#This is my brother Darryl

[rank-sentimentalist]

Larry, Darryl, and my other brother Darryl

[risetherivermoon]

choosing to believe that since they forgot jodie & glenn are in a cell together, jodie was just trying to take a nap and ignore glenn screaming for like the thousandth time trying to execute the same dumbass plan that wont work

and that glenn was trying to recruit linc and darryl to help him because jodie and him argued for like a week or so when he came up with the initial idea

[cha1cedony]

Thinking about Darryl and Casey. again

[blazingflareon]

still fighting with raine's design so i did these two instead lol. can you tell im obsessed with colored streaks in hair atm

and so begins the artfight ref marathon :')

[the-herdier]

Darry is one of those characters whom we all thought was strict when we first read the book at 12-14 years old, but when we look at him now as adults, is completely understandable.

[sodiumsorbae]

with your help we can force all these teens on the same family tree

[officialgleamstar]

anyone else making wise financial decisions today (spending $38 to get a full set of those dndads keychains)

[worldlydesiretemple]

do you think joshua freeman and darryl mcgee would be friends. i think they would be friends

[specialagentlokitty]

Rick grimes x reader - what was supposed to be our last night

I was wondering if you could please Rick Grimes (or Darryl) x reader, where rick discovers a bite mark on y/n, from a zombie, and freaks out about it. But as it turns out y/n had that bite mark for a few days, and as it turns out they have some kind of immunity against the virus. Kind of like Ellie from tlou. - Anon 💜

You grumbled a little in pain as you pulled your shirt on, flexing your shoulders so that you could hopefully adjust to the pain.

Your back had been aching since the run you went on a few days ago, but you took a nasty fall, so you didn’t think all that much about it.

“Hey, are you alright?” Rick asked.

He walked into the room, looking at you flexing your shoulders, twisting from side to side in order to get used to the ache you were feeling.

“Yeah, my back hurts a little, I think it’s just badly bruised from that fall.”

He nodded his head, wrapping his arms around you, placing his chin on your shoulder.

“Shit hurts though, and I can’t look properly in the mirror which sucks ass, but that’s life.”

Rick chuckled a little bit, pressing a kiss to your jaw and he stood up properly.

“Here, let me have a look. Where is it?”

“I think it’s somewhere near the middle part of my lower back, I’m not sure.”

He nodded, lifting your shirt up a little, feeling around the lower part of your back and you winced a little.

“I know, I know sorry. It’s definitely bruised, is it alright if I lift it a little more? I think I feel something.”

“Yeah go for it.”

Rick lifted your shirt a little higher, and his whole body froze as he looked at the wound right in middle of your back.

He brought a hand up, running his fingers along it, and you pulled away a little.

“Ow! Ow! Rick come on!” You complained.

You pulled away, turning around to look at him and you saw the horrified look on his face.

“Sweetheart?”

“I.. wait here.”

Rick took your shoulders, leading you to the bed and he sat you down, running out of the room.

Sighing heavily you laid down, resting your arms under your head as you waited for him to come back.

It didn’t take long for him to come back, the door was thrown open, Rick came back Carol and Daryl.

“What’s going on?” You asked.

“Hey sweetheart.. hey…” Rick whispered.

Rick held out his hands and you gave him yours, letting him lift you up and Carol sat behind you.

“Rick?”

You saw the tears burning his eyes, and you reached out, brushing your thumb along his cheek to sip a few tears away.

“Hey what’s going on…?” You whispered.

“How did you hurt your back?” Daryl asked.

He sat on the otherside of you, and you turned your head to look at your brother.

“Uh.. I remember running from a couple of walkers, I tripped and fell down, I whacked it off a broken car door, by shirt got caught but that was it.”

He slowly nodded his head, and you turned to look at Carol.

“Guys…?”

“Hey, hey look at me..”

Rick gently took your head in his hands, and he turned you to look at him, pressing his forehead to yours.

“No..” you whispered.

He took a shaky breath, sniffling a little bit.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

“No.. no.. no.. no.. Rick I.. I can’t.. tell me I didn’t…”

“I’m so sorry…”

You moved your head, resting your forehead on his chest as tears fell from your eyes, balling your hands into the fabric of his shirt.

Rick cradled your head between his hands, burying his face into the crook of your neck.

“But.. but Carl.. Judith.. I.. I can’t put them through this… I.. I know Judith wouldn’t remember but I.. I don’t..”

You pulled away from Rick and you spun around to look at Daryl.

“Daryl…”

He looked away, clenching his jaw tightly, hands balled into fists.

“I… I’m so sorry…”

“Don’t.”

“We’ll give you two some time.” Carol whispered.

She all but dragged Rick away, and you sat next to your brother, holding him in your arms, resting his head on your shoulder.

You felt a few of his tears hit your arm, and you fought to keep your own tears at bay.

“I’m so sorry Daryl I.. I.. never.. I didn’t..”

“It ain’t your fault…”

You sniffled a little bit.

“I… I was supposed to be the last one of us three standing…”

Daryl let out a bitter laugh, and he gave your arm a few pats.

“Yeah, well now you’re gonna have to keep that asshole in line till I get there…”

“Yeah well it better not be anytime soon..”

He let out a small scoff, and you gave a sad smile.

“I.. I have to talk to Rick.. we.. we have to.. I can’t.. Daryl we can’t tell anybody else please…”

“Nah, we won’t.”

You nodded and let go of your brother so he could stand up.

He ruffled your hair a little bit, and walked to the door, stepping outside to quietly speak to Rick and Carol.

It was only a few minutes later when Rick quietly came back in, and you laid down on your side, holding your arm out to him.

Rick laid down in front of you, his hand settling on your waist, and you brushed your knuckles along his cheek.

You smiled sadly at him.

“I don’t.. I don’t want to tell anyone else..”

“That’s okay, we won’t. If you don’t want anybody else to know they don’t have to know…”

You nodded a little bit.

“Carol is going to take Carl and Judith after dinner, look after them…”

“I still need to get dinner ready!”

You quickly got up and rushed away.

Rick knew what you were doing, you were deflecting, you were pushing the issue to the back of your mind and doing anything you could to forget about it.

