away from them. But they welcomed him over and soon enough Dally found himself cracking a grin at their stupid jokes. He was still very untrusting, he expected that he would have to disappear soon anyways. But he found himself meeting more people.

Soon enough he met the rest of their “gang”. It was very different from any gang he had ever been in. Not that he included himself in their group. He found himself becoming very drawn to one of the younger boys. Johnny Cade. He saw himself in him, a young and more sensitive version. Dally found himself worried about him. If he was as sensitive as Johnny was he wouldn’t have survived. Johnny also took a shine to him and Dally found himself being followed around. He learned more about him and found out just how tough he really was.

He met Buck through rodeos and became sorta friends with him. He found out Buck had an extra room and bullied him into giving it to him. A 14 year old bullying a 21 year old is quite the sight.

He also met Tim Shephard, in a fight. They beat each other to a pulp after one pickpocketed the other. Afterwards they were like “Hey! I like your style!” They've been frenemies ever since.

He very quickly learned the greaser way from the gang and grew out his hair. But he never cared to grease it. He thought it made it off-color.

He was very close to the Mrs. Curtis and would help her out no matter what the task was. Her and her husband were what made Dally believe that maybe he could stay there. Though he would occasionally have mood swings and not want to talk to her or look at her because he saw his bio mom in her. He truly wished that his bio mom had stood up for herself and not fallen to addiction. 

He was close to Mr. Curtis as well. Not as close but he still trusted him. Mr. Curtis was also a big fan of movies and everything, especially James Dean. So sometimes they would sit on the porch and ramble a bit about him and his movies.

He sort of scared Pony and also just had some dislike for him. He would be rude to him or just flat out ignore him. Usually the gang would get onto him for it but the main reason was that he would be reminded of his own younger siblings. The ones he left behind and now didn’t even know if they were alive. One of his sisters was the exact same age as Pony as well. So Pony grew up believing Dally really was just this delinquent who hated little kids and showed little care. Which was somewhat true…

He was influenced by Shephard’s gang and other more “hood-like” greasers and though the gang didn’t like it, definitely returned to his illegal pastimes. 

[pumpkinsy0]

ponys parents rlly died in a “fuck around n find out” type way cause tf were u doin playin around on train tracks like that for🤨

[skyguygeneraltano]

Random headcanon

Like imagine Darry being like 15 or so was assigned reading Romeo and Juliet for English

One day the book was just gone. Darry is just freaking out and tearing the place apart

But then he goes to Pony’s room and there is nine year old Ponyboy with the book in his hands

Darry is just so annoyed and confused because surely a 4th grader couldn’t understand Shakespeare? Why would Ponyboy take it?

But no he opens it to see the book was filled with Pony’s 4th grade writing in the margins

Darry is just infuriated because not only Ponyboy stole his book but wrote in it…

Time to bring in the parents

Mr. Curtis gave Ponyboy the lecture of not touching your older siblings belongings blah blah

But Mrs. Curtis looked closer at the book and realized Ponyboy wasn’t just writing random stuff, that boy was annotating it

Pointing out literary devices most fourth graders wouldn’t know like motifs, anaphoras, symbolism, epistrophes

The themes of the novel and motivation of the characters

That was the moment she realized that perhaps she should talk to Ponyboy’s teachers about putting him in some of the higher level classes

[gre4zerz]

Something that definitely happened:

Little Soda: What is that? *gesturing towards a newly born Ponyboy*

Mrs. Curtis: That's your little brother, dear.

Little Darry: I'm not related to that thing, he looks like a potato. I don't want to be a double older brother, take him back to the store!

[hansensgirl]

❆ 𝑭.𝑯: 𝑫𝑨𝑹𝑲 𝑪𝑶𝑵𝑪𝑬𝑷𝑻𝑺 (𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑)

psstt! — minors, do not interact! 18+ only, just like my blog. do not plagiarize, copy, translate, repost, copy or recreate my writing on any other public platforms. heed the warnings, and remember you are responsible for your media consumption.

info. — in honour of the holiday season, mr. hansen has decided to open requests! how kind is he? they will be posted in the next week or so, and will be written by me (sab). if you ask nicely, the man himself will even make an appearance!

format. — the requests will be submitted to this form. you will select one character, one AU (if desired), one dialogue prompt, and one kink/key element. all concepts will be dark, no matter what. there is an option for you to leave your username so i can tag you when i post your request. you may always remain anonymous. all prompts were created by me, please don’t use them without my permission.

time. — concepts will be written and posted as fast as possible. by january 7th, 2024, they should all be completed. please bear with me, as i can be quite a slow writer. thank you for your patience.

note. — concepts that are bolded and have three asterisks (***) will be turned into full fics. the list can be found under the ‘read more’ cut, along with all the drabbles i’ve posted.

the form is now closed. thank you for all the submissions! requests will be posted in the next two weeks.

show mr. hansen your gratitude by sending a request! isn't he such a sweet man?

NAVIGATION. ❆ @hansensfics. ❆ NEON PALM.

Andy Barber + Yandere + “Think an old man like me can keep up?” + conditioning/grooming.

Andy Barber + Roommate/Tenant + “Isn’t it beautiful? Bullet proof, too.” + dumbification.

Andy Barber + Bookstore + “Come out, come out, wherever you are!” + kidnapping.

Natasha Romanoff + Neighbours + “I’ll always love you, even if you don’t feel that way. But you will.” + sex pollen.

Johnny Storm + Sugar Daddy + “The night’s still young.” + obsession.

Jake Jensen + Step-brother + “C’mere. I can’t see you from all the way over there.” + thigh riding.

Steve Rogers + Stepfather + “Don’t you think you’re a little too old to be playing this game?” + face-sitting.

Natasha Romanoff + Mob boss + “I think I like you better when you’re gagged and crying on my dick.” + humiliation.

