Chapter 1: Green Green Grass of Home
Summary: Ponyboy returns home from war.
AN: Please let me know your thoughts! I've written Outsiders fanfiction before but it's been years and it was on a different account. :)
November 11, 1972
The old home town looks the same
As I step down from the train
And there to meet me is my Mama and Papa
Down the road I look and there runs Mary
Hair of gold and lips like cherries
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home
Yes, they'll all come to meet me, arms reaching, smiling sweetly
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home
-Tom Jones, "Green Green Grass of Home"
It's ironic. When he was younger, time seemed to be going by at a snails pace. He didn't realize what his parents meant by "time flying by." All he knew was he couldn't wait to be big enough to go to the park by himself. He couldn't wait for Christmas. He couldn't wait for a lot of things. Then, as he got older, he realized a year really can change everything.
He steps off the bus, the Tulsa heat beating down on him, causing sweat to already start to form on his forehead. His smile is so wide, anyone walking by would think he had lost his mind. A cool, but welcome, breeze blows through, causing him to let out a sigh. This is home. He grabs his duffle from under the bus. Denying offers of rides home from his two friends that he went into battle with, knowing that they're from one side of town and he's from the other. He knows they wouldn't care where he lives, he's saved their asses a dozen times in the past year. As have they. But, for some reason, it still bothers him.
The walk to his house is peaceful. Kids race their bikes past him, laughing and joking, not even giving him a second glance.
He stops when his house comes into sight, emotion welling up in him that he thought he didn't even have anymore. War changes a man in ways….ways that can't even be described. He lets out a sharp laugh, telling himself to get his shit together. He does as best he can before walking, almost running, towards his house.
He glances in the window. Both of his brothers are home, as he knew they would be. Grinning, he sets his duffle down and takes a deep breath before knocking sharply on the door. Every noise in the house comes to a stop. He puts his hands in his pockets, grinning from ear to ear.
The door hesitantly opens, then widens revealing his older brother.
"What's for dinner, Dar? I'm starving." Pony says, eyes twinkling.
The look on Darry's face is priceless, just as he knew it would be. He's not scheduled to return until tomorrow, but somehow, someway luck was on his side for once and he was able to get back home a little sooner than expected.
"Ponyboy?" Darry says, voice soft.
"Cat got your tongue?" Pony says, one eyebrow raised like Two-bit taught him, "Ain't you happy to see me? I guess not. I guess I'll just head back to the depot then…."
That seems to snap Darry out of it because before he knows it, Pony's pulled into a tight, fierce hug. Darry puts a hand on his head, as if reassuring himself that Pony is really here, even though Pony's exactly Darry's height now. They stay like that for a minute, before eventually pulling away.
"I can't believe it," Darry's saying, eyes bright with unshed tears, "How-what-"
"Darry, what the hell is taking so-" Soda stops in the doorway, eyes bugged out.
Pony looks up, grinning, "He's just saying hi to his favorite brother, Sodapop."
If Darry's reaction was priceless, Soda's is equally if not more so. Once again, Pony finds himself nearly thrown off the front porch by his brother, caught up in a hug. Pony hugs him back, tightly, letting out a shaky breath. He locks eyes with Darry over Soda's shoulder, grinning.
"Geez, Soda, you're crying already? I ain't been here but 2 seconds." Pony teases, playfully shoving Soda.
Soda lets out a loud laugh, "You know me, Pony. I'm a damn waterwork factory." He glances over him, as if making sure he's in one piece. "You ain't hurt are you?"
"That's been established," Pony grins, rolling his eyes, "and nah, I ain't hurt. Y'all gonna invite me in or what? I'm starving and I have a craving for some oddly colored food."
Soda slings an arm over his shoulder, laughing, "You're in luck, tonight, Pone. It was my turn to cook."
Pony glances at Soda's green fingers, "You don't say?"
"Oh my god," Pony finally says, leaning back in his chair and putting his hands on his stomach, "this food is amazing. I almost missed this food as much as I missed y'all."
Darry laughs, but looks his brother over in concern, "They not feed you over there?"
Before the youngest can answer, Soda interjects, "I find that hard to believe, considering you're nearly as buff as Dar is." he teases, poking Pony in his now pretty well built arm. He's no Darry by any means, but he's no longer the young, stick of a boy who left for war a year ago.
Pony grins, shrugging despite the slight blush on his cheeks, "Nothin' good, just muck. Nothing like Soda's expertly cooked green mashed potatoes." He rubs his face, looking a million kinds of exhausted, but obviously not ready for bed because he says ,"So, come on, any news I should-"
The front door slams open, then slams shut.
"You will NOT believe what I just heard-"
"Well, well, if that ain't that no count, deadbeat, Keith Matthews." Pony says, grinning.
Two-bit grins back before tackling Pony right out of his chair. Pony grunts, causing his brothers and their friend to laugh at his expense.
