#i miss darry and his dad :(

[specific-dreamer]

thinking about how for four maybe five years mr curtis had a shadow that would follow him around. thinking about how when mr curtis (darrel sr) woke up early to get ready for work, no matter how quiet he is, his shadow is always clumsily getting ready for work too. thinking about darrel sr having a quiet bowl of cereal most mornings with his shadow at the kitchen table before his shadow inevitably falls back asleep. thinking about how in the first two years of having a shadow, he never had any privacy not even to use the restroom because his shadow was just that. his shadow would clumsily open the bathroom door just to watch him. thinking about how around the fourth year of having a shadow suddenly darrel sr’s shadow is always gripping his pants leg. thinking about darrel sr going for late night drives with his shadow before he gains a second shadow.

[grlsinterrupted]

tangled in love, stuck by you, from the glue ☾. ݁₊ ⊹

caught cuddling with johnny | johnny cade x curtis ! reader . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁

-

to say that your brothers were protective of you, their only sister, was quite the understatement. even the slightest bit of conversation with one of your male friends would garner a night’s worth of ‘who’s that boy you were talking it up with? what’s he doing ‘round here?’ soda was somewhat of a tease— he just thinks it’s cute watching you grow up and experience romantic love. darry takes a more mature approach. he’ll interrogate you a few times, then watch you closely to see if anything else happens. his guard is always up. pony’s disgusted thinking about you flirting with someone if anything, really.

you and johnny, pony’s best friend, had been dating in secret for quite some time. most nights, you’d sneak out of your house to meet with him in the lot to cuddle and stargaze, connecting each constellation and taking turns naming them. sure, you dreaded climbing out of your window and being at risk of landing on a rock every now and then, but it was definitely worth it if it meant you’d be able to spend some time with your boyfriend, away from the chaos of your household. however, tonight, he suggested that the two of you just stay in your house cuddling while watching the rain trickle down the window. you obviously agreed— your brothers were out with their friends, so you figured this would be the perfect opportunity for a much needed cuddle session.

johnny’s back is pressed up against yours, his hands wrapping around waist as he nuzzles into the crook of your neck. you’re practically engulfed in his warmth; just what you needed on a cold night that’ll leave you shaking and shivering. the sound of rain droplets falling down your roof echoes throughout the entire house. there’s a comfortable silence between the two of you, though johnny will occasionally whisper something sweet into your ear. after about half an hour of cuddling, the two of you are peacefully asleep just before you’re so rudely interrupted by the sound of laughter and jeering.

dallas’ hand is placed on your shoulder, shaking you off johnny’s chest. “cut that out, the two of ya!”

“morning, lovebirds.” two-bit snickers, tucking his hands into his pockets as he turns his head over to darry, who looks like he’s about to explode with his own anger.

steve shook his head and made a tsk-tsk sound, opening his hand out. “pay up, soda! i told you those two were up to somethin’!”

soda huffs out a sigh, sliding 50 cents into steve’s palm.

“euugh.. you’ve been cuddling up with each other this whole time?” pony grimaces, inching away from the bed.

darry’s arms are crossed with that infamous ‘disappointed dad’ expression on his face as he pulls your arm up from the bed.

just before darry drags you into the kitchen for the longest lecture you’ve ever received from him, you catch a glimpse of johnny’s tomato red face— his cheeks are flushed with embarrassment, but a part of him is relived that he won’t have to hide your relationship anymore. his lips split into a shy, embarrassed grin as you planted a quick kiss on his cheek; you can suffer the consequences later, anyway!

‘dont forget to kiss me, or else you’ll have to miss me! i guess i’m stuck forever, by the glue, oh, and youuuuuu!’ .ᐟ ₊˚⊹♡

requested by anon :)

-

[ellie-r2]

Book Curtis Brothers hcs

because I won't leave you guys hanging just because it got second place

Darry:

-He'll do anything for his brothers even if he hates the thing. (first scene in the book when Pony says he could've just called Darry to watch the movie even though Darry hates them)

-He tries really hard to be gentle when physically comforting people but he's always too rough without meaning to be.

-Genuinely believed Ponyboy hated him for a good while and it would actually keep him up at night at times which added to his stress levels.

-Always makes sure the house is stocked up with first aid supplies for the boys.

-He asks Soda to talk to Pony for him to make sure Pony knows he loves him because he thinks if he were to do it he'd just say the wrong thing and it would go bad.

-The five days Pony was gone were the worst of Darry's life even more so than the death of his parents because to him at least then he got the news the same day but for Ponyboy he had nothing letting him know if he truly was okay.

-Says he would've been okay if Ponyboy never spoke to him again after the slap because he would've deserved it but in reality he wouldn't know how to live with it.

-Hated when people would confuse him for being his dad's brother instead of son because he hated that people thought he looked older when he's only 20. (which doesn't get better now that he's taking care of his brothers)

-Technically this is canon but adding it anyway he is insecure about the fact he didn't get to go to college because he did want a chance to leave tulsa and pursue a career in football.

-Stays by Pony's door until he falls asleep whenever he wakes up screaming from a nightmare to ease his nerves.

-Only irons Soda's shirts because he knows even if Soda has time he won't do it himself.

-When Ponyboy was in denial of Johnny's death he and Soda made sure no one ever mentioned anything about Johnny around Pony.

-He asked Tim to have Curly tell Ponyboy stories about reformatory to scare him from being sent there.

-Used to consider wanting to reconcile with Paul so he'd still have other friends outside the gang. After the rumble happened he stopped thinking about it.

-Apart from his brothers the person he's closest to in the gang is Two-Bit since they're closest in age and he's the only one he truly trusts to leave alone with Pony.

Soda:

-Used to hate being the only blond one of his brothers until his parents died because he liked having his mom's hair color.

-Ever since basically moving into Pony's room because of the nightmares he now uses his old room as a storage space or offers it to the gang if they want to sleep on a bed instead of the couch.

-Will defend his brothers to the ends of the earth over literally anyone no matter who it is (I mean according to Pony the only time he was ever mad at Steve was when he said something about Darry).

-Took everything in him not to tell Darry that he suspected that Dally knew where Pony and Johnny were and almost slipped by wanting to ask him to proofread the letter.

-Slept in his room the days Pony was gone because it didn't feel right to him to sleep in there without Pony but he still didn't sleep well anyway.

-Plays football with Darry even if he's not the best at it just so Darry can still play his favorite sport.

-Contrary to popular belief while he is named the the crier of the brothers it is actually Ponyboy but he lets himself be called that because he knows Pony doesn't like being seen as "weak".

-Even though Sandy cheated on him and everything he couldn't find it in himself to hate her not even a little bit.

-Despite what Pony may think about comparing Soda and Steve to Bob and Randy, Soda would actually be the one to fight even harder and be angry if Steve were the one to die while Steve would be the one to not fight.

-Will gives massages to Darry when Darry works long nights at work because while his brother won't admit it, he doesn't take care of himself as much as he should.

-Misses the days when Darry was just his brother and not guardian because while he gets let off more than Pony the change in relationship between himself and Darry is still noticeable to him.

-Will cling to anything or anyone that is near him when sleeping.

Ponyboy:

-Is quite literally the little brother of the gang even though he thinks it's Johnny. (Everyone including Steve will drop everything for him).

-(pre book but after their parents died) Desperately craved attention/affection from Darry but didn't know how to ask for it.

-He has drawn every member of the gang + Curly but hasn't shown them any of the drawings. His favorite to draw was Dally.

-For the purly/papercut fans (me). Pony is the only one who can keep Curly from getting into too much trouble. (Like we know from Tim that Curly has talked about Pony and even calls him a good kid.)

-After Johnny and Dally's deaths he hangs up his drawings of them in his room. He also keeps Dally's jacket in his room even if he never wears it.

-Tried to finish reading Gone with the Wind after Johnny died but couldn't.

-Has nightmares of him being the one who was stuck under the beam instead of Johnny and being the one who died and wakes up terrified because he truly thinks it would have been better if it was him.

-Makes Darry go into the room with him at doctor's appointments and looks at Darry whenever they ask him a question. He'll also clutch Darry or Soda's arm because he hates being there.

-Quit smoking or is in the process of trying to quit post book because of guilt of potentially starting the fire and because it's not good for him being on the track team and all.

For all 3:

-Darry and Soda go to ALL of Pony's track events.

-Post book they all try to have one day of the week where they all do something together for the other. For Darry, Pony and Soda play football with him. For Pony, they go watch a movie together. For Soda, Darry lets him take them out racing but sits in the back with Pony to keep him safe if anything.

-When they were younger Darry would give shit to anyone who would say anything about his younger brothers having weird names. While Pony and Soda would give Darry shit saying he's the one with a weird name. "seriously DARREL"

-They all sleep in Darry's room together the night before if they know the social worker is coming in fear of separated.

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

Henlo :) okay so um hcs for the gang with a reader who comes from a family thats rlly rocky, so they dont rlly experience love so when they get it its confusing for them? Like experiencing cuddles for the first time?

A/N: Thanks for requesting this! I’m super sorry for the delay, things got kind of hectic around here- hope you enjoy these!

DARRY CURTIS

Honestly? The Curtis brothers are probably the only ones here that have experience with familial affections and just affections in general?

Darry’s grown up with two parents who love him and is pretty used to the affections that come from that

When he meets you? Who doesn’t have that? Who’s never had that with their parents?

He takes it slow, he’s careful in how he holds you, not wanting to make you uncomfortable and he tells you that he loves you

Gives you all the compliments, asks you about your day and how you feel about different things, he really just does anything he can so that you know that he cares about you

Not exactly the best with his words like Ponyboy is but he knows that it’s important for you to hear that someone cares and appreciates you

SODAPOP CURTIS

Sodapop is very perceptive and already sort of knows what’s wrong when you sort of tense up when he tries to hug you or throw his arm around your shoulders 

He’s a very tactile person, he likes to be touching you, so if you’re not used to being touched or don’t exactly like being touched, I’d talk to him about

Sodapop won’t care, he doesn’t mind either way and would be happy to work towards a happy medium for the both of you

If you’re not used to being hugged and stuff? Sodapop kind of dials in his affections, being a little gentler with you

Hugs, cuddles, holding hands, he’s always going to give you the option to pull away from him

He doesn’t want to overwhelm you, he really just wants to show you that he loves you and if being held all the time doesn’t make you feel loved, that’s no problem, the two of you can work something else out!     

PONYBOY CURTIS

Ponyboy isn’t a very touchy person? At least my version of Ponyboy isn’t, so tensing up during cuddles and stuff doesn’t really register with him at first until you say something

Pony’s big thing is words if you couldn’t tell- I mean, kiddo literally wrote a whole book and gave it to a professor

So hearing you kind of talk down about yourself? Leftover habits from being told that your opinions don’t matter? That kind of sets him off

Expect tons of compliments and gentle reassurances from Ponyboy, all sweet and genuine remarks

He loves you, he loves hearing your thoughts and your parents were crazy for telling you that you didn’t matter

You do matter, and Ponyboy’s gonna make sure you know that <3

DALLAS WINSTON

My version of Dallas had a rough homelife back when he was in New York, his dad was a deadbeat, mom died when he was younger-

So for you to come from a rocky home and not be used to affection and kind words? You and Dal are kinda the same

He doesn’t entirely know how to show you that love he has for you?

