Chapter Text
“Supper’s ready!”
Darry set the laundry basket down on the floor and finished folding the pair of pants in his hand. He stood up from the recliner, his back popping as he stretched it out. Every muscle in his body was screaming. He was twenty years old but sometimes felt eighty.
Upon walking into the kitchen, he was greeted with the sight of Sodapop setting the table as he grinned from ear to ear. “Hey, big brother! Hope you’re hungry.”
“Starvin’. Ya need any help?”
Soda shook his head. “Nah, just gotta grab the food, I got it.”
Just as Darry took his usual seat at the table, Ponyboy walked into the room. “What’d ya make, Soda?” He asked, sitting across from Darry.
“Shake ‘n Bake Chicken, mashed taters, and mac and cheese!” Sodapop sat next to Pony as he placed the pan on the table.
“Shake ‘n Bake? What the heck is that?” Darry asked, eyebrows raised.
“It’s new!” Soda answered with a grin. “Just saw it at the store yesterday. Ya just put the breadcrumbs in a bag with the chicken and shakeee it up! Then ya bake it!” Soda emphasized the word “shake” by shaking his entire body as if he were dancing. Ponyboy laughed, and Darry couldn’t help but grin a little bit too.
“I think it looks pretty good.” Pony said with a shrug as he grabbed a piece.
“I’m guessin’ it wasn’t purple when you bought it?”
Sodapop grinned devilishly and raised his eyebrows. “Nah, that was the chef's choice. Along with the blue mac and cheese and pink mashed taters.”
“Well, at least the mac and cheese ain’t green.” Pony said, taking a bite. “Felt like I was eatin’ moldy cheese.”
Darry and Soda chuckled. “Yeah, that colorful combination wasn’t my brightest idea.” Soda chuckled, pouring himself a glass of chocolate milk.
“So.” Darry said, cutting his chicken. “How was school, Pony?”
“Fine. I think I did pretty well on my math test. And I only got a little bit of homework, I finished most of it already.”
Darry nodded. “Good. Finish up after you’re through eatin’ and then bring it to me so I can check it. Savvy?”
“Savvy.” Pony said, around a bite of potatoes.
“Man, the DX was busyyy today.” Soda mentioned, scarfing food into his mouth.
“Really?” Pony asked, looking over at his brother. “Why?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.” He shrugged. “I didn’t even get to walk inside ‘fore I had to start pumpin’ gas. I filled up ten cars before ever steppin’ foot in the door. Then there were at least that many people inside too. I didn’t get a second to myself until I finally got to have lunch at one instead of twelve.”
Soda swallowed a bite of chicken and took a big drink before continuing.
“Then, after lunch, the boss made me do shelf stockin’. Which I normally hate, but was grateful for today so I could have a bit of time to myself. Then I had to work on a couple of cars, and Jack was supposed to be manin’ the counter. But instead he just stood there yammerin’ on and on about his date last night.” Soda rolled his eyes.
“Listen, normally I love chattin’ with just ‘bout everyone, but he is seriously one of the most boring and dull humans I have ever met. I mean, he took her to the hardware store! On a first date! I was so shocked when he told me they were goin’ out again, that I hit my head on the hood of the car while I was checkin’ the oil.”
Ponyboy laughed as the image popped into his head.
“Oh, yeah! And right before my shift ended, this real interestin’ fella walked in.”
Darry looked up from his plate, raising an eyebrow. “Interestin’, how?”
“Real tuff, leather jacket wearin’ type. Looked a lot like Dallas, even had the same accent as him.”
“He was from New York?” Pony gasped, looking intently at his brother.
Soda shook his head. “I asked him ‘bout it, but he just said he moved a lot.
“Did you mention Dallas?” Darry asked.
“Told him he looked an awful lot like a buddy of mine. He smirked and said he must’ve been devilishly handsome. Then he lit a cigarette and left.”
“You think he knew Dally?” Pony asked.
“I don’t know, Pone.” Soda said softly. “But he's gotta be from New York. I mean, he had the look and the accent. That don’t mean he knew Dally though.”
“It ain’t like there’s a ton of New Yorkers waltzin’ ‘round Tulsa. I’ll bet all the money in my pocket that he knew Dal.”
Darry studied his brother, already watching the wheels turn in his head. “Don’t work yourself up too much about this, Pone. We don’t know anything for sure, yet.”
Pony glanced at his brother before slowly nodding. He sighed, looking down at his plate, moving the mac and cheese around with his fork.
Darry and Soda exchanged a sad look. Both slightly worried about how Pony would take this information.
Soda tried to keep the conversation going with some brighter topics, but Pony seemed too lost in his head to keep talking.
Once they finally got through the rest of the awkward meal, Darry sighed and stood up from the table. “I gotta finish up the laundry. Pony, it’s your night to do the dishes, and don’t forget about your homework either.”
Pony watched Darry go, before sighing and doing as he was told.
