This is a huge 'story' that is filled with smaller one shots for the pairing of Dallas Winston and Curly Shepard [Cally]. The stories will feature death and violence and other such things so it will be rated M but not all chapters are worthy of a M.
Note; the poem is recited in the series 'The Hunger Games' and originally has nothing to do with the Outsiders. I just felt like using it for this chapter
Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
Where they strung up a man they say murdered three.
Dallas Winston knew what he was doing was wrong, so very wrong as he glanced out a curtain from his room at Buck's, staring at the fire lit from the mob that had gathered right outside his window. Waiting, waiting for him to surface and die because they knew he couldn't stay in hiding forever. That he would run out and fight to his death. But Dallas would not run out just yet, as the boy sitting with his knee's pressed tightly to his chest as he rocked back and forth. Oh no, he would not leave Curly Shepard, his Curly, to die. Dallas was formulating a plan in his head, and for once, it had nothing to do with gain for himself. For once, it was for somebody else he wanted to save.
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.
"Curly." Dallas spoke in a icy but soft tone that he kept for the little fifteen year old who was also expected to meet the mob and burn to his death. Dallas Winston and Curly Shepard were queer and they were expected to pay.
But Dallas would not let this happen, because if you truly love somebody, you will let death take you if they stay alive. "Curly, we're going to run out back together, okay? There's a fire escape down the hall, and there ain't nobody there so we'll get out and run away like you wanted to before, okay?" Dallas was lying through his teeth. Only one person would be escaping tonight
Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
Where the dead man called out for his love to flee.
Curly Shepard's panicked eyes flickered away from the TV that was on mute and playing a re-run of some children's show about a mouse that he didn't care for, staring into the eyes of his lover. He couldn't let him burn to death, he couldn't let his Dallas die like that. He couldn't – there was no point for him to live if Dallas was gone.
Curly reached out and grasped Dallas's cold hand in his warm one, squeezing onto it tightly. "I can't let you die, man. We got to make it out of here together, okay?"
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.
Dallas stared down at their intertwined hand's, returning the tight grip that Curly had on his own hand, never wanting to let the boy's hand go. But if it kept him from dying, he would. "Never. We'll always be together, okay? Now shut up, we gotta go before they block that entrance." Dallas smirked at him, a beautiful smirk, a proud smirk as he lied once more to the beautiful person that clung onto him. He was proud of what he was about to do, proud that he was lying. It wasn't a lie though, they would always be together. You can't drop this type of love, it will be carried into death. It will go wherever you go, no matter how painful it is.
Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
Where I told you to run so we'd both be free.
Curly managed to weakly chuckle at Dallas's words – he loved how he was so blunt, so naturally easy to pretend he didn't care even if he did. And he did care, so much that he would lie about saying they would get out together.
Curly knew he was lying because Curly knew Dallas Winston and knew he wouldn't be proud about escaping death. He was a fighter and he wouldn't be proud unless he went down with a fight. He released his grip on Dallas's hand and stood up "Let's go then."
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.
Curly felt the smoke running through his nose as they stepped out into the hallway and glanced down one way to see that the hallway was quickly being ingluged in flames. His eyes were watering at the sight and he looked over and down the other side, the fire escape standing there, untouched and beautiful, ready for a perfect escape.
But it would not be perfect, because Dallas was not planning to be there and even if he did, what were the promises they would escape together, and get far away from here? He rather have Dallas suffer quickly then suffer a long and tortured death. And Curly himself, very simply, would rather be wherever Dallas would be.
Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me.
"Go!" Dallas managed to choke out and pushed him forward down the hall, towards the fire escape and staggered a few steps after him as the smoke ran through his body. He stopped after 3 steps, watching Curly take off a couple more down the hallway. Good, he was a smart boy. A quick runner. He would live.
Dallas closed his eyes quickly, turning back in the other direction, waiting for the flames to come and destroy him permanently, taking his life and whisking him away from this unaccepting world. All he wanted was Curly to be safe. He hoped somebody would look after the boy, even just one person. His soul would finally be at rest then.
Dallas felt the heat get closer to him when he felt a warm hand slip into his, holding onto it with a tight and possessive grip. "Not without you." A familiar voice he hoped he would never have to here again shouted over the roar of the flames
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.
Dallas forced his eyes open and glanced down on Curly for a long, long second as his gaze was returned, the two loves staring into eachother's eyes as the flames wrapped around them, the walls and carpet on fire as the fire got closer, almost touching their toes now."Together forever, then." Dallas managed to shout back as sweat started to drip down his forehead.
"Always!" Curly shouted back, turning back to the flames as he felt Dallas pull him into a quick embrace, wrapping his arms around his waist and holding him closely as they once had many times before. Except, this time was different. They didn't have fear for anything as the flames wrapped around them, letting their love truly burn as they died together, forever locked in that embrace.
And as they both died, they knew one thing.
They'd be free. Together.