Like it’s not second nature to just take your hand or kiss you before he leaves, y’know what I mean?

So like, if you guys were a seesaw of uncertainty about affection, I don’t know if seesaws are just an American thing but I hope not cause you guys would seriously be missing out, the seesaw would be perfectly balanced in the middle, completely flat

Over time though, the two of you get a bit better, relaxing into each other and showing each other a little more love! It just took you a little bit of time 

JOHNNY CADE

Yeahhhhh so Johnny has a pretty rough homelife too so I have a feeling the two of you are in the same boat here

The whole not knowing how important you are, uncomfortable during physical affections, yadda yadda yadda, you guys know what I’m talking about

I think the relationship you have going with each other is good though! It’s good for both of you!  

Johnny gives those vibes that he’d definitely be the hype man for everyone else while putting himself down

So he’d shower you in all the compliments, in all the pretty words and everything you could ever ask for, paired with a few gentle kisses pressed to your cheeks

Every aspect of this relationship would be so calm and laid-back, you’d be so good for each other because you’d finally be able to show each other what real love should be <3  

TWO-BIT MATHEWS

Okay so I take back what I said about the Curtis bros, Two-Bit’s mom definitely loved him like a mother should and I can’t believe I overlooked that- 

She works two jobs for her kids and I can’t believe that I forgot how hard she works for them

He’s also very touchy? Like Sodapop, he likes to be touching you so he’s kind of taken aback when he realizes how confused you are by it

He’s like ??? and pulls away very slowly, looking at you and trying to figure out what’s going on in your head

And I swear, if you say one thing bad about yourself, no matter what it is, Two-Bit is immediately correcting you, telling you you’re perfect and that he cares in his own Two-Bit way

“Whaddaya mean you don’t care? I wanna know what you wanna do, doll. Where do you wanna go to dinner?”

STEVE RANDLE

Steve, another very touchy boy, does his best to slowly ease into physical affections with you

He’s not trying to make you uncomfortable or overwhelmed, he just really wants to hold your hand when you’re walking around the drive-in together

I suggest having a conversation with him about your less than satisfying homelife? Steve’s got his own shitty household, and I think he’d be pretty understanding 

He gets a little sad when you talk about how you think you don’t matter? It hurts him to think that you don’t think you’re important

Steve looks at you like you’re his whole world, he just can’t believe that someone could tell you that you’re not good enough

Gentle reminders that you’re enough, you’re more than enough and that he loves you are given in the form of extra dates, extra compliments and extra loving!  

TIM SHEPARD

The reason Tim is so forward with his affections and compliments is because he stops being able to function the second those nice things turn back on him-

So yeah! Both of you don’t really know what to do with gentle affection because you both had rocky homelives

But! You’re working on it, both of you, you’re slowly relaxing into each other, slowly realizing that this is what love really is and this is how it’s shown

And as for your self-worth? Tim makes sure you really know he cares about your opinions

He’ll ask what you’re doing, what you want to do and what you don’t want to do, what you like about this and what you don’t like about that

It’s not overly obvious? But his questions are definitely him trying to see what you want and trying to do whatever you want so you can the chance to be heard 

CURLY SHEPARD

Curly Shepard had a messed up childhood no matter what sort of background you headcanon him to have so I think he’d understand where you’re coming from

Hesitancy to be wrapped in a hug or to have someone hold onto your hand?

Confusion when you’re given compliments or trusted to make decisions for something?

Curly understands what you’re going through, he’s got the same thing going on himself sweetheart <3

Together though, I think the two of you would be really really good, you’d do a lot of good things for each other and sort of build each other back up

By the way, it’s hard to not feel special when you’re with Curly because he’s always calling you by little nicknames and giving you what he’s got, saying sweet things and all that good stuff <3

[littlestarbigsky]

been thinking long and hard abt soda and what it did to him to drop out of high school (i also feel bad bc somehow the only fics i have abt soda are all ships and i know i can do better for my boy)

so here’s a quick lil thing abt darry and soda after soda dropped out :p

darry couldn’t remember the last time soda had been this upset. even after their parents died, there were moments when the gang was all together and soda could laugh and feel the littlest bit normal again, but this felt like it was never going to end, and there was no reprieve. there was no end in sight, and darry couldn’t do anything to help him.

his grades had been going downhill for a while. it wasn’t his fault, or at least not entirely. it had been years since soda had done alright in school on his own instead of barely scraping by, and at some point the class had left him behind and it was like they started speaking another language.

and then their parents died.

soda already had enough trouble missing one day of school, let alone missing a week while they tried to throw together a funeral.

a month after their parents had died, after far too many nights at the kitchen table crying over math homework, after screaming matches that shook the roof over his grades, after darry had yelled so many times about how failing out of school was a surefire way to get them sent to a boy’s home, soda finally said that he was dropping out of school.

he could barely leave his room after telling darry, he couldn’t even tell ponyboy himself. he didn’t know what to do with himself, battling with his own mind every hour of the day. thoughts bouncing around his head of feeling like a failure for not even being able to graduate high school, bullying himself over not being able to joke around about it or making other people happy, which felt like maybe the only thing he was good at anymore. he knew that he was going to fail out eventually, so what was the point?

“soda?” darry cracked the door open, his eyes landing on his little brother where he had been for the last three days: curled up in bed, his back to the door. “do you want some dinner?”

soda silently shook his head.

darry sighed, “you can’t stay in here, forever, pepsi. we miss you out there.”

soda didn’t give much of a response, just gave a half hearted shrug.

“listen,” darry let himself into the room, sitting down on the bed and bringing a hand up to rub soda’s back. “i know you feel lousy, and i know you’ve got a lot on your mind, but you’ve gotta get back to living, soda. you’ve just gotta. we couldn’t get along without you.”

soda rolled over and sat up, and darry had to swallow a gasp at the state of his brother. soda’s eyes were rubbed raw and angry red from crying with deep shadows stamped under them, his hair was sticking up at all angles from the grease he hadn’t washed out in days, and his clothes were wrinkled and hanging loosely off of him.

“soda…”

darry could hardly get the word out before soda had thrown himself at his big brother, tears starting up again. god, he was so tired of crying.

“i’m so sorry,” he cried miserably, clutching to darry with everything he had in him.

darry felt the tears hit his shoulder and his heart ached for his little brother, “i know, i ain’t mad at you, honey.”

“mom and dad just wanted me to graduate and i couldn’t even do that! how am i supposed to do anything if i can’t do that?” soda sobbed.

“they’re not mad at you either, baby, don’t say that,” darry could feel tears prickling in his own eyes.

“listen, i don’t care if you’re lyin’ to me,” soda leaned back, his eyes not meeting darry’s. “but can you please tell me it’s gonna be okay.”

darry felt like he had missed a step going down stairs with the way the words made his stomach drop. he grabbed soda’s face in his hands and forced his brother to look at him.

“it’s gonna be okay, baby. i don’t know when and i don’t know how but i promise you, we’re gonna be okay. i’m gonna make sure we are.”

he wasn’t sure soda believed him, and maybe he didn’t even fully believe himself, but he had made a promise, and he had every intention of making good on it. some of the tension soda had been holding in his shoulders seemed to melt away, and darry knew he would be okay with saying everything over and over again if it meant soda didn’t have to be so scared.

“thank you… i know you hate lying to us.”

“i wasn’t lying.”

[damthosefandoms]

the piano in the background of the curtis house set in the outsiders movie will haunt me forever. how the hell did they afford a whole piano? was it inherited? was it left by the previous owners? have they lived in the house their whole lives? that’s a whole other can of worms, but the piano. did their dad play piano? their mom? did any of the boys? their mom who would sit little toddler darry on her lap and play lullabies for him before bedtime because she wasn’t much of a singer, but soda was, he loved it, she’d play her few songs she knew by heart and he’d belt out the lyrics from the minute he was old enough to memorize them. pony who finds piano music so calming because his mama would play for him when he was scared or nervous or upset. darry who has like, this ear for music, who was never really into it but he could listen to a song and then play it perfectly on the piano after one listen because he’s just freakishly talented like that but he’ll never sing the lyrics because he just isn’t the type or he doesn’t remember them, he just knows how to play the song, and he’s like his mom in that regard, and then there’s soda who never had the patience to learn how to play but will pretend he does and then ponyboy who tries to learn and then stops altogether when his mom dies. and then their parents are dead and none of them touch the piano, except they do, Darry does when his brothers are out of the house and he misses his mom, Soda will walk by and brush his hand over the keys and only press down a single one without even thinking about it… sometime after their deaths, Darry finding Ponyboy sitting at the piano with his hands floating over the keys and will ask what he’s doing and he’ll say he wants to learn, to really learn because their mom said she’d teach him but they never got around to it. so Darry will try to teach him. But Darry was naturally talented so he can’t teach him anything and it’s a talent in their family that gets lost to time. And maybe music doesn’t stay as important to them. but Soda will sometimes for not reason at all play their parents’ old records and sing along, and Darry can play anything on a piano (just don’t ask him how it works) and Ponyboy’s favorite songs over the years seem to always be songs that heavily feature piano, and I don’t know, just them and that stupid piano in their house you know

[mister-mickey]

ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE AUU!!!!!

I’ve been chatting about this with people on discord and I’ve had so much fun doodling these lol

Doodles aren’t that gory, but the relationship are def a little fucked up sometimes, but you never know what people are sensitive to so everything is under the cut!

Okay so basic explanation

Nobody (except siblings and Paul and Darry) knows each other. They’re all total strangers, I feel like I should get that out of the way

The apocalypse starts in 1964 (that way the characters are their canon ages when the plot really happens)

The Curtis family is a normal family doing fine until the zombie apocalypse breaks out. Mr and Mrs Curtis are some of the first casualties (Darry had to put them down after they got bitten and turned)

The brothers decide to leave Tulsa and go somewhere less populated, but while they do that, they run into Paul. Only Darry likes Paul, but they’re all relieved to see someone they know (who isn’t eating people) so they let him come with them

The only problem is that after a few months, Paul decides that with the government gone and everything, he can do whatever he wants. So he kidnaps Darry and runs away, leaving pony and soda alone.

Stressful situation, I know. They’re looking for Darry, but get separated at some point. Now they have to focus on not just finding Darry, but each other as well.

At this point it’s been about a year since the apocalypse started

Pony runs into Dallas and Johnny, who met each other like a month before. He gets taken in by them (they’re all wearing bucks old clothes, because dally was living with Buck when this all started. Buck died) and they’re fighting zombies and trying to survive together

Soda meets Steve and twobit, who are eager to have more people join their ranks. Twobit’s mother and sister died, and Steve’s dad abandoned him at the start of the apocalypse. So they’re all alone with each other.

Darry is where it gets interesting. He’s living with Paul and can’t really escape becuase he doesn’t actually know where he would even go. He doesn’t know where pony and soda are so he’s just hoping to come across them. But he knows it’s important to avoid being alone so he stays with Paul, even if Paul is kind of losing it.