You made dinner, you sat laughing with Carl and making Judith laugh, a huge smile on your face.

When Carol came to get them you hugged them both tightly.

“I’ll see you two tomorrow.”

You kissed the tops of their heads and watched as they went, Rick stood just behind you, waiting for you to go back inside.

Finally you turned around and went back inside, and you sat down on the stairs, running a hand down your face.

“Rick you.. you have to promise me you’ll do it before I turn…”

“Of course…”

He knelt down in front of you, taking your hands in his to kiss your knuckles, pressing a kiss to your palms.

He leant up, gently pressing his lips to yours, and you leant forward to kiss him back, tangling your hand into the hair on the back of his head.

He pulled away first, and you brushed your nose against his.

“What do you want to do…?” He whispered.

“Can we dance in the yard again…?”

Rick smiled softly, kissing the corner of your mouth as he stood up, holding his hand out for you and you took it.

“Of course we can.”

He led you outside into the backyard, your bare feet feeling the cold of the grass, and you stood in the middle.

Your arms wrapped around his neck while he settled his on your waist, both of you swaying from side to side.

You both knew that this was going to be your last night, generally people who had been bitten didn’t last more than a few days, and though you felt fine you knew it was a matter of time.

Rick leant down, connecting his lips with yours once again, and you leant up to kiss him back.

You pulled away, and you looked at him and he smiled gently at you.

“You’re so perfect…” you whispered.

He chuckled a little, brushing his nose against yours.

“Compared to you? Absolutely not…”

You smiled a little more.

“I love you…”

“I love you too (Y/N)… god I love you so much…”

You both danced outside for hours, eventually going back inside when it got a little bit too cold to be dancing around at night.

You went upstairs and laid on top of the sheets, watching as Rick laid down next to you.

“I wish I could stay right here… in this moment…” you whispered.

“You will… you’ll always be right here…”

He took your hand, holding it against his chest, pressing his forehead to yours.

“No matter what happens you’re still going to be here okay..?”

You nodded your head.

“You’ll remember me…?”

“Of course I will sweetheart, I would never forget you..”

“You know I always thought about what life would be like.. ya know? After all this?”

“Oh yeah? What did it look like?”

Rick sat with his arm propped under his head, hanging on to every word that you said, tracing patterns on your lower back.

“Was kinda hoping to maybe get married, even in this shit world.. I.. I know that you maybe don’t want to but I don’t know.. I guess I’ve always wanted to get married… I was okay with not getting married though as long as I could be with you…”

“Really?”

You nodded a little bit.

“Guess that’s out the window huh…?”

Rick jumped up, grabbing your arms to pull you up.

“Come on.”

“Rick?”

He smiled softly at you, pulling you to your feet, rushing you down the stairs and he handed you your shoes while he pulled his boots on.

When you were done, he held his hand out to you.

“What’re you doing?”

“Well, we’re going to go get married. If.. if you want that is?”

You grinned a little bit.

“Yes!”

“Go get your brother, I’ll get Carol and the kids!”

“Fuck it! Get all the others!”

You ran in one direction while Rick ran in the other one, and you ran up to the gate where Daryl was on watch with someone else.

“Daryl?!” You whisper yelled.

He immediately came down.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m getting married! Come on you need to give me away!”

You grabbed your brothers arm, all but running back towards the church with him where Rick was rushing everybody inside.

He smiled brightly at you, and you stood at the doors with Daryl.

“Seriously? You’re getting married?” Daryl asked.

“Yeah! Come on Daryl!”

He looked at you and shook his head a little bit, offering you his arm which you took, and Carl came out to greet you.

“You’re gonna marry my dad?”

“Oh crap! Is that okay? I.. I mean we probably should’ve talk to you first…”

Carl smiled, offering you his arm as well.

“Yeah, it’s okay. I’ve been waiting for him to ask you anyways.”

You three walked in, and you wore the biggest grin as all your friends that were at Alexandria stood ups

When you reached the front, Daryl ruffled your head again, leaning down.

“I’m so proud of you…”

“I love you too…”

Rick took your hands, and Gabriel skipped through anything that was unnecessary, going straight to the vows instead.

“I love you (Y/N), god I love you so much… and I.. I wish we had our whole lives ahead of us but I just.. I know maybe this isn’t the best wedding, but I couldn’t ask for anything better… because it’s you.. even if we got married in the middle of nowhere it would be perfect… because it’s you…”

You smiled softly at him.

“I love you too, and you know what? This is the perfect wedding because I’m marrying you.. and I have my whole family here with me…”

Gabriel finished the ceremony, and he clapped his hands together.

“I declare you both officially wed! You may now kiss.”

You pulled Rick down which made everybody laugh at the eagerness.

When you pulled away you took his hand in yours, both of you turning to face everybody.

You sniffled a little bit, tears burning your eyes as you sat down, and Rick sat next to you, pulling your head to his chest.

“Oh hey, this is supposed to be a happy day.” Aaron whispered.

“Why’re you crying?” Rosita asked.

“Because I don’t want to go… I don’t wanna go…”

Daryl knelt behind you, placing his hand on your back and Carol knelt next to him, a hand on your back and his.

“I.. I can’t.. I can’t.. you have to tell them..”

“(Y/N)s been bit… was bit.. a few days ago…” Daryl whispered.

What was a happy atmosphere turned dark immediately, and everybody crowded around you.

“I don’t wanna go…”

You shuffled a little, laying down with your head on Ricks thighs, he ran his hand over your head.

Nobody said anything but they sat there with you, all just staying by your side.

As the night drew on, you grew tired, and you fell asleep with your hand clutching tightly on to Ricks, and they all waited.

They waited for your breathing to stop, waited for your life to fade from you, for you to finally pass.

Morning rolled around, and you grumbled a little which startled them all, and they moved away from you aside from Rick who grabbed hold of his knife, hand trembling and tears burning his eyes.

You grumbled again, and he placed his knife just behind your ear.

“Don’t touch my fuckin’ frog Daryl…” you mumbled.

Everybody stared at you in confusion, and Rick tossed his knife aside.