"Welcome back, kid." Two-bit grins, ruffling his hair, still on top of him, "hot damn at the muscles, Ponyboy. You might could take Superman on now if you tried."
"Get the hell off of me, Two-Bit," Pony says, his laughter giving his words a less harsh meaning. He shoves him off with ease, standing up and brushing himself off. Two-Bit stands up, too, grinning then frowning at Ponyboy.
"When the hell did you get taller than me?" Two-Bit exclaims, punching him on the arm.
"I ate my veggies," Pony says, dryly, rolling his eyes before sitting back down. He looks at Darry, "So, any chocolate cake?"
That night, hours later, Pony lies awake in bed and stares up at the ceiling he's missed for so long. It feels like it's been longer than a year since he's been in this room and yet, at the same time, it feels like it's merely been a day. It's the weirdest feeling. He glances over at his sleeping brother and sighs. Quietly, he gets out of bed and quickly puts on his sweatpants before heading out of the room. He glances at Darry's half-closed door, hearing his older brother snore like a freight train. Rolling his eyes, but smirking to himself, he walks past it. He gets a drink of water and looks back at the bedroom. There's no way he's going to get any sleep tonight.
With that thought in mind, he walks out the front door and heads to the backyard, laying down on the grass and looking at the stars.
"-could he be?!"
"I don't know, Dar, that's why I'm asking you! You were the first one up!"
"Clearly, I wasn't!"
Frustrated voices hover from behind him and Pony finds himself blinking and looking up at the half-lit sky. The sun's just starting to rise. He wiggles his toes as he stretches, feeling the grass beneath him.
And that's when it hits him. He bolts up and heads towards the house, coming through the backdoor in his bedroom. He quickly pulls on a shirt.
"I'm telling you, Soda, he-"
Their voices stop when he comes into the living room, grinning sheepishly. He scratches his head.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep outside. I wasn't that tired so I went outside to look at the sky…and, well," He laughs, softly then says, seriously, "I really am sorry."
Darry's and Soda's faces soften, glancing at each other briefly.
"Some things never change. Always got your head in the clouds," Soda teases, causing Pony to frown. It wasn't that he had his head in the clouds - that's not where his head goes anymore. "Don't worry about it, Pone. We were just worried, ya dig?"
Pony nods, still feeling embarrassed for having fallen asleep. He lets out a yawn, but tries to stifle it. He doesn't want them to know how he can't sleep without the memories of Vietnam following him. At least, not right away. He looks at Darry who is looking at him with concern.
"Just.. Leave a note or something next time, ok?" is all Darry says, much to his surprise. Pony nods. Darry pats him on the shoulder as he walks past, "Okay, time to get ready for work. You going to be alright by yourself, Pone?"
Pony rolls his eyes, laughing, "I'm sure I'll find something to do, Dar. Don't worry about me."
"I always worry about you," Darry says, seriously before heading towards the bathroom.
"So, how's Steve?" Pony asks, following Soda into the kitchen. Soda opens the fridge and looks at him with suspicion. "What? I want to know and I'm hurt that you think otherwise."
"Really?" Soda says, "Okay, he's-"
Pony starts to snore, interrupting him. "Oh, sorry, you were about to say something?"
"Hilarious," Soda says, dryly, getting out the milk from the fridge and putting it on the table. "Cereal ok?"
Pony's stomach rumbles, "Sounds great."
Soda eyes him, carefully, as Pony gets the bowls and the cereal from the cabinet.
"You could take a picture, it would last longer." Pony says, half of his lips titled up in amusement. When Soda doesn't laugh, Pony sighs, pouring his cereal into a bowl, "what is it, Soda?"
"Nothing!" Soda immediately says, then, backtracks, "I just… you never really mentioned anything that happened over there in your letters."
Soda watches as his younger brother pours milk into his cereal bowl. He can practically see the wheels turning in his head. Trying to come up with the right thing to say, he guesses. He tries not to let that get at him, but it does. A year ago, he'd tell him anything. Anything.
"Wasn't nothing worth writin' about." Pony finally says, sliding the milk across the table to Soda.
"I know, but… you never said anything, not even to me." We don't keep secrets, Soda thinks, unable to help himself to thinking what was so bad that he can't even discuss it with him?
Pony looks up from his cereal, "Soda…"
"Come on, something other than the weather." Soda begs, eyes wide, "Just… did you make friends?"
Pony looks away, guilt eating at him a little. He should've been more open with them about what was happening, but he couldn't. It was hard enough he had to live it. It didn't want to rehash it in a letter when he could be pretending he was back in Tulsa with them.
"Did I make friends?" Pony repeats, lips tilting up in a soft smile before it disappears. Yeah and most of them are dead now. "Yeah, yeah, I did. Maybe I'll tell you about them one day." But not now. Not today.
Soda stares at him, but eventually gives in. Whatever Pony needs, Pony gets. And if Pony needs time, well, they've got all the time in the world now that he's back.
"That's all I'm askin'" Soda says, pouring himself a bowl of cereal.