Paul is getting annoyed because Darry is being lame (because he misses his brothers obviously)

Which is when they meet curly. Curly, Tim, and Angela were all together at the start of the apocalypse, but Tim and Angela got turned a few weeks in. Curly managed to wrap their hands and mouths so they couldn’t attack him and now he gets to keep his older siblings with him! Yay! (This also keeps other zombies from eating him, because he smells like death) curly is a little bit crazy, he’s been talking only to Tim and Angela for a year. He knows they don’t understand or care, but he’s convinced himself that they do

It doesn’t matter in the end because he meets Darry and Paul. They are freaked out by him and his zombies, but Darry makes Paul let curly stay with them (because Darry sees pony and soda on curly, and he can’t bear to let some kid be alone in all of this, even if he is a freak with two zombies)

Eventually Paul comes around. On his own terms. Which means that he kills tim and Angela and kidnaps curly to create a family with Darry (to try and keep Darry from missing long and soda) curly is traumatized and angry (and a million other things ofc) and Darry is pissed, but Paul is very pleased with himself.

Anyway, there’s more but it isn’t super developed. If you want to know more (or drop suggestions or doodle ideas) send asks ❤️❤️

[dallasgallant]

Ironically, another thing that Darry and Ponyboy have in common is that Sodapop is about their favorite person in the world. But this post isn’t about them for once, it’s about Darry and soda.

Where’s the talk about them, huh? How soda can make him laugh/smile without fail, That big strong leader Darry who can easily intimidate the rest of the gang lets his younger brother tease him and likes it! How soda doesn’t get yelled at , how speeding tickets and trouble are excused (if even a little expected). Even in opposition the few times they don’t agree there’s this softness.

“But he laid off me. He always does what Sodapop tells him to do. Most of the time.” (13)

Darry loves his brother so much and there’s something about … how he used to be pretty close to their father and how Soda acts like their dad. Now this isn’t the only reason he’d like him so much but it’s something to chew on.

And Soda sticks out for Pony all the time he also does the same for Darry. He’s just as sure to defend him when Pony starts talking about him being cold/uncaring. He explains responsibility, he talks about how bad it is for both of them at home when pony is missing… particularly how torn Darry is.

I want more talk about these two! Their dynamic is so fascinating but I wouldn’t call it favoritism, as the outsiders is all about how things are deeper than the surface look of it. I need more about them and more about them separate from Pony/the events of the story.

[ponstermenis-writing]

✩ (There’s No Place Like) Home For The Holidays ✩

Darrel Curtis & Everyone Johnnyboy, Stevepop, Darbit

̣̥☆·͙̥‧‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙冬˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧·͙̥̣☆̣̥

Ever since their folks died, Darry’s been handling the holidays.

The first year they didn’t do anything—they died relatively close to thanksgiving, so it felt wrong to celebrate. But ever since then he goes overboard .

None of them are complaining, a lot of greasers don’t celebrate at all—Johnny and Steve both didn’t even know what Christmas was before the Curtis folks introduced it to them. The only reason Dallas knew was because, well, New York is kind of the place for Christmas.

Their mother loved the holidays. She and Dad would take off work and spend the day with them—it was a lot like those hallmark movies she forced them to watch. Darry didn’t dare let those memories die—he’d put up all the decorations on the first weekend of December, The Beach Boys and Brenda Lee would be on the record player until January.

It was currently December 23rd. Darry didn’t plan on waiting this long to put up decor. But he’d been swamped with work and he knew Pony and Soda would half-ass it. He enlisted Steve, Johnny, and Two-Bit to help.

“Do people even use Nutcrackers?” Two-Bit asked, opening and closing the mouth. “It’s more of a looks thing, Two.” Soda laughs, trying desperately to hang up lights over the fireplace. “Yeah, lord knows Darry doesn’t have enough decorations already.” Two-Bit teases, laughing nervously when Darry glares at him.

“When you finally get your own place, you’re gonna wish I was still around.” Darry gripes, untangling lights for the roofline. “Aw, you wouldn’t come with me?” Two-Bit says, putting his hands in a prayer motion with an obnoxious pout in his face. “I couldn’t deal with the mess you bring.” Darry can’t help but laugh at his own comment—Two-Bit is less amused, an offended sound coming out of his mouth.

“Do you boys want to help me put these up?” Darry asks before Two-Bit can say anything in return. Johnny and Ponyboy share a look—they always managed to communicate without ever actually saying anything. “Sure.” Ponyboy says, standing. “Beats translating Feliz Navidad for Soda again.” Johnny adds.

Soda whips around to frown at him, looking utterly heartbroken. “The lyrics never change, man.” Johnny laughs, bumping into him as they pass by.

Getting onto the roof was always a struggle. Ponyboy’s terrified of heights—but putting up the lights out there makes him feel grown. Darry lifts them up one by one, letting both boys stand on his shoulders and hoist themselves up. Darry can reach The roofline by using a small stepladder from work, so he’s never really had to climb up there.

Putting the outdoor lights up used to be Darry and Mr.Curtis’s job—it’s probably why he’s so insistent that one of the boys do it with him—like it’s a right of passage, or something.

He tosses the lights and the little plastic clips up to the boys and tells them where to put ‘em—he usually fixes the lights after they’re done anyway, but he knows the boys both like helping out.

They’re about halfway done when Johnny pauses, glancing down at the ground just past Darry.

“Jesus.” Dallas groans. “Going all out again this year, huh Darry?” He teases, standing beside him with his arms crossed. Dallas is what the gang lovingly called, a grouch. He doesn’t like the holidays, even when he was little he’d roll his eyes at the mention.

“Hey Dally!” Johnny calls down to him, leaning over the roofline to smile at him. Darry doesn’t miss how Dallas falters—like Johnny’s gonna fall and he’ll have to catch him. “Be careful! Jesus.” Dallas grunts, The other three laughing at him—Dallas was easily the least cautious of them all. But he’d wrap Johnny up in bubble wrap if he could.

“I thought you were going to New York for Christmas?” Johnny asks, ignoring his comment and still very much leaning over the roof.

“I couldn’t leave you guys all alone.” Dallas shrugs. Darry knows deep down that he loves the holidays with them—but he’s smart enough not to comment too obviously. “Besides, nothing up there I haven’t seen before.”

Darry can’t help but smile, resting a hand on the boy’s shoulder. Dallas isn’t much younger than he is—but just like the rest of the gang, he’ll always be Darry’s little brother. “You wouldn’t mind helping us out, would you Dal?” He asks, glancing up at the roof.

Dallas scoffs. “No, Than—“ he pauses, seeing Johnny stare down at him hopefully. “Fine.” He groans, squeezing onto the stepladder beside him and hoisting himself up. He makes a point to drag Johnny and Pony both back a bit so they won’t fall.

Even if they did, they’d crash into snow-covered bushes just a few feet under them. If it were any higher, Darry’d be worried too—but Two-Bit skydived from the height when he was really drunk last summer, so he knew it was fine.

Dallas was actually pretty damn good at putting the lights up where they belong. “For someone who hates it, you sure do have an eye for Christmas decor.” Ponyboy jokes, narrowly dodging the smack Dallas aimed at the back of his head.

Just as their hands were beginning to freeze off, they were finished. Darry helped them all back down—Much to Dally’s chagrin, he did not like help in any sense of the word. They all stood back to take in the house.

“Looks shit.” Dallas says, shoving his hands in his pockets. “It’ll look better at night.” Pony retorts matter-of-factly. “Speaking of,” Darry says, heading inside while the others trail after him. “You both are staying over tonight, right?”

“I don’t see why not.” Dallas shrugs, slinging his arm around Johnny's shoulder. They all look at the boy expectantly. “I think my Ma wants me home.” He mutters, not looking at them. Dallas scoffs, Ponyboy frowns—but Darry has learned how to get him to stay.

“Aw… I already started making some Mac & Cheese for you.” Darry sighs—he hates guilting Johnny—really, he does. But hey, it works. “Yeah! I thought you were gonna walk with me tonight, too!” Ponyboy adds, looking at the boy expectantly.

“I-I’m sure they won’t miss me too much.” Johnny says finally, giving them an awkward smile. Darry and Pony share a secret high-five—they officially had the whole gang together for Christmas. Two-Bit and Steve often go off with their families for the actual night of Christmas Eve, but the night before works just as well.

“Geez, if I hear one more Christmas song, I’m gonna riot.” Dallas says as they walk inside—hearing Perry Como croon on about being home for the holidays. “My house, my rules.” Darry says, shucking off his jacket. “Which means the Christmas music stays on .” Dallas groans loud enough to alert everyone else of his presence.

“Well, if it isn’t New York’s sweetheart!” Two-Bit calls from the living room. “Glad to know you stayed home, Dal.” He teases, nudging him lightly as he walks back. Two-Bit was the first person of the gang Dallas became pals with—Two was one of the few people who could poke fun at him without getting clocked.

“Yeah, Knew you fella’s would be lonely without me.” Dallas says—Darry doesn’t miss the glance back at Johnny, Dally’s un-official-but-also-un-questionable little brother. Two-Bit just smiles, handing him a balled up chunk of tinsel. “We sure missed the extra pair of hands!”

Dallas groans but does as he’s asked. Johnny goes back to putting up the candles, Pony tries his best to hang ornaments on the tree.

The candles actually weren’t something the Curtis folks ever did—in fear of burning the house down. But ever since Johnny told them that he was Jewish and the closest he’d ever gotten to a holiday with his folks was Hanukkah when he was really little, how could Darry say no?

Annually, at least two ornaments are smashed and one string of lights stops working. Two-Bit found this year's string, holding it up triumphantly. “Lookie here!” He calls, showing it to Darry before he trashes it. Darrel can’t help but chuckle. “It’s not a competition, you know.” He says, letting Two-Bit throw an arm around his shoulder—he’s a little shorter, so his arm has to reach awkwardly around his neck.

“Yeah, well. I still won.” He says, leaning in to smirk in Darry’s face. He’s shoved away a moment later when Ponyboy shuffles into the kitchen. They aren’t very… open about their relationship yet. Johnny and Soda both found out the hard way—but everyone else had no clue. It wasn’t homophobia they were worried about—it was the teasing.

“Can you make us some hot chocolate?” Ponyboy begs—he’s obviously talking about him and Johnny, but the poor boy can’t ask for anything even after all these years. Even when he was stuck in that wheelchair—he was insistent that nobody else move him around or help him carry things. He could walk on his own now, but his back still hurt when he’d stand for too long.

“Sure,” Darry says, smiling evilly. “If you can name all the reindeer I will.”

Ponyboy just groans, walking off. Two-Bit chuckles, grabbing two hot chocolate packets anyway. “I don’t get why he doesn’t make it himself.” He says, heating up some milk in the microwave—after many failed attempts at dinner, Two-Bit Matthews is not allowed to touch the stovetop. Ever.

“He claims that I make it best.” Darry shrugs. “He’s just too lazy to mix it all the way—there’s nothing I do different.”

“Really? Are you sure there isn’t a secret ingredient?” Two-Bit askes, making a kissy-face as he dumps far too many marshmallows into both cups. Darry just rolls his eyes.

Two-Bit walks the cups to the boys and Darry follows—partially to know he doesn’t spill it, partially because he feels lonely in the kitchen by himself. Ponyboy takes both of them gratefully, handing Johnny his cup.

