* FLASHBACK *

Darry sighed in relief as he finally trudged up the porch steps. He had just worked a double shift and what a shift it had been. First the guy he was partnered with was late so they'd fallen behind on the roof, then the dumbass had left half his tools 'in a mate's truck'. Along with his common sense, in Darry's opinion. Meaning his boss was now pissed at the pair of them because they'd have to go back tomorrow to finish off, and that was Darry's fault how?

He opened the front down and instantly tossed his tool belt to the floor with a 'thunk', causing the greaser on the couch to jump violently.

"Sorry," Darry muttered, figuring it wasn't any of the gang's fault he was disgruntled.

"S'okay," Steve murmured back, not turning around.

"Where's everyone else?"

"At the Double, I think," Steve replied in a low voice.

"You not fancy it?"

"Just got off work."

"Like it's bothered you before, wandering in halfway through the movie. The cute chicks never show up 'til the finale."

There was no reply to that and on normal day Darry wouldn't have cared. It was lame attempt at humour anyway. But with the day he'd had the least he expected was a bit of respect from the damn people who constantly roamed into his home whenever the hell they felt like it and to not get ignored.

"Well, if ya just hanging around here in hopes of a free meal then beat it," Darry snapped. "I ain't in the mood for cooking right now."

"Oh, so that's what ya think of me, is it?" came the bitter reply. "Mooching off ya, am I?"

Darry felt his temper boil.

"Yeah, call it that if ya likes. I don't work two jobs to feed some kid who ain't got diddly squat to do with me."

Darry took a step back in shock as Steve shot up like a rocket and spun around to face him for the first time since he'd entered the room.

"Oh, that's just it, isn't it? I'm just some worthless teenager who'd ya be far better off without! Ya think you've got the right to say and do what you like to me and it don't matter because you can just apologise and make it all better in the morning! Well, maybe it don't work like that! Maybe one day things won't get better! Maybe one day this useless kid will just decide to find someone somewhere that does give a damn or maybe, just maybe, this kid will give up the fight once and for all. Ya ever thought of that, huh?"

Darry was stunned to silence. Not by the furious words pouring helplessly from the mechanic's lips. Not by the clenched fists and defensive stance of the greaser's body. But by the red eyes and the tears flowing freely down Steve's face.

The room was quiet for a few moments after the angry tirade, apart from Steve's harsh breathing. Finally Darry spoke.

"I think most of that speech was supposed to be directed at your dad."

Steve let out a little chuckle that Darry swore turned into a half-sob, then the teenager dropped back down on the sofa and buried his face in his hands.

"Sorry."

"For what?" the eldest Curtis asked, approaching him cautiously and sitting down beside him.

"Yelling at you."

Darry half-smiled and shrugged.

"I didn't mean what I said to you either. Bad day."

"Join the club."

"Wanna tell me about it?"

"Just my dad again."

There was a pause.

"Wanna tell me about it?" Darry asked again, leaning back against the cushions.

Steve turned and looked at him.

"Why? It's the same old, same old."

"But is it?"

Steve just continued staring at him, forehead furrowed. Darry elaborated.

"Something different musta happened. You've never…" He gestured vaguely. "You've never been like this before."

Steve looked away, embarrassed and started wiping his face with his sleeve.

"I…just… it… I'm just so fed up of it all."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning my dad. Always yelling at me. Hitting me." His hand went unconsciously to his side and Darry's eyes followed it, making a mental note to check it out later. "Thinking a couple of bucks the next day's makes up for the pain he… And Evie," he continued with a rush, not wanting to admit how much it hurt what his dad put him through. Although Darry wondered if it was to him or Steve himself he was hiding this from. "And Evie… oh, Darry, I do like her, not like her like her, at least I don't think I do. But even so I hate that she's always god knows where chatting up god knows who, acting like some cheap whore. Am I not enough? Why am I not enough?" He was half-talking to himself at this point. "Dad don't care. Evie don't care. Why don't no one care?"

