Another one-shot that is more a drabble than an actual story.
Enjoy it, for all it's worth, for my hard work and efforts...fifteen menial, labored minutes went into cranking this out.
SE Hinton owns all characters.
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Sodapop Curtis' brothers have pushed him past the clouds, through the boundaries. The two of them always calling on him has made him feel alone despite it being the exact opposite.
Ponyboy desperately needs Soda for the nightmares, his stability. He needs Soda's arm wrapped around him while he sleeps.
Soda is his anchor back to reality when their parents carry him away from it. Without him, Soda knows, the kid would sleep a lot less. And they couldn't afford Pony getting sick and landing in a hospital; not with the bills and the threat of those goddamn social workers.
But Soda, he just wants some sleep for himself. He brings this up to Darry.
"I mean-" he looks at his thumbs. Bends them. "I love the kid. I really do." And he does. Ponyboy is more thoughtful than anybody in the gang. If anyone can come close to understanding what's going on in Soda's head, it's him. "It's just that-" he drops his hands into his lap. Pauses, hesitates. Darry may be about to explode and he needs to prepare himself for the blow. "I'm tired, Dar."
Darry leans forwards and rubs his temples. Soda feels guilty.
"Sodapop, Ponyboy is beyond me." his voice is hard, stoic. "I've been takin him to see that guy but it ain't workin any magic." Darry huffed tiredly. Sadly, Soda realizes he that he's seeing a 40 year old man in front of him. Not his older brother
He sucks in a breath of air. "Yeah. Sorry."
Pony needs Soda to help him stay in check. Darry needs Soda to keep him young, for as long as he can.
He can't do goddamn both.
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Just thought it was interesting.
Please review :)