Darry can’t help but feel love surge in his chest—he stands in the doorway that leads to the kitchen, watching over his boys. Johnny picks the marshmallows off and hands them to Dallas, leaning his head on his shoulder while he unravels tinsel. Ponyboy leans against Johnny's legs—he’s on the floor while Dallas and Johnny are on the couch—and sips idly at his own cup, humming along to the music. Soda and Steve keep trying to shove each other under the mistletoe, Two-Bit cheering them on.

“You look happy.” A voice says from behind him. Darry jumps halfway out of his skin, turning around so quickly that he almost smacks his head against the wooden door frame.

Tim Shepard gives him an amused look. Even he looks rather Christmas-y—he’s all bundled up with a hat and gloves that he definitely got from Mr.Curtis a few years back. He’s got a few presents in his hand and a slight smile on his face.

“You scared me.” Darry mutters, breathing out a sigh. “But yeah, I guess I am.” He spares a glance back—Dallas, Johnny, and Ponyboy are all staring at him. “Whatchu’ got there?” Darry asks Tim, trying to ignore the eyes on them.

Tim groans, handing him the boxes. “The bottom two are from Curly—to Johnny and Pony, I guess. But apparently they can’t know it’s from him.” He says, chuckling. “Top three are from me.” He says, not looking at him.

“Well, thank you.” He says, glancing down. “Can I ask who they’re for?”

Tim crosses his arms. “You, Dallas, and Johnny.” He shrugs—Darrel can tell he’s embarrassed. Tim might be one of the most hardcore guys currently in the house, but even he has his own nervous ticks. “I thought I owed you something—y’know, for all those times you gave us dinner and shit. Thanks, by the way—I don’t think I ever said that.” He rambles, still not daring to meet his eyes.

Darry can’t help but smile. “It was no problem.” He says simply, tucking the gifts under his arm. “I assume you have a reason to give something to Johnny and Dallas as well?” He says—he can’t help his teasing tone.

Tim glares at him, shoving his hands in his pockets. “They’re good kids.” He says simply, leaning back on the banister by the front door. “Someone’s gotta hang out with Curly, Y’know? Better Cade than anyone else.” Tim shrugs. “Dal has dragged both of ‘em home more times than I can count.”

Darry nods, setting the gifts down. “I’m sure they’ll appreciate it.” He says, dragging a plate from the cabinets. “I assume they shouldn’t know these are from you either?” He can’t help but smile—he dumps the rest of their leftover cookies on the plate and wraps it with saran wrap. Tim pretends not to notice. “Looks like they already do.” He chuckles, glancing back into the living room.

Tim takes the plate gratefully, tucking it under his jacket before saying goodbye with his head ducked down. He’s gone a second later—cat-like agility letting him out of the house before Darrel can even answer him.

“Aw, you gave him the rest?” Ponyboy pouts, walking into the kitchen once Tim is gone—Johnny shuffling in behind him. “I’ll make more.” Darry chuckles. He finds the gift with his name on it and removes it from the pile, handing the rest to the two boys. “These are for you.”

“Really?” Johnny can’t help but say hopefully, glancing back at the door. Darry knows deep down that he looks up to Tim about as much as he does Dallas—he was a Shepard before he was ever a Curtis. And Tim is arguably cooler than Dal. “Uh huh,” Darry smiles, hiding his own behind his back. “One of thems for Dally, okay?”

Johnny and Ponyboy nod and walk off into the living room. Darry can hear Dallas laugh when he’s handed the gift.

He waits till they can’t see him to open his own. It’s simple—just a packet of new socks. But he knows it’s a lot from the Shephards. It means Tim was listening too—sometimes he’ll help Darrel out at work for extra cash—he remembers complaining about the holes in his socks that he couldn’t replace. Darry smiles to himself, tucking the pack back into the wrapping paper—it had been so horribly done, but it was clear Tim tried—and putting it aside.

He’s halfway through getting out the things for a new batch of cookies when Dallas and Johnny enter the kitchen.

“Me and Johnnycakes are gonna go say thank you.” Dallas says, ruffling Johnny’s hair. “No you aren’t.” Ponyboy calls from the living room. “You’re gonna make fun of ‘em!”

Darry crosses his arms, raising a brow at the two. “Are you?” He asks, glaring only at Dallas. “I got something I gotta give to Curly.” Johnny mutters—poor boy thinks he’s angry at him too. Darry just places a kiss on his hairline and sends him off, reminding him to stay warm even for the short walk.

“C’mon Dar, he knew this was gonna happen.” Dallas says, smirking. “Don’t be rude, Dallas. You should be happy he thought of you at all.” Most of the time—Dallas and Tim aren’t on the greatest terms. Darrry knows that better than anyone, having to patch them both up after a nasty fight or two.

“Ya hear that, Dal?” Two-Bit says, sticking his head in the room. He holds a hand up to his ear and pretends to listen. “That’s Santa Claus calling you an asshole.” He teases. Dallas smacks him on the back of the head—just hard enough to sting. “I’ll take the naughty list and shove it right up your ass.” He bites, still glaring at the redhead.

Darry rolls his eyes. “You’re gonna go over there and say thank you.” He commands. Dallas isn’t scared of him by any means—but everyone knows it’s not the best idea to anger someone twice your size. “I’m sure Johnny won’t let you be rude, anyway.” Two-Bit laughs as Dallas saunters off.

“What’d Tim give yuh’?” He asks once Dallas is gone, eyeing the rewrapped gift. “Socks.” Darry says simply, grabbing the ingredients for the cookies. “How sentimental.” Two-Bit chuckles, hoisting himself up to sit on the countertop right where he’s trying to work. “I bet my gift is better.”

“I hope it isn’t similar to what you tried last year.” Darry groaned, shoving him lightly to get him off the parchment paper. “You loved my gift last year!” Two-Bit says defensively. “Besides, it turned out to be, like… the best coming out ever.”

“I’m sure Johnny and Soda would disagree with you.”

“They’ve got their own things going on.” Twobit shrugs, leaning back on the kitchen wall. Darry pauses, raising a brow.

“Come on… don’t say you haven’t noticed.”

“Notice what?”

“You know what!”

“No—No I…I really don't.”

Two-bit groans. “I mean, don’t stay Steve and Soda aren’t a little… suspicious.”

“You act like they’re committing a crime.” Darry can’t help but laugh. “I think it is, in some states.” Two-Bit shrugs. Darry just rolls his eyes. “What about Johnny, though? What’s going on with him?”

“Darry…” Two-Bit sighs, looking at him like he’s about to destroy his innocence. “Two teenage boys don’t lock the door when they’re alone for no reason.”

He has to pause and think for a second. He immediately slaps the man upside the head, causing him to topple forward and almost hit the floor. “I don’t want to hear that!” Darry whisper-yells, acutely aware of the gang still in the living room.

I mean… he assumed something was going on. But he really doesn’t want to know what his sixteen year old brother—who in his eyes, is still a baby—gets up to with his seventeen-almost-eighteen year old friend when they’re alone—he doesn’t want to hear about what Sodapop is up to either!

“Communication is key in every relationship—“ Two-Bit begins as he’s shoved out of the kitchen. “Hey, ow! You’re only upset because it’s true—“ he pauses, glancing up at the doorway.

Ponyboy is standing there with an amused look on his face, glancing at the two. “Was gonna ask where you wanted this.” He says, laughing as he holds up an ornament Sodapop made when he was real young. “I’ll just guess.” He’s gone a second later, letting Two-Bit finally right himself. He puts his hands up in defeat and shuffles out as well.

Darry is halfway through making the cookie dough when Dallas and Johnny show up again. Dallas now has a reasonably sized bruise on his jaw—he definitely did not listen. Johnnys still laughing when they get inside, pulling off his jacket.

“Looks like you two had fun.” Darry says, raising a brow at Dallas—the blonde just walks off with a groan. “Tim was the only one home.” Johnny says, holding up his little present still. “Bummer.” Darry chuckles, watching Dallas throw himself down on the couch.

Johnny lingers behind a second too long, glancing at the bowl in his hand. “Wanna help?” Darry asks, knowing Johnny won’t say anything on his own. “Uh—“ He mutters, glancing back into the living room. “I uhm… I promised Pony I’d help him with the ornaments. Sorry Darry.”

“No problem.” Darry says, going back to mixing. “Can you grab Steve and Soda while you’re in the other room?” He asks. Johnny nods quickly and scampers off before anything else can be said.

Steve and Soda are his sous chefs when it comes to dessert. Not because they’re good at it—but instead because they eat the batter or dough, and will not hesitate to complain if they don’t get any.

He hands the spoon to Soda the second he’s there, trusting him with it while he searches the cupboards for vanilla extract. He’s in the middle of his search when he hears giggling from the other room.

Upon further inspection, Johnny and Ponyboy seem to be messing around under the doorway to the hall all of their rooms are in. “Cut it out, Pone!“ Johnny laughs, red-faced and actively trying to shove the boy off. Pony is trying to pull him closer, making kissy faces and missing Johnny’s face entirely. “It’s mistletoe, John! We have to!”

Two-Bit is sitting on the couch next to Dallas—who is really into getting that tinsel untangled, giving Darry a knowing look. The older simply rolls his eyes, heading back in the kitchen. He doesn't remember ever owning or putting up mistletoe, and he’d bet money that he was right about who did.

“Jesus, how much did you two eat?” He gasps, staring at the—now half full—bowl. “I don’t appreciate the fat-shaming, Darrel.” Sodapop says, crossing his arms. Steve wipes some of the dough off of the corner of his mouth, nodding along. “Yeah, We’re growing boys!”

Darry can’t help but laugh, nudging the both of them out of the way. “You both are considered legal adults in the eyes of the law.” He says simply, mixing in the vanilla extract into the bowl before the two finish it off.

He’s able to get it into the oven with only a few instances of him slapping the boy’s hands away with a spoon. The best friends give up once the oven is shut, retreating back into the living room. Darrel sets the timer and heads back into the living room to check on the progress.

It truly does look beautiful—just like their mother had done. Johnny and Pony were still quietly placing ornaments on the tree, Steve and Soda were back to string garlands on the mantle, Dallas had finally got the tinsel unraveled and was trying his best to be careful putting it on the tree—realistically the tinsel should go first, but he's so proud of the boy for trying that he doesn't dare comment. Two-Bit is off to the side fucking with the nutcrackers—because he’s Two-Bit.

Darry watches silently from the doorway. His boys truly are some genuine souls, aren’t they? He used to be so confused when Mrs.Curtis would watch quietly, smiling to herself like she truly had it all. Darry finally understands that feeling—love swelling in his chest, he can’t help but feel his eyes get wet.

Two-Bit had somehow managed to sneak behind him. “Looks like a hallmark movie.” He says, leaning his chin on Darry’s shoulder and watching alongside him. “Yeah—Yeah, it really does.” Darry chuckles, his voice cracking as he's unable to hold back just how happy he is. Two-Bit smiles, wrapping his arms around him in a tight hug. “You did good.” He whispers. “You raised some pretty hardcore kids. We really are like a big happy family.”

Darry has to take deep breaths to stop himself from sobbing—has he ever been this happy before? Has he ever felt so content?

Two-Bit just chuckles, placing something in his hands before walking off to get back to his work. It's thin and celluloid—upon closer inspection, it's a polaroid. It truly is something that should be something put in a museum.