“I didn’t touch your fuckin’ frog dumbass.”

“You put it in the microwave…”

“I didn’t hit start!”

You shot up, falling away from Rick and you hit the ground with a heavy thud and a small groan of pain.

“You’re not dead?” Daryl asked.

“You put a frog in the microwave?” Carol asked.

“Oh my god I didn’t turn it on! Why aren’t you dead?”

You slowly sat up, rubbing the back of your head.

“I.. I don’t know…”

“Here, let me look.” Carol said.

She moved behind you, lifting your shirt to look at your bite mark, seeing it was scabbing over.

“It’s healing…” she whispered.

“What?”

Everybody crowded around to look at your back, seeing that the bite mark was scabbed over.

Rick placed the back of his hand to your forehead, seeing you had no fever.

“Let’s get you back to bed.” Rick whispered.

Everybody went back to the house with you, and they kept you confined to the bed.

They didn’t have what they needed to look at your blood work, so instead they swapped out shifts watching over you for days, checking the wound daily.

This went on for nearly a week, and your wound had turned into a scar.

Rick was sat behind you, your back resting against his chest, hands resting on his.

“It’s healed?”

“Completely, have you ever been bitten before?”

You thought for a moment, and shrugged a little bit.

“No. No I don’t think so. I haven’t noticed anything.”

He nodded his head, pressing a kiss to your neck.

“What does this mean…?”

“Well, it means that we’re married, and that… that we think you’re immune somehow…”

You sat up, turning around to look at him.

“Immune?”

“It’s the only answer we have, you should’ve turned by now, you don’t even have a fever and we’ve never seen a bite heal before.”

“So… you’re stuck with my ass…?”

Rick chuckled a little bit, leaning forward to kiss you, kissing your nose, forehead, then carefully pressing his lips to yours.

“I wouldn’t say stuck if I want to be with you…”

You smiled, kissing him once again, and he smiled into the kiss, placing his hand on the side of your face.

He was going to keep you close by now, everywhere he went he was going to bring you with him, he wasn’t going to take any chances immune or not

[untowardsthoughts]

posting some of my dndads brothers au of jodie and glenn

more art and elaboration under the cut :]]

so basically the gist of it is 4 dads [darryl, henry, ron, and jodie] on a quest to save their lost sons

around arc 2 where theyre gettin their anchors, thats where they get introduced to glenn, jodie's deceased older brother whos a demon now cause its fuckin cool dawg why not listen i dont have every detail ironed out

when jodie sees glenn he is very much Not Convinced thats his brother and is instead, another trick from the omega daddies and vehemently tries to avoid him.

for the scene w the purple robes giving glenn the phone to call morgan at castle ravenloft, that scene wouldnt work for jodie, for obvious reasons

so instead, when he recieves the phone, its glenn's voice on the other side. his brother who died in a car crash alongside their father bill when they were younger.

which im deciding to say, pushed young jodie to becoming a highway patrol officer

i think theyre like 5 yrs apart in this au? so like, if glenn died at 19, jodie woulda been 14. also i cant decide if jodie's also a demon or not. listen man . im standin at this au's corkboard like im pepe silvia. i cant be coherent but i can sure as fuck doodle

[angeldiarybook]

Dating Tim laflour head cannons

-meeting each other through Darryl since you had a class with Darryl which lead you to meeting Tim

-begging him to watch early 2000s movies with you (him agreeing because he loves you too much to say no)

-buying a bunch of junk food on movie nights

-watching hockey games with him

-always going to his hockey games or even just going to see him practice

-you calming him down when he gets way too rough during his hockey matches (because you don’t want him getting hurt/injured)

-you guys being each other comfort person

-being each other emotional and physically support

-him doing acts of service to show his love (etc.words of affirmation,physical touch,quality time basically all the the love languages)

-him taking you to go ice skating as a date as you guys hold hand And if you don’t know how to skate (Idk how to either 💀)he holds onto you guiding you through the ice rink

-Roller skating through campus while cleaning up trash for community service together with Darryl

-him being little spoon all of the time (even if he’s literally a giant)

-having a key necklace to match with his lock chain/necklace

-wearing his hockey jersey or his misfits shirts to sleep

-him letting you wear his bracelets / accessories that he has

-stealing his beanies

-you and him getting matching star tattoos right above your guys waist

-helping with his poetry

-him bringing the best out of you

-always giving him compliments on his style

-him getting flustered and giving you checkt smiles

-calling him “babe”, “Timmy” ,and “Love”

-playfully smacking him when he calls you “Dog/Dawg”

-always defending Tim because he’s too much of a sweetheart to argue also because he doesn’t like getting yelled at

-him being one of the most caring persons you’ll ever meet

-him having so much love for you

-taking naps at his apartment after classes

-admiring his piercings on his face when he’s taking naps on you as you run your fingers through his hair

-you and Tim always teasing Darryl

Note/rant:I love senseless especially because it has Marlon Wayan and Matthew Lillard 😭 I just love any Wayan brothers movies (especially white chicks) and I love anything that has Matthew in it. He just brings me so much comfort.Tim definitely has to be my favorite roles that Matthew plays

[this-hopeless-war]

every time I listen to Little Brother at "does anybody care" I hear the audio of Darryl Tofa actually screaming it and my heart rips out/pos

[listofwhyyouloveher]

Hii!! Can you do Johnny x fem reader fic whos a soc but really nice to him and doesn’t rlly care abt to whole soc vs greasers thing and hangs around with him while with her friends, not caring if they thought of her differently or not. but johnny, he thinks his friends will think something else when they find out hes with a soc so he tries avoiding her whenever his friends are around and reader gets upset and asks him why he explains and says he would introduce her despite still being scared and when he does and he thought it went well since tjey were so nice to her but after she left they all told him that shes not good for him blah blah and like she forgets something so she ends up going back and she hears everything and gets really sad? im sorry if this is too specific and long 😭

Summary: In which you are friends with Johnny but the gang thinks it's a bad idea Warnings: angst?? Author's Note: writers block hitting harder than my burnt blinkers atp You and Johnny had been good friends for a while now. Well, maybe it was more of a one-sided friendship. He almost always avoided you when you were with your friends or when he was with his. You could understand why he’d avoid you when you were around your friends, they were rowdy and dangerous sometimes, but you just couldn’t understand why he’d keep you from his friends. Deep down, you knew that it was because of the soc versus greaser thing, but as much as you tried to reassure him that you genuinely wanted to be his friend, your friendship stopped pretty much as soon as the school bell rang. 