Steve Rogers + Boyfriend’s dad + “You’re so cute when you’re struggling like that.” + cum-play.

Lloyd Hansen + Yandere + “I’ll always love you, even if you don’t feel that way. But you will.” + sir kink.

Ari Levinson + Dad’s best friend + “I dreamt of you last night. Every night.” + daddy kink.

Andy Barber + Professor + “You want something from me? You gotta ask nicely.” + abuse of power.

Andy Barber + Dad’s best friend + “I just want to take care of you.” + daddy kink.

Steve Rogers + no AU + “Don’t be a brat.” + manhandling.

Lloyd Hansen + Sugar Daddy + “Merry fucking Christmas, princess.” + captivity.

Steve Rogers + Mob boss + “I just want to take care of you.” + stockholm syndrome.

Curtis Everett + Boxer + “C’mere. I can’t see you from all the way over there.” + dom/sub.

Lloyd Hansen + No AU + “Merry fucking Christmas, princess.” + daddy kink.

Lloyd Hansen + Sugar Daddy + “That’s no way to speak to your future husband.” + daddy kink.

Robert Pronge/Mr. Freezy + Amnesia + “Don’t you love it when I touch you like this?” + stockholm syndrome.

Pete Brenner + Camgirl + “I can’t help it, I love you too much.” + dumbification.

Lloyd Hansen + Mob boss + “I love hearing you beg. You’re much sweeter that way.” + pet play.

Lloyd Hansen + Mob/mafia + “You have no idea what you do to a man like me.” + overstimulation.

Andy Barber + Boyfriend’s dad + “Come out, come out, wherever you are!” + cheating.

Ransom Drysdale + Step-brother + “Don’t you love it when I touch you like this?” + innocence.

Steve Rogers + Yandere + “You know what I hate more than broken promises? Liars.” + kidnapping.***

Pete Brenner + Camboy + “You ask too many questions. Just relax.” + drugging.

Lloyd Hansen + Maid + “Where do you think you’re going?” + abuse of power.

Johnny Storm + College/University + “I thought you hated me.” + stalking.

Ari Levinson + Stepfather + “Don’t be a brat.” + vaginal sex.

Steve Rogers + Fake Marriage + “What did you just say?” + sex pollen.***

Jake Jensen + Neighbour + “I had to—you gave me no other option.” + obsession.

Lloyd Hansen + Sugar Daddy + “Isn’t this so pretty? It reminded me of you.” + daddy kink.

Lloyd Hansen + Neighbour + “The least you could do is be grateful.” + humiliation.

Ransom Drysdale + Yandere + “Merry fucking Christmas, princess.” + captivity.

Ari Levinson + Soulmate + “Don’t fight me. You’ll only make it worse for yourself.” + overstimulation.

Steve Rogers + Boyfriend’s dad + “You have no idea what you do to a man like me.” + cheating.

Natasha Romanoff + Camgirl + “C’mere. I can’t see you from all the way over there.” + scissoring.

Ransom Drysdale + Step-brother + “You ask too many questions. Just relax.” + drugging.

Ari Levinson + Dad’s best friend + “You ask too many questions. Just relax.” + corruption.

Andy Barber + Dad’s best friend + “Can’t you see I’m trying?” + cum-marking.

Ari Levinson + Mob boss + “You want something from me? You gotta ask nicely.” + innocence.***

Robert Pronge/Mr. Freezy + Neighbour + “The least you could do is be grateful.” + drugging.

Steve Rogers + Mob boss + “You ask too many questions. Just relax.” + corruption.

Ari Levinson + Camboy + “Isn’t this so pretty? It reminded me of you.” + innocence.

Lloyd Hansen + Boyfriend’s dad + “I think I like you better when you’re gagged and crying on my dick.” + creampie.

Natasha Romanoff + Yandere + “You’re so cute when you’re struggling like that.” + mommy kink.

Natasha Romanoff + Boyfriend’s mom + “You’re shaking so much, honey… Just wait until I get my tongue on you.” + obsession.

Lloyd Hansen + no AU + “Where do you think you’re going?” + pet play.

Natasha Romanoff + CEO + “Go on. Let’s see how far you’ll make it.” + mommy kink.

Natasha Romanoff + Sugar Mommy + “You want something from me? You gotta ask nicely.” + begging.

Lloyd Hansen + Mob boss + “You have no idea what you do to a man like me.” + choking.

Ransom Drysdale + Sugar Daddy + “You’re so cute when you’re struggling like that.” + abuse of power.

Ari Levinson + Amnesia + “Take you home? This is home. You aren’t going anywhere.” + obsession.

Natasha Romanoff + Dad’s best friend + “You have no idea what you do to a woman like me.” + creampie.

Curtis Everett + Mob + “Don’t be a brat.” + squirting.

Andy Barber + Mob/Mafia + “Take you home? This is home. You aren’t going anywhere.” + stockholm syndrome.

Ransom Drysdale + Soulmate + “That’s no way to talk to your future husband.” + captivity.

Andy Barber + Professor + “Take you home? This is home. You aren’t going anywhere.” + finger-sucking.

Lloyd Hansen + Boss + “Aw, are you gonna cry?” + overstimulation.

[stardust-sunset]

i feel like whenever darry’s had an actual filling meal he just gets so cuddly-he doesn’t like asking his brothers for cuddles but he latches onto his pillows. soda walked in on darry wrapped like a koala around a pillow after dinner and him and pony just crawled into bed with him and snuggled the hell out of him because they’re happy he’s eating more

[hideousvampire]

doodle dump ft musical johnny cade with a lollipop and mike patton my gf

also this is my history project this year but minus the essay that goes with it except i used cuba and his teddy bear characters to stay motivated

for those who need it CW FOR BLOOD!!