It's a wide shot of the living room. He’s not sure when it was taken—Clearly it was Two-Bit’s work, but he’d been idly watching them all for half an hour now. In the middle of the picture is the tree. Dallas has his arm around Johnny’s shoulder while he’s pointing at one of the ornaments—it's one Mr.Curtis had gotten for Johnny on his first Christmas with them. You can only see the back of Dallas’s head, but you can just barely see the smile on Johnny’s face. Ponyboy is right beside him smiling just as wide, resting his head on Johnny’s shoulder while he listens in. To their right is the fireplace, setting a yellow-ish glow on the whole room—Steve and Soda are meticulously putting the garland in place and fixing the candles in-between, Soda’s got his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth—something he always did when he was focusing–and Steve is very clearly giving him orders.

To the left, just barely in frame, it's him. He really does look like his father—standing with his arms crossed and leaning against the wooden doorframe, a content smile on his face as he looks out at the whole scene.

Darry rushed off to his room before anyone could see. He sits down on his bed—staring down at the picture as tears fill his eyes. Something about having the memory caught in place forever really got to him. The fact that Two-Bit knew to take a picture, the warm glow the whole room gave, the content look on everyone's faces.

Darry didn’t consider himself an emotional being. That was Soda’s job—he was the dream-crusher who made sure everything went how it needed to. But in moments like these he couldn’t help loving them—he knows one day they’ll all move on and only visit him when they have to. But for now, all his boys are home. They’re home, they’re happy… they’re safe.

A few quiet knocks hit his door and he immediately knows who it is. He wipes away his tears and tucks the photo in his lap. “You can come in, Johnny.” He says, willing his voice not to crack. Johnny peeks his head in a moment later, looking all guilty.

“Are you okay?” He asks, frowning when he sees Darry’s sad look. He doesn’t really know how to explain this feeling to him—Johnny’s never had a family other than them, and everytime he gets comfortable here—his home, blood be damned—he’d always be forced back into the house with the two people who love him the most. “I’m alright baby, just a lot of feelings.” He replies, giving the boy the best smile he can muster.

Johnny gasps, shutting the door behind him. “Are you crying?” He whispers, brows furrowed and eyes wide. “Is this because I broke that ornament? I-I’m real sorry, Darry—It just slipping from my hands, I really didn’t—”

Darry interrupts him with a chuckle, holding his arms out for a hug. Johnny responds immediately, stepping up and letting Darry hug him. “No, it's not that.” Darry says, ruffling his hair. “I don’t care about some silly ornament.”

“Y-You sure…? I think I saw one like it at the corner store—”

“Johnny.” Darry interrupts, he knows the boy’ll talk himself back into that mindset that everything is his fault if he doesn’t. “I promise you, I’m not upset. Just happy tears.” He says, letting Johnny sit down on the bed beside him. He hands Johnny the photo, watching his face closely. “Gee…” Johnny mutters, smiling down at it. “Golly Darry, I think I’m gonna cry too.”

Darrel chuckles, ruffling his hair. “I think the cookies are done, if you want one.” He says, nudging him. “They should still be soft, I know you like them that way.” Johnny jumps to his feet–giddy with excitement. “Thanks Darry!” He says, handing him back the photo and rushing off to the kitchen. He can hear the boy excitedly tell Pony about the finished cookies and them both rushing to grab them.

He manages to fix himself up before he heads back out. “Everything alright?” Dallas askes as he passes, not looking at him. “Of course.” Darry smiles, resting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing slightly. “Just, happy to have everyone here.” He says, deciding there's no point hiding the wetness of his voice from his earlier sob-fest. Dallas, who was never big on expressing his feelings, rolls his eyes with a half-hearted smile. “Jeez, You’re a big ol’ sap. Y’know that?”

“You’re not any better.” Darrel teases, shoving him lightly before heading back into the kitchen. Johnny and Pony are splitting one of the cookies in half, idly watching the TV from the kitchen counter. “Any good?” Darrel askes, taking one.

“Mph—“ Ponyboy grunts, nodding his head with his mouth full. “Very good.” He adds once he finishes chewing. Darry can’t help but laugh, ruffling his hair. “Make sure not to eat them all.”

“I can’t believe you’d think so low of us.” Ponyboy replies defensively, grabbing another from the tin. “Just don’t want you two having too much sugar,” Darrel chuckles, moving the tin away from both boys. “With the advent calendar and all the candy, more cookies is the last thing you need. You’ll ruin your appetite.”

“Bold of you to assume I didn’t finish the whole calendar on day one.” Ponyboy laughs around a mouthful of cookie, reaching for his cup of water when he chokes. Darry just sighs, taking his own and sauntering back to the living room.

He sits down on the couch beside Two-Bit, breaking the cookie in half and giving one to him. Two-Bit shoves the whole thing in his mouth without blinking, watch the lovey-dovey Christmas movie on the TV.

“Which one is this?”

“Christmas Angel.” Two-Bit mutters—though he pretends to sound uninterested, he refuses to take his eyes off the screen. Darrel raises a brow, watching the screen for a moment before deciding that this is a very horrible movie. “Didn’t know you were into this kind of thing.”

“ ‘M not.” Two-Bit says defensively. “Every channel is playing a somethin’ Christmas, this was just the least-worst one.”

Darrel was sitting there for about half an hour before he realizes that he’s actually watching this piece-of-shit movie. “Darry.” Two-Bit says as the credits roll, glancing over at him. “Hmm?” Darrel hums, still not taking his eyes off the screen.

“You’re my Christmas Angel.” Two-Bit whispers, making a kissy face. Darrel finally looks at him, grimacing. “Wow, that was…” he holds back a gag. “ Horrible . That was really horrible.”

“Just take the compliment.” Two-Bit groans, leaning away from him as if Darrel has betrayed him. Darry just rolls his eyes, a smile playing on his lips—he pulls himself to his feet a moment later, going through the box of Christmas ornaments.

He pulled the delicate star from the very bottom, covered in layers of bubble wrap and packing paper. Ponyboy is standing right behind him when he pulls it out, ready to take it in his hand. “C’mon Johnny!” He calls into the kitchen. “We gotta put the star on the tree!”

Johnny comes out of the kitchen a moment later, Dallas in tow. “Do I need to lift you up or something?” Johnny askes, glancing at the very delicate items in the boy’s hands. “I don’t think you can.” Ponyboy chuckles.

“Hey! I’ve been doing very well since the fire, y’know! Soda’s been taking me to the gym an—“

“That's not what I meant.” Ponyboy interrupts, placing a hand over the boy's mouth—he tears it away when he licks it, wiping it on Darry’s shirt because… well, why wouldn’t he? “You’re like—5’8” man, I’d crush you.”

“And a half!” Johnny adds, crossing his arms. “And I’ll have you know I picked Dally up once.”

“Barely.” Dallas chuckles from behind him. “My back still hurts from when you dropped me.”

“I don’t want to hear anything from anyone else about a hurt back.” Johnny grumbles, glaring at him. Two-Bit throws his head back laughing on the couch, pulling Steve and Soda out of Soda’s room.

Ponyboy just rolls his eyes, scooping Johnny up and helping him onto his shoulder. Johnny fights it at first, cutting it out the second he’s in the air in fear of plummeting to the floor. Johnny grasps onto Ponyboy’s head. “Don’t drop me!”

“I won’t.” Pony laughs, handing the star up to him.

It takes Ponyboy a minute to get to the tree, trying hard not to run into things with Johnny's hands very much over his eyes. It takes the boy a minute to lift his arm up, careful not to lean forward too much. He’s finally able to stick it on there, already begging to be let down.

Darry picks him up by the armpits and plops him on the ground as gracefully as he can. Johnny lets out a sigh of relief, thanking him.

They all stand back to look at the tree, fully lit with glittering tinsel and shiny ornaments. It’s already beginning to get dark outside—though it’s only five. Darry wants to stand and stare at it all night—but he knows these boys need to eat.

“I’ll go start dinner.” He says, wiping his hands on his shirt just to bush them. “You boys are free for the day.”

Ponyboy tugs on his shirt sleeve just before he walks off. “Can we go outside and play in the snow?” He whisper-asks—looking at him pleadingly. Darry—Already knowing this won’t end well, but also knowing how desperately they all wanted to go in the snow…

“Alright.” he sighs. “Just make sure you’re all bundled up, and don’t track snow through the house.” Ponyboy agrees excitedly, already running off.

Sure enough—Dallas, Pony, and Johnny all pass by him a moment later decked out in snow gear. Dallas gives him a thumbs up, as if to say ‘don’t worry, I’ll watch them’.

He’s halfway through mixing up the Mac & Cheese he promised when the three reminding members of that gang saunter into the kitchen. “Can we help?” Soda askes.

Darry smiles, ruffling his hair. “Of course you can.”

It went by a lot quicker with all hands on deck—Darry even managed to catch a photo of them all cooking, and one of the other three in the snow. He kept a close eye on his helpers—Two barely got the ham out in time, Soda put way too much sugar in the cake, Steve spent more time drinking the pasta sauce out of the ladle than he did making the noodles.

But they got it done.

They did it together, too.

“Boys!” Darry calls out, opening the window to stick his head out. Dallas was in the middle of pelting Ponyboy in the face with a snowball—it hit the second Darry finished talking. “Dinners ready.” Darry chuckles.

The three of them come barreling in a second later, smart enough to take off their shoes. Darry takes their jackets, sending them all into a room to change into warm clothes.

He tosses the jackets on the porch, shutting the door extra tight behind him to keep the snow out.

He puts down the—Christmas themed, of course—tablecloth, setting up plates and silverware. He puts the different pans full of food along the counter-top, very impressed with their work.

“Alright guys, one at a time.” He says just as the other three walk out of the rooms—wearing too-big sweaters and sweatpants. They all go one at a time and dump food onto their plate, sitting down at the dining table in their usual spots.

“Jesus, John—“ Dallas chuckles, picking leaves out of his hair. “Your hair is like a breeding ground for all the plants on the ground, man.” He says, ruffling it to see if any more leaves or twigs would fall out. “Never call my hair a ‘breeding ground’ again.” Johnny mutters, annoyed, smacking Dallas’s hand away—a piece of ham hanging from his mouth.

They eat mostly in silence, forks clinking against porcelain as they all dig in. Darry knows he isn’t the best cook on the planet—but watching them all tear it apart like they’re starved definitely makes him feel a bit better about it.

Darry collects all the plates when they’re done, dumping them in the sink—he tells himself he’ll wash them before bed, but he’s almost 100% sure he won’t. “Everyone in the living room,” he says, helping Johnny out of his seat. “I have a present for you all.”

“Is it a puppy?” Ponyboy asks excitedly, rushing to sit down on the couch. “Not necessarily…” Darry smiles—he has to hide his smirk. Realistically he knows they will all hate this gift. But hey, if he had to spend his entire early-adult life raising them, he gets to embarrass them once or twice.

He hands them all a wrapper box with their names on it. “You guys don’t have to look so scared.” He chuckles, watching Soda be the first to slowly peel back the paper.

“You’re joking.” He says, deadpanned. “You did not actually do this.”

“What is it?” Ponyboy asks, leaning over his brothers shoulders. Soda pulls out the contents of the box and holds it up for all of them to see. A chorus of loud groans fill the room, heads falling back against the cushions.

