Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders
Sodapop woke up yawning, his eyes slowly cracking open. He blinked and brushed the sleep from his eyes and groggily turned himself over to glance at the clock on his nightstand, that was full of clutter. Seeing that it was almost six in the morning, he groaned, knowing he'd have to make breakfast. Yawning again he threw the blankets back, grabbing clothes from his untidy closet then left the room to get a shower.
After his shower he searched around the kitchen for something different, finally finding pancake mix, and some food coloring. Smirking a bit, he opened the pancake mix and poured it in a frying pan. Once he got everything cooking he opened the refrigerator and took out the carton of milk, taking a swig of it, something Darry would abolish him from. Wiping his mouth, Soda walked into the living room and turned on the radio, not as loud as it usually was since his brothers were still sleeping but loud enough so he could hear it from the kitchen. Sodapop sighed, still bored, there were no good songs playing on the radio and he couldn't watch TV or else he'd forget to check on breakfast.
He pushed his hair back. "I hate waking up first," he mumbled to himself. At least I'm off today.. he thought to himself.
To his great fortune, he heard feet pattering into the kitchen. He figured it was Darry since he usually got up so he got his coffee ready and the chocolate milk for him and Pony. When he looked, however, it wasn't Darry that was drowsily walking into the kitchen, it was Ponyboy.
Sodapop grinned down at him happily, walking over to him and picked him up. "Good morning baby." He kept the shock out of his tone. Ponyboy was always the last one up unless something was wrong. But Soda didn't see anything wrong with him. Pony grinned back up him.
Soda tickled Pony's stomach. "Did you wake up early to hang out with your favorite big brother?" he joked, eliciting a giggle from Pony. Soda smiled at him again before placing him down on the counter beside him so he could keep an eye on both the breakfast and his little brother, who had a habit of getting into things that he shouldn't be.
After awhile of just sitting around and watching Soda Pony looked up at him with a questioning look in eyes. "Can I help?" he asked, kicking his legs back and forth.
Soda looked at him a moment, surprised, before nodding his head with a grin. "Sure you can Pone." He grabbed some plates and some forks and placed them in a pile on the table. "You can set the table." Soda grabbed Pony off of the counter and placed him down by the table. Pony stood up on his tip toes and picked up one of the plates and set it in front of a chair. He repeated this until all of the plates were set. Then he move onto the forks, setting them down beside each plate.
"Soda I'm done!" Ponyboy reported happily. Soda looked down to his side and ruffled up Pony's hair.
"Good job Pony! You'll need to help me out more often." He then pulled out all of the different food colorings he had, letting Pony choose the color.
"Blue!" he squealed out. Blue was his current favorite color, which would probably change in about a week.
By the time Soda was finished Darry was walking out of the shower and into the kitchen, looking at the blue concoction on the table worriedly.
"Want some?" Soda asked, his mouth filled with food.
"I think I'll pass."
Soda frowned. "Really? Pone helped me make it." Pony beamed in his seat.
Darry smiled at him. "Oh he did?" At Soda's nod Darry grabbed a plate, sitting down next to Pony. "Good job Pone," Darry told him after eating a few bites.
Suddenly the front door slammed. Causing the three brothers to stop eating for a moment.
"Hey Two-Bit," Soda greeted dryly.
"Hey guys," He trailed off, staring at the blue pancakes. He promptly grabbed himself a plate, not caring that they were blue, and sat down, immediately digging in. The two elder brothers rolled their eyes at their friend as Pony simply laughed at him.
Standing up, Darry stood up to check the time and saw that he was gonna be late if he didn't hurry. "Damn it," he muttered, but Pony still heard him.
"Soda, Darry said a bad word!" Ponyboy tattled.
Soda stifled a laugh. "Darry!" he playfully admonished. "What have I told you about using such vile language!"
Darry only smiled and shook his head, rushing around to grab his wallet, tool belt, and car keys. Once he got them he called out a goodbye, running out the door just as Johnny was about coming in, causing the two to almost run into each other.
"Hey Dar," Johnny greeted, smiling up at him.
"Can't talk. Gonna be late." Was his jumbled response as he ran to his truck.
"Well," Johnny mumbled to himself, walking inside the house.
"Hey guys," he greeted quietly.
"Hey Johnny. Want some breakfast?" Sodapop kindly offered, already making him a plate anyways.
He nodded, sitting beside Pony who was having Two-Bit wipe off his face in a sloppy manner. Pony moved his face away from Two-Bit's unwanted hand. "Hi Johnny!"
