Chapter 1: The Disagreement

Ponyboy and a slightly drunk Two-Bit made their way inside the Curtis house, just getting back from the Nightly Double, Two-Bit laughing a little at his own joke. Pony just rolled his eyes.

The two Greasers started into the kitchen, Two-Bit's hands in the pockets of his jacket.

"Where have y'all been," Darry looked up from the table, paying bills. "Y'all missed supper."

"Sorry Darry, we're jus' a little late that's all." Pony nodded, lips pursed, glancing at Two-Bit.

He didn't wanna tell Darry it had taken forever for them to leave after seeing the movie because Ponyboy had to wait for Two-Bit to stop making out with a blonde which took much too long.

Two-Bit nodded at Pony with a small nod and a wink, grabbing a beer from the ice box.

"A little late huh?" Darry mused, looking bored. "Hey wait a minute," He slowly stood, eyebrows furrowing. "Pony, is that a bruise?"

Lips pursed, Pony softly brought a hand to his cheek, a purple bruise forming. "Oh yeah….don't worry about it, Darry. A Soc just hit me when I was waiting in line, that's all."

"That's all, huh?" Darry's narrowed eyes slowly went to Two-Bit, who tried to open his beer bottle quietly, looking at Darry.

"Yeah, i'm real sorry about that, Darry," Two-Bit apologized sincerely, taking a sip. "My bad."

Darry was upset, knowing Two-Bit was supposed to have been watching Pony, to help protect him from Socs and clearly, Two-Bit hadn't been doing his job.

"And where exactly were you, when this happened, Two-Bit?"

"Listen Darry, it's fine okay?" Pony frowned, watching, not wanting Darry to get upset. "Ain't like it's Two-Bit's fault. The Soc was just a jerk anyways."

Darry sighed a little. "Pony, why don't you just go to your room? It's gettin' late and you've got school tomorrow."

Ponyboy frowned and looked at Two-Bit a moment before he nodded at Darry. "Night, Dare,"

Darry waited until Ponyboy was in his room, looking at Two-Bit. "Well, where were you when he got hit?"

Two-Bit frowned, looking sincere. "Look, i'm sorry, Darry. I shoulda been keeping an eye on him. But then this girl i've been dating showed up and well…..ya know." He offered a sheepish grin, eyebrows raised.

"So some girl makes you think you can stop looking after my kid brother?" Darry frowned, disappointed.

"W-Well no, but, he was fine the last time I had checked on him," Two-Bit frowned with a nod.

"The last time? How long were you with this girl?" Darry's eyebrows were getting more and more furrowed, his hands on his hips.

"Errrr, 2 hours?" Two-Bit guessed.

"Two hours?! Two-Bit, you were supposed to be looking after my little brother! Not off on some date!"

"Darry, i'm sorry, I really am. It won't happen again, I swear it." Two-Bit huffed, nodding.

"My brother is 14, Two-Bit, he shouldn't be out getting into fights with Socs like that, not after all he's been through," Darry hissed. "He needs someone to look after him. And need I remind you, Keith, that this isn't the first time this has happened and I'm gettin' tired of it,"

Two-Bit's eyebrows raised when he heard Darry say his real name and he tensed, not realising Darry had been that upset.

Two-Bit swallowed and shuffled on his feet a little. "Listen Dar, i-"

"And, you've been drinking more too," Darry continued, grabbing Two's beer from his hand. "MY beer that I bought and paid for that you seem to be the one guzzling them down all the time,"

Two-Bit swallowed and shrugged softly. "Okay, i'll admit, maybe I have had one or two too many, but you know with Johnny and-"

"And what, Two-Bit?" Darry breathed out at the eighteen year old, arms crossed. "You're just too absorbed into your own little funny world of jokes and happiness that you can't stick to reality and take things seriously?"

Two-Bit flinched a little, Darry's voice loud, eyebrows furrowing. "Darry, wh-what are you saying?"

Darry looked at Two-Bit with hard eyes, serious. "I want you to stay away from my kid brother. From now on."

Two-Bit frowned, not expecting this, gray eyes wide. "D-Darry, you can't just tell me to-"

"I mean it, Keith, I don't want you around him anymore. You hear me?"

Two-Bit frowned, licking his lips, nodding slowly with furrowed eyebrows, dismayed Darry would even tell him such a thing. "O-Okay Darry, I hear you…" He finally said, giving a nod as he slowly started backing away.

"Good," Darry nodded with a huff and sat back down at the table, looking at his bills, finished with the topic, not saying goodbye to Two.

Two-Bit frowned and walked out, letting the screen door slam, swallowing, wanting to go back in and get the beer that Darry had taken from him but he figured that didn't seem like a good idea.

Darry had seemed kinda mad.

He swallowed and started walking for home, kicking at a rock.

Why would Darry not want me around Pony? Just because I wasn't watching him watch a movie? The kid is 14, he's growing up. He doesn't need someone around all the time. But I suppose, with Johnny…

Two-Bit frowned and shook his head, saddened at the thought of the young Greaser.

Maybe this is just a temporary thing. Like Darry will get over it and forget about it soon enough. Yeah, yeah, maybe he'll even forget about it by tomorrow.

After all, he shouldn't be the one deciding who Ponyboy can and can't hang out with; that's for Pony to decide.

Besides, since Johnny had passed, next to Soda, I was Pony's best friend. He's been hanging out with Mark Jennings though recently, but they certainly aren't best friends.

Besides, I love the kid like a little brother. We both enjoy each other's company so I guess I need him too as much as he needs me.

So if Darry makes me stay away from Pony, won't that just hurt the kid more?

Two-Bit shook his head again and just walked, hoping his brain was right in telling him that Darry will have forgotten this whole thing by tomorrow.

A/N: This is my first story that i'm publishing on Fanfiction (my other Outsiders fics are all on Wattpad under GreaserMcGoo) I'm uploading here though because I wanna get more readers and comments on my stories. So if you like this, i'll upload my other stories on here... :) I have eight chapters of this written already but i'll wait to see what you guys think about this before I post more. So I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thanks :D