“You got us matching pajamas?” Two-Bit asks, raising a brow. He’s easily the most on board—beside Darry, of course. Mostly because there aren’t many ways to embarrass him past what he’s already done.

“You cannot make me wear this.” Dallas says simply, crossing his arms. For the options he had—Darry could have chosen much more embarrassing ones.

It was a simple white top with their names embroidered on the right of their chest, and a pair of pajama pants to go with. Soda got red plaid, Two-Bit and Darry got green—he made a point to get Dallas and Steve the ones with little reindeers and red bows to really embarrass them—Johnny got gingerbread and snowmen, Pony got little presents and elves.

“Oh, yes you will.” Darry chuckles darkly. “If you’re staying in my house, you’re wearing those.”

“So suddenly we’re not family anymore, huh?” Dallas grunts. “You’re gonna kick me out over pajamas ?”

“Yep.” Darry smirks—realistically, he won’t. But he knows Dallas will do it—he doesn’t care how much the boy complains. Their mother wanted to do this when they were all little—but each and every child shut the idea down and fought tooth and nail to keep her away. Darry very much remembers almost biting his father over them.

Dallas groans loudly, dropping them in the box. “You’re lucky Buck’s is closed for the night.” He says, tucking it under his arm. “How come me and Dallas got the worst ones?“ Steve complains—he doesn’t even seem completely turned off by the idea, but very much so about the fact that he got the girliest ones—the background of the pattern is a barely noticeable pink.

“Because they bring out your eyes.” Two-Bit jokes, narrowly ducking under the box hurled at his head. Darrel just chuckles, standing. “Don’t worry, I have to wear them too.” He says, holding up his own.

“We don’t have to put them on now , do we?” Ponyboy asks, pointedly not looking at his own.

“Depends,” Darry begins, tucking his box under his arm. “Who wants to run an errand with me?”

The room is silent for a long while, all glancing at each other. Johnny sighs and stands. “I’ll go.” He mutters, like he’s taking on for the team. Pony stands right after. “Me too.” He says quickly.

Darry smiles. “Great.” He says, ruffling their hair as they walk past him to the door. “The rest of you better have those on when we get back.” Darry says evilly, walking off and ignoring all the sudden volunteers.

He makes sure Johnny grabs his gift before they go—Darry wraps both boys up in jackets, scarves, and gloves. It’ll on get colder.

He loads the leftovers in the truck, letting Pony and Johnny hold them still in the backseat. “Where we goin’?” Johnny askes, looking up at him confusedly. “We’ve got a few deliveries to make.” Darry says simply, putting the truck in gear and driving off.

First is the Shepards.

He separates a decent amount onto a seperate plates for them, wrapping it up before handing the few plates of food too the two boys. He walks up the rickety porch and rings the bell.

“Whaddaya want.” Curly answers, throwing the door open. His eyes go wide when he sees who it is. “Oh. Shit, my bad.” He says, not looking at him. “No problem, Curly.” Darry smiles, handing him the plate in his hands. “In case y’all are hungry.”

Curly stares down at the plates with wide eyes before finally taking them, setting them on the couch beside him. “Thanks, I guess.” He says, showing his hands in his jean pockets. Ponyboy rolls his eyes, already walking off to the car. Darrel has to grip the back of his jacket to keep him from running off.

“Tell Tim I said thank you.” Darry says, not seeing the older boy anywhere.

“Yeah man, no problem.” Curly nods.

“Me too.” Johnny mutters, peeking his head out from behind the older Curtis. “To you too. Thanks for the gift, it was very nice.” He says in a teasing tone, a devilish smile on his face. Curly’s whole face goes bright red—so red, in fact, that they can see it even in the fleeting lamp light.

“How did you—“ he begins, cutting himself off. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Johnny just laughs, shrugging his shoulders. “Guess you don’t want this, then.” He says, waving his own gift in the boy's face. Curly snatches it from his hand, looking down to see his name sharpied on the wrapping paper. “You got me something? You really are a wimp.” Curly sneers, tucking it behind his back anyway—like Johnny would steal it back from him.

Johnny just rolls his eyes. “Whatever, man. Merry Christmas.” He says, following Pony and Darry to the truck. Curly doesn’t reply, watching them from the doorway. He only leaves once they’ve pulled away, heading back inside. They can hear him call to Angela from outside.

They head to Buck Merrill’s next. Darry really does hate going to that bar—especially with Johnny and Pony in tow—but he knows Buck is a good guy. He gave Dallas a place to live for most of his teenage years—and often would help Johnny out after a beating if the gang wasn’t around.

Buck and Darry also have an agreement—made after the fire, of course—that if Johnny, Pony, or Soda ever come knocking at his door… Darry will be

called immediately .

He knows Buck isn’t having a party tonight. He usually keeps it closed around family holidays—he claims it’s because of the lack of business, but Darry knows deep down he doesn’t like seeing people ignore their families to come drink at his bar.

He gathers the rest of the food and helps Johnny and Pony carry it up to the door. He knocks loud enough to be heard from anywhere in the house. He can hear Buck’s rushed footsteps, the door being thrown open a moment later.

“What—“ he begins angrily, pausing when he recognizes them. “Oh. Shit, what’s happening now?” He asks, his shoulders dropping. He spares a quizzical glance at Johnny—as if to ask ‘did you kill someone? again?’.

“Nothing to be worried about.” Darry smiles, holding a plate out to him. “There was a lot left over from dinner—I had a feeling you weren’t cooking anything.”

Buck inspects the plate, giving him an odd look. “Uh huh. No other reason?”

“Just wanted to be nice,” Darry begins, giving him a warm smile. “You’re not all alone in there are you?”

“Nawh—My brother’s home.” Buck shrugs. He has a younger brother—only a few years younger than him, Darry’s age. Most of the time he’s out of state—Dallas is the only one who’s ever met him in person, Johnny and Two-Bit have been in the bar while he was… but that’s just about it. “Sure he won’t mind some grub.”

“Good. Merry Christmas, Merril.”

Buck makes an odd face—like how dare Darry say that to him, before groaning. “Give me a second, wait here.” He grumbles, heading back into the bar and shutting the door behind him. By the time he’s back, Johnny and Pony have retreated back to the truck for warmth.

Buck comes back out with a pretty expensive looking bottle of Heineken, handing it off before the two younger boys see. “Nobody here’s gonna be able to afford it anyway.” He says simply, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“Thank you. I’m sure the guys will finish this by the end of the night.”

“I’m counting on it.” Buck chuckles. “Oh, and tell Dallas that he left his lighter here. Some broads found it on the floor.” He says, taking it out of his pocket and handing it to him. Darry promises he will and says his goodbyes, Buck just grunts in agreement and shuts the door.

“Darry.” Ponyboy comments when he starts up the truck again. “Are we going to have to put those pajamas on when we get home?“

Darry chuckles. “Of course. It would be unfair if you didn’t.” He says, already picturing the scene of all his boys dolled up like a mall-ad family. “I don’t even mind anymore, at least it’ll be warm.” Johnny mutters, wrapping his arms around himself and wincing just enough to be heard.

The doctor had warned them about this time of year for his scars. Apparently, extreme cold can trigger some kind of nerve pain—it also causes the skin to dry up and crack. Luckily it’s not as bad as it was two years ago, but it will no-doubt hurt for at least a few more years. Not to mention that Johnny already got cold easy before the fire—now it’s bad enough to classify him as hypothermic.

“There should be a few extra blankets in the living room if you need them.” Darry comments idly, trying to focus on the icy road. “Not like Dallas will let you be cold for long anyway.”

Johnny and Ponyboy both giggling in the backseat. As years go on Dallas seems to get less and less scary—the fire turned him so soft that he was almost a different person. It took months for him to stop using kid-gloves around Johnny and Pony.

“We’re home.” Darry says, turning the key and cutting off the car. Both boys run inside immediately, teeth chattering loud enough to sound like tap shoes.

Darry comes inside to already see Dallas worrying over Johnny. “Christ Darry, did you even turn the heat on?” He asks grumpily, checking Johnny's arms to make sure the skin wasn’t cracked bad enough to bleed. Of course it wasn’t, but this was the only thing Dally would ever double check.

“I’m alright Dal.” Johnny says in place of Darry’s retort. “I’m gonna go get dressed.”

Darry suddenly remembers the pajamas. Glancing around the room, all of the boys had listened to him. Even Steve and Dallas—Soda was still keeled over laughing.

Johnny and Ponyboy emerge a few moments later dressed as well—Ponyboy’s got his arms crossed and he is very clearly not happy with this outcome.

“You guys are making my Christmas this year, I swear.” Darry smiles—he’d pinch their cheeks if they’d let him. Eh, he’ll probably do it anyway. Darry gets changed quickly—he’s sure that if he waits any longer they won’t let him get photo evidence.

He runs out with his camera in tow, the boys ass grown when they see it. “We didn’t agree to this!” Steve frowns, watching him set it up on the mantle. “I know, I specifically didn’t tell you so you couldn’t say no.” Darry shrugs, fixing the angle one or twice.

He turns the countdown on and quickly gets behind the group. “Smile!” He says, knowing they won’t. The camera flashes and he’s so excited that he’s already rushing back to it.

To their credit, everyone but Steve, Dallas, and Pony are smiling— Soda’s is more of a smolder, because even in family photos he has to be the best looking. “Look at us! Not a single one of us had our eyes closed!” Two-But chuckles, joining the group around Darry to look at it.

They truly were an adorable family. Darry was already planning on printing this photo and the one Two-Bit had taken a hundred times and placing it on every fridge, work locker, and wallet he could find. “If that ever gets to the public, I’m taking care of all witnesses.” Dallas grumbles. “I’ll be your alibi.” Steve adds, unable to look at it any longer.

“Everybody quit your whining! It's a nice photo!” Darry says defensively, setting the camera aside before anyone could try and delete it. “Yeah, Just pretend its not you in the picture. Thats what I’m gonna do.”

“How's that gonna work?” Steve raises a brow annoyedly—unable to hide his genuine annoyance with the boy for a full holiday. “I could have another brother somewhere—I could be a twin.”

“I’d feel bad for that kid.” Steve chuckles, ignoring the empty box that Ponyboy chucks—and misses—at his head.

“Boys, stop fighting or Santa will give you coal for Christmas.” Two-Bit says teasingly, wagging his finger at them. Steve and Pony both groan.

“I don’t get what's wrong with getting coal for Christmas—I can’t even count how many times I was building a fire and prayed for that stuff.” Johnny mutters, shrugging. He glances up to see the whole gang staring at him with very heartbroken looks on their faces. “Dude, That's like… the saddest thing that's ever come out of your mouth.” Soda says—he almost looks like he's gonna cry–dramatically wrapping his arms around him and sighing.

“No—It's not the time to be sad!” Two-Bit exclaims, crossing his arms with a proud look on his face. “Besides, I am very sure I saw Darrel walk in with some booze in hand. Am I right?” He turns to Darrel. He can’t help but roll his eyes. “Yes, Keith. There is a bottle in the kitchen.”

Everyone but Johnny and Pony rush off to go find it. Darrel can hear the cork pop out from the living room—he's sure this won’t end well. “It’s about time you two get to bed anyway.” Darry sighs, looking at the two younger boys.

