Ponyboy POV

I felt like hell. My back hurt, my head hurt, my stomach hurt, my legs hurt, my throat, even my eyes and arms hurt. Not joking, every single part of my body hurt. I haven't felt this way since… ever. Not even when I went delirious after Joh- I mean, when I went delirious from stress. All I could do right now was drink the little water Darry gave me and try for my life to hold it down and let Sodapop comfort me. I didn't really want him running back and forth trying to deal with me and stuff since he was crippled at the moment, but I was too tired to tell him to stop worrying so much.

I would tell him, but every time I woke up, Darry gave me something to drink, tried to get me to eat, took my temperature then I passed out again. I couldn't do anything but cough, take the water, let Darry shove the thermometer in my mouth and pass out before he's done. I could tell he was trying to get me to eat and I could also tell he wanted me to take some medicine, and I would've let him… but like I said, I couldn't keep anything down, and I kept falling asleep before anyone including me got a chance to do anything.

When I woke up for like the twentieth time, I felt different… I didn't know what it was, but something felt wrong. I didn't feel like I was going to throw up, I didn't feel thirsty… I just couldn't put my finger on it. But when I heard my stomach make a weird noise, I finally realized what it was-I was hungry.

I blinked a couple times before I reached up and rubbed my eyes. I felt my fingers slid across my forehead for a second and I could really feel how hot I was, but in reality, I was freezing. I mean, I was wearing… nothing but pants. Wait what? I could've sworn I was wearing a hoodies, socks and all that stuff before… I sighed and just let it go.

I sat up and for once ever since I got sick, I didn't really feel like I was going to throw up. I leaned against the headboard and stared at the wall in front of me. I let out a sigh and puffed out my cheeks before really putting in some effort and began thinking about how I could get something to eat. I could hear my stomach grumbling and it was making me cringe. I never really enjoyed that sound.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed. My plan was to just leave the room and confront Darry when I get there. I slowly put my legs on the floor, but when I did, it didn't feel like the floor. I looked down and saw that my feet were resting against Sodapop.

Now why the hell is he down there?! I thought to myself. I kicked him in the side. "Soda…" I said quietly and softly. I blinked, my voice sounded shot, but not as bad as I thought it would've been.

Sodapop grumbled. "Wha…"

"Soda I'm hungry." I said getting right to the point. I mean, I would have a conversation with him about how I felt but damn I was hungry!

Soda cracked an eyeball open a little. Once he realized it was me he shot up. "Ponyboy!"

"Soda calm down! You're gonna hurt your leg more…" My head gave a throb and my eyes widened in shock. I put my head in my hand and used the other one to put down on the bed.

"Ponyboy! Are you alright?" Soda asked as he grabbed onto his crutches and heaved himself up and off of the floor. I looked down and saw a blanket, a pillow, and a plate with half an eaten sandwich on it. Darry made sandwiches and didn't even bother to tell me?! How could he?! His sandwiches are basically the definition of my existence!

"Yeah Soda-just hungry," I eyed Soda, then the sandwich once again. "Are you gonna finish that?" I pointed to the sandwich.

Soda chuckled and helped me out of bed. "No, but you need some sick people food. Come on, I'll go fix you something."

"Soda no. You're impaired. Get Darry to. He's not. Two-Bit's just getting over being sick, I sure as hell can't do it and Steve can't cook to save his life unless it's Kool Aid and he still can't make it right." I wasn't lying. Sodapop can only cook when you give him permission to be creative, Darry could be a professional chef, Two-Bit can make a pretty mean steak or anything else that's a meat and Steve? He can't do shit.

Now, pardon my French, but Steve is so tight, that if you shove a lump of coal, up his ass; in two week's you'll have a diamond. That's how sensitive Steve is about his "cooking" abilities. He doesn't even like to think about that kind of stuff.

Soda cocked an eyebrow. "What?" I asked.

"I don't even know what Steve is doing right now…"

"What do you mean?"

Sodapop adjusted his position against his crutches. "Well… Darry made me and Steve sandwiches then we went to go look for Two-Bit and we found him in this weird sleeping position asleep of course and then we starting eating our sandwiches and then Steve started acting weird so I asked what was wrong and he got real defensive about nothing being wrong and he got up to use the bathroom and that's when I noticed something that looked like ketchup on his shirt,"

I stopped Soda. "But Steve hates ketchup.