Ponyboy did the dishes and finished his homework. He only had a few problems to correct after Darry checked it, and he finished those pretty quickly. Once it was done, he walked into the living room and sat next to Soda on the couch. His brother was scrolling through channels on the TV. “Anything good on?”
“Nope.” Soda sighed, turning off the television. “Wanna play some cards?”
“Sure.”
They moved to the dining room table to play some poker. Soda dealt and Pony grabbed them both a glass of chocolate milk. “If you cheat…” Pony warned, picking up his cards. “I’ll skin ya.”
Sodapop gave his brother a devilish smirk, mischief in his eyes.
“I quit!” Pony slammed his cards down onto the table and Soda howled with laughter.
“Oh, come on, Pone! Just one more round!”
“Why? So you can beat me twelve times instead of eleven.” He crossed his arms. “You’re cheatin’”.
“Says who?” Soda questioned.
“Says that Ace in your sock.”
Sodapop gasped. “I have no idea what you’re talkin’ about, Ponyboy Curtis.”
Pony raised an eyebrow at Soda before going after his foot, but he was too quick. Pony stood up to grab his leg, but Soda tackled his brother before he had the chance.
Ponyboy put up a good fight, but Soda got him into a head lock easily. “Holler uncle!”
“Nope!” Pony yelled, trying to pry Soda’s arms off of him.
“Come on, Pone, say uncle!”
“No way!”
“Alright. Then you leave me no choice. The tickle monster’s gonna come out!”
Before Pony had a chance to move, Soda was tickling his ribs and giggling with delight.
“Soda!” Pony said between laughs. “Soda, st-o-o-p!”
“No can do, kiddo.” Soda said in between laughs of his own.
Darry set the basket of laundry on the couch and watched his brothers, a small smile painting his lips. After everything they’d been through, it was so good to see them both happy again.
He hoped it could stay that way forever.
As Soda was getting into bed, he looked over at his brother. Pony was sitting at his desk reading a book. But Sodapop could tell he wasn’t actually reading the pages, he was just lost in his head.
“Pone?” Soda said gently, his brother looked up at him. “Wanna come to bed?”
Ponyboy nodded, shutting the book and climbing into bed next to Soda.
His brother smiled and tucked the blankets tightly around them. He put an arm around Pony and ran a hand through his hair. “What’s goin’ on in that big ole head of yours, honey?”
Pony was silent for a long time, and Soda knew he was thinking hard about what to say. That always happened when he had a lot on his mind. Soda waited patiently, stroking his hair.
“Just thinkin’ ‘bout Dally.”
“Yeah? You missin’ ‘im?”
Ponyboy nodded.
“Me too.” Soda whispered. “After I saw that guy at the DX, I almost felt like I’d gone back in time. He just reminded me so much of him.”
“You think he knew him? I mean, Dal didn’t talk about his family a lot, he always said he never really had any.”
“Maybe they weren’t close.” Soda said thoughtfully. “Maybe he wasn’t a real good guy, and that’s why Dally never mentioned him. Or maybe he don’t even know Dally and this is all just a coincidence.”
“I wanna meet him,” Ponny finally said. “Ask him for myself.”
“Pony…” Soda bit his lip. “Look, we don’t even know this guy. He could be dangerous. And anyway, we wouldn’t even know where to find him.”
Ponyboy sighed. “I just… I want to know more about Dal’s past. What he went through, how he became the Dally we knew.”
“Did he tell ya anything? You were closer to him than most of us.”
“A little. I think Johnny knew more than me, though. I just… he must have gone through so much before he even met us at twelve years old. Gettin’ arrested at ten, livin’ on the streets as a kid. Not to mention his parents. It couldn’t have been easy for him.”
“I always wondered why anyone would ever move from New York City, to Tulsa Oklahoma. But I guess maybe the streets of New York are even meaner than the East side. At least… they were to Dallas.”
“Even after everything he went through with his parents. Losing the people who were supposed to love him most in the world… he was still the most loyal person I ever met. He’d do absolutely anything for a buddy. Proved it to me and Johnny that night.”
Sodapop didn’t have to ask what night Pony was talking about, they both knew. “Dallas was so brave. Wasn’t scared of nothin’or no one. He was strong, wild and reckless. Carefree, but full of so much life.”
“Like a candle in the wind.” Pony said. “Dallas Winston was like a candle in the wind.”
Soda smiled down at his brother. “I like that a lot, honey. Dallas was a candle in the wind. And short flames burn bright.”
“Sounds like I ain’t the only brainy one in the family.” Pony said with a laugh.
Soda laughed and kissed his brother’s head. “Ya ready to get some sleep?”
“Yeah.” Pony nodded, yawning.
Soda turned the lamp off, and Pony laid down on his chest as Soda wrapped an arm around him. “Night, kiddo.”
Pony closed his eyes, snuggling closer to his brother. “Night, Soda.”