[ponyhasapepsiaddiction]

Little Curtis brothers headcanons

I just made a post about little Darry so know I feel like making a post about headcanons on all the Curtis brothers as kids. I say all but this will mainly be Darry and Sodapop.

Darry used to be really scared of the dark, so he would either have to spend the whole night with the lights on, sleep in the same bed as his parents or his brothers, or his mum or dad would have to stay with him with the lights on until he fell asleep.

Sodapop was scared of the dark for a little bit but not as much and only sometimes, but he quickly grew out of that. The only times he was scared was when he heard Darry crying a lot, because he felt that if his older brother was scared off something, then it was serious, and there really should be a reason to be afraid. Other than that, he actually finds being in the dark calming, and it helps him fall alseep faster.

Ponyboy was also only somtimes scared of the dark, mainly when Soda or Darry was, because by the time Pony was like five, Darry still hadn't fully grown out of it, it was like a phobia. It was a chain reaction of kids being scared that their parents had to put up with, and sometimes they would all just sleep in the lounge together as a little sleepover, or at least the brothers would all sleep in Darry's room together and they would be fine. As Pony grew older, the only time he would be scared was when one of the other gang members, mainly Two-Bit or Dally would tell him a scary story.

When getting told off, Sodapop would almost always start crying immediately, and it would be full on bawling his eyes out. There are many headcanons of Soda being a little crybaby and I one hundred percent agree with that, it is pretty much canon. The telling off would turn into comforting little kid Soda and reasuring him that what he did wasn't that bad, and it was an accident or not his fault.

Darry wouldn't cry that much when getting told off, unless it was very serious when he was younger. He wouldn't really do anything or say anything and people sometimes mistook that as Darry not caring about what was happening. In reality he really did and would feel really guilty. When told by his parents, "We're not mad, we're just dissapointed," that would usually be when he broke down because he hated it since he didn't want his parents to be dissapointed in him.

Ponyboy didn't get told off that often because Darry would usally take the fall for him.

The name Darry came from when Soda was first learning to talk, Dary would sometimes play with him and try to teach him some words, including his name. Baby Soda couldn't say Darrel so he would say Darry instead and Darry loved it since he took it as Soda trying, and eventually everyone started calling him it.

Soda and Darry did the same thing with Ponyboy when he was learning to talk, playing with him and trying to teach him new words. When Ponyboy said Soda for the first time Sodapop was so happy he cried which caused Ponyboy to cry because he thought something was wrong.

When Ponyboy first started school he would be bullied for his name so eventually when he first met people and no one else that knew him was around he would lie and say that his name was Darry because he liked his brothers name a lot better and was sometimes jealous of it. When his family found out about this they had a long talk and Darry and Soda spent ages talking to Pony about how they loved his name, and the next day at school Darry defended Pony to be the kids at school.

Darry got into a fistfight at school once and got suspended for a week but he didn't care because he was protecting his brothers form more bullies

When Mrs Curtis was baking something all three of the brothers would lurk around the kitchen trying to steal some scraps when she wasn't looking. She was always looking and would hit them with a wooden spoon across their hands when they tried to steal some cholocate chips and cookie dough. One time she hit Soda too hard and made him cry so she had to give him some so he would stop, and then had to give some to Pony and Darry so it was fair

When Ponyboy started school he was really shy so Sodapop sat with him at lunch and introduced him to some people. Darry had showed him around the school and told him which people to stay away from because they were idiots

Whenever the family was going on a walk and they passed someone with a dog either Mr or Mrs Curtis would have to ask the owner if they could pet the dog and they would stay there for about five minutes so the kids could pet the dog. Sodapop would always be sulky when they had to move on.

They all love animal and would go insane whenever they see one. Especially Sodapop.

When Mr Curtis was doing some chores outside like mowing the lawn of when he was fixing the car Darry would always be following along and would always ask to try. He was always happy when he mowed the lawn and his dad said he did a good job when he let Darry help with the car

Darry was also always the one to sit in their dads lap and drive the car up the drive way

Darry used to sit in bed with Soda and Pony and read books to them, and a lot of the time at least one, or sometimes all of them, would fall alseep. There's a couple photos of them all sleeping in the bed with the book falling out of Darry's hand and it was taped to the fridge for a long time.

When Pony started learning to read he would try and read to his brothers instead.

Based on something my family used to do: Sometimes they would put music on the radio and all the three brothers woud dance to the music in the lounge and put on little shows for their parents.

Another thing my sister and I used to do: Sodapop and Ponyboy used to love eating frozen peas so sometimes their dad would sometimes pour them a small bowl of frozen peas and they would sit on the same chair together and eat peas.

When Mickey Mouse got sold Ponyboy drew a picture of him to try and help Soda. Soda was so touched that he started crying again and Pony panicked because he though he had made Soda sad but then he hugged him

Whenever Darry made Pony cry as a way to get him to shut up he would pick him up and throw him slightly up in the air, or give him piggy backs around the lounge and that would calm him down.

Ponyboy started over exargerating him crying so he would get free piggy backs

All the three of them have leaned back on the chair too far

Surprinsingly all three of them used to be picky eaters and it would be nearly impossible for their parents to cook a meal that they all liked that wasn't take aways or junk food. This is the phase they grew out of the most

Sodapop and Pony used to annoy the hell out of Darry by calling him Darry Queen whenever they went to Dairy Queen

Darry and Soda used to annoy the hell out of Pony by calling him horseman

During summer they would all annoy the hell out of their parents by begging them to set up the pool, buy them ice cream, or go down to the watering hole.

During the summer they would also have heaps of water fights and their dad would either turn the sprinkler on or just spray them straight with the hose

Second hand Darry clothes

I might do a part 2 if I can think of more but for now this is it.

[chained-sweater]

jane (mrs. curtis): why are there little handprints all over the house?

darrel (mr. curtis), turning to ponyboy: pony, why are there little handprints all over the house?

ponyboy, three years old: because i have little hands.

darrel, turning back to jane: because he has little hands.

