Quality Time

 
Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders. I only own the plot and any unknown characters.
A/N. I've finally updated. I have several words for you; exam, mother, study, grounded, etc. Another reason I haven't updated is that someone reported my "Things They Would Never Say" Harry Potter fic as a list. So I wrote this chapter Thursday night but I've been blocked until Monday night. 12/16.  I've decided to refocus the fic on Darry. It is his story after all. Now, as usual a thanks to all those who reviewed the previous chapter.
Thanks to.
*twobitsgreaserbabi
*Carly
*Burnin' Church Gal
*smd
*Aaliyah-Charity
*Blatty
*Angel02
*Antigone
*Karlei Shaynner
*Sodafan_2603
*crazy4nc128
I love you guys!

   I started to pace around the living room with my hands in my pockets.
" Do you think he'll come back tonight?" Pony asked me.
"Hopefully," I said and this was true. I did hope that he'd come back here soon and wake up in his own bed in the morning. Actually, I was praying for it, but how could I express that in words?  These streets were dangerous at night. Especially for Greasers like us.  I looked back at my little brother. One of the great things about Pony is that sometimes he just gets things and you don't have to explain. Of course, his mind is in the clouds half of the time too, but I think we're really making progress on that.
" I hope he's not too cold," Pony said in a small voice.
He sounded frightened and it reminded me of when he was the one who ran away and it was Soda sitting on the couch and wondering if Pony was cold.
" He's a tough guy Pony. I'm sure he's fine," I said with a tight lipped smile.
" What if...." Pony began.
" Pony, honey don't worry about him." I said.
I hadn't called Pony honey in a long time. Only when I could tell he was really upset. Maybe I'm not losing my touch after all....
" Yeah. It's just that. I don't want to lose him."
His eyes were beginning to get red, and he looked down at his feet. Ashamed of the emotions he was showing me, I guess.
" I'm worried about him too, and I know you're upset about M.om and Da..a..ad." I said.
I couldn't understand it. I could barely get the words out that I wanted to say to be comforting. Ok, scratch that idea. I am losing my touch. I need to get it back. I'll have to do that later. Now, this was frightening.
" I'm sorry, Darry." he said.
His voice sounded surprisingly muffled. Pony's head was between his knees and his back was curved into a U shape.
" Pony, you have nothing to be sorry about," I told him.
I hoped it didn't sound as stupid outloud as it did in my head.
" Yeah, but I think I'm crying."
I wasn't really sure if he was announcing this fact to me or himself.
" There's nothing wrong with crying, I've cried lots of times," I admitted.
Yes, lots of times indeed. Especially after he and Soda were asleep and I was alone.
" That's not the point," he said.
His voice still had that strange quality that sounded as if he were speaking from behind his hands.
"Then, what is the point?" I asked him gently.
I've learned that when Pony acts like this you just have to be calm and reassuring. Believe me, it's not always easy. He looked up at me with a look of disbelief in his blood shot eyes.
" I don't know. What kind of question is that?" he asked.
His voice rose slightly on the last part and I knew he was starting to get hysterical. Pony being hysterical is never a good thing. I went over to the couch and firmly grasped him by his shoulders. My fingers sank in slightly into his shirt, and he whimpered a little at my touch. I don't think he'll ever forget when I hit him. I know I never will. If you step back and look at the chain of events that happened that night, you'll see that it was my hitting Pony that caused everything. If I hadn't hit him then he wouldn't have run out and well.....
" Pony, I'm not going to hurt you," I said.
It hurt me to say that.
" I know," he said.
He tried to sound casual, but I could hear the hint of relief in his voice. I've trained my ears for stuff like that.
"You don't have to be afraid of me..." I started to say.
He wiggled out of my grasp.
" I'm not!" he insisted.
I coughed twice.
" I know you didn't really mean to hit me that time, and you care about me and all that." he said.
"Yeah, I do."
" So, can we stop all this mushiness?" he asked me.
I smiled a little. He was definitely getting back to normal.
"Sure." I said
He nodded. I could see his gaze turn to the door, and I knew he was plotting something.
" No," I said without thinking.
"No what?" he asked me in a confused voice.
"No, you're not going out to look for Soda," I said firmly.
Pony looked at me in awe.
"Damn," he said quietly.
Pony usually doesn't swear.
"How'd you know I was thinking about that?" he asked.
" I'm your big brother, I know everything about you," I said a matter of factly.
Pony's face twisted into a look of horror. I had to bite my tongue a little to keep from laughing.
" Have we really grown that far apart that you can't tell when I'm kidding?" I asked him.
" I knew you were kidding," he said and tried to sound tough.
I snorted.
" Sure you were,"
" I was!" he protested.
I started to tickle him and he laughed out loud. We hadn't done this since Pony was a little kid.
" Stop!" he pleaded.
" I guess you can't take it, huh?" I asked.
" No, it's just that you have some advantages being Superman," he said.
Sometimes the guys call me Superman. I know they're only joking. They are kind of right though. I definitely have my own kryptonite.
" Hey guys, sorry," I heard Soda say.
Pony got up from the couch and ran over to Soda.
" I was worried about you," he said and hugged Soda tightly.
"Aww, I'm fine." Soda said and stroked his hair.
Then Soda looked at me with a guilty expression on his face.
" I just had to clear my head, and Dally sort of helped me to do it." he said.
"Dally?" Pony and I both asked in unison.
" Yeah, he's a good guy to talk to, surprisingly enough." Soda said.
" I get it, it's a hard time on all of us right now," I said.
I looked at my watch.
" It's pretty late, why don't you two go to bed, and we can talk about everything in the morning." I said.
Pony yawned, then Soda did, then I yawned.
" Chain reaction," Pony said and laughed.
" You, bed , now." I said and pointed at Pony.
I knew he was tired when he started saying random things and laughing like that. They told me good night and went off to their room. I laid down on the couch and tried to think of what I could say to them tomorrow. I couldn't help but notice how soft it felt and I soon fell asleep.