Soda clicked his tongue at me. "Exactly. He hurried into the bathroom and I was still eating my sandwich and then Darry went to go check on Steve and then I went to go check on you after Darry told me to take your temperature but I couldn't find the thermometer so I called for Darry to help me find it and when he gave it to me I asked what was wrong and he said it was nothing so we went to go check on you and while we were doing that out of nowhere we hear Two-Bit yelling for Darry like it's the end of the world so Darry rushes out to the bathroom where Two-Bit was yelling from and telling Darry to come to and I haven't seen him since then so I just stayed here and I got tired and I didn't want your germs-no offense-so I went to sleep on the floor." Soda took a deep breath.

"How long ago did Darry leave to go to them?"

Soda shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know… ten, maybe fifteen minutes ago?"

"Oh, well…" I said. "Let's go, I'm starving!"

I slowly opened the door and let Soda go first. He giggled. "I would imagine. It's been awhile since you've eaten actually," Soda looked at me. "Honey, go put on a shirt."

I looked down even though I knew I wasn't wearing a shirt, smiled and closed the door. I put on a shirt that was on the edge of mine and Soda's bed, put it on and left the room. I walked to the kitchen table and sat down in one of the chairs. Soda was… gone. "Soda?" I called out.

I heard the sound of a door open and turned around in my seat. I was surprised when I saw Two-Bit helping Steve to walk and lie down on the couch; Soda crutch his way out of the bathroom and over by his best friends; and then Darry walk out, wiping his hands on his pants.

Looking at Darry in the state I was in made me really observe his features. He was growing up too fast. He was 20 years old and he looked like he was 33. He reminded me of when people thought him and Dad were brothers. I then understood why Darry looked like that. It wasn't only because he was growing up too fast; it was because of his actions, his responsibilities. What pressures were thrown at him when our parents died. How he decided to take custody of me and Soda instead of having us thrown into some boys home out in no-man's-land. He he decided to basically take Johnny in when his family finally got to the point of where Dally and Two-Bit actually made real plans to murder Johnny's mom and dad. How he decided to take care of the gang, his brother. The family that he had left. The family that he now has left.

How much Darry actually cares about me ran through my mind as well. What he went through when mom and dad died. What Darry went through when he found out me and Johnny killed Bob the soc. What he went through when me and Johnny ran away to Windrixville with the help of Dallas. What Darry went through when me, Sodapop and him got reunited at the hospital after the church fire. What Darry went through when the rumble happened. What Darry went through when he and the gang discovered Johnny was dead and what he went through when we all saw Dallas crumble under the streetlights and me practically give up on life too. When relief flooded over Darry when the judge called me innocent over Bobs gettin killed, and what relief he was in when the judge put me in full custody of him.

Even though Darry and I had our differences before the whole "murder" thing took place and before mom and dad passed, Darry was still there to stitch me up after a jumping or rumble, or to comfort me when the thought of mom and dad being dead took over my mind again, and also comfort me along with Sodapop when I had another nightmare after they began happening. But hey, we made up, did we not? I still loved him and he still loved me.

Out of nowhere and even though my head and legs were protesting, I ran over to Darry and had him by the waist; squeezing the daylights out of him. He stumbled a little, curious. But when he realized it was me, he reached down and picked me up. I wrapped my legs around Darry's waist and my arms around him neck. Even though Darry was bear hugging me around my waist, I could tell he was still a little confused. "Everything okay Ponyboy?"

I shoved my face into the crease of Darry's neck and nodded, then shook my head no, then shrugged my shoulders. Darry tried to put me down but I protested. He complied and adjusted me a little. "Darry?" I mumbled into his neck.

"Yeah baby?"

"I love you…"

"I love you too Ponyboy." I could tell he was mistaking my cuddling for me being sick because that's how I was when I get sick, but it was really because I was unbelievably grateful to have a brother like Darry. And brothers like Sodapop, Steve and Two-Bit.

I could feel Soda's, Steve's and Two-Bit's eyes on me, but I couldn't have given two shits. So what I love my big brother? So what I enjoyed hugging my big brother? I could've cared, but I was too happy on the fact that I was: 1) Getting better from being sick. 2) Getting to be carried around. 3) I wasn't really hungry anymore. 4) Everything was returning to normal and 5) Darry wouldn't let go of me either. And I knew why:

He loved me more than I did him. And that's a hell of a lot of lovin…

The End

Well guys, this is the end of Rainy Days. How was that for my very first fanfic? Was it too long? Too short? Too fluffy? Bad, good? Like… what? I'd love to hear your guys feedback so I can improve on my other stories.

By the way, should I continue You're Going Home? I don't know. Thank you guys for your constant support and help throughout this entire journey. I actually had a lot of fun writing it and this last chapter actually makes me tear up and get a little emotional to see it go so fast and because of the feels I made Ponyboy go through.

I don't own The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.

Stay Gold

staygold-fandom (Malory)