[pumpkinsy0]

mrs curtis w a transatlantic accent >>>>

would it make any lick of sense considering where she grew up??? probs not but idc sometimes hcs r for fun and this is one of these times

[skyguygeneraltano]

Sodapop headcanon

Sodapop was the social butterfly of the Curtis brothers okay

Like once that boy hit kindergarten, Mrs and Mr. Curtis would have to pull up extra chairs because Soda would have a different friend over each day

First it was Steve

They met in first and Soda accidentally broke his favorite matchbox car

Steve immediately fixed it and it was Soda was just “I’m taking this one home”

Steve and Soda talk like they knew each other for years okay

Nine year old Darry is just “oh no it’s two of them”

Three year old Ponyboy threw his cup at Steve because Soda wasn’t paying him enough attention, thus starting the rivalry

But Mrs. Curtis and Mr. Curtis adored Steve

The next day Sodapop meets the little kindergartener Johnny Cade under a tree just playing by himself

Like Johnny is just go away as Soda skips towards him

Johnny just wants to make mud pies and play with the pill bugs

But Soda is just nah I’m taking you home too for homemade cookies and milk

Johnny agrees of course because well cookies

Pony believes Soda brought Johnny home for him as Johnny was closer to his size

Now Pony wants to be all nice and sweet and gives Johnny a pretty rock he found on the playground

Johnny keeps that rock for life

Mr. Curtis is just “Wait where did this one come from?” as they sat for dinner

Mrs. Curtis packs extra snacks for Johnny to take home

[alittlebitofloveliness]

Grew in my Heart

It's finally done you guys!!!! This is my take on a foster Pony au, loosely based on this idea from @freak-l0rd-certifed. It's currently unedited but I'll post it here anyways, and then cross post an edited version on my ao3. @pepsicurtis asked to be tagged when it was done based on a snippet I posted earlier, so here you go. This is part 1, part 2 is fully written and will be up tomorrow.

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

The lady on the other side of the room is watching him.

That’s okay though. Ponyboy is used to people watching him. Social workers, foster parents, group home staff, police. Everyone watches him all the time but nobody cares, cares for him or about him, so Ponyboy doesn’t mind this lady joining in. He knows he looks weird, with his sticky out ears and the patchy haircut Mr. Fuller gave him and the bruise around his eye. So he understands why this lady is watching him, and doesn't begrudge her for it.  Besides, she looks like a nice lady. Nice ladies don’t usually watch him. If they do they don’t usually look at him with the kindness glowing in the woman’s shining green eyes.

The lady smiles at him and he ducks back into his book, ears burning. She wasn’t supposed to catch him looking.

When he peeks over the top of his copy of Great Expectation a minute later, she’s still watching him, smiling in a way Ponyboy would call amusement if he didn’t know better. He quickly hides again, cursing himself for drawing notice. It’s never a good thing. Never. Better he stay quiet, stay invisible. Invisible kids didn’t get hurt.

He hopes Ms. Summers will come back soon and take him to wherever he’ll be staying next, if only so that he can leave the waiting room, escape from where this nice lady and her nice family are no doubt waiting for them to bring a brand new baby to adopt. Probably one only a few days old, something sweet and cute and new they could love and pamper. Nice people only ever came to the child services offices to pick up babies. Anyone who came to pick up kids was usually about as nice as the people who dropped them off. 

He goes back to his book. Usually it’s easy to escape into the story where he can pretend to be a knight or a hero or anything but stupid, small, unwanted Ponyboy Hewitt, but he can’t seem to concentrate today. It’s not just because of the nice looking lady with the green eyes who keeps watching him, keeping an eye on him the same way she’s been keeping an eye on the three boys who came in with her. His head is also aching something fierce. That last knock from Mr. Fuller was kind of hard. 

Hard enough Ms.Summers thought he should move again anyway.

“Quit fidgeting, Soda,” an authoritative voice from the other side of the room says, and Ponyboy can’t help but glance over. He tells himself it’s because the speaker was kind of loud, but he knows deep down that’s not the case. It’s not because the boy is loud, it’s because he’s cool. He’s a lot bigger than Pony is, and older too, with wavy brown hair and broad shoulders. He could probably look Mr.Fuller square in the face and never be scared, not ever. “We have to show we’re the perfect family or they won’t let us keep Johnny.”

“Really?” The boy who answers has golden blond hair and rosy cheeks with a dimple high in one corner. Pony never really understood what books meant when they talked about eyes twinkling until the boy had pranced into the office a few minutes before, looking like a prince straight from a fairytale. His eyes aren’t twinkling now though: instead, they’re shining with worry. His shadow, a smaller boy with jet black hair and tan skin, looks the same, eyes wide and terrified in his peaked face. “They can’t do that just ‘cause I’m sittin’ wrong, can they mom?”

He turns anxiously to the nice lady who smiles and smooths down his hair.

“Of course not honey,” she soothes, “we don’t gotta prove we’re perfect to keep Johnny, we just gotta prove we love him. And we do.”

She turns her smile on the dark haired boy who flushes and ducks his head shyly, looking unfathomably pleased. Ponyboy swallows hard and looks away, his own ears reddening. It’s not fair for him to hate the dark haired boy, he knows it isn’t, but it doesn’t matter. In that moment, he kind of hates him anyway. 

The woman’s gentle smile has confirmed what he suspected all along. She’s a nice mom, the kind he’s only ever read about in storybooks. She probably kisses those boys goodnight- even the big one, even if he pretended it wasn’t cool- and probably smells like cinnamon and bakes birthday cakes sometimes, puts bandages on cuts, and never slaps them, not ever. 

He wants Ms. Summers to come back. He wants to leave. He doesn’t want to sit here and watch a boy his own age get adopted by the kind of family he wishes he could have more than anything in the world. 