One day, you stopped him at his locker. “Johnny, I’d really like to meet your friends.” You said, asserting a level of seriousness into your normally lighthearted conversations. “Not a good idea, Y/n” You rolled your eyes. “Oh, please! I promise, I won’t do anything to piss them off!” And with some convincing, you two decided on Sunday to go and meet them. You walked quickly, with a briskness that only came with a happy mood. It was Sunday and you were walking to the ‘Curtis brother’s’ house. You’ve heard of them before but not much could be said about them. You rounded the corner and stepped up the porch, gently knocking. You listened as the chatter ceased and footsteps approached the door. Johnny opened it, a weary smile on his face, he stepped to the side to let you in. “Hello!” You said as you entered and everyone inside got up to greet you. 

There was 1 young boy, 3 guys who sat close together and whispered to each other and 2 older guys. They each introduced themselves, one with less grace than the others. His gruff demeanor threw you off but you tried to be as cheerful as possible throughout the whole conversation.

In your opinion, it went pretty well, and as you bid them goodnight you thought that they thought the same. But as it turns out, you remembered you forgot your purse there and hurried back only to catch a glimpse of their conversation.

“I don't know man, you know about them socs..” the boy known as Sodapop said.

“Swear, she's really nice. And she says she doesn't care about us being greasers.” Johnny tried,

“Yeah? And since when do you trust socs?” Dallas countered and there was a murmur of agreement.

“Best not to associate with them” Darry muttered, and you gasped, Darryl was the nicest out of them all. You damn near broke into tears, a quiet sob escaping your lips. Your purse would have to wait because all you wanted to do was to run home and cry.

[rileyh20]

I need ur opnion on my au umn.

So this is a year after Johnny and dallys death, soda was drafted months ago, Pony finally settled down 2 months ago, everything’s going smooth, Darry and him have arguments and pony’s ungrateful for what he has but still.

Then he gets pulled out of class. “You’re brothers in the hospital, critical condition.”

“What…??”

“Darryl Shaynne Jr Curtis, if he survives he will not be able to walk.”

“…is he gonna-“

“Officer what? Oh-“

“I’m very sorry, he flat lined. I’m sorry for your loss.”

Pony’s ass doesn’t have a job, nor can he get one so he takes what he deems important, (his moms earrings, his dads tie, Darry’s favorite black shirt, soda plaid, Johnnys jean jacket, Dally s jacket and neckless.) and is homeless for a solid 2 weeks, he’s gotten chased down a few times and side eyed by cops by having to steal.

The only reason he’s not homeless in the end is because twobit wasted walks down the street, sees him and decides to take him home.

He wakes up, and sober him and his mom force him to stay, until soda a year later comes back from war.

Neither have cried so hard before.

Both have such insane ptsd (pony from multible events, his parents death, Johnny and dallys, and being homeless , sodas war.)

But they are doing ok?

(Curtis house got sold they both lived with the matthews for a while before soda scummed up enough money for a run down one bedroom apartment.)

Omg Ponyboy…

THIS IS SO SAD TF

😭😭😭

I love them…

A great AU

Wait, where is Steve-

[amethyst-writer]

Hi, how are you? I love the outsiders and my favorite character is Darry. Could you write something about Darryl getting really sick from working so much and trying to hide it from his brothers?But they find out and Darry sees that his brothers also love him and want to take care of him too.

hi!! i hope you're doing well!

here it is!

[imagine-you]

I'll Be the Vision of Your Happiness (Dallas Winston/Reader)

Summary: "And then there was Dallas Winston. He was a troublemaker through and through and while he spent too much time behind bars for your liking, he also crashed on the couch in your living room often enough that you couldn't help but consider him a part of the fucked up little family you had. He was a rebel and a notorious flirt and had an obvious thing for you. You couldn't take him or his advances seriously, though. Not when he was always looking for his next fight or lay."  Word Count: 5.7k Author's Note: Just a silly, self-indulgent little thing I've had on my mind for years. I finally decided to write because damn it, I had to. Reader is Darry's, Soda's, and Ponyboy's sister. Just a year younger than Darry. Title comes from the song Earth Angel, because that was the title of this fic up until a few moments ago. Huge canon divergence in this fic...because I had to.

Read on AO3

Everyone on your side of town had a rough life, but growing up, you never would have guessed. Your parents had done their best to shield you from the worst of it and it wasn't until they were gone that you realized just how much they did for you and your brothers.  

Even though you were only a year younger than him, Darry tried to take full responsibility for you and your younger brothers. He quit school and got himself a job and then another one when he realized that wasn't going to cut it. When you tried to follow in his footsteps, he chewed you out for trying to ruin your life.  

"You even think of dropping out and so help me--" 

"So you get to bear the weight of all of our worlds on your shoulders, but I can't help? What the fuck, Dar? That's not fair," you argued, knowing that getting Darryl to budge would be near impossible, but you had to try.  

"Watch your language," Darry scolded, shooting you a disapproving glare.  

"You're not dad, Dar," you reminded him. "And just because you're the oldest--" 

"All of you are my responsibility. Who else is going to keep a roof over our heads? Mom and dad are gone and I'm the only one who can take care of the rest of you." 

"That's bullshit and you know it. Listen, I don't have to go to school--" 

"Stop," Darry snapped, his tone final, warning you not to argue. "You're going to school and you're gonna make something of yourself. Got it?" 

You knew it was no use trying to get through Darry's stubbornness, so you continued taking classes, but you would be damned if you didn't contribute. So, you got a job as a waitress on the other side of the train tracks, catering to socs and taking their money to benefit a bunch of greasers.  

Because while you had your brothers, you also couldn't deny that the rest of the gang was your family as well.  