A/N. Ok, I finally finished chapter 7. Woohoo. Ok just leave a review if you have any input. Oh and if you get the time listen to "Kryptonite" by Three Doors Down and "Superman" by Five For Fighting. They both kind of go along with this fic.    Luvs ya
Fyremoon

 Superman    (It's Not Easy)
It's not easy to be me
I can't stand to fly
I'm not that naive
I'm just out to find
The better part of me

I'm more than a bird…I'm more than a plane
More than some pretty face beside a train
It's not easy to be me

Wish that I could cry
Fall upon my knees
Find a way to lie
About a home I'll never see

It may sound absurd…but don't be naive
Even Heroes have the right to bleed
I may be disturbed…but won't you concede
Even Heroes have the right to dream
It's not easy to be me

Up, up and away…away from me
It's all right…You can all sleep sound tonight
I'm not crazy…or anything…

I can't stand to fly
I'm not that naive
Men weren't meant to ride
With clouds between their knees

I'm only a man in a silly red sheet
Digging for kryptonite on this one way street
Only a man in a funny red sheet
Looking for special things inside of me

It's not easy to be me.

Kryptonite

I took a walk around the world to
Ease my troubled mind
I left my body laying somewhere
In the sands of time
I watched the world float to the dark
Side of the moon
I feel there is nothing I can do, yeah

I watched the world float to the
Dark side of the moon
After all I knew it had to be something
To do with you
I really don't mind what happens now and then
As long as you'll be my friend at the end

If I go crazy then will you still
Call me Superman
If I'm alive and well, will you be
There holding my hand
I'll keep you by my side with
My superhuman might
Kryptonite

You called me strong, you called me weak,
But still your secrets I will keep
You took for granted all the times I
Never let you down
You stumbled in and bumped your head, if
Not for me then you would be dead
I picked you up and put you back
On solid ground

If I go crazy then will you still
Call me Superman
If I'm alive and well, will you be
There holding my hand
I'll keep you by my side with my
Superhuman might
Kryptonite

If I go crazy then will you still
Call me Superman
If I'm alive and well, will you be
There holding my hand
I'll keep you by my side with my
Superhuman might
Kryptonite

Yeah!

If I go crazy then will you still
Call me Superman
If I'm alive and well, will you be there
Holding my hand
I'll keep you by my side with
My superhuman might
Kryptonite

Hehe, just a little something.