The blonde boy sticks his tongue out at the cool one and makes a fart noise.

“See Darry? They ain’t gonna take Johnny! You’re stupid and wrong!”

“Sodapop Patrick Curtis!” A man Ponyboy assumed must be the nice lady’s husband and the boys’ father boomed, “What have I told you about using that kind of language towards your brother?”

“That it's not how we speak to our family,” the blonde boy, Sodapop, says like he was reading off a teleprompter. Clearly, this was not the first time he’d heard that particular reprimand, “but dad, I was only defending my other brother.”

“Be that as it may,” Mr.Curtis said, “I don’t want to hear that language from you any more.” He sounded stern, but his eyes were still glinting proudly and there was a smile hiding somewhere near the corner of his mouth. Not a scary dad then. A good one.

“Yeah Soda,” the older boy, Darry, grinned, seeming unperturbed by the insult. He was real handsome, Pony thought. If he was Sodapop he’d never call that Darry boy stupid, not ever. “Save that language for socs. Or Two-bit when he’s playin’ poker against Dally.”

Sodapop laughed then, any traces of animosity disappearing, Johnny grinning quietly beside him. 

Ponyboy decides he’s done watching them be happy, and goes to the washroom.

He does his business, standing on tiptoe to reach the sink when he’s done because it’s meant for adults not for kids and there's no footstool. He can’t reach the soap, even when he jumps, so he just settles for rinsing extra long. The paper towel dispenser is also too high to reach so he dries his hands on his pants and goes back to the waiting room. 

“Oh honey, wait,” he doesn’t realize the nice lady is speaking to him until she’s kneeling in front of him, tugging his shirt from where he hadn’t noticed it had gotten twisted and tucked into his pants, pulling it out and smoothing it down nicely, “there you go. All handsome again.”

She smiles, looking like sunshine incarnate, and Ponyboy kind of wants to die.

“Thank you.” He mumbles, sure he must be redder than a tomato, then flees back to his chair on the other side of the waiting room. They’re all watching him now, the nice lady and her nice husband, and the three boys who are now all sitting in a circle on the floor, playing a game of cards. 

He opens Great Expectations to a random page and stares at it hard, trying very hard not to cry. He’s almost seven years old, he’s not a baby anymore. He will not cry just because one lady was nice to him and now her perfect family is staring at him. He won't. 

“Hi!” Suddenly, blonde, beautiful Sodapop is in front of him, grinning like Ponyboy is the best thing he’s ever seen ever, “I’m Soda. Wanna play cards with us?”

He wants to, more than anything, but he knows if he does it’ll just feel worse when they leave and he doesn’t go with them , or when Ms. Summers comes to drag him away to whoever will bother keeping him for the next few weeks, so he can’t.

He shakes his head, unable to actually say no, and Soda deflates, eager grin melting into an unhappy pout, shoulders curling forward, and the twinkle in his eye dimming. He looks like Pony just ruined his whole day with one shake of his head. 

“Ok,” he sighs, dramatic and world weary, and it would seem like an act if his eyes weren’t entirely genuine, “if you change your mind, you can c’mon over anytime. It would be so much more fun with another person.”

He rejoins the other two boys who shoot curious looks Pony’s way, but he ignores them, looking back at his book. He’s not reading though. He can’t. Instead he’s listening to the boys playing cards, wishing more than anything that he could join them.

“I win.” Dark haired Johnny proclaims for the third time and Soda throws down his cards with a dramatic groan, while Darry just laughs. He seems real nice, not like the big boys at the group homes who liked to steal Pony’s books and shove him around. He hadn’t gotten mad at Soda or Johnny even once, not even when they were playing Go Fish and Soda cheated by peeking at his cards. 

“You little shark,” Darry ruffled Johnny's dark hair, the smaller boy flinching a little before leaning into the touch, “how do you keep doin’ that, huh?”

Johnny shrugged. “It’s a secret.”

“You’re cheatin’!” Soda accused.

“Am not!”

“Are too! No one wins as much as you.”

“I’m just good at cards without cheatin’.”

Soda huffed. “You’re lucky you’re my brother now or I’d fight you.”

“I’d win.” Johnny boasts, and suddenly he looks fierce, chin jutting and eyes fiery, like every kid in every home who fought grownups and just ended up beaten down worse. 

“That’s enough,” Darry pulls the two apart, practically picking them each up with one hand, “quit arguin' or I’m putin’ the cards away.”

“No!” Soda throws himself to the ground, arm draped dramatically across his forehead, “I’ll die of boredom!”

“Then sit up and be good,” Darry tells him, and Soda scrambles to do as he’s told. Pony feels his own spine straightening. It’s just because he’s tired, he tells himself.  It has nothing to do with wanting Darry to look at him with the same approval he looks at Soda and Johnny with. He needs to stretch out a bit, that’s all.

“Y’know,” Darry says, disarmingly casual, easily shuffling the cards the way Pony always wanted to but could never manage, the movement too deft for his clumsy fingers, “there's so many more games we could play with four players.” 

If he didn’t know better Pony would swear Darry was looking at him sideways as he said it, grinning conspiratorially like they were sharing a joke. 

“Euchre…gin rummy…spades…signals…”

Pony’s heart jumped. He loved signals. 

It was practically another invitation right? And Soda had said he could join anytime if he changed his mind…surely one game wouldn’t hurt. 

He scoots forward a bit on the chair, considering. 

“Well?” Suddenly Darry- handsome, cool Darry- is grinning right at him, one eyebrow raised, “You in or not?”

And well….that was an actual invitation. From a big boy no less! Usually boys like Darry wanted nothing to do with him.

Pony could feel what was surely a far too eager grin spreading over his face and he nodded, quickly taking a spot on the floor in between Soda and Johnny. Darry’s grin turned triumphant, like he was the one who’d just been invited to play cards by a cool stranger. 