Your not-so-secret favorite of the bunch was Two-Bit, because even though he was constantly mouthing off, he was also someone you knew would always have your back. He used his shoplifting habit to pick up things he thought you would like and while you didn't want to encourage him, you couldn't help but think he was incredibly sweet for someone who was always cracking jokes about everything and everyone. 

Johnny Cade was an absolute sweetheart and even though Ponyboy was the baby of the group, Johnny gave off a youthful innocence that had you wondering half the time how he ended up with a bunch of guys who would rather let their fists win their fights than words. You hated Johnny's parents for not protecting him from the world like they were meant to, so you took it upon yourself to watch out for him when you could and brought him food from the restaurant you worked at, since you knew his parents barely took the time to make sure he was eating enough.   

Steve Randall was Soda's best friend and while you hated the way he was so dismissive of Pony, you tolerated him for Sodapop's sake. It wasn't a secret he wasn't your favorite of the bunch and you had a feeling that the sentiment was mutual.  

And then there was Dallas Winston. He was a troublemaker through and through and while he spent too much time behind bars for your liking, he also crashed on the couch in your living room often enough that you couldn't help but consider him a part of the fucked up little family you had. He was a rebel and a notorious flirt and had an obvious thing for you. You couldn't take him or his advances seriously, though. Not when he was always looking for his next fight or lay.  

It didn't make sense and it was dysfunctional as all get out, but they were your family, and you'd do anything for them.  

The day your life got flipped around for what felt like the thousandth time, you were sitting on the porch steps, reading a book for class. You were drawn from the story of fake identities and counts seeking revenge by your brother's distressed voice.  

"Pony!" You heard Soda yell before he took off. Two-Bit, Johnny, and Steve were right behind him, barely taking a second to hesitate before following your brother into what sounded like a fight.   

You stood, carelessly throwing your book down on the steps, before you rushed toward the sounds of yelling and cursing and punches being thrown. All you managed to catch was the end of the scuffle, surprised to see Dally there, since the last thing you knew he was locked up again. He threw a rock at the socs' car, nearly hitting the back window, sending it skittering across the road as the socs fled.  

It was then you saw Ponyboy, blood welling from a cut on his neck.  

"What the fuck did they do to you?" You hissed, dropping to your knees at your brother's side.  

"They ran him down," Soda answered, tipping Pony's head back to get a better look at the cut. "Shit, Pony," he sighed, wincing at the sight of the blood staining his neck.  

"What the hell were you thinking anyway?" Darry asked, surprising you. You hadn't even seen your older brother approach, but you shouldn't have been surprised that if there was trouble, he wouldn't let it go ignored. "You shouldn't be walking around by yourself." 

"I wanted to see a movie," Pony offered, letting Two-Bit help him to his feet.  

"Movies and books," Darry scoffed, reaching out to tap a finger against Pony's forehead. "You're going to be so caught up in that head of yours one day that you're not gonna see the hit coming." 

"Aw, lay off him," Soda told Darry, starting to lead Pony back to the house. "Those things make him happy."  

"Next time you want to go to the movies, I'll give you a ride," you offered, not liking the idea of your baby brother walking all over town by himself. It wasn't just the socs you had to worry about. There were rowdy greasers and people who wouldn't take too kindly to a greaser walking on their side of town. You didn't want him getting jumped again, so you would do just about anything to prevent it.   

"And next time you need a ride," Dallas started, wrapping an arm around your shoulders, "you know where to find me." 

"Dallas," you groaned, pushing him away. "What about Sylvia, huh?" 

Dallas' face scrunched up in annoyance before he shrugged his shoulders. "Cheated on me while I was locked up," he answered before reaching out to ruffle Johnny's hair. "That chick couldn't even wait a few months for me." 

"Shocker," you drawled, ignoring Dallas' noise of protest, before you sat back down on the porch steps and picked up your book.  

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dally asked, indignation in his tone.  

"Nothing. Just...," you trailed off, glancing up at Dallas. "Are you noticing a pattern with the kind of girls you go with?" 

"Well, it's not like you're giving me the time of day. Just say the word, babe," he added with a confident smirk.  

"Alright, can you two stop flirting and just get married already or something already?" Two-Bit joked, bumping into Dallas' side. "I'm sure Pony here would make a great flower girl, though. Leaving a trail of grease down the aisle and everything." 

"Knock it off, Keith," you scolded Two-Bit, grinning when his cheeks flushed red. You were the only one who got away with calling him by his actual name and you only ever used it when you needed him to back off.  

"Yeah, yeah," Two-Bit sighed, turning to look at the rest of the gang. "So, anyone want to do anything fun?" 

"There's a double feature tomorrow night at the drive-in," Pony piped up, ignoring Darry's pointed sigh, before he considered the rest of the gang.  

"I'll go," Johnny volunteered before he looked to Dallas. "What about it, Dally? You in?" 

"Sure," Dallas mused, dropping down onto the porch next to you. "Y/N can drive us." 

You snorted, elbowing Dallas in the side. "That offer stands for my brother and Johnny. You can walk, though," you told him, smirking at him.  

"Ouch," Dallas feigned hurt before he wrapped his arm around your shoulders. "C'mon, doll, you really trust me out on these streets? I could get jumped. I could get arrested. I could get killed. Heck, I might just get all three in one night." 

"I know what you're capable of," you told him, not bothering to shake off his arm again, instead going back to your book. "Just this once," you allowed, since you weren't too keen on the idea of Dallas leading your brother all over town, starting trouble and dragging Pony and Johnny right into it.  

"Great," Dallas drawled, squeezing you close to him for a second before letting you go.  

Even though you hated yourself just a little bit for it, you couldn't help but think you liked being tucked against Dallas' side.  

You were able to drop the trio off at the drive-in the next night, but you had to take a reluctant shift at the restaurant, since one of your co-workers had fallen ill. Your boss offered you a little extra cash as an incentive and since Pony was going to need new running shoes for track, you couldn't exactly turn the offer down.   

If you had known what you would come home to, however, you would have told your boss there was no way in hell you were coming in on your day off.  