"Hey Pony!" He said, leaning down to kiss Pony's forehead. Soda placed Johnny's plate down and begun to clean up the table. Again, Pony offered to help him, with Soda giving him that same smile he gave him the first time. Pony handed Soda his now dirty plate so it could be washed. Soda sat Pony on the counter again as he washed the dishes and let Pony dry them.
When they were finished cleaning up Soda debated on whether if he wanted to try and give Pony his bath or not. He didn't feel like having that fight so he'd just let Darry do it later.
Later on while Pony was watching TV with Johnny and Two-Bit, Soda was straightening up the house, in case of any unexpected, and unwanted, visits from the state were to occur. He gawked when he saw how much trash he had thrown out. He'd have to have a talk with Steve and Two-Bit about the importance of picking up after themselves. Soda shook his head. "God I sound like Darry."
When it was lunch time Soda wasn't surprised when Pony asked to help him make something. He was at least glad that he knew that his brother wouldn't be a freeloader when he got older.
They were just making sandwiches so Soda let Pony help out with more things. Like getting the bread, peanut butter and jelly.
Pony handed Soda the sandwich he just finished making that had more jelly than peanut butter but Soda didn't mind. He always liked the jelly better anyways.
By the time Pony finished his lunch he was ready for a nap, something Soda felt that he needed himself. So after he tucked Ponyboy in his bed Soda went to the couch, trying to avoid Two-Bit chewing his sandwich with his mouth open, and lay down. It didn't take him long to drift off into a peaceful sleep.
xxxx
"Soda!" someone yelled. Soda's eyes immediately snapped open and he abruptly sat up. He felt his head hit Two-Bit's, causing the both of them to curse.
"Why did you even wake me up?" Soda asked, glaring at him and rubbing his head.
"Hey this ain't my fault. You're the one who just had to sit up!" Two-Bit playfully argued back, also rubbing his sore head.
"Whatever." Suddenly panic coursed its way through Soda's body. "Where's Pony? Is he okay? Oh God.." he moaned, placing his face in his hands.
Before he could panic any more Two-Bit shook his head, pointing to the kitchen. "Johnny's making the kid another sandwich or maybe it was Pony who was making a sandwich. Either way they're both in the kitchen." Soda looked up and in the kitchen, hearing Pony's soft laughter. He breathed a sigh of relief.
"But why'd you wake me up then?" he repeated his previous question.
"I was bored," he admitted.
Soda sighed and stood up and walked into the kitchen and saw Pony sitting on the counter, safe and sound, making himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Thankfully Soda saw that Johnny gave him spoons instead of knives. Even if spoons made it a bit messier, it was better than having him accidentally cut himself or having him just stick his hands in the jars. He raised an eyebrow at the table, which at at least eight sandwiches. Soda pulled Johnny aside.
"What are all of those for?" he gestured to the sandwiches with a questioning look.
"Dally and Steve are coming and Pony wanted to make them something to eat." Soda smiled in Pony's direction, even though he was getting peanut butter and jelly all over the place. Soda went to clean it up and put everything away as the door slammed this time it was Dally and Steve who came walking in.
"Dally! Steve!" Pony squealed, running up to them. Before they could respond, Pony grabbed onto their hands, practically dragging them into the kitchen. He picked up a sandwich, giving one to each of them. Dally smiled at him.
"Did you make this by yourself kiddo?" he asked the excited toddler who nodded happily in response. Dally ruffled his hair, finishing his sandwich.
When they were all finished they all sat in the living room. Steve and Two-Bit were talking about their dates that they went on the previous night while Soda, Dally, and Johnny shook their heads at their choice of discussion with a four year old in the room. Two-Bit just finished his story about his date with Kathy, ending it by telling them about the kiss they had.
"Eww! Girls have cooties!" Pony exclaimed, sticking his tongue out with a disgusted look etched on his face.
"Not in a couple of years they won't," Steve informed him, with a smirk forming on his lips.
"No Steve. They will," Soda emphasized. "Cooties don't just go away." Pony nodded, finding the logic of that statement.
For the rest of the night the gang just sat there, talking about the first thing that would pop into their head. That was until Darry came home and told them to calm down when the conversation started to get inappropriate.
By the time Soda started on dinner he wasn't in the least bit surprised when he heard Pony ask his now very well known question. "Can I help?"
Sodapop grinned to himself. He really did have one amazing little brother.