“Nice. What’s your name kiddo?”

“Ponyboy.” He mumbles, bracing himself for laughter that never comes. Instead Darry just nods, starting to deal cards with ease. 

“Tuff name. I’m Darry, and this here’s Johnny.” 

Pony offered a shy smile in response to Johnny’s friendly nod, earlier vitriol forgotten. It wasn’t Johnny’s fault he was lucky. Pony shouldn’t hate him for it. 

“You already met Soda.”

Darry gives Soda a fondly exasperated look, and Pony focuses very hard on the cards being dealt so he won’t have to look at their faces.

Unsure of what to say, he just nods. Luckily, Darry keeps talking.

“Well Ponyboy, I reckon since you just joined you get to pick the game.”

“R-really?”

“Sure.” Darry smiled kindly. Golly he was nice. “We’ll play a few rounds and then switch it up if any of us are getting bored.”

“Can-” Ponyboy hesitated. Darry nods, encouraging him to continue, “can we play signals?”

“Sure. You okay to be on a team with me?”

“Yes,” Pony could hardly believe his luck. Not only were they playing his favourite game, but Darry wanted to be on a team with him!

“Ok,” Soda chirped, “me’n Johnny are going over there so you don’t listen to us pick our signals like cheaters!”

“Soda!” Mr Curtis warned.

“I’m bein’ nice!”

Pony giggled. 

“Ignore him,” Darry advised, scooting over to sit beside him, “I wish I could say he’s just bein’ crazy ‘cause he’s excited, but the truth is he’s always like that. He ain’t really mean though, just has too much energy.”

“I know,” Pony tells him, “I seen mean before. He ain’t it. If he was mean he’d have taken my book or followed me to the bathroom and put my head in the toilet.”

A horrified gasp makes him jump. He’d momentarily forgotten all about sunshiney Mrs.Curtis, but now she’s staring at him in horror, eyes filled with rage. 

What did he do? Did she not want him to be telling her nice golden sons about stuff like that? 

“I-I’m sorry I-” he can feel his ears burning and wishes more than anything he’d stayed on that hard plastic chair where he was safe instead of getting drawn in by the light of the family in front of him. 

“Whoa, hey,” Darry catches him by the arm before he can scramble to his feet, grip not bruising like he’s used to but gentle, reassuring, “where are you going? We haven’t picked a signal yet.”

His smile is so hopeful. Hesitantly, Pony settles back down. 

“Ok.”

“Well?” Darry nudges him gently, carefully. It seems to Ponyboy that someone so big shouldn’t be able to do that and not hurt him just a little bit, but somehow Darry manages it. “What signal do you think we should do?”

Pony glances across the room at where Soda is gesturing exaggeratedly and talking at Johnny a mile a minute.

“Something small,” he decides, “something they won’t notice.”

“Good thinking,” Darry’s approval feels like sitting in the sunshine and eating ice cream and reading a book all at once, “how about…rubbing our noses?”

He demonstrates, rubbing a finger under his nose like he’s scratching an itch and Ponyboy nods, copying the action. 

“Perfect.”

He raises his left hand then. Taps his ear. Waits a few seconds. Taps his ear again.

“What are you doing?” Darry wonders. 

“I have a trick,” Ponyboy informs him.

“Oh?” Darry’s raising a single eyebrow again, looking intrigued. A swell of unearned pride starts in Ponyboy’s chest. 

“Yep,” Pony nods, “they’re watching us right now.”

Darry follows his gaze across the room to where Johnny is watching them out of the corner of his eye, while acting for all the world like he’s still focused on Sodapop. 

“So,” Ponyboy continues. He taps his ear again, “if we do a fake signal now, like we’re practicing, and then do it while we’re playing they’ll call signal and get themselves disqualified and we’ll win.”

“Huh,” Darry reaches up and taps his own ear, “good thinkin’ kid.”

Pony glows.

“We’re ready,” Soda announces a second later, dragging Johnny behind him, “and we have the best signal ever. You’ll never guess it.”

“We’ll see.” Darry challenges, flipping the first card off the deck, and the game begins.

Pony checks his own hand. Two jacks, a two, and a seven. Deciding to go for jacks he passes the two facedown and slides it left to Johnny, picking up the ten Soda placed down for him on the other side.

He passes and trades cards for a few seconds, managing to pick up a third jack on the way. When it’s been long enough it’s not suspicious, he reaches up and taps his ear, trying to make it seem like he’s scratching an itch.

The trick works. 

“Block!” Johnny cries triumphantly, pointing at him and Pony grins, shaking his head. 

“Nope!”

“What?” That’s Sodapop, “We’re out? But-but I’m with Johnny! Johnny always wins!”

“Guess not this time,” Darry grins, raising a hand. It takes a second for Pony to realize he’s reaching out for a high five instead of to cuff him, but when he does he reaches out eagerly, tapping Darry’s palm with his own.

“How did you do that?” Johnny wonders, head tilted in confusion, “I saw you tapping your ear earlier when you were making your signal.”

“It was a trick!” Pony grins. Darry is pleased, and they just won a card game, and no one here has gotten properly mad at him at all. 

Johnny shakes his head, grinning ruefully. “Well it was a good one.”

Soda declared he wanted a rematch, so they played a few more rounds, until Johnny figured out their trick and then both teams had so many fake signals and everyone was too scared to block anyone and could hardly remember their real signals from their fake ones. Darry was just proposing they switch to playing crazy eights when Ms. Summers hurried out of the office, looking harried as usual.

“Oh! Ponyboy,” She looks surprised to see him sitting on the floor, “don’t go botherin’ these nice folks now. I know you’ve had a long day, and I promise I’m workin’ as hard as I can to figure things out so just sit tight and be good a few minutes longer. I just got a few more calls to make and I’ll get you some lunch, alright? C’mon and sit properly now, that’s a good boy.” 