By the time you got back to the house, you were exhausted and tired and cold. Your feet were killing you and all you wanted to do was crawl into bed and forget that the world existed for the rest of the night.  

Instead, you came home to Darry sitting silent and still in the armchair by the phone and Soda nervously pacing the floor.  

"What happened?" You asked, stepping cautiously through the front door. "Is someone hurt? In jail? What's going on?" 

"Pony ran off," Soda answered, glancing at Darry, unsure. "He, uh, he got upset." 

"Have you looked for him? He runs fast, but he wouldn't go far. He probably just needs a minute." You weren't sure if you were trying to reassure your brothers or yourself.  

Darry shook his head and you couldn't tell if the expression on his face was one of guilt or anger. Knowing Darry, it was probably both.  

"Look, you two stay here," you told your brothers. "And I'll go look for Pony." 

"I don't like you out there at this time of night by yourself," Darry said, finally breaking his silence.  

"I'll be okay," you assured Darry, thinking of what you had stashed away in the glovebox of your car. The gun was the only reason Darry was okay with you having a job so far from home. It had belonged to your father and after he passed, Darry dug it out from beneath your parent's bed and presented it to you. 'Just in case,' he told you and you knew it was his way of trying to ensure he didn't lose any more family. 

Dallas had been the one to teach you how to use it. He was oddly pissed when he found out Darryl had handed you a gun with no pointers on how to use it. You chalked it up to grief on Darry's part, but Dallas wasn't willing to let it slide. He took it upon himself to make sure you knew how to use and aim it.  

He set up makeshift targets made out of tin cans in an empty field and didn't let you leave until he was positive you wouldn't hurt yourself if you ever had to use the weapon to defend yourself.  

You remembered the way his arms wrapped around your waist, keeping your back pressed firmly to his chest as he whispered in your ear how to gently squeeze the trigger. It shouldn't have made you so hot, but after years of ignoring Dally's advances, you couldn't stop yourself from turning in his embrace and pressing your lips to his. The kiss has been slow and languid, searching and questioning. You didn't know if it was the right thing to do, but in that moment, it certainly felt like it.  

Of course, your hopes for any future you might have with Dallas Winston were dashed the next day when you saw him flirting with the girl who worked as a cashier at the grocery store halfway across town. You had only been there to pick up some peanut butter and bread after your shift and at first you couldn't quite believe your eyes.  

It was then you realized Dallas was never really going to change and you shouldn't hold out hope that he ever would. You wanted two different things and you told yourself you were okay with that, even though you really weren't.  

"I'll be okay," you repeated, meeting Darry's eyes. "I'll bring him home. Trust me."  

Darry dipped his head in a nod, silently giving you permission to go. You ignored Soda's worried expression as he watched you leave the house, all your thoughts focused on finding your youngest brother and bringing him home. 

You had a hard time focusing on the road before you as you drove down the darkened streets of your neighborhood, searching fervently for Ponyboy. Every minute that passed had you clenching the steering wheel tighter in your hands. Anything could happen to Ponyboy if he was out alone at night and you didn't even want to consider the state you might find him in once you finally laid eyes on him.  

You wanted to find Pony so badly that you weren't sure if the commotion going on at the playground was real or all in your head. But there Pony was with Johnny, going up against four socs. You slammed your foot down on the brake, barely remembering to put the car in park, before you were hastily reaching into the glove box. Your fingers were just wrapping around the handle of the pistol when you saw a soc shove Johnny to the ground before they crowded around Pony, herding him towards the fountain.  

You were out of the car and rushing towards the group by the time they were dunking your little brother's head beneath the water. You could hear the socs laughing and you felt rage pour through your body, sweeping you up along with it. They were trying to kill your brother and they were laughing about it. It wasn't fair and it wasn't right. Indignation and panic were rising quickly up your throat and you weren't sure if you were about to start yelling or if you were going to throw up from the stress.  

You could see Johnny picking himself up from the ground, the glint of the knife in his hand catching your attention, and abruptly you knew how this would play out. Johnny would save your brother however he could, but he'd take the fall. Sweet, sensitive Johnny being locked up or worse wasn't something you were about to let happen.  

You raised the gun in the air and fired off a shot without a second thought about any consequences. The socs jumped and the one holding Pony let him go, startling so hard that he bumped into the lip of the fountain and fell to the ground. You saw the other socs stumble and scramble to turn towards you.  

While you had their attention, Johnny darted forward and grabbed Pony by the shoulders, hauling him up out of the fountain. Your brother spluttered, coughing up water and spitting it out onto the ground. 

"Hey," the blonde one slurred, clumsily getting to his feet before making a move towards Johnny.  

"Leave him alone," you shouted, keeping the socs' attention on you. Johnny was busy helping Ponyboy stay upright, patting his back when you brother started coughing up more water, but he kept a fearful, distrustful eye on the socs. "Or the next time I pull the trigger, I'll be aiming at you." 

"C'mon, Bob," one of the socs said. "Let's get out of here," he pleaded with his friend, reaching out to tug on his arm. "She's crazy and she's got a gun." 

"Not until they learn their lesson," Bob snarled, swaying towards your brother and Johnny. "They can't just talk to our girls and think they can get away with it. Not trash like them," he spat, bringing his fist back, as if he was going to aim a punch at Johnny. You saw the flash of rings caught in the streetlights and the absolute fear on Johnny's face and you knew without a doubt this was the soc that had jumped him not long ago.  

You pointed your weapon at Bob, not wanting him to have any doubt that he would be your target should you have to fire again. "Leave," you told him, trying to ignore the fact that your hands were shaking. Your confidence was waning with every second and you didn't want to lose it before the socs were gone. One slip and it was all over.  

"Let's go, man, she's off her rocker," you heard one of the socs mutter before they were all trailing back to their car. Bob looked like he still had half a mind to charge at your brother, even with the weapon pointed at him, but his friend with the curly brown hair kept a tight grip on his arm, towing him away.  

"We can go," you told the boys once you were sure the socs were gone and weren't going to circle back. 

"Y/N--," Johnny started. 