"The gang cares," Darry interrupted. Steve blinked as if coming back to himself and focused his still red-rimmed eyes on the older greaser. "We all care, Steve. I wouldn't be sitting here if I didn't. Well, I might, it's my house after all. But you sure wouldn't."

Steve let out a half-smile at that, then stared blankly at the wall.

"My dad hates me."

"I'm sure he don't hate you." Darry chose his words carefully.

"He does. I'm sure he does. And Evie don't love me, can't even be faithful to me, so what's the point?"

His voice suddenly cracked and he dropped his eyes down to the floor, gazing hard as if not blinking would keep the water in his eyes from spilling. But Darry saw. And he did the first thing his body compelled him to do. He sat up and pulled the distraught greaser into a tight hug.

"It's okay, Stevo. It's okay."

The true meaning of the whispered words was clear to Steve and he gave up fighting back the tears, letting them running freely down his cheeks as he pressed his face into Darry's shoulder. One of the eldest Curtis' hands was rubbing his back soothingly, while the other arm kept the younger male held tight to him.

"Why do I feel so alone?" came the broken question.

Darry caught his chin and tilted his head so their eyes met.

"You'll never be alone. The gang will never let you be alone."

It was then he realised their positions. Darry had previously been lounging on the couch, only sitting up to take the upset greaser into his arms. But he had somehow unconsciously during the exchange leant back again, drawing Steve with him. Consequently he was now leaning back against the sofa. With Steve half-lying on top of him.

Darry's eyes flickered over their positions and the look attracted Steve's attention and it then dawned on him their situation. However, neither made a motion to move and they stayed there, Darry's hand still on Steve's chin and their eyes locked.

"I…" Darry continued, fingers moving from Steve's chin to trace his jaw lightly. "I will never let you feel alone."

Steve just continued gazing at him. Then suddenly, somehow, their lips collided.

Neither knew who made the move or whether it was both, only that it happened and then tongues were wrestling and teeth were nipping and hands were running through hair, tangled hair, to grab the back of heads to deepen those hot fierce kisses that were sending delicious bolts of pleasure through every nerve.

Then air, oh yes, such a cliché, but air was indeed necessary and they broke apart, panting, Darry's hands lazily caressing Steve's back, Steve's arms wrapped around Darry's neck, foreheads pressed together while eyes searched other eyes. And neither were disappointed with what they saw.

"Feeling alone now?" Darry breathed.

"Hell no," Steve whispered back.

"I'm glad. I mean it, I am. I know what it's like to feel alone. But most of the time, there is someone there. Even if we don't realise it."

"Yeah, I know. But sometimes I…I just wish…"

"Wish what? Talk to me, buddy."

"I wish my own damn family cared, you know. I mean, family's family, right? It means something to people. I just wish mine did too. You gotta know it's different, Dar. You've got Soda and Pony, and they sure care."

"Ya think they'd care less if I weren't family? Ya'd think I would? If we found our birth certificates somewhere amongst our parent's stuff and the names on mine didn't match Soda's and Pony's do you believe they'd love me any less? Do you think I would them? Yeah, family's important, Steve. But there's more than one type of family. The gang's a family, Steve, you know that. Your family. Better than that, even. You're the family we chose, not the one we were born with. We're family because we want to be. And that…that…means something. Ya dig?"

Steve stared at him then let out a weak smile.

"Yeah, I dig. And I think you dig pretty okay too."

Darry sent him a lazy smile.

"Good." His eyes darkened and he rested his forehead against Steve's once more. "Remember that next time to want to…" He wiped away a stray tear. "…vent."

Steve smiled slowly and licked his lips, eyes flicked down to Darry's mouth and back up.

"Oh, yeah. There'll definitely be a next time."

* END FLASHBACK *

Author Note: That was incredibly difficult to write. I wanted to show the how and why but they just wanted to do. Lil devils. So I'm not too sure if I'm 100% happy with this chappie. I might do a re-write at some point. What do you think? Plus my word processor doesn't know how to spell Darry. It kept insisting I should put dairy. LOL.