She pulls him to his feet, not roughly exactly, but carelessly, the way he’s used to, and he ducks his head, shoulders curling automatically as she frog marches him back to the plastic chair in the corner of the waiting room she’d parked him in at seven o'clock this morning.

“He ain’t botherin’ us!” Suddenly Soda is on his feet, glaring at Ms. Summers. “We invited him to play. We’re havin’ fun.”

“He’s really no trouble,” Mrs. Curtis smiles, placing a hand on her son’s shoulder. Her voice is as sugar sweet as ever but there’s something hard in her eyes nevertheless as she stares Ms. Summers down, “the boys are all havin’ fun playing together and I have no problem keepin’ an eye on him for you. He’s a good boy, like you said.”

She turns the full force of her smile on him, her eyes suddenly all softness, and Ponyboy finds himself wondering what it would be like if somebody looked at him like that every day, like he was something instead of nothing.

“Well, if you’re sure, I suppose that's fine. You be good Pony,” Ms. Summers says, and then she’s gone again, back into the office, back to making phone calls to find someone, anyone, willing to take him in.

Pony stands where she left him, half dragged across the room, lost in the waiting room he’d spend what felt like half his life in.

“That lady,” Soda says, “was a bitch.”

Darry’s eyebrows shoot up, and Soda grins cheekily over his shoulder in a way that says he fully expects a reprimand, but to Ponyboy’s surprise Mr.Curtis just nods slowly.

“Y'know son, I think in this case you might be right.”

“Don’t encourage him,” Mrs. Curtis says, but it’s so half-hearted even Ponyboy can tell. Her eyes are fixed on Ms.Summers’ door, lips pressed into a thin line, and Pony gets the feeling she’s real mad but hiding it real well.

“She don’t know what to do with me,” Pony finds himself defending his social worker. She ain’t mean really, ain't even a bad person. She’s just busy. Too busy to really care. “It ain’t her fault. I cause her a lotta problems.”

“I have a very hard time believing that,” Mrs. Curtis says, “I don’t think you could cause problems if you tried.”

He could. He wasn’t like Curly from the group home, who did everything he possibly could and then some to cause problems, but Pony did create them sometimes. One time he’d burned Mrs.Delvine’s sheets when he was ironing because she hadn’t given him dinner the night before. And he’d put half a shaker of salt in Mr.Fuller’s soup after he gave him this stupid haircut. But he never tried to cause problems for Ms. Summers and he still caused them anyway.

He shrugs. “No one wants me. It’s her job to find someone who’ll put up with me. I can’t blame her for bein’ tired.”

“You’re still a little boy,” Mrs.Curtis shakes her head, and usually Ponyboy hates being called little but he finds he doesn’t mind too much when she says it, “she shouldn’t be takin’ any of her frustrations out on you.”

Pony wants to tell her that his own mother didn’t want to be stuck with him so he can hardly blame his social worker for feeling the same way. He wants to tell her about how tired he is and how much his head hurts and how hungry he is. He wants to tell her a lot of things. He doesn’t.

“Oh honey,” he doesn’t even realize he’s crying until he’s wrapped in a warm hug, held protectively against Mrs. Curtis’ chest, his sobs muffled against the stretched collar of her pretty yellow dress. He’s sure he must be getting snot on her, but she doesn’t seem to mind, holding him closer when he starts to squirm away and apologize, cooing to him until he settles down, “oh honey.”

She scoops him up then, because she’s a grown up and he’s still pretty small for six years old, and she sets him on her knee and kisses his forehead, and even if it won’t last and he will never feel this again after today, for once he knows what it’s like to be comforted and loved by a mother. 

Golly he’s tired.

“You just have a sleep now,” she pulls his head down to rest against her shoulder, running a gentle hand through his shorn off hair, “you just have a good sleep and don’t worry about a thing.” 

He feels his eyelids drooping. She drops a soft kiss on his forehead, her fingers never ceasing their soothing motions in his hair.

“Everything’s gonna be okay, baby,” he hears her say as he drifts off, “I promise. Everything’s gonna be just fine.”

He sleeps.

[dalilacherie]

Can you please do something about Dally being shown affection for the first time? Preferably from Darry and/or the Curtis parents? Can be a fic, hcs, whatever, just please give my little boy some love.

𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲

[𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠!𝐃𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐨��� 𝐅𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟]

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞: This story takes place two years before the book because I can't remember if I mentioned that at all in the story. (+ Little Pony because I think his scenes are cute).

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: ~1,300!!

Inside it was warm and filled with the smell of dinner cooking. It was a chilly evening, and I was just finishing setting the table when the front door creaked open. I expected to see one of my boys, but instead, a disheveled figure stumbled in. It was Dallas Winston, looking more of a mess than usual.

His clothes were dirty and torn, his face bruised, and there was a haunted look in his eyes that sent a shiver down my spine. "Mrs. Curtis," he mumbled, swaying on his feet.

"Dallas, what happened to you?" I rushed over, catching him just as he started to fall.

"Got into some trouble," he muttered, trying to sound nonchalant but failing miserably.

I guided him to the couch, feeling the tension in his muscles. "Sit down, sweetheart. Let me get you something to drink." I hurried to the kitchen, pouring a glass of water and grabbing a wet cloth. When I returned, he was slumped over, looking more vulnerable than I’d ever seen him.

I knelt in front of him, gently dabbing at the blood on his face. He flinched at first, then relaxed a little, his eyes watching me warily. "You didn't have to do this," he mumbled.

"Nonsense," I replied softly. "You're hurt, and you need help. We're family here."

He blinked, as if the idea of being part of a family was foreign to him. "Family," he echoed, his voice filled with a mix of longing and disbelief.