"Not now," you said, shaking your head, still on high alert waiting for headlights and cruel laughter to make a reappearance.  

The car was deathly silent as you drove home, keeping an eye on your rearview motor, while Johnny and Pony sat huddled together in the backseat. You could hear one or both of them shivering, so you drove a little faster, eager to get them back to the warmth and safety of your home.  

When you got back to the house, Soda was sitting on the front steps. He immediately stood up when he noticed your car and took off down the stairs and across the lawn when he noticed Johnny helping Pony out of the backseat. Your hands were trembling and you felt so restless that you knew going into the house would be a mistake. Darry would have questions and he would be gruff and stern and overprotective. Soda would be worried and nervous and you knew Pony and Johnny would be traumatized. You didn't have the energy to deal with all of that, so all you could think about was fleeing to a place where you felt safe.  

To your surprise, only one place came to mind.  

"I'll, uh, I've got something I've gotta do," you told Pony when he shot you a questioning glance. You knew he was wondering why you weren't shutting the car off or getting out. "I'll be home soon." 

"Y/N--," Soda tried to stop you, his brow furrowed with worry as he helped Johnny support Ponyboy.  

You shook your head, cutting him off. He frowned at you before reluctantly shutting the car door, allowing you to drive off.  

Your mind was spinning and you barely had the presence of mind to stuff the gun back into the glovebox. You didn't want Darry giving you the third degree and you didn't want Soda to pace nervously while he shot you what he thought were discreet, worried glances. Johnny and Pony could tell them what happened and Darry and Soda would watch out for them. They didn't need you, you told yourself over and over again. You didn't have to feel guilty for escaping when you needed to. For seeking out the one person who could help you process the events of the night.  

Two-Bit would just fuss over you and you sure as hell weren't going to go to Steve at a moment like this. You didn't realize your mind was fully made up until you found yourself pulling up to Buck Merrill's place.  

"Shit," you groaned, resting your forehead on the steering wheel. You forced yourself to take a deep breath, knowing that this was probably a mistake, before you forced yourself to get out of the car. You let your feet carry you to the front door while your mind spiraled through all the ways this could go wrong.  

"Yeah?" You heard someone ask, breaking you out of your trance.  

"Uh, hey," you managed to get out, recognizing Buck. "Is Dallas here?" 

Buck looked you up and down, leaning against the doorframe, as if keeping you from getting a good look at his place or who might be inside. "Who's asking?" 

"Just tell him it's Y/N, alright? He'll want to see me." It was a bluff and you suddenly had the striking fear that Dallas wasn't spending the night alone. What if he had a date? What if you were interrupting something? 

"Stay here," Buck's gruff voice pulled you out of your panic.  

You nodded your head, nervously tapping your fingers against your thigh as Buck shut the door on you. 

It wasn't long before you could see Dallas approach the door through the front window. He looked confused as he yelled something at Buck over his shoulder before he opened the door. His hair was sleep rumpled and there was a bruise blooming on his jaw, making you wonder if it was from a fist or a pair of lips.  

"Y/N? Do you know what time it is? What the hell is going on?" Dallas took a closer look at you before he seemed to notice the state you were in. You could feel yourself beginning to shake and you weren't sure if it was from the chill in the air or from shock. "Jesus, come on, get inside," he ordered, stepping aside to give you room to get past him. 

Dallas ushered you inside before leading you up the stairs and into a bedroom. The covers were rumpled and the pillow was halfway off the bed, as if Dallas had messed it up trying to get out of bed, but there was no sign that another person had been with him. You felt relieved for a brief, confusing moment, before the shock you had been fighting off hit you.  

"What's going on? You look spooked," Dallas observed, his brows furrowing in concern. 

You took a deep breath before you stumbled towards the bed. You dropped down onto the edge of it, fighting the urge to hide your face from Dallas so he wouldn't see you cry.   

"Johnny and Pony got into some trouble tonight."  

You knew Dally had a soft spot for Johnny and once he heard his name, his face drew tight in anger. You knew he was fearing the worst and while you had definitely avoided the worst-case scenario that night, you were having trouble trying to explain that at the moment. 

"Was it the socs again? They didn't get him, did they? Fuck, they're so dead this time." 

"Not really," you explained. "But they almost killed Pony. He could've died tonight, Dal." You could feel a sob working its way up your throat and you weren't sure if you would be able to stop it. You weren't all that surprised when you started rambling, instead. "They were trying to drown Pony and Johnny had a knife and I didn't know what to do, so I took the gun--" 

"Did you shoot one of 'em?" Dallas asked and from the calculating look on his face, you were sure he was already thinking of a dozen different escape plans that would have you running from the law and trying to evade a murder charge.  

"No, but I almost had to. They wouldn't back off and he was going to die, Dal. I could've lost my brother tonight. If I hadn't been there in time who knows what could have happened." You thought of Johnny and his knife and the determined glint in his eyes. "It could've been so much worse." 

"It's alright," Dallas soothed, dropping down to sit at your side. "You got there and you stopped them. That's what matters, right? And we'll make them pay for what they did. They can't just get away with it. They always get away with it and then we're the ones getting locked up because we don't have their connections."  

"I don't want you getting into any trouble. Not again," you told him, hating the thought of Dallas going away yet again.  

"I won't, doll," he said as he wrapped an arm around your shoulders, pulling you close to his side. You shivered and pressed closer against him, noticing the way his breath hitched.  

You turned your head to look at him, noticing the way his eyes dipped to consider your lips before meeting your eyes. All you could think about was that of all the places you could've run to, you went right to Dallas. It only felt right and after all this time of running away from him, when you couldn't deny how you felt any longer, you ended up right in his arms. Maybe it was where you should have been all along.  

"I don't want to get myself into any trouble either," you found yourself saying, focusing on Dallas' eyes and how he was zeroed in on you.  

"So, I'm trouble?" His lips quirked up in a smirk and you couldn't help the breathless laugh that escaped you.  