“What?” Ponyboy frowns. “I’m almost a grown man and you’re giving me a bedtime?!” He asks, exasperated. “Sixteen is almost grown for you?” Darry retorts, unimpressed, raising a brow. Ponyboy opens his mouth and shuts its again, looking at Johnny for support. “I dunno’ what you’re looking at me for.” Johnny laughs. “When I was sixteen I was actively freeloading off of you guys.”

“You only stopped being sixteen like seven months ago.” Ponyboy mutters, rolling his eyes. “And you weren’t ‘freeloading’ you were recovering from third degree burns.”

“Tomato tah-mah-toe.” Johnny shrugs, already making his way towards Pony’s room. “Now come on, If we don’t go to bed now Santa might not come.” He adds teasingly. “Whose side are you on?” Ponyboy mutters with a betrayed look on his face—he eventually does begin to follow him to his room, trying to hide his own yawn.

“We can get you a cup of warm milk if you want.” Dallas calls from the kitchen, drinking right out of the bottle.

“Oh, Fuck off Dallas!” Ponyboy yells back, turning to glare at him.

“Watch your mouth Pony.” Darry scolds immediately—profanity has never been a big issue for him, but ever since he took over he’d been unable to stop. “You aren’t quite old enough to get away with that.”

“Yeah Yeah.” Pony groans, sticking his head out of his room. “Goodnight friends and family…Steve too, I guess.” He says, shutting the door before Steve can defend himself. Darrel can hear the man yell something in response, muffled by the noise of the rest of the gang laughing.

By the time Darrel makes it into the kitchen, the bottle is already half-way gone. “Jesus, You guys have had enough.” Darry says, aiming to take the bottle and fumbling when Two-Bit snatches it away. “You haven’t had enough if you’re noticing!” He chuckles loudly. “Come on, join us.” He says, waving the bottle around like it's a prize.

Darry rolls his eyes, making another attempt to take it and only getting embarrassed again when he misses.

“Come on big guy, take a sip.” He says again like he's trying to entice him. “You know you want to.” The three others quietly cheer him on, pumping their fists up and down along with their chants. Darry’s never been peer pressured successfully—it works even less when he’s around a group that he mostly thinks of as his younger brothers. But either way he finds himself snatching the bottle and guzzling a decent amount.

It's almost midnight when they decide they’ve had enough. Steve and Soda are the first to go—they both head into Soda’s bedroom, saying their goodnights and such. Dallas goes not long after, aiming to crash on the couch. Darry gives him a goodnight hug and forehead kiss as he goes—to which he gets shoved off by a red-faced blonde.

Two-Bit and Darry retreat to his room only ten minutes later. Darry tells him to get comfortable—he doesn’t know if its because he’s feeling extra loving or because he’s a little tipsy, but he decides he can’t go to bed without giving Johnny and Pony a proper good night.

He’s able to get the bedroom door open without either of them stirring. Despite their earlier protest–Both Johnny and Pony are passed out under the covers. Johnny’s got his head on Pony’s chest and it's a miracle he's not suffocating with the cover’s mostly over his face—upon further inspection the two are completely cuddled up together and snoring just loud enough to hear.

Darry stalks to Ponyboy’s side of the bed and leans down— placing a soft kiss right on his hairline. “Goodnight Pone.” He whispers, though he’s a hundred percent sure the boy won’t hear him.

Sure enough, right as he’s leaning over to do the same to Johnny—Ponyboy stirs. “You smell like booze.” Ponyboy whispers, eyes barely able to stay open for more than a second. “Two spilled some on me.” Darry whispers back—quickly giving Johnny his goodnight and standing straight again.

Ponyboy laughs—his voice is slurred from his own tired state, Darry can’t help but think how adorable it is. “Make sure you gimme a copy of that photo.” Ponyboy whispers, wrapping his arms around his friend and snuggling closer, eyes already shut again. “Will do, Goodnight baby.” Darry whispers with a chuckle—he's able to make it to the door without either of the boy’s re-awakening.

“Did you have fun today?” Two-Bit asks as he climbs into bed a moment later. “Very much so.” Darry smiles, placing a kiss on his cheek and getting comfortable under the covers. “Good,” Two whispers, wrapping his arms around the older. “You deserve a good day every once in a while.”

[brat-pack-it-up-boys]

Curtis parent headcanons but they lowkey suck

• Going off of the names SE Hinton gave them Karen Josephine Curtis & Darrel Curtis Sr

• THE high school sweethearts ever

• Karen actually isn’t from Tulsa, her family moved there from California the summer before junior year

• They had math together and that’s how they met

• Okay and hear me out on this one, Karen came from a wealthy family 😱(I know, I know shocking)

• It was Karen, her mom, her dad, and her little brother Cooper

• Darrel sr came from an underclass family, his dad and mom and 4 sisters, he was the baby of the family

• No one and I mean NO ONE called Darrel by his first name, he was solely adressed by his middle name, Parker (I refuse that he has the same middle name as Darry jr)

• Once the two started dating he started calling her by her middle name as a pet name, so they were Josie and Parker all throughout highschool

• Her parents did NOT like him, hated that they were dating, hated that he was lower class, hated him

• Anyways the two dated all throughout highschool and eventually eloped when they were 18

• Josie’ family entirely cut contact and she couldn’t see her brother anymore

• Parker’s parents were angry but eventually forgave him

• They had Darry a year later. he was not planned in anyway shape or form (sorry Darry 😔)

• Josie named him because throughout her and Parker dating she had always said she loved the name Darrel and he would always laugh it off, he was fine being just Parker, so when the baby was born she named him Darrel almost to prove a point

• All throughout the pregnancy and first few years of Darry being born they lived with one of Parker’s sisters

• Eventually Darrel was able to get a job as a roofer (foreshadowing) and they were able to afford a house of their own with some help from his family

• Soda was born a few years later when they were more prepared to have kids and then a few years later they had ponyboy

• Josie had to work throughout pretty much all of this, she was a checker at a grocery store

• Their life stayed the same throughout the next few years until the boys started making friends

• By the time darry was 15 they had around five boys always in the house at once

• Josie loved it, she had always wanted a big family

• Parker just missed how loud bigger family’s could be

• Their house basically became the safe haven of the neighborhood, no one hated the Curtis parents, cops, upper-class adults, kids, no one

[alittlebitofloveliness]

saw we were sharing curtis bros stuff so i figured i’d join in on the fluff haha

When Darry was twelve and Pony was six he was pushing Pony on the swings and Pony kept asking him to “Push me higher Darry!” and he would….until Pony flipped over the top of the swingset and landed on his face. Darry was FREAKING out and was like “Pony?! Pony are you alright?!” and Pony sits up with this gigantic smile (which is now missing one of his front teeth) and was just going “Again, again!”

Pony learned guitar from his dad and Darry learned piano from his mom. Post book Darry teaches Pony piano and Pony teaches Darry guitar. It’s a binding activity they share

Pony sings in the shower. One time Soda heard and he started singing along and Pony screamed at the top of his lungs and pelted Soda with a hairbrush

Whenever Darry or Soda gets a hefty paycheck they go to this steakhouse place that lets you eat however much you want as a way to celebrate

Soda was real mad when Pony was born because he wasnt an actual pony and Soda told all his friends he was having a pony as a baby brother (he asked if they could recycle Pony

One time while cleaning the attic the Curtises found old tapes and photo books of them as babies and kids and they spend the rest of the day watching the videos and looking at old pictures abd bringing up old memories (tears were shed but they won’t admit it)

Darry is the only one allowed to tickle Pony out of bed because one time Soda did it (it’s a process, he starts with somewhere Pony isn’t too ticklish and they escalate) but Soda went STRAIGHT for Pony’s ribs and Pony laughed so hard he threw up

Hope these are good lol

HI! I LOVE ALL OF THESE!!!!!

To add a few:

Ponyboy definitely learned to walk late because he was the youngest and had two doting parents and two adoring older brothers + the rest of the gang so he spent the first two years of his life being carried EVERYWHERE so he didn't feel the need to walk

Soda plays the 'drums'- basically just taps on the furniture and annoys Pony and Darry- when they're practicing piano and guitar respectively, and they have literally chased him out of the house because of it

All three Curtis brothers tilt their heads slightly when they're confused. Sometimes it makes two-bit snicker because he'll say something odd while they're all on the couch and they look kind of cartoonish when they do it in unison

Darry likes nice cologne (as nice as they can afford anyway) and guards his small collection VICIOUSLY

Soda and Steve always make really lewd jokes around Ponyboy because they think its funny how red he gets

Two-bit sometimes swaps out Darry's morning newspaper with nudie mags whenever he sees it on the porch or in the mailbox and Darry is convinced it's Steve and Soda who are doing it, no matter how much they protest. Two-bit gleefully watches the chaos and keeps his mouth shut

Thanks for the ask xx

[specific-dreamer]

stay gold is for darry too (except this is what i meant to say the first time b4 i got distracted)

“when you’re young and the world is new / it’s easy to forget when you’re trying just to make it through”

darry is 20 years old and for the first time he’s having to learn about bills and when to pay them and how to pay them, he’s having to learn about debt works and how long he can take to pay them back. he’s having to learn how to budget because suddenly he can’t take whatever change he has left at the end of the day to take his brothers to the rodeo or the bookstore, instead that change has to go to something more sustainable.

and darry has a one track mind. to him, since he has to play guardian, since he has to play parent, he’s not allowed to have fun anymore. he has to work day in and day out to keep his brother yes, but he’s also working so his brothers don’t have to work this hard. he’s working this hard in hopes that one day, hopefully in a year or so, they’ll have enough saved up so he can stop playing parent. he’s hoping they’ll have enough saved up so this child can stop walking in his dad’s enormous shoes and can finally be a kid again.

he’s opening at the end of this he can finally just be a friend and a brother again. the thing is though darry forgets. he forgets about the now. he forgets how sensitive his brothers are; soda makes a point for darry to know he can lean on him if he needs to, but sometimes darry gets a little to comfortable and forgets to remind soda the same. darry and pony used to be a whole lot closer before their parents died. but after darry forgets how sensitive he is; pony likes playing big and bold (like every 14 year old) so he’s forgets that pony really is just a baby. he forgets that pony lost his parents too at a really young age and needs a bit more comfort; darry forgets to offer that comfort.

darry never neglects his brothers, god no he doesn’t. in his mind, he eats dinner… most nights with them, he’s usually not back til late, eating dinner with the dim light above the stove. he sees them to bed though! he makes sure they’re all ready for bed and can find him if they need him, though pony has taken to finding soda instead which… is new.