"Dallas, you’re always welcome here," I said, my voice firm but kind. "No matter what."

He looked away, biting his lip. "Ain't used to people caring," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

I felt my heart break a little for him. "Well, you better get used to it, because we do care. Darry, Ponyboy, Sodapop... and me. We care about you, Dallas."

He didn’t say anything, but I saw the tears welling up in his eyes. I pulled him into a hug, feeling him stiffen at first, then slowly relax into the embrace. "It's okay, Dallas," I murmured. "You're safe here."

He stayed like that for a while, clinging to me like a lifeline. I stroked his back, whispering soothing words until I felt him start to calm down.

The door opened again, and Darry walked in, his eyes widening at the sight of Dallas in my arms. "What happened?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

"Dallas got into some trouble," I explained. "But he's going to be fine. He's with family now."

Darry nodded, coming over to kneel beside us. "You need anything, Dallas?" he asked, his tone gentle.

Dallas shook his head, but there was a grateful look in his eyes. "Just... thanks," he muttered.

"Anytime, man," Darry replied, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

I could hear Ponyboy's soft footsteps approaching, and I looked up to see my youngest standing in the doorway. His eyes were wide with concern as he took in the scene, Dallas still slumped on the couch with Darry beside him.

"Pony, come here," I called gently, waving him over. He hesitated for a moment before stepping forward, clutching something in his small hands. As he got closer, I realized it was his favorite stuffed animal, a well-worn brown bear he'd named Mr. Snuggles.

"Hey, Dally," Ponyboy said softly, his voice tentative. "I brought you something."

Dallas looked up, his expression a mix of confusion and exhaustion. "What's that, kid?"

Ponyboy held out the stuffed bear, his face earnest. "This is Mr. Snuggles. He always makes me feel better when I'm sad or hurt. I want you to have him."

Dallas's eyes widened, and he looked from the bear to Ponyboy, then back again. "Uh, thanks, kid, but I'm too old for stuffed toys," he said, trying to sound tough.

Ponyboy's face fell, his eyes filling with hurt. He looked down at the bear, then back up at Dallas. "But... Mr. Snuggles really helps. I thought he could help you too."

There was a moment of silence, and I could see the internal struggle in Dallas's eyes. Finally, he sighed, reaching out to take the bear from Ponyboy's hands. "Alright. Thanks," he said, his voice softer.

Ponyboy's face lit up with a relieved smile. "You're welcome, Dally. Mr. Snuggles will take good care of you, I promise."

Dallas looked at the bear for a moment, then back at Ponyboy. "Yeah, I bet he will," he said.

Ponyboy beamed, then climbed up onto the couch beside Dallas. "You can keep him as long as you need," he said, patting Dallas on the knee.

Dallas gave a small, almost shy smile. "Thanks, Pony."

I watched the interaction with a warm feeling in my chest. Seeing my boys care for each other like this made me feel hopeful for all of them, especially Dallas. He needed this – needed to know he had people who cared, who would be there for him no matter what.

Darry glanced at me, and I could see the same pride and relief in his eyes. We both knew this was a step forward for Dallas, a small but significant moment of acceptance and love.

"Alright, boys," I said, standing up. "How about we get some dinner on the table? I'm sure everyone's hungry."

Ponyboy hopped off the couch, eager as always. "I'll help, Mom!"

Dallas looked up at me, holding Mr. Snuggles a little tighter. "Thanks, Mrs. Curtis. For everything."

I smiled, reaching out to ruffle his hair gently. "Anytime, Dallas. You're family, don't ever forget that."

Darry’s eyes shifted, taking in Dallas's torn and dirty clothes. His jacket, once tough and proud like Dallas himself, was now a tattered mess. Darry’s brow furrowed with concern. “Hang on a sec, Dally,” he said, rising to his feet.

Dallas looked up, confused. “What’re you doin’?”

“Just hold on,” Darry repeated, disappearing into the hallway.

Ponyboy was still hovering nearby, watching everything with wide eyes. I gave him a reassuring smile and a quick hug. “You did good, Pony."

Ponyboy scurried off to the kitchen. I turned back to Dallas, who was eyeing the hallway suspiciously, his fingers still gripping Mr. Snuggles tightly.

Darry returned a moment later, holding a large leather bomber jacket. It was one of his favorites, worn but sturdy, with a timeless look that seemed to suit Dallas perfectly.

“Here,” Darry said, holding the jacket out to him. “Your jacket’s seen better days. Take this.”

Dallas stared at the jacket, then back at Darry. “I can’t take that,” he protested weakly. “It’s yours.”

“I want you to have it,” Darry insisted. “You need it more than I do right now.”

Dallas hesitated, his eyes flicking between Darry and the jacket. Finally, he reached out, taking it with trembling hands. He pulled it on, and despite his rough appearance, the jacket seemed to fit him like it was made for him.

“Thanks, Darry,” Dallas said, his voice barely above a whisper. He looked down at himself, almost like he didn’t recognize the person wearing the new jacket.

Darry smiled, a rare, gentle smile that softened his usually stern features. “Looks good on you, Dally. Now, how about we get you cleaned up and ready for dinner?”

Dallas nodded, the smallest hint of a smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah, okay.”

Ponyboy came back into the room, his eyes lighting up when he saw Dallas in the new jacket. “Wow, Dally! You look cool!” he exclaimed, his admiration clear.

Dallas chuckled softly, the sound almost foreign after the tension of the evening. “Thanks, kid. You picked a good bear, too.”

Ponyboy beamed, proud of the small part he played in making Dallas feel better.

As we all moved to the kitchen, I felt a sense of warmth and togetherness that filled the house.

[capturecharlesau]

Immmmmm very late-…. BUT I HAVE TO- HAPPY STICKMIN ANNIVERSARY!!! Let us ALL do the Distraction Dance >:)

Bonus:

They confused :)