"You always have been. But maybe...," you trailed off, considering him. "But maybe I just don't care anymore," you said before you leaned forward and let your lips brush against his. Your hands were still shaking and you couldn't wrap your head around what almost happened to your brother, but you knew one thing. Dallas was where you turned when you felt unsafe and all you wanted at that moment was to be with him. You felt like nothing could go wrong as long as he was with you, holding you, pressed against you. So, you leaned into him, pouring every insecurity and fear into the kiss and letting him take them from you.  

You were tempted to spend the night with Dallas, but you only stayed for another few minutes. At some point during the kiss, Dallas had drawn away and simply pulled you close, letting you rest your head on his shoulder. He kept his arm tucked tight around your waist, a silent assurance that he had you.  

"I should go," you sighed, closing your eyes against the urge to look up at Dallas. You knew it would be hard to leave him, but it was something you had to do. Your brothers were probably worried sick about you and you didn't want to make them worry any longer.  

"You could stay," he offered. "Bed's big enough for two." 

"Darry would kill me," you told him. "Especially since i just drove off without a word once I dropped off Pony and Johnny." 

"Your big brother worries too much," Dallas complained before he reluctantly let you go.  

"He does," you agreed before taking a moment to kiss Dallas again. This one was quick and brief, a thanks for giving you refuge to sort yourself out, before you stood up. "I'll see you later," you promised. 

"Later," Dallas agreed, not bothering to get off the bed as you walked out.  

You figured it was better that way. If Dallas followed you, you'd have a hell of a lot harder time leaving him.  

Johnny was fast asleep on the couch when you wandered back into the house and Pony and Soda were both in bed, but you weren't surprised that Darry was waiting for you.  

"Where the hell did you go," he said, not bothering to phrase it as a question, but more of a demand for an answer.  

"I went to a friend's," you told him, completely aware of how much more he would worry if he found out you were with Dallas instead of staying home. "How are they?" You asked, gesturing towards where Johnny was still fast asleep on the couch.  

"Scared. Shaken up. They told us what happened." Darryl sighed, his shoulders releasing some of their tension. "It could have been a lot worse. I'm glad you got to them in time." 

"Yeah," you agreed, releasing a long breath. Your mind was finally starting to catch up to the fact that you were completely safe now. The adrenaline from the night was wearing and exhaustion was fast approaching to take its place. "I'm tired," you couldn't help but say, not even sure if you had the energy to drag yourself to bed. You thought for a fleeting moment of Dallas and his bed and the fact that you could have been sharing it with him right about now. But you knew it had been the right decision to go home, even if it wasn't completely what you had wanted.  

"Go to bed. We'll talk more tomorrow." Darry walked towards you, leaving his arms open for you to slip into his embrace. "Don't scare me like that again, alright?" He asked before he let you go. "I understand, but after everything we've been through...," he let the end of his sentence go unsaid, letting you mentally finish it yourself. "Love you, kid." 

"I'm only a year younger," you reminded him, fighting off the urge to roll your eyes.  

"Sure," he agreed with a grin. "Now, go on. Get some rest." 

"Thanks, Darry," you managed to say around a yawn before you went off to bed.  

You went to bed that night thinking about Dally and woke that morning worried about Dally. Tensions between the socs and greasers around town were swiftly rising and you knew that it would come to some kind of fight. It always came to a fight when class differences were involved and you hated that the people you loved most were being painted as the enemies.  

You knew it would come to a head sooner or later, but you didn't entirely expect for it to happen so soon.  

Within a week, everyone was on edge. Two-bit got followed walking to get some ice cream and Dally got jumped by three socs just outside a gas station. Thankfully it was the one Soda and Steve worked at, and while they almost got fired for the fight, all three of them managed to make it out nearly completely unscathed.  

You knew it would only get worse, so you weren't surprised when word of a rumble between the two groups started floating around.  

"No. Absolutely not," you argued once Dally told you he was set on fighting in the rumble "It's bad enough my brothers want to, but come on, Dallas. You never know when to stop and you're gonna end up in jail. Again," you added after a moment of thought. "It's all I can not to get Ponyboy mixed up in all of this, but now I've got to worry about you too? What're we going to do if you get locked up?"  

The thing between you was still fragile and new. You kept waiting for him to flirt around and he seemed to think you were going to change your mind. Despite that, it still felt incredibly exhilarating every time you were wrapped up in his arms and while you hadn't told anyone else that the two of you were an item, you knew it would happen once the both of you felt more settled in your relationship. 

"Well," he mused as he moved towards you, "guess you better wait for me." He reached up and behind his neck, unlatching his Saint Chrisopher necklace. "You'll keep this safe for me, then, won't you?" 

You knew what the necklace meant to Dally and you knew what it meant that he was giving it to you. He carried it with him for the protection and safekeeping he thought it gave him and if he was giving it to you, then he must have trusted you a hell of a lot more than you realized.  

"The last girl I was with, I gave her my ring, but I shouldn't have trusted her. I knew I should've waited for the right one." He let his lips twist up into a smile as you turned, letting your back face him. "And I've been waiting a long time for you, doll," Dallas said, his voice going lower, as if he was worried anyone but you would hear the words. He reverently brought the necklace up over your head and let it rest around your neck, taking care to make sure your hair didn't get caught up in the clasp as he closed it.  

"I'll take good care of it," you promised. "But you better not end up in jail. I've got plans for us, Dallas Winston," you told him as you turned to face him yet again. You could feel the medallion against your skin and you knew it was a promise and a declaration all in one.  

Dallas wanted to be with you and he wasn't about to go seeking out anyone else to fill his time or his bed. And once the guys realized you of all people were wearing Dallas' necklace, then they were soon to put the pieces together.  

"Oh yeah? Well, guess I better make sure I'm around for them," Dallas said, a smile still on his face as he considered you. You didn't remember the last time you had seen him so pleased and the fact that you were the reason for his happiness was downright intoxicating.    

You couldn't help but laugh, delighted and enthralled with Dallas as you pulled him into a kiss.  

Maybe your side of town would always be a little bit rough and maybe there was always a fight brewing, but you figured maybe it wasn't so bad as long as you had your family of greasers and Dallas Winston's arms around you. Maybe you didn't need money or connections or a fancy school to be happy.  

You already had all you needed and you would be damned if you were ever going to let it go.