[qprpbj]

half brothers curtis brothers au…. half mexican pony au… please i need to hear all the thoughts

ok no bc i need everyone to hear me out alright. josh strobl, therefore his version of ponyboy, is half mexican. so. darry soda have the same dad who Left between soda and pony being born, both of them were both super young so they don't really remember anything about him. miss karen hooks up w pony's dad and it's very much a one night thing but he's a dedicated man and decides to stick around for his baby once he learns karen's pregnant. he sticks around for the boys, too, literally like 5 and 1 years old, raises them like his own kids just as much as he raises ponyboy — pony's half brothers to soda and darry but they're obviously raised together full time. dad passes down to pony whatever bits of spanish he knows and cooks for them all sometimes and it's kinda Their Thing. then he. fuckin dies. and pony feels such a type of way about now bc not only is there soda and darry who both are full brothers and share more blood than he does with either of them but also like. he just lost the only real tie to his heritage he ever had. now he has nobody to speak spanish with or eat from. him feeling like as much as he loves soda, their bond will never be able to come close to soda and darry's. idk idk i justttttttt. JOSH STROBL PONYBOY I LOVE YOUUU <3333

[chained-sweater]

two-bit headcanons? :3

two-bit headcanons

notes: bro, this guy's underrated as hell. :( time to write some hcs for them! :D

— a really good dancer

— does very good voice impressions (canon)

— very close with their little sister shannon (she's 8 in my au)

   ↑ their mom works a lot and shannon usually hangs out at her friends' house, but sometimes if they aren't available, two babysits her. he lets her paint their nails, do their hair, etc etc. he does all sorts of girly things but he don't give a shi bc they love her sm

— never really made a connection with girls until he met marcia

   ↑ from the very moment he saw her, it was just like an instant click. he couldn't stop thinking about her after they parted and feels terrible for ripping up her number. he sees her again post-canon and apologizes for never calling and to make up for it, he takes her on a date and long story short, they start dating (WHERE MY MAR-BIT SHIPPERS AT??)

— actually kinda misses their dad

   ↑ mr. mathews wasn't abusive, but he wasn't the greatest dad to have. he did actually try to support his family and be there for them, but he and his wife (her name is martha in my au) always got into arguments and it really had a bad affect on two. i mean, he and his dad did argue from time to time, but they were quite close. mr. mathews left a month before shannon was born. (two-bit was eleven at the time.) usually two-bit doesn't talk/think about their dad but when they do it's kinda hard for them 'cause they actually did have a good relationship and had a strong bond that collapsed the moment two realized his father wasn't coming back.

— straight, but super duper supportive of their friends

   ↑ he once threw hands with a soc for calling out darry (it was a miracle they weren't arrested)

— dallas is his buddy

   ↑ these two are WILD when they're together. keep away from them at all costs.

— made a bet that soda and steve were dating with dally and when stevepop came out, two marched right up to dally, held out his hand and said "they're datin', five bucks, pay up"

   ↑ dallas was PISSED

— they're one of the only ones who can get darry to act his age (dallas is the only other person)

   ↑ the two of them are childhood besties and sometimes two'll drag darry out to hang out and reminise of the good ol' days (nostalgia)

— had a pet goldfish. keyword "had"

   ↑ fishy had to go bye-bye via the toilet :(

— kleptomaniac (canon)

— math wizz. it's their favorite class at school.

— did gymnastics for like, three years and is insanely flexible

— double-jointed

— st. patrick's day is their favorite holiday aside from christmas (i hc them to be half-irish)

— allergic to peanuts (as well as like, everything else. poor guy has so many allergies.)

— messy. very messy. never cleans up after themself.

end notes: that's all for today. thanks for the ask, anon! ❤️

[alaskan-wallflower]

I’m in a very hurt/comfort mood so do you have any hcs about the first time the Curtis brothers got sick after their parents died? They’re all trying to take care of each other while also dealing with so much grief because it’s really hitting now that their parents are gone and maybe the gang knows how hard it has to be so they come over and help them out? I think it would be cute and fluffy ❤️🎞️

Oooh this is good!!

I feel like it was Pony who ended up staying a bit too late at his parents grave one night and many weeks of not sleeping that finally caught up with him and he got the flu

Darry absolutely did not know what to do-usually his mom would make them herbal tea and soup when they were sick but DRry isn’t sure how to do it exactly right

Soda just spends his time snuggling a very sick Pony because it’s all he knows how to do

Pony gets super delirious and accidentally calls Darry dad and it just….hits Darry all at once. He’s their dad now. He’s their dad. His dad is gone. And he just swallows down tears as he shakes his head and has to correct Pony

Soda needs up getting sick next cause he’s in close proximity to Pony all the time, half by Pony’s request that he doesn’t wanna be alone because his mama used to snuggle him when he was little and it brings him comfort and because Soda is just a golden retriever that cannot be without human contact for more than ten minutes

So Darry is caring for both of them

He dug through their parents bedrooms and found the herbal tea packets Mrs. Curtis had made herself before she died and he almost had a breakdown making it

Soda begged him to stay and cuddle and Darry couldn’t say no. So then Darry ended up getting sick

Honestly it was Two Bit who first came over-he would bring Pony his make up assignments and he found all three Curtis brothers in the living room on the couch-Pony’s been crying, Darry looks beyond exhausted and Soda has crusted vomit on his shirt

Steve wasn’t far behind because he was ready to tear Soda anew one for skipping work but then he was just like “oh 🧍‍♂️”

Two Bit and Dally steal medicine a lot-it’s not the best but they make sure to get wherever they can without getting caught

Honestly Johnny would be so confused too as of what to do-his own parents couldn’t give a rats ass when he was sick but the Curtis parents taught him how to make food-and Dally is banned form the kitchen along with Steve and Two Bit majes wonkier food than Soda does so Johnny is the only one allowed to cook

Dally has threatened Darry to stay laying down and resting because “I’m not dealing with your sick ass trying to work man 😡”

Steve usually takes over as Soda’s new pillow because the Curtis brothers are all sweating on each other and it’s lowkey nasty

Steve is also the one to hold Soda’s hair back when he pukes, babies 🥺

Two Bit knows a good deal of what to do when people are sick because he has Kit (his sister) wt home but he often babies Pony because Kit is like…7 or 8 and Pony hates it

“I ain’t a little kid anymore 😡” says the one who looks like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer while curled up in a floofy blanket with tissues surrounding him, ok buddy

They all listen to the Curtises sickened rants about how they miss their parents-Johnny was. a bit rigid because he didn’t know what to do-but he listened. Sally half listened but he did actually somewhat care. Steve just held Soda and Two Bit was the most empathetic actually. He gave them words of reassurance and whatnot. He was so super sweet.

They all’s n’s up getting better in the end!

[jaidens]

If you special requests are still open can I have a hot chai latte with extra whipped cream under name Darrel Curtis? Only if ur ok with that!

So scarlet it was Maroon, The mark they saw on my collarbone

pairing [s] : darry curtis x reader

warning [s] : mentions of : sex, hickeys, drinking, riding, making out | wrap it before you tap it |

a/n [s] : ty for requesting, I'm sorry for how long it took!

It has almost been a month without your fiance. Darry had been booked for every single day, and suddenly nurses had become extremely needed everyday for your hospital. You were riled up and upset that your shifts hadn't matched up with Darry's which ended up in only seeing him passing in and out of the house. You were the night shift, and Darry had been the morning shift. You took care of the gang when Darry couldn't, becoming the casual mom of the group when you were around.

As you shift the small ring around your finger, tapping against the table as the clock clicks closer to your shift ending. As soon as it hits twelve, you jump up, grabbing your bag and Darry's jacket and run out of the hospital while saying goodbye to your coworkers. The air is cold as it nips at your nose. You open your car door and turn the car on, the cold air hitting you as it attempts to start up with a rumble. The radio plays quietly as you start to feel giddy at being able to see your boyfriend after a month.

The car ride isn't long, but not very short. After twenty-five minutes of no traffic and long, twisting roads, you pull into the driveway of Darry's house. His truck is sitting next to your car, and the lights are still on the inside of the house. Grabbing your stuff, you run into the house and shut the door quietly behind you. Two-Bit and Steve are asleep on the couch, snoring as Mickey Mouse is playing on the television.

You smile at them, shutting off the television and lights. You walk to the kitchen, hang up your keys on the hook, and set your bag down. Your stomach rumbles after hours of being unable to eat due to the rush on the hospital. You pull out some food and heat it up, and bite into it and moan out. Darry’s cooking was always amazing, after years of practicing after the loss of his Mom and Dad. While you're eating, strong arms wrap around your waist and pull you into his hips.

With a gentle kiss to your neck, you smile and twist your body around to be in front of Darry. He's smiling widely, his tongue darting out to like his lips. “Oh, Darry..” You mumble out and he pushes you against the counter and his hand falls underneath your thighs as you follow his movements with your lips. Your hand runs up his shoulders and to the back of his head and you grip onto his messy, ungreased hair. He smells like aftershave and his minty shampoo and conditioner.

You're mumbling out his name every time he pulls away from your lips to let you breathe. “Not here, love. Bedroom c’mon!” You're whisper-shouting, as he picks you up off the counter and carries your bridal style to your small, shared bedroom. The bed is messy and fluffy with blankets as you try and beat the November weather that was attacking Tulsa. The television is on and plays a random show that Darry had liked, but you didn't understand it half of the time.

You crawl onto the bed and pull on the waistband of his pants and he falls on the bed on top of you, not crushing you with his thighs taking his fall. You're wrapped up in the kiss you've been waiting for, deep and full of delicious passion. His lips slide from your mouth to suck against your neck, kissing and biting gently. His name is a prayer as it falls from your lips as you slide against him, his hand tickling against your waistband.

You pull his shirt off and throw it on the floor, staring at his delicious muscles and abs that stretch and pull in every time you touch his warm skin. “Missed you so much.” Darry gasps when you pull him up and push against the wall.

—

When you wake up the next morning, your legs are sore and your back achy. The bed is cold and alone with Darry's side is put together and cleaned up. Your side however isn't as you get up from bed. You're in a big t-shirt of Darry's with a pair of underwear. You grab a pair of shorts and put them on. You stretch out your body and crack your hands. You fix up the bed and straighten out the sheets and fix up your hair. You put your slippers and rub your eyes. When you look at the mirror, you see all of the purplish and dusty pink bruises that litter your neck and down to your collarbone.

You grab a big hoodie and pull it on and it covers most of them up, but it would be impossible to cover all of them. You open the door to leave and you hear the boys that are somehow rowdy at eight-thirty in the morning. Two-Bit and Steve are ones that you can pick out, teasing Darry and Ponyboy about something you couldn't hear. You walk into the kitchen and you feel people's eyes on you. “Well! Well, how-dy here!” Two-Bit teases and taps against the maroon bruise that's underneath your jaw. “What’s that lil ol’ thing, Y/N!?”

You cover your neck and start to get embarrassed. Darry immediately pulls into protective mode and pulls you into his arms. You smile at him and he kisses the top of your head. You're forced to follow him around to stay in his arms. “Did you fight something last night? What's all over you—oh ew Darry!” Ponyboy says before covering his eyes and gagging. You laugh at him and serve him a plate of food. “Oh hush you too!” Darry shouts when Two-Bit and Pony start to giggle and conspiring about what happened last night.

You kiss Darry and he deepens it softly. “I’m off work today. Charles was being nice by not scheduling me.” You tell Darry and he smiles at you, letting his hands naturally wrap around your waist. You lay against his chest as you both fall into a natural sway. One thing about Darry is he didn't have two of the same feet, he was an amazing dancer and naturally would always be moving gracefully somehow.

You're both lying like that until Ponyboy says he's ready for school. You smile at Darry and hand him the truck keys, giving him a long kiss and twirling the curls around his neck on your finger as he walks out the door. You're smiling at the door when you hear the sound of the refrigerator opening, clicking of glasses, and two pops. “Really Two-Bit!? Beer at nine in the morning?”

“Hey young-lady! We both had fun, you got it earlier than I did. Now, let me enjoy this!”